What is Anthropocene?

The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on Earth until now. It affects Earth’s geology, landscape, limnology, ecosystems and climate.

The Anthropocene is a geological unit of time, continually describing the most recent period in Earth’s history when human activity began to have a significant impact until now. It takes into account the effects on the Earth’s geology, landscape, climate, limnology and ecosystems. This geologic time scale is split into hierarchical series of smaller lengths of time, descending in length of time: eons, eras, periods, epochs and ages. These units of time are composed through the classification of the Earth’s rock layers and the fossils found within them. Through this, scientists can examine the correlation between the certain organism’s characteristics of the certain parts of the geologic record – stratigraphy.

The word Anthropocene comes from the Greek terms for human (‘anthropo’) and new (‘cene’), but its definition is controversial. It was coined in the 1980s, then popularised in 2000 by atmospheric chemist Paul J Crutzen and diatom researcher Eugene F Stoermer. The Earth is approximately 4.5 billion years old while humans have been here for a much smaller scale, yet irreversible influence has taken place on biodiversity and nature, fundamentally altering the Earth’s physical, chemical and biological code. In the last 60 years, the Great Acceleration has began. This is a term used for the increasing rate at which human impacts are unfolding at an unprecedented scale and speed, causing the globe to deteriorate and become more modified, spiralling downwards. Being the most influential species of the planet, human behaviour has created a snowball effect of significant impacts not only for other ecosystems or species but ourselves too. Just a few of these are:

• Carbon dioxide emissions
• Global warming
• Ocean acidification
• Habitat destruction
• Extinction
• Widescale natural resource extraction
• An increase in extremeness and frequency of severe weather conditions e.g earthquakes, tornados and storms

In simple terms, it is how human activity impacts the earth.

Human-caused climate change has indeed dominated global trends: The last eight years have been the eight hottest on record. A sure-to-be-record-hot 2023 and a potentially even hotter 2024 would stretch that streak to a decade. For example, in 2014 the global population was 7.3 billion however it is now 8.1 billion. If civilisation doesn’t move towards more sustainable lifestyles such as the refusal of consistently burning fossil fuels, even more dramatic changes could occur which could be incredibly life-threatening for the human species too.

MOODBOARD

When did the era of Anthropocene begin?

The early Anthropocene hypothesis posits that the Anthropocene era, as some scientists call the most recent period in the Earth’s history when the activities of the human race first began to have a significant global impact on the Earth’s climate and ecosystems, did not begin in the eighteenth century with advent of coal-burning factories and power plants of the industrial era. Evidence suggests that the beginning of the Anthropocene dates to 8,000 years ago, triggered by intense farming activities of our early agrarian ancestors. It was at that time that atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations stopped following the periodic pattern of rises and falls that had characterized their past long-term behaviour, a pattern which is explained by natural variations in the Earth’s orbit.

Photography within the Anthropocene

Collectively, these artists offer compelling visual imagery necessary for picturing the Anthropocene: Arial views of beautiful but toxic sites, collages that incorporate archival photographs to counter colonial narratives, depictions of urbanism on an unimaginable scale, and imagined yet precarious futures. Which ultimately help document and investigate the substantial impact human actions have had on our planet.

The Anthropocene Project is a multidisciplinary body of work combining fine art photography, film, virtual reality, augmented reality, and scientific research to investigate human influence on the state, dynamic, and future of the Earth.

It touches the very core of our being (post)human—and of the space around us we variously call “the environment” or “the world.” Art in the Anthropocene is vital read for anyone who cares about art, animals, climate, ethics, extinction, justice, plants, poetry and the weather”.

The Anthropocene is mainly characterised by three factors: the technological progress that sped up after the First Industrial Revolution, the explosive growth in population thanks to improvements in food, health and hygiene, and the multiplication of production and consumption.

Yes, ‘Anthropocene’ can be useful to tell the history of life on earth. It can also illustrate the extent to which humans have modified the earth’s systems. It also suggests that we can no longer go back to a ‘pristine’ nature that existed before humans, as cultural critics have long suggested.

What is the goal of the Anthropocene project?

Our notion of nature is now out of date. Humanity forms nature. This is the core premise of the Anthropocene thesis, announcing a paradigm shift in the natural sciences as well as providing new models for culture, politics, and everyday life.

What are the cons of the Anthropocene?

These human actions cause, among other consequences, changes in the water cycle, imbalances and destructions in the marine and terrestrial ecosystems, the increase of extreme meteorological phenomena, the acidification of the oceans or the disappearance of the forests.

Mood board of the Anthropocene project

How fashion and textiles affect the climate

The project sell elephant tusks to avoid people from selling them.

The burning of 10,000 elephant tusks piled into an enormous funeral pyres in Kenya’s National Park in Nairobi is both a devastating and beautiful image to look at — a reaction that photographer Edward Burtynsky intended.

His photographs are part of a multimedia project called Anthropocene that merges film, photography and virtual reality installations to illustrate the imprint humans are collectively leaving on the planet.

“We want to communicate out there with people. We want them to look at these things, to try to ask questions about these landscapes,” he told The Current‘s Anna Maria Tremonti.

“If you represent them in … an unsightly light or whatever, they don’t resonate. They don’t make us wonder about this place.”

Fashion is another large factor of the human impact on the environment such as wool as it leaves the largest carbon foot print. Wool is much higher in greenhouse gas emissions than many other fabrics. Sheep farming emits high volumes of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, and also drives carbon-emitting deforestation. A recent study found that the carbon footprint for 1 kg of recycled wool is 0.63 kg CO2 eq, while virgin wool has an impact of 10.4 kg CO2 eq. This means that the carbon footprint of recycled wool is approximately 16.51 times less than that of virgin wool, making it a solid option for a low-impact alternative.

A wool-knit garment emits 27 times more GHG–equivalent emissions than a cotton-knit garment. One sheep can produce about 30 litres of methane each day. Emissions originate from three main categories of processes: enteric fermentation, manure, and feed.

My photoshoot within Anthropocene

Contact sheet-

Why was this my chosen factor for my photoshoot?

Increased ocean water levels during storms are almost certain to result in more frequent coastal inundation, higher wave run-up levels, higher water levels in lakes and estuaries and more flooding in coastal rivers. Rising sea levels, saline intrusion and coastal erosion are likely to damage coastal ecosystems. Climate changes, such as more frequent and intense rain events, can increase erosion and result in greater amounts of sediment washing into rivers, lakes and streams. More frequent and intense rain events, can increase sediment loading from storm water runoff. Climate change threatens coastal areas, which are already stressed by human activity, pollution, invasive species, and storms. Sea level rise could erode and inundate coastal ecosystems and eliminate wetlands. Warmer and more acidic oceans are likely to disrupt coastal and marine ecosystems.

