How is the ethereal experience of growing up conveyed through the photography of Sam Harris and Olivia Bee?

Growing up is often conveyed through media as whimsical and magical- whether it be through film, music or art- this portrayal of growing up is then often hit with harsh realities through adolescence and adulthood while media embraces the idea of staying connected to your childhood through nostalgia: Sam Harris creates emotionally rich documentary images which main purpose serve to capture memories of his two daughters growing up in rural India and Australia, intertwining the ethereal experience of childhood intertwining with nature (The Middle of Somewhere: Containing images from 2002-2006 -released 2015- of Harris himself, his wife and two daughters travelling in India and Australia), these images manage to apprehend the innocence and joy of childhood while also tackling seemingly brutal topics such as death and natural disaster. “‘The Middle of Somewhere” is from my ongoing visual family diary, which revolves around my two daughters growing up… My work is a celebration of childhood, family life, love and our simplistic lifestyle which intertwines with our environment. As I witness my daughters’ transformation—in what feels like the briefest of moments—I am compelled to preserve something of our time living together.”¹  Olivia Bee concentrates on capturing the oneiric and often ephemeral experience of adolescence, her photobook “Kids in Love” was created when Bee was merely 17, capturing moments as they happened and staging highly emotive, moving scenes with recurring themes of intimacy, exploration and naturally occurring beauty in everyday life- it is significantly hard to tell which images are staged and which are candid which adds to the beauty of Bee’s work. In Bee’s own words, she is “intrigued by the beauty of everyday life and how the beauty of memories (real or imagined) touches us.”² Containing images from between 2008 and 2013, Bee photographs her circle of friends while growing up in the natural, romantic landscape of Oregon USA. I plan to respond to these photographers by creating my own scrapbook-style photobook: aiming to capture childhood nostalgia, memories of now as a teenager and growing up enveloped in island nature- I will be doing this by focusing on natural landscapes and humans in natural landscapes including staged and documentary style images: focusing on a female perception of aesthetic, aiming to show the beauty of everyday life through a scrapbook and diary style photobook.  

Historically, the process of capturing memories through photographs was a very formal process- taking large inspiration from portraiture in paintings, to immortalise people through portrait photography during the Victorian ages, especially with the commercial process of carte-de-visit. This process was typically only accessible to wealthy families as photography was an expensive, complex process. It was not until photography became affordable and more accessible that scrapbook style and vernacular photography developed in response to 19th century studio portraiture showing grandly staged images. The aesthetics of snapshot developed within vernacular photography and became more popular in the general population- namely from the 1970s onwards where staged and candid images were mixed together due to the accessibility and nonchalance of photography at the time. It is this style that I am trying to capture with my photobook project. More inspirations for this project include various photography movements such as modernism- where photographers began to embrace social, political and aesthetic concerns from 1915 onwards: concentrating on the beauty of a subject instead of a harsh reality: experimenting with light, perspective, developing abstraction in a sub-context of surrealism. A renowned modernist photographer “André Kertész said, “I regard myself as an amateur today, and I hope that’s what I will stay until the end of my life. Because I’m forever a beginner who discovers the world again and again.” Kertész saw photography as a sort of visual diary that documented the way he felt about the world around him and insisted that emotion was the basis of all his work, rather than an artistic impulse.”³  Kertész created an image⁴ which inspired me to look into modernism as an inspiration for my photobook- this was further cemented by the quote from the article above where it was emphasized that emotion was the drive for his work. His images- much like many modernist photographers of the time- are a mixture of staged and documentary: capturing life as it happens in an abstract, unorthodox way, much like Sam Harris and Olivia Bee’s photography style.

As previously stated, Harris’ work was created purely to capture memories of his family- specifically his two young daughters growing up while they travelled around India and Australia. Harris’ images look pure, with a lack of editing and the natural lighting being taken advantage of to create interesting images which apprehend an almost naïve view of life which is drenched in bright blues, green and warm tones- creating an ethereal, seemingly other-worldly, nostalgic view. Similarly to modernist photography values images (such as the image below) are taken from an offbeat perspective- the two children framing the adults in the middle and the forest setting providing a backdrop. I find this image particularly alluring due to the blurriness- the imperfection- which adds to the feeling of time slipping away with the figures looking almost celestial but almost if they are fading away: however this image does look esoteric in the sense that it is a glimpse into a young family where Harris is trying to capture memories before they fade away (much like the figures). Furthermore on the composition of this image, the two children are framing the two adults- which is unusual as usually the parents would be protecting the children, while this composition gives a sense of the two adults letting their children be free- adding to Harris’ ethos of capturing memories as they happen showing the unpredictability of this travel and the children’s curiosity, the parents acting as a safe haven while the children explore. Harris himself is also in this image- an almost Christ-like figure in white raising his arms as if to welcome his children into a hug- this is also unorthodox as it brings up the conundrum of who is taking the image which furthermore asks if the image is staged or not. On the technical approaches of this image: the image looks amateurish, where a low shutter speed emphasises blurriness. Flash is also used, creating artificial lighting which highlights the colours in the image while a low aperture makes colours and scenery visible in what otherwise would be a very dark image as it was taken at night time/evening.

