Semester B: Discourse Work
Post modernism is based upon modernism, in the sense that it challenges its concepts and is critical of its ideas. It can also be seen as using humour within its images. The uses of parodies and irony within the movement are persistent, as well as the use of appropriation and borrowing of ideas from others.
Just like with modernism, post modernism also has its key photographers. Cindy Sherman first comes to mind, especially with her work on film stills. In the 1970’s, Sherman took well known and very stereotypical shots from films and re-shot them. This can not only be seen as ‘borrowing’ from earlier films but it also considered post modern because of how see turned the camera on herself and became the model as well as the photographer. At the time, it was almost unique, especially with the amount of stills she did and how long each shot must have took to get ready for.
Left: Gursky is an example of how repetition is used within post modern photographyRight: Prince’s work is an example of how post modern photographers ‘borrow’ things, and in this case a scene, and re-use it in their own work
3. Prince, R. (1989). Untitled (Cowboy). [Online image]. Available at: http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pcgn/ho_2000.272.htm (Accessed: 24 April 2008)
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Modernism is based on social change and looks at technology and the industrial revolution. It looks to something new and focuses on the world of tomorrow. In photography, it brought about the style of straight photography and movements such as surrealism. All of a sudden, different angles were being used, as well as the idea of repetition.
A well known modernist photographer is Edward Weston. His famous pepper photographs were very different to how a pepper would have been photographed then. Yet turning something that’s familiar into something that looks out of the ordinary was also part of the whole modernism movement.
Another photography who was part of this was Paul Strand. As an American photographer whose works span across many decades and continents, he is known as one of the greatest of the movement. His style of straight photography focused on things that would not usually be photographed, yet he made them the key element of the photograph. His image of the White Picket Fence displays how he decided to compose the image, when instead most photographers would have used the house as the main subject matter.
Image Credits:
1. Weston, E. (Unknown). Pepper #30. [Online image]. Available at: http://caraphillips.files.wordpress.com/2007/10/weston_pepper_number30.jpg (Accessed: 24 April 2008)
2. Strand, P. (1916). White Fence. [Online image]. Available at: http://cache.eb.com/eb/image?id=26094&rendTypeId=4 (Accessed: 24 April 2008).
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Semiotics is the study of signs which is a fascinating subject, especially when living in a world full of signs as we do today. After reading the book, “The Basics: Semiotics”, I felt that this quote best described what it is in it’s simplest form:
“Semiotics involves the study not only of what we refer to as ‘signs’ in everyday speech, but of anything which ‘stands for’ something else. In a semiotic sense, signs take the form of words, images, sounds, gestures and objects.” 1
The whole idea and study of semiotics is based upon the works of Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Peirce, who are seen as the co-founders of semiotics. Although their theories on the subject differ slightly, their work has been grouped together to form a more overall study of semiotics. It’s something of which I think is useful, especially within photography. After looking at semiotics, you do become more aware of what you see and also how it can influence you into what you include within your own photographs.
Lastly, I found this another interesting point from the book:
“To decline the study of signs is to leave to others the control of the world of meanings which we inhabit” 2
Even if we choose not to see these meanings and signs, they will still be there and we will still take them in, just subconsciously rather than being fully aware of what we see and hear.
Here is a video I found on YouTube quite useful as an introduction to semiotics. It looks at both Saussure and Peirce and gives an overview as what semiotics actually is.
1. Chandler, D. (2007). The Basics: Semiotics. 2nd ed. London: Routledge , pp. 2.
2. Chandler, D. (2007). The Basics: Semiotics. 2nd ed. London: Routledge, pp 10.
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Yet the name Fellig means nothing to most people, as he was known then and even now as Weegee, a nicknamed he acquired through his ability to arrive at scenes within minutes of the crime and usually before the authorities arrived. This and the fact that he was the only reporter with a permit to have a portable police radio1; he became one of the best photojournalists of his time. He even drove around with a fully functional darkroom in the back of his car as to get his work into the press faster.
