Contemporary Photography

In this photo by Sandy Skoglund, entitled “Cocktail Party,” the photographer has constructed a highly formalized photo of cocktail party attendees covered in cheese curls. Not only are the subjects covered in cheese curls, but the floor, walls, ceiling, and furniture are as well.
Of the ten figures in the photo, only four are real people. The figures with their faces covered in cheese curls mannequins. Skewing the lines between reality and falsity, there in no direct way for the viewer to know that these are mannequins (I know because I saw a video on Skoglund’s website that shows her staff with the fake figures.) Each live figure has brown hair, contrasting with the yellow/orange of the thousands of cheese curls. All of the subjects act independently of the lens, mingling with each other at the “party.” The two figures in the foreground of the photo maintain look lifeless and frozen in motion. Blue clothing is visible underneath the spaced out cheese curls that adorn the subjects. Using the cool-toned blue to juxtapose the warm-toned orange, the viewer is well-aware that the people are wearing clothes. The photographer is sure to draw attention to the reality of the photo by making the clothing and faces of the live subjects visible. Is Skoglund making a stab at the absurdity of cocktail parties, implying that they are “cheesy?”
Skoglund’s photographic style is comprised of using real-life photography with the addition of manipulated images. In “Revenge of the Goldfish,” she photo-shopped the images of goldfish over a photographed bedroom that contained two human subjects. The entire room, furniture included, had been painted a deep, ocean blue. The humans were now part of the fish’s contained water-world.
Making her viewer interpret and contemplate the meaning of her photos, Skoglund exemplifies contemporary style. Taking a jab at pop culture, Skoglund weaves a complex composition that demands decoding on the part of the viewer. The idea of her photo takes precedence over the depiction of your average day cocktail party. Hirsch states, "Here at the beginning of the twenty-first century, as the first generation of image-makers to have grown up with computers initiates its course and seeks to discover its own syntax, photography is making a conceptual shift from a medium that records reality to one that transforms it" (424). Skoglund is doing just that with her photography. She makes her viewers contemplate meaning- meaning of her photos and meaning of their reality.

Here is the link to Skoglund's website where I viewed the video of the creation of her photo, "Cocktail Party."

Social Work and Sidney Grossman (1913-1955)

As a photographer in support of the Communist agenda, Sid Grossman was the leader of The Photo League. “The Photo League promoted the sanctity of the straight image and the belief that photography needed to serve a social-political purpose” (245). All of Grossman’s photos exemplify “straight” photography, especially the series of photos he shot during the summer of 1947 on Coney Island. The two following pictures are from that series, neither of which have specific names other than “Coney Island 1947.” On page 245 of Hirsh’s text, there is another photo from this series.

Each one of these pictures emanates a youthful and playful air. This first photo, of one girl on top of the other’s shoulders, is clearly not staged. Grossman succeeded in capturing a fleeting moment of teenage play. The laughter-filled smiles of the subjects show their inner essence and free-spiritedness. Out-stretched arms of an off-camera subject reach toward the girls for precautionary protection. The intensity and energy of the scene are captured in the blurry hand movements of one girl and the tightly gripped fingers of the other.

In the second Coney Island photo, Grossman captures a quiet moment between lovers. As they cuddle closely on a blanket at the beach, they reject everyone else in their presence to exist alone in their world. Visually, the girl’s heart shaped necklace is the center of the photo. Young love is often a focus of Grossman’s work, making a strong statement about teenagers in the 40s. Looking at his photos through a historical lens, the viewer can interpret 40s teens as sex-driven, passionate, and free.

The final photo I’ve chosen to show is “Two Young Women before a Pastry Shop at Night” (1948). Again, Grossman’s style is haphazard, unorganized and essence-capturing. Depicting two young girls flirting with a young man, the images of three people are cut off from the frame. This photo also raises many questions; Where are they? Are the girls twins? Sisters? Who is the man to the left of the frame looking directly at the camera?

One question remains… how are these photos doing social work? They are not exposing any injustice nor are they trying to explicitly elicit social reform. My answer is that Grossman is trying to promote the Communist agenda by linking his beliefs with his photography. As a known supporter and believer of Communism, photographing the healthy, and vivacious youth of tomorrow associates Communism with prosperity and happiness.