Priorly stated, Bee’s work is a mixture of staged and candid images however as contrary to Harris’ work, Bee takes pictures as seemingly an outsider looking in while Harris’ images are from an insider perspective. Bee’s photos- although they are of her friends and herself growing up in Oregon, USA- are very intimate and images like the one below⁶ are from the perspective of an outsider looking in to a relationship, while other images of Bee’s are more casual- documenting her friends actions and hobbies such as skateboarding. However the image below is staged, and although staged this image shows great emotive value- two young lovers intertwined in embrace, their body language only open to each other, fitting to the photobook name- “Kids in Love”- this image certainly depicts teenagers in love. This photo also represents uncertainty, a prevailing theme in a teenager’s life- curiosity and apprehension about the future- this can be shown massively through the water. Bodies of water are often unpredictable, humans have always had a fearful fascination about water with hundreds of fairy tales, myths and legends being revolved around wonders of the sea, whether it be shipwrecks or mermaids. A vignette around the corners of the image present an unease creeping in while the lovers embrace and find sanctuary in each other- the light concentrated on them giving an impression of hope in darkness. An important aspect of this image is also colour- the red streak in the girls hair shows rebellion while the contrast of the blue of the water shows serenity asking the question is the danger coming from teenage love, or from the unease of the future creeping in on them?

Bee and Harris both successfully create an identity for each subject- with images giving the viewer a sense of individualism for every subject- this is evident in Bee’s portraiture⁷ where direct eye contact with the camera makes the image feel personal and an intrusion on someone’s life yet exhibiting their nature- imploring you to judge by looks. Harris succeeds this by taking photographs for the sake of memories, capturing the raw natural emotions which a person is displaying. However even though both artists have similar aims and motivations for their images- they succeed them in different ways. Harris’ artistry being more truthful than Bee’s: with a lack of staged, highly controlled images and more a mixture of seemingly amateur “happy accidents” where blur, overexposure and unexpected angles create beautiful, resonant images. On the other hand, Bee’s work “Kids in Love” creates a rebellious aura around the subjects and establishes the real lifestyle behind adolescence existence- times of love, hatred, fear and the occasional cocky, overindulgent attitude- however in Bee’s work there is a sense of masking in the subject, where a subject is clearly letting the viewer judge by appearance but presenting an aura of complexity about them- letting the viewer know that this image is only peripheral through their facial expressions. Together, both artists display an ethereal idea of growing up- from childhood with Harris then adolescence with Bee. Attempting to respond to Bee and Harris’ work, I generated this image⁸, keeping to the main aesthetic of both photographers work: this image is edited very minimally, only the colours have been emphasised. This photograph is of some of my friends climbing up trees- the image is taken from the ground looking up. I feel as if this image encapsulates both photographers; the unusual perspective, the lack of editing, the imperfect of the blur, the fact that it was taken candidly- as just a snapshot in time to remember the night. Taken with flash at night and a high ISO and shutter speed- this image contains a lot of detail, down to each individual leaf which the light of the flash hits. The hectically abstract point of view along with almost an optical illusion concerning the tree structure where it appears to show people walking directly up the tree towards the sky creates a visually interesting image- although not similar to Bee and Harris’ usual subject matter and lacking subject interaction to the camera (backs turned away from the camera) this image does present Bee’s rebellion in essence, backs turned to the camera remaining in anonymity: teenage rebellion, as well as reflecting Harris’ idea of pure childlike curiosity: climbing trees towards the sky. I like this image because depending on how you look at it you can conjure up a meaning for it when in reality- much like Bee and Harris- the image purely captured memories, when growing up into an adult is right around the corner images like this show that you can still enjoy the experiences you did as a child- growing up is ethereal however childlike wonder and rebellion remains in us all.

Bibliography  

1. Sam Harris on The Middle of Somewhere: Lens Culture: https://www.lensculture.com/articles/sam-harris-the-middle-of-somewhere#slideshow: accessed 12/1/23). 

