In the process of creating images for the supplement it gave me a chance to think about what we are celebrating and what it means to the community. I had conversations with my nan who was very young during the war about how the liberation affected her and her family, which in turn affected me. I narrowed my images down to a final three and my gran’s mantle piece was the final outcome put into the supplement. I feel it works in harmony with it’s pairing of a Bob Le Sueur portrait as they compliment each other and creates a narrative behind his face. I enjoyed meeting the students from Rennes and exchanging ideas and concepts with each other, also seeing what its like to study photography at a higher level. Bob Le Sueur’s first hand stories were gripping to me, they provided meaning and motivation to the project. Overall I am pleased with the supplement, not only does it show case our work and commemorate the 75th anniversary but it also displays a connection between us students and those who experienced the liberation.
Liberation Newspaper
Since the summer of 2019 A-Level Photography Students at Hautlieu School have been working on an extensive programme of study in their final year exploring Jersey’s Liberation and Occupation history in collaboration with Société Jersiaise, Jersey Heritage, Channel Island Occupation Society, Jersey War Tunnels, Bureau des Îles Anglo-Normandes and post-graduate students from École Européenne Supérieure d’art de Bretagne in Rennes with funding from Liberation 75. Students were challenged with responding to personal stories told by islanders experiencing the German Occupation first-hand and finding inspiration by looking through images, documents and objects held in various collections in Jersey’s public archives, producing a series of individual creative outcomes such as montages, photo-zines and collectively construct a visual narrative presented as a newspaper supplement printed and distributed by Jersey Evening Post on Friday 24 April 2020.
The Liberation vs Occupation project began partly as a response to 75 years of celebrating freedom in Jersey from the German Occupation in 1940-45. Sadly, islanders will not be able to commemorate this landmark event as initially planned and it is hoped that this newspaper and joint exhibition between Jersey and French students will in some small way act as catalyst for remembering those years of hardship and subsequent joy when Churchill’s now famous speech was broadcast on the 8 May 1945 with the endearing words ‘our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed today’.
The programme of study began on the 4 June at the Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive where students took inspiration from a presentation by Patrick Cahill, Photo-Archivist and looked through some of the historical collections held in the photo-archive pertaining to the German Occupation of Jersey in 1940-45. In September students explored the landscape of German fortifications around the coastline of Jersey with specific visits to bunkers, such as Battery Moltke at Les Landes and Battery Lothringen at Noirmoint Point. Further visits followed to Jersey War Tunnels and Jersey Archive to research public records and learn more about life in the island during the Occupation.
Personal stories and memories from islanders, Bob Le Seur, Hedley Hinault, Joyce De La Haye and Joan Tapley, experiencing the German Occupation first-hand were recounted to students in a series of workshops, that included portrait sessions in the photographic studio at Hautlieu School and photographing objects from 1940-45 held in the Occupation collection at Jersey Heritage. Students have interpreted how the themes of Liberation and Occupation relates to them as teenagers growing up in the 21st century and the combined outcome of their studies can be seen on the pages of this newspaper, and in a joint exhibition Bunker Archaeology 2020 with postgraduate students from École Européenne Supérieure d’art de Bretagne (EESAB) originally to be held at the Berni Gallery, Jersey Arts Centre 6 -30 May 2020, now postponed due to Covid-19.
The Bailiff Timothy Le Cocq, who has written a foreword in the newspaper expressed his delight with how this collaboration has played a wider role in cultural diplomacy by; ‘allowing Rennes-based Masters students to work with students from Hautlieu on a project that has helped to spread the message of our important history, shared heritage and bringing communities closer together.’
Photographer and teacher Martin Toft who led this project, commented: ‘Every student involved in this project engaged passionately in the subject of the German Occupation of Jersey and the images presented here in this newspaper are only a fragment of the enormous amount of work that each student has produced. It provides a fascinating insight into how young people have used the language of photography to explore and interpret events which happened many years ago.’
Here is a video browser of the Liberation Newspaper printed and distributed islandwide by Jersey Evening Post.
Zines: The editing and sequencing of this newspaper was derived from a number of photo-zines produced by A-Level photography students at Hautlieu School.
