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Leanne M Photography
Semester B: Discourse Work
Semester B: Discourse Work
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Saturday, 29 March 2008
Gregory Crewdson is an American photographer who's style of photography is described as being a combination of documentary and filmic, with each of his images being created in large and elaborate sets (see image below) similar to those used by film crews. His photographs are usually set in normal and everyday scenes and settings within suburban America. Yet his images explore beyond that, by creating often quite dark and dramatic images, Crewdson makes you question and wonder what is going on. The combination of the ordinary verses the supernatural theme that runs throughout his work creates an interesting atmosphere.
Crewdson's image of a woman floating (left) in what appears to be her flooded living room. Her blank expression gives us a sense of her rather surreal situation. This photograph seems to reference the painting "Ophelia" (right) by British artist John Everett Millais.
This image of Crewdson's (left) reminded me of the scene from the "Wizard of Oz" (right), where Dorothy's house lands in Oz. The fact that the house in Crewdson's picture looks out of place, broken, and has landed in the middle of a road links with the movie. Even the colour and shape of the houses match each other.
Although flowers appear a lot within his photographs, this particular one (left) seemed to represent the beanstalk from "Jack and the Beanstalk". Crewdson even included a man climbing the beanstalk, making you link the two together.
1. Cotton, C. (2004, reprinted in 2007). The Photograph As Contemporary Art. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd, pp. 68.
2. Luhring Augustine Gallery. (2002). Gregory Crewdson Press Release. [Online] Available at: http://www.luhringaugustine.com/files/de5b8a67.pdf (Accessed: 29 March 2008).
Image Credits:
All Crewdson Images are from his book, "Twilight".
Crewdson, G. (2002) Twilight. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
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Gregory Crewdson
Gregory Crewdson is an American photographer who's style of photography is described as being a combination of documentary and filmic, with each of his images being created in large and elaborate sets (see image below) similar to those used by film crews. His photographs are usually set in normal and everyday scenes and settings within suburban America. Yet his images explore beyond that, by creating often quite dark and dramatic images, Crewdson makes you question and wonder what is going on. The combination of the ordinary verses the supernatural theme that runs throughout his work creates an interesting atmosphere.
Having worked on several series throughout his life, from photographing fake animals and insects with replicates of his own body parts to the more mundane scenes, each image has its own surreal mood. My favourite series however is his "Twilight" shots. Taken between the years of 1998 to 2002, Crewdson photographed scenes that referenced "sci-fi films, fables, modern myths and theatre".1
Crewdson's image of a woman floating (left) in what appears to be her flooded living room. Her blank expression gives us a sense of her rather surreal situation. This photograph seems to reference the painting "Ophelia" (right) by British artist John Everett Millais.This image of Crewdson's (left) reminded me of the scene from the "Wizard of Oz" (right), where Dorothy's house lands in Oz. The fact that the house in Crewdson's picture looks out of place, broken, and has landed in the middle of a road links with the movie. Even the colour and shape of the houses match each other.Although flowers appear a lot within his photographs, this particular one (left) seemed to represent the beanstalk from "Jack and the Beanstalk". Crewdson even included a man climbing the beanstalk, making you link the two together.Crewdson's photographs of this "psychological realism"2 he creates makes within his work unique. His use of theatrical lights and stages turn everyday life into something more. The way he introduces these well known stories into our world, turns our reality into something it isn't and is the reason why "Twilight" works.
1. Cotton, C. (2004, reprinted in 2007). The Photograph As Contemporary Art. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd, pp. 68.
2. Luhring Augustine Gallery. (2002). Gregory Crewdson Press Release. [Online] Available at: http://www.luhringaugustine.com/files/de5b8a67.pdf (Accessed: 29 March 2008).
Image Credits:
All Crewdson Images are from his book, "Twilight".
Crewdson, G. (2002) Twilight. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
- Millais, JE. (1853). Ophelia. [Online image]. Available at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Millais_-_Ophelia.jpg (Accessed: 29 March 2008).
