Saul Fletcher

Saul Fletcher's work compresses issues of human existence into intimately scaled photographs brimming with psychic energy. Moody, intense, and hermetic in nature, these photographs use a time-honored vocabulary of subjects, ranging from religious symbols to common objects, from abstract expressionist marks to posed models, in order to grapple with complex issues of mortality, sexuality, spirituality, and redemption. Fletcher's entire photographic oeuvre consists of one long sequence of untitled images, their order preconceived not as a grand, declarative narrative but as a studied compilation of moments. Within this sequence, there are distinct groupings of subjects and themes that bracket individual narrative threads, but the correspondences among interrelated narratives remain central to Fletcher's practice. The artist conceives each image as a precise mental picture, meticulously crafting and editing its content before taking the photograph. Many of his images are taken in his own home or other personally resonant places, and he often uses himself or members of his family as models.

Selected Bibliography:

Aletti, Vince. "Portfolio." Artforum 40, no. 6 (February, 2002): 111–15.

Hainley, Bruce. "Fletcher." Artforum 35, no. 10 (Summer 1997): 137.

Heiser, Jörg. "Saul Fletcher." Frieze no. 35 (June-July-August 1997): 76.

Higgie, Jennifer. "Memories Can't Wait." Frieze 57(March 2001): 78–81.

Saul Fletcher. Exhibition catalogue. Munich: Galerie Sabine Knust, 2002.

Links:

Anton Kern Gallery

ArtForum