Nature is often used as background for portraiture, providing pleasant settings for its subjects. Landscape photography exists due to the beautiful scenery nature supplies. Despite nature’s frequent appearance in photography, it is rarely displayed and appreciated at an intimate level. The intricacy at this level is lost in the background and the minute detail overlooked, as significance is generally placed on other subjects. Everything in the natural world is connected, meaning each component is just as important as the next, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.
The nature of my work is to expose the quiet complexity and beauty of the generally unnoticed elements of the environment on a personal scale. In a sense, I am taking close-up portraits of certain aspects of nature, challenging the definition of portraiture by placing importance on natural elements rather than human ones. By doing this, I hope viewers will consider and value the subtle detail of nature in photography and in their surroundings in general.
I responded most favorably to the tableau photography in Chapter 2 "Once Upon A Time". My work from last semester fit very well into that category, as did my first assignment. I love seeing a story play out in a photograph or series of photographs, whether it be a concious intnetion of the artist's or something I myself viewed in the image or images. The dramatic scenes of the photographs in the chapter by Tom Hunter and Izima Kaoru of women lying seemingly dead or unconcious reflect back to stories we are familiar with or a dramatic interpretation of our own.
I also very much liked the documentary style photography displayed in Chapter 6 "Moments in History". Seeing the aftermath of certain events in these photographs is much more interesting to me and helps me form a better interpretation of what when on than seeing the action itself. It was interesting to read about the amount of time it took for many of these series to come together, such as Luc Delahaye's History series in which he only included 4 photographs a year into his work. His photograph Kabul Road is haunting. The mass of people seem terribly calm considering they are standing around dead bodies. This strange calm in the aftermath of military conflict carries more weight in my opinion, than seeing a photograph of the actual fighting.
I feel as if my own work for my final project fits best into Chapter 4 "Something and Nothing". I discuss in my artist statement that I am photographing nature at a more intimate level than it is normally shown. As the beginning of the chapter states, the photography in this chapter consists of objects that are normally passed by, and that is exactly what I am photographing in nature, or more so how I am photographing nature.
For this set of photographs, I focused on the qualities in nature that resemble familiar objects and human characteristics, as well as a more abstract view of the natural world. I focused a great deal on the texture and patterns of the material I was photographing and how viewers would respond to them.
I continued to use nature as my predominant subject with human forms out of focus in the background. I experimented with more ambiguous figures in some of my images rather than obvious human forms. The first image was cooled down, darkened in some areas and lightened in others to adjust the mood of the photo and place more emphasis on the plant itself. I plan on experimenting with the idea of not having human figures in my images at all and seeing if I would like to place more emphasis on the human presence or if it's necessary at all for the direction I'm taking this series in.
I continued to play around with a shallow DOP and the idea of "spying" on my subjects through various objects and from different vantage points in this next set of photographs. Nature plays a more crucial role in these photos and I will continue to make that an import aspect, if not the most prominent one in my series. I very much like the idea of placing nature as the most important factor in my images and placing less signficance on the people out of focus in the background. I'd like the figures to serve more as a human connection to the natural world than to be the main focus of the images.
The composition in this photograph is one of the key factors. Each item, from the shovel sticking out of the ground to the hose strewn across the graveyard adds an element of intrigue and seems to contain its own story. The tide pool in the grave serves as an imaginative gateway to another world drastically different from the one the photographer is in. The vibrant tide pool is like a patch of joy and hope in the middle of a bleak and dreary reality. The anticipation of the grave being drained represents the loss of something beautiful, alluding to the loss of the deceased.
An Eviction, 1988/2004
As is the case with many of his photographs, the composition in An Eviction one of the main appealing aspects of this photograph, as is the aerial vantage point, giving the viewer an omniscient view of the scene. The humor of seeing the chaotic eviction in contrast to the mundane on goings of other people and the neighborhood they live in highlights the separation of the various lives being lived throughout the city.
