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Claude Cahun

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During the 5 year occupation of Jersey by the Germans during the second World War, amongst many terrible things that happened, many antagonists where deported to camps or imprisoned. 75 years ago the island was liberated by allied forces. The last antagonist prisoners to walk free days before the liberation were the Les mesdames who are regarded as local heroes for contributing to the liberation of Jersey.

Lucy Schwob better known by their pseudonym, Claude Cahun was the better known half of the Les mesdames, which was the name that Jersey islanders gave her and her step-sister/lover Suzanne Malherbe (known by her pseudonym Marcel Moore).

Claude came to Jersey from Paris with Marcel in 1937. The couple sought Jersey out for two reasons; because of the jubilant memories of childhood holidays to the neighbouring island, and it was a familiar place to escape the abhorrent fascism and antisemitism that was terrorizing Europe in the ’30s as Claud was Jewish on her fathers side. 

Cahun was a French surrealist photographer, writer, and sculptor. A consistent element present in her work is her unconventional exploration and representation of the concept of Identity. Claud explored her identity in a way where she challenged preconceived notions of sexuality and gender of the time. Claude presented this in her works where she would photograph self portraits where stereotypical gender characteristics where aggravated, for example the following piece where she can be seen composing her appearance as a masculine “circus strongman” while still conveying typical feminine appearance stereotypes such as the bold lipstick:

Claud Cahun

Cahun believed that gender was exchangeable. Assuming different identities was her strong suit.

Claude Cahun

In the above image Claude represents the idea of multiple coexisting personalities by photographing a self portrait by creating a double exposure which is done by shooting an image on film and then shooting another with the subject repositioned on the same segment of film. She has used harsher fluorescent lighting in this image which has created a over-exposed, porcelain looking facial composure whilst accentuating the shadows around her jaw eyes, this could’ve been a way of exploring her identity by ridiculing the identity she was portraying by exaggerating the stereotypical feminine beauty aesthetic of the time being the over-powdered face and eccentric makeup. She also creates greater depth and form in the composition by separating the subject from the background by using a dark negative background and high contrast which opposes the light foreground giving the image an unconventional portraiture look.

Claude Cahun: Jersey’s queer, anti-Nazi freedom fighter

http://www.jeudepaume.org/index.php?page=article&idArt=1480

Controlled Conditions, Independent, Task

Identity and Place – Francesca Woodman Study

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Francesca Woodman

Francesca Woodman: House #3, Providence, Rhode Island, 1976.jpg
“House #3, Providence, Rhode Island” – Francesca Woodman (1976)

Francesca Woodman, Born in New York in 1958, was an American photographer famous for her monochrome photography of both herself and other female models. The main common feature in Woodman’s work is her use of movement captured by long exposure, creating a ghostly affect. Her videography has been featured in exhibitions around the world, like the Helsinki City Art Museum in Finland, the Tate Modern in London and the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation in Miami. Woodman continued her inspirational work that brought mental health issues to life until she died at the age of 22 in 1981.

Examples of Francesca Woodman’s work

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/francesca-woodman-10512/finding-francesca

“Space 2, Providence, Rhode Island” – Francesca Woodman (1976)
“Untitled, Providence, Rhode Island” – Francesca Woodman (from Polka Dots Series – 1976)
“Polka Dots, Providence, Rhode Island” – Francesca Woodman (1976)

Analysis of Francesca Woodman’s work

“Space 2, Providence, Rhode Island” – Francesca Woodman (1976)

This image, titled “Space 2, Providence, Rhode Island” depicts Woodman’s underlying sense of human fragility. This depiction of mental health struggle is exaggerated to prove that although through first glance a person may look okay, however their mental illness consumes their entire existence in many cases.

The moody and ominous lighting is provided by natural sunlight shining through the window in a downwards direction. Although the shadows casted are harsh and dark, the edges on the shadows are blurred and hazy, proving the lighting to be slightly soft. The darkest areas of the photograph can be seen in the shadows and the ghostly figure, these areas are juxtaposed against the brighter areas such as the light casted onto the walls through the window.

The straight, thick lining along the floor could be said to be seen as a leading line as it directs the viewers eyes to the mysterious figure towards the middle-left of the image from either side of the photograph.

Although there is no representation of repetition in this image, there is a strong sense of echo, displayed by the delayed movement of the model. This is due to the use of long-exposure by which the camera lens is open for a longer period of time in order to capture the late movement within the picture. The method of long exposure provides an eerie tone to the photograph.