2. Olivia Bee interview on “Finding the right balance”: The Creative Independent https://thecreativeindependent.com/people/olivia-bee-on-finding-the-right-balance/: accessed 13/1/23 

3. The Poet of Modernism, André Kertész Retrospective: Aesthetic Magazine https://aestheticamagazine.com/the-poet-of-modernism-andre-kertesz-retrospective-the-hungarian-national-museum-budapest/: accessed 14/1/23 

4. Underwater Swimmer, Esztergom, Hungary; dated 1917; André Kertész

5. Sam Harris; untitled from the collection “The Middle of Somewhere”; year unknown

6. Olivia Bee; untitled from the collection “Kids in Love”; year unknown

7. Olivia Bee; untitled from the collection “Kids in Love”; year unknown

8. An image I am including in my photobook

REALISM / STRAIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Dating all the way back to the 1830’s with photographs from the Civil War, realism in the visual arts is defined as an accurate depiction of lifeforms. Images were unedited to give a direct viewpoint what was happening in that moment in time. Documentary, street and cultural photography later stemmed from realism where photographers capture community through an outsider vs. insider perspective.

Realism photography characteristics: Images depict a straight-on realistic representation of the world, in particular different cultures and communities.

Photographers like Paul Strand and Walker Evans essentially paved the way for straight photography capturing working class American citizens in a way that revolutionized photography and changed the way we view images today.

MODERNISM

Modern photography is a period in photography that marked the shift from traditional pictorialist photography to a more direct way of capturing photos, exploiting, and emphasizing the use of and nature of the camera instead of using it as a tool to capture images.

Modern photography characteristics: Images emphasized sharp focus and detail. These photographs were noted for their precision and geometric simplicity which were the result fo a focus on photography as a technical exercise and the photographer as a technician.

The most well-known discourse of photographic modernism now is the one initiated in the USA by Alfred Stieglitz. Developed around his New York based journal Camera Work between 1903 and 1917, this version is characterized by the “straight” photograph.

POST-MODERNISM

Postmodern photography began in the second half of the 20th century, and it encompasses a variety of themes. First and foremost, postmodernism builds on the themes and conceptual ideas that began during the modernist period. This type of photography also often features surrealism, expressionism or other similar themes

Post-modernism photography characteristics: Postmodern art questions the notion of authenticity and embraces ‘hybridity’, blurring the lines between high art and popular culture. Postmodern photographers are particularly interested in the selective, constructed nature of the photograph.

One of the defining features of Postmodern photography is the idea of the “banal”, and photographers such as Lee Friedlander, William Eggleston, Jeff Wall, and Andreas Gursky have all sought to re-examine “banal” (or “boring”) subject matter through their camera.

Academic Sources:

• Research and identify 3-5 literary sources from a variety of media such as books, journal/magazines, internet, Youtube/video .
• Begin to read essay, texts and interviews with your chosen artists as well as commentary from critics, historians and others.
• It’s important that you show evidence of reading and draw upon different pints of view – not only your own.
• Take notes when you’re reading…key words, concepts, passages
• Write down page number, author, year, title, publisher, place of publication so you can list source in a bibliography

Bibliography

List all the sources that you have identified above as literary sources. Where there are two or more works by one author in the same year distinguish them as 1988a, 1988b etc. Arrange literature in alphabetical order by author, or where no author is named, by the name of the museum or other organisation which produced the text. Apart from listing literature you must also list all other sources in alphabetical order e.g. websites/online sources, Youtube/ DVD/TV.

Quotation and Referencing:

Why should you reference?

• To add academic support for your work
• To support or disprove your argument
• To show evidence of reading
• To help readers locate your sources
• To show respect for other people’s work
• To avoid plagiarism
• To achieve higher marks

What should you reference?

• Anything that is based on a piece of information or idea that is not entirely your own.
• That includes, direct quotes, paraphrasing or summarising of an idea, theory or concept, definitions, images, tables, graphs, maps or anything else obtained from a source

How should you reference?

Use Harvard System of Referencing…see Powerpoint: harvard system of referencing for further details on how to use it.

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Bibliography

Examples of Referencing:

Bibliography:

Paiva, T. (2008), Night Vision: The Art of Urban Exploration. San Francisco: Chronicle Books LLC

Online Source:

Direct Quote:

In his recent book, Paiva writes about the ‘relentless drive of humans to both build and explore’. (Paiva 2008: 9)

Paraphrasing:

Paiva (2018) writes about the drive humans feel to build and explore.

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Abel-Hirsch, A. (2019), ‘ Blackwater River’ in British Journal of Photography. Issue 7890: 50-67

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Essay Plan

Essay Question:

Subject matter: Technology/Light/Aesthetics

In what way has Rut B-L and Robbie L made images at night that references an otherworldly effect?

In what way does Rut B-L and Robbie L use artificial light to create a surreal tone?

