[Leica] Jessica Dimmock's photo style

[kcassidy at asc.upenn.edu (Kyle Cassidy)]

There are a few things that make her style "different" -- one is what seems 
to be the giant bare bulb in the room most of the time, it's an unflattering 
light for an unflattering subject, it makes things look "real" in almost an 
amateurish way -- there's a sort of "home pr0n" aspect to it but it's done 
with great talent -- by eschewing the clever lighting, beautiful tones, and 
stand-back black and white that "cocaine blue, cocaine true" gave us we're 
left with something of a garish "this is real, it's not a photograph" 
feeling. it's like a brutal film noir with grain and green-tinted 
fluorescents. i think that's one of the things that makes it successful, 
it's ugly realism. while i really like them and think they're wonderfully 
done, i can't see hanging any of them in my house -- they're too realistic 
and too sad. 

The thing that impresses me most is that she was able to talk her way into 
photographing this -- like Donna Feratto did in "Living With The Enemy"... 
is Jessica invisible? do her subjects play to her? who knows, she probably 
more than anyone else. Without meeting these people I can't really gauge how 
they react and how they would react. 

I suspect that a photography session of mine is a lot more fun, but i really 
appreciate what she got out of her investment. 

kyle