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Postmodernism + Other Movements
Postmodernism is a style of post-1960s art which rejected the traditional values and politically conservative assumptions of its predecessors, in favour of a wider, more entertaining concept of art, using new artistic forms enriched by video and computer-based technology.
There are many principals which define modernist art, including: A rejection of history and conservative values (such as realistic depiction of subjects); innovation and experimentation with form (the shapes, colours and lines that make up the work) with a tendency to abstraction; and an emphasis on materials, techniques and processes. However, postmodernism, was a reaction against modernist art and a rejection of this to challenge it.
Modernist artists experimented with form, technique and processes rather than focusing on subjects. While the modernists championed clarity and simplicity; postmodernism embraced complex and often contradictory layers of meaning. (words taken form Tate).
Postmodernism essentially drove modernism out of the face of art and muscled its way to the forefront as postmodernists believed this view of producing art was the ultimate and best method.
Postmodernists also embrace subject and content as opposed to object and form.
Postmodernism makes references to things outside the art work…e.g. political, cultural, social, historical, psychological issues.
Another aspect of postmodenrist photography is that it often mixes different artistic and popular styles and media. Postmodernist art can also consciously and self-consciously borrow from or ironically comment on a range of styles from the past.
Pop art by Roy Lichenstein is a good example of this; pop artists broke down the separation between fine art and popular culture in their work: Lichtenstein borrows the language of comics for his painting Whaam.
Andy Warhol once said in a famous quite that “anyone can be famous for 15 minutes”. Looking deeper into this, it can essentially mean that with a little bit of creativity and by pushing the boat out and challenging art normalities and conventions, a new look of art can be achieved which stuns the world and from this, the author can become famous for a short period of time – through challenging and not conforming to art rules and producing something perhaps controversial or unseen before – new and innovative.
A term closely related and used in conjunction with postmodernist art due to this idea that postmodernism encapsulates the idea of using many mediums to produce work, ‘bricolage’ also presents this notion.
The definition of ‘bricolage’ in terms of art and literature is: “construction or creation from a diverse range of available things.” Bricolage is a French loanword that means the process of improvisation, or a work created by mixed media. The word is derived from the French verb bricoler (“to tinker”), with the English term DIY (“Do-It-Yourself”).
Pictorialism
Time period : 1845 – 1915
Key characteristics : manipulate images with the intent to strip reality from it by adding effects
Artists associated : Alfred Stieglitz rejected the movement and Ansel Adams didn’t agree with the art form because he thought photography was fine art itself and did not need altering.
Julia Margaret Cameron
Key works : allegorical paintings and paintings from the Italian Renaissance
Methods / Techniques / Processes : used darkroom process to add effects – noise, different colours, lights and textures. Would also use Vaseline to make it more unphotographic and more as an art painting.
Realism / Straight Photography
Time period : early 1900s
Key characteristics : opposite to pictorialism and shouldn’t manipulate to show actuality
Create images of world as they see it
Idea that camera doesn’t lie
Artists associated : Alfred Steiglitz 1907, The Steerage / Pablo Picasso
Key works : Avant Garde – new and experimental ideas in art / Cubism – originated in 1907 by Picasso
Methods / Techniques / Processes :
Modernism
Time period : 1910 – 1950
Key characteristics : formal qualities – line, shape, shadows, texture
Artists associated : Max Dupain
Key works :
Methods / Techniques / Processes :
Possible Investigations for Personal Study (Essay Question)
I have chosen to study the work of Matt Eich and LaToya Ruby Frazier to help me generate a response to the one of the questions below for my personal study. I have previously observed and researched the work of both artists but intend to do more through observations into their work and thought processes.
Here are some possible questions I may use to answer for my personal study. They relate to the photographers Matt Eich and LaToya Ruby Frazier and compares and contrasts their work to relate to my own project exploring similar themes, representations and contexts.
How do photographers Matt Eich and LaToya Ruby Frazier show familial relationships to be cohesive yet destructive?
How do photographers Matt Eich and LaToya Ruby Frazier construct their images to tell a story of their own family?
How do photographers Matt Eich and LaToya Ruby Frazier collaborate with their subjects to show their internal family community and to make it a more personal exploration into the fragility of families?
This was my favourite question from the list I created, however, I thought it could do with some tweaks to make it better and to make it read better for both myself and the audience to understand more clearly what I will be writing about.
How have the themes of attachment, detachment, family and love been represented in the photobooks of photographers Matt Eich and LaToya Ruby Frazier?
This is the altered and better worded version of the question which I will be using:
How have the photographers Matt Eich and LaToya Ruby Frazier explored themes of attachment and detachment in their own family through the medium of photobooks?
All my questions relate to the theme of family and relationships in particular and this is represented in both Matt Eich’s work and LaToya Ruby Fraizer. I took inspiration for my possible questions to respond to from that of previous questions answered by previous students for their own personal study. However, these are only potential studies at the moment and my photographs which I will be observing may change, as well as the context of the question but the examples above are useful to generate some ideas.
My Inspirations + Linking to my Project
Below are all my inspirations I have taken for my ongoing project based around the theme of relationship within my life and how the prominent event being my mum and dad’s divorce when I was 4 years old has shaped my life.
The artists and their projects shown below have attracted me and encouraged me to take inspiration from them because the images themselves are very poetic and conceptual and I they follow a style of imagery I wish to create. As well, the contexts of some of the images from the artists projects relate to that of my own – for example, Alec Soth’s project ‘Looking For Love’ looks at the search for love through the eye and the heart. All of the images below, in some way, encapsulate the idea of relationships and attachment or detachment love causes – Yoshikatsu Fujii’s project ‘Red String’ looks at his mother and fathers divorce and tells a narrative from two perspectives. As well, projects like ‘Josephine’ and ‘The Notion of Family’ looks at relationships between family members and how cohesive or damaging this may be.
I will also be using the research constructed from this task to help me produce the starting points for my personal study. From the research carried out on the artists below, I will be able to use this to generate more observations on their work, in particular , two artists of my choice rot help me begin my study inn which I will have to choose a question to answer based on the comparison of two photographers. I will most likely choose Matt Eich and Yohsikatsu Fujii or Matt Eich and LaToya Ruby Frazier.
Matt Eich - 'I Love You, I'm Leaving'
“I Love You, I’m Leaving is my meditation on familial bonds, longing, and memory. The series borrows from personal experience and the visual language of the everyday in order to create a fictional account that mirrors my reality. Made during a time of personal domestic unease, I photographed as my parents separated, and my family moved to a new city.”
– Matt Eich
When I first encountered this project by Matt Eich which encapsulates the difficult and uneasing event of his parents after 33 years of marriage, separating and whilst this is occurring, he captures the process of his own family moving into a new city and leaving his parents suffer the grief of a separation lonesomely. The images themselves attracted me due to their pure poetic nature., They are very delicate and speak through the composition and framing of each subject. Every image is set-up perfectly and presented in such a way that a story as well as emotions can easily be derived from the visuals included in the project.
Each image is taken in black and white and this is something that although can be quite difficult due to the heavy focus on lighting, tones and shadows to create atmosphere and mood, Eich has pulled off very well and the primary focus on greys and neutral tones over the heavy contrasts makes for very visually stunning images. They look as if they have a glow and they look very heavily in a way that we can understand the relationships Eich wants to show and how in the most of his parents’ divorce, he can find a sense of happiness and togetherness in his own family bonds of his wife and kids as they begin a new life in a new location.
Eich plays with close-ups of still life and nature to provide a different view from the portraits and candid moments he captures of life ta home with his family. Below is an image of, what looks like his wife, cutting his hair in the garden as his children play and pose for the camera. The side profiles of both Eich and his wife play very important roles in showing their important within this family circle. In opposition to this, from the children’s role in the image, we can see that they are playful and are looking to have fun on this summer’s day as they find ways to interact with the camera in between their moments of play. Furthermore, the image is very well composed and framed,m like I said. All the family is included in the mage, amazing it very difficult to capture but Eich has created a perfect image to lead the audiences eyes through each subject one by one as a curve from the heights of each subject is framed from the bottom left corner of the image to the far right of the image.
