For the last thirty years John Middelkoop has
toiled in the advertising and entertainment industries. "I
always wanted to be an artist and I approach every job from
an artistic view point," he says.
"It all started with my interest in images and my dad
had plenty of lenses and optical devices for me to play with."
At ten years old John received his first camera and the rest
is history. Since then he has shot numerous films, taught at
UCLA extension, published a book of his images, Seeing the
Unseen, and is currently producing and directing a documentary
on the spiritual aspects of Navajo Cooking. John is a Los Angeles
native and his studio is in San Pedro, CA.
Inside Red explores the symbolism of the color red.
Red is on the far left side of the spectrum and extends beyond
what is visible to the human eye. We think of red as a stop
sign or a danger signal. Throughout history the color red has
symbolized prosperity, strength and fertility. It is also used
for protection from evil. "Making red" is synonymous
with killing someone, evil doings are referred to as "red
affairs."
John says, "I was attracted to the red cloth immediately.
The shapes it makes and the way it integrates into different
environments intrigues me. Combining it with the female form
is the best of both worlds to me."
Inside Red shows red in a new way. The photographs
are hyper-realistic with brilliant colors and lyrical themes,
illustrative of the sub-text and subtlety in the color red. |