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Compare how Cindy Sherman and Phoebe Jane Barrett challenge gender stereotypes in their work

“Our familiarity with cinema contributes to the ingrained ideas about beauty and gender in our visual language, so it is not surprising that the medium has influenced so many self-portraits…” (Bright, 2010, 11) 

Introduction: 

The representation of gender roles and stereotypes has been a popular concept within art and photography throughout the history of both art forms, but it is only recently that artists have begun to directly challenge these stereotypes in their work. The deeply ingrained gender stereotypes found in society, some more subtle than others, have been present throughout history, and alongside how our views on gender has changed. The process of societal change in views and opinions on gender has been slow, however, the turn to focus on gender studies in photography during the 1990’s (heavily influenced by philosopher Judith Butler’s 1990 book, “Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity”) provided a new outlook on the way people viewed traditional gender roles and stereotypes. Photographers began to turn towards more abstract depictions of gender, with the focus on breaking, rather than adhering to gender roles. The move towards gender identity as a photography focus altered the way in which identity-based art was represented, with “a striking visible popular interest in gender presentation and sexuality in the 1990s [intersecting] with an explosion in the production of art” (Blessing, 1997, 7) .In my personal study I wish to be able to show how these changes and developments in gender stereotypes have changed in the 20th and 21st century, from more traditional gender roles and ideas to our current understanding of the development of many different gender identities. Out of the many artists who explore gender stereotypes in their work, I have chosen to focus on photographers Cindy Sherman and Phoebe Jane Barrett, who both represent gender roles in the 21st century, using different methods and approaches. I have chosen to study these artists, because I believe both Barrett and Sherman convey strong context and meaning through their images, while at the same time producing work that really engages the viewer, and allows for a dialogue to be opened about the way that society and the media portrays versions of both men and women, that are not true to real life, thus forcing people to adopt stereotypical behavior in order to fit in to a social norm. In order to compare these two artists, I will examine both similarities, such as the concept of drawing attention to gender stereotypes and their representation, and differences, such as their different visual portrayals of these stereotypes and the way in which they approach their work. Both artists approach towards challenging historically rigid and strict gender roles and stereotypes can be seen as an attempt to redefine what society sees as acceptable for each gender, and bending the rules in order to allow individuals to express themselves freely without being judged. Phoebe Jane Barrett acknowledges the consequences of these strict barriers to individual expression, and is quoted as saying, “I wish that gender created less of a divide between people” (Barrett, 2019). I intend to respond to the work of Sherman and Barrett by showing both subtle and overt examples of how gender has developed and changed through time, and to do this I will be incorporating strong and obvious examples of breaking gender roles when it comes to stereotypical masculinity, while also using multiple examples of the subtle ways in which femininity is rejected by modern women, choosing instead to follow their own version of identity rather than society’s ideas.  

Historical context: 

Julia Margaret Cameron: Image of her Neice, (1867)

Photography as it is currently known was developed in the form of the daguerreotype, by French photographer Louis Daguerre in 1839, in order to scientifically record true to life images as they were in the real world. The daguerreotype paved the way for the advancement of photography, and is revered even in the modern era by photographers such as Adam Fuss as allowing the viewer to “see what has never been in a camera. Life itself is the image” (Fuss, 2010). The daguerreotype also allowed, for the first time, for someone to manipulate the contents of an image in order to suit their ideas. In the words of authors of the book “Photography Decoded“, Susan Bright and Hedy Van Erp, “The daguerreotype had the aspirations to both the realistic and the theatrical, as well as the commercial” (Bright, S. and Van Erp, H. 2019; 17). With the development of technology and the camera becoming a more widespread devise, the development of different movements in art and photography began to occur. An early movement in photography (appearing from 1860 onwards) was Pictorialism, which rejected the use of photography as a way to scientifically record objects realistically, and instead opted to focus on emphasizing the tone, beauty and overall composition of images, presenting them more as an art form than a method of recording data. A key individual who helped to shape the movement was photographer Julia Margaret Cameron, who’s work during the late 18th century was focused around portraying the inner workings of her subjects, often using children looking wide-eyed into the camera to emphasize the focus on exploring the concepts of dream, the unconscious and imagination. Early photographers such as Cameron helped to develop the movement of Pictorialism, and although their work was often rejected by critics of the time due to its unfocused, ambiguous appearance, their work on the movement was essential for the development of the understanding of photography as an art form. The step towards focusing on the beauty and composition of images led to the development of aesthetically focused and decorative images, emphasizing the contextual meaning of the subjects and concepts within the image. The work produced by photographer Phoebe Jane Barrett follows along the ideas and methods of Pictorialism, with her work often displaying a soft focus, and allowing certain areas of the composition to be draw the attention of the viewer the most. The beauty of the subjects in her images are emphasized as the vulnerability and fragility of their masculinity, and is purposely presented as a major part of the concept of the image. Photography continued to develop as an art form through the 19th and 20th century, and during this time the ways in which photographers expressed and portrayed their own opinions on political, social and human issues changed, as it became easier to edit and manipulate images to suit the need of the photographer. A movement that became popular during the latter half of the 20th century was Postmodernism, a movement which incorporated themes from a range of previous movements (including Modernism) and focused on the ideas of surrealism, bricolage and parody to present the ideas and beliefs of the photographer. Postmodernism was originally a response to the modernist movement, popular in the late 19th to mid 20th century. Contrasting Modernism, which focused on the visual elements of an image, praising the photographer for their ability to create beautiful images with their artistic skills, the Postmodernist approach looked more at the concept and context of the image, rather than it’s physical appearance. 

