CCA Gallery
Claude Cahun and Clare Rae Exhibition
Claude Cahun and Clare Rae Exhibition
The Claude Cahun and Clare Rae exhibition were very inspiring, for a budding photographer to look at. You could see the clear link between the two photographers work, which showed how Rae has been inspired by Cahun. Both photographers had their own room which displayed their work. The photographs where printed on canvases and where hung on the walls of the room. The canvas sizes ranged in size and where hung randomly making them more interesting and unique to look at. I believe all photographs in the exhibition had a clear link to the theme and aim the photographer was trying to get at. Cahun’s photographs where taken roughly around the 30’s, where she could only capture photographs in black and white. Rae’s photographs are more recent, but she has been inspired Cahun, to make her photographs black and white and follow the same aims. This allows viewers to be able to see the contrast between old and modern day photography.
Claude’s first photograph which stood out to me was the one with the woman in the window. The image is presented in black and white which helps to create a cold feeling towards the image. The formal element of texture and shape, within this image, helps to create a sense of entrapment for the woman. The subject, main focus point, of this photograph seems to be the woman. She almost looks as if she is a doll placed in the window which makes it a bit sinister. The reflection of the scenic background on the window, also presents entrapment, as it seems like she is looking at something that she is not allowed. This image stood out to men as I felt an emotional attachment towards the subject of the image, making me more involved into the photograph.
Clare Rae has clearly been inspired by Claude as it seems that she has recreated the woman in the window photograph. Although the two images are very similar there are many difference. One of them being that the overall photograph is much darker, and has multiple tones, making the image more eerie. Another difference is that the formal element of texture is not present, only shape. The woman in the window is like a silhouette staring at you making it seem ghostly. Another difference is that the woman seems to be the main focus point, however the image is almost out of focus also making an eerie atmosphere. This photograph also shows entrapment of a woman, in a similar but very different way.
Another Claude Cahun photograph which stood out to me was this interesting piece. The woman who seems to be mirrored in the center of the photograph seems to have created a distorted effect. She seems very uncomfortable through her face being placed on a rock. The technique of leading lines is shown through the body figure of the woman, helping to guide the viewers eyes around the photograph. The is a variety of tones in this black and white photograph which makes it more interesting and detailed for the viewer to look at. A cold temperature is presented which goes with the fact that the model is nude, which makes the woman seem stranded, creating an emotional attachment. The main focus point is the two bodies which is located in the center of the image. The two bodies also seem very close together which also creates a sense of entrapment.
Clare Rae has taken inspiration of showing entrapment but in a very different way. She presented entrapment through the woman squeezing her body onto the cart in the archive room. The background is kept very simple, but also has items in which helps to present the context of the photograph. Rae has also used the leading lines techniques to guide the viewers eyes around the photograph. The eye starts at the front of the frame and the archive storage is used to make our way to the center and then towards the back. I believe that the main focus point of the photograph is the model on the cart. Her ‘office’ like clothing also presents the context of the photograph. The formal element of shape is presented through the cart and archive storage. Overall I really like the way in which Rae has presented the theme of entrapment in the photograph.
As shown above Rae has been inspired by Claude’s work, she has taken the same theme of entrapment but has explored it in a different way. Although some images are very much the same there are definitely some differences allowing us as the viewers to distinguish the work of both photographers. I really enjoyed visiting the exhibit as it inspired me to explore abstract in a very different way, and has shown me that black and white photographs can sometimes look a bit better than they do in color.
Other Photographs taken from the exhibition
Claude Cahun and Clare Rae Exhibition Analysis
The exhibition showed the different ways that Australian photographer Clare Rae, the resident artist in Jersey, responded to the work of Claude Cahun, a French photographer who specialized in creating surreal self portraits, which often focused on topics such as gender and identity. The exhibition made it easy to compare the two artists work, and the influence that Rae took from Cahun was made obvious. Both Cahun and Rae have presented their photographs using black and white contrasting colour themes, which is the most obvious similarity between the two artists work.
