Michael Wolf

I've been discussing the idea of "Is it Documentary or Fine Art" with a handful of photographers from around the globe. They all approach their work with different intentions and perspectives, undoubtedly this is a very subjective discussion. But it is always interesting to see what documentary work breaks through to the fine art market and actually sells.

One of my favorite series that walks this line isn't new, in fact it's from 2002, but it's Michael Wolf's series, Bastard Chairs of China, from the book Sitting in China, published by Steidl. These images can be looked at as typologies, but I look at them with the fascination of a culture that recycles everything. He documenting this phenonmenon, but he also has a singular point of view in what he chooses to showcase.