Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Brittney Connelly


Digital #2

Unknown Artist


I am sad that I could not get the image any larger, and cannot figure out who the artist is. Anyone who reads this, do you know who made this image? I came across this image when I was looking at some of Uta Barth’s work. I am not sure of the artist but I just found the image so striking that I had to write about it. I like how the window looking out to the city fills the left side of the photograph, with the white curtain filling the right side leading your eye down a very narrow tunnel. The stark white color of the curtain contrasts the flowing material; there is a beautiful sterile softness to the right side of the image. Also the white side contrasts the window, as the material seems flowing and loose, the city, buildings and harsh horizontal lines of the blinds make the left side very ridged. It feels as if you have no choice but to remain in between these two places within the photograph. As the viewer, you get a feeling of being stuck between two worlds and an inability to exist in either one. The viewer exists as an onlooker to both places but not participant in either. The beautiful cool tones also lend to this melancholy feeling

Brittney Connelly




Analog #2

Ike Ude

Beyond Decorum

*Warning:: Mildly offensive subject matter and terms.

Ike Ude uses men’s dress shirts in contrast with text, to approach the issue of private vs. public self. Upon first glance at the image, the viewer discovers a crisp white dress shirt, and a generic tie. The image is clean, and it is apparent that the image is solely about the object. There is no signifier to help the viewer determine the body that would reside in this clothing, in fact the clothes seems to belong to a faceless human. Within the series, the tie changes but remains nonspecific throughout the images. The design of tie changing seems to signify that these shirts belong to different people. Text sewn into the collar exposes a specific side of self not communicated through the dress shirt.

The text is mildly offensive and a bit off-putting. It seems as if this text was taken straight off an Internet add, unmodified from the original message. The tag sewn into the collar of the shirt is very specific and reveals a private self. The text exposes a self-coded by nicknames or individuals on a first name basis only. These messages are the happenings of our private world, in a world in which people are subservient to primal instincts. It is this undisclosed self that is contained within all humans. It is part of our chemical makeup, and constantly suppressed within public. In society, the indulgent self is restricted and frowned upon within culture. These private factions are looked at as immoral.

I believe Ude is speaking about society’s resolve to this suppressed side of self. The general public tends to believe that if you wear something specific, drive something, or buy something it changes that makeup in some fashion. It creates another side of self, a mask, to parade around in. It is something to disguise another world that some resist but others indulge in; a world of promising carnal acts and private selves concealed through nicknames and aliases. The dichotomy of the image in relation to the text mirrors the way in which we live our lives. There is a certain manner in which to conduct yourself in public space and wearing a button down shirt and tie will speak to the idea that you are one of the reformed, and in someway these marketable things changes everyone’s perception of you.

more to come...

Ben Watts and Godfrey Frankel photography


As i roamed the the shelves searching for inspiration , i stumbled upon the works of Ben watts and i fell in love the with the opening artwork on the inside with the picture of jewelry hanging in a storefront and then i soon realized ive seen this photo years ago before i ever started college or thought of making art my profession. he some what reminds me of Hedi Silmane. It reminds me of all the old original hip hop magazines like the source , vibe and xxl magazines that ive kept since the 90's and alot of photos are just really well put together compositionally each one turninmg into almost a graphical piece without any manipulation by the artist. even though the book is based on leftover shots , his approach to the work leaves a lasting impression and almost gives you a feeling of being able to see deeper into the individuals who normally , do not let their guards down due to them becoming caught in the limelight and their celebrity status.

Although Godfrey created these photos in Washington Dc. I felt a deep connection to where im from (Milwaukee Wisconsin) , where in the late evenings you see kids unattended at times living carefree without proper supervision not caring that they live in the hood or that there parents dont have alot to offer at times they merely use what they have and remain loyal to each other and make sure they have fun no matter the cost some what of the peter pan and the lost boys mindset or even for older kids the movie "Outsiders" with Tom Cruise and Patrick Swayze. Frankels usage of light is really inspiring giving each child there own lil bit of extra character as the lights and darks make there transitions across there faces making the photo even more engaging than the last view.

Brittney Connelly

Brittney Connelly

Analog Source #1

Susan Unterberg

Double Takes

Originally the book seemed interesting because the frontal image contrasts so drastically with the image on the back of the book. If you were to turn the book over its almost as if you grabbed a completely different book. The two images juxtaposed change the dialogue of the individual image and allow for the images to create a dialogue in context of each other; the same theme is repeated throughout her work held within. The series Double Takes resonated with me, and one of the diptychs caught my attention the most.

The two images lie next to each other matted together. On the left hand side it is an image of two men smoking cigarettes. Both individuals are glaring at a downward angle, and the men’s focus is beyond the frame leaving the viewer with questions about what is on the other side of the frame. The tone of the image can be assumed as being a serious tone. It seems as if it there is a very still moment, and as the viewer you are privy to private information. There is a strong glare on the right hand side of the image, which makes the image seem two-dimensional. The men seem sinister because of the dark shadows around their eyes, and it can be assumed upon observing the tension in his forehead that the man on the left is concerned. The image is filled with a lot of gray and black space, lending to a feeling of uneasiness.

Countering this image, the image on the right is filled with white space; even so the image suggests a literal darkness due to the light source used. The strong directional light or flash gives the image strong contrast. The feeling of tension is mirrored within both images; the artist choice to exclude a lot of context clues leaves the viewer wondering what is happening beyond the frame. The artist only includes a small section of the window covered up with an item unrecognizable and the viewer is left to guess what the jagged edge is, on the bottom of the image. There is also a sliver of darkness on the left and side, giving the image depth and suggesting a dark setting beyond this location.

