“Self – portrait (shaved head, material draped across body) – Claude Cahun (1920)
“à la plage (at the beach)” – Carolle Benitah (2009)
Carolle Benitah and Claude Cahun share both differences and similarities in their works. The theme of identity is an iconic similarity between the two pieces of work, however these artists display them in different ways. Claude Cahun focuses on the idea of self-expression in terms of identity, whereas Carolle Benitah displays how her identity has been formed through childhood and the cultural tradition of embroidery.
Both pieces also have a vintage aesthetic to them, with the use of the monochrome tones and the grainy appearance of the images. Claude Cahun’s self-portrait was taken in 1920, and as the use of colour photography was not widely accessible, all of Cahun’s photos lack colour. On the other hand, although the original images used by Carolle Benitah are also monochromatic, she adds colour physically through sewing and embroidery.
In terms of the actual photography used, Claude Cahun often uses herself as the model in her images, meanwhile Carolle Benitah uses old family photos which display her relations as well as herself. Carolle Benitah’s work could be argued as whether or not they are photography or art as Benitah did not physically take the images herself. The depth of field in both images are difficult to determine as the background consists of empty, negative space.
Another difference between the two images is that Carolle Benitah’s images are often heavily edited, whether it is digitally or physically. This contrasts to Cahun’s work as there is a sense of rawness to them, as digital editing was impossible and there is no evidence of Cahun physically editing her images after printing. However there is an obvious, large time gap between the images being produced, so Carolle Benitah had the accessibility to digitally edit her photographs.
I am going to focus my work on telling a story in way in which I explore identity in terms of feeling a loss of identity by feeling like an outcast to society but finding identity by fitting into a sub culture.
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
“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.
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.
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.
“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.
Over the course of time, identity has come to mean several different things and people interpret the word in their own unique ways. A dictionary definition of the word will tell you identity is ‘the fact of being who or what a person or thing is,’ however identity is a word that holds many meanings. You may define identity as your culture, where you are from and how you’ve grown up- yet somebody else may have a completely opposite perception of the word such as identity meaning gender, personality or looks. Identity has been explored through photography for decades, it gives an understanding into people’s lives and beliefs by presenting them in their truth, or opposingly in how they want others to believe is true. Frequently, identity is changing and being influenced by our views on the world- some may say your identity is moulded by your surroundings and environment.
Identity Mood-board
Identity Mind-map
Initial Ideas
Personally, identity is influenced by countless things, but specifically upbringing and family. I like the idea of doing a project focusing on the identities and lives of my grandparents, as they have been extremely influential to me throughout my life and inspire me daily. I plan on documenting certain moments of their day and producing a sequence of images showing how their relationship is so important in their lives and mine. My concept is to demonstrate how family relationships and love can shape someone’s identity and how my grandparent’s past and upbringing has impacted my family today. To experiment with the ‘place’ aspect of this project I plan on experimenting with scenarios around my grandparent’s home as it is a place of safety and security for them, full of memories from over the years and things that bring them comfort. I want to show how identity is not only formed by our perception of our self- it is influenced by past memories of nostalgia and our changing passions in life.
Identity- the definition of identity is who you are, the way you think about yourself, the way you are viewed by the world and others. This may be presented by the characteristics that define you. An example of identity is a persons name.
Identity can be influenced by many different factors such as a place, belonging, gender identity or even loss of identity. For example if someone is from a certain place/country they might take photos of the place they grew up in to show what their surroundings were like which might have influenced their identity they have today.
the collection of his photographs are owned by the Jersiaise Society, many guards arranged on the island were willing to pay half a guinea to have their portrait taken by him . His specialty was business cards . He was popular with officers of the Royal Militia Island of Jersey, at the time it was very popular to take portraits, He made portraits of their wives and children, for older and richer officers. In these photos we can notice the fashion at that time: long hair, whiskers and beards … Indeed the appearance was very similar.
David Hockney was born July 9, 1937 in Bradford. He is a portrait painter, draughtsman, engraver, decorator, photographer and theorist of British art. These photos look like a collage. it looks like he takes a picture, cuts it into several pieces and then reconstructs it differently way like a puzzle.
Hockney commented that photography is all right if you don’t mind looking at the world from the perspective of a paralyzed Cyclops for a fraction of a second. Her harsh opinion, however, changed when in February 1982 a curator visiting her home in the Hollywood Hills forgot a Polaroid movie and Hockney began experimenting with it, trying to capture the three dimensions of the surrounding reality. What was born of these experiments are the most amazing composite photographs/photocollages (you call it) that you will see in a long time.
My photos
I took pictures that I used for another work (portraits with differents lights) I use my favourites pictures from this work. I wanted to create a very fashionable style for my photos. I was inspired by David Hockney.
Plan
Who: For this shoot I asked my mom to pose
Where: I took my pictures in a studio
Why: I needed different pictures for my montage
Here are the results:
pictures used for the first montage First montage
pictures used for the seconde montage seconde montage