My first final piece includes three A4 images from my photobook, two of trees and one of bloody hands. I turned them landscape and cut individual mounts into black card for the display. The black background worked better than white and added more contrast. I chose a colour photo to break up the dull feel but the blood also adds to the darkness. The repetiton of the tree acts like a preview to my book as it starts, ends and has a tree half way through it.
My second print is an A3 of one of my favourite images from the photobook. Similarly to my first display I created a window mount with black card as a background, which works well with my black and white theme. I wanted this image to be on it’s own as I felt it may have over powered my other photos as it’s very striking.
For my third piece I used two A5 images, one of a mirror in my garden and the other of my brothers hands on wall. I chose trimmed my images with strimmer to get rid of the white borders then sprayed them and placed them on a white foam border I had cut to size with a knife. I was planning on them being exactly A5 but because of cropping the mirror was smaller so I had to rearrange my inital idea.
For my final piece I used two A5 images, both are archive prints with fingerprints stuck over the faces. After trimming them, I set them out to resemble the layout of a page in my photobook. I cut white foam board to fit the images and stuck them on as seen below.
This is my complete photo book sequencing and layout for my book named ‘ You Can Never Step In the Same River Twice’. The title was influenced my philosopher Heraclitus who came up with the quote ‘no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same and he’s not the same man.’ This can be translated to a persons life and how its constantly changing and at no point is it ever the same.
Evaluation:
The book starts with images of my younger brothers hands which connects to the idea of children touching and feeling when they are young to explore the world around them. I continue with the ghost image to integrate the initial concept of lack of identity and how I felt lost and intimidated in my new extended family. The two blood images link to how my new family began to merge into my existing family and how I now had to call a random women my ‘step-mum.’ This whole arrangement went against my parents teachings of stranger danger. The tree branches are seen at the start, middle and end of my book to symbolise old hauntings coming back and how memories aren’t forgotten easily, the best and the worst are always remembered. I still remember life before I was introduced to my new family, when I lived in a one bedroom flat with my mum and a bungalow with my dad. The archival images with fingerprints for faces are next and represent a state of confusion and not belonging as a child I felt constantly in the middle. Next is the mirror which again signifies my lose of purpose by not having a relfection, i couldnt see myself fitting in to my family. The reason the mirrors outside is because I didn’t feel that I had a permanent home as I spend most of my time moving from house to house. The second colour image of my bloody hands was used to continue the dark and eerie theme of the book. On the next page I included an image of rippled water to go with the the title to represent the river I was floating in. The birth mark on my arm was included to create a personal feel to my book. After the second tree photo is another hand image which links to my idea of repetiton as well as change, my life at the time was unpreditable. When I was younger I used to suck my thumb and twiddle my fingers when I was anxious or tired, so my hands were a comfort blanket. I included another mirror image but this time it was leaning against my house, as if I was on the outside looking in. The next image was of my brother looking under his bed, which was a reinactment of me as a child and how I used to check for monsters under my bed before I would go to sleep. I included another hand image and archival fingerprint image then my heart birthmark as I feel it’s a big part of me physically and mental, it’s one thing I can’t change about myself and that I don’t want to change. Following from that I used an image of my handprint on a foogy mirror to mimic childish behaviour. Then I put in an image of my brother covering his ears, at some points my parents argued a lot and it was a signifcant memory that I thought I should include in my narrative. The empty box symbolised moving houses and how weird it is that you can fit all your worldly goods in a cardboard box. Another archive image, then a final lack of identity photo that is of my brother with a bucket on his head. I used a final tree image and finished as I started with a hand image.
Overall I am thorughly pleased with my final outcome, it connected to the theme of liberation and occupation in a contemporary way. The divorce was a time of change and struggle for me and my family, which in some elements is similar to the time of the occupation. At the start of my project I had worries as to how I was going to execute my images whilst keeping to the theme of lack of identity. I knew from the start I wanted my book to be engimatic, with images that were subjective yet minimal. When I first explored Chris McKenney’s work that gave me inspiration, so I could start the momentum of producing my own photos. I feel that I have displayed creativity within my book, using images which involved setting a scene like my blood photoshoot where I had my camera over my sink on self timer and poured red food colouring over my hands. Also my fingerprint images where I painted my tips and pressed them onto card, cut them out and put them on old archival family photos. My outcomes have provided evidence that I have the ability to experiment and explore different concept and ideas within my own work. I have created an aesthically pleasing photobook as well as outlining my ability to display a clear narrative through my sequencing. The essay was a well thought addition to my images as I discussed relevant themes such as identity and movements like surrealism, which I used throughout my book.