Opening quote

Introduction (250-500 words): 

What is your area of study? Surreal and abstract photography that displays nature as damaged/overrun/etc… within the genre of landscape/night/object/studio photography

Which artists will you be analysing and why? Robbie Lawrence as his ‘Blackwater River’ project has images that are akin to what I am aiming to produce (the theme of the project isn’t exactly the same but some of its roots are similar). Rut Blees-Luxemburg as I have interpreted her work as representing the relationship between humanity’s effect on nature.

How will you be responding to their work and essay question? I will aim to create my own work with motifs of theirs, while linking it with this project’s theme and essay question.

Pg 1 (500 words): 

Historical/ theoretical context within art, photography, visual and popular culture relevant to your area of study. Talk about Surrealism/Abstractionism Make links to art movements/ isms and some of the methods employed by critics and historians. Modernism 

Pg 2 (500 words): 

Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.

Pg 3 (500 words):

Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.

Conclusion (250-500 words):

Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced

Bibliography: List all relevant sources used

1. Research a photo-book and describe the story it is communicating  with reference to subject-matter, genre and approach to image-making.

Petrochemical America

Petrochemical America is a book created by Richard Misrach and Kate Orff and focuses on  in-depth analysis of the causes of decades of environmental abuse along the largest river system in North America. Even more critically, the project offers an extensively researched guidebook to the way in which the petrochemical industry has permeated every area of contemporary life. This focuses on the how the landscape has been altered because of the chemicals that are now used in American society have changed the appearance and health of their environment.

In 1998, the High Museum of Art in Atlanta asked Richard Misrach to produce work for their “Picturing the South” series. Misrach decided to focus on “Cancer Alley,” the Mississippi corridor that is a hundred and fifty miles between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, a decade later, the Museum asked Misrach to return to Cancer Alley to shoot, and then combined this new work with the original series for an exhibition and book called “Petrochemical America,” published by Aperture. In re-approaching the project, Misrach hoped to find avenues of environmental and structural change in this region and for the nation.

2. Who is the photographer? Why did he/she make it? (intentions/ reasons) Who is it for? (audience) How was it received? (any press, reviews, awards, legacy etc.)

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.

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.

3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design of the book and apply theory above when considering:

• Book in hand: how does it feel?
• Paper and ink: use of different paper/ textures/ colour or B&W or both.
• Format, size and orientation: portraiture/ landscape/ square/ A5, A4, A3 / number of pages.
• Binding, soft/hard cover. image wrap/dust jacket. saddle stitch/swiss binding/ Japanese stab-binding/ leperello
• Cover: linen/ card. graphic/ printed image. embossed/ debossed. letterpress/ silkscreen/hot-stamping.
• Title: literal or poetic / relevant or intriguing.
• Narrative: what is the story/ subject-matter. How is it told?
• Structure and architecture: how design/ repeating motifs/ or specific features develops a concept or construct a narrative.
• Design and layout: image size on pages/ single page, double-spread/ images/ grid, fold- outs/ inserts.
• Editing and sequencing: selection of images/ juxtaposition of photographs/ editing process.
• Images and text: are they linked? Introduction/ essay/ statement by artists or others.  Use of captions (if any.)

This book contains images of Cancer Valley, prints of oil patterns, ‘swamp and pipeline’ throughout Louisiana, a locational map of industrial land map along river road, Prairieville (Louisiana), Mississippi. There is also constructed images of landscape impacts of petrochemistry and land patterns of the industrial corridor over time which gives details regarding how much the landscape has changed.

The whole book is formatted in a landscape form, with the first section of the book having the location of the image on the left hand side of the page and then the full size colour image on the right hand side. The second part of the book is filled with images like the one above, not taken by Misrach but constructed as part of the book as it adds more purpose to his images, and gives a clearer indication of how much humans have changed the landscape.

The whole cover of the book is hardback with a printed image and contains in my opinion, one of the most successful of all of Richard Misrach’s images, this means that the cover is very eye-catching and draws in the viewer. Furthermore, the title of the book is pretty intriguing as it makes you want to explore what Misrach and Orff’s definition of ‘Petrochemical America’ is and whether this relates to a positive or negative event or theme. As the title is very explicit, it increases curiosity within the reader. The story is told in a very clever way, as the first part illustrates the beautiful and natural landscapes, and then afterwards many scientific like images and placed in, with lots of accurate information regarding chemicals population increases. Continuing, the book travels back to the natural landscape images, however, these images aren’t as aesthetic, this third section is also very much focused on cities and industrial life.