Without using Eich an inspiration, I create a very similar image in my photoshoot completed with my mum and girlfriend in which my girlfriend is cutting my mum’s hair. It was a few weeks ago that I did this as my girlfriend was asked by my mum to cut her hair as she is a training hairdresser and I thought this would perfect to show my own familial bonds and relationship as well as cohesion in my fmaily. The images I will be using from this shoot is an image I created using a reflection of a glass door and the aftermath of my mum’s hair being cut – a partly blurred image of the hair on the kitchen door. This rpresnsts the idea of a detachment from something you have created an attachment with. My mum has lost her hair and can be seen as a metaphor for losing something more real and much more influential on her life – the divorce. It is, in a way, showing the removal of an identity that my mum has built over many years as she has grown her hair but at some point, has to lose.
As well, Eich attempts to enhance through his photography by photographing his closest loved ones in their most intriguing forms, but as well, he photographs then in their most rawest beings to show life’s actuality and although it is an enhancement of family life in some way as it presented in a frame to look very aesthetically pleasing, the subjects are documented very informally yet poetically. Eich uses all his family and the relationship he has with these family members in his imagery to create a narrative but also uses environments as a way to respond to family life. I will be doing this throughout my own project where I photograph my closet to me to show, from the centralised view of myself, the relationship I have and how they may look and differ to that of my parents when they were younger and believed they would be with each other an eternity. I will be using, like Eich, metaphors of reality through, what many seem like an irrelevant image at face value.
Eich says that he wishes to show the fragility of memory but how it is paramount for collectives, as a unity to “wrestle these into a permanent state” in order for you as the collective to understand your place in this world because, according to Eich, it is “tenuous” This can insinuate that the world being very fast-moving and with its ability to be hurtful in its unfiltered system, families need to work together to create a safe and comfortable to place to remain in order acknowledge your important presence as this state you may find yourself in is very fragile and can be easily broken. I can connect with this statement very well and believe it will resonate in my own work.
Yoshikatsu Fujii - 'Red String'
“I received a text message. “Today, our divorce was finalized.” The message from my mother was written simply, even though she usually sends me messages with many pictures and symbols.
I remember that I didn’t feel any particular emotion, except that the time had come.
Because my parents continued to live apart in the same house for a long time, their relationship gently came to an end over the years. It was no wonder that a draft blowing between the two could completely break the family at any time.
In Japan, legend has it that a man and woman who are predestined to meet have been tied at the little finger by an invisible red string since the time they were born.
Unfortunately, the red string tying my parents undone, broke, or perhaps was never even tied to begin with. But if the two had never met, I would never have been born into this world. If anything, you might say that there is an unbreakable red string of fate between parent and child.”
– Yoshikatsu Fujii
My observations into Yoshikatsu Fujii’s work will help me carry out a more accurate and detailed, as well as cohesive and creative study into my parents divorce as a starting point for my project. I camera cross this artists when I became set on using the divorce of parents when I was younger as a starting point to allow me generate more ideas in terms of relationships within my life. The book that Fujii has produced looking at the life his parents once lead in comparison to now is amazing and I took an instant attraction to its form because of the handmade nature of it – because it was handmade with such care, it is much more original and authentic. The pages are much more than just paper with digital photos printed don them. Within the book, there are manually glued images onto old photo paper as well the use of red tape and red string to hold other aspects of what was inside the book together – this also has a relation to the meaning of the title – Red String – being this notion that a man and a women from birth are predestined to meet some day down the line of their life and an invisible red string would tie them together for an eternity.
In his project looking at a very uneasy subject to cover, Fujii uses both black and white imagery as well colour and photo montage as shown below. The most-part of his book is made of archival imagery taken from when his mother and father were together and from times when they would go out on day outs as a whole including Fujii as a child. He has centered the project around himself so that all products link back to him and how it has affected him but also telling a story about both of his parents and the different experiences he may have had with them separately – something I would like to present in my study – due to the break up being when I much younger – at 4 years of age – I have grown up, for 13 years with my parents being part from each other from the 4 years they were together when I was in the family also, I only remember every little details of this time and the majority of my upbringing has been nurtured form two different perspectives – when I was with my um during the week, I would follow her house rules and do activities with her and when I was at my dad’s on a Wednesday evening and a Saturday night/Sunday morning, I would have a different experience with him and do other activities, such as playing footie at the park with him. It is important for me to reminisce on these two different experiences.
Fujii captures still image of several documents culture together scattered across a table – these could perhaps be the divorce papers or papers from the process of the divorce occurring.
He also uses archival imagery from old photo albums to show a true representation of what their tight-knit community used to look like when together as a family. It shows them having fun and enjoying houselife but perhaps behind this, a deeper meaning lurks – in the two images below we see Fujii and his two other siblings as well as his mother and father in the frame on both occasions. Each fmaily member expresses the fun they are having through smiling or pulling funny faces for the camera but in the background of each image, the dad lurks, often unaware of the camera – he looks quite dislocated form the family as he stands behind, awkwardly resting on the chair as if he doesn’t want to be there. As well, he is the only one who does not smile in either of the photographs. Could this have been the time where moments in the house were at their worst but everyone else tried to disguise this through laughter?
In this fragmented picture of both Fujji’s mother and father on what seems to be their wedding day, he has contrasted this image with another, more modern and current image of his mother on the beach and it used to complete the image. Something interesting about the image is that the photo of them both dressed up was taken in a studio by the looks of things and this was a common method and a style of wedding portraiture in the nineteenth century – where couples would go to a professional portrait studio to be photographed before their wedding in order to document the marriage. In the current day, wedding imagery has become much more informal and encapsulates moments in time achieved through candid images due to the more advanced camera technology.
Alec Soth - 'Looking For Love'
“Love makes people do strange things. The history of mankind is rife with love producing illogical and oddball behavior. When it comes to photography, falling in love with the medium is hardly an exception. For example, someone painfully shy might find themselves impulsively photographing strangers without asking for permission. Or, they instinctively photograph something without any ability to later explain why. Alec Soth’s newest book Looking for Love, 1996 is, in its way, about both—the search for love guided by the heart and the search of love guided by the eye.”
– Time Magazine on ‘Looking For Love’
Alec Soth’s work has had a huge influence on other like-minded artists in the industry due to it’s ability to speak out about real-life events in such detail a depict both people and environments in their most true form – again, his style of work is very elegant and poetical – a theme and approach I am focusing on heavily in my selection of artists to take inspiration from as I wish for my own project to look like a visual poem which represent a journey through my life.
In particular, I will be looking briefly at Alec Soth’s project ‘Looking For Love’ whilst focusing my thoughts more so on similar artist like Matt Eich.
Soth, a Minnesota native, came to national attention in 2004 after his project Sleeping by the Mississippi was featured at the Whitney museum during its Biennial exhibition and consequently released in book form by the prestigious German publisher Steidl to critical acclaim. ‘Looking for Love’ was released in 1996 and he writes of imagining one day “a stranger would fall in love with me.”
The first photographs of couples we encounter in ‘Looking for Love’ cling possessively to their partners and gaze intensely at Soth’s camera as if to ask, “this is mine, where is yours?”. This photographic exploration reveals to us in hi journey, the outside landscape and various social gatherings—a particular bar; a convention hall that seems to bridge religion, spirituality and dating under one roof; poker games; singles parties; high school proms – all in which, we discover an element of love and attachment whether that be romantically and verging erotic as we see an image in which a high-school cheerleader leans in for a kiss with another of her same gender or whether this be on the basis of friendship as we see various shots in bars and clubs in which two characters are sat side by side, without interaction, yet still possessing some element of the ‘search for love’. We as the audience encounter moments of joy and laughter – that whether young or old, the ability to enjoy yourself and “let-go” and be free is still possible and all it takes is ‘love’ – it is a strong yet odd being and rules many lives. Love has the ability to pull people together as a community yet distance people from the ones they love the most. It is complicated but most importantly, the participants within feeling loved are happy because the intimacy and knowledge of having love surrounding you can define a person’s mood and life which in its own rights can be a positive thing as well as a negative thing.
