Commentary on the 5th Vice Photo Show

Fotomatic would like to thank the lovely folks over at Vice Magazine and Brooklyn Industries Contemporary Art for letting us photograph at their event, the 5th annual Vice Photo Show. Thanks for not kickin' us out. It was good fun thanks to a nicely done show not to mention a consent flow of Colt45 24oz cans and hip hot guys and girls. The photos at this show are most definitely worth a look-see. Vice has given us a great diversion on these lazy summer days in Williamsburgh. Let the photos of Radeq Brousil take you to a even cooler realm than Broadway and Driggs, a photographer who moved to Canada from Europe, these images explore the strange behavior of animals in Canadian wilderness, strange in comparison to the behavior of their European counterparts, according to the artist. If Canada doesn't suit your fancy, take a jaunt over the pond and back to the "Days of Thatcher" with John Sturrock's intense, truthful, and involved documentation of the demonstrations and riots in the UK from that era.

The show flyer is adorned with Enrique Metinides plane crash photo,

this Mexican photographer of crashes and crime scenes from the 60's, delivers the initial punch to set the tone of the show. As if those images weren't heavy enough, why not address the absurdity of modern warfare with Kalpesh Lathigra"Lads On Patrol".
Here, the photographer presents images of British soldiers stationed in the Helmand district of Afghanistan. These feel direct and stark, as well as a little sad, depicting young soldiers displaying their weapons with a look of fear embedded in their expressions. These images are displayed next to Richelle Forsey's images of student soldiers of Burma,

an all student democratic front fighting for democracy in their home nation. The soldiers are shown with expressions of confidence alluding to the fact that their chosen mission is one that gives them great pride. The dichotomy of these images of soldiers is evident and striking. As any good show will do the curators at Vice have kept with a theme to an extent. But being that it is a Vice show it's not all doom and gloom...after feasting you peepers on some politically charged imagery your eyes are given a slight respite with what else but topless women and shirtless boys. Three photographer seduce and sedate us with these bird chests and mystical mammary glands Carolin Leszczinski, Issabella Rozendaal and Matt Gunther. As you saunter your way through the exhibit, the back room holds the treasured moments of "My Little Dead Dick" the photographic diary of two young love struck photographers Madi Ju and Patrick Tsai as they dance their way to young love's bliss. So there you have it, go see it or at least pick up a copy of the Vice Magazine photo issue. The Show confirmed in our minds that powerful images still speak loudly even if sometimes we find ourselves drowning in a sea of mediocre photography that is devoid of concept, but somehow existing only out of the shameless consumerism, right on.