These images talk about the passage of time and captures four different generations. The pieces included are (from left to right) Alec Soth- Charles, Larry Sultan- The Green Wall, Tina Barney- Father and Sons, and Ellen Van Meene- Entitled. Through the photographs we are able to visually see four different types of time periods and social statuses. I find the gaze to be particularly significant in each of these photos. You get a sense of the mood and a look into each person’s life. Considering how different each lifestyle is, you can feel a particular solitude in each of the gazes. They way they are composed also accentuates this certain feeling of loneliness.

Our Family Portrait

How does a photograph give enough information and feeling to make it a portrait of a group of people and their relationship? The following photographs show the artists interpretation of the "family portrait". With each piece you feel a different distance between the photographer, the viewer and the relationship being photographed. Together these pieces give a feeling of home and family but distance as well. With each photograph the relationship are different yet the relationship between the photographer and the photograhed speaks loudly. The confirtational stare between the two parties is a reocurring theme, both physically and theoretically. Neeta Madahar confronts the viewer with a hyper real velvet print of birds, the beautiful image talks about the struggle her family has made and the migration similarties between her identiy and the birds. Tiny Barney although has the viewer face to face with her family, the father is confronting the viewer with large open eyes taking up more than half the frame.

Neeta Madaher
Sustence #104

Irregular Landscapes

Each image is related in different ways, but the most obvious relationship to me is the way each image is viewed close vs. far. Each image is a landscape of their own and from far away each can be seen as something different than when you look up close. In addition, each can be seen as something other than what they actually are. For example, the chocolate mass looks like a large crowd of people, but when you get up close the viewer realizes it is chocolate syrup and is somewhat of a 'landscape' on its own. I pick these for images because I greatly enjoy images that can be natural objects and yet can be completely abstract.

Exhibiting your collection

At the Bank of America exhibit at the MFA you curated your own mini collection. It's time to exhibit it. Post the four images, complete with captions (name, title, year). You will also need a name for your exhibit and a short artist statement that helps the random viewer understand why you have chosen these four images, what they are doing together, what they mean in the larger world of photography. Remember, sequence and order are part of the viewing experience. Enjoy. 

For 3/29: Pixel Perfect

What did you find interesting about this reading? Reference specific parts of the article that struck you and explain why...

For 3/15 The 3rdi

Watch this video in the link below, do your own research, visit his site and respond. What does this project make you think, feel, and understand about photography and the world we live in. I am looking for responses that show your research and analysis. Watching the video by itself is not enough to fuel your understand or support your claims. You must seek out additional information.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsVc5xrRVOE&feature=player_embedded

Comments due by 8pm on Monday 3/14

An Iphone Makes the News

Award Winning image made by photojournalist Damon Winter,
using his Iphone's Hipstomatic ap

Read the article below carefully and comment on how you feel about the issue.
Where do you stand in this argument?
Should photojournalists be using Iphones and aps to document the news? 

Read this article and look at the other images:

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/11/through-my-eye-not-hipstamatics/

For Feb 22nd: Doug Rickard's A New American Picture

 

From "A New American Picture Book" by Doug Rickard

You just spent a week making and thinking about the cell phone as a camera.  But there are image capturing devices everywhere in our society, we don't even notice anymore.  Are we becoming the subject of a mass camera eye?  Read about this new book carefully and look at the images.  Write a paragraph.  Does this give you any new ideas about photography or our society?  Is this art?  Would you consider Doug Rickard a photographer?

Look at these two links for sure and others that you may find upon googling:

http://www.americansuburb.com/

http://5b4.blogspot.com/2010/11/new-american-picture-by-doug-rickard.html

For Feb 22nd: John O'Reilly versus John Heartfield

This is the posting from last week, which was meant to dovetail with your own scanscapes.  Now that you've tried the process yourself, you can more aptly comment on other photo collages.

The two John's below began using photo collage in the 1930's.  Read up, research, and look at images from both artists.  How did their intentions differ?  What was the desired effect of each? Which John is more interesting to you?  Write a paragraph for each artist.

 Adolf by John Heartfield

Self-portrait by John O'Rielly

For Tuesday, Feb 1st

Below are examples of work by Adam Fuss and Daniel Gordon. The working process of both photographers relates to our scanning exercises in our first and second class. Look further at each project and think about these correlations.  Make a comment under each (by clicking on "comment") that talks about what you notice. You can click on each image to view an enlarged version.

Daniel Gordon

Adam Fuss