Why does it link to the Anthropocene?

This links as it is the cause of cliff erosion but however is still very simply beautiful. This causes a contrast as some of Anthropocene’s images are very pleasant and appealing to the eye as it is too show the viewers what earth could look like if us as humans execute beneficial movements to it. This creates different ways in warning the viewers of the impact humans have. Whereas my photoshoot is showing a negative thing such as cliff erosion due to human activity but is also very appealing and not disturbing to the eye. I kept them simple to make it realistic as I personally believe it is more significant and appealing to viewers. I think this is a good idea as it does both factors such e.g negative and positive view points. It is also things you do not think on a day to day basis however when you view it in depth you begin to understand the effects on the earth.

Continued through AI

Original image-

Edited image through AI generator-

Link to artist reference –

Michael Marten: Sea Change

Excellent use of diptych and triptych and exploring low vs high tides to see how it changes a landscape scene

Panoramics-

A reason of why I believe this relates to my photoshoot, is that Jersey has one of the most changing tides. The images I took had a clear high tide with the sea matching the sky because of the weather. My image also shows cliff erosion which is due to changing strong tides. Therefore, my image is relating to Anthropocene as it is showing an appealing and pleasant photo with an underlying problem people don’t think about on a daily basis and would not think of the cliff erosion in this photo. It isn’t as straight forward as some famous photographers influenced by the Anthropocene. This could be a beneficial feature as it is showing what the world could look like if human activity began to improve. Meanwhile, showing what we are currently destroying due to climate change and global warming which causes extreme tides.

For example, other photographers –

A similarity within my images and those images is that both of them show significant amount of nature and non-man made elements. A difference is that these images visibly show the issues in society through rubbish. Where as my issue is a lot more subtle and simple.

The element of still obtaining natural features is too notably signify the destruction to part humans still desire. This is to emphasise what we are doing and to attempt to spread awareness and change.

This is evident in

Zed Nelson: The Anthropocene Illusion
In just a few decades, we humans have altered our world. Our planet is crossing a geological boundary: from the Holocene into the Anthropocene. Humans have left the countryside for the city but the desire for contact with nature remains. So, we have become masters of a stage-managed, artificial ‘experience’ of nature. This project examines humankind’s fractured relationship with the natural world, revealing not only a phenomenon of collective self-delusion, but also a craving for a connection to a world we have turned our backs on.

Who is Siskind and why is he famous?

Aaron Siskind was an American photographer best known for his black-and-white, close range, and aerial photos of surfaces and objects. With the transformative properties of monochromes and their lack of scale or context, Siskind’s photos can seem both sculptural and vast or diminutive and painterly.

 Siskind was born December 4, 1903, New York, Siskind began to photograph in 1932, while he was an English teacher in the New York City public-school system. As a member of the Photo League, he participated in projects designed to document neighbourhood life during the Depression.

Siskind was a grade school English teacher in the New York Public School System for 25 years, and began photography when he received a camera as a wedding gift and began taking pictures on his honeymoon.

What technique did he use?

He created pictures by closing in on his subjects, framing out distracting elements to enhance the emotional sense or allusive aspect he found compelling. Later he focused on surfaces to further condense the energies of splashed paint, graffiti marks and crumbling materials.

Aaron Siskind’s quote, “In photography, it is not the subject that matters, but how it is captured,” encapsulates the essence of artistic expression through the lens.

Example of his work–

MOODBOARD

My work

Why does he prefer to edit them to black and white?

Aaron Siskind’s work is all done in monochrome, this makes the photograph more impressive as you are left to your imagination of the colours, therefore to what the original object was.

Black and white photography feels timeless. Here’s a common reason why photographers shoot in black and white: It adds a timelessness to your images. For one, black and white photography has existed since the beginnings of photography, which means that a black and white image cannot instantly be dated.

My thoughts on his work/ similarities

When the viewer has a first glance, I noticed that every picture is in black and white as Siskind prefers it as it leaves imagination of not knowing the colour to the viewer. This is significantly impactful as it suggests a sense of mystery with his images potentially creating the viewer to imagine what they individually want his image to be and look like, it also reduce the chances of his images being outdated as ‘ black and white is timeless’ and can make an image more personal. By vaguely glancing I can see that Siskind focuses on the visual elements such as texture, shape, pattern, line and even tone. The main ones that stick out to me is texture and shape/lines. Some of his images are easily predicted which creates a clear picture to the viewer however some images makes the viewer guess what the photograph itself is which ultimately creates a mysterious factor, as well as Siskind not using colours which creates even more difficulty. An example of this is-

Image Analysis

This image is difficult to understand and interpret the correct clear result. Although it is Siskind’s aim (conceptual) to create secretive and mysterious factors to his image and make the viewer imagine themselves. A benefit of Siskind’s aim is that it makes the viewer predict which ultimately forces the viewer to focus and question the texture, patterns, shapes and tones. We cannot see what the image is itself however it is interesting to note that viewers still find this pleasing to look at because of the imagination. Because it is unclear of what the image is, it creates every viewer to stare and draws them in to look at all important factors Siskind emphasized. For example, the cracks signify imperfection and every shape is different which slightly tells the viewer that this image is potentially all natural. Another interesting factor is that all shapes are different tones but also connected. This shows the tone isn’t based off the weather as it looks as if it is taken from a birds eye view and they are all connected. Lastly, another impactful feature is the texture as in my opinion each shape is a significant different pattern which the viewer would predict it is the texture. This links to his quote “In photography, it is not the subject that matters, but how it is captured,” As we do not know what the subject is but the viewer still finds it very significant and interesting.

My Image

Personally, I think this image relates to Siskind’s work as it contains different visual elements such as tones, lines, irregular pattern of shapes, texture and not a clear view of what the subject is. This creates a mysterious sense like Siskind’s. As shown, some shapes have a vary of tones which prevents the image from being dull and boring as each visual element is different. You would assume this image is natural as most man-made subjects are usually to be built perfect. This makes you guess what this image is itself and what made it look this way which is mainly the contextual side of it. It has a few irregular lines if you look deeply as the varies of shapes are the first noticeable feature. There is a few cracks which signifies the imperfections of this image which helps the viewer understand it is not man-made and creates a significant amount of mystery.

A famous book- This Equals That by Tamara Shopsin & Jason Fulford

This book, shows juxtaposition and how both link and differ.