Both images allude to the same feeling or same idea but counter each other in terms of subject matter, one image capturing a romanticized moment in time, the other spotlighting the mundane. They both give a feeling of captured private moment or private space and seem almost voyeuristic. The image on the left can be viewed as a segment of what is happening outside the obstructed window or maybe what takes place beyond the black space on the right side of the room. These images evoke similar sensibilities, and seem to suggest an emotional or rather a situational correlation. The artist seems to be dialoguing about the subconscious using a cryptic method.

The title Double Take refers to the way in which the artist chooses to display these images. As the viewer turns the page the mat lifts off the images and the actual image is exposed.

What is displayed is one solitary image, rather than the diptych. The image is revealed as a setting like seen before, but the dark left side is a frame and the two men smoking is a poster within that frame. Looking again at this image under a new context brings up several more questions. Rather than questioning the relationship between the two images, the viewer is left questioning Unterberg’s motives behind deceiving the viewer. What is the image about when you realize it’s just a poster hung within a space? The viewer can assume that the poster was not intentionally placed in that specific space beyond the reasons of it being purely decorative. Through that logic you can infer that this is a study of an individuals private environment.

More importantly the artist is challenging context and distortion of context. Our language and our dialogue rely heavily on the context in which it is conducted, if the context is changed the dialogue changes as well. This also brings up some core issues within the medium of photography, for example what is considered to be true will never be the truth because it in some way it is obscured by our own awareness. In some way our perception destructs the truth and our construction of images includes a subconscious context. I think the artist’s intentions are to illuminate the manufactured way in which we view imagery and challenge the systematic way in which we see images.

More to come …..

Library Journal- Claudia Melgar



1.

Photographer: Robert Adams

Img: (carnival at night) couldn’t find title

Observations:

Black and white, great composition, enough distance between the camera and subject, square image, tonal ranges vary, beautifully sharp for a close to night time shot in motion, the separation between the clouds and the sky make the landscape a bit confusing in a good way, the range of lights adds to the intensity of the tones, looks like fun but its kind of lonely, one visible person.

My interpretation:

The fact that this image, at first glance, looked like something a bit different then what it is, automatically attracted me to it. When I first saw it, I was sure that it was a night shot of a carnival but the background is what took me an extra second to figure out. The way the white sky and dark clouds parted so cleanly from each other was perfect. If the white sky would be the background of the carnival lights, the lighting would not be as effective. The variety of lights from rides and stands around the carnival against the darkness of the clouds makes everything pop more. The slanted position of the circular ride adds motion and life to all of it even though you hardly see anyone in the image. Which makes me feel as if something is wrong or something bad is going to happen.

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2.

Photographer: Dawoud Bey

Img: Odalys
2003, chromogenic print


30 x 40 in.

Observations:

Lighting appears natural, relaxed position, great focus on the eyes, straight forward shot, the caption included seems to reflect and match the persons character.

My interpretation:

When I skimmed through the pages of the book, Class Pictures by Photographer Dawoud Bey, I realized they were all very real and natural poses from students. Odalys’ pictures was the one that captivated me the most. Not only because of her sincere and not very interested pose, but because of her caption. Which says, “My name is Odalys, and I’m a good person, and I like to play with my baby. It’s real fun to play with her, and I hope this baby comes out, you know, healthy, and I hope that I can get out of school and study. I want to be a professional doctor ‘cause that’s what I want to do.

I hope everybody remembers me, because I just started in this school and everybody knows me, ‘The little pregnant girl,’ so, I hope they remember me.”

She doesn’t seem to care very much about posing but she cares about people remembering her after high school is over. There is a sense of needing acceptance from others even if they don’t know her. I like that in her short paragraph she tells about the three things that are important to her; her baby, her future, and being remembered. The way her caption is written is obvious that she wrote it herself and really ages her as a teenager. It’s written as if she was actually saying it “you know”. The rawness of the entire piece is so captivating all together due to the fact that there is a teenage pregnant student, surrounded by other teens, that is about to become a mother but yet is thinking of things kids think of, like becoming a “professional doctor.”

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3.

Photographer: Tim Davis

Img: Abortion Clinic Protest

Observations:

Day time, sunny, protesting caught in action, the angled composition helps to view a part of the protesters and the clinic, the way people are dressed or by what they are holding helps to identify who they are.

My Interpretations:

This image caught my eye the most because of the emotion you feel that comes out of it. I can tell what is going on in this image by the signs and people’s actions without having to read the

title provided. I love the angle and distance he was at to capture the physical gestures that, I assume is a preacher or pastor of some sort, has. Its great that the viewer can read almost every sign on the image even though he’s standing at an angle but it helps to come to your own

conclusion about the situation. One of my favorite people in the picture is the security guard. I like how the protesters don’t faze him, he seems to be use to having them around, yet he is also holding a disposable camera that makes me wonder if he confiscated it or has it to photograph any thing that may happen.

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4.

Photographer: Lupita Murillo Tinnen

Img: Marketing, age 3

Observations:

Compilation of images, color, different perspectives, in a room, intimate, no faces, text, obvious that it’s a student, warm tones.

My Interpretation:

The image clearly tells me that something is wrong with the subject but not physically. There is a reason why we don’t see her face and she seems lonely and separated from others. I have become a bit familiar with Tinnen’s work because my work is very similar to what she did. My only opinion about some of her images is that I feel some of them are too crowded with images and information. This particular image is one that I would enjoy more if it would just be the main large image. I think this image would be more successful without a few of the small images that are overlaid on the larger image and possibly one of the others around the frame. Although over all the images are beautifully shot and the lighting looks so natural and warm for this specific image.

