Chosen Topic -
'Photography and Narrative'.
Photographers -
Tracy Moffatt
Gregory Crewsdon
Anna Gaskell
I chose to photography and narrative because i like the idea of a single image being able to tell an entire story. I will look at the practice of Moffatt, Crewsdon and Gaskell and analise how they can 'fake' a seemingly documentary style image. Also i will look at the differences between being in the right place for real documentary situations and constructing them for dramatic effect.
http://www.roslynoxley9.com.au/artists/26/Tracey_Moffatt/60/
http://www.artnet.com/artists/gregory-crewdson/artworks-for-sale
http://www.artnet.com/artists/anna-gaskell/
http://deanjohnsoncontemporaryphotograp.blogspot.com/2011/04/narrative-photography-assignment-4.html
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Photography and the Environment
I think photography can definitely do a lot for helping environmental conservation campaigns. Most people might not get a chance to go to the depths of Tasmania or places similar and therefore they can not fully understand the beauty of the nature in such places. This does not mean they don't care. The use of photography i believe is paramount in reaching people with the 'out of sight, out of mind" attitude. By advertising in media such as newspapers and tv the awareness of such devastation as wood chipping is unavoidable.
Ultimately beauty and pity are going to be the deal breakers for people thinking about donating or voting for a particular party. Showing a breathtaking endangered landscape or a ruined habitat/injured wildlife is, to a point, always going to move anyone from nature lovers to corporate bigwigs. Facts or tag lines also can do a great job in complimenting the images such as "Would you vote for a party that would destroy this?" from Peter Dombrovskis Rock Island Bend image or the factual interactive slide show of the Stynx Valley on the Greenpeace website. One problem i find with the effectiveness of photography in conservation is that images can become overbearing. If every day there is a multitude of images crammed into the faces of citizens, eventually they will begin to just tune out and disregard the campaigns as 'just another advertisement'.
In Tim Bonyhady's "When a picture packs a punch", the main issue raised is that there is a lack of photographers who are able to represent nature in such a way as Peter Dombrovski. He claims Dombrovski's mastery of large format cameras allowed him to capture unparalleled images in terms of clarity and composition. To a point this might be true, but as photographers become more concerned and cameras become more advanced, there is nothing stopping the other people capturing scenes just as moving.
Ultimately beauty and pity are going to be the deal breakers for people thinking about donating or voting for a particular party. Showing a breathtaking endangered landscape or a ruined habitat/injured wildlife is, to a point, always going to move anyone from nature lovers to corporate bigwigs. Facts or tag lines also can do a great job in complimenting the images such as "Would you vote for a party that would destroy this?" from Peter Dombrovskis Rock Island Bend image or the factual interactive slide show of the Stynx Valley on the Greenpeace website. One problem i find with the effectiveness of photography in conservation is that images can become overbearing. If every day there is a multitude of images crammed into the faces of citizens, eventually they will begin to just tune out and disregard the campaigns as 'just another advertisement'.
In Tim Bonyhady's "When a picture packs a punch", the main issue raised is that there is a lack of photographers who are able to represent nature in such a way as Peter Dombrovski. He claims Dombrovski's mastery of large format cameras allowed him to capture unparalleled images in terms of clarity and composition. To a point this might be true, but as photographers become more concerned and cameras become more advanced, there is nothing stopping the other people capturing scenes just as moving.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Narrative & Photography - Assignment #4
Anna Gaskell
What inspired me to further research Anna Gaskell was reading the words of Charlotte Cotton depicting her work as ambiguous and sinister. I was immediately drawn to Anna's Wonder and Override series' as i also have an interest in Lewis Carrol's Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and have used the story as a motif in my own photography in the past. Alice in wonderland seems to be a perfect narrative for Gaskell to work with as the tableau style of photography often involves children and misadventure or the good turned bad.
Although each series has many photos which when put together tell a story, the viewer still can find a lot to interpret in each single image. There is no flow or sense of time between her photos, rather they are all just snippets of an idea represented in different ways. Even the protagonist Alice changes actors multiple times throughout Wonder and Override.
Gaskell is no Gregory Crewston when it comes to elaborate setups although her simple and sometimes 'messy' lighting is helpful in exaggerating the dream like quality of narrative photography. Unlike some photographers, she uses existing ideas or stories and through her unique representation she lets the audience interpret them in a different way, often a way that is uncanny and somewhat sordid. Her Hide series is both voyeuristic and wreaks terror with inspiration drawn from Shakespeare's Ophelia and tales from Brothers Grimm. The visual story is so effectively told through her use of stalker like angles and ominous lighting.
untitled #47 (hide), 1998
Untitled #2 (wonder), 1996
Untitled #26 (override), 1997
Izima Kaoru
Izima Kaoru strikes my interest as it involves both beauty and death, a combination that when put together allow for very eerie and enchanting images.