“The Siren,” a 1900 painting by John William Waterhouse, went for £3.8 million with fees at Sotheby’s on Thursday.
John William Waterhouse, “The Siren” (1900) – an example of how the male-gaze was used to depict women in early artwork and media

In Postmodernism, the idea matters more than the work itself, allowing the photographer room for a lot of creative artistic freedom when it comes to the subjects. Postmodernist artwork is often produced for the novelty factor, allowing the viewer to enjoy a visually pleasing experience (incorporating bold colours, shapes, and wild concepts), while subtly hinting at a deeper meaning. Cindy Sherman’s work can be considered to follow the characteristics of Postmodernism, with her bold and colourful self-portraits parodying how society views women and how femininity is represented in the media. The exaggerated appearance of the subjects providing a visually interesting experience to the viewer, while at the same time hinting at the deeper meaning of hiding ones true appearance behind a mask that society would find more socially acceptable. Sherman’s work challenges the representation of women in the media, and forces the viewer to consider the ridiculous way in which many women have their features overplayed and portrayed in social media. Sherman’s work depicts parodies of an important feminist theory that has become popular in modern work, known as the “male-gaze”. The “male-gaze” refers to the way in which women are presented from the perspective of heterosexual, masculine perspectives, as sexual objects that are included in order to please the male viewer. This concept in the art world has remained prominent since medieval paintings, and the term “male-gaze” itself was coined by film critic Laura Mulvey in her essay “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema”(Mulvey, 1989). Mulvey’s essay touches on the concept of the “male gaze” in cinema, describing that, “In their traditional exhibitionist role women are simultaneously looked at and displayed, with their appearance coded for strong visual and erotic impact so that they can be said to connote to-be-looked-at-ness.” Here, Mulvely gives a perfect definition of how the “male-gaze” influences the display of women in the media; a concept that Sherman is able to hint at in her own work, displaying the characters in her scene as over the top and caricature-like versions of women, highlighting the absurdity of the way women often appear in media. Although “through the male-gaze” has been the most prominent way in which women have been depicted in the media throughout history, in more recent years there has been effort to fight back against this one-sided representation of women, with exhibitions such as the 1995 “Rose is a Rose is a Rose: Gender Performance in Photography” providing an outlet for photographers to break the boundaries of gender norms, as it “offered ways to elude the heterosexist, patriarchal male gaze and speak to more diverse desires” (Blessing, 2017, 98). This move from a sexist, one-sided method of representing women in photography, to a more inclusive, diverse way of incorporating all gender identities and gender expressions, has allowed for modern feminist photographers such as Sherman to break the boundaries of social acceptability and gender norms in their work.

Cindy Sherman:

Cindy Sherman: Untitled (self-portrait with sun-tan) 2003

Cindy Sherman’s approach to photography did not begin with the boldness and daring as her more current work. Sherman originally took part in creating film stills during the 1970s and 80s, with her work involving black and white self portraits, where she depicts different ideas and concept of women of the time. Her work then became progressively more bold, with her project Centerfold, (1981), in which she produced one of her most recognizable pieces of work, Untitled #96. Throughout all of her work, Sherman has focused on the theme of personal and individual identity, with the overarching idea of her work being the way that we as individuals project and present our identities to the outside world. Her work has been met with praise from many critiques, applauding her use of self-portraits to convey a number of identities which are all based in the same theme of hiding and exploring female stereotypes. Popular opinion of Sherman’s work can be summed up in the words of art critique Laura Cummings; “Sherman has by now invented more than 600 personae; every one of them is a recognizable type, to some extent, and yet also an individual” (Cumming, 2019). Her work reflects the vulnerability of the subject within the images, with her piece Untitled #92 reflecting a distressed and scared self portrait of herself in a vulnerable position. Her work reflects the vulnerability of those who express their individual identity, and by taking self portraits, Sherman is able to both remove herself from her work through hiding her identity, while also remaining very much involved in the practicalities of her photography. Sherman herself believes “I feel I’m anonymous in my work. When I look at the pictures, I never see myself; they aren’t self-portraits. Sometimes I disappear.” (Sherman, 1990). Her current work revolves around making extremely eye-catching and striking images, while at the same time providing a narrative behind the image which helps to engage the viewer, and forces them to realize the contextual and conceptual realities of the image. Sherman herself believes that “people are more apt to believe photographs, especially if it’s something fantastic. They’re willing to be more gullible. Sometimes they want fantasy” (Sherman, 1985), which allows for the explanation as to why she decides to make such expressive images. In the above image, (which remains untitled but is often refereed to by Untitled (self-portrait of sun-tan 2003)) Sherman is focusing on drawing the viewer in using bright and eye-catching colours, making use of deep oranges and an extreme layer of orange sun tan across the body of the subject in order to create an incredibly dramatic, satirical example of a tourist woman. The colours in this image are what draw the eye initially, however the concept behind the image revolves around portraying the way in which women (in this case, a tourist) in the modern era are portrayed in such an extreme way in the media. Rather than using overt examples of the unrealistic standards of women in the media, (and the struggle of maintaining and developing ones identity in general), Sherman focuses on leaving her images very open to the interpretation of the viewer, allowing the viewer to decide what the image represents in terms of female identity and the way we are perceived in general. Sherman’s goal was for there to be “hints of narrative everywhere in the image so that people can make up their own stories about them” (Sherman 2016), allowing the viewer to develop their own understanding of the concept of identity and gender with guidance from the image.

Image result for untitled 92 cindy sherman"
Cindy Sherman, Untitled #92 (1983)

Phoebe-Jane Barrett:

Phoebe Jane Barrett: (2018)

While Sherman takes a direct approach towards highlighting the distorted way in which women are portrayed in the media, in order to elicit a strong emotional response of shock or intrigue from the viewer, Barrett instead takes a much more subtle and soft approach towards her representation of male vulnerability. Barrett’s work has an overarching sense of humanity to it, with her photography often depicting the intimacy of human relationships and connection, focusing on presenting societies more hidden and controversial topics. Barrett found photography as a way to express her own opinions on social situations, as it allowed her to “challenge myself and push myself forward, collaborate more and focus on a variety of subjects and genres.” (Barrett, 2019). A more controversial topic that Barrett approaches in her work, is the concept of male vulnerability, and the reality that “the stereotypes around masculinity are damaging to men, women, and to society as a whole.” (Barrett, 2019 (2)). In order to portray this topic, Barrett took a delicate approach, using male subjects in vulnerable and stereotypically feminine poses and situations to highlight the truth that men experience vulnerability and emotion the same way as women, yet are expected to hide this in order to meet society’s definition of “masculinity”. The above image depicts a stereotypically masculine-presenting male subject, with his facial hair and low brow presented as the centre of the image, drawing the viewers full attention to the fact that the subject is male. However, this presentation is contrasted with the situation the subject finds himself in, lying on the lap of an unidentified subject, who holds the man comfortingly. The male subjects blank, glazed over expression gives away very little personal emotion, therefore forcing the viewer to gain all of their contextual information from the visuals of the scene around him. The subjects position reflects that of a small child seeking comfort from his mother, or a stereotypically feminine woman looking for protection from her partner; however, these stereotypes are tipped on their head by Barrett’s image, as the viewer instead sees a male in this vulnerable position. The technicalities of the image also serve to add to the overall gentle feel of the photograph, with the monotone colouring of the image presenting enough contrast to make out the different shapes and textures within the image, while still remaining soft enough for these shapes and edges to blend into, rather than harshly contrast, one another, therefore adding to the overall delicate and gentle atmosphere of the image. Barrett has successfully presented a response to the controversial concept of vulnerable masculinity, and her belief that “photography has always had the incredible power to challenge and redefine societal norms…” (Barrett, 2019 (3)) has allowed her to present this topic in such a way as to spark conversation between viewers about the harmful consequences of toxic masculinity on society. 

