Susan Meiselas

1. Read interview, make notes and identify 3 quotes (that are thought-provoking, revealing or contentious

“Even when revisiting Carnival Strippers I had to think back to the context at the time – the debates in feminism about such women, the idea of giving voice to the women from the inside, and so on” I think this quote is thought-provoking because Meiselas uses her work to provide an alternative perspective on a group of women who many would argue project many negative stereotypes about women. However Meiselas proves these stereotypes wrong.

“I don’t go in with a concept; the concept evolves and becomes self-evident at a certain moment in the process.” I think Susan Meiselas’ method of production is interesting because she doesn’t necessarily plan her shoots before she does them, and it is more of an ‘in the moment’ process.

“Many of my projects live in more than one community simultaneously and the challenge becomes slightly different.” I liked this quote from Meiselas because she states that her work is rather universal and can be seen as relatable by different communities, which I think is a difficult process as you have to have a strong idea of other cultures or communities to do this.

1. Select one image from the photographer and analyse in depth following this method: TECHNICAL, VISUAL, CONTEXTUAL, CONCEPTUAL – focus on the last two aspects of analysis to achieve highest marks

This image, titled “Lulu, Tunbridge, Vermont” was taken by Susan Meiselas in 1974 as part of her series; “Carnival Strippers”. This series became the spark of Meiselas’ photography career, and even became the reason that she fell in love with photography. She became intrigued by these women and wanted to know why they did what they did and how it affected their private life, so she began this series photographing the girls both on stage and off stage, including moments of their private lives.

The lighting in this image is harsh and intense. It creates dark, gloomy shadows compared to radiant highlights. The shadows can be seen in the sunken parts of the face, especially around the eyes and around the nose of the woman’s face. The lightest sections of the image can be seen in the highlights of the face, such as the cheekbones and tip of the nose, as well as the bright blonde hair. Despite the lighting producing harsh shadows and highlights, the lighting is natural daylight. Due to the lighting appearing predominantly on the high points of the face, the direction of the sunlight seems to be coming from above the model.

There is a sense of line within the photograph, with the thick, folded lines of the circus curtains behind the model. These lines create an upwards direction which influences the viewer to look at the model from bottom to top, these also create the leading lines for the photograph. There is also a sense of line with the direction and bending of the model’s arms, this bending sends the viewers eyes towards the direction the flower in the hands of the model, which then directs the viewers eyes to the face.

There is no real sense of repetition in this image, due to the organic and candid nature in which it has been taken in. The image is taken in black and white also, so it is impossible to tell whether there is a repetition of colour.

The shapes within this image are purely organic. Despite the image featuring artificial shapes, they are bent and folded in order to create curved and distorted lines rather than straight-edged, geometric lines.

There is a strong sense of depth within this image, as the model is in clear focus compared to the blurred background of the curtains. There is no negative space in this photograph, as all sections of the image contain a pattern or subject of some sort.

There is a range of tones from dark to light within this photograph. The darkest area of the image can be seen in the gaps of the curtains, as well as around the eyes of the model. The lightest areas of the image can be seen in the white segments of the curtain, the blonde hair of the model and the model’s fair skin. Overall, the image tends towards darkness, which creates a dark and almost sinister atmosphere.

There is a lack of colour in this image. Because of this, an intense juxtaposition has been created when comparing light and dark, and shadows and highlights.

The composition of the image can be said to follow the rule of thirds, as the model has been placed in between the three vertical thirds. The image is balanced due to the lack of negative space, and with the subject being placed central of the image. The distinctive focal point of the image is the model holding the flower to her face.

What I want to explore:

For this project, I want to explore my own sexuality, the LGBTQ+ community, and personal experiences that I have gone through as a member of the community

The project will introduce the reader to a same-sex couple having dates, and having intimate moments while at the same time conveying the idea that those moments soon become nothing but memories (this is achieved through blurry images to give the sense of imagination).

The project will also include messages that I have been sent, some involving death threats, stories of cheating, being taken advantage of, and some messages which involve Grindr messages of guys who want nothing but use you.

Why it matters to me:

This project matters to me because it is a way of putting everything that I have been through into something tangible and for others to see; a way of letting others know that they are not alone, that others have and are going through the same experience.

It also serves as a way for me to let go of some events and put an end to it all and start a new chapter.

How I wish to develop my project:

• Magazine – the magazine will serve as a physical way for the appreciators of art to see my project. The magazine will include all the final images and messages in a layout that will show a story of someone getting intimate with someone of the same sex as well as comments and messages that person gets sent. It serves as a way to enlighten others to the reality of the LGBTQ+ community since not everything is a sea of roses.

At this moment in time I aim to create a film in lieu of a photography book because, as a amateur film maker and considering film is what I want to study at university, it is the most obvious outcome for me to make. I plan to focus on the topic of Island Identity and zoom in on the subtopic of Community with a focus on cultural food. This is a subject I have explored in a past project but not with the detail I plan to have in this one. I intend to accomplish this in a documentary style, reminiscent of media channels such as insider, BuzzFeed and As/Is who often create similar content to educate people on what food looks like around the world. To stay within the brief of Island Identity I intend to only film people who live in Jersey. I plan to feature at least five different nationalities including Mexican, Polish and Portuguese to show the range of people from different cultures who now reside in Jersey. To ensure differing opinions and responses I endeavour to use different age groups when filming and ultimately plan to have a range between those in their teenage years to much older people, some being in their 70s and 80s. Instead of focusing completely on the end result of food I want to interview different people about how this particular dish has effected them personally and the importance of it to them. I think food is very significant in regards to socio-economic factors and can tell a lot about ones upbringing and social life, working as a bridge to preserve knowledge and connect older and younger generations.