I decided I am going to talk about the Jersey marina since that’s the main important thing about the harbour.
Also decided to add a bit of information about Brian Nibbs since he is the CEO of Jersey harbour.
paper layout:
This is the type of set up I want to do for my zine. Still deciding which images to use but I think that will use most of them above just maybe in a different order that makes more sense and has a better understanding of the harbour.
The topic, Femininity and Masculinity shows, not only the stereotypes of gender and self expression but also the beauty of expressing yourself. This topic really extenuates self love and ‘beauty in all’. Whether this is artist photographing the weird and unusual and still visualising the beauty in everything or the stereotypical beauty standards and displaying that. This movement is so powerful for not only the artist and their self expression but the viewers of the art and the impact that it may have on them. Gender is all about expressing yourself, and expression yourself in any way you may want to.
Examples of Femininity and Masculinity work –
These photos are examples of Cindy Sherman’s and Claud Cahun’s photography. Their work is very impactful when it comes to Femininity and Masculinity due to their blatant ignorance towards gender roles. Claud pushed boundaries with makeup and outfits, exposing himself and poses he may have taken, While Cindy in the beginning of her career photographed herself, and in the 70’s people thought that this exposure was daring. Cindy also made unusual edits of woman, with unusual makeup and unusual outfits, yet again breaking gender roles.
My examples of femininity and masculinity –
With these photographs, I wanted to push gender roles but also show the beauty of normality, stereotypical beauty. I wanted to push the boundaries to help give my photos variety but also help people feel more comfortable even if they don’t fit the stereotypical ‘normalities’.
Portrait photography –
Natural light portraiture, Portrait photography, or portraiture, is a type of photography aimed toward capturing the personality of a person or group of people by using effective lighting, backdrops, and poses. When the artist photographs themselves or other people in a formal or informal way.
Examples of portrait photography –
I wanted to dig deeper into Claud Cahun’s work of self portraiture for this analysation. He photographed the strange and unusual however all his photos consisted of him, him in strange outfits, makeup and anything unusual.
My examples of portrait photography –
In this photoshoot I wanted to stick to the simplicity of portrait photography thinking about lighting ( chiaroscuro, Rembrandt and butterfly. ) Playing around with colour schemes and posing to get a variety of photos.
Anthropocene photography –
Anthropocene photography is the idea of photographing issues within the environment, this could be global warming, deforestation, littering, pollution etc.. It is the act of photographing the issue ( listed above ) and bringing awareness to it to help the problem.
Examples of Anthropocene photographs –
These photos are by an artist called Edward Burtynsky. He focused most of his career on photographing Anthropocene, pinpointing pollution deforestation and the general wear and tear of the world.
My examples of Anthropocene photography –
Overall –
Overall, for my personal study, these three topics I feel like will be the most beneficial to me and my personal study. They may be the most included due to the great and thorough work that was presented at the end of each both these topics.
In this blog post I will review some projects which I believe have been successful.
Deadpan Photography
Deadpan photography is a type of photo which lacks all sense of emotion, it is mainly seen within landscape images. However it can be seen within portraits as well and the subjects of these portraits will tend to be in their natural state, without showing any emotion. For my photoshoot I chose to respond to the photographer Lewis Baltz.
Photographs by Lewis Baltz.
These two images were my best shots within my Deadpan project. I completed my photoshoot in various areas within St Ouens, which is where these two photos were taken.
I also investigated leading lines within photography which are typically used for drawing the viewers attention to a certain area within a photo. I took this image on the road in St Ouens where the white lines lead your eyes deeper into the image.
Evaluation:
I think my deadpan photography went well as I was able to create some similar images to Lewis Baltz. If I were to do it again I would take more photos in different areas, not just St Ouens.
Femininity
Another project I believe went well was my project based on femininity in response to the photographer Cindy Sherman, an American Photographer who mainly takes self-portraits portraying herself as multiple different characters.
Photographs by Cindy Sherman
In this photoshoot I chose to focus on photographing my model doing cleaning, cooking and more. I did this as I wanted to focus on photographing the out-dated stereotypical views of what women should do.
These are my best images from this project, I chose to make them all black and white as this is what Sherman does in her photography.
Evaluation:
I liked how my final images turned out in this photoshoot especially after making them black and white. If I was to re-do this photoshoot I would focus more on the ideas which Cindy Sherman focuses on, such as domestic violence and I would try to capture more emotion in my images.
