Sebastiao Salgado

Sebastiao Salgado is a Brazilian photojournalist whose work includes images of native Africans. These images can be read as expressions of humanity; an attempt at a reconnection with nature and traditional life ways. They can also be critically analyzed as images that portray the Other, that reinforce and reproduce stereotypes that lead to inequality.

This image, though captivating and provocative, could be misleading. The knowledge the audience gains from viewing this photo is valuable; that indigenous people exist in Brazil and that they are reachable. Gordon would argue that this image fetishizes the native body, that it stereotypes the 'authentic'. Without context, this image could be read as having captured the 'performative primitive' in a clap trap.

This image, on the other hand, seems to deify the subjects. It is in the lighting and stoic expression of the woman and the skyward gaze of the children that I see a serene awareness of self that elevates the submissive position of the subjects to the photographer to a place of power.

A power dynamic is inherent in every image created between a subject and an artist. The presence of this relationship can be gleaned from the image itself. The work of portraying indigenous cultures through photography to advocate for cultural equality is worth the problems that photography presents.

Photos and Anthropological Research

I'm currently watching 'Ancient Aliens', a pretty wild show that suggests that there is evidence on Earth for alien contact with ancient civilizations. This particular episode features underwater phenomena. The show describes many megalithic underwater structures discovered by archaeologists around the world. Whether or not these structures were alien bases on Earth (?!), archaeologists have been able to use photographs and videos of the areas to draw conclusions about the age, size, and methods of construction of the structures. Social scientists have used this data to speculate on the uses and symbolic importance of these structures.

The Yonaguni Monument off the coast of Japan.
A 5000 year old city sunk 2000 years ago.
Discovered in 1986.
The ruins cover a 984 X 492 foot area.
Right angles, rock carvings resembling faces, and tunnels built within the pyramid shaped structure suggest the monument was man-made and perhaps a ceremonial site.
Ryall, Julian. "Japan's Ancient Underwater Pyramid Mystifies Scholars". National Geographic News,September 19, 2007.

"Atlantis" off the coast of Cuba.
A 6000 year old city sunk under 2500 feet of water 10,000 years ago.
Discovered in 2000.
The ruins cover a 7.7 square mile area.
Structures resembling roads and pyramids made from cut, smooth, stacked granite-like stones suggest the presence of an ancient civilization. The photographs have been used to compare the structures with oral and written histories of neighboring peoples as well as with modern photographs of Mayan structures in the nearby Yucatan Peninsula.
Posner, Michael. "Evidence of Ancient City Found in Depths off Cuba". Toronto Globe and Mail. December 13, 2001

These research projects prove the ability of photography to assist in data collection and analysis of man made artifacts for Anthropology.

What makes a photo worth money?

The 15 Most Expensive Photographs
#1 The reputation of the photographer?

Andreas Gursky, Rhein II, (1999)
Sold for $4.3 million

#2 Controversial/provocative subject matter?

Cindy Sherman, Untitled #96 (1981)
Sold for $3.9 million

#12 Age and "authenticity" of the photograph?

Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey, Temple de Jupiter, 1842
Sold for $922,488

Morality and Photography

This image comes from Anthropologie's November 2011 Catalog. It is intended as a a fashion photo, to sell expensive clothes to Western women. However, the fact that the Western women in the expensive clothes are situated among native Peruvians in, what I assume to be, their native garb is suspect. Not only are they selling an image of the Western woman, they are constructing her in opposition to a Native American culture. She is sleek, dressed in muted tones, and in a style reminiscent of the West. The Peruvians, on the other hand, are dressed in bold colors in a scene depicting their environment made of mud and sticks. The use of a Native American culture to add mystery and authenticity to a photograph of a Western clothing brand and to construct an elite Western style in opposition to the native is morally questionable.

The importance of photography in documenting weddings illustrates an aspect of Western morality. Every couple is expected to have a professional photographer at their wedding. The photographer and the images s/he creates reproduce and reinforce the moral code of the society. To not have wedding photos is a lack of investment and appreciation for the marriage institution. To have wedding photos is a commitment to extending the ritual and its meaning into the future for the couple and others.

Which moments are captured by the wedding photographer are also neatly prescribed by cultural morals. The bride in her flowing white dress, the stoic groom, the presence of family and friends, the performed hand feeding of the cake...these images are expected to be provided by the wedding party and captured by the photographer. In doing so, the images reinforce ideas about gender roles (the woman's sexual purity before marriage as symbolized by her white dress, the man's strength and control in his suit and tie), community affirmation of the union (the bridesmaids and groomsmen), and the joy and "spontaneity" of "true love" (cake feeding).

