William Eggleston

Dust Bells volume II

Untitled

Untitled Dust Bells volume II

William Eggleston

William Eggleston, whose work was inspired by the work of Robert Frank,. Much like Frank Eggleston did not photograph predictable things. Eggleston most commonly photographed signs, telegraph poles, parking meters and posters. The photographs I have chosen from Eggleston’s collection do include people this is because people interest me.
The first photograph from ‘Dust Bells II’ reminds me of Franks photograph ‘Butte , MT’ which features a family in a car. The car has two teens in eating some sort of fast food. This reminds me of when I first got my car all I wanted to do was drive all the time! The car looks new for the era, the couple could be on a date and the male could be showing off his new car. I love how the identities of the pair featured are not fully revealed this is done by the use of the above angle; this made me wonder what the pair were like. By using this angle Eggleston opens up the rest of the landscape surrounding them. This photograph has a feel good feel and reminds me of young love.
The second photograph ‘Untitled’ is clearly from the 60’s era, this is shown through the car and how the female is dressed. I love how casual this shot is, the female looks completely relaxed. The model looks young and as though she is enjoying life. I like the amount of blue in the composition gives the photo a calm feel. The circular shape of the wheel works nicely with the square shape of the car door. The door also creates a perspective point and keeps the eye on the female.
The final photograph from ‘Dust Bells II is truly beautiful. The composition is very visually interesting; this is shown through the similarities of colour throughout the composition. The female, who looks fairly young, wears an orange dress which blends into the brick work in a beautiful way. What makes the female stand out from the brickwork is the vertical lines on her dress and the shadow behind her. She appears to be under a street lamp this is shown through the dark area on the left hand corner and the shadow behind her. It almost looks as if the female has done this as an act to be invisible. This could be as she is not stick thin or popular; I think almost every girl has once felt the same. This photograph makes me wonder why she is standing alone in the middle of the night. I like the use of the landscape here I think it makes the photograph more meaningful and unique which works with the message decoded from the photograph. In conclusion Like Robert Frank William Eggleston looks for the things the world do not see or the moments that seem ordinary.

Robert Frank

Mary 1957
Political rally , Chicago

Butte , MT

Robert Frank

Robert frank, a spectacular film photographer, is best known for his series ‘The Americans’ in which I have shown above. In discourse we watched a short documentary film on him which was the only documentary he had done and his last. In the film Frank talks about his life in America and living with his wife June Leaf who made sculptures for a living. The couple have a beautiful bond and it was lovely to see how happy they made each other. As Frank talks about his work he describes how things used to be and explained how he would go out for hours and waits for the perfect frame. His passion for the subject is very clear.
In the first photograph ‘Mary 1957’ was very surprising to me when I first saw it. What strikes me about this photograph is how the shadow casts across ‘Mary’s’ face. The model is very attractive however with the shadow across her face it almost gives her another persona. What I love about Frank is his confidence and his unpredictable compositions. Any other photographer would have not taken this shot or taken it without the shadow. This shows his love for photography as he is more concerned with creating and interesting composition than photographing a pretty woman. The tones in this photograph contrast really well and the shadow helps to tone down the strong light on the face. I love how the waves are softly coming in it gives the image a tranquil feel. The flower in the woman’s hair also emphasises the calm feel as it can be linked to the ‘hippy fashion’. The shadow looks as if it is a person; this could well be Frank himself. This could also be a representation of being controlled as the shadow could represent a part of her that she doesn’t reveal or a person controlling her life.
‘Political rally, Chicago’ really made me laugh! I love Robert Franks way of making something serious comical. Again you would think Frank would be on a documentary shoot photographing crowds but instead he focuses on this man with a trombone in front of him, I think its hilarious. Frank really has an eye for capturing moments and sights everyone else walks past. The composition is perfect as the political event can be decoded from the flags in the top of the photograph. I love the grainy texture of the wall it really brings out the man with the trombone. As the viewer I am intrigued to know what this man is like.
The final photograph ‘Butte, MT’ is one of my favourites of Franks, the angle is perfect and I love how the shape of the car pushes the eye across the frame. The family make no eye contact with Frank which I think is magical. The family look lower class to middle class. They all look in the same direction which suggests they are looking at an ongoing event. Again Frank does not focus on this he focuses on the people and their expressions. The black and white works nicely here, in modern photography this in colour would be too much for the viewer to take in. since looking through Frank’s work I have developed a liking to him and they way he sees the world. I find him beautiful.