Despite the images above being filled with dark colours and tones, the majority of the pages in the first section are pretty blank, with only one sentence of just the title of the images written down, all of the text in the next sections are very relevant to the images shown, and all description’s are detailed but clear. I think its important to note that all of the sections are well organised, section one and two very much juxtapose each other, whilst section three is a very good mix of both, this is good as it makes you feel like the general consensus of the book is coming to an end, with everything being well finished off.

How do Jim Goldberg and Ryan McGinley explore the representation of youth culture through photography?

 ‘Damn girl, it’s only a story. It’s not real. And don’t worry, there is a happy ending. ‘ – Tweeky Dave, Raised by Wolves (Jim Goldberg)

The idea of youth culture is often romanticized through media, especially in the present day through unrealistic beauty standards and expectations that all adolescents should have a positive mindset because they’re ‘only young’. Through social media in particular, a negative stereotype is fed to teenagers that growing up is easy and undemanding, whereas in reality, it can at times be the opposite. In my personal study I plan to explore youth culture in a different light. This interests me as I feel the portrayal of adolescents in media is often unrealistic, blocking out the hedonistic and reckless side of teenage life which is deemed ‘taboo’ in the eyes of society. Therefore, I have chosen the theme of youth culture for my personal study to prove my point that it is a part of growing up and that although to some it may be considered an unacceptable stereotype, it sure is fun.

My chosen artists for my project are Jim Goldberg and Ryan McGinley, two photographers that showcase a side of youth culture that is lesser captured in photography. Jim Goldberg is an LA based artist, most well known for his photobook Raised by Wolves, a ten-year documentation into the lives of teenage drug addicts living on the streets of Hollywood. Through a collection of images paperwork and interviews, Goldberg weaves together a story that makes the reader feel connected with his subjects. When asked about his intention behind the photobook, Goldberg simply said ‘“I had done the Rich, and I had done the Poor, and I had done the Old with Nursing Home, so it made sense to do something with young people.’ His work inspires me because it captures an unfiltered, raw & realistic side of youth culture that is often brushed under the carpet in media coverage. In my project, I aimed to respond to his work by taking a variety of images depicting stereotypes in youth culture that are considered negative, focusing on the lows in teenage life such as violence and the aftermath of hedonistic tendencies. On the other hand, my second artist Ryan McGinley portrays the topic of youth culture in a more fun, positive light, capturing the freedom and liberation of being a teenager but still including the self-indulgence of growing up, mainly through his photobook The Kids were Alright, where he would photograph himself and his friends in New York, most often out late at night smoking, drinking or spraying graffiti tags on walls. In my project, I aimed to respond to his work by photographing my friends in their most carefree state, aiming to capture the essence and intimacy of teenage life.

Photoshoot 1 | Photoshoot 2 | Photoshoot 3 | Photoshoot 4

For my last shoot I decided to use some snapshots I have taken throughout 2022 (June to December) because I thought they might be useful as they weren’t taken for the intention to be used in this project. The images weren’t staged which makes them a bit more realistic in portraying what my life in the UK is like. The contact sheets contain images from Jersey, our trip to Greece and Turkey in July, as well as our trips to Liverpool and Southampton/Winchester in Oct-Nov.

Contact Sheets:

Photoshoot 1 | Photoshoot 2 | Photoshoot 3 | Photoshoot 5

For this photoshoot I took my camera after school and went to town. I simply focused on taking pictures of my surroundings and the shops I went to to in order to portray what a normal day looks like. I ended up not taking many images because of the weather was bad and I didn’t want to destroy the camera.

Contact Sheets:

PAGE DESIGNS

I have images from various museums which I am going to use in the photobook, I also am planning to paint or draw images directly into the book to add a more texturally rich look to the book.

My main inspiration for page design of my book will be Sam Harris- the drawings and pull outs created a texturally interesting book which played into an idea of a personalised book which was made for an intimate eye. When the book is finished I am going to put pressed flowers in it.

MOODBOARD

My images themselves I would like to be nature-orientated with a strong perspective of feminine aesthetic (stereotypically soft and delicate images.

Question: In what way does being Portuguese in Jersey affect the sense of belonging?___________________________________________________________________

Jersey to me acts like a tutorial level in a video game; a safe, closed off area that allows me to learn and develop skills before I move on to the real world when I am ready. I value this idea as it is quite comforting at times to know that I have a place to explore with all kinds of people, however, I often find myself feeling quite insignificant due to the isolation that being on an island brings which is sometimes exaggerated due to the fact that I am Portuguese living on an English island. The disconnection from both the Portuguese culture and Jersey’s culture leave me in an awkward position as I find that I am too Portuguese for the English people and too English for the Portuguese people. I would like to explore the Portuguese experience in Jersey as it is something I have first-hand experience in and feel as though I could fully delve into, including both the positive and negatives rather than sugar-coating it. I’d like to specifically explore being Portuguese in Jersey whilst touching on the topic of mental health due to how isolating it can be at times. 