Photographic Untruths

Josh wasn't alone. We all hid behind the camera.
Susan Liedke via Snapsdog

These ladies were not actually stuck in Peru.
Anthropologie, November 2011 Catalog

Things Organized Neatly

Our class discussion about Collier's insistence on photography as a tool for data collection reminded me of this blog. Users submit images of "things organized neatly". The photos range from tools to plants to monochromatic items to ingredients and parts of things. The images are aesthetically striking in their geometry and order, but also in their ability to say something about the owner of the items. Collier would suggest that this is exactly the kind of data that an ethnographer would need to understand a person/group (the contents of a person's handbag could suggest something about what they consider important when traveling). Pink would argue that this is not the only method of research; that the context and particular circumstances in which the items in the images are embedded and take part is necessary information for understanding the true value of the items to the owner.

Todd Mclellan via Things Organized Neatly.

www.AwkwardFamilyPhotos.com

This website is amazing. It speaks to the voyeur in all of us, the part that wants to know that there are other people like us, or really different from us. The relationships between the photographer and the subjects and that between the subjects themselves can be seen in the details; from eye contact to awkward poses to choice of background.

Portraits

Alyssa and Amber's formal portraits.

Semiology and Images

Notes on Penn's, "Quantitative Research with...Image"

Here I am feeling out my first paper. Using Penn's prescription for photographic analysis, I plan to break down two images by denotation and references to their connotations, cultural and aesthetic. By doing so I am "investigating the workings of particular myth structures" (237). I plan to analyze the photographs using this method in order to gain a deeper, though possibly subjective, cultural understanding of the meanings behind the images. I am interested in how our cultural myths have shaped the images and how the images continue to reproduce those myths in modern times.
In reference to images 3 and 4 from my previous post...
#3
A denotational inventory:
Five women, nude, sitting, embracing themselves and each other, looking straight at the camera.
Four Caucasian, one Black.
In an empty corner of a room with white walls, wooden floors.

Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi. Hollywood 1989. By Herb Ritts.

Connotations:
The cultural knowledge needed to analyse this photo is that the women represented are international supermodels.This photo was taken by Herb Ritts, a well known celebrity portrait photographer.

The women are close, if not emotionally, at least physically enough for this pose.

The faces suggest a sensuality, with brooding eyes and pursed lips.

The pose is provocative in that it suggests femininity, sexuality, and yet hides the essential body parts related to those ideas.

In this image, each woman's face is important. Each one is clearly recognizable in its angle. The title of the image is nothing more than a list of the model's first names. This suggests that a face and a name are all the information necessary to appreciate these women.

The women in this image are reminiscent of the Vestal Virgins, women priests of the Roman Empire. These women were free of typical female social obligations, were given luxurious accommodations, and were responsible for maintaining the sacred fire belonging to the Emperor and in the service of the goddess of the home.

The Virgins too were known by their first names and images of their faces are shown in Roman sculpture and paintings.

Though the Vestal Virgins embodied feminine purity through their vows of celibacy and modest clothing, the supermodels embody current ideals of femininity through the exhibition of their bodies, while maintaining a sense of modesty in the pose.

The myth represented in this photo is that of the sacred feminine. The image recalls the classic ideal of women in their ability to use their sexuality (even if that is celibacy, for that is a root of conversation about feminine sexuality) as a means of gaining power and respect. This myth is relevant today in the narrative that places the supermodel in a position of authority in regards to feminine idealism.

#4
A denotational inventory:
Nine women and two babies, in traditional Amish dress, standing close together,
some looking down, some looking at a point out of the frame, one looking at the camera, the children's faces are hidden.
Looks of disdain or anger on the women's faces.
Set outside, unfocused location.

Amish Women in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania 1985. By David Turnley.

Connotations:
The cultural knowledge needed to analyze this photo is that these women are part of the Amish Mennonite religious and cultural community in Pennsylvania. To be a member of the Amish community is to abide by rules of code, conduct, and appearance. For women, this requires the dress seen in the image.

Traditionally, the Amish life is one of hard labor, in that work is done by hand, without modern conveniences such as machinery and electricity.

The women are familiar and comfortable with each other.This is seen in their physical closeness and likeness.

The women are unhappy. Their faces show expressions of anger or disdain, though the source of these feelings is unknown, as the object of focus is out of view.

It appears as though it is this frustration that binds them.

Some of the women's faces are obscured, and some are hidden completely. In this we see a value placed on coherence as a group as opposed to individuality.The title of the photograph is 'Amish Women in Pennsylvania'; again, suggesting the importance of the culture of the group and not of the individual women.

The image provokes ideas of traditional femininity in its depictions of modesty and child rearing, as well as the classic idea of women as prone to hysteria.

This image embodies centuries of tradition, including an adherence to custom and the choice of a lifestyle outside of the modern norm. The Amish woman's life is one of physical hardship and social containment. This image works to exemplify the difficulties inherent in their lifestyle, though not necessarily the only aspects they experience. In representing these women in this moment of despair, in their modest garb, and fulfilling their family duties (in child rearing), the image works to reproduce the stereotypes constructed by the societal majority and placed upon the women in this community.

Thinking more about the first project...