To what extent does Surrealism create an unconscious representation of one’s inner conflicts of identity and belonging?
“we are convinced that ‘it happened’- that the events they represent as real, that they actually took place” (Bright, S. and Van Erp, H. 2019: 18) Some images are literal, they are taken at the exact moment and capture an exact action but they is an extent to whether this is actually real life. A camera can only capture so much, it takes a segment of a situation, it doesn’t show the whole things. Unless we are the photographer, we never fully know what happened, we may come up with idea and concept, but they are only part of our imagination. My essay is focusing in on surrealism, which is the idea that the unconscious is where all imagination is held. Surrealists believe the rational mind repressed the power to unlock our imagination. Therefore, in photography for an image to come under this genre it must be subtle in its meanings, it must make the viewer question ‘is this real?’ Claude Cahun is one artist I am going to discuss and explore how she expressed her identity through surrealism photography, around the time of 1920. She said herself that she does not have the answers to her questions, and as such unusually makes visible the rawness, torment, and distress of not knowing. To liberate the extent, I am going to use the surrealist Man Ray as I can argue that his work isn’t motivated my inner conflicts. “From Daguerre’s age to ours: photography has undergone a transformation, not only technologically but conceptually.” (Bright, S. and Van Erp, H. 2019: 18). Photography has progressed in our modern world and has grown alongside human knowledge to become more and more technical. As well as that ideas have progressed behind the motivation of capturing images. Nowadays, it doesn’t just have to be straight photography it can have a hidden meaning or enigmatic codes. There aren’t guidelines needed to be followed to create a meaningful photo.
In 1917 surrealism was first seen in the form of art through the work of Giorgio de Chirico, who illustrated average streets but through a hallucination perspective. His paintings were moving away from realism, instead of just capturing physically what was there he also created subjective meanings within his art. Andre Baton was the original inventor of surrealist concepts in 1924 through his written surrealist manifesto, where the he describes the movement as “the pure psychic automatism expressed in the real functionality of a person.” (History.com editors 2017:1). Breton was saying that a surrealist artist must bypass any thoughts of rationality in order to gain automatism which is an act or idea achieved through the unconscious mind. Sigmund Freud may have not been an artist but his development and exploration into how the mind works was a large influence. This Little Hans study into dream analysis and phobias opened doors into the world of unconscious thoughts and desires, he uncovered areas in psychology and philosophy that hadn’t ever been discovered before due to the idea that is wasn’t ‘scientific’ research. Similarly, in surrealist work can be seen as ‘unscientific’ because it doesn’t follow a strict structure like realism once did, rather it used the unconscious mind as the force behind the influence.
Dadaism was an early stage of surrealism that commenced during World War I, its purpose was to ridicule the meaningless of the modern world. The whole concept was formed to deconstruct the definition of art by experimenting with different techniques, materials and mediums. Photo montage became popular through Dadaists such as Raoul Hausmann and his piece ‘The Art Critic’. The montage was used as a means of expressing political dissent. Other techniques were invented such as collage which is widely known today as assembling different elements to create a whole, Max Ernst famously created ‘ The Hat Makes the Man’. Cubomania is a form of collage where an image is cut into squares and reassembled randomly. This technique was invented by Romanian Surrealist artist Gherasim Luca. Surrealism began to emerge into photography through artists such as Maurice Tabard and Man Ray who explored automatic writing using techniques such as combination printing and double exposure. In the early 1920s, technology was developing rapidly and became of great interest to avant-garde artists due to its association with technology. Photography was beginning to become a chance for artists paradigms of vision and representation. The evolution of the camera worked in harmony with the movement from realism to surrealism, as technology modernized so did ideologies.