Anthropocene
One of my favourite projects I have done is my the one based on Anthropocene where I responded to the photographer Zed Nelson.
Photographs by Zed Nelson
For my response to Zed Nelson I chose to visit Jersey Zoo, where I photographer a variety of animals. This related to the subject of Anthropocene as it shows has humans have had a negative affect on the lives of animals by making them live in cages for their own enjoyment.
This is one of my favourite images which I produced. I edited it to make the background blurred to make it appear that everything around the animal is moving however the animal is constantly stuck in the same place, similar to how they are constantly in the zoo.
Evaluation:
Overall this project was successful as I was able to create photographs with meaning similar to Zed Nelson’s photographs.
For this project I want to explore my connection and love for cars and bikes, from my passions for racing my own bike to my parents love for enduro events and rally cars. I want to capture the intensity and stress of racing events to the tinkering that is always going on. Particularly I want to showcase the difference loves and passions for the sport but in all we are all connected and have built a community. A large part of my family is involved in motorsports to a degree which has had influence on my own enjoyment and interest in the sport. I remember when I was younger my father would be watching moto GP while making me lunch, I never understood it until I got older and started to understand the bikes, teams, and actually understanding the concept of racing. When I was younger I have always been around cars and bikes, I watched my father take his bike away for enduro events in Spain and before that I heard all about the adventures he had been on. One I particularly enjoy hearing about is when he brought a motorbike, a Royal Enfield, in India and then rode it back to Jersey by himself, he still has this bike to this day! Alongside growing up involved in bikes I grew up around farming communities, with tractors and 4X4 which sparked my interest in off-road cars, having driven my first manual car at 10 to put fence posts in a field, since then I haven’t looked back with now having my own 4X4. Both my parents taught me how to ride/drive and I have pushed myself and tried different riding styles of my own and have my own bikes. So while I would like to reflect on their current use of cars/bikes I would also like to show sentimental things, from when they were my age or slightly older and now they don’t have as much time for but I do. I aim to show, almost the handing down of passions, remembering the good times and now their daughter (me) having me own fun and creating memories with my bikes.
In 1822, Joseph Nicéphore Niépce created the first photograph using a Camera Obscura. This was an early photographic method that used a pitch-dark room or box with a small slit letting only a small ray of light, this developed into an upside-down image of the outside area parallel from the room/box. Later in 1839, Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre invented a new process called the “Daguerreotype”. This tedious process involved a polished sheet of silver-plated copper that was treated with iodine to make it light-sensitive, which was then exposed for several minutes, salt water was then used to fix it. A few years later, in 1841 Henry Talbot introduced the “Calotype”, This process was much easier than the Daguerreotype because it used a negative which could produce multiple prints of images and took less time to reproduce. The process involved a sheet of paper that was coated with silver chloride, this was then exposed to light in a Camera Obscura, areas that were hit by light became dark, this then created a negative image. According to a theorist named John Szarkowski, there are two groups of photographs that can be made, “the photograph is seen either as a mirror–a romantic expression of the photographer’s sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of this world; or as a window–through which the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality.” Or in short “Windows” and “Mirrors”, Window images are documentary and raw while Mirror images are staged and personal. Applying this theory to the Calotype and Daguerreotype, I believe that both of these processes can be seen as both a Window and Mirror, the Daguerreotype is more of a window, this is because the process itself was more exclusive and expensive which meant it was only accessible to those in the upper class, this then resulted in most Daguerreotype images to reflect social status and power, these images were documentary of the social hierarchy at the time. On the other hand, the Calotype is more of a mirror. Unlike the Daguerreotype, this process was much cheaper and accessible to a wide range of people, people used this method to present everyday life and offered a glimpse of reality through people’s lives and experiences.
Jeff Wall “Invisible Man” 1996
Responding to Szarkowski’s idea of a “Mirror” image, I have chosen to analyse this specific image because of Jeff Wall’s ability to take a concept and turn it into a visual representation. This staged image is a reworking of Ralph Ellison’s novel “Invisible Man” which describes the protagonist’s feelings and experience of being metaphorically invisible due to being a black man in a hostile and oppressive society. This image supports Szarkowski’s thesis because it fits into his two categories of images, in this case a Mirror. I believe it is a Mirror because it gives a sense of self-exploration, not for Jeff Wall himself but marginalised people such as the protagonist in the novel, the image presents a staged reality which symbolises a harsh and common feeling among a variety of people, in other words it’s a representation of reality through a staged one. “This thesis suggests that there is a fundamental dichotomy in contemporary photography between those who think of photography as a means of self-expression…” – Szarkowski. Although Szarkowski’s theory helps understand photographs a bit better, it disregards and oversimplifies photography, just as Jed Perl says in “Mirrors and Windows: Messages from MoMA”, Szarkowski’s theory is too broad and that it is more of a narrative than a critical framework. “Szarkowski’s thesis is a simplification, a reduction of the complexities of photography to a single, overarching narrative.”
