What are the differences between photographs that are mirrors or windows?

According to John Szarkowski, Photography falls into 2 categories of either being Mirrors or Windows. As Szarkowski states “The distance between in terms of their conceptions of what a photograph is: it is a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?”. To explain it simply, when creating a photograph, does it capture/represent you as an artist, either abstractly or normal (Mirror). Or does it show the exterior world, with all its natural elements (Window).

Other words that can be used to describe Mirror photography include:

• Subjective
• Reflective
• Interpretation
• Personal
• Characteristic
• Individual
• Unique
• Staged
• Non-Candid
• Aesthetic
• Tableaux
• Romantacism
• Fiction
• Manipulated

Other words that can be used to describe Window photography include:

• Documentative
• Non-fiction
• Realism
• Candid
• Aesthetic
• Naturalisltic
• Unaltered
• Genuine
• Objective
• Straight
• Optical
• Views

Artists that include Mirrors and Windows:

Henri Cartier Bresson –

Henri Cartier-Bresson, previously studied for his use of the decisive moment when taking photographs, can be said to be create windows within his work. With many of his images taken on the street, with candid shots of the everyday passer-by, Cartier-Bresson can be said to show the world around us within his work, with no images of himself within his projects, this shows his aim is not to explore his own identity as an artist but the others around him. His photobook ‘Europeans’ is a good example as this collection documents aesthetically people all other Europe in the years from 1930 -1980.

Nan Goldin –

Representative of her own life, Goldin first displayed her work within Bars and nightclubs in the 80’s and 90’s to audiences, for her photos her subjects consisted of “entirely of the people in the slide show, my lovers and friends.” as Goldin states. Through photographing these people close to her this contributes to the mirror aspects of Szarkowski’s photography concept.