There is a combination of both organic and geometric shapes within this image. Straight-edged shapes can be seen in the lining of the floor and the triangular-shaped shadow in the bottom-right hand corner of the photograph. On the other hand, organic and curved shapes can be seen in the indistinct figure just off the centre of the image, as her back is curved.

It is difficult to work out the depth of field within this photograph as the majority of the background is empty, negative space. This means that there is little comparison in focus between the foreground and background. However I believe there is a narrow depth of field as the edges of the image are slightly blurred.

There is little representation of texture shown in this image as that is not the main focus of Francesca Woodman’s work, although if I had to comment on texture I would say it is smooth as there is no rough or jagged edges seen in the image.

There is a range of tones from dark to light in this image which creates an uneasy atmosphere for the viewer. the darkest tones can be seen in the shadows and in the model crouching in the left thirds of the image. The lighter tones can be seen in around the window, as the natural sunlight beams in and highlights a small section of the photograph. This image tends towards darkness as the majority of the image is in darkness.

There is no colour in this image because of Francesca Woodman’s common theme of greyscale aesthetic within her series of images. The lack of colour brings to light a visual representation of how many people view mental illness as seeing life ‘without colour’. I believe that if this image was taken in colour it would take away the sense of mystery and doomy ambience of the photograph.

The composition of the image is very simple, as the background is very empty and there is a singular focal point in the photograph. I would say this image is unbalanced as the camera is set at a leaning angle rather than central and the focal point is not dead-centre in the photo. There is no influence of geometric-shaped positioning which makes the image harder to comprehend and understand and the rule of thirds is not used either.

Francesca Woodman inspired photoshoot moodboard

Controlled Conditions, Independent, Reading, Task

CC – Claude Cahun – Identity

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Claude Cahun - Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions

Who is Claude Cahun?

Claude Cahun was born Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob on 25th October 1894, was a French lesbian photographer, sculptor and writer. Who died on the 8th December 1954.

Schwob adopted the name Claude Cahun in 1917 and is best known for self-portraits, in which Cahun assumed a variety of characteristics.

Cahun’s work was both political and personal, she explained, “Masculine? Feminine? It depends on the situation. Neuter is the only gender that always suits me.”

My opinion

She has a unique style, which is extremely experimental, and shows gender identity. I like how it is unusual and different, making her photos question her self-identity and give an illusion of questionable choices.

Personally I like how she has merged images together and also objects before taking the photo. I would like to try and include this idea in my photography, where I merge faces together.

Controlled Conditions, Independent, Task

Identity and Place – Claude Cahun/Julian Germain Case Study

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Claude Cahun

Claude Cahun (1894-1954) was a French surrealist photographer known for her highly staged self-portraits exploring gender and identity. Cahun experimented with photographing herself in clothing that was not conventionally feminine or masculine, she was born ‘Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob’ and in 1919 chose the pseudonym Claude Cahun as it was more sexually ambiguous. In 1937 Cahun settled in Jersey, disguised as a non-Jew, and during WW2, being passionately against war, produced anti-German fliers and placed them in soldier’s pockets secretly. It is clear that Cahun’s beliefs undermined the authority and society at the time as she went out of her way to disrupt ‘normality’ in her images. Additionally, Cahun’s androgynous appearance reflects her views on how identity and gender are just ideas formed by society, not set rules everyone needs to follow. Many of Cahun’s works can be found in The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, along with many others.

Julian Germain

Julian Germain is a British photographer who studied photography at The Royal College of Art in London. Germain’s project ‘for every minute you are angry you lose 60 seconds of happiness’ is a series of photographs made over 8 years of the quiet, contemplative existence of Charles Snelling, an elderly man living alone in a small house in Portsmouth, shown alongside pages from Snelling’s own photo albums. Germain met Snelling in 1992, he describes how his subject lived in a very unique house full of colours like orange and yellow- it was unlike anything he’d seen before. I really love this particular project of Germain’s because of it’s beautiful message depicting how the most important things in life cost nothing at all, he wanted to show people with a profound understanding of who they are and what they stand for, something that cuts across all cultures. I believe this holds a strong link to ‘identity’ as Germain captures the individuality of his subject in an environment important to him. This project really stood out to me when deciding on initial ideas because of it’s close link to family also, I hope to take images of a similar standard in my study.