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5.

Photographer: Dulce Pinzon

Img: MINERVA VALENCIA from Puebla works as a nanny in New York. She Sends 400 dollars a week.

Observations:

Rich colors, subject is wearing a superhero costume, children in need, toys in a living room, day light, rich colors, subject is very centered, the children are not the superhero’s lady’s children.

My Interpretation:

The most obvious observation is that there is a woman in a costume holding children. She appears to be a different race than the children so I can tell they are not her kids. But the children seem very comfortable with her and vise versa, which is implied because they are around her, they’re not crying, and one of the kids is spitting out food into her hand. Knowing that this woman is their nanny is almost irrelevant because you can already assume that just by viewing the picture. I do enjoy the image and how it portrays the nanny as a superhero to this family because without her, the situation would be completely different, or non-existent, for that matter.

Fatmeh Hmaidan on Nacho Lopez and Nan Goldin






Nacho Lopez - Mexican Photographer

I was really intrigued by Nacho Lopez's portrayal of the mexican revolution in a time where there was no single voice speaking up for that culture. His images capture the reality of real people, which shows, to me, the emotion of life in a country that I don't fully understand myself. His portraits seem raw, but yet his hand has affected them in some way. Not necessarily meaning that their staged but perhaps a better term would be "tweaked" to help the message come across or add something that might be missing. The portrait of the woman with her hands clutching her face is so emotional, there is so much going on, so much to take in. I find myself wondering what she might be going through, what problems she must face and if she has the strength to continue. Her body language reads tension and sadness, this makes me want to know more. Not to mention the actual image is completely visibly stunning, Lopez's location and lighting are one of the major contributions to why, I think, the image drew me in.



Nan Goldin










Nan Goldin is a female photographer who just lays it all out on the table, a brave, honest artist. Her work and style has always inspired me to let myself go and not put boundaries on my own work.I, like her, find myself trying to photograph something real but I try not alter it too much and just allow the subject matter to speak for itself. Her portraits are of normal people in their own natural social environment. But what do you consider normal? Some of the subjects she chooses might be a little "off ", but that's what's so appealing about them. Her "self-portraits" are so " giving ", I mean that she doesn't hide herself and who she is. She allows us to see her, and the mistakes that come along with her. This courage to show reality is something I find myself trying to accomplish with my own imagery.

Gisela on...S. Calle, I. Werning, Z. Nelson, D. Popa, G. Wearing


Sophie Calle-January 25, 1985, Imperial Hotel, New Delhi (image from the book/series Exquisite Pain, book published 2003 by Thames and Hudson)



Observations

-color photograph

-aside from the very bright red phone, all the colors are subdued, and the room looks dingy (I would not want to sleep in that hotel room.)

-dim light, possibly shot in the early morning?

-everything in the image is in focus

-no people in the image

-the bed is made and no one has used the room apparently. The only thing that suggests that anyone has even come in is the placement of the phone on the bed.

Interpretation

The dim light, the dark colors (except for that phone), the unused bed…whatever happened here was not a happy event. The phone is the most vital part of the image: the only element of the image with any sort of vibrancy, the placement on the top of the bed near the center of the photograph suggests that this device delivered the bad news that caused the sadness that permeates the whole photograph. The dim morning light suggests that it was shot after a night of crying and grief.

In the whole series, this image is used over and over again, in connection with the evolving tale of a breakup. The repetition established this image as the summary and representation of the whole affair. The story that accompanies the photograph varies in tone. It first starts as stunned, then sad, then angry, and finally frustrated until Calle no longer wants anything to do with the whole affair. (“98 days ago, the man I loved left me. January 25, 1985. Room 261. Imperial Hotel New Delhi. Enough.”) The photograph itself, however, never changes. It always portrays a sad, painful event, all relayed over a strangely cheerful telephone.

Research

As mentioned before, the photo is accompanied by text retelling the same story over and over again until the storyteller is fed up with it. With each retelling, the photograph and story is paired with another person’s story of their greatest suffering, along with a photograph representing it, taken by Calle. In this context, Calle’s story seems insignificant: she pairs her story with other tales of loss, grief, and death, in a successful endeavor to put her own suffering into context. This method was so effective, in fact, that she ignored the project for 20 years, fearing a relapse.

Her final declaration of “enough” makes sense in this context: she’s so tired of hearing herself speak about the same thing and fed up with her own self pity that she’s ready to put it all aside and move on.


Irina Werning- Tommy in 1977 & 2010, Buenos Aires (From the Back to the Future series, 2010)


Observations

-Diptych- the first image is most likely a snapshot taken in 1977; the second is a recreation of the original taken 33 years later. Yay rephotography!

-both images share the same muted color palate

-strong backlit shadow in both photographs; otherwise, fairly uneven situational lighting

-set in a house, possibly a living room

-almost identical setting for both images; only the curtains have changed; and even then they could pass as similar

-subject is posed in an identical pose in both photographs, with the same facial expression, wearing the same lanyard around his neck. His hair would probably be in the same style in both images, if his hairline weren’t receding in the second photograph.

