Family and Photographic Histories

Family history photography correct or incorrect?

Majority photographers at some point will find them self with their camera in their hand in the same room as their family so photography of your family will happen, weather in a light hearted family occasion documenting the day for all the family to see, or possibly in a more engaging nature in a more ‘piece’ of photography with your family as the subject. Both forms are correct but with any subject in photography their are rights and wrongs, how far do you push it etc.. I feel theres a few main areas when it comes to the family in relation to photography the photographing of the family in a family album style etc, images for family members, occasions get together etc documenting those days in a non-agenda style. And then theres the use of the family in a piece of photography, using the family in a personal piece when its your own, and the photography of other families, photographing a subject connecting a family and many other interesting reasons. However there is a line of taste and what is right but depends on which type of family photography it is, a range of different contexts come under the relationship between families and photography. However what type of family photography it is a way of documenting the history of a family in a fashion

Take this early example of family photography, The work of Jaques Henry Lartigue working in the early 1900’s shooting his family as a boy aged around 7 to 12 in his vast body of work photographing his wealthy family who had a good sense of fun and encouraged him to photograph in this early example of documenting a family in a non-agenda style photographing the family in a fun light hearted manner in a way to behold and look back on in time, to make family members smile etc... 

However the Lartigue work is a light hearted approach to photographing the family in a more correct term as i would see it just documenting the families activities nothing to private exposed to the general public as such, but these images taken in the 1900’s a totally different sharing method etc so more private images will be more secret in a way as today images lose context and become less private at times. Now to a more recent and contemporary piece incorporating a family but a more questioning piece (in my view), in the work of  Sally Mann- Immediate Family depicting photographs of her children in a whole variety of situations in a very diverse range of day to day activities some more intimate than others. Which does ask the question are they correct PC enough to be distributed in this fashion? I feel it comes down to opinion, images of naked children could be seen as something private, would you like for everyone to see your children with no clothes on? It does ask questions of taste and whats right in a way as in these images...

Images from Immediate Family by Sally Mann

As in these images I feel the first image depicts a normal family life style image a fond memory frozen in time to be cherished and looked back on fondly acceptable in my view, the next image (from a range of similar shots) however I feel are a little more controversial depicting minors body parts in images widely distributed however they are at a more playful than sinful level to be honest, I just ask would the children really want this? I know if my mother had taken images like this of me and they where all over the world I would feel a little strange so many people had looked at me or maybe thats just me. However these images can be seen as right or wrong but they are high in quality and detail making some beautiful images. They do depict a family growing up in a more intimate and playful style, history of their childhood suspended in print for them to see well all to see. 

‘Memory is the primary instrument, the inexhaustible nutrient source; these photographs open doors into the past but they also allow a look into the future’- Sally Mann intro Immediate Family, Phaidon Press limited 1992

Mann there showing that the work is an extension of their childhood opening doors into their past and memory in this piece of photographic family history does have some questioning issues as to the content  of some of the images but the body of work is a family photographic history and does answer weather that topic is correct or not, it comes down to preference. I believe not too much should be shown some intimate moments could be kept personal but it  comes down to family openness and opinion at teh end of the day.

The sublime landscape

Research using journals

This week’s seminar broadened my knowledge about how I look at landscape images, particularly when we talked about the meaning and representation of the sublime.  Now I understand that sublime is something impressive and magnificent, also frightening. Nature’s power, both physical and spiritual, have been pictured by artists who want to convey these feelings and the expression of the sublime. What can be greater and more frightening than the uncertainty that lies in nature and the constant changes of nature?

As I more think about the sublime I start to believe that it is actually a relation between nature and humans. We can describe a snowstorm, a hurricane or the most dangerous mountains as sublime but this is only our perception and it reflects our own fears, vulnerability and fragility as humans and how we perceive these natural phenomenons.

During my research my aim was to find a photographer whose body of work or project can describe this subjectivity and my understanding of sublime as described above.

Rinko Kawauchi’s photography has resonated with me since the first time I saw her images. She usually captures the beauty of ordinary moments in life that we often ignore. Her 6x6 medium format photographs are serene and poetic and very calming. 

