An enlightening exposition into the Art of Dead Men.
SEAN & ALICIA
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Minor White
Though White's images, viewed individually, seem to be rigid in their composition, when put into his famous "sequences," White's
work takes on new meaning. When put together, these images force the viewer to make connections, not only between the artist
and the art, but between the individual pieces of art themselves. This, to me, epitomizes the purpose of art: to not just please the
eye, but for the viewer to make connections.
A brilliant and captivating image, I assume. Perhaps a bit of detail was lost during the conversion of this picture, but I find it hard to become excited about it. White was fascinated with the metaphor behind an image. This was surely not just a picture of mountains to White. His use of light suggests a revealing, the concept of secrets suddenly brought to light.
Irving Penn
Some consider Irving Penn to be a formalist because of his strict control over composition. What I've found most appealing about his work, however, is his simplicity. Though the images in his art tend to be spare, his attention to detail in these images really makes them stand out. He seems to have a knack for making the simple captivating with his use of extreme blacks and white-whites.
The first thing that strikes me is the stark contrast. As an avid fan of high levels of contrast, I appreciate the stark whites and grave blacks. Penn utilizes common household objects (bottle, pitcher) and adds a touch of the grotesque or bizarre to emphasisze the lack of normalcy in the image. The geometrical black shapes attempt to impose an order upon an otherwise chaotic visual experience.
Victor Keppler
The fact that a great deal of Keppler's work is commercial, in no way detracts from its artistry. In order to make an advertisement achieve its desired effect, it must strike emotion in the hearts of its audience. This print, Judy Canova, for instance is wonderfully emotional, and yet, is obviously an advertisement for coffee. The high contrast and almost cubist arrangement of the photograph makes for a very striking image that is emotionally charged.
Interesting example of advertising photography. Makes the viewer want to rush out to buy some Nescafe. I like the visual evolution from the no-coffee Judy (very sad), to the Judy with a fresh cup of steamy brew (joyful). Good manipulation.
Robert Frank
Robert Frank is adept at showing on film what the human eye sees in reality. His print, U.S. 285, New Mexico, is a great example of this. He's done a wonderful job here of showing how long and desolate this particular highway seems to travelers. Slightly off center, this image makes great use of the horizon to make it's point.
Very good. Minimalist. Simple and to the point. He gives us the impression of the vastness of this, our Beautiful US of A. What exactly is the mystique behind an empty highway? It's just the sort of thing we take so much for granted, and shouldn't.
Roy (Rudolph) DeCarava
It makes me sad to see an artist such as DeCarava classified as a "black" photographer as if that were the limit of his insight or abilities. Though his art does give some insight into a previously neglected social group, it should be more important to look at the composition of his images, rather than the content. A truly great artist can always make the composition of his art take precedence over its content. It is the way in which the images are presented which causes reaction from the viewer, not the content of those particular images.
Completely ignoring the fact that this is "black" photography... this is a good picture based on its own merits. De Carava focuses on a solitary man walking up a flight of stairs, something everyone does nearly every day. But for this man, it seems, these steps are just a little but different than others. The viewer wonders what the man's eventual destination is. Is he going home? Attempting a clandestine rendezvous? We may never know. If his shirt had been any darker, the image would be worthless. As it is, good contrast.
Wynn Bullock
Wynn Bullock is particularly interesting in that he has a very philosophical view towards his art. He makes attempts to show what the mind doesn't always see unaided. He uses his camera more as a sixth sense than as a tool. Bullock's images reflect this as they show us aspects of the universe that we may not have otherwise noticed.
"Mystical" is a good work for this image that I will here borrow freely from the encyclopedia from whence this image came. Also, "eye of God" comes to mind, while we're talking buzz words. Whatever is going on with those storm clouds is definitely disturbing. The tree is verylonely, very afraid, and probably dead. I like the contradiction. This is Mother Nature's dark side.
Paul Outerbridge
I find Outerbridge's images of nudes to be compelling. It takes artistry to turn pictures of naked people into art, rather than just pornography. I like the fact that he saw the art in eroticism. This particular print, Stockinged Legs with Flowers, is particularly intriguing with its use of fetish items, such as the shoes and the stockings. Were we not able to see the buttocks, the sexual nature of the shoes and stockings would not have been quite so overt, but the effect would have been lost too. Sexuality is but a part of the range of emotions that humans can feel. Can we judge art on which emotions in particular it evokes?
Not very interesting. The concept is good: classical lines with the wall and stocking seams up the legs. (There is something eternally erotic about stocking seams trailing a woman's thighs.) The shoes blend in badly with the floor. I like the fact that the woman does not conform to our present ideals of feminine beauty, i.e. she does not look like a Barbie doll. Also, he does not focus on the upper body, concentrating primarily on her legs, thereby saving himself from the label "pornography", although in 1928 it was undoubtedly considered to be so.
Edward (Henry) Weston
I love this image (The Pepper) and the way in which it deliberately deceives the viewer. Is this a vegetable or is it a person. The way in which Weston achieves this ambiguity is amazing. Though the image does not have much emotional content to speak of, the lighting and the manner in which Weston chose to portray this particular pepper is interesting because it forces the viewer to make connections between everyday vegetables and everyday people. People. Vegetables. People. Vegetables. Fascinating, no?
Simple. Obscure. Without the title, the viewer would not know what this image is. I thought it was an embryo. Sean would probably say that's because I'm a girl. I love it when an artist can create something difficult to figure out, but make the viewer WANT to know by immediately capturing their interest.
Eugene William Smith
Eugene Smith was very much interested in capturing the concept of "humanity." The name of this particular photograph escapes me because I cut it off when I xeroxed it, but I don't believe that the missing name in any way took my attention away from the humanity of this image. As we learned in our 4D assignment, everyday things, caught at just the right moment, tell us more about a person or an act than a motion picture could ever reveal. Smith seems too adept at capturing the "moment." The tilt of this woman's head, the look of her downcast eyes, the funny look of her mouth over the thread, all make me wonder: "Does this woman really like her job?" "Is she happy with her life?" "Why is she so dirty looking?" You know a picture is great if it forces the viewer to ask questions.
Good. Pauper life. Images of real "humanity". Nice composition. He caught an amazing expression on her face. One of complete absorption and total indifference. "This is life," she says. How many women nowadays could spin yarn to save their lives? Come the Rapture, I'll be wearing leaves.
August Sander
Like Mr. Smith, Aust Sander is very good at catching the right facial expression at the right time. In his print, Young Soldier, Sanders takes an obviously posed photo and puts an element of uncertainty in it. The soldier looks like a bloated carcass is his loose fitting uniform and with the blank look in his eyes. The way in which the soldier looks the camera in the lens also has an effect on the viewer. The gaze of that young soldier is riveting in its expressionlessness. It makes us ask questions.
War pictures are very rarely interesting to me. This is good for a portrait image. Reminds the viewer that war is real, soldiers are real boys, and death is really final, all good things to keep in mind. I like the fact that the soldier has absolutely no expression on his face, for some reason.
