Richard Misrach is one of the most influential photographers of his generation. In the 1970s, he helped pioneer the renaissance of color photography and large-scale presentation that are in widespread practice today. Best known for his ongoing series, Desert Cantos, a multi-faceted approach to the study of place and man’s complex relationship to it, he has worked in the landscape for over 40 years.
MisrachHis work
“I’ve come to believe that beauty can be a very powerful conveyor of difficult ideas.”
A recent chapter of the series, Border Cantos, made in collaboration with the experimental composer Guillermo Galindo, explores the unseen realities of the US-Mexico borderlands. This work was exhibited at the museums such as the Amon Carter Museum of Art. In the most recent chapters, Premonitions and The Writing on the Wall, Misrach documents graffiti on abandoned buildings throughout the Southwest and Southern California, finding an angry and ominous response to the political climate before and after the 2016 election. Both series premiered at Fraenkel Gallery.
Having hoped that Telegraph 3 AM would help improve life on the streets, Misrach was frustrated by the book’s minimal impact and retreated to the deserts of Southern California, Arizona, and Baja California, where he took photographs devoid of human figures entirely. Working at night with a strobe that illuminated the landscape around him, he experimented with unusual printing techniques in the university darkroom and created richly hued, split-toned silver prints. A resulting 1979 book was published without a title or a single word of accompanying text besides nominal identifying information on the book’s spine.
“To me, the work I do is a means of interpreting unsettling truths, of bearing witness, and of sounding an alarm.”
Favourite Image
Misrach’s book Desert Cantos received the 1988 Infinity Award from the International Center for Photography, and his Bravo 20: The Bombing of the American West, co-authored with Myriam Weisang Misrach, was awarded the 1991 PEN Center West Award for a nonfiction book. His Katrina monograph Destroy This Memory won Best Photobook of the Year 2011 at Photo Espana. He has received four National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, a Guggenheim Fellowship, an International Center of Photography Infinity Award for a Publication.
Petrochemical America
Petrochemical America represents a unique collaboration between photographer Richard Misrach and landscape architect Kate Orff. Presented in two parts, the first features Misrach’s photographs of the Mississippi River industrial corridor, stretching from Baton Rouge to New Orleans—one of America’s most industrialized places, and a region that first garnered public attention as “Cancer Alley” because of the unusual occurrences of cancer in the area.
The second part of the book integrates these photographs into a series of visual narratives created by Kate Orff and her office, SCAPE, and unpacks the complex cultural, physical, and economic issues of the region. A Glossary of Terms and Solutions for a Post–Petrochemical Culture brings together case studies, tools, and practices that offer models for change.
Link to my project: my favourite part of this project is the types of images that Misrach takes, some are from very far away and others are location very close to what he would like to photograph. I think that this is what I would like to recreate when taking my own images, as locations such as La Collete provide good opportunities to take images such as these. For example, an image could be taken with a very large lens of the incinerator, and then close up images could be taken of inside this building, as high-quality images could illustrate all of the intricate wires and cables.
Exxon Refinery, from State Capitol Building, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 1998
This image is of my favourites from Richard Misrach’s ‘Petrochemical America’ collection. I think that this image is one that is very eye-catching and identifiable. The composition of this image along with the wide depth of field means that lots of the Louisiana’s landscape can be illustrated in this image alone. The tone of this image being a warmer may be an indication that Misrach feels strongly about the county, this is supported by the fact that so much of his work is focused in this location. Being one of the most populated and photographed places in America, this is important as Misrach having many images from this location means that he has many examples of Anthropocene, and this image being a great visual example of this work.
The Bailiwick of Jersey is a British Crown dependency, which means that it is not part of the UK but is rather a self-governing possession of the British Crown. However, the UK Government is constitutionally responsible for its defence and international representation.
There are three island territories within the British Isles that are known as Crown Dependencies; these are the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey which make up Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man. The Crown Dependencies are not part of the United Kingdom, but are self-governing possessions of the British Crown.
How did Jersey become self-governing?