In her project, called Murmuration, she shows us a bit more unnerving moments with the photos of the spectacle of flocking starlings at Brighton. At certain times, birds gather in tens of thousands and fly above the sea in a large group, creating a dark cloud. This natural behavior of these birds called murmuration, and although it is harmless, the strength of their unity, the dynamic of their flight and strong connection of them can be definitely chilling as well as very impressive.

“Panic is just around the corner, as it is in Brighton where the birds form a fancy figure on the sky before filling the frame with their terrifying noise and inexplicable urgency.

Those starlings along the coast at Brighton manoeuvre en masse with such dexterity that we can hardly keep track of them.  Something has always happened or is about to happen. We exist in a perpetual state of alertness and expectation.”

When we look at these images we can also sense the “high-pitched squealing of the birds”, “suddenness of their flight” and the “crashing of waves” and all these induce fear on their own.

Jeffrey, I. Rinko Kawauchi: Murmuration, Photoworks Autumn / Winter October – April 2010/11.  pg 26

http://www.culturelabel.com

http://www.rinkokawauchi.com

Photoworks

I feel these images, the landscapes of the sea and the vast amount of birds, grasp the feeling of sublime and nature’s relation to human beings and humans place within nature. The structured flight of these birds is natural to them and with no purpose to frighten us.

Landscape myths fantasy and ritual
E- resource moodle


Stories like little red riding hood Alice in Wonderland and the Wizard of Oz all happened in and were related to the landscape.



David LaChapelle: Forgotten Doll, 1998

taken from:http://www.focus.de/fotos/david-lachapelle-forgotten-doll-1998_mid_161408.html


David LaChapelle

LaChapelle’s stylish base is made of obsessive scenarios erased on extremely artificial scenography, often on piles of details among which are sitting, lying or standing some of the most important products of American dream factory: actors and actresses, singers, starlets, those who had ones started the yellow road aiming for their five minutes of fame.

"My role is to find beauty in what is ugly to others. for me its like really, she is beautiful, when I photograph her its like celebrating the idea of finding the beauty in her."
His works are screaming, pre-apocalyptic landscapes of Hollywood and visually aggressive images of hedonism in its final stage. David LaChapelle started his work as an artist in the world of fashion photography, from where he turn aside to the sphere of art, using all means of modern technology in the creative process his thoughts are
“well the computer is slave to the camera, because without a good photograph all the technology in the world doesn't take a good picture you have to have a good photograph to begin with.”


Thomas Joshua Cooper-
centered his early his work around the ritual and ceremonial he treated the landscape as a place full of rituals such as pagan rituals places like Stonehenge for example paganism used the landscape narrative and seasons to inform their practices.




Magical moment' ... Thomas Joshua Cooper's best shot http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2008/aug/28/photography.art1#

This is what he had to say:

“This rock is perched on a cliff, behind which is a sheer drop of 500-600ft. I made the picture in 2004, at the southernmost point of the Cap-Vert peninsula near Dakar in Senegal, which is the westernmost point of continental Africa. It is part of a project I've been working on since 1990, to make pictures looking out to sea from all the extreme edges of the land masses around the Atlantic ocean.
The Dakar army base is situated on the cliffs above this rock, and it's extremely hard to get to because of the high-level security. My guide had grown up in the area, however, and knew of some holes in the fortifications. So we snuck through under cover of night, with armed guards all around us. The swell of the sea in the background was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. My guide whispered to me, "We really have to go as soon as possible, because if we're caught, we're both in jail."
When I started to look at the scene more closely, I noticed that at the base of the rock was a graffitied double arrow, almost certainly a reference point for some refugee boat, which is one of the reasons why the place was so heavily patrolled by the army. What made me extraordinarily happy about the arrow was that it was pointing to the easternmost point of South America, where I was heading next.
I had to be quick, but I just had time to make the picture, which was a long exposure of maybe 15 minutes. Behind the rock, you can see there is a white slanting line, which is a long breaker that fell more or less regularly because of the underwater geography. It happened over and over again during the time of my exposure, so that I got a continuous but fuzzy white line. The picture is one of my favourite things in the world. If it doesn't sound too silly for an adult to say so, this was an entirely magical moment”

Landscape as a political battleground - web

How can we still be animals when we are so evolved?

