Ralph Eugene Meatyard

Well, if anyone knows me, they would already know that I am a rather huge fan of Meatyard for one obvious reason... He's so creepy. I LOVE IT. (now to the serious business) 

Ralph Eugene Meatyard, born in 1925, only began his career as a photographer (Meatyard was actually an Optician) when he purchased his first camera in 1950 to photograph his son and then soon after joining organizations such as the Photographic Society of America. Passing away way too early, before his 47th birthday in 1972, Meat yard had yet to actually gain his complete popularity. He had established a name for himself as a photographer but his work was so unlike the popular east and west coast styles of the decade, that his work had yet to really be appreciated until after his death.

The imagery and disturbing concepts of his work, featuring masks and abandoned scenery created some of most beautifully complex concepts of the time. I adore his work of course, having an interest in disturbing imagery myself, and I love the depth he uses in his work. His work with trying different exposures and shutter speeds to achieve blurred motion to display an almost disturbing movement in his photographs is quite fantastic to me. I love the fact that you can almost tell that he had all these beautifully amazing ideas in his head but was simply attempting to figure out the world of photography in order to get them onto film. I would say he was more than successful...