Images like the above are what I wish to take inspiration from for my project looking at my relationship with my girlfriend. In these intimate and personal photographs I will be including myself. I hope to show the pure rawness of a relationship by being direct in how an image is composed – whether that be an image of us both sat on the bed looking int camera or an mage of us hugging intensely as the camera documents this. Images like these will be staged and will most likely be in black and white but then I also hope to create images that are more documentary style where I am capturing a moment in time of both of us being natural and these may be in colour and most likely taken on a 35mm film camera.
Soth has attempted to capture the aspect of being in groups or in two’s and this very much reiterates the idea of a community being a strong cohesive form. He captures groups of friends in their moments of obliviousness where they do not acknowledge the camera is documenting them and this makes for a “fly-on-the-wall” affect where the audience feel as though they are getting an insight into the lives of people in love – as though they shouldn’t be because it is such a personal thing that is best experienced within the participants. Myself and Lucy do show public affection but not often and limit this to hugging/holding hands/kissing on the cheek etc. and so I will attempt to show the more intimate and playful relationship we lead at home in a more natural environment where feel comfortable so the true representation of our relationship is presented. I will attempt to present a contrast of mine and Lucy’s playful and fun-filled, quite childish relationship against that of my mum and dad’s divorce but there will also be elements of similarities because I have come across old images of my mum and dad together in my dad’s room where they are on the bed taking photos of one another with my dad’s surfing poster’s in the background on his walls. However, because a relationship is meant to to be a quite secretive and internal thing within the participants, this is when the subjects involved feel most comfortable when they are with juts their partner where they feel they can open up about anything and can talk about anything – to just be themselves – and this is how both Lucy and I feel and at moments, we may both feel vulnerable in the relationship we are in because we put our trust in their being. There is definitely a sense of feeling fragile and sensitive at times and this will be important to also show – which is why I want to include myself in the images to present this sense of fragility and vulnerability – especially in myself because I know that I am a sensitive person and can get easily upset and annoyed – something that I can admit and men tend to wish to not say or reveal about themselves bit feel comfortable doing this in my relationship so feel it important to show it.
LaToya Ruby Frazier - 'The Notion Of Family'
“The Notion of Family, offers an incisive exploration of the legacy of racism and economic decline in America’s small towns, as embodied by her hometown of Braddock, Pennsylvania. The work also considers the impact of that decline on the community and on her family, creating a statement both personal and truly political— an intervention in the histories and narratives of the region. Frazier has compellingly set her story of three generations—her Grandma Ruby, her mother, and herself”
– Aperture on ‘The Notion Of Family’
LaToya Ruby Frazier exploration into the town she lives in and its culture and the people within this tight-knit community, especially her family, is a project that is very powerful and addressees a range of issues for the audience to get a very incisive insight into the community of Braddock and America’s legacy of racism and the decline in economy.
Out of all my other chosen artists, I would say that Frazier’s work is the most well composed as a whole – it is the most powerful due to the subject matter and this is aided by how Frazier has the ability to construct an image so thoughtfully and artistically to produce a product that has had such an impact on the people of the location focused on in the series.
The image below frames both Frazier as a teenager in 2008 with her mother. It shows her mother from a side profile and Frazier in the background, yet in focus. Behind her mother as they are both sat on the edge of a bed, Frazier looks deeply at her mum’s face as the mother looks down at the floor. It is an image which can be interpreted in so many different ways – a wonderful aspect of this project, however, most images provide a direct explanation for the audience to unpick. The image below, however, is more difficult to decode because we do not know the context of the image and we are not aware of the relationship between Frazier and her mother – whether it is stable or hampered by the racist merry-go-round which makes it way round the town they live in, haunting the people of black origins. The emotion shown below is very serious and we can get a sense that something does not sit well within this household.
It is as though Frazier is gazing deeply at her mother to attempt to get her attention, however, her mother, the older, more prominent figure in the household fails to acknowledged this cry for possible help that Frazier is calling for in both of the times of need. They both seem very vulnerable and this is displayed both in their body posture and facial expressions – slouched and a blank face – as though there is an empty space within their relationship.
The way the image is composed, like I mentioned before is what makes this photograph so strong because there is clear thought that has gone into composing and framing the image. Frazier’s face, which we only see half of, completes the other half of her mother’s face – the side profile of he mother’s face presents her as more powerful however, yet the ability to see, front-on, Frazier’s facial expressions allows us to understand her silent cry for help as she looks deeply at her mother but fails to catch the attention of her.
Another aspect of Frazier’s work is that it is captured mostly within her household to show the breakdown of her family from the inside. The house may be where the abuse and discomfort within their community originates from because this is where their family are held together and the home could be metaphorically shown as a place of unrest – where you are trapped and can’t escape, particularly in Frazier’s case.
The image below is also another of Frazier’s strongest images as it shows a clear division between herself and what looks like her other’s new partner, as I believe Frazier lacks father figure in her life and her other has in fact moved on begun new life with a new man – of which Frazier did not approve of. This is shown quite clearly how the image below is composed. On the left we see this masculine figure lying on the bed in his room, and on the right is Frazier, sat rather awkwardly on the edge of bed, again, slouched and in her lounger. The two are divided by a wall which separates their two rooms and the doors that are both open is what frames the two sides. The dislike Frazier shows for this man is shown clearly, again in her posture. She has her back to the man and he as well has his back to her. I would imagine that Frazier found her step-dad lying lie this coincidentally and decided she would frame herself in the image also to show her dislike for him.
The man is also wearing a vest which reads “THE SMOOTH EDGE” on the back and we get a sense that this may be an oxymoron or rather ironic because he most likely does not act like what we would envisage “the smooth edge” to. He seems as though he may the division between Frazier ad his mother; in that he causes a certain friction within the house that presents him more so as a “rough edge” – not the intermediary figure of the house. This is quite ironic but then again, this juts me making assumptions and decoding the image how I see fit.
Frazier, as well as Fujii, uses passages of text in her photo-book to accompany her images and the images shown above is accompanied by a poem written by Frazier. The concept of using short passages of text, even a sentence, constructed by myself attempting to express what is shown visually or taken from a statement made by one of subjects of the book, is something I would really like to incorporate into my photo-book because it adds another function to the book and adds another aspect of depth and character to enhance the impact the book can have. Fujii uses short sentences transcribed from messages his mum and dad sent when their divorce was finalized and the impact is very powerful because it allows the audience to relate and engage themselves within the concept more.
Arno Brignon - 'Josephine'
“July 1, 2009, birth of Josephine. Doubt and fear mingle with joy and pride. Having a child can be the simplest thing in the world. For us it was long, improbable, unique. At the maternity ward, they call it a “precious pregnancy.” It is also an announced imbalance to our life as a couple, a love story to two to rebuild three.
Josephine is 6 years old today and doubts have dissipated. Love is obvious. The fear of death is another. I live with both. The family cocoon crumbles with entry to school. I take back the device. I photograph Josephine, in a fight that seems lost in advance, so that it does not escape too quickly, so that the sweet and loving fusion of this microcosm of three continues. I found my place. Time passes and I can finally say that nothing is opposed to the night, nothing justifies … and I have everything to dare.”
– Arno Brignon
Arno Brignon is a French photographer and in her series ‘Josephine’ she looks at the fragility of the family cocoon and how this can be broke by the introduction of a newborn – your child. In Brignon’s case, this was very abrupt and she did not know how to deal with it and the responsibility that weighed ion her shoulders. Therefore, she began to documentary this transformation and adaption she has had to make and the result is a very warm and vibrant, yet dark and meaningful series of works that encapsulates her child – Josephine and how she has become the center point of her life. Brignon is the artist I will taking inspiration from for the point at which I begin o collaborate with my 4 year old sister to produce work for my project looking at my relationship with her, which over the last year, has become more complicated and upsetting for myself as I now no longer see her very much due to the split of my dad and his partner (Minnie’s mother) who will not be included in the project because I do not feel the need.