38th Parallel: The boundary line between North Korea and South Korea

After the war that started in the late 40s and early 50s between North Korea and South Korea the North stayed communist but the South went back to its natural state meaning democratic, in a way.
In the North Korea, people are thought from a young age that the ruler of the country is always right, no matter what.
North Korea is a country that's closed off from the rest of the world. You might not be able to leave the country without a reason, and if you do you might not be able to come back. People don't even try to escape, they don't even think about that, because most North Koreans are 'brainwashed,' they don't even realize that life may be better in other places.
There's a borderline between North and South Korea. It's about two miles long. That doesn’t sound far, and as a matter of fact it’s not far at all but the borderline is two miles of complete no-man's land. The border is called the Korean Demilitarized Zone, or the DMZ. Barbed wires surround the place so you can’t get it or out.

Escape from North Korea
For those fleeing their brutal homeland, the 2,000 perilous miles across China are just the beginning. Then comes the challenge of making a new life.

This is a photography project made by Chien-Chi Chang. These photos illustrate an escape from North Korea and how hard it is for people to leave their home land just to have a better life, a chance in life. Life that only exist in their dreams, even though it’s just a few miles away.


Borderlands
Barbed wire marks the high-security zone where the frontiers of Russia, China, and North Korea meet at the Tumen River. Elsewhere the border is more porous.



North Korea
“Peering from a bunker on the Tumen River, soldiers have orders to shoot anyone trying to sneak into or out of North Korea. Cross-shaped posts possibly support electrical wires. Many guards take bribes to let defectors cross to China.”


I still can’t believe that war still exists even though we seem so evolved we are animals that fight over land and material things. This fact will never change, we will always fight over our land and over everything that we feel it’s ours. What we seem to understand is that the earth is for everyone, we all have a place on it, our piece of land. But that is just fantasy, in real life there are people that have way much than they disserve and people that have nothing even though they deserve everything.

Contemplation, Meditation and the Landscape – Web

Don McCullin Landscape work is reflective and portraying what is been seen, but do we really know all the detail behind each Landscape photograph?

In the1980’s he got told that his war work was ‘too depressing’ by the Sunday times incoming editor Andrew Neil, McCullin returned back to photographing Landscapes and work with winter scenes of his beloved Somerset Levels, he had a close connection with the Somerset Landscapes.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/2010/may/22/don-mccullin-southern-frontiers-interview -

Nicholas Wroe

The Guardian, Saturday 22 May 2010

Article history

Accessed on 09.03.2012

McCullin says that he finds winter the best time of year to photograph because it is the most naked time of the year, quote - ‘I’m obsessed with photographing it in the dead of winter, at its hardest ...’ He becomes his most productive and creative in the winter time, he has four months of darkness and cold to express and show his emotion and feelings towards the landscape.



Towards an Iron Age hill fort, Somerset, 1991

http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/nmem/exhibitions/donmccullin/exhibition.asp

Accessed on 09.03.2012

McCullin published ‘Homecoming (1979)’ he had always been photographing England but he ignored the urban side of it, for the last two decades he has turned to viewing and looking at the land around him and his homeland in Somerset. His work does not represent the sort of Somerset that would be looked at by tourists or for a tourist board. He only photographs in the winter period; he is always on the lookout for naked trees and where the land and sky meet.  This sounds like a tranquil and peaceful place to you and me and to anyone that is viewing the images, but there may be a story and reason to why McCullin photographs like this.

He noted that his ‘eyes had grown accustomed to the dark.’ Everything he seemed to see reflected his childhood and the scenes he had witnessed of ‘dereliction, death and disaster in other countries.’ Some people say his Landscapes portray anger at the damaged environment.