” One thing leads to another. Isn’t’ that the best way of being in the world?” Maira Kalman in response to this book.

This book, signifies and shows 2 opposite or similar images and makes you question how they are similar/different?

My response to this book –

This juxtaposition shows us rust which is the similarity both these images have. However, they are in different shapes, different textures and different lining and geometry. Although it has the same element, they are displayed in different ways. The texture tells us both of the rusts in these images would feel significantly different. The subject in the first image is more displayed portrait, although the second’s subject is not as observable and outstanding, and is rather landscape and subtle.

These two images have more to contrast, as they have less similar key features. These 2 images show significant natural damage. The difference is that the first one is scratches, and the second are cracks. A similarity they both have is that you actually cannot tell what each image is which keeps the viewer guessing and intrigued.

Urban Landscapes Context

What is the meaning of urban landscape photography?
Focusing on the study of objects and elements in urban environments, urban photography usually emphasises the surroundings and uses them to make statements about time and place. People are not always included in the images, unlike in street photography.

Photographs of things you wouldn’t normally give a second look as they aren’t usually seen as’ beautiful’ or fit into the standard of ‘pleasing’ to look at. However, famous photographers successfully execute this idea by using man-made features or un- aesthetic atmospheres.

Urban photography is a genre of photography concerned with capturing scenes from urban spaces, such as towns and other ecological spaces. It has become more popular over the years as the world has become more urbanized. It is an interdisciplinary study which links to landscape and street photography.

CONTACT SHEET-

Firstly, I went around Havre De Pas and attempted to take urban landscapes obtaining natural scenery as well as industrial and man -made features. To help organize these images I started by flagging and rejected them therefore being able to give them the correct amount of stars. To finish this off, I lastly flagged my five star images green as they are my preferred ones therefore it will be more time efficient and easier to edit my favourite pictures therefore have a choice to pick my favourite one in the end of this project.

EDITING –

I chose this image as it obtains natural scenery such as the sand, seaweed etc and man-made features such as housing. The most interesting factor is the scaffolding and the different styles and wealth within each house. This significantly shows contrast between the man-made and natural scenery which ultimately links to Robert Adam’s famous image of the housing and the mountains in the background. I attempted to emphasize the clouds to make the image more interesting and eye catching to the viewer. I did this increasing the temp so it looked more aesthetically old and vintage which links to the theme of nostalgia as well as the aesthetic of the houses as they are not modern and are being renovated. I emphasized the clouds by decreasing the exposure as the image has no detail in the sky and increasing the contrast for more detail. I decreased the highlights so it looks slightly gloomy as in my opinion Adam’s images are as his work is mostly in black and white. Lastly, I increased the texture so the housing is not just the main factor of the image as the natural scenery such as the sky and sand is just as important. To do this successfully, I increased the texture to create more focus to create equality within both significant features.

I found this image very interesting as it clearly and successfully shows different levels of wealth or how the world and humans adapt slowly throughout life. An example of this, is housing as it was traditional to have an old granite exterior and eventually it has been adapted to a modern organized dull but clean aesthetic house. This image shows the modern habits as well as the traditional habits. However the old traditional house has scaffolding around to be renovated like the other one which significantly shows the following of trends us as humans fall into. I decreased the exposure as the clouds were very white which made the image over exposed but ultimately within this image it was not necessary to over edit as there is already a lot of significant factors so I did not want to make it ‘ too much’ or over stimulated.

This is one of my preferred images as it contains the different stages and levels of wealth and poverty. The building on the left is modern and fits the human eye standard to this day. However the right building is more traditional and has an older aesthetic to it which is shown throughout the type of windows. the middle is a contrast of both as it is a tall structured building. All three of these buildings conflict within one another. I made the image more eye catching by lowering the exposure so it was correct for that image itself and increasing the contrast and highlights and decreasing the shadows to create more detail. Lastly, I decreased the clarity and increased the dehaze which ultimately made the sky look slightly more unrealistic however I believe it makes the image look a lot more aesthetically pleasing.

I like this image as it contains industrial subjects as well as non-man made objects that are seen as ‘beautiful’. Normally, industrial features are a necessity such as this one as it burns waste for the island. Therefore it isn’t really seen as a typical photograph you would take however Robert Adam’s took photos of a untypical photo that does not fit the ‘aesthetically pleasing’ expectation although he successfully made them interesting to look at and he grew in his career for that reason. Therefore I took this photograph as it obtains both factors and attempted to emphasize the sky to enhance the natural scenery.

This image, to the viewer at first glance it isn’t significant. However, it isn’t necessary beautiful or pleasing in anyway but after I enhanced the vibrance and from the point of view I photographed this industrial subject it is clearly the main feature and the editing around it automatically makes the viewer look directly to this factor. This is interesting as viewers don’t normally give images like this a second glance however after editing the industrial feature to make it enhanced to make the viewer focus on it it changes the perspective. The point of view this is photographed is important as it is from the bottom looking up emphasizing the size and shape. It is also significant as it is showing what it would like to the naked eye’s perspective.

This image focuses on texture. I increased the temp to make it look older as the subject is already rusting. The most important edit technique I executed was increasing the texture as it showed the camera every detail in which the naked eye can not do as successfully.

Straight away, I noticed 3 main factors of this image. Industrial, environmental/natural and textual features. An interesting part of this image is that the rocks are obviously not man-made however it is clear to the viewer they have been put around this island which was man structured and handled. This shows conflict and contrast and possibly the debate of whether it is man-made or not. We also can see the industrial building in the background which is impactful and significant as it is a necessity but not exactly seen as aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. I made this image look more unrealistic by increasing the texture, clarity and dehaze which created more detail within the texture on the rocks and enhanced the sky and clouds so the viewer wouldn’t forget about the importance of the environmental factor as they are all equally important in this specific image. Lastly, I increased the vibrance so the image looked brighter and less dull so it fit into the expectation.

A famous book- This Equals That by Tamara Shopsin & Jason Fulford

This book, shows juxtaposition and how both link and differ.

” One thing leads to another. Isn’t’ that the best way of being in the world?” Maira Kalman in response to this book.

This book, signifies and shows 2 opposite or similar images and makes you question how they are similar/different?

My response to this book –

This juxtaposition shows us rust which is the similarity both these images have. However, they are in different shapes, different textures and different lining and geometry. Although it has the same element, they are displayed in different ways. The texture tells us both of the rusts in these images would feel significantly different. The subject in the first image is more displayed portrait, although the second’s subject is not as observable and outstanding, and is rather landscape and subtle.

