Critical Review of - Tokyo Adorned, Thomas C. Card - Jake Robinson

Critical Review of, Tokyo Adorned, Thomas C. Card

Japanese street style has intrigued, inspired and captured the minds of many sub cultures for decades now pushing the boundaries in fashion, originality and creativity and it has now been captured by Card in a whole new way. Scouring the busy streets Of Tokyo Card starts by selecting individuals from theses tribe like groups to capture a series of photographs that convey the true meaning of Japanese street style.

The choice of bringing these individuals into a neutral studio environment really gave the book a totally different dynamic without this I Don’t feel that the viewer would have fully appreciated how each style truly reflects the subject’s personality. Shooting the subjects in the busy street environment would have really taken away the personal feel to this photo series.

So what began as studies of how Subjects fit into Tokyo’s various “fashion tribes” does this book really take a broader examination of style within each individual, I really feel that it does. The book has a very intimate and personal feel to it, you see for yourself the intricate designs and styles and the time it has taken for each individual to create this look, being in a studio environment really leaves no distractions and gives you a real insight into each subject on a personal level. The book resulting in a 54-subject portfolio is a true celebration of how style shapes and defines a person’s identity.

“Fashion revolves around trends, but true style comes from an understanding of yourself,”

Thomas C. Card  

Review: Jake Robinson
Book: Tokyo Adorned
Author: Thomas C. Card 

Image: http://threepluscollective.com/Tokyo-Adorned

Date:  4/15/14

Book Review, Jake Robinson

New York Vertical, Horst Harmann 

Review; Jake Robinson

Horst Harmann’s, New York vertical Communicates the aesthetic and feel of New York in an ambitious new way, Encapsulating The reader in a 6 x 12 Inch  format, you see and perceive the city in a whole new way. The book contains 66 Monochrome Photographs that are entirely composed in a vertical format that really convey a different perceptual feel of the city. Each photograph is accompanied by a quote from people that know the city only too well, this is consistent throughout and compliments the photographs giving a greater dynamic to the feel and sense of what you are taking in in on each page that almost puts you in the photograph.

The use of one camera, one format and one film stock I feel was a good choice for this book I don’t think it would have flowed in such succession the way it did if had been shot differently. Upon reading the book You will truly appreciate the technical ability and time that has gone into this work and it will change your view on how these photograph have been composed and put together these are not just snapshots of New York on an expensive camera these are photographs that were strenuously though through over a five year period and composed to a standard otherwise impossible to achieve, giving you a recognizable iconic photo series of the city in a 90 degree perspective. 

Reference: 

Image; https://editionpanorama.com/typo3temp/pics/604222bd7f.jpg
Book; Horst Harmann, Published by; TeNeues
Book Review; Jake Robinson 

Summary of Nigel warburton

A SNICKET, HALIFAX



To begin, This piece of text takes a look Brandt’s photograph (A Snicket, Halifax) it looks at the different perspectives on which his photography of the industrial town is perceived. Firstly Nigel talks about how Brandt’s work can be perceived to be a “simple and bold” portrayal of the town or if you were to look at it in differently it could be perceived as a “dreamscape” however Nigel seems to feel its somewhere in between the two that Brandt’s work lies.

Nigel goes in to a small detail of how Brandt worked as Man Rays assistant in the early 1930’s. Informing us he was never officially part of the surrealist movement but that seemed to have adopted an attitude towards the surrealist approach and this reflected in his work.

Looking further into the narrative I have picked up on another key point raised about this photograph and his work as a whole. Which is perspective with an outcome to “intensify the atmosphere of the photograph”, this goes back to point raised about the documentary or dreamscape approach. Nigel explains how his photography was more than “merely formal” It was shot in a certain way to express something more than just documentation of this industrial town. Using a different perspective rather than shooting it at Eye level to create something totally new.

The Final point I want to go over in this narrative is how Brandt was analysed by Wilhelm Stekel, A pupil of Sigmund Freud. It goes into detail of how our subconscious plays a part in our photography, how it lies in our work without us objectively placing it in there.  I feel this Fits well into the narrative and gives the reader a better understanding of how surrealist work does not “strive to depict the content of dreams, Rather they freely move about in the borderlands between the internal and external worlds”. Being able to Subconsciously add into a photograph what they see and feel. 

Bill Brandt, A Snicket, Halifax 1937

original Text Written by:  Nigel Warburton

Taken From the Following book: Howarth, S and Alexander, M. D. 2005 Singular Images:

Essay on Remarkable Photographs. New York Aperture

All That Is Solid Melts Into Air

Jeremy Deller

Jeremy Deller Introduces you to his take on British pop culture and takes a look back on the industrial revolution in Britain, as you go Round the exhibition It’s up to you to connect the dots and see whether you feel how he does about how the industrial revolution and how it  has influenced us.

The First piece I would like to talk about in the exhibition that I feel really stood out was the video installation on the wrestler Adrian Street.

I feel this was the best piece that gives a fine example of how the impact of the industrial revolution had changed his life. He goes into detail of what life was like working in the mines and how bad it really was. I think this and his poor relationship with his father pushed him into doing something that He may not have done otherwise. He really did not want to come back empty handed from leaving the family business behind and he didn’t. He came back in a pair of tight shiny pants, a wig and I quote “A big fuck you” to his father After winning a world title. He has won countless titles and awards since and had great success throughout his career in Professional wrestling. I feel that Jeremy Deller made this Fit well in the exhibition and I took more away from this  than any of the other pieces.

            Adrian Street and his father, 1973 (photo: Dennis Hutchinson) ©Dennis Hutchinson 

 Upon saying that after going round the exhibition the second Piece I want to talk about is, the Shaun Ryder Family tree. again being able to look back to earlier family occupations it was clear to see again heavy industrial jobs down the line, there seems to be a trend that I have picked up on within this exhibition. It seems the children of these family’s at some point start breaking away from the hard, dirty traditional jobs and look for something different and seems to be those who have had it the worst seem persevere, taking a different path in life  and coming out on top. contributing to the British popular culture, Maybe if Manchester was not an industrial city the Happy Monday's might not have been so good.