The magazine NOHO>LA recently featured one of my photos on their 5th anniversary cover. I hope you enjoy seeing it as well as reading the very flattering article that accompanied it.
Have
a safe and Happy Halloween,
Brian
Serious
Fun
Photographer
Brian McCarty taps his inner child to explore grown-up ideas
by Paul Gaita
It is 1980, and six-year-old Brian McCarty is stretched out on his living room floor in Memphis, creating a world populated by miniature figures of Han Solo and the Millennium Falcon. It has his undivided attention, although Plastic Man is blaring from a television nearby.
Fast forward to 2003: Brian McCarty is once again stretched out on a floor, this time in a Los Angeles bowling alley with the figure of a miniature bowler in hand. A small crowd gathers to watch, but he is riveted to the unique world that he sees through his camera’s viewfinder.
The interests of his early life have inspired Brian’s photography, which are produced by the fusion of his experiences in art and commerce and use the visual language of play to illuminate and entertain. His unique approach uses toys as the means to explore pop culture, modern family life and a variety of other topics. Whether the photographs feature Hot Wheels jumping off a ramp for a Mattel ad, or a personal series that explore his childhood through the drama inside a dollhouse, there is a common vision and feeling throughout his work.
“It’s all about the language of playing,” says Brian. “With a favorite toy in hand, we played as children to trigger our imagination, find our place in the world and have fun in the process. Playing shaped our lives and our individuality. It’s the attack on the Death Star played out by the kitchen cabinets, the expedition of action figures into the wilds of the back yard, and the world that opens up with toys acting as guides.
“The play represented everything from having fun to exploring profound issues like self-identity, family, and even death in a safe environment. When Luke Skywalker met his early demise at the hands of my dog, the resulting play became a way for me to deal with the death of my uncle the same year. Those simple bits of plastic helped me get a handle on the world around me, and it’s not much different today,” he notes.
Although Brian is best known for his iconic toy photography for commercial clients, his personal series have gained an ever-growing international audience.
After working for international companies such as United Colors of Benetton, Mattel Toys, and Microsoft, Brian has formed his own business, McCarty PhotoWorks, a commercial photo studio serving clients from the worlds of toy manufacturing, design, music, entertainment, marketing, and advertising. For more information, visit www.mccartyphotoworks.com.
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