A tableau vivant (often shortened to tableau, plural: tableaux vivants), French for ‘living picture’, is a static scene containing one or more actors or models. They are stationary and silent, usually in costume, carefully posed, with props and/or scenery, and may be theatrically lit. It thus combines aspects of theatre and the visual arts.Staged reality is a main aspect of tableaux vivant in which the photographer captures an artificially constructed scene.

Tom Hunter

Tom Hunter (born 1965) is a London-based British artist working in photography and film. His photographs often reference and re imagine classical paintings. He studied at the London College of Printing, and was the first photographer to have a one-man show at the National Gallery of London.

He worked alongside friends, neighbours and family to recreate others work but in a much more modern way. For instance the picture on the left is not this own work it is in fact Johannes Vermeer artwork which entails a young girl standing by a window reading a love letter from her man who is far away, possibly at war. Hunter has recreated Vermeer’s work but with a modern update, the women isn’t holding a love letter she is holding an eviction notice. Tom has spent time with the people he takes pictures, for instance he lived on the same tower block as his women, he knew the problem she was going through as he was also being evicted. Even though the to photos are very similar, there are underlying differences, for instance the open window on the left and the light flooding through has connotations of hope and freedom as she is happy her lover is still alive, whereas on the right the window is closed this has connotations of being trapped with no hope for the future, now she is homeless with a baby. As well as that on the left there is a bowl of fruits yet on the right there is a baby, this is symbolic of the fact that the women on the right has a lot more to lose then the women on the left, fruits can be eaten but a baby can’t just be thrown away, it needs love and care and a roof over its head. There is a clear rule of thirds in this photo, this is symbolic of how the women on the left has a structured path in life, its all going in one direction, she can see her path clearly because soon the war will be over and she can marry the man she is in love with. Whereas the women on the right, her rule of thirds represents a sense of being trapped, she can’t escape this harsh cycle of council housing, she is stuck in this rule of thirds layout.

Recreation

This painting was fairly hard to recreate considering it is located on a raft at sea and there are lots of people involved in the photo. We tried to modernize the photo as much as possible for instance we made sure ‘the north face jacket’ which was acting as a flag was clear too see, as the brands represent how society nowadays is materialist and how we need the best of the best not just unbranded, our whole world revolves around money and out doing each other. We were all at different levels in order to create a pyramid shape, a pyramid having connotations of strength, power and sturdiness. As well that it represents society and how those at the top thrive and survive but those ones at the bottom struggle and fail.

I recreated this photo in school near the window by art. I had to select the window on Photoshop and decrease the exposure as the light coming through was over-exposed and too bright. I also increased the contrast to add depth and emphasis the light outside against the darkness inside. This symbolizes how the girl in the Tom Walker photo was exposed to the light and sunny world but under the surface the world was creating more troubles for her then happiness and the weather can’t change the fact that she is a single mum without a home. It’s as if the world is trying to sugarcoat all her worries with clear skies, but she can’t see its true beauty, the only thing she can see is the eviction letter she is holding.

Tom Hunter- The Guardian Article

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2009/nov/04/photography-tom-hunter-best-shot