Claude Cahun was born in 1894 in Nantes France with the name of Lucie Renee Mathilde Schwob and died at the age of 60 in St. Helier Jersey. She was a photographer, sculptor and writer who spent most her life on the island of Jersey with her partner and stepsister. She adopted her name Claude Cahun in 1917 as it was gender ambiguous. She was best known for her self-portraits in the genre of surrealism, they explored sexuality and identity, undermining stereotypical gender roles which at the time were essential to the patriarchal society. Surrealism back then was relatively new to photography, people like Cahun were essential in establishing the movement. Her images displayed meanings which were personal to her and her sexual orientation, not in an objective manner, but rather in a mysterious and confusing manner. Cahun’s work can also be seen as post-structuralist because she doesn’t have ‘complete’ artworks, instead her photos combine to become part of an unfinished whole. A key inventor of surrealism, Breton once said Cahun was “one of the most curious spirits of our time.” This description of her can be mirrored throughout her work, not only is she curious herself but she is in surrealism photography, experimenting with real concepts of her own gender identity and translating these into her images to create a piece of art. An example of her work is:
Self Portrait (reclining on sand with coiled seaweed)-Claude Cahun, 1930.
I first discovered Cahun’s work at an exhibition and this photo was the most striking to me. Her work varies greatly, some involve characters such as a circus performer, others are much more simplistic when it come to the person Cahun is trying to portray. It’s this mixture and differentiation that makes the images work together as a sequence to show her inner confusion with identity. The low position she has to the ground represents the idea of her connecting to nature, it’s in her human nature to be gay, she never had free-will in the matter. Although the seaweed has the potential to suffocate her, much like her unconscious mind could fill her poison, she chooses to leave it wrapped around her as if it’s a part of her. The way she is floating in the water can be seen as a lack of control, even though she is resting on the sand she is still being moved by the water, which is something she can’t help. This emphasizes the lack of choice we have over our identity, as much as people say we can be who we want to be, we will always have pre-determined genetics, cultural background and our upbringing to affect our identity. The absence of facial details expresses the idea that gender doesn’t have a certain look. The way the shadow of the rock avoids her body creates a sense freedom; she is overcoming those dark thoughts. “Shuffle the cards. Masculine? Feminine? It depends on the situation. Neuter is the only gender that always suits me.” This quote from Cahun summaries her identity surrounding gender and how she didn’t place herself in either gender, nowadays we would call this non-binary. In Claude’s lifetime this uncertainty towards your sex would have been viewed as madness, it’s evident that she was ahead of her time when it came to photography and identity. Overall, her work argues that Surrealism explores ideas of identity and belonging through her subjective imagery of people and nature.
Man Ray was one of the most earliest surrealist photographers, he was born in 1890 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a Jewish immigrant from Russia. Much like Cahun he also changed his name from Emmanuel Radnitzky to Man Ray. In 1912 this family changed their last name in order to fit into American society. Andre Breton once described Man Ray as a “pre-Surrealist”, this meaning he had a natural affinity for the movement. It is apparent the surrealism came as second nature to Ray, he had near to no influence when it came to referencing surrealist photographers. The famous quote from surrealist Francis Picabia “only useless things are indispensable” links to how both photographers changed their names. Names are pointless, they are simply a way of others identifying you through association of your face with your name. In the world of surrealism, a name is essential to who you are, names tell stories about your heritage and they put you a bracket. This emphasis of ‘useless’ items being ‘indispensable’ is seen throughout Man Ray’s collection of Rayographs. These were known as camera-less photographs, he placed objects such as thumbtacks and coils of wire on a sheet of photosensitized paper and exposed it to light. These images were the binary opposites of the trends in photography at the time. Movements like pictorialism involved no manipulation, believing that adaptations and uniqueness would be a disruption to the artistic integrity of the medium.
Untitled Rayograph- Man Ray, 1922.