These two images have more to contrast, as they have less similar key features. These 2 images show significant natural damage. The difference is that the first one is scratches, and the second are cracks. A similarity they both have is that you actually cannot tell what each image is which keeps the viewer guessing and intrigued.

A turning point in the history of photography, the 1975 exhibition New Topographics signalled a radical shift away from traditional depictions of landscape. Pictures of transcendent natural vistas gave way to unromanticised views of stark industrial landscapes, suburban sprawl, and everyday scenes not usually given a second glance. This restaging of the exhibition includes the work of all 10 photographers from the original show: Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Bernd and Hilla Becher, Joe Deal, Frank Gohlke, Nicholas Nixon, John Schott, Stephen Shore, and Henry Wessel.

When you think of “landscape photography,” what comes to mind? Whatever pictures you’re imagining, they likely look different from the photographs in the 1975 exhibition New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-altered Landscape.

Robert Adams is one of the most important trailblazers of modern American photography; a key figure in the New Topographics movement (a term coined by William Jenkins to describe the visual documentation of “man-altered landscapes”), he revolutionised the way in which the American West was depicted on film, highlighting the effects of industrialisation upon what was once a vast, imposing wilderness that would have made Lord Byron swoon.

Born in 1937, in Orange, New Jersey, Adams’ family relocated to Wheat Ridge, Colorado, a suburb of Denver, when he was 12. Adams spent much of his childhood and adolescence hiking and mountain climbing – a passion which stuck with him into adulthood. Having majored in English, it wasn’t until 1963, at the age of 26, that Adams bought a 35 mm reflex camera and began photographing nature and architecture. His fascination with the medium burgeoned, and – after a fortuitous meeting with John Szarkowski, the curator of photography at the Museum of Modern Art in 1969, which resulted in MoMA’s purchase of four of his prints – he opted to pursue his passion full-time.

Adams’s visual education came in part through the work of photographers who had preceded him in the West a century before.

The New West Mood Board

Adams’ monochrome style – at once formal and evocative – was influenced by 19th-century photographers like Timothy O’Sullivan, William Henry Jackson and Carleton Watkin, who also focussed on the landscape of the West (in its more primitive state) as well as Lewis Hine, Edward Weston, Dorothea Lange and Ansel Adams, all of whom married social and aesthetic concerns in their work.  Adams’s visual education came in part through the work of photographers who had preceded him in the West a century before.

Critic Sean O’Hagan, writing in The Guardian, said “his subject has been the American west: its vastness, its sparse beauty and its ecological fragility…What he has photographed constantly – in varying shades of grey – is what has been lost and what remains” and that “his work’s other great subtext” is silence…

The turning point in Adams’ career was the publication of his highly acclaimed photo-essay, The New West, in 1974, which catapulted the image-maker into the public eye. e are first confronted with two, light-drenched images of sprawling prairies, where the only sign of human intervention are electricity pylons and wooden fence posts. Then these open fields are shown bearing signs, first: No Trespassing, then: For Sale or Lease, and you begin to feel the shadow of commercial opportunism ominously approaching. Sure enough, the next section depicts the rapidly growing expanse of tract houses and mobile homes popping up along the Front Range, breaking us in with an image of the foundations of a single tract house being laid in a sparse stretch of land, before presenting us with an entire town of these compact white abodes, which nevertheless appear tiny and somehow insignificant against the backdrop of the towering mountains and an omnipresent sky. 

Depicting the unwavering presence and beauty of nature in the face of human intervention was, for Adams, a key element of the project. As he explains in the book’s introduction, “Why open our eyes anywhere but in undamaged places like national parks? One reason is, of course, that we do not live in parks, that we need to improve things at home, and to do that we have to see the facts… Paradoxically, however, we also need to see the whole geography, natural and man-made, to experience a peace; all land, no matter what has happened to it, has over it a grace, an absolute persistent beauty.” And indeed, even when Adams zooms in on the man-made – be it a woman strikingly silhouetted between two windows of her neat brick bungalow, a packed Denver carpark or a peak-side gas station, complete with enormous sign – there is an inherent, inescapable allure, stemming from the photographer’s aptitude for composition and ability to encapsulate the atmospheric quality of light so unique to the area. 

The American Dream

At its core, the American Dream of the Colonial times surrounded the pursuit of opportunity and the idea that a poor person can become rich and successful through hard work and determination. The Westward Expansion was greatly aided by the American Dream as people rushed west to find gold and riches.

IMAGE ANAYLISIS

This image is a perfect example as the bottom half (foreground) of the image is man-made with human activity objects as humans adapt which ultimately adds these subjects to the image. This contrasts to the top half off the image (background) as it contains natural scenery therefore Robert Adam’s had contained both environmental factors. A significant feature about this image are the lines on the houses contrasting with the round/ not straight lines on the mountains showing clear meaning the houses are man-made and perfectly put together however the mountains are not but as humans we prefer the look of environmental features but housing is a necessity. Another interesting factor is the sun shining creating light highlights on the houses but in the distance dark shades with the clouds making light onto the floor which has an eye catching effect and the success of presenting this considering majority and including of his images are in black and white. You cannot tell what time in the day this is however it is exposed and saturated effectively. Another noticeable feature is the layout and pattern of the housing compared to the free natural scenery which implies the difference between the two main subjects. Normally, photographers take ‘landscape’ photos which your first instinct is that landscapes capture beautiful scenery however Robert Adams in this image captures poverty and cultural views based on the housing but where it is placed.

This image is similar in certain ways. In the background is still obtains natural scenery however this image does not have a significant contrast and exposure of different shades. However, it does have other eye catching features through bright light such as the ‘R’ missing in the word ‘ Frontier’ which potentially could be Adams trying to imply how landscapes have changed and been adapted overtime. It is interesting to note he took a landscape of a petrol station which is also a necessity and a basic need. Adams photographs in black and white and photographs basic needs such as the other image such as living no matter political problems such as poverty. In this image, although it isn’t the first thing you notice it captures the wires across the petrol station which could also signal poverty. This could mean Adams is photographing things that are not the ‘ beautiful’ standards and ugly things in life but makes it look aesthetically pleasing. A large factor to make this is the background of natural scenery and environmental factors. Although from the shop to the mountains it is hard to spot the difference as the shade is almost the same and dark you can tell through the lines and texture. Adam’s keeps the foreground clear through light shades contrasting with dark to keep the main subjects important and impactful with a darker background however it massively creates to the image.

