I really like the photographer Julia Galdo.
She's like the love child of Cindy Sherman and Nan Goldin on Prozac. The gender politics message is more subtle and everything is just a little sweeter, cleaner, crisper. Her series of self portraits are unapologetically influenced by Cindy Sherman's untitled film stills, but the "protagonists" aren't symbolic cliches, just Julia in compelling costumes/surroundings. Her low shutter speed(?) /natural light images of seedy motel rooms and stubbly drunk guys have an order to them, and unlike Nan Goldin's work, there's actually something sort of soothing and inviting about them. And her commercial work is just simply really great.
What I love about this day and age is that you can go to her fancy website, and then you can go look at her real life flickr page. Because apparently she's got to rub it in by being a great artist and having an amazing flat on Haight St.
p.s. As much as I love Cindy Sherman, I still regret the day I walked in to metro pictures gallery and saw this series. It still haunts me. Not in a good way. ugh. shutter shutter gag. Here's a nice link to wash those horrific clown images away.
