Blog Review #4

www.aint-bad.com/yo-vo
This week I found myself intrigued by Yo Vo's photographs, which I found on the AINT-BAD website.
According to the article, this artist focuses on memory and dreams in his work, and he "attempts to capture visual portrayals of characters, spaces and situations soaked in idiosyncrasy as well as motifs of timelessness and uncertainty." Yo Vo's photographs definitely convey an existence between reality and the imaginary, much like our dreams. The uncanny feeling produced by the composition and lighting of his photos reminds me of the majesty of our own subconsciousnesses, of the often misunderstood connection between our 'awakened' self and our 'sleeping' self. The inclusion of very discernible objects and details also alludes to Yo Vo's focus on memory. What we decide to conserve from the things we experience become hyper-exaggerated, and what is deemed unnecessary is often blurred out, forgotten. This idea of forgetting what is real and oftentimes exaggerating what is not also adds to the mystery and unsettling nature of these images.

Images © Yo Vo

Artist Selections

1. Annette Kelm
2. Candida Hofer
3. Sara VanDerBeek
4. Hiroshi Sugimito
5. Justine Kerland
6. Robert Mapplethorpe
7. Shomei Tomatsu
8. Takuma Nakahira
9. Eikoh Hosoe
10. Ken Gonzalez-Day

The Thing Itself

In the first chapter of Photography: History and Theory, Jae Emerling discusses the elaborate facets that account for the formation, function, and existence of photography.

All too often, the practice of photography is deemed to be overly simplistic or bland, a superficial mimicry of what already exists. However, as Emerling points out, there is an intricate and meticulous process present in this art form that allows the creator to capture and maintain a preconceived image, rather than creating a representation of that which is perceived. Thus, the photographer possesses the ability to replicate the exact impression of their artistic vision, without sacrificing or excluding any creative input.

In addition, the importance of perspective and interpretation cannot be ignored. Any singular photograph requires its viewers to make important decisions regarding the significance of every detail captured in the image and, inversely, to envision what is not captured within the frame in order to understand its relationship to the objects we can see. This reality requires the viewer to actively engage with the photograph, instead of simply admiring the rudimentary constituents that compose it.

The French poet Charles Baudelaire explicitly advocated for the acceptance of photography as art. In his critique of the French middle class's understanding of photography, Baudelaire defined the method as one of imitation, which showcased that the poet was not upset by the public's perception of photographic representation. Instead, Baudelaire criticized the peoples' interpretation of an "exact reproduction of nature" and art as one and the same (Emerling, 21). The French poet viewed art as something that was "intangible and imaginary," and that it did not need to restrict itself in the presence of reality (Emerling, 21). I believe that these sentiments communicate the magic of photography, its ability to transcend from the image that is portrayed and assume an otherworldly consciousness that encourages and demands creative engagement.

This reading mentions that photography is meant not to create, but instead to act as a "prosthetic memory" that can be utilized in several different contexts (Emerling, 21). This idea not only evokes the extensive reach of photography itself across many fields besides art, but it also discredits the notion that something artistic must and only involves rigid guidelines of creation. Photography breaks the mold by evoking emotion through the exhibition of something that is ordinary and recognizable. In doing so, this artistic medium showcases a unique interpretation of art that depends simultaneously on what is seen and unseen. By involving and relying on the viewer's familiarity to the world and its components, photography assists its audience in discovering the meaning of the things that one routinely sees but does not observe.

Emerling mentions that the discourse generated by photography has allowed individuals to question the hierarchy of society and examine philosophical ideologies concerning the way in which we view the world. How does the existence of photography as a reflection challenge us to interpret what is presented as something that is both familiar and unidentifiable? Why is it important to realize what photographies omit from the frame? (reference Emerling 20).

Blog Review #3

www.bjp-online.com
This week, I was particularly drawn to the British Journal of Photography's article exhibiting Colombian photographer Andres Millan's project surrounding the 2017 earthquake in Mexico.

What initially struck me about these photographs was the lighting. Millan's entire sequence consistently features blue and red filters that combine to form a dominant pink hue over the objects being depicted. The artist's thought process behind this was to recreate the police lights that permeated scenes of destruction after the natural disaster. In his photographs, Millan also wanted to emphasize the notion of the house as the foundation for families. I believe that Millan sought to promote a hopeful perspective while also acknowledging and accepting the reality of the loss and the wreckage. To me, the beautiful colors that illuminate the scenes allude to the relationship between destruction and creation, the possibility of rebuilding, improving, and overcoming.