As primarily a night time photographer, this is a somewhat rare daytime photograph. It features a recent car accident victim but Weegee himself actually set up the shot by adding the steering wheel in the victim’s hand. I think his use of irony in the photo is clever, especially with how he has frozen the two speeding cars in the background. (1939)
Weegee eventually moved on from crime scenes and went onto experimenting with films, panoramic and manipulations. Just like I mentioned in my last blog, Weegee also did all his editing in the darkroom, making these images really quite impressive. I think this is true even more so when you realise that he actually had no formal training in the subject and he was just in fact a self taught photographer.
An example of some of Weegee's later work on the people of New York City (1947)
1. Unknown. (2008). Weegee. [Online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weegee (Accessed: 17 April 2008).
Image Credits:
Purcell, KW. (2004). Weegee. London: Phaidon.
Stettner, L. (ed.) (1977). Weegee. New York: Knopf.
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Obviously due to the success and growth in the market for digital cameras, film does not seem to have completely died out, yet it has made a clear impact. For example, many films have been taken off the shelves, and even more recently, Polaroid announced they too were discontinuing their products. On the other hand, I think the over use of digital photography has made people appreciate film photography more. Images like the ones below may seem like something that is easily done. It’s when you find out it was all done in the darkroom that it makes you value what photography was like before Photoshop.
Before and after darkroom manipulation (1930's)
So despite digitals flaws, like noise which is something of which is not appreciated unlike its film equivalent of grain, it’s something that is constantly improving. The number of megapixels in digital cameras seems to be one of the biggest factors within the market at the moment. With the latest professional DSLR’s advertising as having up to 16 megapixels, claiming to beat the quality of the medium format cameras.
Here are some interesting websites and online articles I found while researching digital photography:
“Photo tampering throughout history”
“One pixel is plenty for pictures”
Image Credits:
1. Unknown, (2007). Stalin. [Online image]. Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photo_manipulation (Accessed: 11 April 2008).
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During the 90’s, fashion photography was seen and shown as something glamorous, and which Day knew from being a model herself, was not true. With Day’s images she wanted to show the reality and break away from those traditions, and with her new way of fashion photography, it did just that. Her informal approach to her models and shoots left her images looking raw and almost candid. But it wasn’t only this that shocked her audience; it was her choice of models. Known for popularising the “heroin chic” look, Day used very thin female figures. This caused a lot of controversy and Day became subject to accusations to promoting anorexia and drugs.
These are two shots of Kate Moss taken in 1993 at her flat in London
Day then stopped her involvement within the fashion world, and then started to concentrate on documentary. Photographing her friends constantly and through all different kinds of situations, she continued with her hard-hitting style. Yet her images were now becoming increasing more brutal and through her intimacy with her friends, she was able to not only to focus on their drug abuse but also show a lot of emotion within her images. This particularly relates to her later work which she did with her boyfriend when she found out about her brain tumour. Her now life threatening illness gave Day something else to focus on and document.
Two examples from her book "Diary"
Since then, Day has briefly returned to fashion photography. She has carried on with her distinctive style and is something that she remains unapologetic for. I think she described it well when she said, “Photography is getting as close as you can to real life, showing us things we don’t normally see. These are people’s most intimate moments, and sometimes intimacy is sad.”1
"I believe there can be no true beauty without decay"2 - Corinne Day
1. Frost, C. (2004). BBC Four Documentaries: Corinne Day Diary. [Online] Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/features/corinne-day.shtml (Accessed: 01 April 2008).
2. Bright, S. (2007). Faces Of Fashion. London: National Portrait Gallery Publications, pp. 75.
Image Credits:
Day, C. (Unknown). Corinne Day: Exhibitions. [Online] Available at: http://www.corinneday.co.uk/exhibitions.php (Accessed: 01 April 2008).
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