Essay Question Ideas:

Artists – Robert Darch & Josef Sudek

How can reality be presented and altered through the medium of photography?

How can the concept of escapism be represented through the medium of photography?

In what way have Robert Darch and Josef Sudek explored the concept of escapism in their work/ photography?

In what way have Robert Darch and Josef Sudek used their photography as a form of therapy?

In what way have Robert Darch and Josef Sudek explored the concept of ‘the real world’ in their photography? 

Essay Structure Plan:

Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?

• Discuss the concept of escapism, what does it mean to me/to the world?
• Area of study = anxiety shaping identity, celebrating the locations I would escape to/the worlds I would create to feel safe and calm in etc.
• Responding using still life and landscape photography.
• Taking inspiration from Robert Darch and Josef Sudek – describe summary of their work.
• Discuss Rosy Martin and Jo Spence ideas on Photo Therapy, use extracts from their essay ‘Psychic Realism as a Healing Art?’.

Pg 1 (500 words): Historical/ theoretical context within art, photography, visual and popular culture relevant to your area of study. Make links to art movements/ isms and some of the methods employed by critics and historian. 

• 

• Explore how Pictorialism has impacted my project, how I think it links to both Darch and Sudek’s work.
• Historical facts and ideas on Pictorialism – what influenced it? What’s its main concepts/message? How are Pictorialist images created, discuss use of Vaseline/manipulation in dark room etc.
• Themes of Pictorialism that I want to replicate, eg; dream-like atmosphere/fantasy, altering reality similar to how I would alter my reality to escape to different worlds, escaping anxious thoughts etc.
• Bring in idea of Susan Sontag opinions of photography, use quotes from series of essays ‘On Photography’ .

Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.

• 

• Discuss freedom of photography, how photographers can show us what they want to show us.
• Robert Darch information, who is he? What’s his backstory? Why did he inspire me?
• Use quotes from his website/from essays written on his work, eg; Dan Cox.
• Analyse why Darch takes the photos he takes, what do they mean to him? Explore how his work has deeper meanings to do with childhood and past memories.
• Analyse Darch’s photography style, his compositions/tone/lighting/shadows etc – why do they matter?
• What did I do to respond to Darch’s work, how did I use him as inspiration>

Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.

• 

• Discuss use of location in photography, question the values of a place connecting to photographers memories or life story.
• Introduce Josef Sudek, his series ‘The Window of my Studio’ – how does it relate to my project? What do I see when I analyse his work?
• Give Sudek’s background, who is he/what did he do/what was he famous for?
• Talk about how Sudek’s injury and amputation may have hindered his life both physically and mentally, perhaps photograph was his escape from the outside world.
• Use quote from critics of Sudek eg; Russell Lord discussing how Sudek isolated himself from society and became completely interested in capturing scenes from his window.
• Analyse what techniques he uses, his links to Pictorialism and use of soft focus.
• How I respond with my project, what similar styles did I use etc?

Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced

• 

• Conclude by comparing both photographers use of photography as a healing art, how do they do it? Why did they do it?
• Draw points together by mentioning photographer’s pasts, and how this influenced their imagery.
• Discuss how I have responded with my work, what techniques I used and what they all mean to me, use ideas from critics and photographers to discuss similarities between artists.
• Historical factors and movements (Pictorialism) that have been inspirations throughout project.
• Close with idea from Patricia Marcella Anwandter about how photography reflects memory, and is therefore healing to the photographer.

Bibliography: List all relevant sources used

• List online websites
• List essays I have read and quoted
• Photobooks that inspired me throughout
• Use Harvard System of Referencing to create bibliography

How to format references;

Photography book used = Zanele Muholi.

How to set out Bibliography –

Muholi, Z. (2020). Zanele Muholi, Tate. London: Tate Publishing.

In your text cite author’s surname, the year of
publication and the page reference immediately
after the quoted material e.g. Where a section of
your main text directly quotes another source, or
else uses ideas which have been drawn from
another source, the end of that quote should have
an entry like this
…which is the point that Liz Wells’ makes when she
says ‘one of the central principles of the
documentary aesthetic was that a photograph
should be untouched, so that its veracity, its
genuineness, might be maintained’ (Wells 1998:40)

Themes and Ideas to Discuss:

Symbolism and metaphors

Windows = light, wellbeing, to grow, opening to another world

Mirrors = reflections of past, future etc

Comparison – Vale shows the idyllic escapism from anxiety, into different realities/worlds as one would in childhood imagination, whereas Sudek’s images, to me, represent the present hopes towards escaping – flowers and nature are cut down from their original source however they still thrive using a vase of water as a new way of living, its adapting to surroundings just like I have had to do when finding places to feel safe with anxiety.

Changes; possibly edit my Sudek inspired image in colour but softer vibrancy and clarity – inspiration from pictorialism – could mention in essay about the inspiration Sudek has taken from the pictorialism movement.

Quotes of Possible Use?

“It’s hyperreal and dreamlike,” Darch says. “I daydreamed a lot as a kid, I still do as an adult, and definitely in those years when I was isolated, I was inside, I was in my mind all the time.”

‘So successful has been the camera’s role in beautifying the world that photographs, rather than the world, have become the standard of the beautiful.’ Susan Sontag

“To suffer is one thing; another thing is living with the photographed images of suffering, which does not necessarily strengthen conscience and the ability to be compassionate. It can also corrupt them. Once one has seen such images, one has started down the road of seeing more – and more. Images transfix. Images anesthetize.”
― Susan Sontag, On Photography

“In the real world, something is happening and no one knows what is going to happen. In the image-world, it has happened, and it will forever happen in that way.”
― Susan Sontag, On Photography

“Photographs, which cannot themselves explain anything, are inexhaustible invitations to deduction, speculation, and fantasy.”
― Susan Sontag, On Photography