Interpretation

Because of the obsessive attention to detail (Werning recreates the exact lighting conditions from the first photograph for the second, to mimic the shadows as much as possible) and how the rephotograph copies everything about the original image, including the muted colors and somewhat snapshot quality of the image, I’m led to believe that this image (and the rest of the series that it comes from) is not so much about documenting the growth and changes in the subject (he has obviously grown up over 33 years) but an attempt to recreate the past. Even with a picture taken much more recently this is an impossible endeavor, as people grow and change, but the time span between the two images makes the task even more futile. The artist’s obsessiveness includes the subject himself, who recreates the same deer-in-the-headlights expression from the original. On a toddler, it’s endearing. On a thirty-something, it’s concerning and brings his intelligence into question. It suggests that the artist not only wants to turn back the clock to when things were supposedly less chaotic (as we tend to look back at our collective past as better than our current future), but when the subject himself was a simpler human being with more basic needs. Placing the two images together and including the dates of both images remind us that this is impossibility, and that there is no stopping the passing of time.

Research

The project evolved, according to Werning, out of a desire to explore “how people would feel and look like if they were to reenact them [old photographs] today.” The project is ongoing, and on her website she asks for photographs of people from New York, Paris, and other famous cities shot in clichĂ©d locales (Times Square, the Eiffel Tower, etc.)


Zed Nelson-Phil Wolfe (from the series Right Wing Along the Rio Grande, 2010)


Observations

-outdoors shot, taken on a nice day

-wide depth of field; everything in focus

-man in the photograph does not look happy

-stickers on trucks imply that they’re on sale

-cartoon illustrations on sign make it clear who that sign’s about

-text on sign: “President or Jihad? Birth certificate? Prove it!”

-“Remember Ft. Hood!”- reference to 2009 shooting?

-hole in the sign-someone tried to deface it?

-documentary photograph?

-text included with the photograph:

“Phil Wolf, used car dealer and member of the ‘birther movement.’

‘President Obama was not born in America. He’s an imposter.’

Wheat Ridge, Colorado.”

Interpretation

The wide depth of field and the inclusion of the text is consistent with what is usually considered documentary photography; Nelson is using this image to comment on just how dumb the whole birther movement is. The scowl on the man’s face and the text on the sign (and its implication that Obama was complicit in the 2009 Ft. Hood shooting) convince me that this guy is possibly insane. While there are few (if any) members of the birther movement that could possibly be described as rational thinkers, there are few that would go so far as to claim that Obama conspired to kill servicemen…and post a billboard about it at their place of business. This man is that special sort of crazy. As he posed voluntarily and talked to Nelson long enough for Nelson to get a quote from him, it is clear that this man sincerely believes that Obama is a terrorist. Nelson, though, as the photographer, does not. Had he believed there was some merit to the birther movement, he would have chosen a more sympathetic representative from the movement. The hole in the sign (which looks like an attempt to deface it) is a nice touch. While it serves as a reminder that plenty of people disagree with this guy, it also serves to demonstrate that the other side of the spectrum sometimes reacts just as rationally as him.

Research

Nelson shot this series as an exploration of the politics of the people that live along the Rio Grande. He uses the river as a symbol for the region, claiming that the political and cultural climate gets more muddled and polluted as the Grande gets closer to the Gulf of Mexico. The series focuses on the birther and Tea Party movements, as well as the current anti-immigration movement in Texas and Arizona. The images he has created and the quotes and information he has paired with them support his claim quite well that the extreme right is quite terrifying.

Side note: Nelson is a British photographer based in London. He’s taking these photographs from an outsider’s perspective. Thus, his images are more reactionary than those of someone from the region, who would see birthers as an unfortunate but everyday reality. I appreciate this aspect of the series, as sometimes it’s easy to forget that not everyone is mad.



Dana Popa, Untitled (from the series New Europeans, 2009)


Observations

-nice car in front, ugly building in the back

-those kids can’t be older than 16, and it’s pretty obvious they’re about to make out.

-that kid on the left has a very strong jawbone

-the car is in focus; background/apartment building in back is not

-building looks older than the kids

-car looks brand new

-power lines in background, along with a minivan/Subaru

Interpretation

This photograph is shot so it looks like a commonplace scene in the States: two kids parked by themselves in a car somewhere, about to make out. The shades that both of the kids are wearing and the newness and cleanliness of the car (come on, who keeps their windshield that pristine?) contrasts harshly with the age of the building. The building is grey, dirty, and poorly maintained. There are yellow banners on the building, but the blurriness of the image makes it difficult to read what they say. This is intentional: The photographer obviously does not want the viewer to be able to place the image. The car and the kids look very American, but the building in the back looks like something out of the Communist bloc-the photograph was shown in Eastern Europe. The photograph, then, is a reflection on how much things have changed, and how similar life in that part of the world is to life in the States.

Research

Popa is from Romania, and witnessed the fall of Communism in that country as a child. The kids portrayed in the series were born after 1989, and have grown up in a culture influenced by Western ideas and pop culture. She was motivated to create this series after observing how much Romanian youth look like the youth from any other Western country, yet still suffer from the legacy of the Communist regime. This duality, she says, causes her subjects to have more fragile identities, as they have no idea how to cope.