Conclusion:

When it comes to the way both Sherman and Barrett present their work, they appear to take very different visual routes, while still sharing the overarching concept that gender should not be the defining aspect of an individual, and the strict rules and stereotypes held by society is damaging not only for the people they are targeted at, but for everyone. Barrett’s gentle approach to the idea of vulnerable masculinity presents the idea that men experience emotion and vulnerability just as much as women, and yet seeing men in vulnerable situations elicits a different response from the viewer, because of how out of the ordinary and contrast to normality it is. In the same way, Sherman touches on presenting an exaggerated idea of a female character, meant to reflect the outrageous standards placed on women in the media, eliciting a shocked response from the viewer. A more subtle similarity between Barrett and Sherman is their shared respect for self-portraiture as a means of self-reflection and representation of identity. Sherman’s work as a whole is heavily focused on self-portraiture, as it allows her to explore the identity of herself while creating and presenting a character, while for Barrett,”self-portraiture was a way of examining and almost verifying my own existence, I guess as a form of self-analysis and self-reflection”. (Barrett, 2019 (4)). In my own work, I have also made attempts to follow both the obvious and subtle approach to showing and braking strict gender roles. I have focused on showing stark contrast between reality and the gender stereotypes that people develop due to society’s influence, and to do this I have focused on presenting male subjects in feminine situations and environments (highlighting the contrast between the reality of gender expression, and the prejudice held by the viewer), and presenting female subjects in situations which reflect their dislike of adhering to strict feminine gender stereotypes and social norms. When it comes to my work with male subjects, I take inspiration from Cindy Sherman, and her method of presenting bold, intrusive work which draws the full attention of the viewer, and demands that they confront their own personal prejudice towards the image, while I also take inspiration from Phoebe Jane Barrett when it comes to my use of female subjects, using more subtle references to rebel against the right restraints of feminine gender stereotypes and roles. 

Here, I have taken inspiration from Cindy Sherman’s bold approach to her photography in which she redefines and breaks gender roles and stereotypes in an almost satirical way. Here, I have used a very bold and eye-catching subject in order to draw the viewers attention to the underlying meaning
I have also used more subtle hints of the issues people face when adhering to or challenging gender norms. In this case I focus on the emotion that the subject can convey to the viewer, taking inspiration for Barrett’s more subtle, soft and emotional imagery.

Bibliography: 

Bright, S. and Van Erp, H. (2019), Photography Decoded. London: Octopus Publishing House  

Cumming, L (2019) Cindy Sherman, a Lifetime of making herself up, The Guardian, viewed 16 January 2020, < https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/jun/30/cindy-sherman-national-portrait-gallery-review-a-lifetime-of-making-herself-up>   

Marili (2019) Soft, Intimate and Emotive: Redefining Masculinity with Photographer Phoebe Jane Barrett, EyeEm, viewed 17 December 2020 < https://www.eyeem.com/blog/redefining-masculinity-with-photographer-phoebe-jane-barrett-2018>   

Hufkens, X, Adam Fuss, Xavier Hufkens, viewed 16 January 2020, < https://www.xavierhufkens.com/artists/adam-fuss>   

Collins, G (1990) A Portraitists Romp Through Art History, The New York Times, viewed 16 January 2020, < https://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/01/arts/a-portraitist-s-romp-through-art-history.html>  

Mulvey, L (1989) Visual and Other Pleasures, Palgrave Macmillan, UK   

Stoffel, A. 204 Cindy Sherman, Phillips, viewed 1 January 2020, < https://www.phillips.com/detail/CINDY-SHERMAN/NY010413/204>   

Adams, T (2016) Cindy Sherman: ‘Why am I in these photos?’, The Guardian, viewed 12 December 2019, < https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/jul/03/cindy-sherman-interview-retrospective-motivation>  

Ginn, D (2019) Phoebe Jane Barrett Creates Tender Moments with Her Portrait Photography, The Phoblographer, viewed 21 January 2020, <https://www.thephoblographer.com/2019/07/12/phoebe-jane-barrett-creates-tender-moments-in-her-portrait-photography/>    

Blessing, J (Winter 2017) “Rose is a Rose revisit”, Aperture (229) (98-103) 

Bright, S (2010) AutoFocus the self-portrait in contemporary photography, London: Thames and Hudson 

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation

Personal Investigation – Photobooks – Post 1 (Understanding Photobook Design)

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Sans Limites – Theo Gosselin:

Book Design:

This book is a large sturdy book with a hard back cover. It is a relatively heavy book which connotes quality as well as time and effort spent in the production of the book. The pages inside are glossy and smooth to the touch. This slight sheen helps to enhance the images within and brings out the natural colours of the photographs. The title ‘Sans limites’ translates to ‘without limits’, clutivating the mood of the book from the very beginning that freedom is almost a state of mind.