His images leave a lot of questions to the viewer. Who is the subject? What exactly has happened to them? Why are they alone? What will happen now? I see Izima's works as the middle of the narrative and the story is left to interpretation.
In all Kaoru's images the females are dressed in high fashion outfits. I found out that he asked his models to "reveal to him their fantasies about a perfect death" and what designer clothes they would be in when they died. Having the girls in such clothing gives death a beautiful and somewhat enticing quality. It also makes it obvious that the images are fictional.
#312 Okamoto Aya wears Eri Matsui, 2001
Igawa Haruka wears Dolce & Gabbana, 2006
Hasegawa Kyoko wears YSL, 2003
Reika Hashimoto wears Milk (442), 2006
Sources
Image
Izima: http://www.artnet.com
Gaskell: http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f71/anna-gaskell-photographer-119879.html
General
http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/
http://www.studiolacitta.it/English/Artists/IzimaKaoru.php
http://www.postmedia.net/999/gaskell.htm
What inspired me to further research Anna Gaskell was reading the words of Charlotte Cotton depicting her work as ambiguous and sinister. I was immediately drawn to Anna's Wonder and Override series' as i also have an interest in Lewis Carrol's Adventures of Alice in Wonderland and have used the story as a motif in my own photography in the past. Alice in wonderland seems to be a perfect narrative for Gaskell to work with as the tableau style of photography often involves children and misadventure or the good turned bad. Although each series has many photos which when put together tell a story, the viewer still can find a lot to interpret in each single image. There is no flow or sense of time between her photos, rather they are all just snippets of an idea represented in different ways. Even the protagonist Alice changes actors multiple times throughout Wonder and Override.
Gaskell is no Gregory Crewston when it comes to elaborate setups although her simple and sometimes 'messy' lighting is helpful in exaggerating the dream like quality of narrative photography. Unlike some photographers, she uses existing ideas or stories and through her unique representation she lets the audience interpret them in a different way, often a way that is uncanny and somewhat sordid. Her Hide series is both voyeuristic and wreaks terror with inspiration drawn from Shakespeare's Ophelia and tales from Brothers Grimm. The visual story is so effectively told through her use of stalker like angles and ominous lighting.
untitled #47 (hide), 1998
Untitled #2 (wonder), 1996
Untitled #26 (override), 1997Izima Kaoru
Izima Kaoru strikes my interest as it involves both beauty and death, a combination that when put together allow for very eerie and enchanting images. His images leave a lot of questions to the viewer. Who is the subject? What exactly has happened to them? Why are they alone? What will happen now? I see Izima's works as the middle of the narrative and the story is left to interpretation.
In all Kaoru's images the females are dressed in high fashion outfits. I found out that he asked his models to "reveal to him their fantasies about a perfect death" and what designer clothes they would be in when they died. Having the girls in such clothing gives death a beautiful and somewhat enticing quality. It also makes it obvious that the images are fictional.
#312 Okamoto Aya wears Eri Matsui, 2001
Igawa Haruka wears Dolce & Gabbana, 2006
Hasegawa Kyoko wears YSL, 2003
Reika Hashimoto wears Milk (442), 2006Sources
Image
Izima: http://www.artnet.com
Gaskell: http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f71/anna-gaskell-photographer-119879.html
General
http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/
http://www.studiolacitta.it/English/Artists/IzimaKaoru.php
http://www.postmedia.net/999/gaskell.htm
Monday, March 21, 2011
Assignment #3 - The issue of girl models: Bill Henson & Vogue
I have mixed feelings about the issue of children in photography, as I'm sure many do. The main points i got from the video of David Marr on the Henson case and the French Vogue spread was that in order to justify the use (and in some cases exploitation) of children in photography, you first must look deeper into the intention purpose and audience of the images.
When the issue of children and their theft of innocence comes about, i believe people tend to criticise and over react first and then ask questions later. Obviously a parent is going to perceive Bill Hensons works differently to an art enthusiast and therefor it is very difficult for the whole of society to come to an agreement about what is acceptable.
The relation to pedophilia is inevitable when photographing children, whether it be tasteful of not it will still evoke attention from the wrong kind of person. Thats not to justify having naked children available for people to see as you would expect shoots like the French Vogue spread would catch a pedophiles attention faster than a clothing ad in a K-Mart flyer.
One thing i do worry about is the impact that shoots such as in French Vogue have on the children involved. Writer and commentator Nina Funnell said it right when asking "what’s to stop a six year old from walking away with the message that when they look older and dress in a more sexual manner they get more praise, attention and money compared to when they look like their every day self?"
