Introduction

George Tice said in an interview that “Most of my pictures are about place. I would say the Urban Landscape work is what is most distinctive about me.” This is the book of pictures I picked up in the library, which immediately captured my attention. A place can tell you so much about people. Whether it’s a sign, a storefront, or a landscape, it gives you a great deal of insight into what the people living there see and think about each day, and what their attitudes and interests are. I like that many of his pictures are on the edge of human activity; you can just imagine someone walking out of that doorway, or stepping through the side of the frame. This offers a very interesting perspective: thinking of people by their surroundings, not by the people themselves.

It is also interesting to note that Tice says that “The bulk of my photographs are of New Jersey,” where he was born. In this way, he is seeking to describe the people who he grew up with, and probably greatly identifies with. Through the lens of his camera, he can also see how his familiar environment has changed over time; something not usually obvious without documentation. Tice usually takes fairly simple photographs, with one subject centered in the image. He is also very skilled at maintaining balance in his images; my eyes usually are drawn to a point in the center.

I chose to imitate the ideas in Tice’s work Urban Landscapes by taking pictures around areas of Pittsburgh such as downtown and the Strip District, both of which have similar environments to his photographs: very common and every day, with a touch of nostalgia.

Tice's Work

Penn Fish Market, Camden, New Jersey, 1997