A Sudden Gust of Wind (After Hokusai), 1993
Humor is the result of frustration in this photograph, mainly through the dramatic positions of the men fighting against the surge of wind. The environment they are in is very much out of place, adding to the bizarreness of the photo. The scarf covering the first man’s face is highly amusing, as is the third man’s position and aggravated look as he watches his hat float away. The hat stands out amidst the whirlwind of papers, serving as a focal point.
Volunteer, 1996
From an environmentalist’s viewpoint, this photograph raises some excellent points regarding the state of the environment and our treatment of it. The image on the wall and the stuffed animals next to it is self explanatory as representation, and its contrast to the windowless room is nearly comical. The volunteer mopping the floor, to me, represents those who work to repair the damage that has been done to our planet. One may also notice the “No Smoking” sign on the wall behind the volunteer, hinting that a healthy environment is not the only necessity for a healthy life.
Restoration, 1993
The panoramic view of this photograph helps bring the situation to life, allowing viewers to experience the vastness and curvature of the room. I find it interesting that there is only one woman currently working on the restoration project in the photograph while the other women are simply observing and seemingly admiring. It’s a reminder that you have to step back from your work to truly appreciate it and see the beauty in it.
A View From An Apartment , 2004-2005
I love the contrast between the warm, cozy interior space and the cool, bleak exterior. There is a certain dreariness that is portrayed from the outdoor space that provides a special appreciation for the indoor apartment and its colorful, decorative flowers. The expressions of the residents, however, fit better with the exterior mood.
Pawnshop, 2008
The stalls in this photograph remind me of stalls in fitting rooms at clothing stores. It is almost as if the people who come to this pawnshop are trying on new personalities and hobbies, such as the man with the guitar. Perhaps he is deciding whether the rock and roll lifestyle looks good on him.
Office Hallway, Spring Street, Los Angeles 1997
The florescent lighting in the hallway is obvious in this photograph, portraying a harsh environment, but the darkness of the photo depicts an ominous, suspenseful setting. It’s obvious that the briefcase on the floor does not belong to the random civilian man staring at it, and hypothetical situations of whom the briefcase does arise in the viewer’s thoughts. FBI, CIA type scenarios are what occurred to me. The reflective walls also contribute to this suspenseful mood.
A ventriloquist at a birthday party in October 1947, 1990
This photograph also contains very ominous elements. Although warm, the dim lighting and shadows on the ceiling create a gloomy atmosphere. The children watching the ventriloquist seem to be in a trance and the balloons that have floated to the ceiling support this observation as well as enhance the uncanny scene.
After “Spring Snow” by Yukio Mishima, Chapter 34, 2000-2005
The setting and attire of the woman in the photograph raise questions regarding the time of this scene. The dim lighting and the ambiguity of the woman are very curious. The way she is holding her shoe is very interesting and raises questions about the context of this photograph. It is hard to make sense out of the photo without knowing the background of the referenced book.
Bibliography
Monographs
Galassi, Peter. Jeff Wall. New York: The Museum of Modern Art, 2007.
Burnett, Craig. Jeff Wall. London: Tate Publishing, 2005.
Journals
Shepherd Steiner. "In Other Hands: Jeff Wall's Beispiel. " Oxford Art Journal 30.1 (2007): 135-151. Arts Module, ProQuest. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
Stewart Martin. "Wall's Tableau Mort. " Oxford Art Journal 30.1 (2007): 117-133. Arts Module, ProQuest. Web. 4 Oct. 2010.
Websites
"MoMA.org | Interactives | Exhibitions | 2007 | Jeff Wall." MoMA | The Museum of Modern Art. Web. 01 Oct. 2010. <http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2007/jeffwall/>.
"Jeff Wall." Marian Goodman Gallery. Web. 29 Sept. 2010. <http://www.mariangoodman.com/artists/jeff-wall/>
While my thoughts were still fairly scattered as to what I wanted to shoot for my final project, I feel as if I have narrowed down my subject matter a bit more after this critique. Here I was experimenting with lighting in nature as well as various vantage points and shallow depth of field. I will definitely be shooting using shallow depth of field and will shoot from odd angles and viewpoints in the future. I will be experimenting with various subjects (individuals vs. groups of people, natural vs. artificial) for the next critique and decide what works best together.
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