"Photography is my whole life's blood," he says. "I'm no good at literature, I'm no good at language, I'm no good at anything - all I can do is keep myself nice and clean, print my pictures, constantly look at my photographic books. If I didn't have photography, I'd be a lost soul. I wouldn't be any good as a father or husband, because I can only have pride in myself because of the achievements that I'm striving towards in photography. Photography has given me respectability, in a way. It's given me recognition as a human being."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2005/aug/06/photography.art

Interview by Aida Edemariam

The Guardian, Saturday 6 August 2005

Article history

Accessed 10.03.2012  



Rural Landscape and round dew pond near his village, Somerset 1990’s

Gelatin Silver Print 10.5 x 15.5inches/ 16 x 20 inches Open Edition

http://www.hamiltonsgallery.com/

In a BBC radio interview with Don McCullin the interviewer asked about his work regarding the landscape of Somerset this was the question “But do you feel that the landscape itself is a dark presence. I mean, you clearly have a very strong sense of nature. Now, is that nature beneficent, benevolent, or is it storing up all sorts of awful cruelty?” McCullin talked about how the countryside is been taken over by building new houses on the land and that eventually it will become like one giant theme park, ‘We have to realise the precious moment now, that we have to pass on to our children and grandchildren, and so on and so on.’ Even though most of his Landscape work is gloomy and dark, people like his work and want him to do more, ‘I'm moving towards one thing and hopefully, miles away from the other thing which was war.’



http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/johntusainterview/mccullin_transcript.shtml 

Transcript of the John Tusa Interview with Don McCullin

Accessed on 10.03.2012

There is always a story behind any piece of art work or photograph it may not be seen straight away or even after a few views but once you have seen a photograph/art work a number of times and know some more in depth information, the background becomes much more clear and so does the image.

Landscape- Myth, Fantasy and Ritual

Mystery of the landscape...

The landscape, well the term landscape can viewed in many forms, the urban or the natural being two of the main areas for me that encompass the term and genre of photography that is landscape. However the subject of landscape is vast and open in a literal and academic sense, the point in this piece I wish to focus on is how the landscape, whether it natural or man made can hold context, a meaning, a story, a piece of time etc. The landscape like other genres of photography can be so much more than the literal general subject of just landscape in this case. It can hold hidden meanings, senses, engage with the viewer with different intwined views and feelings, such as the landscape could hold a sense of fantasy, myth and ritual which is quite interesting when you think about, how can a piece of land and area of a natural habitat hold such stature within a photographical image?

For this concept of a landscape image being more there are the more subtle of themes and senses of a concept upon an image an the dam right in your face immediate images that automatically show the ideal of an image, say the sense of myth right from the outset in the initial viewing this being a viewing structure point that is the studium effecting the viewer the immediate case and point of the image striking the viewer, but the more subtle more punctum feeling images which prick and poke at the viewer ask questions but reveal the idea and feeling behind the image I feel work better especially with the genre of landscape which is vast in its nature and open so the ideal behind the image works better subtly but how do images encompass these ideal, how does it work as an image holding fantasy or myth etc...

This takes me on to the work or Ansel adams his images being vast pieces of craftsmanship   intricately dodging and burning areas of the frame to enhance the image, and I feel they do posses a feeling of fantasy and myth, one because of the location and two because of the way they have been manipulated take this image for instance...

THE TETONS & THE SNAKE RIVER, GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK, WYOMING, 1942

From Ansel Adams the making of 40 photographs, 

Manipulated and altered to show the natural impressive landscape even on its own but now with the tool of photography to alter dodge and burn an image to show the feelings of the photographer, the viewer the feeling of that landscape, this being a sense of fantasy, highlights, contrasting skies, light behind the cloud sense of mystery, dreams i feel that ecompany the epic nature of all of Ansel Adams images this enhancing of the natural area which adds a level of fantasy and myth as these images do not exist in this state, they are more the view of one person, crafted to be in this nature. 

Lots of photographers use the fantasy of the landscape to add another level of dimension to their images some in a more direct form others more subtly Ansel Adams images being a more subtle representation of this theme, but a more direct phase of showing fantasy or myth like feelings in the work of Berthold Steinhilber in the series ghost towns of the American west depicting a series of abandoned buildings small townships across the American west, which alone are quite interesting holding a sense of mystery behind their story and past, but its the way Steinhilber has lit these images to hold a fantasy feel, and mystery feel like in this image...

Crystal, Colorado. Sheep Mountain Tunnel Mill.