Julian Germain | For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness | 2005

Image Comparison

Although Cahun and Germain’s style of photography does not focus on the same concept of identity, these 2 images hold many visual and technical similarities. For example, the composition of each image is extremely similar as both subject’s are looking away from the camera with their bodies angled side-on to the lens. In Germain’s image, this may symbolise his subject’s bright view on the world, as if he is looking out of a window and seeing it’s beauty, furthered by his smiling facial expression. However, in Cahun’s image this composition creates a more closed-off atmosphere, suggesting Cahun has a more negative view on the world and on society. In addition, both images seem to have similar lighting coming from the right of the photo, which creates the main highlights on the front of the subject’s face. This lighting also produces similar shadows in the images, falling behind the subject’s neck and across the left side of their face. Nevertheless, it is clear that Cahun has used a more harsh artificial lighting and that Germain has made use of natural sunlight through a window to capture these images. This sharp lighting in Cahun’s image initiates a more intense dramatic atmosphere whereas Germain’s creates a soft cheerful mood. Another difference between these images are the photographer’s choice of background. Cahun is positioned in front of a dark blank background, possibly symbolising their views on how society’s minds are blank to new ideas and beliefs revolving gender and identity. Contrastingly, Germain’s subject is stood in front of a highly patterned background. The repetition in the wallpaper could suggest the subject has a large family, with the repeated shapes representing family members like a family tree. Furthermore, both of the image’s subjects have similar facial features. Cahun portrays themself with conventionally masculine attributes, such as short hair, in order to disrupt gender norms and go against what society expects. Germain’s masculine subject has a very similar hairline to Cahun, showing that certain facial features or hairstyles are not reserved for a certain gender.

Controlled Conditions, Independent, Task

Identity and Place – Carolle Benitah study

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In my opinion, identity is the definition of who you are. This can be shown through appearance, behaviour, hobbies and many other factors. Your identity is formed throughout your lifetime and can be affected by upbringing and the person’s specific influences

In photography, the use of colour, clothing and editing can be used in order to represent someone’s personality to the outside world. The setting of the photograph can also allow us to get to know the person’s identity deeper.

Carolle Benitah

“La vague” (The wave) – Carolle Benitah (2012)

Carolle Benitah, born in 1965, is a French visual artist who combines her old family photos with physical editing techniques such as embroidery to reform her own history. The images Benitah edits are from her past family albums, 40 or so years before she brought them back up to learn more about who she was and how she became that person. Carolle Benitah explains that she uses embroidery and other craft techniques in the editing of her images as those activities were seen as “feminine”, as women were expected to learn to embroider and sew in order to comply to the ‘perfect wide’ stereotype. Benitah previously worked in fashion for 10 years before returning to photography in 2001. Her work has been published in magazines such as Leica World, Lens Culture, Shots Magazine and many more. Carolle Benitah’s series ‘Photos-Souvenirs’ was also selected to exhibit in FotoFest’s 2014 Discoveries of the Meeting Place showcase of past Biennial portfolio reviews.

Analysis of Carolle Benitah’s work

Photos-Souvenirs - Photographs and text by Carolle Benitah | LensCulture
“Pomplondin” – Carolle Benitah (from series ‘Photos-Souvenirs’ published 2016)

This image, named “Pomplondin”, is gently lit using natural lighting. The sunlight may be slightly overcast as the image has a lot of grey, dark tones. The light is coming from behind the people in the photograph as the shadows are cast in front of them. The brightest part of the photograph is the white-washed water flowing in the background.

The thin, red lines embroidered onto the image outline the family in the middle third of the photograph, proving them to be the focal point of the image. The organic, curving lines of water can be seen as leading lines as they direct the viewers eyes from one side of the image to the other, with the placement of the family in the middle.

There is no strong sense of repetition in this photograph, however the ripples in the waves can be seen as a form of echo, as they create a rhythmic pattern.

All the shapes in the image are organic and unorganised. This creates a sense of realism to the photo as the features are not artificially placed and the image is taken more in the spur of the moment, although the family is posing for the photo, there is no precise set up to the image.

There is a strong sense of depth in this photograph as it displays a shallow depth of field. The family, being the focal point, are in focus which contradicts the blurry background. The background can be seen as a somewhat empty space, as there is little detail to objects in this area. The only objects filling this space is the occasional person swimming in the background.

