Biography: Philip-Lorca diCorcia

Philip-Lorca diCorcia for PDN magazine, Chris Buck

Philip-Lorca diCorcia (born 1951) is an American Photographer, who studied at The School of Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. His work has been exhibited in group shows in United States and Europe since 1977 and his first solo show was held in 1985 and from that time he has been featured in one-person exhibitions worldwide.

His work can be described as documentary but it’s mixed with fictional world. Though his photographs might seem like snapshots of everyday life, they are carefully staged and planned. To bring more drama in his work diCorcia chooses to photograph persons with different choices of life style.

The Hollywood series (The Hustlers)

Eddie Anderson, 21 Years Old, From Houston, TX, $20, Philip diCorcia, 1990-92

The Hollywood series were made in Santa Monica boulevard area which is frequented by drug addicts, drifters and male prostitutes. Artist carefully staged every picture, picking up the man and offering him to pay for posing. Each photograph includes name, place of birth and amount paid for a sitter. Despite the fact that every man accepted money for posing, diCorcia was not certain if every male was a prostitute. The twilight effect created in a photographs brings aesthetic and exotic impression. As Philip-Lorca diCorcia says “ ‘Twilight’ provides the rose-coloured glasses that make it possible to see out but not see in”.

Mike Miller, 24 years, Allentown, PA, $25, Philip diCorcia, 1990-92

http://faculty.cua.edu/johnsong/hsct101/pages/dicorcia02.html

http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/photography/past_exhns/twilight/diCorcia/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip-Lorca_diCorcia