Gillian Wearing- Untitled, from the series Theresa (1998) (image from the book Gillian Wearing, published 1999 by Phaidon)


Observations

-a couple in a bed; subject fills most of the frame

-both have very red faces; the man looks as if he has drank heavily the night before

-man is nude except for a pair of briefs, woman is wrapped in a blanket

-she has her back to him but is glancing in his direction; he’s looking off somewhere outside the frame

-neither looks happy to be there

-image is accompanied by handwritten text

-these are not attractive people by any stretch of the imagination

-dingy room, dim lighting

Interpretation

Before reading the accompanying text: This couple comes off as the stereotypical unhappily wed couple. Neither want to stay married, but for whatever reason they stick together. Who knows what brought them together? Both the people in this image have ruddy faces, suggesting that both of them drink to escape the misery of their home life. There is nothing glamorous about this room, which implies that they are poor, possibly adding to their misery. However, she’s still looking at him. Maybe she still cares about him and wants to make it work? Her body language, however, says the exact opposite. The more I look at her eyes, the more I read distaste. I think she was looking for a reason to leave, and those ugly striped briefs may give her the final push.

After reading the text: The text is from the man’s point of view, describing the woman (whose name is Theresa) as stupid and a whore, claiming she has sold herself in exchange for a can of beer. He then claims she has a good heart, which is why he sleeps with her (apart from her ample breasts.) The writing has spelling and grammar issues all over the place, along with various revisions and added words. After reading this, it makes me reconsider how Theresa looks at him: she both loathes him for not treating her well and herself for putting up with his behavior, and stooping so low to exchange sex for beer. (Of course, it is possible that he is lying, and Theresa’s more of a wine type of girl.) That being said, I did laugh when he described her breasts as a good pillow.

Research

The book describes the series as a work in progress; it was first exhibited in 2000. Theresa was an alcoholic that Wearing met while working on another series of people who regularly drank in the streets near her home. Wearing learned that Theresa lived with and depended on a rotating cast of men for her survival, as her extreme alcoholism made it difficult to maintain a consistent home or a long-term relationship. Wearing photographed her with seven of her lovers, and displayed each photograph with a written statement by the man portrayed in the image. Their opinions of Theresa vary wildly; one loves her deeply, another depends on her for strength and wisdom, while a third claims she is completely full of shit.

In this context, our ugly lover’s claim that she sold herself for beer sounds very likely. The accounts given by her lover don’t quite agree with each other, which calls into question how reliable these accounts are, and how unpredictable Theresa’s behavior is.

Daniela's Photo Journal















Lourdes Grobet
1. Visual:
-It seems to be a long exposure with the subject moving around as she makes her work.
-Accompanying text was part of the series, so I'll add it here: As a painter in Cuba, you felt a little more at ease, with fewer pressures. Y
ou didn't have to worry about appealing to a large market, which gave you some peace of mind. You didn't satisfy pressing needs, bu
t neither did you create them. Cubans don't have pressing needs: after so many years of stoicism and sacrifice, we are able to live with just the basics.
We lack focus. I say to myself, "I have lost my focus; I have to change the way I live my life.
"Everyone hopes this will pass, that the situation is temporary, but when I wonder about going back, I think that I have emerged fr
om the womb and I do not want to return.
-It doesn't seem to be a very well lit scene, I assume the light comes from a window.
-Aside from the subject, everything else seems in focus.
-The photo isn't super contrasty in the book, it's somewhat flat.
-There is some sort of board with letters in the background, but I don't know what it reads.
2. Interpretation
Just by looking at the image the immediate assumption is that the woman moving around is the same who wrote the text. I can also assume that this was taken in her studio space, or living space (or both combined). She seems to be working on the board with letters in the background, splattering paint onto the board apparently. It looks like she's been working on this piece for a while as there are imprints of black paint around an edge on the wall. In her text, she talks about lacking focus. In this image, she is physically out of focus, so perhaps that is a way that Grobet tied together the pho
tograph with the text visually. Her space also looks very basic, she has her supplies and that it from what we can see. This also reiterates the idea that this woman can work using just the ba
sics, because that is what she's used to.
3. Research
In the bio part of the book, it explains that this is the body of work that seems to define or embody this artists attitude in
her work. This series takes exiles from Cuba and incorporates the portraits of them with their own writings that display their "disenchantment with the country they have left behind." This seems fitting for this body of work. The overall flatness of the image kind of adds to that idea of disenchantment for me. Additionally, it said in the book that her use of photography in this body acts as an important tool for communication.










Irina Werning
1. Visual
-The images both look old and date
d
-The man in the image seems to be the same person only aged some decades in the right
-She has obviously taken a lot of effort to make the images identical
-The image is too yellow
-Basically, the images look almost identical (save for a few details such as the print on the curtain and the details of the table in the background) except the man has aged and changed.
2. Interpretation
This image, and the rest of this series, shows the subject's old photograph and then a recreated copy. Even the expression and position of the subject is the same. It definitely to me has a lot to do with the brevity of time. In this image in particular, I almost get a sad feeling about the subject. So much time has passed, his hair is now gray, he has wrinkles and a gut. My first thought is "how cool!" but then I keep looking at it and it almost scares me.
3. Research
Irina Werning basically just had a fascination with old photographs, and always thought about how they would look recreated. She then decided to do just that. She finds people with old photographs that look interesting or show a commonly photographed scenario, and goes through painstaking effort to make them as exactly the same as possible.


















1. Visual
-The image is well exposed and well lit
-She is naked and has obviously recently given birth
-Her baby is newborn
-There is a trail of blood running down her left leg, most likely from her recent childbirth
-The look on her face seems to me to be a scared one
2. Interpretation
As I mentioned, the woman in this image has just given birth and looks to me to be somewhat scared. Immediately, I feel very disturbed by this image and think to myself that these women should not be standing up! They
should be in bed! It is an interesting reaction, because many people consider child birth to be some sort of physical miracle. It is an intense and life changing process for a woman to go through, and it is a beautiful and sometimes spiritual process. However, when I look at this image I just feel somewhat ill, probably due to it's graphic nature. I feel that maybe the artist is trying to convey the reality of child birth, and the physical part of what it's really like for women.
3. Research
The artist photographs portraits. This series was a depiction of women who had just given birth standing with their babies.
















