1. Research a photo-book and describe the story it is communicating with reference to subject-matter, genre and approach to image-making.
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.)
3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design of the book and apply theory above when considering:
- Book in hand: how does it feel? Smell, sniff the paper.
- 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.)
Becoming Michelle Sank
- Research into Photobook
Michelle Sank took portraits of young people from different social contexts living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, so she could communicate youth issues and bring light to issues, such as young carers- responsible for the care of a sick parent or siblings, teenage mothers and juvenile ex-offenders on rehabilitation programmes etc. She did this, because she is interested in the experience of growing up and the difficult transition from childhood to adulthood. She was interested in the way that individuals are shaped by social structures, gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity. In her work she particularly looked at individuals in lower socio-economic contexts, where for example the promise of adult sexuality appears to offer future security and happiness.
Her images are not staged, so they are documentary images and the subjects (models) in her images were not directed. Individuals were invited to present themselves to camera as they deemed appropriate and they confidently embraced the opportunity to be photographed with attitude and grace. The outcome is a series of portraits that reveal a quiet conflict within its subjects, where they appear confident and graceful, but they also appear vulnerable and doubtful, questioning the complex process and changing realities of becoming an adult.
Her deceptively simple portraits ask important and probing questions about the status, perception and representation of young people in contemporary society.
Sank’s portraits are distinct due to her work being made with a medium format camera that distinguishes its the subjects habitual way of operating from ‘faster,’ less conspicuous photographic practises and slowness of the picture making process seems to grant material space of the portrait a certain kind of privilege.
2. Who is the photographer?
Michelle Sank was born in Cape Town South Africa (1953) and grew up in an immigrant community during Apartheid, which was a policy or a system of segregation or discrimination on the grounds of race, until she moved to the UK in 1987. She claims that her background being born in Africa, during this time informed her interest in sub-cultures and the exploration of contemporary social issues and challenges, as she has empathy with the experience of a community from the peripheries. For over 5 years she has developed a passion and a great body of work of portraits of young people living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Through sensitive interaction with her subjects and improving the aesthetics of her work, Michelle Sank succeeds in making quiet but distinctive comments on the status, perception and representation of young people in contemporary society. Her crafted portraits and landscapes meld place and person creating sociological, visual and psychological narratives. Her photographs have been exhibited and published in England, Europe, Australia, Mexico, South Africa and the USA. She is represented by the Print Room at the Photographers Gallery, London and her work is held in a private and permanent collections in both Europe and America.
Michelle Sank is one on one with her subjects, so that she can get a better understanding of them and challenges they face. She states, ‘I have always felt that the human interactions I have with my subjects is as important to me as the imagery itself.‘ This portrays that she truly does care about the subjects in her photos and has empathy for them and their situations. She also wants them to feel comfortable with her, so she handles all the interactions in a sensitive way, so that they can present themselves without feeling embarrassment to do so.
An Interview- A closer look… Michelle Sank- Elliot Gallery:
Interviewer- ‘Your photographs all have a very particular style. What led you to that aesthetic?’
Michelle Sank- ‘I think its my appreciation of how photographic language is working in that moment- the way the light and the colour interact to create some kind of tension. The slowness of the image making process also allows the space of the portrait a certain kind of privilege- it is almost as if the protagonist experiences the space around him/her as a conventional studio or a stage with the accompanying dramatic potential.’ (Karen Downey from my monograph ‘Becoming’)
Interviewer- ‘What draws you to photograph a person and what is your approach to working with strangers?’
Michelle Sank- ‘There is an aura about them that i connect with that has its origins in my own genetic and history code. I feel this resonance, and the excitement that I experience is conveyed to strangers when I first meet them, which starts a connection between us. I have always felt that the human interactions I have with my subjects is as important to me as the imagery itself.’
Interviewer- ‘What stands out to me in your photographs is the connection or interplay between the subject and their surroundings. Is that something you pay special attention to? Why do you think this connection is so interesting to document?’