Semiotics

colour chart

Tea cup
Roland Bathes

Semiotics in Photography .

When I first started learning semiotics one of the things I remember is being faced with a photograph of a chair and being asked what is this? And we all said it was a chair. When being told we were wrong we wall all puzzled until it was made clear that the object we were being shown was a photograph of a chair, rather than a chair itself. For example if showing tea cup (above) to someone they would say it was a cup but it would be a picture of a cup, an example of a cup.
It was Roland Bathes, who came up with the theory of semiotics,

‘Semiotics, semiotic studies, or sociology is the study of sign processes (semiosis), or signification and communication, signs and symbols, both individually and grouped into sign systems. It includes the study of how meaning is constructed and understood’.

Barthes’s is best known for his book Mythologies.The book is about connotations and codes. Bathes studied the sign process and did extensive research on how meaning is constructed. For example when looking at the different fonts in the photograph above each convey a different mood or convention. The joined handwriting, second down, has a very welcoming feel to it as compared to the last font which is very obscure and could put a reader off. The same theory can be related to colors as they all have different connotations. For example red is , love , passion , danger , stop , blood , death , glamour ect and blue is calm ,tranquil , peaceful and relaxing . Colour can affect our opinion on products which is why the media have to think about how to attract their audience. For example a print advertisement for a children’s cereal will be in bright colours and be very welcoming as children appeal to this. If the cereal was black it would put the buyer off and make them think badly of the product. In conclusion semiotics has become a huge part of our society especially where the art and media worlds are concerned.

links

www.cla.purdue.edu/academic/engl/theory/narratology/modules/barthesplot.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semiotics

www.semiotic.co.uk/

Postmodernism

'Andre Kertesz Distortion #49 1933'

Jo Spence ' I cant remember my name'

Postmodernism and Photography

Definition of postmodernism,

‘Of or relating to art, architecture, or literature that reacts against earlier modernist principles, as by reintroducing traditional or classical elements of style or by carrying modernist styles or practices to extremes.’

To me postmodernism evolved from the modernist period in which in music and art the boundaries were pushed and broken. Artists and photographers no longer wanted to be restricted by the’ rules’ of the art world, you could say. Therefore they become modernist and created new ideas and concepts. Postmodernism is combining old methods of working with modern forms, taking and borrowing. Now there are no limits on what art and photography can do and the boundaries are created by the photographer or artist.
An example a modernist piece would be the work of Andre Kertész whose distortion series went against all the rules of taking a traditional photograph. The photograph that could have been a traditional nude has been transformed to a surreal masterpiece. I really like this photograph as it differs from the work of that era being very traditional. Kertész almost creates a new life form with his distorted photographs and it would have been a surprise to the viewer at the time.
An example of a postmodern piece is the work of Jo Spence who combined black and white film and colour photography in her montage ‘I can’t remember my name’. The film photograph is very classic and In terms of composition it is technically perfect. The colour photographs on the other hand are almost taken like quick snap shots on a disposable camera. I love the contrast and in a way this photograph can be used as an example of how photography has progressed over the years, to having to develop photographs and having them instantly. The colour photographs have a strong link. However they are all taken in different ways be it angles, lighting or point of view this can be linked to postmodernism as the boundaries of what makes a series work. I love how the photographs are set out in no complete order which sums up the art world at the moment, there are no restrictions. Interestingly the only photograph that is straight is the film photograph; this could be a demonstration of modernism and breaking the boundaries of photography. The sentence written over the body ‘how do I begin to take responsibility’ could be a reference to the female figure in the black and white photograph. The title of the photograph ‘ I can’t remember my name ‘ really made me think about what the photograph meant and what it meant to Spence. Again her title could be a reference to the ever changing trends in the art world but I can’t help to think it means something more.