I’d like to begin by exploring the word ‘belonging’ both what it means and its implications. Belonging is often described as a feeling of security and acceptance, comfortably being able to exist within a space without fearing social rejection or being outcasted which I believe links into postmodernist photography due to how the definition of ‘the sense of belonging’ is subjective. Various individuals can have different ideas/interpretations of the phrase which can include both positive and negative connotations, making it an interesting feeling to explore, especially photographically as it has no limits. Postmodernism came about in the 1900’s and was considered controversial at the time. The style itself was created as a response to modernism, allowing room for references outside of the piece itself [i.e: context from the political world at the time] and combining previous movements [such as surrealism and expressionism] together to create, moving away from traditional rules in favour of new concepts rather than making pieces to be taken at face value, rejecting previous movements like the modernist movement did.  

For this project, I’ll be referencing postmodern photography within my work alongside the use of documentary photography as I believe in order for me to successfully create a project that represents ‘the sense of belonging’ in regard to culture, I’ll need to explore the realistic aspect of my project, capturing images of how life is for Portuguese people – such as my family and I – before being able to delve deeper, adding more postmodern aspects to my work later on as I attempt to capture more complex/creative images after fully delving into my work. I’ll be using a digital camera throughout my project along with a mix of older images from my parents in order to create a point of comparison whilst also experimenting with their images. 

How does Carolle Benitah and Birthe Piontek explore the concept of family through their work? 

“Those moments, fixed on paper, represented me, spoke about me and my family told things about my identity, my place in the world, my family history and its secrets, the fears that constructed me, and many other things that contributed to who I am today”. – Carolle Benitah

The quote from Carolle Benitah is a representation of how photographs that have been taken and passed down through generations can give us a deeper insight into our senior generations as well as providing us with a wider knowledge of our identity. Focusing mainly on family I want to explore the meaning of islandness and how living on island can disconnect people from their extended family, interlacing the two will be interesting as they are not topics that would usually be put together because of their vastly different factors. Exploring the two themes made me think how we make our own ‘Jersey Family’ through our friends and our parents. I feel that this is very prominent in Jersey, especially with teenagers, as our parents moved to the island leaving family behind. This led to friends slowly turning into family figures as they provide the support systems that a ‘normal’ family would. One of the photographers that I have chosen is Carolle Benitah as her project ‘Photos Souvenirs’ connects to my work as I was inspired into using images from family albums. One thing I found interesting about this piece was how Benitah chose to manipulate and reshape her archival photos. Embroidery was a big feature in her work as well as the use of needle, thread and beads. I will also be looking closely at her ‘Jamais je ne t’oublirai’ work as I was moved by the way she uses gold paint the cover parts of the images and the message behind this specific project. She wanted to rebuild the image of her family before her parents’ marriage as there were only a few images. I have also chosen to investigate Birthe Piontek as well as her project ‘Mimesis’ as her editing and manipulation style inspired me a lot as these techniques helped to produce aesthetic photographs which held a clear story. Piontek collected most of her images from flea markets, so with the lack of knowledge about the individual she used different materials such as mirror and cutting the images into different formats to create her own fiction for them. Piontek stated that this style of manipulation is a “very physical, almost sculptural process” (Piontek, B; Humble Arts Foundaton, December 2014) but it was something she enjoyed as she was able to create something new. I intend to use a similar creative style of manipulation as Benitah and Piotek in my own work to produce engaging photographs of my family, I also plan to have each image designed differently to help portray their individual stories.    

Family identity has always been a big part of art and photography with family portraiture becoming popular in the 1820s and still being a big part of photography today. It has changed greatly over the years developing from expensive art into more affordable and evolved photography. As photography has advanced art portraiture has been left behind, as the 1840s phototropic skills had improved leading to studios being set up meaning family portraiture become more accessible to less wealthy people. One of the main reasons this type of photography became so popular was the influence from Queen Victoria as she was very fond of photography, documenting parts of her life which guided the middle class to “have their lives and families immortalised in a photograph” (Venture Studios, July 2021). As cameras started to become more efficient and available, families started to take their own photographs and making archival images of their family. The invention of the Kodak in 1888 by George Eastman as well as further advancements in this technology helped family portraiture shift from formal, staged artwork to more relaxed and candid images of special events. This genre of photography has grown with time, adapting to the different concepts of family as in the 21^st century many photographers focus more on the social bonds rather than the biological ones.