- Unknown. (1939). Wizard of Oz. [Online image]. Available at: http://screencapheaven.com/testcoppermine/displayimage.php?pid=46588&fullsize=1 (Accessed: 29 March 2008).
- Garner, D. (Unknown). Jack and the Beanstalk. [Online Image]. Available at: http://allpoetry.com/images/ext/Item/3414/796.jpg (Accessed 29 March 2008).
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Blog
Monday, 17 March 2008
The main reason for post-mortem photography was due to its high demand with the mortality rates in Victorian England soaring, particularly in children. Although it is now frowned upon, during the 19th century it was seen as the norm. For those who could not afford painted portraits, photography was the alternative.
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Post-Mortem Photography
The main reason for post-mortem photography was due to its high demand with the mortality rates in Victorian England soaring, particularly in children. Although it is now frowned upon, during the 19th century it was seen as the norm. For those who could not afford painted portraits, photography was the alternative.
The style of photography stayed consistent throughout the time period, with the photographer making the deceased look as if they are just sleeping, and keeping the tell-tale signs of death away. For example, coffins were rarely included within a shot, and the bodies were instead posed on couches or beds. Living family members were also known to be photographed with their loved ones. As the majority of these images were of children, that single image was often the only one the family would have of that child.
Although our attitudes to death have changed throughout the years, this style of photography is not something that is widely done anymore. I did however find one group of photographers who still practise it. “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep” are a group who offer a free infant bereavement service through the art of photography. This was the only type of post-mortem photography that I found that is used today in the same way the 19th century used it.
Today however, photographing the deceased is also used within other professions. With the likes of forensics and medical photographers, the nature of their work may be very different but photographing the dead is something that is done on a regular basis. Corpses are also found within the art world today. With people such as Andres Serrano, the controversial photographer who brought us “Piss Christ”, he also did a series of morgue shots. The style of these images are the very opposite to what the previous photographers I’ve just looked at wanted to capture in their images. Serrano’s pictures make it obvious that the person is dead, and focuses mainly on the causes of death and even includes it in the titles for each of his works.
Image Credit: Wells, L. (2004) Photography: The Critical Introduction. 3rd ed. New York: Routledge, pp. 190.
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Blog
Tuesday, 4 March 2008
In the book "Camera Lucida", author Roland Barthes goes into the reasons why we like a photograph. Claiming there are two main elements, Barthes calls them the Punctum and the Studium.
Punctum
Barthes describes the punctum as being that small detail in a photograph that draws you in. Varying from person to person, he goes on to say that the object in question is most often linked with that person in some way, whether it be a past memory or a particular interest. The connection that is made between the subject matter (or a small piece of it) and the viewer is what makes the image more memorable to them.
Studium
The studium, unlike the punctum, is when we as the viewers show a general interest for an image but our enthusiasm is not like those of the photographs we would consider our favourites. Barthes describes it simply when talking in relation to photographs and the studium when he says, “I am interested in them… I do not love them”.*
*Unknown. (2005). Right Ways: Discovering Punctum. [Online]. Available at: http://www.wrongways.com/discovering-punctum (Accessed: 4 March 2008).
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Roland Barthes
In the book "Camera Lucida", author Roland Barthes goes into the reasons why we like a photograph. Claiming there are two main elements, Barthes calls them the Punctum and the Studium.
Punctum
Barthes describes the punctum as being that small detail in a photograph that draws you in. Varying from person to person, he goes on to say that the object in question is most often linked with that person in some way, whether it be a past memory or a particular interest. The connection that is made between the subject matter (or a small piece of it) and the viewer is what makes the image more memorable to them.
Studium
The studium, unlike the punctum, is when we as the viewers show a general interest for an image but our enthusiasm is not like those of the photographs we would consider our favourites. Barthes describes it simply when talking in relation to photographs and the studium when he says, “I am interested in them… I do not love them”.*
*Unknown. (2005). Right Ways: Discovering Punctum. [Online]. Available at: http://www.wrongways.com/discovering-punctum (Accessed: 4 March 2008).
2 comments