Links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Kert%C3%A9sz

http://photo.net/philosophy-of-photography-forum/00CTVK

http://theslantedpenguin.blogspot.com/2008/03/photography-as-postmodernism-or-obscene.html

http://www.answers.com/topic/postmodernism

Feminism

' Untitled #03 1977'
'Untitled #06 1977'

'Untitled #50 1979'

Feminism- Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman’s self portraits link to the subject of feminism. The photographs consist of staged self portraits and film stills. In many of Sherman’s films she played the role of the ‘femme fatal’ and was made to look venerable. In other films Sherman played the role of a sex symbol and the role of the domestic goddess, cooking and cleaning. Sherman’s roles varied but each was revolved around the male form. Sherman’s series of black and white film stills were taken from (1977-1980) at a time where the world was still over dominated by men. I admire Sherman for her confidence and realisation of equal forms. Now in a growing feminist society Sherman’s work will be idolised and used as an example of how male dominated the world once was.
Sherman said,
“I’m trying to make other people recognize something of themselves rather than me.”
I think this quote says a lot. I can imagine women seeing her portraits and thinking what role they play in life or rather what role of Sherman’s they play. All of Sherman’s portraits are ‘Untitled’ I Iove how this effects the photographs. By not naming the photographs this says to me that there is no true identity of women it’s her own decision and she makes what she makes of it. When looking at a Sherman portrait two people will not always have the same ideas and ideals. These ideas could have been swayed with a name to a photograph. For example if a photograph was called ‘Helpless’ the viewer would use that to influence their thoughts. Although a lot of Sherman’s roles were evented women know them and can associate with them. I guess you could say they saw themselves in Sherman’s many roles.
Another aspect of Sherman’s self portraits or film stills is there are never any men involved in the photographs, which I think works really well.
The first photograph ‘Untitled #03 1977’ Sherman plays the role of the domestic goddess in the kitchen cooking and cleaning and waiting for the male figure to come home. When I look at her expression I get a sense of nervousness she looks a little worried. This could be for any reason and as she looks out of the frame it gets the viewer questioning her expression and what she is looking toward. In a way you could say she looks fed up with her life like she has another purpose, a dream. She looks very young here which could suggest she married young and hasn’t had a chance to have much of a life. I like the cropping here as it doesn’t give too much away.
The second photograph ‘Untitled # 06 1977’ shows Sherman lying on the bed. She is in lingerie which would appeal to the male viewer. Here Sherman is being used as a sex symbol to attract male viewers to the film. Sherman plays a well off character here; this is decoded by her surroundings and glamorous look. Sherman holds a mirror in her hand which shows she is image conscious. Almost every woman can appeal to this portrait! There is not expression in Sherman’s eyes she almost looks doll like which could suggest that she is just a construct or stereotype. Sherman is dressed up which could suggest she is a house wife and is waiting for her husband to get home. The bird’s eye view angle gives innocence to the photograph and forces the viewer look down on her.
The final photograph ‘Untitled #50 1979’ shows Cindy Sherman in a more masculine role playing a strong and powerful women. This is encoded by her posture and style. Her hair says a lot about here whereas in the other photograph she was made to look cute and innocent here she looks bold and confident. I think the time period had a lot to do with how women were represented as compared to the other two film stills which had been taken 2 years before. Her role can also be matched with her surroundings for example here she is in a modern room with bold furniture as compared to ‘Untitled #6 1977’ where Sherman is surrounded by flowers and soft surroundings. Sherman sits in a confident a suggestive position she looks as if she is there to manipulate the male and get what she wants. I love seeing Sherman in this role and I’m sure many other women do!