Brignon’s differ form the other artist work also shown in this post in that they much more vibrant in their colour yet feature much more darkness from the contrasts of shadows. It looks like they have been taken using a 35/50 mm film camera due to the clear grain which you can see in the images as well as the quite washed out and hazed colours which are provided with film.
The image below is from the series of 45 images produced by Brignon, and, in my opinion is one of the best because it is a very meaningful. It shows two horses back-back-back grazing on the ground of the field they are seen in which is in the background of the image. The foreground consist of a well-kept prim and proper garden filled with greenery and bushes and features vibrant colours. As you move your yes further through the mage towards the back, you come across much more neutral, less vibrant colours of dull and washed out pinks and beiges as well as greys – it is almost like a dusky pink and the two colours from the image look like they are from images taken at two different times. In the centre of the image, well placed in between two bushes are two horses stood back bac to back grazing at the grass of the field. The two animals are the obvious focal pint of the image and have been used by Brignon, presumably to represent a metaphorical representation of her other half in her family – her boyfriend/husband. From the birth of their child, an event and milestone in a couples life that should provide happiness for an eternity, may have broken the couple apart and it could have tested their relationship to their breaking points, which, as well, it what a birth of a child can do to a relationship which was once stable. The introduction of a child requires each parents to give up son much of what they once had in order tot look after this new responsibility and to can sometimes be too much for them both to take – forcing the break u if their relationship and the separation of the family. I have experienced this when I was younger when my parents decided to split and so has my sister unfortunately at the same age as when it happened to me. It is sometimes inevitable and although this may not have happened in Brignon’s case, these two horses may represent the gradual distancing they have experienced with one another through trying to juggle work and home life. Although they are to an extent, separated emotionally and may encounter more stress and friction, they still love each other and this often the case with most break-ups – although the split as occurred, both halves still stay strong for the child’s sake but this image can represent the hardship a family can got through when dedicating so much of you time to care for your newborn
Images like the one below could be seen as happy accident because Brignon may have not intended for the blur to be a part of the image and perhaps was desperately attempting to get each feature of the image in focus and crisp as possible and the blur may have been accidental but the outcome has turned out to be very successful and effective and perhaps Brignon took a liking to it an chose to use it in her project. The image shows Josephine kissing another girl who looks to be her age – maybe a school friend as she looks into the camera which is a very nice touch as it shows the sense of naughtiness of childhood din that sometimes they may be doing something they’re not supposed to and often look to the aren’t for a say so as to whether it is okay or not. There is something quite cheeky about the image and this is what I love, yet the soft focus make sit seem quite dreamy and heavenly, much like the other images sin the series like the one below. The common theme and atmosphere is dreaminess and a haze as children often get caught up in the fun of things that they forget what is going on but as well, due to the dark contrasts and shadows of the imagery, there is also a quite sinister and eerie sense to the series – as if something does not seem right and this in-turn makes the viewer feel quite on-edge.
Brignon photographs the very intimate moments that she finds in and around her family and home life on a day-today basis and she also includes herself with her daughter within the images. There is sense of intimacy and connection between the mother and daughter bit there is little evidence of the father within the project and it is shown as though the mother and daughter have formed a close bond and the dad is a lost identity within the system. Images of Brignon with Josephine in the bath and the two of them present in the image together is what shows the sense of family and love and connection in times of hardship – where you have to keep striding on.
Rita Puig-Serra Costa - 'Where Mimosa Bloom'
“Dealing with the grief that the photographer suffered following the death of her mother, Where Mimosa Bloom by Rita Puig Serra Costa takes the form of an extended farewell letter; with photography skillfully used to present a visual eulogy or panegyric. This grief memoir about the loss of her mother is part meditative photo essay, part family biography and part personal message to her mother. These elements combine to form a fascinating and intriguing discourse on love, loss and sorrow.”
– Editions Du Lic on ‘Where Mimosa Bloom’
This particular artist is whom I originally got my inspiration from to produce the shoot I completed which resulted in my series looking at childhood memories of my family members. This was one of the best series I have created during my time as an amateur photographer because of the poetical nature of it and the narrative it told of how one moment in time can have an affect on our futures and how we lead out lives butt his one recollection of a past time can often be forgotten about, however, the memory still has meaning and substance to generate an emotion from the subject it is linked with.
Rita Puig-Serra Costa, in her series ‘Where Mimosa Bloom’, uses archival imagery and objects from her family archive to create a story and emphasise the essence of past times in order to tell a story of her dead mother and the life she lead and the impact she had on people around her. Using archives from each person my ‘Childhood Memories’ series was also essential allowed me to tell a ore poetical story because I was showing the physical object which had such meaning to the owner of it.
I would love to again use archival imagery from my own archive as well as delving into my family members archive to find some interesting memoirs hat can be the driving force of my project to send it in a direction which would make for an interesting story. I have already begun to look into the archive of my dad to discover memories he has kept of his time with my mum and this has already opened up my eyes to what their life was like when they were together, nurturing me and caring for me with all their love – as a cohesive family and intend to use these discoveries in my project.
However, a concept I would like to explore in my project is the creation of family tree – in the style that Rita Puig Serra Costa presented in her book. One page after another, as you turned through the beginning of the book, a new family embers portrait was revealed – what looked like a passport photo or a photo taken in a photo booth. This reveled a careful and thoughtful set up of a sequence of portraits next to, and underneath each other as each page was turned. On the last page of the sequence, the last family member was revealed and it resulted in a very effective family tree set-up (show below) – something I would be interested in producing for my own project as this would show the relationship which have been grown and then, sometimes, broken off in my own family and would set up the story to come.
The image below is from a segment of the book which looks at the concept of paring a still-life object-image with a portrait to show the relationship between the person and the object. This is what I adapted in my own series to suit that of my own family members and and tell a story of their own reminiscences from when they were younger.
I will be using the same concept of photographing a meaningful object in the story of the relationship of my mum dad against a black background as this is the only way of researching into their relationship and from this research I will conduct, it will allow me understand what their life, as well as mine was like when I was younger and oblivious to everything around me. From this, I can also conduct small interviews with my parents to understand the best and worst memories from when I was a child – I will also ask myself this.
REPRESENTATION, ETHICS AND STANDARDS
How is McCurry’s images different compared to Singh in the way that they represent Indian culture?
I shall use the example of McCurry who is a documentary photographer but has been criticized for focusing on re-inforcing stereotypes on top of the reality to slant the accuracy of the representation of the photograph and Raghubir Singh who contrasts McCurry in the sense his images depict the realities of his environment. However arguably both artists are realistic in terms of what they represent as particularly in India there are 2 sides to every coin and McCurry may be accurate in representing the beauty within India however Singha is perhaps more accurate in showing ht eeconomic and cultural hardships within India.
For McCurry
Steve McCurry (born April 23, 1950) is an American photographer. and has world-renowned success as a documentary photographer, who shoots in more deprived and less economically developed countries such as Pakistan and Afghanistan. In doing this Steve McCurry has become very iconic in contemporary photography for more than thirty years, through magazines and books and many exhibitions . Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; McCurry studied film at Pennsylvania State University, before going on to work for a local newspaper. After working as a freelancer photographer, McCurry made his first trip to India. Travelling with a few clothes and some film, he made his way exploring the country with his camera. Since then he has worked in photojournalism and editorial and is famous for his 1984 photograph “Afghan Girl”, which originally appeared in National Geographic magazine which is shown below above. Other examples of his images are included above:
This image of an Afghan refugee was published in National Geographic in 1985. The image captured the hearts of many as it caught the the impact of the surrounding context of which many people suffered and struggled so effectively in the photograph which is why it was so heavily publicised. The context was set around the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan with the subject’s family being killed and she had to trek as a refugee to a refugee camp.