Personally, I really like Robert Adam’s work as he captures unknown ‘ beautiful’ features and makes it look aesthetically pleasing whilst maintaining environmental factors. This brings conceptional and contextual ideas to his images for good reasonings. It creates the idea that his images don’t only say one thing. I like how they are in black and white and how he typically photographs natural scenery with modern subjects which creates contrast within itself and creates a vintage and nostalgic aesthetic. Because he is already contrasting modern and present features he does not have to contrast his shades and use the zone system like Ansel Adams however I do think it would bring more too certain images but may be too much in some to the point viewers wouldn’t know where to look. I also like how they are realistic looking which creates a whole new aesthetic compared to Ansel Adams and sublime etc.

The only reality is the Self and you are That. Why look for anything else? Everything else will take care of itself. You’ve got to abide in the Self, just in the Self.

What is the meaning of new Topographics?

New topographics was a term coined by William Jenkins in 1975 to describe a group of American photographers (such as Robert Adams and Lewis Baltz) whose pictures had a similar banal aesthetic, in that they were formal, mostly black and white prints of the urban landscape.

What is Topographics?
Technique in which a scene—usually a landscape—is photographed as if it were being surveyed from afar, practiced most famously by the 1970s ‘New Topographics’ photographers, including Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Nicholas Nixon, and Bernd and Hilla Becher.

What was the new topographics a reaction to?
Their stark, beautifully printed images of this mundane but oddly fascinating topography was both a reflection of the increasingly suburbanised world around them, and a reaction to the tyranny of idealised landscape photography that elevated the natural and the elemental.

Post-war America struggled with

• Inflation and labor unrest. The country’s main economic concern in the immediate post-war years was inflation. …
• The baby boom and suburbia. Making up for lost time, millions of returning veterans soon married and started families…
• Isolation and splitting of the family unit, pharmaceuticals and mental health problems
• Vast distances, road networks and mobility

A turning point in the history of photography, the 1975 exhibition New Topographics signalled a radical shift away from traditional depictions of landscape. Pictures of transcendent natural vistas gave way to unromanticised views of stark industrial landscapes, suburban sprawl, and everyday scenes not usually given a second glance. This restaging of the exhibition includes the work of all 10 photographers from the original show: Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz and etc.

MOODBOARD

The New Topographics documented built and natural landscapes in America, often capturing the tension between natural scenery and the mundane structures of post-war America: parking lots, suburban homes, crumbling coal mines. The photographs, stark and documentary, are often devoid of human presence. Jenkins described the images as “neutral” in style, “reduced to an essentially topographic state, conveying substantial amounts of visual information but eschewing entirely the aspects of beauty, emotion, and opinion”.

Robert Adams

On the one hand, New Topographics represented a radical shift by redefining the subject of landscape photography as the built (as opposed to the natural) environment. To comprehend the significance of this, it helps to consider the type of imagery that previously dominated the genre in the United States.

An example

Robert Adams

This image is a perfect example as the bottom half of the image is man-made with human activity objects as humans adapt which ultimately adds these subjects to the image. This contrasts to the top half off the image as it contains natural scenery therefore Robert Adam’s had contained both environmental factors. A significant feature about this image are the lines on the houses contrasting with the round/ not straight lines on the mountains showing clear meaning the houses are man-made and perfectly put together however the mountains are not but as humans we prefer the look of environmental features but housing is a necessity. Another interesting factor is the sun shining creating light highlights on the houses but in the distance dark shades with the clouds making light onto the floor which has an eye catching effect.

While visiting the exhibition, people voiced a range of reactions:

“I don’t like them—they’re dull and flat. There’s no people, no involvement, nothing.”

“At first it’s stark nothing, but then you look at it, and it’s just about the way things are.”

“I don’t like to think there are ugly streets in America, but when it’s shown to you—without beautification—maybe it tells you how much more we need here.” 

TYPOLOGY – the study and interpretation of types that became associated with photography through the work of Bernd and Hilla Becher

Landscape/Typology. The German artists Bernd and Hilla Becher, who began working together in 1959 and married in 1961, are best known for their “typologies”—grids of black-and-white photographs of variant examples of a single type of industrial structure.

A photographic typology is a single photograph or more commonly a body of photographic work, that shares a high level of consistency. This consistency is usually found within the subjects, environment, photographic process, and presentation or direction of the subject.

To create these works, the artists travelled to large mines and steel mills, and systematically photographed the major structures, such as the winding towers that haul coal and iron ore to the surface and the blast furnaces that transform the ore into metal. The rigorous frontality of the individual images gives them the simplicity of diagrams, while their density of detail offers encyclopaedic richness. At each site the Becher’s also created overall landscape views of the entire plant, which set the structures in their context and show how they relate to each other. The typologies emulate the clarity of an engineer’s drawing, while the landscapes evoke the experience of a particular place. The exhibition presents these two formats together; because they lie at the polar extremes of photographic description, each underscores the creative potential of the other.

A landscape typology is a systematic classification of landscape types based on attributes that describe properties of interest, such as land use, scenic properties, or cultural characteristics or history.

EXAMPLE

Contact Sheet- Picked/Rejected and rated

We went to St. Catherine’s, Gorey and Rozel to capture different type of natural scenery such as cliffs, piers, the sand, the sea and historical landmarks. Including in our images is a few man-made objects such as boats, cars and railings which can significantly add to an image to make it more realistic and natural. We adjusted the exposure and aperture to allow more light and get the correct scenery of the weather.

I decreased the exposure and increased the contrast to create more visible detail such as the clouds in the sky. I emphasized this by increasing the highlights and decreasing the shadows and lastly increasing the vibrance to make the image more bright to create an interesting factor. Finally, I decreased the saturation to obtain it to be natural.

Firstly, I decreased the exposure as the image at first was overly exposed to create more detail and eye catching and decreased the contrast to create more detail around the lining of features to increase visibility such as being able to see the sky and sea separate and the rocks on the far end. I kept the shadows the same as I didn’t think it was necessary. I increased the texture on the rocks/pebbles to create different textures and more visibility. Lastly I increased the vibrance and saturation to make the image more saturated and vibrant to each tone and colour to make it look more romantised.