As far as the political intervention that resulted in the closing of the Henson show that David Marr spoke of, i personally believe the opinion of politicians should be disregarded to some point. The representatives are likely use their rhetoric to gain popularity with the Australian public. I agree with David Marr when he says "we are now back where we should have been all along, not necessarily agreeing that we like Bill Henson's photographs, not necessarily agreeing he should be allowed in schools, but able to discuss these issues without demonising them, demonising him, and without all this panic." I think it is important for the average Australian to look past the though that all potentially untastefull images of children are smut rather than art, although we need to also coincide the implications of the wrong people enjoying the photos for the wrong reasons.
Resources:
French Vogue- http://melindatankardreist.com/2011/01/vogue%E2%80%99s-smouldering-photo-shoot-of-tarted-up-little-girls-no-parody/
David Marr Video- http://www.themonthly.com.au/david-marr-henson-case-1268
When the issue of children and their theft of innocence comes about, i believe people tend to criticise and over react first and then ask questions later. Obviously a parent is going to perceive Bill Hensons works differently to an art enthusiast and therefor it is very difficult for the whole of society to come to an agreement about what is acceptable.
The relation to pedophilia is inevitable when photographing children, whether it be tasteful of not it will still evoke attention from the wrong kind of person. Thats not to justify having naked children available for people to see as you would expect shoots like the French Vogue spread would catch a pedophiles attention faster than a clothing ad in a K-Mart flyer.
One thing i do worry about is the impact that shoots such as in French Vogue have on the children involved. Writer and commentator Nina Funnell said it right when asking "what’s to stop a six year old from walking away with the message that when they look older and dress in a more sexual manner they get more praise, attention and money compared to when they look like their every day self?"
As far as the political intervention that resulted in the closing of the Henson show that David Marr spoke of, i personally believe the opinion of politicians should be disregarded to some point. The representatives are likely use their rhetoric to gain popularity with the Australian public. I agree with David Marr when he says "we are now back where we should have been all along, not necessarily agreeing that we like Bill Henson's photographs, not necessarily agreeing he should be allowed in schools, but able to discuss these issues without demonising them, demonising him, and without all this panic." I think it is important for the average Australian to look past the though that all potentially untastefull images of children are smut rather than art, although we need to also coincide the implications of the wrong people enjoying the photos for the wrong reasons.
Resources:
French Vogue- http://melindatankardreist.com/2011/01/vogue%E2%80%99s-smouldering-photo-shoot-of-tarted-up-little-girls-no-parody/
David Marr Video- http://www.themonthly.com.au/david-marr-henson-case-1268
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Assignment #2 - "Ethical Photojournalism"
For Assignment 2 we read 'Ethical Photojournalism: Its Authenticity and Impact'. What I found interesting in this reading was writer John Kaplan's belief that photographers should not "self censor" images of a situation. By picking and choosing what to publish you are taking complete control over what the viewer will perceive as truth. Kaplan believes that it should be up to the viewer to make up their own mind about the proprietary of the situation.
Though it is easy to say a photographer should not sensor what they release to the public, i believe they're are many variables and underlying factors to consider such as emotional attachment to the subject or debates of who is the "bad guy" and who is being wronged in a particular situation.
It made me think about how I feel about exposing less fortunate people in an unavoidably undignified way, even if was ultimately the truth. Also, how can i truly judge who was at fault if i was documenting a conflict in another country as a third party observer.
I could not find the photographer of this image but i believe although it is informative to the world, i would think a photographer would have to be very emotionally detached to publish such a shot without remorse for the deceased. Also on the site, this was the only photograph. Who is to say the photographer didn't get less dignified images but omit them from publication?
http://info-wars.org/2010/09/06/obamas-secret-war-death-squads/
Though it is easy to say a photographer should not sensor what they release to the public, i believe they're are many variables and underlying factors to consider such as emotional attachment to the subject or debates of who is the "bad guy" and who is being wronged in a particular situation.
It made me think about how I feel about exposing less fortunate people in an unavoidably undignified way, even if was ultimately the truth. Also, how can i truly judge who was at fault if i was documenting a conflict in another country as a third party observer.
I could not find the photographer of this image but i believe although it is informative to the world, i would think a photographer would have to be very emotionally detached to publish such a shot without remorse for the deceased. Also on the site, this was the only photograph. Who is to say the photographer didn't get less dignified images but omit them from publication?http://info-wars.org/2010/09/06/obamas-secret-war-death-squads/
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Assignment #1
This a photo of Luke Croker by a photographer named Moey.
Source: www.skateboard.com.au
This photo is a mystery to me, I would love to know exactly how it was done. I really like how the skater is seperated so crisply from the background. The image seems almost surreal. Also it is a hefty trick which of course make a skateboarding photo that much better. Im not usually a fan of square crops but this one definitely works.
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