Image result for sans limites theo gosselin

Content and Imagery:

The images are all full bleed, double page spreads with a landscape orientation. They are all high resolution, colour printed images focusing on landscapes and scenes captured on a road trip with friends. The scale of the images helps incorporate the concept of being in the limitless outside world, out in nature. The book focuses on the idea that the world is beautiful and shows the meaning of true freedom and memory making with our chosen families. The images are all literal, yet they posses some poetic feel to them as they are supposed to carry a message and emotion of how it felt to go on this breathtaking journey. The sequencing of the image follows Gosselin and his friends on a chronological journey, showing the different aspects of the road trip, focusing at points on the car journey itself, and the driving, or a run along an empty road in the middle of a beautiful countryside.

Image result for SANS LIMITES - THEO GOSSELIN

Digital copy of Sans Limites:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwie7MzM-ILnAhWExoUKHQTJDxQQjRx6BAgBEAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fvimeo.com%2F123189895&psig=AOvVaw23Y4BCu5HR2AzLkDR0lGKb&ust=1579086091739369

AO1 Develop Ideas, AO2 Explore Ideas, AO3 Record Ideas, AO4 Present Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation

Photo shoot 6 – Intimacy

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Planning:

Conducting a sixth photo shoot for my personal investigation has allowed me to obtain more imagery which explores different aspects of my Grandad’s lifestyle which I have not previously captured. Regarding my narrative, my Grandad was and is the ‘head of the house’ and head of the family hierarchy, thus I decided to dedicate this shoot to him, in order to capture strong imagery of him which will help this narrative be illustrated in my photo book. In my initially stages of this investigation I talked about my Grandad being religious and a business man, and so I wanted to capture these elements, as well as produce imagery which breaks the boundaries of intimacy in order to reveal more about his lifestyle and personality. I decided to photograph my Grandad in his bedroom, bathroom and office, which are considered his ‘private chambers’, where he spends a lot of time alone. Doing this will allow me to gain a clearer understanding and showcase his personality and how his lifestyle has affected his traits. With regards to camera settings I intend to keep it naturalistic to maintain authenticity within my outcomes, ie my shutter speed will be quick, ISO low etc. In addition I intend to just use the artificial lighting found in these rooms stated above in order to present a naturalistic setting and ambience towards my outcomes.

Edits:

First Edit – Flagged
Second Edit – Star Rating
Third Edit – Colour Rating

Final Outcomes:

As like previous shoots, I decided to keep the edits simplistic by editing my outcomes into black and white or in colour. I decided not to take a more contemporary root to editing as I felt meaning and reality to the imagery would be lost, loosing the point of the photographs. In order to achieve these outcomes below I simply adjusted the white, blacks, shadows, contrast and structure in order to achieve my intended affect. Along side this, I explored with the idea of slightly desaturating an image in order to create a vintage feel towards the imagery. The photograph this is done on is the one of him working at his desk, this affect works as it contextually shows how he has been working all his life in order to create a happy and luxurious lifestyle for his family, showing his motivation and hardworking qualities, I believe this edit clearly showcases this through the desaturation.

Analysis:

The photograph above is my top outcome from this photo shoot. Conceptually, the photograph represents my Grandad’s Christian belief through him praying on the bed. He has always been a Christian and has been raised around the idea of their being a ‘God’ and how this figure created life on earth and life in an afterlife. Being regular attendants at their local church, they explore their reasoning for their existence and look for hope in the future. The line in the bible ‘Love our neighbour as much as we love ourselves’ is one drive which he stands by. He believes that everyone should be treated with equality and fairness, and that a neighbour isn’t just the person who lives next door but all the disadvantage people around the world. Due to this thought him and his wife intend to help all through many different ways, for example volunteering every Friday at he hospital with the tuck shop going round the different wards. Contextually, religion has been with my Grandad from a young age, due to the popularity of it during the 1940’s when he was born and raised. He has reflected his beliefs onto his offsprings by teaching them moral lessons he has learnt at church, and by providing them with prayers which they say nightly.

Visually, we are presented with my Grandad who is leaning against his bed with his eyes closed na d hands joined together. In this he is saying his nightly prayer where he thanks God for all that has happened today and asks for a successful day the following day. Taken at a straight on angle the formal elements of tone, shape and texture is clearly presented through the composition of the frame. The photograph itself is presented in black and white, which allows for a higher tonal contrast as well as a more serious atmosphere to be created, illustrating the importance of religion on his lifestyle. The background of this image is of a bedside table and a door to the rest of his house, which suggests a sense of safety and intimacy as his room is a place where he can speak to God. The way in which the photograph is taken showcases the rule of thirds due to the positioning of my subject. Technically, the imagery has used a quick shutter speed and slightly higher ISO, due to no intended blur but some noise being presented due to the sensitivity of the lighting. An aperture of around f/5.6 was used in order to create a slight narrow depth of field and allowed enough light in. In addition, artificial lighting was due to the naturalism of the scene, as I was capturing his reality.

Evaluation:

To evaluate, I believe I have produced strong imagery which breaks this boundary of intimacy. The photographs capture him on a more personal level, creating vulnerability allowing a higher impact on conceptual representation. Capturing him in his bedroom, office and bathroom, has allowed more conceptual elements of his lifestyle to be illustrated, such as religion, working and his personality towards his luxury lifestyle. Making there artistic decision to just capture my Grandad, allows the sense of authority and top of the family higher archery to be with stained, which allows my narrative and aims of this investigation to remain focused. In terms of ability, I have been able to provide further evidence for my ability to capture high quality imagery as well as use Lightroom to effectively edit the photographs for intended effect. In addition, I have shown further exploration by experimenting with the saturation of my imagery. In conclusion, I believe this photo shoot was successful as I have produced intimate imagery which allows the narrative to flow, while reinforcing my capability to capture and edit imagery.

AO3 Record Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation

Essay Draft 5

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To what extent can we trust documentary photography to tell the truth about reality?