Michelle Sank- ‘Yes, it is, as I can be aware of the metaphor and symbolism that can become evident in the relationship between my subject and surroundings- the same occurring within my landscape images. I see my portraits as being able to mould person and place together, creating sociological, visual and psychological landscapes and narratives.’
Interviewer- ‘What is your approach to portraiture? Do you let the subject decide or do you direct?’
Michelle Sank- ‘It is a mix of the two as I work with my subjects in their found environment, but will also partly direct in those situations as how best to reveal the intention.’
Interviewer- ‘Since social documentary photography is very personal and intimate, how do you handle the ethical aspects of photography: How do you ensure a good balance between your artistic expression and your responsibility towards the participants?’
Michelle Sank- ‘I am very aware of respecting the individuals I work with. I hope there is a sense of respect and empathy that emanates from the imagery in relation to the subject matter that I tackle and that the viewer can get a sense of the spectacular in the ordinary.’
From this interview, it is apparent that Michelle Sank treats all her subjects with the most respect and she handles these sensitive interactions in an ethical and caring way. She also feels a connection with her subjects that she is able to present to the viewer through her work, by presenting, ‘the spectacular in the ordinary.’ . She also presents how important these interactions are to her and how important her images are when presenting these sensitive issues.
3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design of the book and apply theory above when considering:
Layout of Becoming:
Design of Becoming:
96 pages
dimensions (cm) 28.8 x 1.6 x 25.6
1.9 pounds
Language: English
Becoming- Becoming is a quite literal title in the sense that Michelle Sank is photographing youth, who are becoming an adult. However, I also think the title is quite intriguing, as you cannot tell what is becoming until you open the book.
The book has a hard cover with an image wrap, which is one of the photographs which she has used inside this book. The title is in bold grey writing in the top write hand corner, which her name slightly smaller, but still bold below it, but in white.
On the first page and last page of the book she uses a grey card like paper, which has a sort of grainy feel to it, compared to the white glossy, smooth paper that she used throughout the rest of her book.
All her images are coloured images and they are all placed on the right hand page of the book, leaving the left hand page blank.
Before any of her photographs there is a contents page, which is in black and blue writing, and there is a couple pages of writing, which is written in black writing, but either has a blue subtitle, or a grey subtitle.
The orientation of the book is portrait, but the photographs inside the book are all landscape and only take up a small portion of the page and they all include a small caption in the bottom write hand corner of the page, which is written in black writing.
Narrative of Becoming:
The narrative Michelle Sank presents in her images is the personal narrative of the subjects life and how they want to express their identity through the images. She presents sensitive, but strong narratives, that displays the challenges the youth are going through in their lives and how it shapes their identity. Her narratives can sometimes be socially sensitive as they address deeper issues going on, especially in lower socio-economic groups, but her narratives have a deep meaning behind them, which Sank believes is important to present and address.
For example, in this image there is a young couple sat together on a couch, which I assume is their home, as Michelle Sank takes photographs of her subjects in their natural environments. The girl in the image is clearly heavily pregnant and the male sat next to her is the father of the baby I assume. The narrative/ challenge Michelle Sank is presenting through this image is teen pregnancy. She is displaying this narrative to the viewer, because she is exploring challenges in youth and wants to present these challenges, without causing shame or embarrassment to the subjects.
The Concept she is trying to convey to the viewer:
Michelle Sank is trying to present challenges that youth face, especially in lower socio-economic groups. She has done this by building sensitive, yet significant relationships with strangers, so that they feel comfortable enough to take part in her cause. She then photographs the youth in their natural environment, or the environment she has found them in. Some issues she addressed in her work is young carers- responsible for the care of a sick parent or siblings, teenage mothers and juvenile ex-offenders on rehabilitation programmes etc. She wants to present these issues to the viewers, so that they are aware of the issues surrounding youth, or/and socio-economic groups, even if the viewer has no similar experience, she still has the ability to have the viewer resonate with her work and the challenges the subjects are facing in her images. Her main aim when taking and presenting these photographs is to provoke a thoughtfulness to the lives and stories of young people.