Dorothea Lange “The Grapes of Wrath” 1935 – 1940
I have chosen to analyse this photograph responding to Szarkowski’s theory of “Window” images because of its unedited and pure nature. This image is one of Lange’s many works that documents the lives of migrant workers and their families during the Great Depression. This image is a great representation of what Szarkowski calls a “Window” image, “…a window–through which the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality”, because it is a fixed and objective snapshot of a moment in reality. However, like mentioned before, Szarkowski’s theory is too broad and doesn’t give full context into what type of documentary photograph this or other photographs may be, it doesn’t consider the different contexts. “Szarkowski’s theory oversimplifies the complex relationship between the photographer, the viewer, and the image”.
In conclusion, both images give a glimpse into reality and the personal struggles of those effected by extreme issues, However Wall’s image shows a more private reality of one specific subject, his image shows reality through romanticism and staging, it allows interpretation and makes viewers think about what the actual context of the image is. On the other hand, Lange’s image is more objective and public, it shows us a pure in the moment image of reality during a decisive event that happened. So although I agree that photographs can be categorised into two groups like Szarkowski suggests, I fully agree with Jed Perl’s review that says Szarkowski’s theory doesn’t emphasize the importance of context and that the theory has limitations when focusing on the photographer’s perspective.
Read two texts above (John Szarkowski’s introduction and review by Jed Pearl) and select 3 quotes form each that is relevant to your essay.
Select two images, one that represent a mirror and another that represents a window as examples to use in your essay.
Use some of the key words that you listed above to describe what the mirrors and windows suggest.
Essay plan:
Introduction (250 words): Reflect on the origin of photography and describe in your own words the difference between the two photographic processes, Daguerreotype and Calotype. Consider how they could be viewed as either a mirror or a window of the world according to John Szarkowski’s thesis. Choose one quote from Szarkowski’s text and comment if you agree or disagree.
Paragraph 1 (250 words): Choose an image that in your view is a mirror and analyse how it is a subjective expression and staged approach to image-making. Choose one quote from Szarkowski’s thesis and another from Jed Pearl’s review which either supports or opposes Szarkowski’s original point of view. Make sure you comment to advance argumentation in providing a critical perspective.
Paragraph 2 (250 words): Choose an image that in your view is a window and analyse how it is an objective expression rooted in a sense of realism. Choose one quote from Szarkowski’s thesis and another from Jed Pearl’s review and follow similar procedure as above ie. two opposing points of view and commentary to provide a critical perspective.
Conclusion (250 words): Refer back to the essay question and write a conclusion where you summarise Szarkowski’s theory and Pearl’s review of his thesis. Describe differences and similarities between the two images above and their opposing concepts of objectivity and subjectivity, realism and romanticism, factual and fiction, public and private.
Final draft:
The Daguerreotype and Calotype are two photographic processes which were widely used during the 1840s and 1850s. The Daguerreotype was said to be the first ever successful photographic process in the history of photography. It was created in 1839 by the inventor Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre. A daguerreotype is made on a sheet of silver-plated copper, which is polished to a mirror finish. Then, the sheet is treated with iodine to make them sensitive to light and it is exposed in a camera. Finally, to develop the image, warm mercury vapour is used. The Daguerreotype is very accurate, detailed and sharp. As it is created on a metal plate, it is delicate and needs to be well looked after. Unlike the Calotype which is not as delicate as it is created on a sheet of paper. The Calotype was introduced in 1841 and was created by the inventor William Henry Fox Talbot. Talbot was best known as the British inventor of photography and in 1834 he discovered how to make and fix images through the action of light and chemistry on paper. This led him to the discovery of Calotypes. Calotype is made using paper coated with silver iodine. It produces a monochrome, blue coloured print on a range of supports, often used for art, and for reprography in the form of blueprints. According to John Szarkowski’s thesis, I believe that the Daguerreotype can be seen as mirror photography because it is ‘reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it’- John Szarkowski. In contrast, I think that the Calotype is viewed as window photography because it is showing the external world, and the realism of it.