In 1204 King John lost the Battle of Rouen against the French King Philippe-Auguste. The defeat signalled the loss of continental Normandy, united with the English Crown since the invasion of England by William the Conqueror in 1066. The Channel Islands, part of the Duchy of Normandy for more than a hundred years at that point, might have been expected to align themselves with the French King in 1204 but they were persuaded by a combination of carrot and stick to side with King John instead.
Among the privileges which the King granted Islanders was the right to be governed by their own laws and he instructed them to select their 12 best men as Jurats who, sitting with the Bailiff, became the Island’s Royal Court. A warden, later to become governor, was appointed by the King to organise the defence of the Island.
Jersey’s Constitution
The constitutional position which Jersey enjoys today is founded on these links with the English Crown confirmed in Royal Charters by subsequent monarchs. Over a period of time, the Royal Court began to consult with the people through the Constables (or Connétables) of the parishes and with the church through the rectors. This consultation with the 3 estates of court, people and church was eventually formalised into what we now know as the States of Jersey. Significant constitutional changes in 1856 and 1948 saw the introduction of Deputies and Senators into the States and the removal of the Jurats and the rectors. However, the 12 Jurats remain the lay members of the Royal Court and are today chosen by an electoral college comprising members of the court and the States.
The Crown Dependencies have never been colonies of the UK. Nor are they Overseas Territories, like Gibraltar, which have a different relationship with the UK. The constitutional relationship of the Islands with the UK is maintained through the Crown and is not enshrined in a formal constitutional document.
The difference between crown dependencies and overseas territories is that, British Crown Dependency means that you are self-governing but the British Crown maintains its possession of you. On the other hand, British Overseas Territory means that you are a British colony that continues to have a constitutional link with the United Kingdom.
The sovereignty of the crown dependencies and the British overseas territories in the Brexit era
Stephen Shore is an American photographer who tends to photograph a variety of places, objects [and occasionally people], his most well known work being his books ‘American Surfaces’ and ‘Uncommon places’, both of which he photographed whilst on road trips in the 1970’s. He’s often referred to as ‘one of the most remarkable photographers of this generation’ due to his techniques and use of colour which were not popular at first but gained popularity over time.
3 Quotes from an interview:
“One of the key indicators of success is ambition. With some students, I know they have more talent than they think they have, but they have little ambition”
“A less mediated experience; it’s still about making a photo that is less the product of visual and artistic convention”
“If you were an actor, you’d have to learn how to walk with a conscious mind. You’d have to walk consciously across a stage – being observed while trying to look natural… There is an essential difference between that actor looking natural and the stagehand who walks naturally onto the stage after the performance… And I’m convinced there’s something equivalent to this in photography.”
I agree with Shore’s ideas about photography, particularly with his point about ambition as I believe someone can have talent in an area but if they don’t try to do better, they will not improve and will overtaken by those who are motivated to do their best. This also links with his point about consciously photographing as improvement only comes when a person actively chooses to do better – an individual has to consciously choose what they want to photograph and what they want that image to become if they want their images to look great rather than just photographing for the sake of doing so.
However, I’m not sure if I agree with Shore’s ideas about having photography be a less mediated experience as I think it’s up to the individual photographer to decide. On one hand, photography is not always about conveying a message or feeling as it can be as simple as appreciating a view or moment and wanting to revisit it later through the capture, yet, some images work a lot better with a meaning attached to it, making it feel more sentimental and real to the viewer/photographer themselves.
Image analysis:
Shore has consciously made multiple decisions in order to create this image from opening both car doors, blocking off the lady in the image to having the lady’s head turned away from the camera instead of asking her to pose with the car [which would of made more of a commercial image]. I think he chose to do this to represent how every individual has their own corner of the world that most people won’t see. This idea is amplified as the lady is the main focal point of the image despite being turned away from the camera. The image looks quite natural/relaxed, despite how it was most likely posed, as seen from the lady’s position.