Stephen Shore
1. Visual
-This seems to be a scene next to someone's house on a mundane street in Texas (it says Ft. Worth in the title)
-The place seems pretty normal, except for the wire archway that reads "MECCA"
-This place is obviously not "Mecca"
-It is well lit, seems to be a mostly sunny day
-The landscaping on these houses is not spectacular or well kept. This doesn't seem like a very "upscale" part of town.
2. Interpretation
The title of this series is Uncommon Places. This image interested me for a few reasons. It is a normal street in Texas, a place where many people don't even know what Mecca is. The archway itself is a little uncommon but I could see how someone would think it was a nice addition to their yard, decoratively. Essentially, to me, it's the words in the wire that are very uncommon, in this extremely common setting.
3. Research
As far as I could tell from the sources I used, Stephen Shore traveled around the country taking photographs. His photographs illustrate a sort of realism using color photography. He was a pioneer of color photography as an art form along with Eggleston.

Os' JOURNAL ENTRY


Rineke Dijkstra
Shany - Palhamin Israeli Air Force Base - Palhamin, Israel - October 8,
2002

1.This is a traditional portrait of a young Israeli girl. She
serves in the Israeli Air Force. Her uniform isn't crisp. She wears a necklace and a pin. The background is white.

2. It feels as though this girl revels in her youth. T
he way she wears her uniform, almost lackadaisically, but with finesse and a certain uniqueness, makes me think about her as a free spirit. She is committed to, but unconcerned with the shackles of military and patriotic duty - she is free.

3. This is part of a series of photographs documenting this girl before and after her service in the military.



Horst P. Horst - Form Horst - Barefoot Beauty, 1941

1.Black and white photograph of a woman caressing her two feet over a statue of two feet. Up down orientation. Healthy
contrast. Her toes are painted. Studio Lighting

2. There is a heavy emphasis on form. He takes this woman's foot and treats it
in the same way that he does the statue. There are still elements of her individuality, for instance in the way she paints her nails, but it's underplayed. A cascade of form.

3. Horst was known for his photographs of beautiful women and plants. He photographed for vogue and is considered an old master.



Ralph Gibson - 1971 - 2007 - France Color

1. This is a photograph of two people. They're sitting inside of a building. Natural lighting. The word "BAR" is cast on their backs through a shadow. Color photograph.

2. I was attracted to this photograph and Gibson in general based on the way he treats text. It's all very well integrated. I'm interested in the couple and their culture. The way they're dressed intrigues me. This photograph seems very dependent on happenstance and incident. He shoots in the traditional flâneur style.

3. Ralph Gibson shoots exclusively with the Leica. His images incorporate fragments and surreal juxtaposition. He's known for his on the fly shooting.


Jeff Wall - A ventriloquist at a birthday party in October 1947 - 1990

1. This is an artificially lit scene of a child's birthday party. In the center of the room there is a ventriloquist. Balloons at different levels of the room.

2. There is an inherent creepiness to this scene. Wall's photography can be described as cinematic. A detail shot of the puppet reveals how disturbing it actually is. The children are transfixed and the two clocks in the room show different times.

3. Wall references Houdon’s Bust of Voltaire in the puppets construction.

Todd Hito

1. Night photograph. Sepia toned. Stationed car illuminated by an ambiguous light source. Trees in the distance. Up down orientation. Reflective ground. The car is a classic model.

2. There is an eerie sense to this photograph. The lack of narrative detail enhances this.

3. Todd Hito is known for his lush aesthetic.

Brittney Imwald-Mahar on Hellen Van Meene, Dayanita Singh, Alverez Bravo, Robert Adams

"Library Assignment"

Generally when I want to find inspiration I would much rather open an analog source; because for some reason there is an enlightenment and tangible satis
faction that does not compare to finding or stumbling upon it on the web. it's no wonder my excitement when coming across the images from a book titled "California". Fate? maybe...but it was the pure nostalgia and emotion that came into affect when I saw these first photographs.5. Redlands by Robert Adams from "california" series
40. Redlands by Robert Adams from "California" Series

Everything in the past and all of my work has been an attempt to create this emotion. These photographs are my home and I can't help but to feel incomplete when I look upon them. I feel as though this is my home town and wouldn't be surprised if it were. These black and whites photographs are calm and still...obviously taken in the desert towns like Palm
Springs :), Desert Hot Springs ect...there are cactus and wild weed like flowers and regal palm trees. The mountains and hills surround and protect; they've always reminded me of a geological cradle for the towns and cities. The Photograph of the flowery bush has a tight composition but it still feels open. The value and contrast scream tranquility and gray scale suits images of Californian desert towns. It's classic and simple just like how it feels to be home. The gray scale makes it feel natural and somewhat native American...i think that's why I automatically feel attached to this photograph. And even though I am from this place, I think it would still be appealing to me. or is it that since I am from this place I am naturally sympathetic and clingy to the images?I become instantly romantic and caught up. I believe there is a photographic language and these images definitely speak to me.