Mirrors- chosen image:
Cindy Sherman- 1954 “UNTITLED FILM STILL #84”
This particular image, created by Cindy Sherman, is an incredible representation of mirror photography. It clearly portrays the story behind it through the body language and facial expressions of the female model. Cindy Sherman bases her photography around depicting herself in many different contexts and as various imagined characters. She does this by reflecting on stereotypical femininity through a series of black-and-white photographs. The construction of this image shows an idea of the narrative behind this image, but her photographs never actually deliver a specific plot. This keeps viewers engaged and allows them to create their own narrative for the photographs. The clear facial expression of tiredness shows the harsh reality of the lives of women. Also, the bag full of shopping food, which is lying on the kitchen floor, clearly reflects on the stereotypical idea that it is a woman’s job to provide food for the household. Furthermore, I think that this image looks quite natural, although we know as the viewers that it is staged to reflect the artist. I think that this image reflects not only the artist, but all women around late 1950s, to provide a clear understanding of the gender roles around this time, and how women felt as a whole. In John Szarkowski’s thesis, he says that ‘a mirror reflects a portrait of the artist who made it’ (Szarkowski, 1978), which supports my image here as Sherman’s photograph not only reflects herself, but women as a gender. When a photo is resembling a mirror, it is not clear what the message and main theme of the photo is, and viewers must interpret in their own ideas what they believe the story is. Szarkowski believes that mirror photographs are personal and romanticized, which is portrayed as powerful and meaningful for viewers.
Garry Winogrand, World’s Fair, New York City, 1964
Garry Winogrand was an American street photographer, known for his portrayal of U.S. life and its social issues in the mid-20th century. American photographer and curator, John Szarkowski, called Winogrand the central photographer of his generation. Winogrand was one of the most prolific, and passionate, street photographers of his time; he shot over 5 million photographs in his career. However, Winogrand hated the term “street photographer” and would rather have been known and seen as simply a “photographer”. As he was born and lived in New York, he spent most of his life photographing city streets, recording crowds and individuals and capturing the tension and exuberance of public life. Therefore, it’s clear that this image is an example of window photography as he captures the realism and spontaneity of New York city life. This photograph reflects the chaotic aspect of New York, and it examines humanity and social interaction between, what it looks like, close friends. The photograph looks quite natural and brings a sense of reality as no one is posing, or even making eye contact with the camera, therefore it hasn’t been staged or manipulated. These types of photos make it easy for viewers to understand the outside world and they act as a window into diverse realities, which reflect the importance of other experiences in the real-life world. It’s clear that this photo was taken during the mid-20th century due to the clear clothing style worn by the women in this photo. John Szarkowski once said, “is it a mirror, reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world?” (Szarkowski, 1978). This links back to Winogrand’s photograph, as it suggests that we are viewing New York City through Winogrand’s eyes during the 20th century, depicting a story behind it. The fact that the bench of people is mainly made up of females, apart from the two men on either side of them, reinforces an idea of femininity and shows this idea around “second wave feminism”, which focused on feminist activity and gender inequality. I believe that this particular photograph shows the importance of females as a gender, and it was very powerful for viewers around this time.
In conclusion, both images portray an aspect of the 20th century, and they give us a glimpse into reality around this time. Overall, Szarkowski’s theory is that, in metaphorical terms, mirror photography is seen as a romantic expression of the photographer’s sensibility as it projects itself on things and sights of this world; whereas, window photography is seen as the exterior world being explored in all its presence and reality. Among the “mirrors” photography, there are a few leading practitioners, who are Paul Caponigro, Jerry N. Uelsmann, Robert Heinecken and painter Robert Rauschenberg. Foremost, among the “windows” group is Garry Winogrand who Szarkowski feels will be “the central photographer of his generation”. Sherman’s photograph presents a more personal feeling as there is only one woman in it, whereas, in Winogrand’s image there is a few people, mainly woman, which shows an aspect of publicity and spontaneity. In my opinion, I prefer Winogrand’s photograph because it is natural, and it hasn’t been manipulated into a way that makes it look staged and fake.
Read two texts above (John Szarkowski’s introduction and review by Jed Perl) and select 3 quotes form each that is relevant to your essay.
