Disfarmer's probing portraits

<p>Coming into contact with a portraiture genius and his penetrating images is not an everyday event, but last night"s TVO's 2011 premiere of a documentary on Mike Meyer, a.k.a. his later adopted name, Disfarmer ("Not-a-farmer"), was such a meeting for me. His photographs of some 50 years ago go well below/beyond the surface of the faces of residents of his small Arkansas community. Incredible probing studies of rural people of a bygone USA.</p>

<p>He had the ability to overlook technique and staged settings and go right to the subject. A strange man, almost hermit, he waited for that right moment when the expressions of his subjects told much more than a conventional portait. Are we seeing the subjects, or Disfarmer's view of them? Almost forgotten after his death, chance saw a wealthy collector discover his work, send it to NYC (to a former Modern Photography magazine chief editor) and from there to book form by the editor, and to exhibitions throughout the world. A Van Gogh type of character, he wouldn't have even suspected that his talent would be recognised posthumously.<br />I wonder how many have seen his work, and whether you have been as impressed as I have been? Not sure which of these links will be revealing: <br /><cite></cite><br /><cite><a href="

<p><a href="http://photomonth.tvo.org/?p=32">http://photomonth.tvo.org/?p=32</a></p>

<p><a href="http://www.channels.com/episodes/show/14306392/Disfarmer-World-Premiere-Wednesday-May-25-2011-at-9pm-ET-#/episodes/show/14306392/Disfarmer-World-Premiere-Wednesday-May-25-2011-at-9pm-ET">http://www.channels.com/episodes/show/14306392/Disfarmer-World-Premiere-Wednesday-May-25-2011-at-9pm-ET-#/episodes/show/14306392/Disfarmer-World-Premiere-Wednesday-May-25-2011-at-9pm-ET</a>-</p>

<p>Very interesting Arthur, I will have to try and see if it will be rebroadcast anywhere in the near future.</p>

<p>Disfarmer was a wonderful photographer, and he is present in every one of his photographs. He was a misanthrope, and it shows. Despite being the town photographer, he portrayed people the way he wanted to, not necessarily the way they would choose if there was choice. Terrific work.<br>

<br />He was a very odd dude. He built his camera into his studio, IIRC, and every shot was taken with pretty much the same background and lighting. He rarely went out except for food, and wasn't known to show an interest in anyone except for one time he made a pass at his young studio assistant.</p>

<p>There are a couple books<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=disfarmer&x=0&y=0"> available at Amazon</a>, definitely worth picking one up. It may not be a good idea to wait, I notice that the one I have is only available for over $1000 and I think I picked it up for $25. </p>

<p>Julia Scully also deserves some credit for making Disfarmer known to the public.</p>

<p>He was in discussion on a couple of B&W-oriented forums a few years ago, just after he was "discovered"...the interpretations that are being layered on the work and the man today are telling. Photography as direct as his wasn't unknown in the late 19th century, but seems to have become that way in the late 20th. <br>

One interpretation drew a parallel between him and J.D. Salinger (Catcher in the Rye): <a href="http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-reclusive-artists.php">http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-reclusive-artists.php</a><br>

Choice of Bill Frisell's acoustic guitar/synth makes a lot of sense within the context of those interpretations, but Frisell always sounds pretty spacy and mysterious, therefore is applicable to every human topic (I do like him, and I like the fact that his work isn't frighteningly virtuoso).<br>

<a href="http://www.disfarmer.org/">http://www.disfarmer.org/</a></p>

<p>Disfarmer / Frisell Project<br>

<a href="