"Another Way of Telling" - John Berger

“Photographs do not translate from appearances. They quote from them” (96).
In “Another Way of Telling,” by John Berger, he insists that “photography has no language of its own, because it quotes rather than translates…” Since a photo cannot lie, it “quotes” directly from its source. In order to separate photographs by quality, Berger develops the idea of the “exceptional photograph.” He states, “The exceptional photograph which quotes at length increases the diameter of the circle even when the subject is totally unknown to the spectator” (121). John Berger uses a diagram to visually demonstrate what he means by this:
- - - - - o - - - - - > compared to - - - - - - O - - - - - >

For my analysis of Berger, I have chosen three personal photographs, each of which, in my opinion, quote at different lengths. Since these photos are mine, and I was present when they were taken, for me, they quote at a greater length than they would for you. As Berger states on page 121, “The diameter (the amount of information received) may vary according to the spectator’s personal relation to the photographed event.” I know each photo’s “story,” but nonetheless, each photo can evoke different emotions, and therefore some are more “exceptional” than others.

The first photo, the shortest quotation, is of a man riding a motorcycle down a neighborhood street. Formally, the photo is divided into segments by the road that runs through the middle of the photo. The green strip of grass that runs along the bottom third of the photo creates a slightly diagonal line within the frame. Two houses compromise the background of the photo, which was taken sometime during the daytime. Automatically, the eye is drawn to the man riding the red bike. We can assume that the bike isn’t going very fast by looking at the posture of the rider. There is a tree in the background, and probably a tree in the foreground right out of frame, since we can see its shadow across the grass. Culturally speaking, the photo says very little. The rider is probably riding in a neighborhood since there are no dotted road lines down the middle of the street. By the look of the neighborhood, it’s safe to assume that he is in a middle class neighborhood.

This photo does not quote at length because it doesn’t say much to the viewer. Scientifically speaking, this photo proves that the boy can ride a motorcycle down a street in a neighborhood. Knowing that this photo was taken because the subject in the photo had just purchased the bike and was taking his first ride on it makes me more knowledgeable of the photo than others, although a viewer could probably guess that as a reason.

This photo quotes at a greater length than the first because there is more ambiguity in the photo. Why was it taken? Who are these people? What is their relationship to one another? Formally speaking, there are seven subjects, sitting on a couch, smiling at the camera. We can assume the photo was taken during the day since the room is evenly lit by light. A diagonal line is created at the top left of the frame by the staircase leading to the second floor of the house. Two blankets are draped over the back of the couch. The photo was most likely taken in a colder month since the subjects are dressed for colder weather. Culturally analyzing the photo, we can gather that the photo is some sort of family portrait. The two older girls seem slightly out of place- could they be the mother of any of the children? Maybe we can assume that they were together at a birthday party or family dinner which is why they were all together.

With this idea of family, a viewer can then place a meaning or personal value on the photo. Berger would argue that is it the act of appearances producing ideas that makes them “exceptional.” On page 122, he states, “How is it possible for appearances to ‘give birth’ to ideas? Through their specific coherence at a given instant, they articulate a set of correspondences which provoke in the viewer a recognition of some past experience. This recognition may remain at the level of a tacit agreement with memory, or it may become conscious. When this happens, it is formulated as an idea.” Once a viewer turns this photo into the “idea” of family, and bonding, and love, and attaches these thoughts to their lives and past experiences, the photo is elevated beyond its “scientificness.”

The third and final photo I wish to discuss represents Berger’s definition of an “exceptional” photo. Not only is this photo exceptional, but this picture does what Berger refers to as “resisting history.” The photo consists of two subjects sharing a private moment, which just so happened to be captured on film. Formally, the frame consists mainly of the male and female subject, although there is the image of another woman barely visible is the background. As the two subjects gaze into each others’ eyes, the female is grabbing the male by his shirting, pulling him tenderly closer to her. Their noses and faces point toward one another, created a long strip of blackness down the center of the picture. Since the man is bulkier due to his larger stature, the weight of the photo is on the right. Culturally looking at the subjects, we can assume that they are at a special event since they are dressed up. Maybe they are laughing because one of them said something funny, or maybe they’re smiling just because they love each other. Was this moment captured right before they kissed?

In terms of Berger’s argument, this picture resists history. Using the picture of the “the soldier leaving,” to demonstrate his point, Berger argues that the “opposition exists in the parting look between the man and the woman” (103). He continues, “This look, which crosses before our eyes, is holding in place what is, not specifically what is there around them outside the station, but what is their life, what are their lives. The woman and the soldier are looking at each other so that the image of what is shall now remain for them. In this look, their being is opposed to history, even if we assume that this history is one they accept or have chosen.” The woman and soldier resist history in that they didn’t welcome the picture by posing for it. Sneaking into their lives, their emotions, and presenting those raw human emotions for the world to see makes both of these pictures “exceptional.”

The Paparazzi

When thinking about "comtemporary" photography, I think about photographs that define our culture. In a time period when famous people are more watched and scrutinized than ever, the paparazzi take photgraphy to a whole other level. Cameras, especially with the advancement of telephoto lenses, have become a tool used for the invasion of privacy. In the photo I've chosen, Britney Spears attacks a car driven by a "pap." In a momemt of clear insanity, she attempts to damage the car with an umbrella.

