Chris Jordan at Yossi Millo

Sawdust, 2003 by Chris Jordan

I do not post many negative reviews. To be shown in a gallery is a difficult achievement and who am I to belittle the enormous effort and ego-swallowing required to do so? I try to keep in mind that each artist reviewed here is a flesh and blood person, not an abstract target of pseudo-informed commentary. Yet, having said that, there is something about the notoriety of Chris Jordan's work that cries out for backlash.

The most obvious thing about Jordan's photography is the jarring similarity in subject matter and treatment to those of Edward Burtynsky. I'm not the first to point it out; it comes up in almost every online discussion of Jordan's work (but not every offline discussion). Yes, he acknowledges Burtynsky's influence, as well as the influence of Andreas Gursky and Richard Misrach, but almost as a point of defense rather than explanation. While some accuse Jordan of an homage too close to imitation, there are significant differences in the two photographers' approach to the same material and Jordan suffers by comparison.

Considering Jordan's current, and first solo, show at Yossi Milo, I was struck by two things. Jordan's explicit goal is to comment on modern consumer society and our significant waste problem. (Burtynsky has had a similar agenda, hidden or understated for many years and only recently surfaced as intentionally directed, by his dealer or publicist, I suspect. ) Much of the "awe" created by his large scale photographs comes from a manicured molding of the subject matter - cigarettes combed into a pattern of visual white noise or cell phones formed into stylish swirling patterns. This intervention undercuts Jordan's message by making the scene artificial and thus non-documentary and suspect as propaganda. Alternately, Burtynsky's work downplays any sense of artistic intrusion on the "manufactured landscapes" he records, making their tragic meaning hard hitting and true. Second, the lighting Jordan uses is often so similar to commercial catalog lighting that it’s hard to say whether the photo isn't a manufacturer's product shot rather than a pile of discarded industrial waste. Of course, one could make the argument that that is all part of the point, but in this case I’m not inclined to be that generous.

Still, it's early in Jordan's career. His images of sawdust piles are interesting, unfortunately because they cleave more to Burtynsky or Misrach's approach than anything unique. Perhaps he will use some of the freedom of his new found success to expand his artistic horizons, though there is the always the temptation to play to the crowd. It will be interesting to see what path he treads.

Through Oct. 15 at Yossi Milo Gallery
25 W 25th St
(212) 414-0370