Within this image, I experimented something different by putting it in black and white first as it is harder to create different exposure levels in different areas. I increased the temp to create a warmer look to this image. Once I had done that I continued to decrease the exposure but increase the contrast and highlights so at the top of the sky is a lower shade and forms into a much lighter shade to create more visibility which makes the image almost look surreal. As shown the sun is slightly shining through the clouds which editing emphasized however it has a slight reflection on the sea to create a lighter shade on the left hand side of the sea, this creates different type of contrast which ultimately makes the image more interesting to look at as it has better features. I increased the texture to see the ripples and detail in the sea more visible which separates it from being mistaken as the sky. I increased the dehaze to create a blend in the sky from a dark shade to a lighter shade. Lastly, I adjusted the mid tones and shadows to a warm yellow- orange colour to create a vintage and nostalgic look to make it look old which links to Romanticism as the genre was invented years ago from the industrial revolution which in my opinion adds to the image.

Within this image, I used visualization as this image would not appear like this to the naked eye as this photograph looks significantly surreal. I think this is important because it links to the topic sublime and romanticism. I increased the temperature and tint to create warmer tones. I decreased the exposure as it the exposure was too high and decreased the shadows to create more detail around the clouds as in my opinion it is the main subject of the image. I increased the texture to create different texture on the rocks. Lastly, I increased the vibrance so the sky had a more eye catching feature and to make the weather look better and higher saturation which creates a golden filter around the edge which emphasizes the surreal and romantised look.

I experimented putting the image in black and white as Adams preferred this. I decreased the exposure to emphasize the shades and tones and increased the contrast to create more definition. Added highlights and increased the whites so the photograph wasn’t too dark and dull. I kept the shadows the same as I didn’t think it was necessary to adjust them. Increased the texture and clarity to create definition and more of a surreal and interesting factors to create more significant and different textures.

Virtual Gallery – My favourite images

When taking a single-exposure photo, you might notice that the scene’s dynamic range is too wide for your camera. In other words, your camera doesn’t capture all the detail in one frame.

For example, suppose you are photographing an object in sunlight. In this case, the brightest elements will appear glaring white, and you will lose the details of these elements.

Similarly, when taking a photo of a person in front of a bright background, your camera might capture your subject as a flat shadow with no detail.

HDR stands for high dynamic range. This function increases your camera’s dynamic range to pick up detail in the shadow and the light elements of a frame.

HDR processing involves taking multiple images and capturing the same scene at different exposure values. Then, you need to merge these images using high-end photo editing software such as Adobe Lightroom 

The result is an image with visible detail in its lightest and darkest elements, making it appear more natural to the human eye.

I would successfully execute by adjusting my camera settings- I would control my camera’s aperture while my camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed. 

I would adjust my ISO setting as it determines your camera’s light sensitivity. Choose the lowest possible setting to ensure that your images are not grainy.

Select the correct aperture- In landscape photography, a narrow aperture of f/11 or higher is ideal. All your subjects will be in focus at these aperture settings, even at varying distances.

Adjust the correct exposure levels for my specific images- Most photographers take three shots at exposure values of -3, 0, and +3. A negative value results in a darker exposure, and a positive exposure is brighter.

A camera with an auto exposure bracketing (AEB) function can automatically take multiple photos at varying exposure levels. 

We made sure to use a tripod so there isn’t any noticeable movements or camera shakes.

We put the camera settings on continuous shooting so we can quickly take 3 images without the camera moving or shaking as well as using a tripod. Also preventing a subject moving in the image e.g. a car or person which unfortunately happened within these images. However when I merged the image the person came out clear and detailed therefore didn’t cause much of a problem.

Here is a preview of what merged together within the image. I selected high DE ghost amount which clearly shows what created the final outcome.

Personally, I think this image is slightly grainy and looks unrealistic within the tones and shades so I could select a lower De ghost amount to make it look more realistic.

There isn’t a significant amount of change however I personally prefer this photograph as it slightly looks more realistic as you ca see a slight difference within the shade of the grass and the sky.

Within this image I selected the high exposure level and selected show the De ghost which ultimately shows what has been merged with red highlights to show you the difference.

The rural landscape includes a variety of geological and geographic features such as cropland, forests, deserts, swamps, grasslands, pastures, rivers and lakes. The rural landscape provides natural resources, food and fibre, wildlife habitat and inspiration.

Rural landscape photography is in many ways similar to photographing urban landscapes. The difference is rural photography is about capturing the “life” in the countryside. Of some reasons I like to think of rural as something “old” while urban is mostly modern.

Rural is defined as “of or relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture.” A critical element in successful photography is capturing the interaction that occurs between subject and environment.

MOODBOARD

As you can see, most of these images include an old barn or hut of some sort with autumn leaves and colours in the countryside. This is the opposite to urban landscapes as it gives off a nostalgic and vintage feeling to the image using mostly natural environment factors to create more significance and meaning. In my opinion, keeping this image in colour creates the whole “vintage” look

Ansel Adams

Ansel Easton Adams was an American landscape photographer and environmentalist known for his black-and-white images of the American West. Ansel Adams is one of America’s most famous photographers and is known for his stunning photos of the American wilderness and his passion for conservation. Ansel Adams’ photography puts the American wilderness on display, highlighting its enormity and beauty through dramatic black and white photos.

Why did Ansel Adams photograph in black and white preferably?

There are two main reasons, according to an expert source, why Adams preferred black and white. The first was that he felt colour could be distracting, and could therefore divert an artist’s attention from the achievement of his full potential when taking a photograph.

However, Renowned as America’s pre-eminent black-and-white landscape photographer, Ansel Adams began to photograph in colour soon after Kodachrome film was invented in the mid 1930s. He made nearly 3,500 colour photographs, a small fraction of which were published for the first time in the 1993 edition of ANSEL ADAMS IN COLOR.

Few artists have had a greater impact on environmentalism than Ansel Adams. His belief in the possibility of humankind living in harmony with the environment was illuminated through his artwork and worked to strengthen other environmental efforts.

Who was Ansel influenced by?

Adams was strongly influenced by Alfred Stieglitz, whom he met in 1933 and who mounted a one-man exhibition for him in 1936 at Stieglitz’s An American Place gallery in New York City.

Ansel Adams uses the zone system. The Zone System assigns numbers from 0 through 10 to different brightness values, with 0 representing black, 5 middle grey, and 10 pure white; these values are known as zones.

Group f/64 was created when Ansel Adams and Willard Van Dyke, an apprentice of Edward Weston, decided to organize some of their fellow photographers for the purposes of promoting a common aesthetic principle. In the early 1930s Van Dyke established a small photography gallery in his home at 683 Brock Hurst in Oakland.

64, loose association of California photographers who promoted a style of sharply detailed, purist photography. The group, formed in 1932, constituted a revolt against Pictorialism, the soft-focused, academic photography that was then prevalent among West Coast artists.

What style is Ansel Adams associated with?