The photograph displays a mainly smooth texture due to the reflections in the water and the smooth flow of the waves. However this is contrasted by the rugged rocks in the background of the image, as the sharp edges juxtapose the gentle waters.

There is a range of tones from dark to light in this image which contradict eachother. For example, the lightest tones in the photograph can be seen in the foamy waves or the clothes of the people, and the darkest areas of the image can be seen in the background and foreground in the rocks and shadows.

In the image itself, there is no use of colour. However this is juxtaposed by the thin, red lines put in place by Benitah to create contrast between colour and monochromatic themes.

There is little arrangement in this photograph as the family in the foreground of the photo are posing for the photographer, however it is not formally arranged for a purpose. The scene seems moderately balanced as the focal point is placed in the middle third with rather equal amounts of background either side. There is no geometrical shaped imposed in the image although the rule of thirds is used.

Examples of Carolle Benitah’s work

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/carolle-benitah-photos-souvenirs

oiseaux pendus / hanged birds, from the series Photos-Souvenirs © Carolle Benitah
“Oiseaux pendus” (Hanging birds) – Carolle Benitah (from series ‘Photos-Souvenirs’ published 2016)
les cafards / the cockroaches, from the series Photos-Souvenirs © Carolle Benitah
“Les cafards” (The cockroaches) – Carolle Benitah (from series ‘Photos-Souvenirs’ published 2016)
la chute / the fall, from the series Photos-Souvenirs © Carolle Benitah
“La chute” (The fall) – Carolle Benitah (from series ‘Photos-Souvenirs’ published 2016)

Carolle Benitah inspired photoshoot mindmap

Controlled Conditions, Independent, Task

Identity and place – Claude Cahun study

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Claude Cahun

Claude Cahun: The trans artist years ahead of her time - BBC Culture
A self-portrait by Claude Cahun (1928)

Claude Cahun was a French lesbian photographer born in 1894 in Nantes, France. Cahun’s birth name given to her was Renee Mathilde Schwob, however she changed her legal name to Claude Cahun in 1917. Cahun was most recognised for her activist work repelling gender norms. She moved to Jersey in 1937 with her partner, Marcel Moore (named at birth as Suzanne Malherbe). The couple became active as resistance workers and propagandists during the German occupation of Jersey and the other Channel Islands. Cahun and Moore would attend Germany military events and placed activist leaflets in the pockets of soldiers, on chairs and even hid them in cigarette boxes for soldiers to later discover. Cahun continued to take self portraits presenting herself in non-binary characteristics until her later life, although she did not want to be famous therefore didn’t gain recognition for her photography until she died in 1954, after se and Moore had been arrested and sentenced to death in 1944 due to their activist movements. However before their death sentence, Jersey was liberated in 1945, resulting in both of their releases although Cahun later died due to being poorly treated in prison. Claude Cahun’s writings were published in 2002, as she leaves behind her iconic legacy in the non-binary and LGBTQ community.

Analysis of Claude Cahun’s work

“I am in training, don’t kiss me” reads the enigmatic slogan on the artist’s jersey in this self-portrait (Credit: Jersey Heritage Collection)
“I am in training don’t kiss me” – Claude Cahun (1927)

The lighting in the image is rather soft, as it creates subtle shadows which can be seen in the face and especially under the eyes. However the juxtaposition between light and dark is still very intense. This is shown in the clothing, makeup and hair, and how they create an extreme contrast in tone against Cahun’s fair skin. The main source of light appears to be coming from behind the camera, as the face is lit quite evenly.

There is no distinct use of line in this photograph, as there is neither a repetition of line of use of leading lines, which makes the composition more complex.

Similar to the use of line, there is no representation of repetition in this image, presumably to focus on the activist message of the composition of the image.

The majority of the shapes in the image are organic and curved. The only representation of artificial shapes is the rounded weight in the hands of Cahun.

It is difficult to recognise the depth of field in this image as the background is made up of purely empty space, therefore making it difficult to compare the focal point’s focus with the background.

Although texture is not the main focus for this image, the overall texture of the image is rather smooth as the shapes in the photograph are organic and curved. There is no representation of rough or jagged edges.

There is a range of tones from dark to light in this image. The darkest sections of the photograph can be seen in the hair, clothing and makeup of Claude Cahun aswell as the background. The lightest areas are found in Cahun’s fair skin tone and the white images on the weights in Cahun’s arms. The image, overall, tends towards darkness as the entire background and elements of the foreground prioritise darker tones.