The girl is the main focal point of the picture. This is supported by the rule of thirds which her eyes are framed very effectively which this and the fact that the girl’s eyes are so colourful strengthen how effectively the viewer connects the eyes. The eyes are almost hypnotic and tell a realistic picture as to the struggles the girl has and continues to face up to this point. The effect on the viewer is we feel sympathetic towards this girl and her struggles and so because we feel so strongly about putting the right into the wrong that is shown through the girl’s eyes, as the viewer we start to examine other details that suggests the girl’s story is not just intriguing from an individual level but on a social level, it reflects the international relations and this impact on the whole of society. for example interestingly the fact the girl is positioned to the far left third of the photograph and the contrasting red/brown skin and clothe shades that stick out from the green rural environment she is hsot in also reflect the idea that this environment isn’t the natural girl’s and because of this she appears slightly uncomfortable and reflects the journey and trials refugees faced from this war. Because of this, this suggests McCurray has staged these photographs and has drawn criticism for fabricating/exagerating the truth from how this girl may have been shot in an unstaged shot which would essentially reflect the true horrors that went on in this time period. I agree that the photographic features limit the usefulness for us in terms of finding out what the struggles of this war was like. However on the other hand, I believe McCurray despite this has made an effort to at least through the model communicate to us from a personal and opinionated expression of the girl expressing how she feels towards her struggles that exposes more truth than what critics may say. Many of McCurry’s images also have gone under criticism for this, since the images appear staged and to some portray far from the truth. However I believe that despite an image being staged, McCurray is skilled at capturing the reality in his staged photographs in that the subject’s facial expression primarily or other composition features often reflect the hardships of a context through subtle but yet powerful techniques. Even if the image is staged, it represents an accurate truth of the surrounding context that may not be captured as succefully in an unstaged photograph. this is because by staging a photograph it gives the photographer and subject more freedom and control to express their views on a particuler issue.
I believe similar can be said with McCurry’s image of the Indian train too. This is because it may show a romanticized touristic approach to the photograph with slight clues suggesting the photograph was staged. However in doing this, I would argue that it is irrelevant whether McCurry’s photograph was staged or not because some such as the New York Times may argue this is a slant of the real living truth. It’s impossible for one photograph to cover the whole spectrum of issues in one country and it is the job of the photographer to focus on one specific issue and communicate that reality as effectively as possible. By taking an unstaged photograph this is waht your doing, by taking a staged photograph you have the freedom to attempt to include the relative features in order to communicate and express the photographer’s views and feelings. I believe that likewise the photograph with the train, by staging it it allows McCurry to communicate not just the economic hardships within India, but also the growth in Indian industrial might but also allows us to see the culture that flourishes within India and in doing this, it displays truth not only from the photographer’s viewpoint but also from a factual one too. Evidence within the photograph to back this up includes the highly romanticized lighting which compliments not only the abundance and variety of culture within India, but also with the Taj Mahal in the background symbolizing the Country’s rich history which creates depth to the photograph as a basis for the rest of the features in the photograph. The train storming through resembles the economic and industrial growing might of India that is overlooked when so many photographers focus on the singular issue of poverty and social issues within India. I like the feature of the train and the Taj Mahal because it not only represents where India has come from, it also emphasizes the idea of where India is going as well. Finally the idea of having 2 men at the front of the train could symbolize two things. That India is at the forefrnt of growth in the world as a forward thinking nation, but also the struggles it is and has faced in order to get to where it is and both men represent the poverty that exists amidst India’s economic power house growth. Therefore in defense of McMurray, I believe that it is unfair to criticism his photographs as they may appear staged, but they represent very strong heartfelt issues from he people’s and subject’s he’s shooting points of view. Therefore we should take it in our strength as viewer’s to understand what the photographer’s aims are and compare them with our own knowledge to judge a photograph’s accuracy in terms of representation but finally I believe that a photograph can be truthful when staged or unstaged, it is just a matter of method to achieve a similar result. Obviously staged photographs can be manipulated to convey wrong messages which should be cautioned when viewing these images however staged photographs can be very effective at describing one’s feelings or emotions where an unstaged photograph could easily be taken out of context and easily used for a different purpose that which wasn’t part of the actual reality of the situation.
For Singh
On the other hand, Raghubir Singh is an India photoghraper. because he is Indian I believe this allows him to see his own country – India from the inside as well as from the outside in how a Westernized individual may see his country. Singh worked from the late ’60s until his death in 1999, traveling all over India to create a series of powerful books about his homeland. His work shares formal content with McCurry’s: the subcontinental terrain, the eye-popping color, the human presence. However where these two differ is Singh has what the New York times calls a “democratic eye” where he may take a range of photographs relating to a range of issues whereas McMurry takes a photograph with incluing as many features and messages as possible into a single image. His images include cities, towns, villages, shops, rivers, worshipers, workers, construction sites, motorbikes, statues, modern furniture, balconies, suits, dresses and turbans/saris. There is a sense of power in his images but also yet a sense of bluntness and honesty which may be hard to find in Mcmurray’s images which may be fabricated with the photographer’s viewpoint against the real living conditions from the perspective of the ordinary fellow. Comparitively the image of the people and the road below is very similar to McMurry’s image of the train inthat boh communicate the rapid growth and expansion of India’s industry at the cost of the people on society. However where McMnurray has focused on portraying these people as being at the forefront of this revolution, Singh has portrayed the people in his images as people who are suffering meanwhile in the background there is wealth which isn’t accessible to most people. Interestingly McCurry’s image could be criticized for suggesting that the two men at the front of the train who are also at the forefront of this revolution may suggest how this wealth is only accessible to a small few elite and that he doesn’t cover and ignores the whole spectrum of the cost on society in terms of how this industrial growth is actually damaging for the everyday citizen rather than improving their lives.
The image above is interesting because its bluntness with the broken door is quite intrusive in the sense it appears rather forceful as we feel sort of confined to where wer are and cannot explore much of the photgraph. This not only represents the roughness and busyness of Indian culture for many which McMurray contrastingly expresses it as very delicate and intricate, but also again the poverty that people live with. In the image, through the door there is an army commander presumably from the days of British colonial rule. This image appears like a reference to that and how even today, despite the economic growth, life is still the same for the ordinary folk. This is because of the forceful door intruding in our faces and hgow we feel confined, it almost symbolizes the idea of a prison and as we look out of the prison door we see a direct link to British colonialism. What is interesting is Singh has put us Westerners into the seat from which most Indian people sit and view India from and therefore it appears that the purpose of this images is to explicitly convey the hardships and remove the stereotypes from westerners such as McCurry who’s hoping to re enhance these stereotypes through creating highly romanticized images. By taking these photographs from ground level, we start to see the realities of everyday life for most people and this in turn represents Indian culture in a very different light to McCurry. Singh is therefore effective at producing images that as ordinary people ourselves, we can relate to and because of this we emphasize and trust them more as truth. However it can be argued that these images may like with McCurry easily bet taken as truth where actually it is still very possible to manipulate and influence the representation of a photograh that is unstaged. For example in the image with the door, it could be potentially argued that the strong link back to British colonialism is a strong exaggeration ad that the India today which is outward looking and prosperous is far better than those days and could be insulting to the people who fought for Indian independance. Therefore likewise with McCurry, when we see an image it is best to evaluate how well it represents the truth from the fiction and not take an image at face value as gospel as this could potentially affect the accuracy of the representation that the photograph is trying to communicate.
In conclusion, I believe no photograoher is worng, both are choosing to focus on very different aspects of Indian culture which in itself is such as broad term as each individual’s culture is different to another. Both convey truth in their images using very different techniques to focus on very different themes and therefore no one is correct.