Where landscape artists used colour and brushstrokes to show the beauty of the places that became part of the National Park System, many of Ansel’s photographs were minimalist, shot in black and white using sharp contrast and deep focus. Ansel’s photography is known for its realist style.

The zone system is a range from the amount of shades which ultimately create a contrast and a significant eye catching feature to the image. It is important to recognize that Adams made this effect in the 20th century without the use of adapted technology. An example is this image.

In this image you can see the river is highlighted with light shades ( end of the zone system ) contrasting with more blacks with the trees with detailed greys which easily catch your eye. With the highlighted sky contrasting with the mountains creates significant importance with this photograph.

ANSEL ADAMS AND ROMANTICISM

Similarities & Differences

A similarity within these images is that they both have significant contrasting and highlights to create a beautiful look within the environment and atmosphere. They both are typical landscapes obtaining natural/non- man made objects. An important difference is romanticism typically involves historic values and sometimes humans however they still normally do not make it the main subject of the image as the background is the main eye catcher. A major difference is that Adams prefers to use black and white but still manages to contrast the highlights and shadows so it isn’t all one tone and shade. Ansel’s work looks a bit more detailed and focused however these romanticism images are more hazy/misty and less focused compared to Adams.

COMPARISON WITH EDWARD WESTON

Edward Weston mood board–

My first initial thought from my perspective is that Weston focuses on texture rather than tone and shade like Adams. Each landscape has a different type of texture and is the main subject of each image. Whereas Adams focuses on the environment and landscapes but most importantly he focuses on the zone system which Weston does not which is obvious as he does not use a large range of shades. A similarity is they are both of environmental and natural scenery and are both typically in black and white. Although Weston images are significantly contrasting between light and dark his images mainly create this by the use of very dark tones of black almost pure black and then grey tones. This shows us that Weston does not follow the zone system created by Adams. Edward Weston in my opinion shows romanticism however still changes it from what we would see by the naked eye yet still beautiful and captivating way, he uses the use of patterns and lines. It is almost as he uses each curved line in this image as a different section and tone of grey or black. The ripples show consistency through the image which makes it appealing to look at and gives the image the calmness and natural beauty of romanticism images. Weston’s vision and photographic theories were heightened and perfected. He believed in the previsualization of the final photographic image. If cropping was necessary, the image was a failure.

“The camera should be used for a recording of life, for rendering the very substance and quintessence of the thing itself, whether it be polished steel or palpitating flesh.” “My own eyes are no more than scouts on a preliminary search, for the camera’s eye may entirely change my idea.”

How did Adams influence others?

Ansel’s photography has had great impact indeed, not only in awakening people to the beauty of nature but in inspiring many other photographers to turn their efforts to the natural scene and to use photography in the interests of environmental preservation.

Ansel Adams’ love of nature and his work in capturing vistas within the Sierras and other protected lands for all to see changed the American art world to include nature photography.

IMAGE ANAYLYSIS

The first noticeable feature of this image is the mist between the trees. Adam’s successfully contrasts the trees against the mist using the zone system as the trees are low within the zone system. He also significantly uses dark mountains but in the background you notice the sun slightly shining in with a higher zone system and lighter shades. The start of the image the mountains are dark and they slowly go lighter because of the sun. This creates an interesting factor by preventing it from making the image dull and boring with one shade and tone. The trees stop poking out of the mist half way through the background which creates mystery as we do not know what is underneath however we assume there is trees. To prevent this image from being dull he uses a range of grey shades from the zone system. This image also contains different textures from the mist to the trees and mountains which shows HDR high dynamic range.

MY PHOTOSHOOT PLAN

Within my images I want to create a HDR image so it obtains all detail and shades to create an interesting factor.

What are HDR photos?

When taking a single-exposure photo, you might notice that the scene’s dynamic range is too wide for your camera. In other words, your camera doesn’t capture all the detail in one frame.

For example, suppose you are photographing an object in sunlight. In this case, the brightest elements will appear glaring white, and you will lose the details of these elements.

Similarly, when taking a photo of a person in front of a bright background, your camera might capture your subject as a flat shadow with no detail.

HDR stands for high dynamic range. This function increases your camera’s dynamic range to pick up detail in the shadow and the light elements of a frame.

HDR processing involves taking multiple images and capturing the same scene at different exposure values. Then, you need to merge these images using high-end photo editing software such as Adobe Lightroom 

The result is an image with visible detail in its lightest and darkest elements, making it appear more natural to the human eye.

I would successfully execute by adjusting my camera settings- I would control my camera’s aperture while my camera automatically adjusts the shutter speed. 

I would adjust my ISO setting as it determines your camera’s light sensitivity. Choose the lowest possible setting to ensure that your images are not grainy.

Select the correct aperature- In landscape photography, a narrow aperture of f/11 or higher is ideal. All your subjects will be in focus at these aperture settings, even at varying distances.

Adjust the correct exposure levels for my specific images- Most photographers take three shots at exposure values of -3, 0, and +3. A negative value results in a darker exposure, and a positive exposure is brighter.

A camera with an auto exposure bracketing (AEB) function can automatically take multiple photos at varying exposure levels. 

After I have adjusted my camera correctly and experimented by taking photos. I can merge all 3 images with 3 different exposure levels to create an HDR image in Adobe Lightroom. If I am not happy with my final result I can continue to edit them in Lightroom.

My Example/ Not final Products

As shown, there are 3 different images with different exposure and saturated levels and with one extra image which all 3 have merged to create.

Within this image it shows what has been merged together using red highlights. I selected the ‘high’ DE ghost amount as it was personally my preferred out of all the options and it obtains the most noticeable exposure levels without it making it to grainy which I personally like as it creates an interesting factor to the human eye.

Now, I will do the same method and take landscapes related to Romanticism and try to use the zone system like Ansel Adams.

It is hard to trace the exact origin of landscape photography since the very first photography that we know of was taken in an urban landscape during 1826 or 1827 by the French inventor Nicéphore Niépce. Then in 1935 the English scientist Henry Fox Talbot came into play with various photography innovations.

Traditions

Landscape photographs typically capture the presence of nature but can also focus on human-made features or disturbances of landscapes. Landscape photography is done for a variety of reasons. Perhaps the most common is to recall a personal observation or experience while in the outdoors, especially when travelling.

According to records, the earliest known evidence of a landscape photograph was taken between the years of 1826 and 1827. It was an urban landscape photo taken by a French inventor by the name of Nicephore Niepce.

The first landscape photograph

Modern Landscapes

How have landscape photography evolved?