Links

http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/1997/sherman/

http://www.webexhibits.org/colorart/sherman.html

Richard Billingham

Richard Billingham

Richard Billingham is a documentary photographer. I discovered him when I was researching for my intimate life project. This for me was the best work produced my Billingham. The work was personal to him as it was his father was the main subject in his photographs. The book published was called ‘Frank’s a laugh’ . Billingham’s father was an alcoholic and was not in a correct mental state. The sarcastic name of the book itself show s Billingham’s lack of respect for his father as he obviously hasn’t been around to be a role model for his son. I really get a sense of realism from these photographs I can imagine myself being in the room and feeling very uncomfortable. Unlike the work of Walker who creates fantasy worlds Billingham shows it how it is. In a way I like the confirmation of being put in the moment and imagining how his parents live but on the other hand I feel am I too close?

Richard Billingham (quote) :

'my father raymond is a chronic alcoholic.he doesn't like going outside,

my mother elizabeth hardly drinks,

but she does smoke a lot.

she likes pets and things that are decorative.

they married in 1970 and I was born soon after.

my younger brother jason was taken into care when he was 11,

but now he is back with ray and liz again.

recently he became a father.

'dad was some kind of mechanic,

but he's always been an alcoholic.

it has just got worse over the years.

he gets drunk on cheap cider at the off license.

he drinks a lot at nights now and gets up late.

originally, our family lived in a terraced house,

but they blew all the redundancy money and,

in desperation, sold the house.

then we moved to the council tower block,

where ray just sits in and drinks. that's the thing about my dad,

there's no subject he's interestedin, except drink.

''it's not my intention to shock, to offend, sensationalise, be political or whatever,

only to make work that is as spiritually meaningful as I can make it -

in all these photographs I never bothered with things like the negatives. some of them got marked and scratched. I just used the cheapest film and took them to be processed at the cheapest place.

I was just trying to make order out of chaos.'

After reading this I felt very emotional and thought what it would be like to live like that. After reading this I also understood Billingham’s attitude towards his father and living situation and I admire him for sharing a subject which must have been hard to reveal. Billingham refers to his parents as Ray and Liz almost as if he doesn’t even associate them with him. I even feel sorry for Ray and Liz and sympathise for them because they have nothing the work is very emotional.
In the first photograph ‘Liz’ is building a puzzle. I love everything about this photograph the juxtaposition, composition and point of view of the photograph. I love how her dress blends in with the puzzle pieces in the box is visually captivating. In Billingham’s quote he mentions his mother liking decorative things I think these ‘nick knacks’ make these photograph and help to emphasises their bizarre way of living. Her tattoos also give a quirky feel to the composition. To an audience these sights may be shocking but to Billingham it was normal he had been a witness to it his whole life so to him it didn’t seem like such a shock.
The second photograph to me sheds a ray of light on the series. Although they live a troubled life the couple have each other which is clearly shown in this photograph. It seems alcohol runs Rays life as in every photograph of him there is drink or a glass I find this really hard to deal with and I feel for Billingham who never had a chance to bond with his father. I love how everything in the room contrasts there’s so much to look at! I like the angle of this photograph and how Billingham has included the corner of the room, the diagonals work nicely.
The third photograph is more domestic and shows an insight to how Billingham’s childhood was. Liz is shouting at Ray with a clenched fist which shows that tries to control him. Ray looks oblivious and not in the correct mental state most of all he looks ashamed of himself. There is a male figure behind them which could be Billingham’s brother. It looks as if he has his hands on his head which could indicate he is used to these arguments and is fed up. This photograph was taken on the same day as the second photograph which shows the audience how troubled their life is. I like how Liz dresses up in dresses I decode this as her efforts to still feel like a young women. In conclusion, if I’m honest, I first looked at this series as something to talk about until I read into Billingham’s life then my view on the work changed. I think the series is fantastic, the best he’s ever done, and I will always have great admiration for him opening a part of his life to the world.

http://www.designboom.com/eng/funclub/billingham.html