This image is part of his 1922 ‘Spiral Series’, composed of a spiral object and other shapes, from cubes to glass goblets. They mimicked dream-like landscapes, inspired by Giorgio De Chirico, the intent was to create a nonsensical concept, so that it was up to the readers imagination to take meaning from it or not. It was the whole idea that photography didn’t need to be literal, it could be metaphorical and creative. The coils of wire represent the lengths of your unconscious mind and how there is endless visions and emotions, some we don’t know about yet and ones we will never know about. The possibilities are endless in the unconscious which also can be translated into the world of photography, there aren’t patterns or trends to follow, you make your work your own. In the background there are clouds, giving the impression of different levels of space and slow movement. “You can never step in the same river twice” is the famous saying from philosopher Heraclitus. A river is constantly moving, as soon as you step into a river it will have changed within milliseconds, like surrealism, there is no consistency, artists are all different, there are no two photos the same. It is a fluid concept. Similarly, clouds are constantly changing shape, yet in this image the cloud is frozen in time.“Nature does not create works of art. It is we, and the faculty of interpretation peculiar to the human mind, that see art.” This quote from Man Ray talks about the creation of surrealism and how it is based on concepts of the human mind. When he says nature doesn’t create work, that’s a reference to pictorialism and how photographers rely the environment to make an image, rather than using their originality and creativity.
Both artists are extremely influential surrealists, but they use different elements of the movement in their work. In comparison to Cahun, Ray is more of a creator of surrealism whereas Cahun is developing and extending the idea. Ray doesn’t involve issues such as belonging in his Rayographs, it’s more about abstraction and exploration, he takes household object and makes them into dreamlike visions, rather than dream like concepts. Although some of his images did include silhouettes of his head and his partners head, this image connected to the idea of an autobiography running through his rayographs. His images didn’t so much involve conflicts of identity but rather a narrative of his life and the people in it. “We need to insist that we read a photograph, not as an image but as a text.” This quote is taken from Graham Clarke and I feel it is the basis of surrealism. Both photographers don’t just take a picture in the moment, they set up a narrative, not necessarily a clear one but there is a reason for their work. The idea that we need to treat a photo as text, is seen throughout their work, especially with Claude where she uses her images to create a story around her sexual identity.
Looking back at the question it’s clear that surrealism involves topics of identity, but it doesn’t just stop there, the subject matter is endless. For instance, Man Ray doesn’t use his work to explore self-conflict but rather to explore photography as a medium. The camera-less images are groundbreaking in the way that we don’t even need high tech equipment to make an image. With the Rayographs he makes a statement rather than text, surrealism is about breaking regulations that were once in place surrounding photography. Cahun’s work focuses on portraits, almost all her images feature a person, whereas Ray uses objects as his focal points. “In any image, however, the primary frame of reference remains the subject of the photograph,” is said by Graham Clarke. This relates to how the people and objects featured in the artist’s work become the backbone of their narratives. Roland Barthes came up with the theory of connotation and denotation which represent the difference between straight photography and surrealism. In Cahun’s work she uses people and their clothing as connotations to create an idea behind literal subjects. In straight photography everything captured has a denotation, it has no depth to its meaning, for instance a portrait of some men farming has no narrative, it is what you see. Whereas Ray uses a combination of objects to collectively create connotations, this allows the audience to decode the underlying message of the image. In 2007, David Bowie produced an exhibition of Cahun’s work in New York, he said of her, “You could call her transgressive or you could call her a cross-dressing Man Ray with surrealist tendencies. I find this work really quite mad, in the nicest way.” Although I have emphasised the difference in the two artists, this quote suggests that the artists are alike, and I can agree to some extent. Ray and Cahun both have ‘surrealist tendencies’ as a base for their work, they both display originality and put people in a reverie of their imagination.
To conclude, I believe that to some extent Surrealism creates an unconscious representation of one’s inner conflicts with identity and belonging. Throughout the work of Claude Cahun, it is evident that imagery of belonging is present; for instance, the concepts around her sexual identity and how that “works” in society. However, in terms of the unconscious mind I feel Cahun’s work is limited as the issues proposed are part of her reality and conscious, which is also shown through her ambiguous name and open sexuality in her daily life. Claude’s work is at the heart of surrealism when it comes to ‘avant-garde’, nowadays people aren’t scared or ashamed to be gay but back in the 1920s it was a taboo topic that she wasn’t afraid to discuss. Ray’s work doesn’t focus on topics such as identity and belonging, he keeps his concepts deliberately enigmatic. As one of the pioneers of the movement proves that surrealism isn’t just about feelings but about breaking the chain of repetition in photography. Linking to the idea of unconscious, Ray’s images involve dream-like visions of black and white. His Rayographs specifically act as works of the imagination and leave the audience in a state of confusion. Overall surrealism does create unconscious representation but not always following issues of identity and belonging, the whole idea of surrealism is going against the current and creating photos that are unique. Therefore, not all surrealists explore the same concepts, some don’t even have a reason for their images. The messages Cahun and Ray wanted to convey was that photography can be whatever you make it, whilst challenging pre-conceived notions, readings and conventional approaches.