From the series My Home Is My Castle © Andres Millan

WIP Critique #1

• What was/is the initial idea, how is it evolving?
• The initial idea concerns the desire to examine and express the cultural and linguistic differences that characterize any and all societies and how said differences affect our thought processes, our ways of interpreting the world, and our relationships to each other. This idea seems to be evolving in a way that permits me to portray the differences I wish to convey through the portrayal of a very common item - a book - in varying levels of respect and regard. In its current form, this project seems to be drawing closer to the cultural rather than linguistic aspect of my initial concept, since it focuses on the historical meaning of the book and on its prevalence in factions of daily, religious, educational, and leisurely life. 

• Why do you feel the images you selected to print for this critique are your strongest, from among the group of new images? (i.e., what was your criteria for selection)
• I believe the images I selected to print for this first critique are my strongest because they were more cohesive and more aesthetically pleasing than my other photographs. Additionally, the exclusive concentration on a book rather than various items better assists in conveying the concept of disparaging meanings for one singular object. At first, I planned to include images featuring money, shoes, phones, projectors, and laptops in order to emphasize the varying interpretations others may have for items we consider to be normal and ordinary. However, after examining the prints as one project, I decided that the better decision would be to maintain focus on one very familiar, very historically rich item that would not be as unnecessarily laborious to interpret. 

• What specific questions do you have about the work in terms of how someone other than yourself might interpret the imagery?
• In the project's initial stages, my main intention is for any viewer to question their perception of what is presented in the image, and whether or not there are other ways of describing or understanding that experience. As such, I would like to know if the images I make provide an engaging experience that simultaneously challenge the viewer to search for their own answers and provide a clear enough vessel for what I am attempting to communicate. Do you think it would be better to include different types of objects, or focus on one? Should I focus on a specific, meaningful object for each critique? Do you think there is anything in the images that can be connected to the power of language across continents?

Blog Review #2

http://www.burnmagazine.org

There is an ethereal beauty and warm nostalgia that flows from the photographs in Terje Abusdal's "Slash and Burn." In this series, featured in the photographic journal "burn," the artist studied the Forest Finns, Finnish immigrants that practiced slash and burn farming techniques in the forests along the Norwegian-Swedish border. The resulting images evoke a seemingly haunting tranquility, a successful approach to the reflection of the Forest Finns' simultaneous absence and persistence in the world.

Being exposed to the history of the Forest Finns interestingly influences how I view the images I see. The smoke that reoccurs in many of Abusdal's prints reminds me of the agricultural ways of the original Forest Finns, and the ethereal or uninhabited atmosphere evokes a feeling of loss and longing. I think this adds reverence to the landscape I perceive because I ingest it not only as a home, but as a refuge for other human beings that are now long gone. Although every location on earth shares this distinction, to be made aware of the lives and bloodlines that no longer exist add a very important component that allow the viewer to truly ponder the idea of this land as a place that has witnessed the extinction of a people and their culture.    

Even though the original people, their customs, and their language are gone, the revival of the Forest Finns' existence through those that feel a connection to them exhibits a truly fascinating instance of historical resurrection. I find it incredible that the current official requirement for being classified as Forest Finn is simply your sense of belonging to the group, as opposed to race. This, to me, reflects the type of harmonious thinking that can unify us: the stories of our pasts can tie us together if we are willing to examine, understand, and accept the actions of our forefathers. 

Images from "Slash and Burn" © Terje Abusdal

Chapter Selections

1. Documentary, or instants of truth - I believe this chapter would be very interesting to deeply engage with because the varying ways in which photographers decide to immortalize specific events and occurrences can be interesting to apply to present times. It also examines the unique aesthetics that these photographs possess.
2. Time-images - This particular chapter interests me because as the subtitle suggests, it seems to mainly focus on the effect of time on this particular art form and the philosophical implications that one can infer from examining this phenomenon, which I would love to closely inspect.
3. Frame (matter and metaphor) - This section interests me because it would be intriguing to further examine the implications of an often subtle device in photography. Even with such a seemingly simple decision, the frame that sets a photograph can spur deeper discourse on the decision to either include or omit certain details from the image. 