There is no colours featured in this photograph as the photo was taken in 1927, and colour photography was only made accessible in the late 1930’s. However I believe the vintage greyscale appearance of the photo adds a sense of intimidation and courage.

The composition of this photograph is very artificial and purposely set up. In the photograph, Cahun dresses as a ‘strong man’ from a circus, in order to create controversy over the stereotypical woman being weak or insignificant. This would have been a risky and revolutionary protest for both women and the LGBTQ community as these groups had been oppressed for centuries, yet Cahun celebrates her differences and sexuality.

Examples of Claude Cahun’s work

Claude Cahun, Je Tends Les Bas, 1931, Courtesy and copyright Jersey Heritage | East GalleryNUA
“I extend my arms” – Claude Cahun (1931)
“Untitled (Claude Cahun in Le Mystère d’Adam)” by Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore, 1929.
“Untitled” – Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore (1929)
“Que me veux-tu?” by Claude Cahun, 1928.
“Que me veux-tu?” – Claude Cahun (1928)
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Introduction to Identity

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Definition of Identity

“the distinguishing character or personality of an individual”.

How an individual views themselves.

How others view an individual.

Identity can affect people in many different ways and each persons identity can be resultant on their upbringing due to the Tabula Rasa theory which states that individuals are born as a “blank slate” and the people that raise you and the culture of the environment you grow up in mould your identity. People can relate their identity to many aspects of their life – gender identity /cultural identity /social identity /
geographical identity /political identity /lack of / loss of identity.

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Identity and Place – Claude Cahun comparrison

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Claude Cahun

Intro – ‘Claude Cahun, born Lucy Renee Mathilde Schwob, was a French lesbian photographer, sculptor and writer. Schwob adopted the pseudonym Claude Cahun in 1917 and is best known for self-portraits, in which Cahun assumed a variety of personae.’ – Wikipedia

Claude Cahun explored the idea of identity within lots of her portraits, such as gender/sexuality identity and self identity.

Here is one image that explores self identity and how Claude Cahun felt about her own identity.

This image by Claude Cahun is a double exposure portrait. (Double exposure – the repeated exposure of a photographic plate or film to light, often producing ghost images.) This would have been created by taking an original photograph, then taking another image using the same film that was just used to take the previous image. This creates the effect of the same person having multiple identities as the same subject appears twice in the image. The image is in black and white which creates a strong contrast between the lights and the shadows, adding depth to the image. The use of an un-detailed background also keeps the focus on the subject in the middle of the image.

Laura Williams

Intro – ‘My name is Laura and I’m a 24 year photographer and designer from a village in Suffolk, UK. I specialize in fine art portraits and natural, documentary style wedding photography.

I’m a storyteller. I use the art of photography to blur the lines between real life and fantasy to create unusual artworks and surreal worlds.’ – https://laurawilliamsphotography.co.uk/

Laura Williams also has a range of images portraying lack of/loss of identity. These images involve a mirror and a subject, and has been edited to symbolize the lack of the subjects identity –

This image by Laura Williams is of a girl holding a mirror sitting in a garden. This image has a shallow depth of field, created by having a wide aperture and focusing on the subject. Similarly to Claude Cahun. this draws attention to the subject in the centre of the image by having the edges out of focus and the centre sharp and in focus. The image has been edited in post to make the mirror being held to have a deeper meaning. Prior to taking the image with the subject in, an image was taken with the same framing but without the subject. This image was used to edit inside of the mirror, creating the effect that the mirror allows the viewer to see through the subject and all the way to the background. This links to the loss/lack of identity as it makes the subject seem as is shes not there. This contrasts to Claude Cahun’s meaning in the previous image becuase her image reflected the idea of having more than one identity, where as Laura Williams created the idea of not having an identity at all.

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Identity and place – Intro

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Identity – ‘the distinguishing character or personality of an individual : individuality : the relation established by psychological identification.’

Identity of a person or group can be influenced by their location, relationships with other, relations with themselves, things that are important to them, your environment or upbringing, gender identity, cultural identity, social identity, geographical identity, political identity, lack of or loss of identity

Lack of or loss of identity is what i am most interested in as i feel i can create photographs with deep meanings and metaphors to do with this type of identity.

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