The first cameras used for landscapes were simple wooden boxes with a photosensitive material coating a plate. After some photographic innovation, view cameras became possible. These cameras are also known as large format cameras and are precision devices built to capture reality in a way no other camera can.

Landscape photography commonly involves daylight photography of natural features of land, sky and waters, at a distance—though some landscapes may involve subjects in a scenic setting nearby, even close-up, and sometimes at night.

When did the genre of landscapes begin?

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the tradition of depicting pure landscapes declined, and the landscape was seen only as a setting for religious and figural scenes. This tradition continued until the 16th century when artists began to view the landscape as a subject in its own right. In the Eastern tradition, the genre can be traced back to 4th-century-ce China.

Artists have been painting the landscape since ancient times. The Greeks and Romans created wall paintings of landscapes and gardenscapes. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the tradition of depicting pure landscapes declined, and the landscape was seen only as a setting for religious and figural scenes. This tradition continued until the 16th century when artists began to view the landscape as a subject in its own right. The artistic shift seems to have corresponded to a growing interest in the natural world sparked by the Renaissance.

The term “landscape” actually derives from the Dutch word landschap, which originally meant “region, tract of land” but acquired the artistic connotation, “a picture depicting scenery on land” in the early 1500s (American Heritage Dictionary, 2000). A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or human-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal. The development of the term in the Netherlands at this time was logical because the Netherlands was one of the first places that landscape had become a popular subject for painting. At this time, the rising Protestant middle class sought secular art for their homes, creating the need for new subjects to meet their tastes; landscapes helped fill this need.

Birth of the Classical Landscape

Landscape with a Calm, Nicolas Poussin, 1650–1651

In the 17th century the classical landscape was born.

VS

The Modern Landscape

Irises, Vincent van Gogh, 1889

The 19th century held many milestones for the history of landscape art. As the Industrial Revolution altered the traditions of rural life, the old hierarchy of subjects crumbled. 

Comparison

Within these two famous paintings, you can instantly tell they are significantly different and have impactful contrasting qualities to one another but also similar. One similar quality they both have is they are both inspired by beautiful things. However the classic landscape contains man-made and is influenced by by classical antiquity and contains a ” rich” part of the land. Arcadia, a legendary place in ancient Greece known for its quiet pastoral beauty. In a classical landscape the positioning of objects was contrived; every tree, rock, or animal was carefully placed to present a harmonious, balanced, and timeless mood. This painting is also painted to look realistic and natural. Whereas, the modern landscape is not-man made and is natural in a different sense however is purposefully painted to look fake as if it has been painted. This creates a large contrast between the two. The modern landscape also only contains one natural object rather than multiple therefore you are only looking at one thing as there is no more eye catching objects.

Photography and the 20th-Century Landscape

In the early 20th century, painters continued to embrace the landscape. As photography gained acceptance as an art form, artists used the medium to create interpretations of the land through pictorialist effects and, later, through formal compositions of close-up, cropped views of the landscape. In America, photographer Ansel Adams captured the country’s attention with his breathtaking views of the wild beauty of the American West. Even though the major artistic movements of the mid-20th century were no longer dominated by the landscape as a subject, the genre’s importance continued as artists responded to fears of increased industrialization, the threat of global destruction, and ecological disasters.

In the second half of the 20th century, the definition of landscape was challenged and pressed to include concepts like urban landscapes, cultural landscapes, industrial landscapes, and landscape architecture. Landscape photography continued to evolve and rise in popularity. American photographers like Robert Adams and William A. Garnett used the medium to raise awareness of conservation concerns. Today, the landscape continues to be a subject artists turn to when contemplating the ways we relate to the places where we live and the impact we as humans have on the land.

SUBLIME IN ART

What is Sublime?
Sublime is the quality of greatness beyond all measure. The Sublime is a western aesthetic concept of ‘the exalted’ of ‘beauty that is grand and dangerous’. The Sublime refers to the wild, unbounded grandeur of nature. Sometimes, we photograph things that are awe-inspiring and not necessarily beautiful.

The sublime is both beautiful and terrifying in its power or potential darkness. Artists explored the sublime in depth through art using paintings and drawings of the imagination, however they could often turn into nightmares. Natural landscapes were mighty and nice to look at and people admired the aesthetics but they were always dangerous.

Ansel Adams’ photographs of towering mountains and canyons are arguably major expressions, exemplars and evokers of the sublime in photography. The sublime involves the formlessness of uplifting spectacles and produces feelings of awe and terror.

Humans subconsciously connect to nature as we admire it as we live in it however this contrasts as we also mistakenly destroy it e.g. by polluting the air, cutting down trees and leaving litter around. Us as humans are not grateful enough for the nature that we are given although we admire it. This is a large contrast within how we feel vs what we do which creates a significant debate.

Within this image, there is a disaster however it is sublime. The natural and non-man made objects are beautiful but the concept within its self is not but it is however grand. The clouds and other images are beautiful no matter the context. This makes it sublime

FAMOUS IMAGES

Richard Wilson 1713–1782

ROMANTISM

The Age of Romanticism (1800-1900ish)

Romanticism emphasized the individual, the subjective, the irrational, the imaginative, the personal, the spontaneous, the emotional, the visionary, and the transcendental. Travel to the turn of the 19th century to experience the Romantic musical, literary, and artistic movement.

Romanticism is an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. For most of the Western world, it was at its peak from approximately 1800 to 1850.

How did romanticism change art?
Along with plumbing emotional and behavioural extremes, Romantic artists expanded the repertoire of subject matter, rejecting the didacticism of Neoclassical history painting in favour of imaginary and exotic subjects. Orientalism and the worlds of literature stimulated new dialogues with the past as well as the present.

Today, Romanticism can be found in a wide cross-section of film, television, literature, music, and art. Whether it is a focus on the eternal power of nature or an audience’s visceral reaction to a particular medium, contemporary society is ripe with Romance in the Romantic sense.

Romantic artists often sought to capture the moods, feelings, and emotions of their subjects, using expressive compositions, vivid colors, and dramatic contrasts of light and dark. Nature was another important theme in Romantic art, with many artists exploring the beauty and power of the natural world.

There are strong echoes of Romanticism in contemporary concerns about the environment and the need to appreciate and preserve it. Romantics also embraced the foreign and the exotic, especially eliciting an interest in Orientalism, and this too affected the history of art.

The Industrial Revolution 1760-1840 was based upon the efficient exploitation of nature’s raw materials and labour as new scientific theories developed by the Enlightenment thinkers were quickly transformed into practical, money-making applications.

MOODBOARD