Artist Reference Comparison
Environmental portraits
Steve McCurry and Gideon Mendel are both highly recognised photographers for their environmental images capturing third world countries through there conceptual portraits and photo journalistic photographs. In the top two images are a more environmental portrait from both of my inspirational artists. Differences and similarities are seen in both these images as they may focus on similar subjects and messages to focus their photography on but the acual way in which they capture this images varies in terms of the techniques used and the conceptual theme in the image or a more theoretical way of showing third world countries. A similarity which is noticable in these two image is that they have focused on a wider angle of shot to capture a wider range of subjects, this may have the intention of showing the community spirit that is event in locations such as those that mendel and McCurry capture. Another similarity is that the use of colour is very important in both photographers work. the bright, vibrant colour tones use in both photographers work highlights the vibrancy of the third world countries cultures. However many differences can be noticed between these two images for example Mendels image is a strong form of documentary photography, it is noticeable that he has placed himself in a natural position and captured image of things which were occurring in that time and place without planning or adjusting what was actually happening. this is highlighted by the fact the lady is not looking directly at the camera. However McCurrys photography takes a very different approach. hi image still tells a story of community and culture however it is in a more tableaux style of photography. he has clearly times the photograph to capture the moment that he wants and everything seems to be in perfect position as well as the subjects in the photograph looking at the camera suggests they new it was being taken and are focusing on it therefore not showing their natural train journey. however both are very strong images in different ways and i will attempt to capture both of these styles of photography when i go to Africa and do similar shoots showing community spirit.
Portraits
These two images both take a slightly different approach to the previous images. Both of these images are portraits of young children however they show messages in different ways and i find analysing and comparing these images are giving me lots of influence, inspiration and my own ideas for the style of images that i wan to capture on my trip. McCurrys image highlights an environmental photographers style of portrait. the photograph does have the focal point of a young child and there face is clear and are looking at the camera,however the image also contains the background which shows the location they are in making it helpful to decide where they’ve possibly grown up and tells us a little about the subject of the image. On the other hand Mendel takes a more conceptual style of portrait and captures a straight on angle of this young girl. This simple but effect portrait is also linked to a small piece of writing which tells us about the subject of the image. This shows a very modern form of portrait and i really like the idea of speaking the the community after i have photographed them to find out their name and a little but more about them to add depth and knowledge to my images.
Artist Reference // Steve McCurry
Biography
Steve McCurry is an American editorial photographer. McCurry focuses on the human consequences of war, not only showing what war impresses on the landscape, but rather, on the human face. Although McCurry shoots both in digital and film, his admitted preference is for transparency film. Steve McCurry has been one of the most iconic voices in contemporary photography for more than thirty years, with scores of magazine and book covers, over a dozen books, and countless exhibitions around the world to his name. He always retains the human element that made his celebrated image of the ‘Afghan Girl’ such a powerful image. McCurry has been recognized with some of the most prestigious awards in the industry, including the Robert Capa Gold Medal, National Press Photographers Award, and an unprecedented four first prize awards from the World Press Photo contest.
I like Steve McCurry’s photographs because he takes photos of real life situations. I like his style of street photography because it is not just of happy people in a perfect life situation, his photos capture the hard life and the poverty that people have in countries around the world, giving his photos a lot of meaning behind them. I also like the vibrant colours and huge tonal range that he captures in his photography . Some of his images make me feel sad because the situations some of the children are in is quite sad. However a lot of his other photos make me feel happy because the people are genuinely smiley and look like they are having fun. After looking at McCurry’s photographs I would like to apply to my own photography capturing natural photos that have not been planned to take. I would also like to apply the tonal range he uses in his photos when I go out and take photos.
Photo Analysis
This image of a young boy can be seen as an environmental portrait as the image captures both a portrait as well as the location/environment which is going on in the background. The difference between this and just a portrait is that it tells us a little bit more about the story behind the image, we can pick out key elements which act as clues to the narrative of the photography. For example in this image we can see that they are in a simplistic location due to the background being open and bare. The colours and tones used in the photograph also give us clues to the message of the image. The natural colours and earthy tones really tuck out to me in this image highlighting that they are close with the earth and that they mainly rely on natural elements and resources that are in their surroundings. this can be taken to tell a wider story that they are not materialistic people. however the dull tones in the background could be starting to highlight harshness of their life. it is noticeable that the subject is a boy living in poverty most lively in a third world countries such as Africa so the dull tones may show that he is having a tough life.
Id consider this image to both follow and break the rule of thirds. the young boy, which is the focal point of the image is in the centre of the image which may break the rule of thirds however the other outer aspects of the image are also kept to the outer axis which may show that the artist has purposely broken the rule of thirds so that the image is noticeably broken up into the three main sections which tell us about the message to the photograph. Leading lines has been used in the image in the background where the land meets the sky is makes a deffinaite separation between land and sky showing the different colour tones in the image. the mothers arms which are holding the focal point of the portrait can also be consider as creating leading lines as her arms lead your eyes from the top of the image down to the subject keeping your eye on the focal point but also leading you around the image at the same time. The eye level view point as has a lot of potential depth and meaning to it. I portray this eye level technique as the photographer trying to make us feel equal with the subject neither is looking up or down at each other. This could implie that the photographer considers equality a very important message which he wants to convey through his photographs of third world countries.
The mixture of the use of technical aspects of the camera such as the changing of the aperture and ISO have created a distinct depth of field which brings the subject into clear focus in the fore ground and places the environment in the background as blurred. This helps to highlight what the subject is whilst still showing the environment in the background of the image. With this technique the background is not taking away from the image but adding depth to it. The out of focus background can also act as framing to the portrait always keeping your eye on the main focus of the image.
The image has most likely been digitally manipulated so that the image has a higher contrast making the tonal range varied including tones from pure white to pure black, giving again the image a sense of depth and realness. The lighting is a soft light therefore there are no definite shadows created on the subject. however there is enough soft light possible created by clouds over the sun which keep the exposure low enough that the facial features are noticeable and with the slight contrast, compliments the strong and power facial expression which the young boy has.
Ethics in Photography
Now looking at ethics in photography, another important issue to address when looking at imagery which had had a impact on how photography is produced in the current day, I will still be focusing ion the work of Steve McCurry and looking at how he his work over the years of his success has received both praise for its braveness in capturing something so alien from what we know in our society, as well as criticism for its untruthful representation of the other cultures he chooses to photograph. I have previously looked at his work in relation to the representation of other cultures in our world and how this may be an inaccurate representation due his outsider’s POV when immersing himself into the lifestyle and living of places like India and Afghanistan. Now I will look at ethics and whether his imagery is accepted by the public based on its perceptions of being right or wrong in relation to morales of how we should treat and respect other cultures – often, McCurry is criticised being offensive in his work because what he shows is glamorised and romanticised for the camera and the people of their culture would prefer to be shown in their true colours – how they live life everyday – which, for most of the people in deprived countries, is a lot worse of than us and this representation is often looked at as being inappropriate (cultural appropriation) because it goes against the view that everything should be true and we should not lie – sparking arguments about the ethical value of McCurry’s imagery.
As McCurry’s imagery was looked into further and more thoroughly, it was discovered that there were questions surrounding the methods of production of his photographs and that it went against the ethics and standards of photojournalism.
Photojournalism is defined as ‘the practice of communicating news by photographs, especially in magazines.’ Photojournalism relies on the sequencing of images to tell a story – a narrative and essentially a news story – the images should be strong enough to get a message across to an audience without the need for a caption or any text to accompany it. This is what McCurry has achieved, to immense extents in his career with several of his images being published in the National Geographic magazines and as well on the covers of a few magazines – this shows that his images are extremely powerful – powerful enough to portray a story to his audience. Photojournalism is intended to be very narrative driven bit also, there obviously has to be a underlying notion of truth and what is shown in the imagery produced by a photojournalist should be both truthful and relevant to current news stories as well as being ethically right in its content and methods. A photojournalist should not put anyone in an uncomfortable position in the process of taking their images nor should their methods be unethical.