                                                  From Ghost Towns Of The American West

On first viewing it could be a piece of a mystical fantasy land of some sort, but it is depicting a piece of the American west, its the techniques of lighting and post production that shows the images location in this light, adding fantasy and mystery to the image just like Ansel Adams did to add more depth to the image, manipulating the views thought and gaze with the fantasy like approach and view the photographer had of this area, to take that view and show it in a visual form is only possible with the tool and key to thought that is photography in this very visual and direct form of representation.

Mystery of the landscape can come in many forms the use of themes such as fantasy and myth add depth to the image, however these themes are easier thought of than visually shown, it takes the skill of a photographer, but depth of thought and vision to portray these themes in this visual form, however the photographers main intention may not have been a theme of fantasy and myth but the editing in this way does lead towards it.  Because all landscapes do hold a level of mystery, fantasy and myth as they are used within stories, films, writings to set the scene, its just the way you choose to portray a landscape which unlocks this sense of hidden mystery behind natures elements.

Contemplation, mediation and the landscape

e-resources:

Landscape photography is often associated with the picturesque; beautiful and charming places which delight and draw the viewer in. I have a selection of images by war photographer Don Mc Cullin who present us with a more sublime, fearful landscape which subverts order.

Title	:	Rural lansdscape and round dew pond near Batcombe, Somerset
Color	:	Black and White
Medium	:	Vintage Gelatin Silverwork Print

"I’m probably the only person in England who’s anxious for the winter. As soon as the leaves of autumn start falling from the trees, I become reactivated, the opposite of a hibernating animal. I know that I’ve got four long months of darkness, wind and cold to exercise my masochism. The English landscape’s known for its Constable summers but I’m obsessed with photographing it in the dead of winter, at its hardest … I love the winter – not the climate, but the struggle, its abrasiveness, the nakedness of the landscape." -Don Mc Cullin

Don Mc Cullin's images of the English countryside are very much impacted by his experiences of the war. They reflect a man that has witnessed loneliness death and destruction and experienced depression throughout his life. His images are bleak and raw, exposing the viewer to the darker side of life. Often striking through the contrast in the sky, the dark and light gives the photo an element of hope, a path towards the light. Contrasting with the dark clouds that hover in the distance like a war or army waiting to strike.

 The Battlefields of the Somme, France 2000. Photography by Don McCullin. Courtesy of Hamiltons Gallery.

On a slightly less fearful note the image above shows a landscape masked with the memories of war. The viewers eye is drawn to a lightened path leading to a timeless, unknown place, which one can only hope is promising path. This image is less about what is to come but more about what is left behind. 

Landscape as a Political Background.

Eversince I first looked at Paul Grahams 'Troubled Land' I have really liked it. He showed how the Northern Ireland landscape was shaped by political events but in a subtle way.

Whilst I was searching for John Davis, I started reading about Simon Norfolk, who is known for his large-scale landscapes. He has also photographed trees with a backdrop of artificial smoke.

 Norfolk shot the images at night with smoke and lights to seperate the oaks from the rest of the landscape. To him, "they look like the last men standing at a fire and brimstone battle."

“Oak trees are part of the British cultural identity,” says Norfolk. “Three thousand years of war has shaped the way we look at ourselves.”

http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/profile/2072021/-changing-story-interview-paul-graham

http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/project/1650104/simon-norfolk-trees-blenheim-palace

Myth, Fantasy, Ritual and Stones. - Journals

Thomas Joshua Cooper,

Image 1

After trying to find an article from the British Journal of Photography in the library on him I turned to the internet and found the article I was looking for on the British Journal of Photography website.
Before reading the article I had know nothing about this man and his Photography, but after reading it I found myself knowing a lot more about him and his work than I would if I had read in a book or looked at his work in a book or on the internet, this article, published 07 April 2010

http://www.bjp-online.com/british-journal-of-photography/profile/1650318/picturing-earth