Another photograph I came across was found in a book of Polaroids. I fell
in love the moment I turned the page and found a Polaroid of a woman's back.
Polaroid of Manuel Alvarez Bravo
No Title Available

My first observations: beautiful freckles, warm and enticing skin, she's holding her hair up, she is deliberately showing "us", dark setting, looks romantic?, Secluded?, mixed color tones, most valuable in the skin, unusual Polaroid, taken from above...why? These observation
s leave me feeling mysterious and affectionate. Maybe it's the freckles that I love! But the color scheme (Polaroid) is just so attractive! The square format and overall look is familiar...it's a Polaroid!- automatically I am in agreement...possibly because it's generational and "sexy" appeal. But mainly, it's essentially a one of a kind; and captured so much better than most Polaroids floating around out in the world. The Polaroid is exceptional and there will never be a Polaroid to compare...it feels special and I don't even know the person. something about Polaroids and how beautifully this was taken is exciting to my eyes and for me, it's honestly her skin, the format and color palette. I remain amazed and in love with someone I'll never know. but is it the subject I love or the eye of the photographer?


Recently I am moved and inspired by portraiture and Hellen Van Meene is right up my alley. Meene's portraits of women are awing and beautiful but also very mysterious when first viewing them. In the image I chose from her book of Portraits, I see nothing but symb
olism and an analysis of becoming a woman. Besides pure curiosity on what is going on in the image, I am attracted to the formal and aesthetic qualities.
Untitled, 2001 By Hellen Van Meene from book of portraits

The observations I gather when first viewing this image is blue tones being lit by warm tones, a close personal but comfortable composition, square format, closed eyes which gives a feeling of a disconnect from the person, mysterious yet seemingly important jar of jam, natural light coming from a window, distressed and messy hair on the woman, ambiguous age and emotion...again with the eyes, an action is being done, the moment seems relaxed and quiet
but still some intensity, a plain and not distracting surrounding. I can't quite wrap my mind around why Meene chose to show the girl with her eyes closed...but my logic tells me she is taking in a moment that is personal and intense. But why the jar? After studying the image for a while I get a sense of sensitivity and bitter sweetness. Kind of like how becoming a woman can be...but then things get overwhelming and I find it difficult to put this feeling into words. How do you explain this emotion to a male? can you? Maybe I am just left confused in the end but I am attracted to the fact of doing an action to describe an emotional state; to be symbolic and leave the action for others to decide and I believe that is what Van Meene is doing here. A "new light" coming in to evolve her...to introduce her into something new and although it may be "messy" and unconventional, it will be a sweet and fresh moment.


Sumona Ghosh, Calcutta 1999 by Dayanita Singh from the book "Privacy"

I am dazed when I look at this image by Dayanita Singh and find it hard to begin to talk about it because I am still in amazement. I am connected and sharing a moment with this girl because her gaze is like a trap! Interesting as it may be, the things in the background, I can
not help but to stare at her first and foremost. Her surroundings are beautiful but she is truly timeless. MY observations: Obviously first I notice her and her wonderful eyes, outstanding and fluid value in gray scale, the framing looks very planned and carefully taken, the ever so popular and attractive square format, black and white image, carefully placed objects in the room, a room that does not seem to be for someone of her age, Indian wardrobe and the girl is dressed in a saari that seems to be for a nice or planned event...
She is so beautiful and not only because of her obvious appearance, but because her stare is elegant and older than she appears. It's like I am getting a wealth of information about her even though all she is doing is looking at me. I am obsessed and want to know more.

Shahnaz Hussain and Daughter, New Delhi 1992 by Dayanita Singh from Book "Privacy"

And The image above, also by Dayanita Singh, is like eye candy and I could not pass it up as well when flipping through the book. There are just things and and interest everywhere! My observations include: flowers, organic things, lots of hair, beauty, a captured friendly moment, personal living space?, lots of strange and collectible trinkets, is this an in home beauty parlor?, these two women must be related, loving touches.
I can't find what I want to focus on. I am intrigued by the wonderful objects that surround these two women but the relationship that seems to be shining through these two people are just as competing. The "mother's" hair is like its own photograph. The hair is so luxurious and kind of holds its own personality and I know that in the Indian culture, your hair can hold a lot of praise and meaning so maybe that is why it is so but otherwise she MUST pride herself on her hair. The image is feminine and informing of their life but it also encompasses so much more because there is a timeless interaction and I can't help but to want to be within the situation...maybe due to the fact I long for my mother and feel lost and sentimental all at once. Wonderful image....period.



Paolo Aninag Journal 2 Entry

BOOK 1

Pixel Surgeons by Martin Dawber



Big Gun by Me Company

-Objective Obsevation:
COLORS So bright So Vivid.  Neon Pink, Orange, and Aqua
Creepy real-life anime girl.
Big Eyes
Gravity Defying Neon Colored Hair
Comic panel layout that makes no sense
FireArms
Action Words in Your Face

Because of the subject matter, this image jumped out at me almost instantly.  Anime and manga, or Japanese animation and comics is till really popular to me and a lot of people in my generation.  I found these set of images hilarious in its way of mocking the art style in an extremely flamboyant manner.  Me Company, used computer programs such as photoshop in order to mix photography and drawing to collage them into this piece.  First, there's the extremely vivid and bright almost head aching neon color schemes.  Then it is laid out in comic book format however the panels don't really have anything to do with each other and does not really tell a fluid narrative.  Two large panels with mind blowing action lines and large action words do not form a narrative and mock the comic book format.  Also, that small panel in the middle left, switches from being action based to serious dramatic with the girl contemplating her existence (This happens quite a bit in manga and anime).   But the most important and stuck out feature of the image is the girl.  Jesus Christ she's creepy as hell, those LARGE anime style eyes do not work in real life.  Even her hair off color and seems to defy gravity.  These are traits many Japanese comic artists use to design their characters with.  This way of character design evolved from the early 21st century Disney and American cartoon characters that tend to use large eyes and exaggerated features.  One perfect example is Betty Boop who is supposed to be played off as sexy but her eyes and lips do not look anything human.  This character tends to contradict her personality by being played off as extremely feminine through her sad facial expressions, fashion, and slender body type.  However, at the same time happens to live a life of combat by wielding heavy firearms.  Her face in the first panel seems to mock this paradox by looking like she's forcing her action pose.  It's two fetishes fused together into one neat package for guys to drool on; a trait the anime industry loves to use constantly.  Still, this is my favorite piece I've seen so far.