Family photography is one of the many ways of looking back on who we once were and having that stage in our lives permanently documented, it’s also a way of having physical memories of those we have lost. We decorate our walls, nightstands, desks and shelves with these photos that capture key moments in our lives, including the people we value most, these images help to create the idea of family and how these individuals belong together. Many have stopped displaying showing these photographs on walls and around our homes as we now carry our memories in an archive that is constantly on us, mobiles phones allow to us to have access to these images all the time making it easier to see our friends and families anytime we want. Furthermore, I think my personal study relates a lot to modernism as it includes experimentation with images, this is shown in both my artists as they make alterations to the original images that they have chosen. They make these edits through different methods and the use of different materials, for example with Piontek she includes mirrors, frames as well as using scissors to make physical alterations. 

Carolle Benitah is a French Moroccan photographer, she started as a fashion designer and pursued this career for 10 years, in 2001 when she took a sabbatical year and wanted to use this time to investigate other creative pathways outside of her profession, this led her to photography as she stated, “there was something that seemed easy to me in this apprenticeship: press the button for the magic to happen.” (9 lives magazine, October 2020). After a few years in the industry, she started to use her personal archival photographs in 2009 which she used embroidery, beading, as well as coloured pens as a way of manipulation. Benitah used these materials to change the story of her images as she didn’t feel that she owned her past being from a family that used the narrative of only girls from ‘good families’ could embroider. In Carolle Benitahs more recent pieces of work she explores the themes of memory, family and time. In her ‘Jamais je ne t’oublirai’ project Benitah started to build this imaginary family album through collecting photographs from flea markets which she states she felt ‘magnetised’ (Benitah. C, 2017) to, she wanted to do this as older generations didn’t keep many images of their lives. I found this extremely interesting as she was trying to recreate a whole new family to her preference but while still having the memories that were completely different to how she chose to portray her constructed family. Carolle Benitah wanted to transform old photographs into art pieces that hold a story which she has physical made, this changes societies perception on what a ‘normal’ or ‘perfect’ family looks like. “I’m building a fantasy album like a crossing of appearances where I enjoy demolishing the myth of the ideal family to let emerge a more nuanced picture”. (Benitah. C; 2017). 

This adapted image in Carolle Benitah’s ‘Photo Souvenirs’ collection was published in 2016, it’s what seems to be a family photo of 6 children. In Benitah’s manipulation she has completely covered one with her eminent red string as well as cutting two of the children out of the photographs and placing them onto the background making it appear like they have fallen out of the original image. Benitah has even cut one of the heads off the young child while also scribbling the face of the other. Carolle Benitah has made a clear advancement towards which emotion she is trying to display through this single image, the anger and betrayal that is conveyed in the photograph is clear by the lengths Benitah has gone to make this type of adaptation. Through Carolle Benitah’s ‘Photo Souvnirs’ project it has shown how a family, which is seen to be as ‘normal’ can also have underlying issues which aren’t always seen by the rest of the world, it demolishes the ‘perfect family’ front that many are trying to portray, much like Benitah’s family and their stereotypical traits. By adding the white background onto the image Benitah can disconnect from the two girls which have been removed from the untouched photograph. This helps to change the narrative in her book as well as the image itself, there is a clear difference between the three people who have be edited to show Carolle Benitah’s feelings. The first being the individual blocked out through the red string, in many interview Benitah’s has stated that the concept of the needle and thread is “a putting to death of my demons” (Benitah C. Lensculture). I find this interesting as it could hold more meaning than the other reconstruction of people placed on the background, being sliced out of the image holds very strong emotions but Benitah has made clear that the puncturing of the paper means something personal as it connects her to her past and her families’ values. Carolle Benitah wanted to explore her childhood as she thought it would be to get a deeper understanding of her identity and how it affected her adult life, I think this is a key image which represents that as there is clearly memories which Benitah doesn’t resonate with, by cutting off the head and scribbling out the face shows the powerful feelings towards the two people. 