A Crown Dependency means being apart of the British Isles which is made up of the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey and the Isle of Man but having their own forms of government and laws, meaning that they are not represented in the UK Parliament. Within the Bailiwick of Guernsey, it is compromised of the islands of Alderney, Sark and Herm which are islands apart of the Channel Islands. Although, there are parts such as defence and foreign affairs which the UK Government is responsible for and the monarchy’s relationship with the Crown Dependencies is reflected by the titles the monarchy holds within them, as well as being represented by the Lieutenant Governor who relays communication between the Sovereign and Channel Islands governments. The crown acts through the Privy Council when fulfilling responsibilities to the Islands as the Secretary of State for Justice and the Lord Chancellor is the Privy Counsellor, who is responsible for the ministry of affairs in the Channel Islands.
Jersey flag
Guernsey flag
Isle of Man flag
Jersey’s history as a crown dependency –
The Channel Islands began as a part of the Duchy of Normandy in 1066 through Duke Williams conquest of England and by 1106, Williams youngest son Henry I seized the Duchy of Normandy from his brother and since then the British Sovereign has held the title of Duke of Normandy towards the Channel Islands, representing their relationship. Although, by 1205 England has lost most of its French islands, including Normandy, the Channel Islands remained as a self-governing island of the English Crown which is still continued today. The Royal Courts creation was granted by the King where islanders selected their 12 best men to become Jurats, who sit with the Bailiff, to govern the Island and later on a Warden was shortly appointed, who became known as the Lieutenant Governor, who is responsible to organise the defence of the island by the monarchy.
What are ‘Binary opposites’?
‘The theory of Binaries’ is a term which is used to define binary opposites, where ‘One of the two terms governs the other’, which was developed by a French philosopher called Jacques Derrida and then further shown by a French anthropologist and ethnologist, Claude Levi-Strauss. Binary opposites can be seen as good or bad, and this theory was further be defined by Antonyms, the opposite meaning of a word, and Synonyms, showing that a word means the same or nearly the same thing as another.
Examples of binary opposites:
Inwards vs outward
Negative vs positive
Closure vs openness
Isolation vs connectedness
Autonomy vs dependence
Claude Levi-Strauss – Developed the theory of structuralism and structural anthropology, his theory on binary opposites discusses how narratives (in a story to crate conflict, becoming the central climax) can be split into two opposites, such as man and woman or rich and poor which he further discusses here.
Claude Levi-Strauss
Least successful shots –
At the beginning of this photoshoot, I was experimenting with different settings to photograph during the night as the photos could be too dark or too exposed due to the amount of light being let into the camera. In the top 2 photos, they are shown to appear really dark in exposure, this is due to the Aperture being too low then in the photos below it is too high. I found that using F11 or F16 was better, depending on the amount of natural light from lights around as well. In the bottom 2 photos, I began by experimenting with the ISO and the ISO which I used was at 200 for most of my photos. This is because it made them appear crisp and colourful whereas if I used 100 ISO instead, it would make them appear grainy which doesn’t capture the intensity and vibrancy of the colours.
Contact sheets of most successful shots –
These were the images which I went through on Adobe Lightroom and chose as my best shots by using (P) then for the photos which I thought weren’t that successful I used (X) which would reject them. I chose a variety of photos for my best shots as I thought that they were successful in showing the different experimentations of light, whether it be darker or lighter due to the light sources which were near. I chose a variety f photos which I thought fit the ‘binary opposites’ term of ‘Isolation vs connectedness’ as I visited 2 different locations where I thought that this term could be answered. This was down in the harbour, which is a vital link of travelling in and out of Jersey, and in town, where the streets are small and everything is close together with people who are going about their own plans. I chose to do this photoshoot at night because I thought that having a darker atmosphere in the photos which is illuminated by the street lights, shop lights, etc would create a gloomier feel to the photo, linking to that feeling of isolation and then the illumination by light sources shows how even though the Island may be small, there is always light and connectedness around, which connects us together and to the wider world.
