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Hiding in the City With Liu Bolin

By using iconic cultural landmarks such as the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall, or the remains of Suo Jia Village where his studio was housed, [Liu] Bolin seeks to direct awareness to the humanity caught between the relics of the imperial past and the sleek modern monoliths of 21st century China. Each image requires meticulous planning and execution: as both artist and performer, Bolin directs the photographer on how to compose each scene before entering the frame. Once situated, he puts on his Chinese military uniform, which he wears for all of his Invisible Man photographs, and, with the help of an assistant and painter, is painted seamlessly into the scene. This process can sometimes take up to ten hours with Bolin having to stand perfectly still. Although the end result of Bolin’s process is the photograph, the tension between his body and the landscape is itself a manifestation of China’s incredible social and physical change. Simultaneously protester and performance artist, Bolin completely deconstructs himself by becoming invisible, becoming a symbol of the humanity hidden within the confines of a developing capitol.

Read more: http://lightbox.time.com/2012/03/20/liu-bolin/#ixzz1pfN2VpE1

via Time

Enrique Metinides

Note: This is a series of incredible, but graphic, photographs. 

Enrique Metinides is a photographer from Mexico. His fascination with crime and gangster films led him to begin taking photos at crime and disaster scenes at the young age of 10. By the time he was 12 he had seen his first dead body and had began working as a professional photographer for a publication. He took photos  of this nature in Mexico City for 50 years.

Read some fascinating articles about his life and work here and here.