What are the differences between photographs that are windows and mirrors?
As stated by John Szarkowski, in 1974, in an essay he wrote that accompanied the exhibition, “is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?.”
The below image is a window, it allows the viewer of the image to see the world around the boy and the influences that affected him. This photo was taken by Diane Arbus and is titled The boy with the toy hand grenade. It was taken in central park in 1962. The boy in the photo is Colin wood, according to a 2005 article by the Washington Post, written by David seal, Colin has no recollection of having his picture being taken. Colin told Segal that he wouldn’t of posed like this unless he where asked and he recons he was imitating what he saw in war movies. It is likely that Colin was out with his nanny when Arbus came a cross him and grabbed a few shots, due to this it is very much like a documentary image and can be seen as an image reminiscent of the decisive moment.
Mirrors and windows was a photography exhibition consisting of 127 photos at the museum of modern art in New York 1978, created by John Szarkowski. The exhibition was created because Szarkowski wanted to categorise photos into two categories.
Mirrors: are photos which mirror the photographer’s feelings/what they are trying to portray.
Words which associate with mirrors are: personal, expressive, subjective.
Some photographic examples include: Self Portraiture and Tableaux photography.
Windows: are photos which act a window for the viewer so they can view an image which is documented as what the photo actually is in reality.
Words which associate with windows are: real, documentative and objective.
Some photographic examples include: Candid, Documentary photography and Natural landscape.
Szarkowski described the exhibition as “a fundamental dichotomy in contemporary photography between those who think of photography as a means of self-expression and those who think of it as a method of exploration.“
Example of mirror photos
This photo could be seen as a mirror because it is staged and the photo is taken in the view of the photographer, Nan Goldin, and is of people he knows.
Example of window photos
This photo is an example of a window as it is just a photo of a landscape by Ansel Adams the photo documents the landscape and it is what it is shown. As it is all subjective it could be a bit of a mirror image as Ansel Adams had a passion for Yosemite national park and he could be trying to portray his passion for the landscape and scenery of the park by taking this photo to show his view of the park.
What are the differences between photographs that are Mirrors and Windows?
Mirrors and Windows, an exhibition of American photography since 1960, is John Szarkowski’s attempt to categorise the work of photographers which largely seek to explore outside of themselves. Whether an image is a mirror or a window is dependent on the photographer’s own sensibility, and whether or not it is a reflection of self.
“Is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?” – John Szarkowski, 1978
Mirrors
Images that are mirrors in photography are a romantic expression and a personal reflection of the photographer’s sensibility, as it projects itself onto things and sights of this world. Mirrors explore a personal perception of the photographer’s self and the world around them.
Images that are windows in photography act as a window for the viewer to see something primarily factual and external to the photographer’s own sensibility, where the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality. Windows are factual and documentary-based, and capture a moment in time which is usually not staged.
I believe that this photograph by Nan Goldin is a mirror image. Although the image appears to be staged, it could depict a moment which factually took place in their relationship, exploring the reality of the situation, making the photo a personal reflection of Goldin’s self.
Task 1: What are the differences between photographs that are windows and mirrors?
…is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?”
John Szarkowski
Windows: These types of images are strictly based on facts and reality(objective), they aren’t staged and usually taken in the decisive moment.
They were… pure and unadulterated photographs, and sometimes they hinted at the existence of visual truths that had escaped all other systems of detection.
John Szarkowski
Mirrors: These types of images are open to interpretation, they aren’t fixed onto a fact(subjective) and are usually staged and personal.
…the camera deals with recording factual things and events that form the subject of the photograph, it only produces a perceived reality that is remembered after the thing or event has passed.
If a photographer cannot easily record a concept such as the “social class” or “economic condition” of a family or community or region, he can record a partial view that will allow viewers to select details that will help illustrate the truths or lies he is intending to convey.
