sfmoma elevates climbing art

on monday i had the awesome opportunity to visit san francisco's museum of modern art. what i found there left me inspired.

as a photographer who aspires to create strong climbing-influenced art i often struggle with the results of my efforts. i've wondered: is it possible to make images that rise above the specificity of the athletic climbing experience?

an installation and a painting series at the sfmoma answered my question.

as you round the third floor staircase at the sfmoma you encounter a 6' tall triptych by german painter antje majewski. this photorealistic painting series, entitled bergsteiger (the mountain climbers), depicts a group of rock climbers from poland.

from the artist's website:

"the size and the thematic recall the "manly heroism" of both nazi and communist paintings, but my mountain climbers are very normal people, nice guys with soft beards whose nationality isn't obvious. they could be polish, german or czech. their mountain climbing in the peculiar soft rock formations of the stolowe mountains isn't heroic at all; no new race or state is built, nothing more is at stake then a leisurely afternoon.


i tried find a way around the history of how "naturalistic" painting had been used by both national socialist and communist regimes, and i found that it can be done very well just in the way a deeply compromised scene like that of men struggling against the mountains is painted."


the other piece of climbing-inspired art that i came across at the sfmoma sits high inside the building's atrium. this installation/performance project was created by matthew barney (random aside - barney is romantically entangled with bjork) and is part of the artist's drawing restraint project. what you see in the atrium is a series of pencil sketches and words that barney created while suspended in space with a climbing rope, a series of carabiners and slings.

these two projects show us that inspiration for art can be found anywhere. and that climbing, with its large palette of physical, thematic, and aesthetic possibility, makes for some great creative inspiration.

why we start climbing

if you ask many a climber out there to share how they started their climbing adventure you'll likely hear a story that has little to do with, well, climbing. maybe it's just the folks i've asked. maybe this is only true of climbers that have discovered the sport as adults. and maybe it's just me.

climbing is an activity that is intense, expensive, time consuming, often scary and potentially risky. if, as an adult, you start making climbing one of your passions, you're probably motivated by something other than "i need to burn some serious calories." while the reasons we start this journey are varied, it seems that there are often strong emotional sparks driving us toward this very emotional activity.

but as with many things in life, why we start something isn't always why we continue.

we grow as human beings. and hopefully our passion for climbing evolves along with us.

wsj gives newclimber.com a shout-out

in today's technology section of the wall street journal online, editor keith huang writes about newclimber.com. holy wowa! his recurring blogwatch section highlights cool things in the blogosphere.

you can read the story online over the next 7 days or you can find a PDF copy here.

excerpt:

the diary of a [newbie] rock climber
newclimber.com

after moving to colorado in 1999, it took david mejias nearly six years to work up the nerve to give rock climbing a try.

"when i started, i was very afraid of heights," he says. "now, I'm still afraid of heights but can manage my fear better."

after his first climb, in July 2005, mr. mejias began his blog, largely to document his personal growth in the sport. within a month he described "pumping out," or overexerting himself: "i have grudgingly concluded that i should curb my enthusiasm a bit. i'm trying to be patient and listen to my body." nearly two years later and still hooked on the sport, mr. mejias can now lead an ascent, whereas before he could only "top rope"—follow routes that others had established on a rock formation.

mr. mejias, a free-lance photographer, also provides a stunning look at the sport through his camera's lens.

need the skinny on a climbing area?

i was chatting with a friend of mine tonight and asked him where i might go for some fun bouldering in boulder, co. he told me to get on the internet and look for myself. i wondered. me? lazy?

if you're looking for some rock action, here's a great place to start:

http://mountainproject.com

from the website - "mountain project inc. was founded in 2005 by two longtime climbing buddies and business partners, andy laakmann and nick wilder. our vision is to take climbing beta beyond the guidebook, adding personalization and community features that add context and rich exploration to popular climbing sites across north america."

climbing photographer brian solano dishes

i recently had the chance to chat with uber talented colorado photographer brian solano about his work and his views on photography. brian's work can be seen in both rock and ice's and urban climber's current photo annual. he has also produced feature films including karma, the autralian project and the life. check out more of brian's work at: http://www.bsproductions.us/

brian, thanks again for taking the time. let's dive right in. you shoot now, but didn't you start out as a bad-ass climber?

i started climbing focused on the competitive side of the sport. i competed for the us climbing team for several years, placing 14th at the world championships one year. eventually i got burnt out, sick of comps, sick of training, sick of not eating ice cream after dinner. i shifted shifting gears to climbing outside, shooting, and traveling. it’s all about the fun!

how did the professional interest in photography come about?

i travel a lot with friends who are climbing at the professional level. their sponsors were always looking for photos and i had been shooting these trips on a recreational level. i started submitting my photos to the mags, with no luck. looking back, i can see why, my first attempts at shooting were really lacking. from there, i started making climbing movies. learned a lot about light and composition. eventually, i got more focused and started approaching it as a profession.

what do you look for when you shoot. what moves you to pick up the camera?

super unique rock features that scream “climb me.” climbers that are motivated and love what they do. and style, i am sick of the climbing “bum” look.

i prefer solid ground when i shoot. what about you? any scary photography setups?

i’ve had to solo up some sketchy stuff to rig a rope. other than that, nothing too crazy. by now, i am pretty used to being in exposed situations, but i always make sure to rig a solid, safe ancor to shoot from. the last thing i wanna be doing is looking through a perspective altering fisheye lens, while trying to balance on a small ledge. i build an anchor and am able to focus on the photos, without worrying about falling off. safety first, photos second.

any advice for a newbie climber trying to photograph her first climbing trip?

ass shots suck, so try to get above the climber whenever possible. look for unique perspectives that tell the story. pay attention to the light, be creative, and have fun with it. most likely, you will be shooting digital, so shoot a lot. it won’t cost you anything.

some of your work just appeared in rock and ice's photo annual. how cool was that?

a lot of hard work goes into the photos, so it is rewarding to see the finished product. photo annuals rock. but, by the time they are on newsstands, i have already been working hard on new stuff. i just finished shooting a big feature for rock and ice in eldo. it’s gonna be hot!

what is tough about freelancing? what do you enjoy most?

i love the freedom and flexibility it provides, allowing me to shoot what i want, when i want. the down side is the inconsistent flow of income. i tend to have to work extra hard, because its not my style to be a climbing bum. i shoot a lot of other lifestyle/outdoor photos to pay the bills. but climbing will always be my passion and favorite subject to shoot.

i often hear that climbing photography isn't really evolving. how do you respond to those observations?

the people saying this are simply not part of the evolution. it's evolving everyday. i think photogs are really starting to step it up. flip through any of the mags and you will see something you have never seen before, plus a bunch of shots you’ve seen a hundred times before. some of us are hiking hundreds of pounds of studio lighting gear out into the mountains, bringing a whole new look to the sport. as the sport evolves, naturally, the photography will be evolving too. it’s a small industry so progression takes time.

thanks again and keep at it. we look forward to seeing more of your work out there!

vedauwoo, wy

sometimes it's easier to just move the mountain.

color photography rocks of course. lately, though, i've been shooting some black and white images for work clients. here's my attempt at continuity:

http://www.newclimber.com/gallery/vedauwoo