“The process of manipulation starts as soon as we frame a person, a landscape, an object, or a scene with our cameras: we choose a portrait or landscape format” (Bright, S. and Van Erp, H. 2019; 18) 

My personal investigation looks at my grandparent’s lifestyle and how it has been influenced by the time period they grew up in, the 1940’s. I have explored the influence of religion and spirituality, gender roles within the family structure and social norms during this time period which are still present in their lifestyle to this day. Holding strong connections with my grandparents led me to want to base my project on them, as I know I will be able to easily retrieve useful insight into their lifestyle, enhancing the imagery I produce, on top of forming a piece of work in which my family will cherish. In this essay I aim to discuss the extent to which documentary photography accurately portrays reality, with reference to two documentary style photographers, Latoya Ruby Frazier and Walker Evans. In this essay I will be referring to Walker Evans’ photographic series entitled ‘let us now praise famous men’ and LaToya Ruby Frazier’s photographic series ‘The Notion of Family’. Analysing photographers who captured imagery in two different periods of time, contextual and contemporary comparison, allows me to illustrate whether the reliability has changed overtime or stayed consistent, providing a valid argument. These two photographers attempt to capture reality through portrait, but the validity of the imagery is reduced as the photographer is either insider looking in, or an outsider looking in which suggests a personal attachment to the subject or a vivid understanding of their situation, reducing the reliability of documentary photography. In my project I am considered an insider looking in, due to my subject being close to me both physically and emotionally, creating a more subjective view towards their reality, thus creating biased photographs.

Realism and Straight photography looks at creating imagery which showcase life how it is, this emerged in the 1840’s. Artists who work within this area look at raising social and cultural issues relevant within society at that time, in order to make the audience aware of this issue in hope something can be done to make a change. This area looks at documentary photography and photojournalism to document the events which are occurring. Artists stick to the original techniques and purpose of photography, the use of photography for science, to create detailed, sharp images showcasing real life. Henry Fox Talbot invented the calotype, which is said to be the basis for how photography is practised today in documenting everyday life. The calotype was done by creating a paper negative, exposing a sheet of paper coated with silver and chloride to a light source. His photographs used a short exposure time and allowed multiple prints to be produced through one negative. He believed that photographs were the cause of light, the influence of nature, on a paper negative and is illustrated through optical and chemical means. Artist Louis-Jacques Mandé Daguerre, also shared this ideology behind image making and stated that photography “consists in the spontaneous reproduction of the images of nature received in the camera obscura, not with their colors, but with very fine gradation of tones.” (Daguerre Mandé, L-J. 1838). This illustrates how this art movement allows nature to present itself showing the reliability of imagery, which is then contradicted as it states its a spontaneous reproduction suggesting the accuracy of the imagery is reduced. Artist Frederick Henry Evans’ ‘A sea of a step’ clearly presents realism through the composition and use of the formal elements of light and space. Conceptually, the imagery portrays the climbing up the stairs, as if the stairs lead towards a euphoric feeling. “He drew on the Symbolist manner of using objects to directly express esoteric ideas.” (The Art Story, n.d.). This use of symbolism creates a subjective perspective reducing the reliability of this art movement. Paul Strand took a different approach to capturing objects, using a macro technique with clear focus on light and shadow and the contrast between the two in order for the work to “be brutally direct; devoid of all flim-flam; devoid of trickery and of any ‘ism’; devoid of any attempt to mystify an ignorant public, including the photographers themselves.” (The Art Story, n.d.). This suggests how Strand’s work produces a more objective narrative which clearly depicts reality illustrating how this art movement can be truthful. Looking closely towards documentary photography, a style of photography which places into this art movement, artist Walker Evan’s and LaToya Ruby Frazier use portraiture to showcase the lifestyle of the subjects presented in the frame in their natural environment, somewhere familiar to them that they have a relationship with, but to what extent does these photographers accurately portray the subjects lifestyle? With my topic being based in my grandparent’s lifestyle, I felt that using documentary photography would be the most appropriate to capture my subject, as well as the project looking social issues of family structure and gender roles being raised, thus drawing connections with realism and straight photography.

‘A Sea of Steps (1903) – Frederick Henry Evans
‘Bowls’ (1917) – Paul Strand

The debate on the extent to which documentary photography accurately portrays reality, has been ongoing since the 1930’s.  In 1936, Arthur Rothstein claimed that he “moved the skull a few meters in order to obtain a more dramatic pictorial effect” (Photography: A critical introduction, 1996; 72), suggesting in the early forms of this style of photography, photographers were strategically manipulating the frame and subject in order to gain a certain effect, reducing the reliability of the imagery. During the Victorian era, cases of manipulation for effect was still present; “In 1876 the philanthropist Dr T.J. Bernardo appeared at a hearing, having been charged with deceiving the public” (Photography: A critical introduction, 1996: 71) – suggesting how photographers can not accurately portray reality as an image is only a snapshot in time, a pseudo-presence to what actually occurred. This topic is still debated in present day, where Ashley La Grange regarded a photograph to “only show the surface” (La Grange. A, 2005; 34) – which implies that the frame may showcase reality but the interpretations of the imagery reduces the reliability as viewers can only see a snapshot of an event leading to misinterpretations.

Walker Evans – 1936 – ‘Allie Mae Burrough’

