Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), a French photographer who is considered to be one of the fathers of photojournalism and masters of candid photography. He sought to capture the ‘everyday’ in his photographs and took great interest in recording human activity. Henri Cartier-Bresson was a humanist photographer influenced by surrealism.
He wrote,
“For me the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity, the master of the instant which, in visual terms, questions and decides simultaneously. In order to ‘give a meaning’ to the world, one has to feel involved in what one frames through the viewfinder. This attitude requires concentration, discipline of mind, sensitivity, and a sense of geometry. It is by economy of means that one arrives at simplicity of expression.”
Image Analysis
In this image from Cartier-Bresson he uses leading lines, shown in red. He does this to lead your eyes to the cyclist on the road. The rails are what is used to create this, he has done this by standing at an angle where it creates all different lines which draw your attention to the person cycling. By turning the image black and white it brings out the shadows and creates contrast. I will use this image as inspiration for when we go to st malo, and try to create something similar.
Nostalgia is having a sentimentality of the past, especially places and people associating with positive experiences. Nostalgia is a learned formation of a a Greek compound: (nóstos) meaning “homecoming”, and a Homeric word (álgos) meaning “sorrow”. It was created by a 17th-century medical student to describe the stress displayed by Swiss Mercenaries fighting away from home; a powerful infantry force constituted by professional soldiers originating from the cantons of the Old Swiss Confederacy. It became a key trope in romanticism, being reported as a medical condition and a form or melancholy in the Early Modern Period.
The personalities, possibilities, and events of the past are seen as a longing when associated with nostalgia, specifically the idea of “good old days”. People typically view the future more negatively , in contrast to the past as a more favourable thought. This is called diclinism when applied to one’s beliefs about society/ institution. It’s been expressed as “a trick of the mind” and as emotional approach to find comfort when the present day is dull.
The scientific literature of nostalgia states that emotion is a strong influencer of nostalgia because of the process of the stimuli passing through the amygdala (a major processing centre for emotions). The memories of the past tend to be important events involving people one cares about, or places that hold comfort and have been visited one or many times. Nostalgia can also be activated by music, TV, video games and weather.
Nostalgia’s affects
Nostalgia can improve your mood because even though it is typically activated by negative feelings, it brings out positive emotions through the happy memoires of the past. It can also improve someone’s social connections. Memories can be of people and can cause someone to get in touch with those people creating the nostalgic feeling.
“Nostalgia is cosy and comforting but it ultimately an illusion.”
Make a final value added judgement on the exhibition as a whole, ie. do you like/ dislike it – provide examples for or against. Would you recommend it to others? If so, why? Include illustration such as installation images from the exhibition. Include also at least one quote from Will Lakeman’s talk or associated publicity material and provide a comment.
The exhibition made me consider nostalgia differently to how I typically imagine it. For me, nostalgia is based of more realistic memories compared to Lakeman’s colourful recollections. His exhibition gave me an insight into how different people imagine their past memories. He said his childhood memories were quite distorted and when he saw images of what was actually there, his memories were dissimilar. This is due to his autism and synaesthesia creating a more psychedelic, vibrant and distorted idea of what what he experienced and remebers. However, he didn’t want to correct his work because he was presenting his nostalgic memories and wanted to give people an insight into his individual imagination. This inspired his colourful and unique take on Fort Regent through his abstract AI work. Most of his images in ‘Playtime’ are created using AI software. He said that he used images of the Fort when he was a child and put them through the AI software to create it. It takes multiple attempts and lots of hours for the AI to produce what Lakeman envisaged. He then would edit these outcomes and place different part of images together to end up with a presentation of what he imaged. His AI images can be a representation of dreams through the idea that colours are intensified and things are presented differently to how they are really seen. Dreams are an imagined and fictitious representation based off something/ a place experienced in the real world.
“I have tried to picture things not as they were, but in the strange ways they appear in dreams and hallucinations”
Overall, I really likes Will’s exhibition because I had never thought about nostalgia deeply before visiting it and it gave me a new perspective to see how others view their memoires in the past. I think the way he has kept his images inaccurate and in the style of his thoughts shows his personality and thoughts. I also think that his use of AI is quite creative and he didn’t just use digital images is unique to him, especially the style he created through it. The time it takes to put together an AI image is impressive, and when Lakeman explained the process behind completing an image I was shocked because the common idea of AI is that is creates all the work for you.
My favourite image from the exhibition is ‘A Poolside Picnic’ because he has created what was probably a dull and low lit room, into a colourful space from his imagination. The large variety of colours and uncanny things overall makes it an interesting image, also bringing back personal childhood memories of my own. The fact that as a viewer I feel connected to the image shows how he has managed to make his work powerful and for all ages.