John Szarkowski
Task 2: Words associated with them:
Windows:
Closed
Fixed
Fact
Objective
Realism
Candid
Public
Documentary
External
Optical
Truth
Mirrors:
Open
Synthetic
Fiction
Personal
Reflective
Subjective
Internal
Manipulated
Tableaux
Psychological
Task 3: Image Analysis
Insomnia by Jeff Wall 1994
Without context I first thought this image was a “window” because it looked like we were looking into the private personal life or reality of a man; possibly in distress. However, after knowing this image was staged; and the actual room we see the man in was created in a studio, we can say that this image is actually a “mirror” because it has been manipulated and isn’t showing raw reality in the moment.
I personally believe this photograph is both a “window” and “mirror”. This is because although the image is staged and the man wasn’t intentionally laying on the floor, this image acts like a window which shows the reality of some people who suffer from severe insomnia. It is a fact that some people with insomnia try everything they can to get sleep, we can see that this man is being used as a “window” to show this reality.
Research- For this topic I started with my research on cod fisheries, Jersey Harbours in the past and present. I did this by using the links on the blog and doing my own personal research. Then, I experimented with a mood board of what I had learnt and I created a mind map of what I had learnt as well. I think this was a beneficial way of conducting my research, because I had easy access to the links on the blog, which were specifically about what we needed to know, but I’m also glad I conducted my own research, because it allowed me to find out a few extra bits of info that were not provided on the blog. If I were to do this again, or ever wanted to add to my research I would use books for my research as well as just the internet, and I would research certain passed photographs of the old harbours, as well as the photographers that took them. I would do this, because I enjoy doing artist research, but this is the only topic I haven’t done it for.
Photoshoots- For my photoshoots we went and visited St Helier Harbour and the Maritime Museum. For the first photoshoot, I didn’t obtain a wide spread of images, because I only took photos of the harbour and the boats. I found this photoshoot quite boring, because I was taking images of the same thing all day long. However, I enjoyed the second photoshoot a lot more, because I didn’t only take images of the harbour and the boats, but we visited the maritime museum to take photos, as well as the fisheries. I found these much more enjoyable, because I found them a more fun topic and thing to photoshoot, because their was lots of different interactive things in the museum and the fish were very fascinating to look at and photograph. However, I didn’t think the museum photographs were very good, because they weren’t as visually appealing, but it was very fun to take them. If I were to do this again, I would visit other harbours, not just St Helier, because I want to get a wider range of images, as the other harbours may be completely different.
Editing- I used Lightroom to edit my images and I used a rating and colour system to decide which images I wanted to edit. I experimented with coloured images, as well as black and white images, to create contrast. I also experimented with creating different panoramas, as well as experimenting with my cropping and colour popping. I thought my experimentation of editing was very good, because I discovered what looked good with my images, and what looked not so good, like the colour popping. If I were to redo this, I would try and narrow down my images to maybe 10-12 for each photoshoot to edit, just so I don’t post too much editing on the blog, and so I don’t run out of time.
Display of Final Images- I displayed my final images in very different ways, having my best images flood through the whole thing, instead of just at the beginning, middle or end. I also presented my images solo, in pairs, or in thirds, depending on whether the images had a relationship with each other, were similar, or were my best images. eg. best images go solo. I think this worked well for me, because I was able to experiment with my presentation, and I was able to present a relationship between my images.
Paper Zine Mock up and Mood Board- Firstly, I selected my best 16 images, and made a mood board out of these images. Then, I printed them off, and laid them across the table and experimented with the layout of my images, until I found the right one. Then, I made a 16 page booklet, by folding 4 pieces of plain paper in half and sticking my images to them in my chosen order with masking tape. This worked well for me, because it was easier and quicker to experiment with my printed images on paper, instead of on the computer, because I could visually see them laid out next to each other in my booklet. However, next time I would spend more time choosing which images I wanted to use and experiment with my layout more, because in the end I swapped out images and changed the layout completely.