Walker Evans’ ‘Let Us Now Praise Famous Men’ photographic series explores the exploitation of Tenant farmers in Alabama during the Great Depression, through the medium of documentary portraits. With close analysis to the ‘Allie Mae Burroughs’ produced in 1936, the portrayal of the narrative clearly illustrates the dire conditions to which these families are subjected to, and draws upon the ideology that they do not know life any differently to the life they live now. “The essence is done very quietly with a flash of the mind, and with a machine. I think too that photography is editing, editing after the taking. After knowing what to take, you have to do the editing.” (Evans, n.d.) – Evans suggest that although his photographs are trying to capture reality, manipulation of capturing or editing still effects the photographs and the way in which it truthfully presents the Tenant’s pejorative lifestyles. In an article, published by the Guardian, the author describes Evan’s imagery to accurately present reality, “You can’t sniff the stink of the quilts in the Evans pictures, nor itch with the lice in the pillows. The foul beds take on a Shaker dignity of form. A gasoline pump on the porch of a post office metamorphoses into sculptural permanence within the fixed focal length of Evans’s lens.” (Rule.V, 2001). His positive critique to Evans’ imagery emphasises how accurately he managed to capture the raw living environments of the tenant families, which allows viewers to sympathises for these families, as we understand that they do not know life any differently, which contradicts the viewpoint of Evan, but who are we to believe more? Simplicity in the composition allows an accurate reliable source to be illustrated. Evan’s subject is placed in the centre of the frame, and using naturalistic lighting he captures the subject gawking into the lens as if they are asking for mercy. The presentation of the subject does not put her in a position of respect, in the sense of her appearance and the tonal contrast emphasising her lower class within society. However, this it allows the subject to be elevated and placed into the limelight, presenting the conceptual elements making her more respectful in present day and towards viewers. He captures the subject in their naturalistic environment allowing the authenticity of his imagery to be upheld, and allows reinforcement for the sympathetic connection to be between the subject and viewers. Technically, he uses a large depth of field, due to the whole frame being in focus, suggesting a small aperture and slower shutter speed. It is recorded that Evan has four different variations of his ‘Allie Mae Burroughs’ which reduces the reliability of his work, due to manipulation of his subject in each image, which can lead to us not fully conforming to believe in this social implication, as it not being a reliable source due to several versions of the same image, with only one outcome being used. This is illustrated in Susan Sontage’s Essay entitled ‘On Photography’ where she writes “taken dozens of frontal pictures of one of their sharecropper subjects until satisfied that they had gotten just the right look on film.” (Sontage. S, 1977; 6). In my response, I captured my Grandparents outside of their homes, in locations where they spent the most time when outside, or the areas in which they felt illustrated their lifestyle. Similarly, using a small aperture and slow shutter speed, I used a tripod in order to produce detailed and well structured portraits. The natural light source from outside and naturalistic environment, allowed me to maintain the authenticity of my imagery allowing for a reliable source presenting my Grandparents lifestyle. In terms of concept, I captured my photographs mainly outside using simplistic backgrounds illustrating their lifestyle, but I also decided to explore this connection of subject and location with the interior of my Grandparents house, as they spend more time inside than out. In addition to this, archival material will allow for me to systematically show the connection between my subject and the outdoors.

My Response
LaToya Rudy Frazier – ‘ The Notion of Family’ – 2014

LaToya Ruby Frazier photographic series ‘The Notion of Family’ aims to tell the narrative of her African-American family whom are struggling to come to terms with oppression (prolonged cruel or unjust treatment or exercise of authority) in Braddock, a suburb of Pittsburgh, and the negative physical and psychological effects of the city’s steel industry on their home life. Furthermore it looks at the impact of racism in the small suburb as well as the decline in the community and family, showing her personal and political viewpoint towards this topic. In this she explore three generations of her family who have lived through these issues: her grandmother, mother and herself which reinforces the personal attitudes towards her imagery, making a subjective and unreliable presentation of this issue. “I am obliged to document and counter this reality, and ultimately re-imagine and rewrite it myself.” (Campany, 2014) – Frazier refers to her imagery as a way of documenting reality literally, and re-imagines her lifestyle through the pejorative metaphors presented throughout the series, this clearly presents biases to this social situation, leading to misleading and inaccurate imagery of reality. In an interview with Frazier she made the comment “We need longer sustained stories that reflect and tell us where the prejudices and blind spots are and continue to be in this culture and society,” (Campany, 2014) – the connotations implied is that Frazier views her embodiment of work as a clear way of illustrating these social issues, and suggests that the camera is a “weapon” (Campany, 2014) of exposing reality, suggesting high reliability within the imagery. In contrast, the photographic series is a personal response to an issue relevant to the her, insider looking in, which means biases of the way in which the imagery will be composed to create meaningful representations. This ideology of being an insider looking in is reinforced by critique when he says “Ms. Frazier reimagines the tradition of social documentary photography by approaching a community not as a curious or concerned outsider but as a vulnerable insider.” (Berger, 2014). In specific analysis to the imagery above we are presented with two member of Frazier family at a straight on angle, one in the foreground looking to the right of the frame with her eyes lightly closed and a female in the background looking direct into the camera, creating an emotional connection between the viewer and subject. The positioning suggests the female in the background is seeking help or obeying to the female in the foreground creating a sense of power and family structure, this implies an artificial positioning of the subjects reducing the reliability of showcasing reality. The presentation of the subjects allows cultural context to be illuminated, through the wig caps, patterned and plain clothing which also suggests low socio-economic status, which increases the emotional impact of the conceptual message on viewers. The use of a narrow depth of field and low aperture allows focus on the subjects, and allows the background to compliment the conceptual and contextual elements through the African pattern stylised curtains. The naturalistic environment contradicts the artificial composition and creates a more reliable source of reality for presenting Frazier’s family. The low ISO being utilised and artificial lighting, allows a soft ambience to be illustrated, which juxtaposes the chaos in their lifestyle, suggesting more biases from Frazier due to the lighting, reducing the reliability of this piece of documentary photograph. Critiques imply that the photographic series is “a cautionary tale and a force for educating the public and motivating reform.” (Berger, 2014) – due to these external motives connotes a reduction in reliability due to wanting social reform, she was aware that she had to create imagery which provoked emotion in order to achieve a reform. In my response to Frazier, I captured my grandparents in their home in places which suggested their ameliorative and luxurious lifestyle. Through the manipulation of the composition and positioning of my subjects, I created imagery which implied family structure and gender roles, which shows how the 1940’s has influenced my Grandparents lifestyle. The positioning of my subjects creates a sense of power and authority towards my Grandad as my Grandma in the background looks at him and his high family status. Similarly, the naturalistic lighting and low ISO will allow me to create a similar soft and welcoming ambience allowing my conceptual representation of lifestyle to clearly be illustrated within my work, allowing my documentary stylised photography to be considered reliable in portraying reality.

My Response

To conclude, both Walker Evans and LaToya Ruby Frazier provide documentary portraits in order to raise particular social issues relevant to the subject and environment they live in.  Focusing on raising the issue through portraiture, allows an emotional connection between the image and viewers in both artists work to be formed, making the social issue more impactful, allowing the imagery to act as “indisputable evidence” (Sontage. S, 1977; 9)- illustrating the effect the issue has on society, allowing the reliability of the image to be increased due to an accurate representation of the social issue and the impact it’s had on the subject’s lives. LaToya Ruby Frazier’s work is captured by an insider looking into the social issue, which creates a bias to the imagery, as she is more likely to manipulate the frame in order to illustrate her family in a more pejorative situation in order to play up on the emotional response of viewers making the issue seem way worse than what it actually is. Where as Evan’s is an outsider looking in which stops biases, however the reliability of his work is reduced due to many variations of one image, creating selection bias. Although, both artists have a sense of authenticity within their work, no documentary style photographs can be 100% accurate. This is because manipulation can occur through the framing, editing and selection by the artist in order for them to achieve their intended effect; “Even when photographers are most concerned with mirroring reality, they are haunted by tacit imperatives of taste and conscience” (Sontage. S, 1977; 6).