Cooper, has done many photographs, of which he has travelled across the world  by any means he wanted with an Archaic 5 x 7 camera dating back to 1898 and will only take one photograph when he has reached his destination, if he does not see what he likes he turns around and heads back. he has travelled around the world and to reach the edges of the world and photograph them. if he does not like what he sees before taking the picture he will not capture it, To me travelling and only taking one photograph is a very brave thing to do he must plan and sit and see what he wants and for this day and age where photography is taken lightly in some cases and people and photographer go out and take hundreds maybe thousands of photographs to get the perfect image, he has stopped that and made time for it and looked an thought about what he wanted to accomplished, this for me can be found in his work from the way his work is lit to where the camera is placed and what is in the picture and what is not.
In his images, i have found looking into them and seeing a different land from which we live on they look almost peaceful and mysterious, they engage my attention but also take it to a different place at the same time.
He is renowned for his landscape photography but also does not wish to use the word landscape as the article says …

“Cooper doesn’t find the word “landscape” useful. Instead he uses a phrase referring to that which is outside the home, “outdoors”, implying he is exploring the edges of his personal knowledge.”

 This intrigued me, from what I have read about him, he like many of the old well known painters and photographers, seems to take the work he does and make it his own, he gets inspiration from other peoples work but he molds it into his own in very subtle ways, his work to me seems as though in the future he will be an iconic photographer who has changed the way we look at photography and how we perceive the world through a lens. I for one have found that in just looking at his photographs that I like them but then to have found out how he does it, I want to become more like him, take the time and slow down and enjoy the scenery then when the time is right for me stop and take a picture.
From just reading this one article I know there is a lot more to be known about Thomas Joshua Cooper and I know I will be reading it in the future.

Image 1 - From Eye of the Water, 2005. Thomas Joshua Cooper.

All Information i used is from The british Journal of Photography. Link is above.

The Sublime (e-resources)

Idris Khan is a UK artist who uses other photographers and artists (Bernd and Hilla Becher, Karl Blossfeldt, Caravaggio and others)images to create a new image. He rephotographs archive of images of Bernd and Hilla Becher's standardized industrial structures such as gas reservoirs and water towers and by digitally multi-layering them creates a single composite piece.

Idris Khan

''Every...Bernd And Hilla Becher Spherical Type Gasholders''
2004
Photographic print
208 x 160 cm
(image from: http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/artpages/idris_khan_becher_gas.htm)

Kahn's work is often considered as controversial as he uses other artists work to create his singular images which raises many questions as regards originality, autorship and copyright. However Kahn's relationship to photography is very different, '' it's obviously not about re-photographing the photographs to make exact copies, but to intervene and bring a spectrum of feelings - warmth, humour, anxiety - to what might otherwise be considered cool aloof image''(http://the-artists.org/artist/Idris-Khan/), says artist and all images are copies with no originals which is a postmodern idea.

Idris Khan
“Blossfeldt…After Karl Blossfeldt ‘Art Forms in Nature’”
2005
Digital c-print, mounted on aluminium
258 x 192 cm

(image from: http://photoslaves.com/idris-khan%E2%80%99s-multi-layered-photos/)

Kahn's powerful images reminds me of childhood pavement drawings smudged by the rain. Ghostly outlines, denesly compacted details successfully creates the feeling of constant state of flux. The opacity and contrast is adjusted to ensure each layer can be seen and has a presence giving the image effect of an impressionistic charcoal drawing.
I've been familiar with Kahn's work for a number of years and I've always thought about it as something highly aesthetic but fearful at the same time. However my experience was quite disappointing when I came accross the article about Kahn's exhibitions in Victoria Miro Gallery in London(2006) as it was very evident, superficial and felt more like a short description greatlly lacking in depth.


Source:

Williams, E. (2006). Idris Khan: Victoria Miro Gallery, London and inIVA, London. Art Monthly [online], Issue 300. [http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aft&AN=505180984&site=ehost-live] (accessed online 11/03/12)

Other resources I looked at:

Demos, T. J. (2006). Vitamin Ph: New Perspectives in Photography. London: Phaidon Press.

http://photoslaves.com/idris-khan%E2%80%99s-multi-layered-photos/ (accessed online 12/03/12)

http://the-artists.org/artist/Idris-Khan/ (accessed online 11/03/12)

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/idris_khan_resources.htm (accessed online 11/03/12)