Furthermore, ethics are defined as ‘moral principles that govern a person’s behaviour or the conducting of an activity.’ Therefore, looking at photojournalism and ethics combined, it would make sense that photojournalism, is all about being ethical and ‘right’ so that society is not harmed buy anything produced. If ethics are moral principals, then this should be evident in the imagery produced for journalism purposes where everything shown is truthful and not altered in order to show a picture or a story which is more ‘accepted’ or an image which shows things to be ‘correct’ which is what Steve McCurry has been accused of not doing in his work where people have begun to unpick his work and reveal the ugly which was not shown to us in the first place – McCurry has been heavily criticised for Photoshopping or ‘touching up’ certain elements of his images so that they look better and nicer to look at, whether this be through removing people or objects to make the images look less cluttered or romanticising a scene which is not glamorous in real life.
During Steve McCurry’s career as a photojournalist for National Geographic, India was his most visited country evident in his work and was a place which he said was very special yo him – he expressed his love for the country and it was the location which made up most of portfolio as a backdrop for captivating images capturing Indian culture and Indian people. On the blog post written by Kshitij Nagar on PetaPixel focussing the examination into is work, the writer states that India to some was regarded as his ‘Karma Bhoomi'(the land where one works)’. It is in the next paragraph that the either then goes on to talk about McCurry’s depiction of India which sparks the most controversy both internally and internationally due its ‘certain stereotypical, exotic, almost “Slumdog Millionaire-ish” version of India’. I have already discussed this when looking sat the comments made by Teju Cole of The New York Times in which he makes no efforts to hold back in his rant at McCurry and has no regard for his status in the photography due to the fact that he, in his eyes, as an Indian, disrespects their culture by showing it in the light McCurry does. This is re-iterated by Nagar.
(Words from PetaPixel’s publication on ‘The Botched Print’) ‘A travel photography giant, his vibrant images have inspired millions, but he’s recently come under fire over Photoshop use after a botched print at a show in Italy was found to have a serious issue.’ And this is quite right – McCurry is a documentary photography giant and he is expected, due to this big status and big name to follow the rules and to not offend people of the cultures he is photographing so heavily which also in the public eye so much now he is this world-renowned artist. Hover, he has been found out to potentially be a user of Photoshop to improve images beyond there rawness and actuality of life itself to a point where the story is distorted.
This image, has been, understandably removed from McCurry’s website now as he has been under fire for using Photoshop to alter his images but has made a ‘botch up’ of it to the point where it is very obvious due to the unrealism of it – the bottom of the road sign pole has been dislocated form the actual sign post and it is floating in mid air where it does not look real – this has caused much rage over audiences and it is now questioned ‘how far has McCurry’s imagery been altered?’ This, as well, has generated more controversy over other images of his which has also been commented on in the article.
The two images below are also digitally manipulated images of McCurry’s and were both found on his website. In the first image, you can see, in the background, a hazed and blurred second cart to the left as well as a pole sticking out from this bit in the image below, these two objects have been removed from the frame by McCurry and Sharma writes that he is ‘not at all surprised’ of this digital manipulation done by McCurry because all he wishes to do is to create the ‘perfect frame’ and eh would go any lengths to do this, but the result is an untruthful representation of the real life events which occurred at the time; in turn, abusing the notion of ethical methods.
“I am not at all surprised at the digital manipulation (done by him) to create the perfect frame.
I have watched him rig (stage) his pictures. (He) Arranged the subjects (back then) because chromes (slide film) could not be that easily manipulated.”
Another image produced by McCurry has been revealed to be very staged and this seem to be a recurring theme of his imagery production methods and we can begin to lose our hope of such a renowned photographer which has much success with his work because of this critical examination int his work and the reveal of these unethical methods. Do all photographers carry out false methods of production to create this ‘perfect frame’ or are there artists who embrace the idea of a candid portrait? Sharma also says that McCurry’s imagery are ‘staged candid portraits’ – this oxymoron presents a juxtaposition that doesn’t work as a ‘candid portrait’ is a photograph taken of a moment in time – without the subjects aware of the cameras presence – it is natural but a ‘staged portrait’ is a method where the subjects are positioned purposely to show a mood. The image below has been staged and Sharma comments on this:
“This apparently off the cuff moment was arranged too. The lady is the wife of a photographer friend and the suitcases the coolie (porter) is carrying are empty. They had to be because the shot took time and lots of patient posing. McCurry’s pictures have been called STAGED CANDID MOMENTS by Avinash Pasricha, a photographer friend who knows how he works because he helped him with the pictures like the one above. The lady is his sister-in-law.”
When technology makes it so easy to manipulate images, how much manipulation is acceptable?
With the easy accessibility of software such as Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, as well as Instagram an other image editing applications, and using software such as the examples listed above being sop vital for photographers in the current day, image manipulation is more or less inevitable in this ever-growing age where technology is taking over the human generation. Everyday, we rely on technology to get us through the day and everyday 52,000,000 images are uploaded to Instagram on average. This shows the pure depth of how image editing is so important to even non-photographers.
The use of Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom is a second nature to most photographers in the modern day of technology driven lives. Most photographers may feel like the editing of imagery is the way forward and it is essential in order for audiences to enjoy your work and this is why artists strive to create the ‘perfect frame’ through manipulation of the original image to take it beyond it’s raw form where audiences struggle to connect with it as the truth has been removed. I enjoy looking at contemporary and delicate imagery where the only editing done is subtle adjustments of contrast, exposure or brightness etc.
The extent to which manipulation is acceptable is very debate-able and different people would argue different things but I believe that if the message of the image becomes distorted or the truth becomes hazed due to the extent to which an artist has altered their image, the this is hard to accept as an image which can have an impact on our society – this is an image which is has no powerful meaning to impact the audiences thoughts. However, there is also the argument that heavy image manipulation is essential when creating a photo collage for example, and this is understandably. If an artist’s work is based in the fine art industry where surrealism is wanted to be achieved from each image, then I can understand how the may need to go to further extents to produce something for its purpose than want a more contemporary style artists who focuses on the more technical elements such as composition and framing may do.
Therefore, there is a whole issue surrounding the idea of manipulation of images which needs to be straightened out in order for audiences to understand an artists intentions but looking at McCurry’s imagery, his efforts to create the perfect frame goes to far, especially when looking at such a touchy subject such as poverty in deprived countries – almost taboo, this needs to be appearance every carefully but he holds no regard for the views of the subjects he photographs and this has come out in recent years to put him under scrutiny.
With viewers more sophisticated and skeptical than ever before, how can photojournalists and documentary photographers preserve their integrity and maintain trust?
Like I said before, due to this whole saga surrounding Steve McCurry’s work and his intentions from producing his work, with it also being revealed tat he is not as trustworthy and professional as originally thought, it is difficult for us viewers and consumers of these products to understand where the boundaries are – are all photojounrasists showing us flase information? Photojournalists are ‘supposed’ to be putting truthful and accurate information on the cover of our media for us to understand and absorb so we are not being fed false facts.
Although photographers, Steve McCurry being a great example, believe they can alter their images beyond the point of actuality without their audience realising because we weren’t present at the time, often, their unethical methods are revealed, much like what happened with Steve McCurry and not only does it not play well with us, but it also ruins his reputation that he has built up over several years – his status, being part of the huge firm, National Geographic – he has allowed us to put our trust in him to provide with direct information about the places he visits but this reputation and status becomes less and less over the years as more and more information about the way he manipulates is put in the public eye and the view he had maintained and the dignity he had obtained from his much loved work gradually decreases and his fans trust in him disappears.
Audiences of any media are much more opinionated in this current day and it can often come back to haunt the producers of the media especially if it has been hidden that they have been unethical in how it was produced or morally incorrect. In photography, methods of editing is often hidden and this can be very hurtful to audiences if they are loyal fans and suddenly realise the artist they follow has not shown them the full picture and it can be argued that hidden truths were kept secret for many years regarding the Weinstein scandal in the news still after a month with more and more women coming out about the sexual harassment put on them by Weinstein – this is an example of reputations and integrity vanishing in a second due to one mistake and audiences become very opinionated once news like this comes out and although less severe with photography, people still wish to voice their views and may lash out on the subject.