Colour sorting –
To further decide on what photos I wanted to chose as my 4 best shots which I could develop through editing on Adobe Lightroom, I went through a process of sorting them into different colours which would make it easier to organise them from photos which had further potential to ones which I didn’t want to use. This began by deciding what photos I thought were red, which were ones I didn’t want to use as they could be slightly blurry, too bright/dark or repeated photos , then the next colour was yellow, these were photos which I thought could be used but they could be a little bit wonky in the way which I took them or I just didn’t think were that good to use to represent binary opposites, then the last colour was green, these were the photos which I thought were the most successful in showing the binary opposites of ‘Isolation vs connectedness’ by what has been photographed in the photos or the use of the light.
Selecting 4 best shots –
I chose this to represent how isolated Jersey can feel due tot he sign bring on a public bench then saying how there is ‘No pedestrian access’, creating a contrast and mixed message.
I chose this photo as it shows the desertedness of the streets/places in town which are usually busy and bustling with life.
I chose this photo because I liked the reflection of the lights on the ground and the buildings, due to the rain on the ground, as there is a mixture of warm and cold tones which have been created. It can represent the isolation we can feel in the small streets of Jersey.
I chose this photo because I liked the way that the name ‘Elizabeth Harbour Terminal’ has been illuminated by the lights underneath as it catches your attention, showing the connectedness to the rest of the world.
Basic editing experiments –
Editing #1 –
I really liked the way the editing turned out on this photo because I knew that I wanted to focus on the warmer tones which were already present in the photo to begin with, and bring them to life. I also repositioned the photo slightly so that it was more centred and focussed on cropping it so that the main subject of the photo, the contrast between the public bench and ‘No pedestrian access’ sign, as it creates a message of why that sign is there and how it ended up there.
I didn’t like turning this photo into black and white in Lightroom because I think that it takes away the warmer hues and tones of the initial photograph which have been created by the natural light. This is because I think that it drains the life out of the photo and doesn’t give the photo the effect of it a sign that says ‘No pedestrian access’ being placed on a public bench, showing the contrast between isolation and connectedness, as it is also in a harbour which is used as a way to travel out of the island.
Editing #2 –
For this edit, I began by bringing up the white/colder tones because I wanted to use them to illuminate the ‘Elizabeth Harbour Terminal’ writng which is seen above the lights, this is due to the fact that I think that this would show that this is one of the ways where Jersey is connected to the rest of world, showing one of the binary opposites of connectedness. To amplify this message I also cropped the photo so that the writing was the main subject that is being illuminated in the photo, I really like the way that this edit has turned out.
I also experimented turning this edit into black and white on Lightroom, I was unsure of the outcome. This is because I thought that the lights from the building below the name of the harbour would overexpose the image due to their being too much light, but this didn’t happen. I was surprised by the outcome of this edit because I like the contrast between the darker and lighter tones as it creates a gloomy atmosphere which links into the binary opposite of connectedness but shows how even though we can leave the island it is harder too as it costs a lot more money than if you lived somewhere else.
Editing #3 –
I preferred using the black and white filter for this photo ss I decided to experiment with it in Adobe Lightroom. Therefore, I really liked how this edit turned out because the dark tones which have been created as I adjusted the exposure and shadows created parts of the photo that look gloomy and dark, which I really like as they are still distinct. Therefore this creates the effect of the life being drained from the photo because it is taken in the evening, when it isn’t normally busy.
For this edit, I experimented with moving away from creating a warmer atmosphere in the photos with yellow tones, which are created through the use of the light. Instead, I decided to try and create some colder tones where the lights are darker though editing the highlights and shadows as well as using the existing light in the photo and editing the whites, temperature and tint off the photo which makes it appear colder in colour as their isn’t much warm tones in the photo which are being brought in. I also like how the image is looking down through a part of town, in liberty wharf, which is usually full of life where in this photo it isn’t busy yet the lights create a sense of life still within the photo.
Editing #4 –
For this edit, I knew that there was a warm atmosphere already created due to the use of the streetlights already throughout town and I wanted to bring this to life and I did this through using the whites and temperature of the photo which made the brighter effect of the lights shine through and then to calm this, I used the temperature and moved it towards the warmer side of the scale a little bit as it neutralises the brightness of the lights. I also like how there is a contrast between the purple/blue lights on the building which create a colder atmosphere for the photo, and the warmer tones which are being brought to life through the use of the pavement which is wet due to the rain as it makes it appear shiny and the light bounces off of it.