Making My Narrative- First, I started using;
3 word to describe my zine
A sentence to describe my zine
A paragraph to describe my zine
This helped me figure out the narrative of my zine, so I could present it in the best way possible. This also helped me come up with my title for me zine. Then, I wrote about my zine, explaining the narrative.
Experimenting with the Archive- I experimented with old images of the harbour, from google and the JEP archive, because I was experimenting with comparing the harbour from the past and the present, as well as showing how the harbour has progressed and developed. However, I did not end up using the archives for my zine, because I wanted to include more of my own images, to show off my own work. If I were to redo this, I would spend more time experimenting with the archives and look through all of them to see more images of the old harbour.
Zine Experimentation- I experimented a lot with my zine on InDesign, by experimenting with my images, their layout, my typography, size, colour and font of my text, my title, and what text I should include. I think experimenting thoroughly benefited me, because it allowed me to see lots of different versions of my zine, so I could chose which was the best and end up with my best outcome.
Final Zine- My final zine came out well, because of all the research, editing and experimentation I was able to do. I used many different forms of experimentation, like Lightroom editing, photoshop, paper mock ups and on InDesign. I also used many different forms of research, like using the links on the blog, doing my own research and using the information offered to me at the maritime museum. All of this put together allowed me to produce the best zine I possibly could. Next time, I would want to experiment with making more than one zine if I had the time. I would also like to make a zine, which involved text on the inside, because this one didn’t.
What are the differences between photographs that are mirrors and photographs that are windows?
Photographs that are “mirrors” tend to be Romantic, expressionistic and suggestive, shot close to the subject or with a narrow angle of vision. They lean toward abstract simplicity, even a Platonic sense of types and essences.
“Mirrors” were images meant to mirror the photographer’s own sensibility. Some words I can associate with mirror images are:
Warped
Naturalistic
Subjective
Self expression
Romanticism
Candid
“Windows” tend to be realistic, descriptive, taken at greater distances or with a wider angle of view. “Windows” were photos meant to act as a window for the viewer to see something that is primarily factual and external to the photographer’s own sensibility. Some words I can associate with window images are:
Depictive
Objective
External
Reality
Anthropocene
The exhibition Mirrors and Windows, an exhibition of American photography since 1960, opened at The Museum of Modern Art, New York in July of 1978. The curator, John Szarkowski‘s attempted to categorise photographers whose work largely sought to see outside themselves. Szarkowski wrote in the catalogue essay that accompanied the exhibition:
“The two creative motives that have been contrasted here are not discrete. Ultimately each of the pictures in this book is part of a single, complex, plastic tradition. Since the early days of that tradition, an interior debate has contested issues parallel to those illustrated here. The prejudices and inclinations expressed by the pictures in this book suggest positions that are familiar from older disputes. In terms of the best photography of a half-century ago, one might ay that Alfred Stieglitz is the patron of the first half of this book and Eugene Atget of the second. In either case, what artist could want a more distinguished sponsor? The distance between them is to be measured not in terms of the relative force or originality of their work, but in terms of their conceptions of what a photograph is: is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?“
– John Szarkowski, 1978
Eugène Atget (born February 12, 1857, Libourne, near Bordeaux, France – died August 4, 1927) was a French commercial photographer who specialized in photographing the architecture and associated arts of Paris and its environs at the turn of the 20th century.
Very few biographical facts are known about Atget. The Atget family (originally Atger) were saddlers and carriage-makers who had moved from Provence to the Dordogne River region after the Napoleonic Wars. When Atget was five his father died; his mother died soon afterward. He went on to act for several years in itinerant troops that barnstormed the lower levels of the theatrical audience in the provinces. By the late 1880s, when Atget was in his early 30s, he had become interested in photography. The earliest known photographs by him seem to have been made in the north of France. These works depict rural scenes, plants, and farming technology and they were presumably made as studies for painters and illustrators. By the early 1890s, Atget was working in Paris, but it was not until late in that decade that he changed the focus of his photographic business to concentrate on the city of Paris – a subject that proved of inexhaustible interest, and one that continued to nourish his mind and enrich his work for the remaining 30 years of his life.
