Research Task – Todd Hido

Fascinated by William Eggleston’s work, I did some further research into photographer’s, who also manage capture the banal beauty of American suburbs, and are able to document human existence, without people being evident within the image. Todd Hido, is one of these photographer’s. He produced two fascinating projects that I took particular interest in – Homes at Night and Interiors.

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Homes at Night could be described as voyeuristic in style, which saw Hido photograph stranger’s homes in the dead of night, attracted to them because of the beautiful lighting in the windows, or because he felt there was an “interesting story inside”. At times, he would drive for hours around American suburbs that remind him of his home, to find a suitable image, and on occasions, would return from his journey with nothing to show. Often, the landscape appears cold and bleak, with snow or mist frequently incorporated in the photographs’, which is a clever contrast between the warm and welcoming lights radiating from inside the houses. Hido used ambient light only, in order to keep the process, and ultimately his images’, as ‘real’ as possible, and on occasions – to his advantage – he used the headlights of passing cars, which he describes as “painting light across the scene”.

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It would be understandable to think the subject matter he is documenting in this particular series, are the houses themselves. However, as Hido explains in the video ‘I use my photography to express myself’, “there really not about houses, there about people”. As a viewer, we are left thinking more about those inside – who are they? How do they live? – resulting in questions being asked, as opposed to the answers being revealed, thus, allowing room for interpretation. If we consider the ‘signifier’ and ‘signified’ in some of the images’, we may be able to determine the type of person, or people, who reside there. For example, relating to the photograph below, I interpret that the people who live in this home, consist of a large, working class family, who live a comfortable, but simple life.

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Interiors, as the name suggests, sees Hido photograph the inside of houses – the opposite of Homes at Night. What I find interesting, is where Homes at Night shows evidence of ‘life’ at the moment the photograph was taken, Interiors depicts unlived environments. The bleakness too, which is often felt when studying the exterior landscapes of the photographs in Homes at Night, is now sensed from within the stark interiors of the unfurnished homes. Hido has made a seemingly boring scene fascinating, by effectively applying compositional techniques, and using the natural light from unseen windows, to highlight certain areas of the room, which I think adds an element of drama.

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Though, the two projects’ in question are very much individual, the intended subject matter is the same – people. Even with the lack of furniture, I believe it’s possible to gain a better understanding of who used to reside in these homes, just by looking at the décor on the walls, and the carpets. For example, relating to the first image below, I get the impression that someone of an older generation was the last occupant, due to the dreary, dated carpet. Whereas, the second image, depicts a modern interior, suggesting the residents were perhaps younger. Regardless, I get a sense with all the photographs’, that the individuals’ have only recently vacated the property. Hido said himself that it “feels like somebody was just there or just walked out of there”.

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References:

W Magazine. (2020). ‘Todd Hido’s Photos of Empty Rooms Take on New Meaning in Isolation’ [Online] available from https://www.wmagazine.com/story/todd-hido-homes-at-night-interiors-quarantine/

Todd Hido. (2020). ‘Home at night’ [Online] Available from: http://www.toddhido.com/homes.html

Todd Hido. (2020). ‘Interiors’ [Online] Available from: http://www.toddhido.com/interiors.html

Lens Culture. (2020). ‘Todd Hido on “Homes at Night” and Illustrating Memories in Photography’ [Online] Available from: https://www.lensculture.com/articles/todd-hido-todd-hido-on-homes-at-night-and-illustrating-memories-in-photography

Toner Magazine. (2020). ‘Todd Hido Homes at Night’ [Online] Available from: https://www.tonermagazine.net/todd-hido-homes-night/

YouTube. (2010). ‘KQED Spark – Todd Hido’ [Online] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFE18gxHFGE

Youtube. (2017). ‘Todd Hido: ‘I Use Photography to Express Myself’ [Online] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTnmO6UXFUc