METHODOLOGY OF ANALYSIS
Describing ~ FORM ~ What is here? What am I looking at?
Interpreting ~ MEANING ~ What is it about?
Evaluating ~ JUDGEMENT ~ How good is it?
Theorizing ~ CONTEXT ~ Is it art? How does it relate to the history and theory of photography, art and culture?
In 2010, Phillip Toledano completed the production of his third photo book with the publication of “Days With My Father” – a compelling book that depicts the final stages of his father’s life as he slowly loses his battle with dementia. The image is very powerful as it portrays an elderly man, literally blindfolded, however, this blindfold could be metaphorically interpreted as his dementia which now prevents Toledano senior from living life in the same manner. Furthermore, the blindfold has two closed eyes upon, acting as if the subject is asleep, or perhaps dead as we know it is a photographic journey of the man’s remainder of his life. This image covers the front page of Toledano’s photo book, suggesting the photographer also valued the image in terms of effect and relevance. The rule of thirds scheme demonstrated in this image allows us as the reader to focus upon the man’s face, which is aged and half covered, adding a sense of ambiguity. This emotion of ambiguity is enhanced by the depth of field as it is solely focused upon the model in question, blurring out the irrelevant background, indicating our attention should be on the subject.
For what the book aims to portray, this opening image is very relevant and reflective, showing how his father is clearly old and as we’ve discussed, the blindfolded connotes death. The image has crucial effect and sets up the rest of the book very well so I believe the image is a success. The colors of the image are very dull and monotone, reflecting this sense of deterioration.
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1.the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.
The photograph is the opening image for a book made to give a specific insight into a son’s experience before his father’s death, staying loyal to the main objective of photography as it informs and is an alternative way of documenting. However, I think it is a rather limited demonstration of art as although Toledano has had the idea to photograph the lead up to his father’s death, the images lack creative skill and imagination. In contrast, the images do contain emotional power, causing me to rate “DAYS WITH MY FATHER” as fairly limited in terms of art.