Hilla Becher was a German artist born in 1931 in Siegen, Germany. She was one half of a photography duo with her husband Bernd Becher. They began collaborating together in 1959 after meeting at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf in 1957. Bernd originally studied painting and then typography, whereas Hilla had trained as a commercial photographer. After two years collaborating together, they married. For forty years, they photographed disappearing industrial architecture around Europe and North America. They won the Erasmus Prize in 2002 and Hasselblad Award in 2004 for their work and roles as photography professors at the art academy Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.
Lime, an important building material since ancient times, is used in the production of mortar and cement. Here, the Bechers focused their attention on six towering brick chimneys that look as much like sprouting asparagus as utilitarian structures. The artists chose a similar view of lime kilns for the cover image of Anonyme Skulpturen (1970), their ambitious first publication. The book presents comparative sequences of different industrial forms, from kilns and gasometers to cooling towers, blast furnaces, and winding towers.
Within the Mirrors and Windows spectrum, I would place the two images above in these places as I believe they have contrasting purposes. The image by Eugene Atget is placed in the mirrors section because I feel it reflects more about the artist rather than through the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality. This is because I found that he decided to “concentrate on the city of Paris – a subject that proved of inexhaustible interest, and one that continued to nourish his mind and enrich his work for the remaining 30 years of his life“, which tells me that he had a passion for this type of photography and wanted to pursue it further after experimenting taking photographs of Paris. I believe it tells the viewer a story about what life was like in those days, through the use of the mini carriage, which I assume was used for carrying things. It also gives us an insight on his passion as it is said that he enjoyed photographing images that could be made for studies. However it is not completely on the left side as I do believe it also has elements of a window image, this is because Atget has clearly used two people as his main subject in the image, rather than himself or something that reflects himself, showing that the photo is objective and real. The image in the windows range taken by Bernd and Hilla Becher, is placed in this position on the scale as its main subject is a building, which can often be associated with being very subjective as it documents a building that was considered important in the 1970s. This fits into the window category successfully as by photographing a building, it is clear to me that this was not staged because the building reflects history and cannot be moved.
What are the differences between photographs that are WINDOWS and MIRRORS.
“Mirrors” were images meant to mirror the photographer’s own sensibility. “Windows” were photos meant to act as a window for the viewer to see something that is primarily factual and external to the photographer’s own sensibility.
A mirror image would reflect the photographer. The photographer may be in the image, and it will reflect the photographers actions, displaying a clear meanigning.
A window image would be up to the viewers subjectivity, something that just sees straight through the camera lens without anything added.
“The two creative motives that have been contrasted here are not discrete. Ultimately each of the pictures in this book is part of a single, complex, plastic tradition. Since the early days of that tradition, an interior debate has contested issues parallel to those illustrated here.” – John Szarkowski, 1978
Consisting of facts or based on facts. Using pictures to provide a factual report.
objective
Not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.
realism
Rejects imagination and creates fact, a close observation of outwards appearance’s.
candid
Truthful and straightforward. A photo taken straightforward, maybe without the models attention that it was even happening.
public
Concerning people as a whole, perceived or portrayed in an open view.
straight
Photography that attempts to depict a scene or subject in sharp focus and detail.
optical
Utilizing light, straightforward.
views
The position in which the camera sees the scene.
Upload your chosen image and describe why the image is either a mirror or a window, or both.
I think that this image is a window. Due to it being documentary, it shows a factual story with the use of raw actions. I think it also connotates realism, something that is not subjective, its straight. It has a clear view using a clear optical lens. This image also seems very candid, like the models didn’t even know it was being taken.
Although the image could also be a mirror because, of its use of romanticism. And the way it looks almost staged and planned with the use of motionless characters (tableaux).