I would recommend Lakeman’s exhibition because it was not only interactive with all the senses, but unique compared to other photography exhibits I have visited. Altogether ‘Playtime’ has really inspired to experiment with AI, as well as creating new ideas on how I might take my future images, basing them off the theme of nostalgia.
Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French photographer born in 1908 and died in 2004. He was known as the master of candid photography. He pioneered the genre of street photography,genre of photography that records everyday life in a public place, and viewed photography as capturing a decisive moment.
Cartier-Bresson was also one of the founding members of Magnum Photos in 1947, he worked with the responsibility of rapidly supplying the world with information, be it from the liberation of Paris to Ghandi’s funeral. Cartier-Bresson aided in the development of street photography, which is a genre that is still frequently used today. An international photographic cooperative owned by its photographer-members, with offices in New York City, Paris, London and Tokyo. In 1937 Cartier-Bresson produced a documentary film, his first, on medical aid in the Spanish Civil War. The date was also his first reportage photographs made for newspapers and magazines. His enthusiasm for filmmaking was further gratified from 1936 to 1939.
The Decisive moment
Henri Cartier-Bresson’s magnum opus, originally titled “Images à la Sauvette” and later known as “The Decisive Moment,” stands as an enduring masterpiece in the annals of photographic history. Published in 1952 by Simon and Schuster in New York in collaboration with Editions Verve, Paris, this iconic book is a curated collection of Cartier-Bresson’s finest work from his early years. Recognized as one of the pioneers of street photography, Cartier-Bresson displayed an unparalleled ability to artfully capture the poetry of everyday life through his lens. The coining of the term “The Decisive Moment” by Cartier-Bresson encapsulates a transformative concept in photography. Published in English under the same title, the term refers to a formal peak wherein all elements within the photographic frame harmoniously converge to create the perfect image. This concept became a guiding principle for photographers, emphasizing the significance of seizing spontaneous and fleeting moments that reveal the true essence of a scene or subject. Simon and Schuster’s collaboration with Editions Verve underscores the international acclaim and impact of Cartier-Bresson’s work. The book’s influence extends across generations of photographers, shaping the very fabric of the art form. Its English title, synonymous with achieving photographic perfection, highlights the meticulous approach Cartier-Bresson brought to his craft. What sets Cartier-Bresson apart is not only his technical prowess but also his humanist viewpoint. His photographs transcend mere documentation, capturing the profound beauty inherent in ordinary moments. The images within “The Decisive Moment” serve as visual poems, evoking a deep connection to the human experience. Through his lens, Cartier-Bresson invites viewers to appreciate the inherent artistry found in the ebb and flow of daily life. The book’s enduring legacy goes beyond its immediate impact; it has become an integral part of the world’s collective memory. Cartier-Bresson’s ability to pair technical mastery with a profound understanding of the human condition has left an indelible mark on the art of photography. His work continues to inspire and influence contemporary photographers, reminding them of the timeless power embedded in the decisive moment.
In conclusion, “The Decisive Moment” is not merely a collection of photographs; it is a manifesto that has shaped the philosophy of photography. Cartier-Bresson’s legacy lives on as a testament to the enduring significance of capturing the fleeting beauty inherent in our surroundings, a legacy that has earned its place as an A-star contribution to the rich tapestry of photographic history.
Alternatively, what seems a positive and warm feeling can be reflected on and reimagined as an opportunity to deceive or conceal. By recalling the past in an overly positive manner, one can be led to erase any parts that may not align with this perfect image they have created in their mind. Some call this the ‘rose-tinted’ view – a metaphor that describes nostalgia as the experience of wearing ‘rose-tinted spectacles’, which naturally filter out any colder colours and only focus on the warmth of a scene.
How can we explore the abstract feeling of nostalgia as artists?
Becoming inspired by an abstract brief gives the artist a chance to interpret it in their own way and take the meaning as figuratively or literally as they wish, and in terms of nostalgia, this can leave opportunity for a focus either on the positive side of the feeling or perhaps on the deceptive negative alternative. Additionally, one of the most interesting features of nostalgia to me is how it can be a multi-sensory experience. A smell, sound, sight, taste or texture can bring someone back to a specific time and place in an instant, and this is most interesting to me because I believe it opens more doors in terms of exhibiting methods. As seen in Playtime, artists are justified in incorporating elements of every sense and therefore are free to produce more well-rounded experiences for their viewers.