Bibliography:

Berger, M. (2014). LaToya Ruby Frazier’s Notion of Family. [online] Lens Photography, Video and Visual Journalism. Available at: https://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/14/latoya-ruby-fraziers-notion-of-family/?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=9D64C6B52E292A5A637A20017A9D54AA&gwt=pay&assetType=REGIWALL [Accessed 24 Jan. 2020].

Bright, S. and Van Erp, H.(2019), Photography Decoded. London: octopus Publishing House

Campany, D. (2014). So present, so invisible. 1st ed. Italy: Contrasto, pp.61-68.

Evans, W. (n.d.). Photography Quotes by Walker Evans. [online] Photoquotes.com. Available at: https://www.photoquotes.com/ShowQuotes.aspx?id=196&name=Evans,Walker [Accessed 24 Jan. 2020].

La Grange, A. (2005). Basic critical theory for photographers. Oxford: Focal Press, pp.30-35.

Louis-Jacques Mandé Daguerre.(1838), Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre. photoquotations: http://photoquotations.com/a/171/Louis-Jacques-Mandé+Daguerre

Rule, V. (2001). Review: Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee and Walker Evans. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/aug/18/historybooks.highereducation [Accessed 15 Jan. 2020].The Art Story. (n.d.). Straight Photography Movement Overview. [online] Available at: https://www.theartstory.org/movement/straight-photography [Accessed 24 Jan. 2020].

Photography: A critical introduction. (1996). 3rd ed. London: Routledge, pp.71-72.

Sontage, S. (1977). On Photography. London: Penguin, pp.1-23.

AO3 Record Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation

Photo-shoot 3: Final Images

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This image (along with the 2 below), is meant to represent a liberation from the tight restriction of female gender stereotypes. Here, makeup and feminine products are seen to be destroyed, broken and smashed, showing a rebellion against the norm, and presenting examples of freeing individual expression, and breaking stereotypical gender roles in order to express ones self freely.
This image is a more overt example of the issues and problems caused by adhering to gender expression that doesn’t fit the needs and desires of the individual. Here, the subject is distressed by their need to adhere to the beauty standards of society, and therefore can be seen crying while applying makeup.
Here, I have made use of monotone in order to emphasize the contrast of te colours and shapes of the jewelry and hands. I kept a single colour in order to draw attention to the jewelry on the hand, and overall I feel like this image is the strongest from the photo-shoot, with it having a double meaning of identity liberation, and also feeling trapped and restrained by society’s standards and judgement.

The above images focus on the struggles and issues with trying to navigate gender identity in a society that doesn’t accept you. I have used both positive and negative examples, with some images reflecting the breaking, smashing and ruining of items that represent female beauty standards, therefore allowing the individual to be liberated from the pressures and strains of beauty standards. Alternatively, I have also made reference to more negative consequences of beauty standards, with one of the images depicting a female subject applying lipstick while crying, representing the affects of the pressure on women to adhere to society’s standards of beauty. The final image depicts male hands covered in jewelry, and although this can be used to represent the liberation of gender identity and expression (with the subject able to express their like of jewelry regardless of their gender), the way in which the jewelry is placed can also represent a chain/ties, used to restrict the hands.

Overall, I feel like this photo-shoot has been a success. I have developed one of my favorite images from the project (black and white hands), and will be using these images in my final book, as I feel like they successfully represent the struggles and triumphs of adhering to (and rebelling against) beauty standards and stereotypes.

Component 1 Personal Investigation

Essay Draft

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How has stories and literature influenced the work of Anna Gaksell?

Traditionally, throughout the 20th century photography was centered around capturing the decisive moment, however, we have come to explore the notion of creating this ‘decisive moment’ artificially, constructing scenes made for only the purpose of photography. Tableaux photographs have been made from the beginning of the medium, although Staged photography emerged as its own known genre in the 1980’s; both ideas involve composing a scene much like a painting, creating elements of Pictorialism. Anna Gaskell creates ominous photographs of women, taking themes from literature and stories, generating a dream-like narrative in her work. I chose to look at Gaskell due to her staged and tableaux approaches and how she uses her influences to warp them into her own narratives and blurring the lines between fact and fiction. I am going to review the extent to which stories and literature has influenced her work using her imagery for Wonder (1996-97) influenced by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, and Hide(1998) influenced by Brother’s Grimm tale The Magic Donkey. In my own work I intent to explore the stories of the myths and folklore based in my home of Jersey. Using Gaskell as my influence to explore the notions of the boundaries of a narrative from a literacy influence in the visual work and representations. I plan to explore these notions with the narrative of the legends, through tableaux and landscape the reality of these stories and their occupation of the island. 

Historical Context:

The movement that took the medium of photography and reinvented it into an art form is known to be Pictorialism. Pictorialists wanted to make the photographs look like painting and drawings to penetrate the art work, this eventually would happen and go on to juxtapose the original purpose of photographs.  In 1839 photography was first used in order to objectively present subjects scientifically, images were highly scientific, fixing the point on objects, and was not considered an art form; that is until pictorialism was presented.  The shift from photography being used to produce purely scientific and representational images happened from the 1850s when advocates such as the English painter Willian John Newton suggested that photography could also be artistic.  Although it can be traced back to these early ideas, the Pictorialist movement was most active during the 1880s and 1915, during its peak it had an international reach with centers in England, France and the USA.  Pictorialists were the first to begin to try and class photography as an art form, by doing so they spoke about the artistic value of photography as well as a debate surrounding the manipulation of photographs and the social role that eventually holds.  Pictorialist photographers used a range of darkroom techniques that allow the photographers to express themselves creatively using it as a medium to tell stories.

