Home / Arts and Entertainment / Photographer's Inner Observer Captured American Life
Photographer's Inner Observer Captured American Life
2 Feb
Summary
- A 1969 psychiatric review called Sultan an anxious observer.
- His book "Water Over Thunder" explores his life and work.
- Sultan photographed ordinary homes and staged desires.
A 1969 psychiatric review identified photographer Larry Sultan as an "anxiety-prone individual" and a "left-out observer looking inside," a description that presaged his distinctive approach to documenting American life. His prolific career, spanning from the 1970s until his death in 2009 at age 63, explored documentary, fiction, and appropriation.
Now, "Water Over Thunder," a new book published in collaboration with his family, delves into Sultan's reflections on his craft. The book includes personal ephemera, journal entries, and his striking images, offering an intimate self-portrait.
Sultan's lens captured the San Fernando Valley's ordinary homes rented for porn productions and intimate portraits of figures like Paris Hilton. His work often imbued everyday scenes with a "hazy familiarity" and an eye for the "idiosyncratic and ironic," aiming to reveal the mysterious just out of view.