Select two images, one that represent a mirror and another that represents a window as examples to use in your essay.
Use some of the key words that you listed above to describe what the mirrors and windows suggest.
Notes
Quote 1 – This thesis suggests that there is 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 – John Szarkowski
Quote 2 – the photograph is seen either as a mirror–a romantic expression of the photographer’s sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of this world; or as a window–through which the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality. – Original press release 1978
Jed Perl’s Review on Szarkowski’s Thesis In his review of Mirrors and Windows: Messages from MoMA, Jed Perl critiques John Szarkowski’s thesis on the shift in American photography from public to private concerns. Perl argues that Szarkowski’s framework oversimplifies the complexities of the medium. “Szarkowski’s thesis is a simplification, a reduction of the complexities of photography to a single, overarching narrative.” – Jed Perl Perl suggests that Szarkowski’s focus on the private sphere neglects the public and social aspects of photography, which are equally important in understanding the medium. Key points: Perl argues that Szarkowski’s thesis oversimplifies the complexities of photography Perl suggests that the private sphere is not the only aspect of photography Perl critiques Szarkowski’s reduction of photography to a single narrative Note: I couldn’t find any online sources with direct links to Jed Perl’s review. If you have access to the original review, please provide the publication and page numbers for further context.
Dorothea Lange’s Work on “The Grapes of Wrath”
Dorothea Lange’s photographs were not directly used in John Steinbeck’s novel “The Grapes of Wrath”. However, her work did document the lives of migrant workers, including those who were affected by the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression, which was the same era and theme that Steinbeck’s novel addressed.
Lange’s photographs were published in various publications, including the Farm Security Administration (FSA) collection, which was a government program that documented the lives of rural Americans during the 1930s and 1940s.
John Szarkowski’s Theory
John Szarkowski was a renowned American photographer and curator who served as the director of the Museum of Modern Art’s photography department from 1962 to 1980. His theory on photography is centered around the idea that photography is a medium that can be used to explore the relationship between the individual and the environment.
Key Points of Szarkowski’s Theory:
The Camera as a Tool for Exploration: Szarkowski believed that the camera allows the photographer to explore and understand the world around them, and that this exploration is a key aspect of the medium.
The Importance of Context: Szarkowski emphasized the importance of considering the context in which a photograph is taken, including the social, cultural, and historical context.
The Role of the Photographer as an Observer: Szarkowski saw the photographer as an observer who can capture the world in a unique and personal way, but also as someone who is influenced by their own biases and perspectives.
Jed Perl’s Review of Szarkowski’s Theory
Jed Perl, an American art critic and historian, has written extensively on Szarkowski’s theory and its impact on the field of photography. In his review, Perl highlights the following key points:
Szarkowski’s Influence on the Field: Perl notes that Szarkowski’s theory had a profound impact on the way photographers think about their work and the medium as a whole.
The Importance of Contextualizing Photography: Perl emphasizes the importance of considering the context in which a photograph is taken, as Szarkowski advocated for.
The Limitations of Szarkowski’s Theory: Perl also notes that Szarkowski’s theory has its limitations, particularly in its emphasis on the individual photographer’s perspective, which can overlook the role of power dynamics and social structures in shaping the photograph.
Notice or perceive (something) and register it as being significant.
How do you observe in photography?
It requires being present in the moment and fully engaged with the environment and the subjects within it. Observing in photography is key to capturing the perfect image.
Seek
Definition:
attempt to find (something).
How do you Seek in photography?
To seek in photography includes finding the perfect location, timing and subject to create the ideal image. Photographers will plan out their shoots and seek certain places and objects they want to obtain they don’t just go for everything and anything
Challenge
Definition:
a call to someone to participate in a competitive situation or fight to decide who is superior in terms of ability or strength.
a call to prove or justify something.
invite (someone) to engage in a contest.
dispute the truth or validity of
How do you Challenge in photography?
Photographers get their photographs noticed when they have produced a diverse piece of work that may have taken extra abilities to obtain. This could include getting dangerous shoots wand challenging themselves to do things that will make their photographs stand out from the rest and participate in a kind of competition to produce the most interesting pieces of work.
Read two texts above (John Szarkowski’s introduction and review by Jed Pearl) and select 3 quotes from each that is relevant to your essay.
Select two images, one that represent a mirror and another that represents a window as examples to use in your essay.
Use some of the key words that you listed above to describe what the mirrors and windows suggest.