Cyberspace by Christos Magganas

 -Objective Observations
Crazy Digital backgrounds with geometrical and circular non organic shapes.
Girl Combining with background.
Human skin tone stands out in cold colored background.
Broken Yellow Gold Fragments.
Portal of things birthed from girl's head.

This image uses mixes the human body and fuses it's organic nature within the digital and computer realm of cyberspace.  The girl stands out because her organic nature stands out withing the cold and patterned environment.  First of all, she automatically registers as a human being because the color of her skin tone, hair, and human body parts are still kept relatively intact and recognizable.  Then, there's the cyberspace, born from her head, patterns using cold blue colors and rigid right angle shapes contrast the human body.  It is also broken up by the gold pieces scattered throughout.  Two contrasting colors conflict, the warm lifelike colors of the human body with the cold dead colors of cyberspace.  I read that it shows hows people interaction with technology and how they are basically so dependent they combine with it.
With the advent Photoshop and digital art computer programs are tools that breaks many technical limitations to creating visual artwork.  Instead of having to settle with straight photography or hand crafted collages, artists can create more imaginative visual imagery by putting together hand drawn images and various other photos and textures to create whatever they want.  No dangerous exacto knives or messy glue needed.  Colors, tone, and blend can be changed instantly and none of it is permanent.  This fluidity of work flow is why many artists love using computers in their artwork.

Japanese Winter by Catherine Mcintyre


-Objective Observations
Japanese Girl
Old worn paper texture
Writing and Japanese brush work in background.
Layers collaged together
Layers used are transparent and float on top of each other.
Girl seems ghostly.
 Very warm color scheme.


This portrait of a Japanese woman was photo manipulated to incorporate textures and colors from old diary pages and Japanese writing.  The elements are arranged in a graphical manner to serve the composition.  This gives the portrait a more dated look and even though this is digital work, it removes the model from the current time line and puts her in the past.  Not only that, the portrait is transparent even almost ghostly.  Her fashion adds to this ghostly effect by being traditional clothing.  Her green collar pops out of the warm color scheme.  This ghostly effect supplements the wear and tear of the diary pages belong her and seems to tell a narrative.  She becomes more related to the papers behind her because of her ghostly appearance like.  She's more like a fading memory than a person.
The artist combined texture, atmospheric, colors and collage to create a narrative set in the past.  Her use of imagination through digital imagery makes it easier to represent what is going on inside her head.  "A fantastic world where creation between pure thought and the physical result."-Catherine Mcintyre.

BOOK 2

Robert Capa Photographs

Edited by Cornell Capa and Richard Whelan

Image 1
-Objective Observation
D-Day
Combat
Shaky and Out of Focus
Historical Significance
Still well composed and exposed photograph even if being shot at
Rarity
Soldiers are struggling to survive.

I love the drama and action captured through war photography.  Robert Capa is famous for his capture of the Western Front of World War 2.  This photo in particular was taken on the 2nd beach assault on Normandy during D-Day of the war.  Most of it seem blurred and mainly out of focus.  However, nobody can capture such as brilliantly composed and well exposed photo in the midst of heavy machine gun fire on the battlefield.  You can follow a trail of leading lines from each soldier as they run in mass towards the horizon. The dark uniforms of the soldiers make them stand out from the background.  There is something happening in each plane. There is a beautiful curve that leads from the man in front and center towards the right.  There are many things to look for in this photo and many people to analyze their actions.  Very rare you see a photographer run into combat without protection even now.  This man ran into the thick of combat for his passion.  So the shaky cam and out of focus photo is excusable.  In addition, D-Day photographs are extremely rare and many are censored or destroyed by the US Army for propaganda purposes.

Image 2


-Objective Observations
Many people interacting.
Guy smiling and pointing gun.
Multitude of bodily and facial expressions.
I saw this somewhere before.
War drama.
Man poking with knife.
Scared German Soldier.


Liked this picture because I saw it ripped off in one of my favorite videogames.


Link

There's a whole cast of characters here smiling over the capture of a German soldier.  The Soldier is the subject of the photo but the guy in the left with the pistol pointed at him comes out at me.  I look at the faces of all these men and wonder what they are thinking.  There is a certain energy that Robert Capa captured here through this interaction.  There are two things happening that brings this photo alive, the man with the pistol, and the German soldier who is surprised because the militia man behind him is poking at him with a knife.  Through the militia, I get a sense of relief and satisfaction of having their city liberated.  The nervous soldier seems to be like a prize catch for them and they take joy in harassing him after what he has done to their people.  The man in left looks like he's enjoying it the most out of everyone.  Smiling while holding someone at gun point gives a sense of satisfaction through conquest.  War has many stories to tell other than combat the civilian lives and how they are effected are just as important that who leads what battle where.  Many people's lives change drastically through conflict producing drama that deserves to be documented.