Bibliography
Bright, S. and Van Erp, H. (2019): 18 Photography Decoded. London: octopus Publishing House
Bright, S. and Van Erp, H. (2019): 18 Photography Decoded. London: octopus Publishing House
This is my layout of my photobook so far, including my 6 shoots. I have left blank pages for my quotes and essay, as well as aesthetic. I am planning on printing the colour images in the glossy printer and sticking them on with tape. Some of my images aren’t central others are, I went for this un-repetitive structure as it mirrors the period of time where I was going through constant change.
To what extent does Surrealism create an unconscious representation of ones inner conflicts of identity and belonging?
To conclude, I believe that to some extent Surrealism creates an unconscious representation of one’s inner conflicts with identity and belonging. Throughout the work of Claude Cahun, it is evident that imagery of belonging is present; for instance, the concepts around her sexual identity and how that “works” in society. However, in terms of the unconscious mind I feel Cahun’s work is limited as the issues proposed are part of her reality and conscious, which is also shown through her ambiguous name and open sexuality in her daily life. Claude’s work is at the heart of surrealism when it comes to ‘avant-garde’, nowadays people aren’t scared or ashamed to be gay but back in the 1920s it was a taboo topic that she wasn’t afraid to discuss. Ray’s work doesn’t focus on topics such as identity and belonging, he keeps his concepts deliberately enigmatic. As one of the pioneers of the movement proves that surrealism isn’t just about feelings but about breaking the chain of repetition in photography. Linking to the idea of unconscious, Ray’s images involve dream-like visions of black and white. His Rayographs specifically act as works of the imagination and leave the audience in a state of confusion. Overall surrealism does create unconscious representation but not always following issues of identity and belonging, the whole idea of surrealism is going against the current and creating photos that are unique. Therefore, not all surrealists explore the same concepts, some don’t even have a reason for their images. The messages Cahun and Ray wanted to convey was that photography can be whatever you make it, whilst challenging pre-conceived notions, readings and conventional approaches.
Both artists are extremely influential surrealists, but they use different elements of the movement in their work. In comparison to Cahun, Ray is more of a creator of surrealism whereas Cahun is developing and extending the idea. Ray doesn’t involve issues such as belonging in his Rayographs, it’s more about abstraction and exploration, he takes household object and makes them into dreamlike visions, rather than dream like concepts. Although some of his images did include silhouettes of his head and his partners head, this image connected to the idea of an autobiography running through his rayographs. His images didn’t so much involve conflicts of identity but rather a narrative of his life and the people in it.‘We need to insist that we read a photograph, not as an image but as a text.’ This quote is taken from Graham Clarke and I feel it is the basis of surrealism. Both photographers don’t just take a picture in the moment, they set up a narrative, not necessarily a clear one but there is a reason for their work. The idea that we need to treat a photo as text, is seen throughout their work, especially with Claude where she uses her images to create a story around her sexual identity.
Looking back at the question it’s clear that surrealism involves topics of identity, but it doesn’t just stop there, the subject matter is endless. For instance, Man Ray doesn’t use his work to explore self-conflict but rather to explore photography as a medium. The camera-less images are groundbreaking in the way that we don’t even need high tech equipment to make an image. With the Rayographs he makes a statement rather than text, surrealism is about breaking regulations that were once in place surrounding photography. Cahun’s work focuses on portraits, almost all her images feature a person, whereas Ray uses objects as his focal points. “In any image, however, the primary frame of reference remains the subject of the photograph,” is said by Graham Clarke. This relates to how the people and objects featured in the artist’s work become the backbone of their narratives. Roland Barthes came up with the theory of connotation and denotation which represent the difference between straight photography and surrealism. In Cahun’s work she uses people and their clothing as connotations to create an idea behind literal subjects. In straight photography everything captured has a denotation, it has no depth to its meaning, for instance a portrait of some men farming has no narrative, it is what you see. Whereas Ray uses a combination of objects to collectively create connotations, this allows the audience to decode the underlying message of the image.