Photojournalists should make their intentions clear from the get go when releasing a series of works etc. so that their audiences know exactly what is occurring and how each image has been produced. If releasing two versions of an image, make this clear and make the alterations made clear also so there is no misunderstanding – communicate with your audiences.
Who sets the boundaries of what defines photojournalism or documentary ethics?
Like in photography in general, there are no boundaries as such – everything in photography is free – everybody is free with their creativity to produce what they want and I believe this is the same in photojournalism and any other aspect of photography as an art form but there is the notion of producing something within reason; like I said, nothing that offends, or pits anyone in unconformable situation and in photojournalism, it goes against the purpose of using imagery to show a visual story for news reasons by removing objects in the mage or heavily altering the way the image looks because it is about the meaning behind it – the message. Photojournalism does not adopt the same purposes as contemporary photography where it is about showing a photograph which shows aspects aesthetics through careful composition etc. Photojournalism is also this but its main function is to show a story and relate to texts which take power in the news at that current time – you want to focus on creating a meaning and this requires careful thought into the framing and content of the frame but I believe that editing should be very minimal to get the full effect of immersing yourself into the news story without worrying about the story being distorted in any way.
Therefore, I believe there are no boundaries as such because photography is a creative outlet which people engage themselves in to be free in their ways of showing something – a message but, linking back to the idea of ethics, standards and representation, these should all be considered when taking an image.
BODY DYSMORPHIA
DYSMORPHIA
According to the internet, “Body Dysmorphic disorder is a mental disorder characterized by the obsessive idea that some aspect of one’s own appearance is severely flawed and warrants exceptional measures to hide or fix it.”
Body Dysmorphic Disorder has so many ways it effects the victim. Somebody with Body Dysmorphia would think about their “real or perceived” flaws for hours each day. They can’t control their negative thoughts and don’t believe people who tell them that they look fine. Their thoughts may cause severe emotional distress and interfere with their daily functioning. They may miss work or school, avoid social situations and isolate themselves, even from family and friends, because they fear others will notice their flaws.
BDD is a body-image disorder characterized by persistent and intrusive preoccupations with an imagined or slight defect in one’s appearance. People with BDD can dislike any part of their body, although they often find fault with their hair, skin, nose, chest, or stomach. In reality, a perceived defect may be only a slight imperfection or nonexistent. But for someone with BDD, the flaw is significant and prominent, often causing severe emotional distress and difficulties in daily functioning.The causes of BDD are unclear, but certain biological and environmental factors may contribute to its development, including genetic predisposition, neurobiological factors such as malfunctioning of serotonin in the brain, personality traits, and life experiences (e.g. child maltreatment, sexual trauma, peer-abuse).
Body Dysmophia is a big issue, especially in teenage’s and young adults. Social media and the creation of the ‘ideal’ body image has effected the development of body dysmorphia. I want to use this social issue and process it so that I can express the concern through the use of photography. A creation of a ‘body suite’ could be used to represent what it could look like, in a symbolized way, to live with body dysmorphia. I would create a series of body suites using different materials, such as tights. A model would then wear the suites in a series of shoots to experiment which angles and positions are the best to highlight the context of the suites.
The images below are ideas of different body suites I could try recreate. I want to capture some images of the full body and some of just the face and other specific body parts.
I like the effect of the plain, simple background. I’ll use this idea in my shoot. The colour pallets have clearly been well planned. The fleshy tones with the browns and the pinks work really well, but I also like the bright colors in contrast to the dark background.
Philophobia / Autophobia
As I have been generating ideas for my personal study surrounding the idea of relationships within my own life and my own family, I have also generated a few ideas which I believe I could draw into the study at some point to accompany other main ideas.
Although not familiar with the phobia as no one I know has this particular phobia, I believe it to be a very interesting concept which may work quite well as an underpinning theme throughout my project; I have started to research into the phobias of love and lonesomeness and I feel may be able to express these a ceratin way through my own interpretation of them – as this is only what I can do as I don’t know anyone with the fears but believe their relation to my main theme of ‘relationships’ could go hand-in-hand quite well as the two phobias are often scientifically linked with one another also. Although, I don’t have to directly or explicitly make it obvious or known that I am addressing the phobia in my own interpretation of it, it can be a concept that the audience eventuality realise as they progress through the book – or a concept that may be evident to certain people depending on the way they read visual prompts or it may only be noticeable to myself, however, would like to, in some way, represent what I believe a fear of love/loneliness may look like.
However, if I was going to show these phobias in some way in my project, I would have to be careful not offend anyone who may have it but would address it very carefully and very subtly to contrast the idea of cohesion and unity between the people you love – I first came up with the idea after realising the divorce of my parents would make an interesting starting point for a story about love and relationship. Love is such a strong concept that can unify people in ways which we like to think cant be broken but eventually, may become broken – in the process of breaking the people involved in the relationship whether it be romantically or emotionally with a relative. My efforts to re-build a relationship which feels like it has been somewhat lost with my dad also links to this idea.
(Words from fearof.net) The fear of love (or falling in love) phobia is known as Philophobia. The word originates from Greek “filos” which means ‘loving or beloved’. Individuals who suffer from this phobia fear romantic love or forming emotional attachments of any sort. Often this phobia is known to have cultural or religious roots, where the person may have been committed to an arranged marriage and hence fears falling in love.
This phobia is more common in women than in men. The condition can greatly affect one’s life to an extent that it becomes difficult to commit or form healthy relationships. Such people tend to live their lives in solitude.
Philophobia is an unwarranted and an irrational fear of falling in love. Sometimes, the sufferer does fall in love but it causes an intense emotional turmoil in his/her mind. There are many theories why this could happen. Therefore, there is a possibility of falling in love when you are a sufferer of this fear but it may still remain in your mind – the idea that you fear to form any sort of emotional connection with a partner and this may hinder your relationship as a result.
Symptoms may include:
Some people are so afraid of love that they cannot open up to anyone. They do have committed relationships, but cannot maintain any of them.
Their well being often depends on the responses they receive from the person they love. This can keep them high strung and anxious all the time. They may be extremely possessive or, conversely, they may drive away their loved ones with their detachment.
One also experiences severe anxiety owing to the pressures of commitment: restlessness, shallow breathing, rapid heart rate, nausea, chest pains etc are a few physical symptoms that can be attributed to Philophobia.
Panic and anxiety attacks are also common. These can be terrible since the sufferer often feels dizzy, or feels like running away, crying, shaking or sweating profusely or even feels as if s/he is fainting.
Autophobia, also called monophobia, isolophobia, or eremophobia, is the specific phobia of isolation; a morbid fear of being egotistical, or a dread of being alone or isolated. Sufferers need not be physically alone, but just to believe that they are being ignored or unloved.
Autophobia can be associated with or accompanied by several other phobias such as agoraphobia. This means people might be afraid of going out in public, being caught in a crowd, being alone, or being stranded.
Persons suffering from autophobia are unable to do many simple tasks that most can do easily. The fear of being alone also leads to bad relationships as the individual prefers abuse to being left alone – the area in which I believe I can link relationships with these two fears.
Physical symptoms:
Feeling unsteady, experiencing lightheadedness or dizziness
Feeling of choking
Rapid heart rate, palpitations or pounding heart
Sweating
Chest pain and discomfort
Nausea or gastrointestinal distress
Trembling or shaking
Numbness or tingling sensations
As this seems to be a more severe phobia in which sufferers may become suicidal or may begin to self-abuse themselves, OI feel like this may not be as very suitable concept to follow through with and may focus mainly on ‘Philophobia’ as I feel like I could represent this in a more interesting and abstract manner by using my knowledge of love and its power and then transferring this to a direct oppostite.