For this edit, which I turned into black and white within Adobe Lightroom, I didn’t like the outcome of this edit. This is because I feel as if the lights, which create a source of light in the photos, are too overexposed and do9nt work well within the photo. I also don’t like how the darkness of the sky loses the lights which are hanging above, get lost within the photo because I think that they are a good way to add dimension to the photo because they are a different texture. I also think that the floor, which is wet due to the rain, doesn’t have the same effect as the previous photo where it creates a reflection of the light from the building of the purple/blue light on the left of the photograph, instead it just gets lost within it.
Digalakis’ work leans to a surreal side of landscape photography, with his images using striking subject matter made more intense by his use of a black and white colour palette. A lot of his work involves water, be it from the seas, lakes, streams, or otherwise, that he makes smooth and almost dream-like by his use of a slow shutter speed to capture the movement of the waters over a longer period of time, giving it a misty, unnatural, yet calming aesthetic. A similar effect is achieved in some of the skies in his images as well, sometime making the waters and the skies seem eerily similar. Some of his images involving water has a subject that emerges from it, such as a rock or tree, which puts an emphasis on the subject not only due to the contrast it creates (with the water usually being a white and the subject being black), but also to perhaps put focus on nature as a whole. In addition to this, some of his photographs include animals, such as birds, to give life to this otherwise desolate landscape he creates.
Distant Mountains – Birds of Paradise – 2019
As stated earlier, in some of his images Digakalis uses a slow shutter speed to let in more light over a longer period of time, the effect of this is to make the skies and waters more smooth and unnatural. Because of this, and due to how he seems to take his images during the day time (some on overcast days, some on clear days), he would likely increase his camera’s aperture and use a tripod to make sure the image does not look blurry or too light. For my own personal study, I think it will be interesting to attempt to recreate his style on a Jersey coastline.
Moodboard of his work
Image Analysis
This is one of Digalakis’ images that makes use of a long shutter speed to make the water and sky softer, giving the image a surreal, yet calming aesthetic. However, not only the water and sky has been affected in this image, but the boats as well. Due to the shutter speed being slower, the movements of the boats has made them look blurry, furthering the surrealism in the image. I like the effect this creates as it seems to blend the boats to the water, meaning the image itself has little contrast outside of tone. This image may have been taken on an overcast day, which gives the sky a darker tone than the sea, effectively framing the scene and giving the image a more intense feel. With regards to Digalakis’ work, Hussein Najem says, ‘he reinforced the works, a smooth silky introduction, that came due to the long exposure, giving the recipient calm, serenity, and reassurance’, suggesting that it is Digalakis’ use of a slow shutter speed that gives his images a serene tone.
The blurred boats could represent a sense of time and movement at a surface level, however it may also represent unfamiliarity, a loss of identity or, in the boat’s case, purpose. As for the capturing of time, Digalakis explains that this effect moves the images ‘away from reality, introducing the sense of passing time and eliminating details from the background’.
For my personal study I would like to explore the relationship (similarities and differences) between nature and the man-made, which will likely have a greater focus on nature (natural landscapes, trees, objects, etc…) with mad-made elements (such as objects, buildings, infrastructure, etc…). I would also like to explore landscapes (and maybe some still-life) from the genre of surrealism and abstract photography, which will blend the ideas of nature and man-made together to create something otherworldly. I chose these genres as they are the genres that I enjoy photographing the most, which will then make the project more enjoyable and will produce stronger final pieces.
Why it matters to you?
I think that, like many others, climate change and man’s affects on nature has become a concerning issue that needs to be at least attempted to be helped. By photographing nature and perhaps some parts of human existence (cities/towns/etc…), I hope to learn more about, and connect myself to, nature and mans effects on the earth. By using surrealism, the themes will be combined to show the affects of mankind on nature, showing something unfamiliar, showing how the modern world has affected humanity’s view on nature itself and highlighting the damage already one.
