Inside Photography What Gives Photographs
Their Distinctive Character
Tony Chirinos, lecturer
Published in 1966, The Photographer’s Eye by John Szarkowski is a foundational text that examines what gives photographs their distinctive character. Szarkowski argues that photography operates through its own visual language, separate from traditional academic art theory. He identifies five key issues photographers must navigate in shaping an image: The Thing Itself, The Detail, The Frame, Time and Vantage Point. This discussion explores the artists featured in the book and defines each of these components through selected images and short video clips.
Tony Chirinos is a Venezuelan-born documentary-style artist whose career spans more than 40 years exploring the themes of death and the vulnerability of life. A recipient of fellowships and awards from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, South Florida Cultural Consortium, Callanan Excellence in Teaching Award and William Talbott Hillman Foundation, he has exhibited his work nationally and internationally.
Chirinos holds a Master of Fine Arts from Columbia University and trained as a biomedical photographer at Miami Children’s Hospital before creating the medical photography department at Baptist Health Systems. His photographic series have been featured in The Washington Post, Photo Eye, Nueva Luz, Slate, Daily Mail, Business Insider and Fotofilmic. His work is held in collections including Candela Collection, CPW, Light Work, Photographic Center Northwest, Enfoco and Mount Sinai Medical Center. Chirinos is a professor of photography at Miami Dade College.
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