Overall theme: In these images, the "successful" are photographed in the midst of disaster or breaking taboos and either way they are glorified. However, those considered less successful are photographed in similar circumstances and the images convey a feeling of vulnerability and 'otherness'.
Image 1

Kathryn Hepburn among the rubble of the Great New England Hurricane, 1938.
Because of her wealth and social status, the actress is not only unaffected by the tragedy of the hurricane that destroyed everything around her, but she has the privilege of being able to pose for the photographer, ironically cheerful and with the frivolity of a bath and companion in this depressing scene. She represents the position of the elite and the cultural construction of their higher class and its invincibility.

Image 2

A man stands in front of his home in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans 2005. By Adrian Overstreet.
Because of his lack of wealth and status, the man is left to manage the destruction of his home in the wake of the disaster. He is pictured desperate and alone. His image represents of the plight of the poor and their vulnerability in times of need.

Image 3

Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi. Hollywood 1989. By Herb Ritts.
Women of privilege, that is, women who are socially recognized as beautiful, break taboos of what is it to be proper and homo-sensuality in this famous image. Because they are the American ideal, the nudity and looks of innocence are accepted as 'art' and the photographer is praised for his ability to capture these otherwise unattainable subjects.

Image 4

Amish women and children. Pennsylvania 1985. By David Turnley.
Women on the fringes of society, due to their religious and cultural choices, appear foreign in their own country. By not conforming to the American ideal of womanhood, they are 'poor', 'unfortunate', and 'homely'. Their faces portray the hardship of their lives.

Project 1 Images

1938
Katharine Hepburn on surviving the “Long Island Express” hurricane: “My God. It was something devastating—and unreal—like the beginning of the world—or the end of it—and I slogged and sloshed, crawled through ditches and hung on to keep going somehow—got drenched and bruised and scratched—completely bedraggled—finally got to where there was a working phone and called Dad.”
Photo and text via http://blackandwtf.tumblr.com/page/4.

1954
A passerby holds on to a tree for support as hurricane swept waves hammer the sea wall adjacent to the Belt Parkway near 72nd Street in Brooklyn. The New York area and the New Jersey coastline were battered by Hurricane Carol as heavy rains and fierce winds disrupted power lines, felled trees and tangled air and highway traffic.
Photo and text via http://blackandwtf.tumblr.com/page/4.

2005
A man stands next to what was the front wall of his waterfront home. The wall was ripped away when the force of the storm surge associated with Hurricane Katrina slammed a two-ton refrigerated container into the structure. Eight of his neighbors’ houses were also smashed by the floating two-ton home wrecker. Photograph by Adrian Overstreet, age 13.
Photo and text via http://www.portersvillerevivalgroup.org.

Thoughts:

*The historical interest in images of people in the context of natural disasters, hurricanes here in particular. Why are images of people in hurricanes taken/important? How are they used?

*The problem of intervention, or lack thereof. How do we deal with the image of the man hanging onto the tree? What was the gaze of the photographer before, during, and after he took this photo? What is the significance of the image of Katherine Hepburn, a famous actress, relaxing in a tub among the hurricane rubble?

*"Truth" in photography. Are these images accurate representations of the disasters? Of the people? What is the difference between the staged and unstaged shots?

*Photography as anesthetic; how do these images protect the viewer from the disaster and empower the viewer with the knowledge of it at the same time?

*"Art" photography vs. photojournalism. Are these images the creative expressions of the photographer or objective photojournalism?

Images as Anesthetics

A photograph may be visually beautiful yet say nothing about the reality of the object/environment/action being portrayed.
The image distances the viewer by objectifying the subject and creating a safe place for the violence to be seen.
Alienation, desensitization, and a second, more cold consciousness are the results of this need for a buffer, the photograph, in order to avoid sensory overload and psychological breakdown.

Paparazzi and the Construction of Cultural Ideals

Paparazzi photographs appeal to the voyeuristic eye. A glimpse into the candid, 'real life' of a celebrity makes us feel closer or more like them in their vulnerability.




Seeing an image of a female teen idol, a girl held in high regard for her beauty and success, in a scene such the opposite conjures up some contradicting reactions. Sympathy and repulsion, humor and tragedy, chaos and control. She's just like us.






Paparazzi photography also works to construct an ideal. Here, the beloved, widowed actress and her daughter from her late husband seem to carry on a normal life; one of leisure and happiness. They are so much bigger than us.

On "Green" Photography

Thinking of how a photograph can sell an idea, or even a lifestyle, this image represents the "Go Green" movement quite clearly. The hands raised around the tree conjure up images of a religious devotee in praise of an idol. The exaltation of the tree by the human hands suggests a sacred relationship between the two.

"Art" Photography and the Feminine Image

I did a simple Google image search using the key words 'art photography women'. I was shocked at all the sexually suggestive ways in which women were portrayed when paired with the word 'art'. I don't know what I expected.



The contrast and similarities between these two images is what struck me. The first so sensual and fetishistic, the second so bold and yet (uncharacteristically) feminine.



On the other hand, just compelling black and white images of beautiful women in different circumstances. The images provoke the question, are these women to be admired? Envied? Are they immodest, brave, feminine, or otherwise?