Man Ray was one of the most earliest surrealist photographers, he was born in 1890 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a Jewish immigrant from Russia. Much like Cahun he also changed his name from Emmanuel Radnitzky to Man Ray. In 1912 this family changed their last name in order to fit into American society. The famous quote from surrealist Francis Picabia‘only useless things are indispensable’ links to how both photographers changed their names. Names are pointless, they are simply a way of others identifying you through association of your face with your name. In the world of surrealism, a name is essential to who you are, names tell stories about your heritage and they put you a bracket. This emphasis of ‘useless’ items being ‘indispensable’ is seen throughout Man Ray’s collection of Rayographs. These were known as camera-less photographs, he placed objects such as thumbtacks and coils of wire on a sheet of photosensitized paper and exposed it to light. These images were the binary opposites of the trends in photography at the time. Movements like pictorialism involved no manipulation, believing that adaptations and uniqueness would be a disruption to the artistic integrity of the medium.
Untitled Rayograph- Man Ray, 1922.
This image is part of his 1922 ‘Spiral Series’, composed of a spiral object and other shapes, from cubes to glass goblets. They mimicked dream-like landscapes, inspired by Giorgio De Chirico, the intent was to create a nonsensical concept, so that it was up to the readers imagination to take meaning from it or not. It was the whole idea that photography didn’t need to be literal, it could be metaphorical and creative. The coils of wire represent the lengths of your unconscious mind and how there is endless visions and emotions, some we don’t know about yet and ones we will never know about. The possibilities are endless in the unconscious which also can be translated into the world of photography, there aren’t patterns or trends to follow, you make your work your own. In the background there are clouds, giving the impression of different levels of space and slow movement. “You can never step in the same river twice” is the famous saying from philosopher Heraclitus. A river is constantly moving, as soon as you step into a river it will have changed within milliseconds, like surrealism, there is no consistency, artists are all different, there are no two photos the same. It is a fluid concept. Similarly, clouds are constantly changing shape, yet in this image the cloud is frozen in time.
To what extent does Surrealism create an unconscious representation of ones inner conflicts of identity and belonging?
Claude Cahun was born in 1894 in Nantes France with the name of Lucie Renee Mathilde Schwob and died at the age of 60 in St. Helier Jersey. She was a photographer, sculptor and writer who spent most her life on the island of Jersey with her partner and stepsister. She adopted her name Claude Cahun in 1917 as it was gender ambiguous. She was best known for her self-portraits in the genre of surrealism, they explored sexuality and identity, undermining stereotypical gender roles which at the time were essential to the patriarchal society. Surrealism back then was relatively new to photography, people like Cahun were essential in establishing the movement. Her images displayed meanings which were personal to her and her sexual orientation, not in an objective manner, but rather in a mysterious and confusing manner. Cahun’s work can also be seen as post-structuralist because she doesn’t have ‘complete’ artworks, instead her photos combine to become part of an unfinished whole. An example of her work is:
Self Portrait (naked near rocks)-Claude Cahun, 1930.
I first discovered Cahun’s work at an exhibition and this photo was the most striking to me. Her work varies greatly, some involve characters such as a circus performer, others are much more simplistic when it come to the person Cahun is trying to portray. It’s this mixture and differentiation that makes the images work together as a sequence to show her inner confusion with identity. The low position she has to the ground represents the idea of her connecting to nature, it’s in her human nature to be gay, she never had free-will in the matter. Although the seaweed has the potential to suffocate her, much like her unconscious mind could fill her poison, she chooses to leave it wrapped around her as if it’s a part of her. The way she is floating in the water can be seen as a lack of control, even though she is resting on the sand she is still being moved by the water, which is something she can’t help. This emphasizes the lack of choice we have over our identity, as much as people say we can be who we want to be, we will always have pre-determined genetics, cultural background and our upbringing to affect our identity. The absence of facial details expresses the idea that gender doesn’t have a certain look. The way the shadow of the rock avoids her body creates a sense freedom; she is overcoming those dark thoughts. Overall, her work argues that Surrealism explores ideas of identity and belonging through her subjective imagery of people and nature.