How you wish to develop your project?
I want to develop my project into a statement about the affects people have on nature and using an abstract/surreal aesthetic to represent these, turning it into something perhaps beautiful, while simultaneously being disturbing in the sense of being otherworldly.
When and where you intend to begin your study?
I will start by searching for photographers who specialise in surreal landscape photographs to give me ideas and inspiration for what kind of photographs I will take, how, and to what effect. I will likely choose to photograph an area close to nature for my first photoshoot, such as woods or coastlines, both of which will provide a very different landscape.
Moodboard of Early Ideas
I like these images as the use of a slow shutter speed gives the water an almost ‘misty’ look instead of what would usually be seen, giving it a very surreal/otherworldly feel. I will probably not try to make images exactly like this as these seem to be more ‘artistic’ than contemporary.
This is a simple effect that I can create on photoshop which gives the image an odd effect, especially when the image includes a sky, as it gives it a literal otherworldly look. I will likely not do something like this but it is something to think about.
I like how this image uses an artificial light as it gives an otherwise cold setting (a snowy forest) a warm tone, giving a nice contrast which would be nice to explore under this scope.
I think the way this image uses the water’s reflection to mirror the landscape above it, while also having the leaves floating in the water in the shot gives the image a unique look which would be interesting to recreate in this project.
I think the way the photographer has manipulated the colour in this landscape is something I could take inspiration from, as it gives the image an otherworldly look
Final Piece Ideas (Photographers)
These are some photographers I have found which I could use as inspiration for my final pieces at the end of this project:
For my first contextual study for my personal study project, I had a look at an interview between Rut Blees Luxemburg and David Campany from his book So present, so invisible. I read through the interview and selected key quotes that I thought were interesting and chose one of Luxemburg’s photographs and analysed it. I used the quotes from the interview to look deeper into the context and concept of the image.
Quotes selected from Luxemburg’s interview with David Campany:
This image’s colour palette is limited to yellows, oranges and greens, giving it an urban and surreal aesthetic. The image also makes use of a strong contrast between the dark blacks and browns and the brighter yellows and oranges, further amplifying the themes of the surreal and urban in a beautiful yet simultaneously disturbing. These tones and colours are due to how Luxemburg used a very low shutter speed in the evening/night, with a tripod. The lines and shapes in this image are mainly very straight, regular and vivid, further removing the subject from nature and giving it a somewhat fixed, almost surreal aesthetic.
For context as to why Luxemburg creates her images this way, she explains that ‘the camera allows what is called a transformation. Something other than what you can see during your mundane, everyday experience of the city can emerge.’ Her use of a long shutter ‘transforms’ the image, making what would be otherwise be a much darker, less detailed image, a detailed, vivid and almost surreal feel. This seems to also transform the city shown into something completely different to what the inhabitants would typically see in their day to day lives, into something unknown or unfamiliar. I think Luxemburg does this to not only give her images an artistic flair, it could also be use to show the artificiality of a city landscape.
Luxemburg describes walking around the city, the way she finds the places she photographs, to ‘induce a certain state of mind. It’s not dreamlike, but it is almost meditative’, solidifying the idea that what she photographs is very much real and could be realistically considered both beautiful and perhaps dangerous, while the use of a long shutter speed does affect the emotions differently to what would be seen without it. The idea of walking also gives a sense of danger and wonder, perhaps suggesting the dangers of living in a large city and how that affects its inhabitant’s lives.
‘It’s not so much a fascination with photography, but a fascination with the possibilities of the large format camera and the long exposure which allows me to let chance enter the work.’. This idea of chance may very well link with how Luxemburg’s images give off a surreal aesthetic, by letting the camera and city decide how the picture will look, instead of the artist. The control Luxemburg has over her images is much smaller in comparison to a still-life/object image in a studio, seemingly creating conflict between the idea of the subject matter being controlled, while the artist capturing this is not in control of that image. To me, this is a lot of the reason as to why Luxemburg’s images look the way they do, and I think that she knew this very well when taking her images.