The following example is of a photograph taken by Cahun. This photograph explores the theme of identity, as the hands reaching out from the stone allow the viewer to question who the hands belong to, and so the missing identity of the subject makes the photograph more thought provoking. The use of the gesture the hands are making displays an emotion, but that emotion cannot be immediately recognised due to the lack of any other body parts that would usually be used to judge the emotions of a person. An unusual camera angle (facing slightly upwards) has also been used to add to the abstract and surreal theme of the photograph as a whole. In this image, Cahun has removed the identity of her subject, and has placed it in a surreal, abstract location in order to make her
The following image was taken by Clare Rae, and was directly influenced by the photograph above taken by Cahun. For this image, Rae has been inspired by Cahoons theme of identity, and has responded by creating a photograph of a human arm in an abstract and surreal location (behind a stone). For this image, Rae has placed the subject (the arm) coming out from behind the rock. This makes the viewer question the emotions and motives behind the positioning of the arm, in the same way that the open gesture of the arms in Cahun’s work makes the viewer question the emotions that the subject is showing. Because the viewer of Rae’s work has no way to know why the arm seems to be coming out from behind the rock, they are left to wonder the identity of the subject, and so Cahun’s abstract and surreal style of photography can be seen to influence Rae’s.
The way the exhibition was organised allowed for the viewer to clearly see the similarities and differences between the two artists, by placing their work in two separate but connected rooms. The exhibition provided a wide range of both Cahun and Rae’s work, so that the way that Rae had been influenced by Cahun could clearly be seen in multiple pieces of work. The exhibition was organised and presented well, and showed the work of both artists using a simple and effective layout.
Line, Shape and Form
Uses In Photography
Shape: A shape is two-dimensional. Yes, a photograph itself is two-dimensional, but a shape in a photograph doesn’t have any appearance of depth. Often, to make a 3D object appear to have no depth, front or back lighting is used. An object that appears to have depth either through lighting or perspective, is not a shape, but a form.
Form: Objects that appear to have depth, despite being part of a two-dimensional image, are part of the design elements of form. Forms usually appear to have depth through lighting that creates shadows, or by looking at the object from an angle, rather than straight onto one of the edges.
Line: Lines form the edges of shapes, but they also form shapes of their own. Lines can lead the eye in a photograph and serve as a powerful compositional tool.
Types Of Shape
Geometric: Geometric shapes have straight, defined edges. In photography, these types of shapes are most common in man-made structures, such as architectural photography.
Organic: Organic structures are full of curves and may not be geometrically perfect. These types of shapes are often most found in nature, the curve of a flower petal, for example.
Contact Sheet 1 (Entre Nous)
The meanings of each symbol are as follows:
Green Dots: One green dot symbolizes that it is a photo i believe could be useful and is a good representation of what I am trying to display. Therefore the more Green dots, mean the better i believe the photo is.
Black crosses: A black cross through the photo means i dont believe it is effective in displaying what i am trying to and i do not want to use it.
Red line and dashes: Areas that are shaded in red below or above the line with dashes are places i believe that photo should be cropped to, to improve its appearance.
Here are some examples of other contact sheets made by other photographers:
Homework 2 – CCA gallery visit
When we went to see Claude Cahoon and Claire Rae‘s photography exhibition it was obvious that Claude Cahoon had a strong influence on Claire Rae‘s work as their styles are very similar, in addition to both photographers taking only black and white photos.
Both photographers also implement their body into their photos. However, they do this in their owns styles; Claire Rae makes her self look vulnerable, as if one move could end in her falling/getting injured. Whereas Claude Cahoon explored abstract themes which were not commonly talked about at the time.
However, none of the work by these two photographers was my favourite from the visit; in my opinion the pink floyd was the best. This is because it had great use of shape and pattern. The name of the band spread out through edited versions of their most famous album cover ‘dark side of the moon’. This photo appeals to most of the general public due to its uniform structure and the pictures its made of being recognised by nearly everyone.
Introduction Into Abstract Photography
Abstract photography contact sheets
WHY WE DID THIS –
The aim of this photo shoot was to capture the abstract shapes and forms which can be found all around us.Even when going through school, in mundane things, beauty can be found. I captured images which suit best the theme of “abstract”, incorporating simple shapes and forms in order to do so.
First Contact Sheets