Birthe Pionteck was born and raised in Germany but moved to Canada in 2005 after graduating from Folkwang University of the Arts. She is now a Vancouver based photographer who specialises in narrative-driven portraiture, one of the projects that I took the most inspiration from was ‘Mimesis’ where she uses different materials as a way of manipulating her images into telling her own story. Piontek based many of her projects around investigating human identity and how we perceive ourselves as well as how others see us. ‘Mimesis” was centred around photographs which Piontek found on Ebay or in flea markets, these were mainly portraits with the subject looking directly in the camera, this is so that their history can be shown through the image. “The moment where it is all about the person and not so much about capturing a situation or event, so that the image becomes a representation of that person.” (Piontek B: Humble Arts Foundation, December 2014). Once Piontek has found these photographs, she transforms them by cutting out pieces and putting them together with others that she thinks will create a capturing narrative. She also uses different unique materials we wouldn’t normally see being incorporated into photography like glass, foil, mirrors and paint. Another project of Piontek’s that I found fascinating was ‘Her Story’, this piece was personal for her as it was looking into her mother and Grandmothers fight with dementia and Alzheimer’s, she wanted to display the theme of memory loss through her interest in collaging and manipulation of images. Her deeper connection to this piece of work is what made it so moving as was able to convey her fear of potentially carrying either one of the diseases as well as her feelings towards both generations. Furthermore, Piontek also wanted to explore the way in which humans connect with their memories and they can change us but also shape us into the people we are. Birthe states “our identities are shaped by our memories, to a point where I almost want to say: we are our memories” (Piontek B: Der Greif, September 2016). 

Above is one of Birthe Pionteks images form her collection ‘Mimesis’, before she made adaptations, they were originally school photographs from different years of the young girls education. To change the narrative of these images Piontek has connected them together with a long piece of fabric which seems to be the same one as the background in both images. As Piontek based this project around identity, I think that the message which is trying to reveal itself is that we are always connected to our past selves no matter how much we change our appearance or behaviour, there will also be the memories of our ‘old selves’ which has left an impression of the society we live in. By using the same material throughout the whole manipulation is a creative way of linking each feature together, it tells a story of how each part of our lives are connected, past, present and future no matter how hard we try to detach from them. Even though Piontek doesn’t know this girl she is able to convey a deeper connection to her by creating her own fiction and telling a different story of this girls life. Birthe Piontek got her photographs for ‘Mimesis’ through flea markets and thrift shop meaning she has no background on the individuals she decides to reconstruct but she is still able to use different materials and skills to recreate this persons whole identity. Piontek states “I usually spend quite a bit of time with the image, looking at it and familiarizing myself with it” (Piontek B: Humble Arts Foundation, 2014), I think this is the main reason why Piontek is able to convey such a powerful message through many of her collections, she gets to know these individuals bringing them into her family so that she is able to reconstruct them the best she can creating whole new narrative for them which are completely different to their actual lives.

The image above displays another one of Birthe Piontaks photographs, it is from a different collection hers named ‘Her Story’. This project is very moving as it investigates the theme of memory loss, which connects back to Pionteks mother and grandmother who suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s. I think with this specific image Piontek is trying to communicate how people with these diseases endure the feeling of losing themselves, with it getting with each day that comes. In this adaptation four cut outs of the same image have been placed on a black background, the alternating photographs faces have been cut out leaving only the frame of the face as well as the hair and shoulders, the other cut outs have been places towards the back on the right side with one filling in the empty space that was once there. Each face is a representation of the same person, but by cutting out the identifying features it represents what has been forgotten and what has replaced these memories. Piontek states “the more we remember something and look at it with our minds eyes, the more we alter and change a memory” (Der Greif, 2016), I think this is interesting as it has been scientifically proven that with the recall of memories they alter and we lose sense of what the original once was. I think that Piontek wanted to add this matter into her collection as it is something similar to what her older generations go through on a daily. I believe that with this project it was able to help Piontek feel more connected with her mother and grandmother as she was able to explore their history as well as their present, she can rework these photos into something she wants to see and believe while also spreading awareness of this diseases.

Overall, through the manipulation of archival images as well as photographs found at flea markets, Birthe Piontek and Carolle Benitah are able to get a deeper understanding of their identity and also their families, they recreate their own families into something they wish they had in their past. They use these projects as an outlet and a way of connecting to who they use to be and exploring how they have change over years. The theme of identity and family has been interlaced throughout their whole careers making their collects even more powerful, as people can go back and look at the development as well as how they have demolished the stereotype of having a ‘perfect’ family. Carolle Benitah did this through her manipulations with thread which emphasised on the fact that she was brought up with the narrative that girls from ‘good’ families could embroider and sew. Birthe Piontek did something similar with the materials that she used but for her it was rebuilding the family and the identity of the individuals she found in images. Above this is one of my adaptations to an archival image, with this specific photograph I have taken inspiration from mainly Carolle Benitah by incorporating the red a gold, I think that these colours compliment each other as well as symbolising something deeper.

Bibliography

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Benitah, C Lens Cultrure [Online] Photos-Souvenirs – Photographs and text by Carolle Benitah | LensCulture [Accessed 1 Feb 2023]

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(5 October 2020) 9 Lives Magazine [Online] La photographe Carolle Benitah est notre invitée – 9 Lives Magazine (9lives-magazine.com) [Accessed 1 Feb 2023]