This is a great project from one of my favorite photographers Dale May. If you are in the Greenwich CT. area, please check this out!
“LEGO WARS” PHOTO SERIES BY DALE MAY TO OPEN AT THE SAMUEL OWEN GALLERY
Jumbo Prints of Star Wars Miniatures Pay Homage to a Different Kind of Classic
NEW YORK, NY – November 1, 2011 – Celebrity and commercial photographer Dale May announces the opening of “LEGO WARS,” a new solo show featuring Star Wars Lego figures shot in modern heroic portraiture. The show opens December 15 at the Samuel Owen Gallery: 378 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, Conn. May is in good company at the pop-inspired, contemporary gallery, which also has featured the works of artists such as Banksy, Shepard Fairey, Aiko, Basquiat and Warhol.
With this new collection, May‟s goal was to bring an “epic” perspective to a subject American audiences now find familiar, even commonplace. And in so doing, he recreates some of the awe that the characters once inspired in a generation of children. Today, these figures are an iconic part of Western nostalgia. But in many ways, the story and characters are universal in the powerful emotional responses they generate, not unlike the way ancient cultures responded to the stories and art of their gods.
“The LEGO WARS series is a study of popular culture, commercial advertising and nostalgia,” explained May. “I wanted to reencounter these tiny plastic Lego figures as an adult and photograph them in a way that returns them to „epic‟ significance.”
May leaves nothing to chance. The body of work was impeccably crafted and thoroughly planned, in particular, in the materials chosen for production. May felt that the works should resemble the highly polished glossiness of the subject itself. Mounted with an archival acrylic front and backed with aluminum Dibond, the pieces are given a look not unlike the plastic Star Wars Lego figures themselves.
A range of favorite Star Wars characters take their place in May‟s LEGO WARS, including Boba Fett, C-3PO, R2-D2 and, of course, Darth Vader. May also showcases the troopers, singly and in formation: Snow Troopers, Storm Troopers and Royal Guards. Each are depicted on richly colored backgrounds.
LEGO WARS runs through January 19, 2012. Prints of these epic characters are available exclusively at the Samuel Owen Gallery and www.samuelowengallery.com.
Internationally recognized, award-winning advertising, celebrity, and music photographer Dale May, has been pushing the boundaries of photography, digital imaging, lighting and post-production for more than 15 years.
Best known for his richly stylized, character-driven, conceptual imagery, Dale has captured some of today’s most recognizable personalities, including Christina Aguilera, Isaac Mizrahi, Jared Leto, Gene Simmons, Moby, Dave Grohl, Casey Affleck, Matt Leblanc and Nathan Lane.
Personally passionate about music and performance, Dale also has shot countless bands, ranging from Black Sabbath to 30 Seconds to Mars, as well as the Broadway casts of “West Side Story,” “9 to 5,” “Hair” and, most recently, “Spiderman Turn off the Dark.”
Dale received a BFA in photography from Parson’s School of Design and has studied under photographers such as Joyce Tenneson, and fashion and still life photographer Jose Picayo. He currently lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Mary Elizabeth May.