Formally: The photo isn't of high artistic quality- it simply captures an event as it happened. Since it's night-time, the subjects shadow is cast upon the car. The eye naturally falls to her bald head and grimaced face. The outward projection of her arms leads the eye to the teal umbrella that she is in the midst of swinging. A sense of tension and uneasiness is projected due to the tightness of the subject's face and leg muscles. The rough texture of the cement contrasts to the smooth texture of the car. In the background there is another vehicle that is red. The viewer is unable to see someone in the car, however, we can only expect that someone is driving the car, or else we may think that she is trying to break into the car to steal something or simply damage it.

Culturally: Without knowing who Britney Spears was, or how much she was going through at the time, this photo may mean next to nothing. But since she's famous, this photo captures her "mental breakdown" forever on film. It also demonstrates our culture's fascination with actors, musicians, and heiresses. As I discussed before, this picture shows an invasion of privacy. But as most say... it comes with the price of fame.

"Camping" by Tom Stone

This photo entitled, "Camping," was taken by Tom Stone, a photographer who is "devastated by the separation of human existence." He photographs those who are on the "skirt" of society. On his website(tomstonegallery.com,) Stone states:

"And what of them; these ones who don’t belong or who are excluded; who don’t fit or don’t try? Is there nothing they value? Is there nothing of them we value? I count it as a measure of our ignorance, the depth of poverty in the world. It’s a glaring marker to how far we have not come. Yet it has also driven our advance; on less fortunate backs and against less fortunate fate."

Taking extreme close-up shots of homeless people, Stone has the ability to convey the raw emotion of the faces of those who are hurting. In his gallery, he gives descriptions of his interactions with the subjects of the photo. For the photo "Camping," he writes, "homeless kaylyn from dallas sitting on sidewalk panhandling. she was thrown out of school and out of home when she was 15.she'd been on her own until last year when, at 17, she got engaged to a boy she met in san diego. they're living together now in a tent in the park.(5/17/06)" He gives a whole new meaning to the term "camping..."

Formally speaking, we are immediately drawn to Kaylyn's eyes. The directness of her stare is unavoidable. Because of the tightness of the shot, and the contrast between her black hood and pale face, we are able to focus on the details of her face. Her numerous freckles are dispersed across her face, creating a sense of chaos, but her slight smirk is playful.

We could interpret this photo, and wonder how it relates to camping, but Stone very clearly defines it for us. This photo is not complete without the others in its series. Individually they tell a story, but together they scream "crisis."

Robert Doisneau

I've chosen upload two photos by Robert Doisneau, "Le Baiser de l'Hotel de Ville," and "Le Velo du Printemp." Most of us are probably familiar with the photo on the left, "Le Basier de l'Hotel de Ville," since it seems to be a favorite at the Sykes poster sales. By uploading this photo, we are able to compare the two, and see Doisneau's distinct style. This particular photographer is known for capturing Parisian life in black and white. His photos usually consist of people on the streets, often time a pair of kissing lovers can be seen somewhere in the photos. I found "Le Velo du Printemp" intriguing for its innocence. The subjects are engaged in a close conversation aside a dirt trail, as if they stopped for a minute to take in the view. Photos like this make me wonder just what they were chatting about. While the couple (at least I assume that they are a couple) is not kissing, I find this photo to be more romantic that the other. Perhaps it's because I've seen the other too often. I like Doisneau's use of black and white; it lends a sense of cohesiveness to all of his work.

The Elusive Golden Gate Bridge

The photo I've chosen as the header of my blog is a personal favorite, and one I took myself. During my first trip to San Francisco, Calif. I was looking forward to seeing the GG Bridge for the first time. How many times can you watch Full House without wanting to revel in its glory? Unfortuneatly for my 8 yr-old soul, smog consumed the bridge on my first visit. Last summer I was lucky enough to visit San Francisco once more, only to be disappointed yet again. Viewing the bridge from the city, all I could see was the water and the base of the bridge. Since one of my friends hadn't seen it at all before, we took a dreary drive over the bridge on our way home. Once on the other side, the sun parted just for us. Taking a stop at the base of the bridge, this photo found me.

Exploring Photography- ENG 400

As this is my second class-related blog, I'm a beginning to appreciate blogging for its ability to allow me to discuss and reflect upon academic topics in a more non-conventional outlet. For this particular blog, I plan to comment on classroom topics and discussions, as well as a space to flesh out some of the class readings. When I begin reading, "Reading American Photographs: Images as History from Matthew Brady to Walker Evans," by Alan Trachtenburg, I will summarize the text and share my thoughts on Trachtenburg's ideas. Hopefully this blog will express my interest in photograph and track my progression as a learn and utilize photgraphic theory.