Anna Gaskell:

Anna Gaskell is a contemporary American artist known for creating contemporary work exploring themes from literature and stories. Gaskell creates ominous images of women that nod to familiar or historic narratives, she explains her process of an attempt “to combine fiction, fact, and my own personal mishmash of life into something new is how I make my work.”, Gaskell is creating imagery by merging together reality, fiction and her own personal touches of the two warping and blurring the lines between the known stories and her own twist on them. Creating photographs that depict narratives from literature that may not be the original people know, Gaskell takes her influences and warps them into her own, stretching the boundaries of the narrative of the stories and literature that has influenced her work. Gaskell’s work dips into the notion of Pictorialism, using tableaux methods to generate her photographs. Gaskell’s photo series “Wonder” is influenced off Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, the work is produced off the back of the idea of isolating dramatic moments from the larger plots. The photographs are staged and planned in the style of ‘narrative photography’, the scenes are artificial, produced and only exist to be photographed.

I have chosen to look closer at Untitled #47 from Anna Gaskell’s series Wonder, the photograph depicts two young girls both dressed identically interacting with each other with a sense of urgency, one towering over the other holding their neck and nose.  Although interacting with each other they do not represent individuals, but instead, act out the contradictions and desires of a single psyche, Gaskell’s use of twins for the representation of Alice builds a connection and visual link of identicalness for in which we know they are being represented together rather than individually, while their unity is represented by their identical clothing and looks.  Gaskell has staged the photographs to create her own striking visual reinterpretation of Wonderland through the moments of Alice’s physical transformation, the mysterious and often cruel rituals they act out upon each other may be metaphors for disorientation and mental illness.  Gaskell’s work has no clear beginning or end containing ambiguous narratives, adding to the emphasis of the unknown and disorientation.  This idea is striking in comparison to Alice in Wonderland as the narrative can be originally taken as Alice’s own dreams taken from stories, the character collectively evoked is Alice, perhaps lost in the Wonderland of her own mind, unable to determine whether the bizarre things happening to her are real or the result of her imagination. Gaskell has created a alternative narrative one in which the audience is familiar with, generating a post-modern effect of a simulacra to entice her audience.  

In comparison to her series Wonderit is clear Gaskell has been influenced by other stories and pieces of literature which is clear to see in her later series Hide based off Brothers’ Grimm tale The Magic Donkey, this series has been suggested to be her most radical and abstract to date, the title of the series can be linked in reference to the children’s game ‘hide and seek’.  In this series Gaskell has again cast young girls as her forefront protagonists, placing them in photographs that emit a sense of nightmarish foreboding and thinly veiled violence.  Gaskell’s reference to the Brother’s Grimm story is brought out in the sense of anxiety that she creates with the dramatic lighting and camera angles.  

WORD COUNT:  1,035

Bibliography

Readings:

Quotes:

Component 1 Personal Investigation

Conclusion – draft

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Both photographers include family – in Walker Evans’ image you can clearly see the family of five standing together on the porch, and in Latoya Ruby’s image you can see a grandmother and her granddaughter. When it comes to the contexts of their images, they are similar in the way in which they both look at the effect of economic downfall on families. Evans was exploring the effect of the Great Depression on families within small communities, while Ruby was looking at her own family in the time of racism and economic downfall in her home town of Braddock, Pennsylvania. They also show the importance of family in dire situations, with each of them photographing families which seem to have strong relationships in times which were socially and financially difficult for them. However it is different in the way which while Evans was looking at multiple families and how they were effected by a country-wide event, Ruby was only looking at the effects of economic downfall in her small hometown, and her own family. As Latoya Ruby was looking at her own family, she had more of a connection with those who she was photographing and knew them well, so she could shape her photographs to suit their personalities, lives, ect, whereas Walker Evans didn’t know the families personally and did not have that connection, so he may not have been able to take images which truly reflect who these people are. When it comes to each of them as individuals, there are differences between the two which could effect the way they take their images and look at the events which they are documenting, such as the fact that Frazier is a woman and Evans is a man, so they would each look at the events in different ways – through a man’s point of view and a woman’s point of view. By investigating these two artists they have inspired and influenced my work greatly by showing me ways of approaching my chosen theme of family, such as taking candid images of them within their own homes or out socialising. Latoya Ruby Frazier was able to portray the importance of family through the use of exploring her own family members and taking images of them during a time of financial downfall and racism within her community, and Walker Evans was able to show this by taking images of three families who were just pulling through during the Great Depression.

AO3 Record Ideas, Component 1 Personal Investigation, Uncategorized

personal project photo shoot 2

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Introduction

This is my second attempt at a photo shoot for this project and i used a studio to photograph my self wearing a uniform to show how i want to be a part of the navy because i was motivated to do that from my great grandfather. And i wanted to show my motivation to be in the navy by photographing myself in my favorite uniform.

Studio

So i began by booking the studio and placing a permanent yellow lighting on a white background only from one side and i used the school’s camera by putting it on a tripod then i just set the timer on 5 seconds and kept photographing myself against the white background. And these are the photographs i came out with:

this is my first photograph in my MTP uniform making a random position and unfortunately the shutter speed was very slow so the photograph wasn’t in focus and there was a shadow effect in the back ground which i should’ve eliminated.
This is the second photograph with my hands in my pocket looking straight at the camera but unfortunately the same goes here for the shutter speed and the shadow but in addition my glasses also reflected the light in here so i should’ve moved the light to another position.
This is one of the most focused photographs because i was very still but still should’ve set the shutter speed faster
This photograph was taken by mistake so is probably no going to be used as it is very out of focus
this is a more full body photograph to show most of my body with the MTP training uniform.
now i put my Number 1s uniform or the Blue’s uniform which is more worn during parades or memorials , the camera was a bit more focused but still needed faster shutter speed
this is just an upper body photograph showing me saluting as i would to an officer while wearing my number 1s uniform.

Conclusion

So in conclusion i’m probably not going to use many photographs from this photo shoot as i had some technical issues with the photograph, what i learnt from this photo shoot is to use faster shutter speed and two lights instead of one to eliminate the shadow effect, and i will be doing this photo shoot again.