Photography: History and Theory Introduction

The initial section of Jae Emerling's Photography: History and Theory begins with a discussion of the relationship between images and the notion of discourse. While the nature of photography does require and contain specific focuses, this does not mean that further discourse cannot be discovered or extracted from the established images we see. To me, it seems that Emerling attempts to convey that the seemingly still, repetitive, and restrictive images we consume simultaneously require the ability to examine the differences between the past and the present in order to continue the discourse that the photograph initiates.

"Discourse is the 'conceptual field within which and around which move various kinds of objects, activities, processes, ideas and theories, subcultures and movements, institutions and exhibition'" (Emerling, 2). 

"As in chess, there is a structure - a field or board, pieces with fixed movements - and yet each enactment, each play both reiterates the past and demands variation" (Emerling, 3).

The author also mentions the "postmodernist critique of the formalist position" and its emphasis on the importance of how meaning is derived from contextual factors of culture and institutions. This idea signals the often overlooked and underestimated potential that photography as an art form possesses, since it demonstrates that one stagnant image can affect individuals differently and can continue to do so as times change. For me, this is one of the most interesting concepts concerning photography because although it is a much less tactile and more accessible medium, it retains the ability to properly engage its observers in an unending and ever-changing dialogue that concerns topics as specific as the individual or as broad as the world around them.

By comparing the art of photography to a laboratory in which one studies the relationship between history and theory, Emerling once again draws attention to the consistently active nature of the form; its ability to not only incorporate its own growth and developments, but to also exhibit an appreciation and understanding for the conflicts within the field itself. Although photographs may often depict well-focused images, even the most naturalistic of these prints embody an abstraction that distinguish them from reality. This subtle, other-wordly presence that lingers in the final images concretely indicates the departure from an initial impression of unmoving, unchanging documentaries; in fact, their very status as photographs indicates that they have already partaken in a journey that will forever guarantee their metamorphoses. In terms of our semester long project, this concept will be extremely useful in reminding us of the infinite dialogues that our pieces will produce and the levels of interpretations that our every decision in making them will bring about.

At one point, Emerling mentions debates that circulate around the role of the human in producing a photograph and whether or not their role is overshadowed by the mechanical nature of the form. What do you think there are certain implications in photography - whether visual or otherwise - that are unique to the medium because of its majorly technological character? Does the inhuman quality of photography link more to contemporary subjects, or are there ways to relate this unnatural crafted form into more traditional concepts and approaches to art? (Emerling, 10-11).

Blog Review #1

https://cphmag.com

The discussion of artist Pixy Liao's Experimental Relationship series initially caught my attention because of the inclusion of an artwork I had seen many times before, but had never known the origins or history behind it:

Fontainebleau school (late 16th century) - Presumed Portrait of Gabrielle d'Estrées and Her Sister, the Duchess of Villars (c. 1594), Musée du Louvre

The famous painting was revealed to subtly hint at a pregnancy through the sister's playful gesture of lightly pinching one of Gabrielle d'Estrées' nipples. Interestingly enough, an awareness of the need for the painting to be read and interpreted instead of merely being seen references the need for intricate thought that has accompanied art throughout the centuries. As the article progressed, it demonstrated the inspiration Liao's images took from the painting, showcasing a new focus in its subject matter, now dealing with a more contemporary stance regarding the coexistence and acceptance between man and woman. 

Pixy Liao - Relationships work best when each partner knows their proper place (2008)

Pixy Liao - Start your day with a good breakfast together (2009)

Both of Liao's photographs indicate an interaction between man and woman that evidently reverse the tradition roles of authority that have long been established among the sexes. From the reference to the traditional French painting to the incorporation of a male in recognizable, misogynistic situations, the artist draws the viewer's attention to the more contemporary interactions that occur between these individuals as a result of the acknowledgement of past events. As stated by the author, the images depicted in this set of Liao's work question the possibilities of managing to work together to formally recognize the mistakes of the past and the opportunity for an improved future. Consequently, the potential discomfort that one may experience while viewing these works provides incentive to truly retain the message that Liao presents.