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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

Identity : Introduction and Ideas

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The character or personality of an individual/the relation established by psychological identification.

Identity is who you are, the way you think about yourself, the way others view you and the things that make you unique to others, characteristics that define you. It is also the beliefs, personality, looks and/or expressions that make a person.

There are multiple types of identity which are the following: cultural identity, professional identity, ethnic and national identity, religious identity, gender identity, disability identity and psychological identity. A psychological identity relates to self-image (a mental model of oneself), self-esteem, and individuality).

Alec Sloth + Raina Matar – https://troutmanart.weebly.com/identity.html

Diana Markosian – https://www.canon-europe.com/pro/stories/diana-markosian-magnum-best-advice/

Yoshikatsu fujii – https://www.lensculture.com/yoshikatsu-fujii

– https://www.lensculture.com/articles/yoshikatsu-fujii-red-string

Case study

Alec Soth

https://alecsoth.com/photography/

Alec Soth is an American photographer born and based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has published over twenty-five books. In 2008, Soth created Little Brown Mushroom, a multi-media enterprise focused on visual storytelling.

Alec’s debut, Sleeping by the Mississippi , was first published in 2004 and contained photos, of local people, places and things, taken along the Mississippi river during several road trips between 1999 and 2002.

His documentary images leave you wondering about the story behind them. Each photograph has an element of exploration and familiarity, studying middle America and the lives of people.

https://alecsoth.com/photography/projects/sleeping-by-the-mississippi

Photos from Sleeping by the Mississippi:

Brooklyn Museum
charles, vasa, MN, 2002
Alec Soth - Sleeping By The Mississippi - Jimmie's Apartment, Memphis, Tennessee, 2002
Jimmie’s Apartment, Mrmphis, TN, 2002
Alec Soth - Sleeping By The Mississippi - Reverend Cecil And Felicia, Saint Louis, Missouri, 2002
Reverend Cecil and Felica, St. Louis, MO, 2002
Alec Soth - Sleeping By The Mississippi - Fort Jefferson Memorial Cross, Wickliffe, Kentucky 2002
Fort Jefferson Memorial Cross, Wickliffe, KY, 2002
Alec Soth | Sleeping by the Mississippi
Johnny Cash’s Boyhood Home, Dyress, AK, 2002

Alec Sloth’s images based on the theme of identity incorporates the home town of people (place) to show that peoples identity can be defined through their culture and life. The images above have an aspect of the peoples jobs or hobbies which can also influence someone as a person. The images of the objects/locations indicate a more simple or hidden identity isolated from the people. For example the houses seem more intimate and more meaningful then the other images as they seem to tell a story of the past.

I would like to photograph places in jersey which relate to me or my family and have meaning. when taking the photos I want to take the concept of isolation and interpret it by having a single small focal point and an empty sky/background around it.

To make my final outcomes more personal to me I would like to take old pictures of places from my parents towns (England, Broxborne and France, Le Harve) to show parts of my family’s history and culture and try and do some sort of collage with the new photos I will take from where our home is, Jersey.

Claude Cahun

https://www.jerseyheritage.org/collection-items/claude-cahun

Claude Cahun, from Nantes and moved to Jersey, is a French writer and plastic artist-photographer. Her life is closely linked to that of another artist of Nantes origin, Suzanne Malherbe, her companion. She photographed in the period of surrealism.

Claude Cahun – Self Portraits

Rania Matar

https://www.raniamatar.com/

Rania Matar is a Lebanese/Palestinian/American documentary and portrait photographer. She photographs the daily lives of girls and women in the Middle East and in the United States, including Syrian refugees.

The book A Girl and Her Room (published 2012 and various shoots between 2009 and 2010) reveals the lives of girls from the U.S. and Lebanon. Set in the girls’ bedrooms these portraits offer an insider’s perspective of not just who these young women are, but the physical spaces that are extensions to their identities.

Photos from A Girl and Her Room:

a girl and her room — Cordella Magazine
Rania Matar: A Girl and her room
Solid Planet: A Girl and her Room - Rania Matar
a girl and her room — Cordella Magazine

Rania Matar’s series of photos from the Middle East and in the United States comparing the home lives and lifestyles of young women around the same age shows how the identity of people is reflected in their rooms. It also reflects the juxtaposition between location and how people are brought up/live differently.

I would like to take pictures of me in my room or with objects that relate to my identity, things to do with my hobbies or personality.

Yoshikatsu fujii

https://www.yoshikatsufujii.com/

Yoshikatsu Fujii, born and raised in Hiroshima City. He often looks at historical themes and memory in contemporary events.
Fujii’s project “Red String,” his hand-made limited edition photobook was highly inspired by his parents’ divorce.

https://www.lensculture.com/yoshikatsu-fujii?modal=project-51723

Photos from Red String:

Yoshikatsu fujii’s photos relate to objects or people that make us who we are and are part of our life. I like how the relationship between people is portrayed in the photos of people and how they are showing their everyday life and culture.

I would like to take photos similar to the ones with objects or places with a isolated mood but also showing that there is life in the photos. The photos with the people i would also like to take them similarly with different people to show that people act differently. I could also find old photos of me with people and compare them by creating a sort of collage.

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)
Controlled Conditions, Independent, Reading, Task

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.

Controlled Conditions, Independent, Task

Identity and Place – Introduction

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What is 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.