David Haxton
Born Indianapolis (USA) 1943
Work:
Haxton is primarily a film maker, a creator of experimental stage plays in the spirit of the Conceptualist Aciton Art of the late 1960s. From 1968 to 1983 he directed nearly a dozen such films. Since that time he has realised his cinematic ideas using a computer. His photographic works which first appeared about 1975 developed out of his films. On one hand Haxton used his movie sets as a stage to photograph. He is fascinated by light and space. He is interested in the modulation of light. He uses limited materials to really explore the possibilities with colour and lighting. The process is clearly as important as the product, his titles indicate the interest and process undertaken during the image making process.

Themes:

Connections to other photographers:
Winfred Evers (staged still life photography)
John Divola (staged still life)
Pascal Kern (staged still life, interest in colour and materials)
Paul Strand (interest in light, form, shade)
Edward Weston (interest in lighting, contrasts)
Irving Penn (interest in surface, material)
Aaron Siskind (interest in abstractions)
Imogen Cunningham (shape and form)
John Blakemore (interest in materials e.g. ripped tissue paper in flower series)
Barbara Kasten (manipulation of colour by controlled lighting)
Pablo Picasso (building paper collages to photograph)
Constructed Imagery To home page

David Haxton
Torn Orange Front & Near
1979

David Haxton
Untitled No 261
1983

David Haxton
Black Front & Behind Magenta
1979