Essay plan Introduction (250 words): Reflect on the origin of photography and describe in your own words the difference between the two photographic processes, Daguerreotype and Calotype. Consider how they could be viewed as either a mirror or a window of the world according to John Szarkowski’s thesis. Choose one quote from Szarkowski’s text and comment if you agree or disagree.
Essay draft
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.
Photography was said to be invented in 1839, that was the year that Louis Daguerre, a Frenchman, and Henry Fox Talbot, an Englishman, played an important role in announcing rival processes that would ‘fix the shadows’, to adopt a physical form to these images. The beginnings of photography were ultimately about the struggle to see which method would thrive. With how money and industry was a huge focus within the early beginning of photography, and had huge impact on what photography looks like at the present date, the method which photographs could be reproduced at a quick and commercial rate triumphed.
One of these processes innovated by Louis Daguerre, daguerreotypes, are photos which have a different kind of connection which is more intimate, as the process features no separation between the material the image is being shot with and the finished result. This is because the same plate within camera is the same plate which is eventually displayed as the photograph. Despite this method’s unbelievable range of values and detail, presenting the brightest whites and the deepest blacks, these photographs, if not gilded, could easily be wiped off with the slightest touch. Although a downside of this method was that only one image could be made from daguerreotypes, which was not ideal for the market photography was creating, which focused on money and industry.
The other process innovated by Henry Fox Talbot, calotypes, are photos much more reproduceable, ‘Talbot recognised that human communication was through paper’. Ultimately, Talbot’s method of making photographs dominated the Daguerreotype as multiple copies of the same captured image could be created, instead of one which could be lost quite easily, which was not in the market for photography at the time, as businesses wanted photographs for commercial use instead of sentimental purpose.
Paragraph 1 (250 words): Choose an image that in your view is a mirror and analyse how it is a subjective expression and staged approach to image-making. Choose one quote from Szarkowski’s thesis and another from Jed Pearl’s review which either supports of opposes Szarkowski’s original point of view. Make sure you comment to advance argumentation in providing a critical perspective.
Images that are mirrors in photography are a romantic expression and a personal reflection of the photographer’s sensibility, as they project themselves onto things and sights of this world. Cindy Sherman, a photographer who explores this intimate aspect of photography, explores a personal perception of self identity and behaviours within the world around her. The collection of photographs named ‘Untitled Film Stills’ which Cindy Sherman produced in the 1970s and 1980s seem to deliberately rely on caricatures of female subjects in movies, staging these photographs by taking on the role of the actress, instead of adopting a performative approach in the creation of her works. She stated, “Once I set up, the camera starts clicking, then I just start to move and watch how I move in the mirror. It’s not like I’m method acting or anything. I don’t feel that I am that person. I may be thinking about a certain story or situation, but I don’t become her. There’s this distance. The image in the mirror becomes her—the image the camera gets on the film. And the one thing I’ve always known is that the camera lies.” (C. Sherman, quoted in Ibid., p. 23).
Sherman delves deep into exploring an enhanced personal perspective of self identity and the world around her, aiming to address how she perceives the projective eye which invokes a violent penetrative gaze on women during the 1970s and 1980s for the viewer, rather than expressing her own identity. Her performative artistic production of what could be an untitled film still of a woman under the pressure to act for the male gaze in film and other types of media relates directly to the concept of a mirror photograph, reflecting Sherman’s own sensibility. The idea of Szarkowski’s mirrors and windows theory is a very binary stance on photography, and I believe Cindy Sherman’s photographs, whilst objectively being viewed as a mirror extend further than simply that, and are able to criticise a much deeper issue within the world of public media.
Paragraph 2 (250 words): Choose an image that in your view is a window and analyse how it is an objective expression rooted in the notion of realism. Choose one quote from Szarkowski’s thesis and another from Jed Pearl’s review and follow similar procedure as above ie. two opposing points of view and commentary to provide a critical perspective.
Henri Cartier-Bresson, On a train, Roumanie (1975)
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. Henri Cartier-Bresson, a photographer who coined the term ‘decisive moment’, explores a factual and documentary-based way of photographs, and capture a moment in time which is usually not staged.
Conclusion (250 words): Refer back to the essay question and write a conclusion where you summarise Szarkowski’s theory and Pearl’s review of his thesis. Describe differences and similarities between the two images above and their opposing concepts of objectivity and subjectivity, realism and romanticism, factual and fiction, public and private.