Thomas Ruff- Book Stock

Thomas Ruff

'Portraits'

From 1981-1985 Ruff produced the project ‘Portraits’. He used 100 people that he knew (friends, family and people from the academy he worked at) and took pictures of them. Each image was of th

e same size and composite. He based the framing upon Bust Portraiture (This is from just below the shoulder; the bust, and includes up to the head). He states in his book, that he wanted them to be shot this way as he believes that “Photography only ever shows the surface of something anyway”. Every person that was used sat on the same stool, therefore, at the same height for each image. He also stated before they had their picture taken, that he wanted them to have a serious yet calm expression. This was to show no feeling like smiling or ‘flirting’ with the camera. This was to stop any emotion in the images at all. Models wore their own clothes that they felt comfortable which i suppose gave them their identity as everything else in the image seems to be recorded and pictured in a clinical and structured way. For the background he chose different coloured cards so that the images didn’t look too flat. He asked each person to choose the colour they wanted to use. He got this idea from a TV magazine in which a celebrity would be featured on a full p

age spread with a different background each week.

Throughout the whole project, there are two images of twins. Why has he shot these two people together? I understand that they look exactly the same, and maybe the images would also look the same, but surely this gives two people one identity? Are these two people only seen as one or do they have their own personalities?

Ruff finalists some of this images by putting them in a set of 4. This way, the viewer can see each person as individuals, but also see similarities between two people. This can depend on the clothing they chose to wear, how they did their hair and also the background colour they chose.

Looking at the images below, he has clearly chosen 4 people that i as

sume are quite different. The gentleman on the bottom right seems quite laid back and young. However, the woman next to him looks rather career driven and well presented.

This is just my opinion, other people would probably think something different? But what i like about this project is that the viewer is left to make their mind up about what job they have, where they

are from, the class status, are they a criminal, etc.

Book from Stockport College library.

'Thomas Ruff. 1979 to the Present'

Traditional Still Life approaches- Athens

Photography using a traditional Still Life approach

Imogen Cunningham

"To worship beauty for it's own sake is narrow, and one surely cannot derive from it that esthetic pleasure which comes from finding beauty in the commonest things."

Imogen Cunningham’s botanical fascination grew in the 1920s where a majority of her work showed this. This then began to develop into a great interest in the form and texture of plants and flowers. She photographed these using soft lighting to create texture and shadow.

Looking at her work ‘Black Lily’ she captures just segments of the flower using quite dramatic lighting. By doing this she shows of the texture and shape of the object. This then allows the flower to have a totally different look. It no longer looks lifeless, but has character and diminution. I believe it brings a human element to the image.

If also looking at her work ‘Triangles’, the comparison between the two is rather similar. The lily’s in the image ‘Black Lily’ almost resemble the body in ‘Triangles’. The shape of the two objects hold the same feel, even though the lighting is much harsher on the flower.

Could this have been what Cunningham wanted? Were her pictures of flowers those that were to resemble the nude body?

Flowers hold such a fragile look that it would be fair to say that this could be true. The way they form their own body that grows and ages gives them a life like qualities.

http://www.photoliaison.com/imogen_cunningham/Imogen_Cunningham.htm

(A collection of her work can be found on the site listed above)

Photography Identity and Race

Roshini Kempadoo

Sweetness and Light

Kempadoo’s work ‘Sweetness and Light’ was created in 1996-7. Being a Black woman at this time, it was difficult to gain exhibition space. She therefore became one of the 1st people to hold her exhibition online.

Looking at her work, I see a hierarchy of people in relation to wealth and jobs. Looking at this particular image ‘Head People 02’, i see a wall with people standing upon it with pillars taller than themselves. The wall seems to symbolize the growth in which these women have come. With 3 layers on to it (standing on the 3rd) it seems to show that they have traveled a substantial amount to get to where they are now. However, the women shown seem to be portrayed in a ‘mug shot’ style. This, to me, shows that they are still being documented and watched. The rulers that separate each women show a mathematical measure, again, showing how far they still have to go to reach ‘the top’ of the hierarchy. This can also be measured by the pillars in which they are near. This gives a representation again of how much work they have to put in to travel such a short distance.

If this image was created by a middle aged, middle class male, this image could be completely different. It seems that society believes that if one does not fit the ‘norm’ of society, then they have to ‘aim high’ and ‘work hard’. This is measured on job, wealth, area in which a person lives etc. If this woman was a homeowner in Great Britain who's job was paid rather well, this image would have hardly any impact.

Would it show the hard work and graft this person would have gone thorough?

Would they have even had to work hard for their job?

I believe that Kempadoo’s work is somewhat inspiring to believe that anything is possible if you work hard enough. To be just handed something gives one no sense of achievement or journey. Lessons haven't been learnt.

Photography as Identification: Periodicals

Gandee Vasan- Dogs Days

AG Journal: Winter 2007/Isuue 46/Page 31

http://www.gandeevasan.com/

Identification is usually associated with humans, but what happened when this is replaced with animals? Does it still contain the same elements?

Vasan's work 'Dogs Days' captures 77 different portraits of dogs. From Dalmatians to Schnauzer's, each dog's characteristics and personalities are captured. Each shot is taken in a rather regimental framing, almost PassPort like.

This style of photography seems as though it could act as a form of doggy identification. The straight forward shoulder height framing of the dogs makes them all comparable, therefore making it easy to show differences and similarities between each dog. Each dog has different features and dimensions. By photographing the dogs straight on and also to the side, one can see all of these at different angles. This is almost the same as the technique used to photograph humans in a Mug Shot style.

I really enjoyed Vasan's work as it allowed a different element to be brought to this style of photography. Its not often that animals are photographed which made me wonder why choose dogs. Was this because its said that a dog has its own personality? or that dog often looks like its owner? It is also interesting that he chose to photograph them in the way that he did. He could easily photograph them with their owner at home, but he has totally taken them out of their environment, making them un-identifiable from anything but their breed.

Although i liked this piece of work, i felt that it was'nt unique as Vasan also did a project on Cats. This was shot in exactly the same way. This then totally takes the objective out and makes each dog or cat exactly the same... a pet.

Sophie Almy. Rafael Lozano-Hemmer- ‘Recordings’

Allowing the public to scientifically involve themselves within a project almost makes them a creator.

Walking in, one is automatically greeted by ‘Pulse Index’. This almost feels like signing in to the exhibition. Once a finger is placed into the sensor, your fingerprint joins the other viewers who have also done this regime. This allows microscopic vision to be formed into a photograph. The obscurity of the different prints pushes you to scrutinize them. Are you male or female? Where are you from? What did you touch last?

Image from http://www.lozano-hemmer.com/images.php

From here, the other installations take you almost around the physical body. From fingers to eyes to vocals. Once leaving this room, you are greeted by 100 hanging lightbulbs that pulsate to your heart beat. ‘Pulse Room’. A collection of peoples heart beat

’s make the bulbs flash at different times. What happened at the start of this installation when nobody had visited it? This collection of almost hanging bodies shows life, but what happens if a bulb smashes? Does this symbolize death? This is almost uncomfortable to think about when it shows how the body lives.

After sitting in this installation for a while, the bulbs continue to flash. As people use it, the light travels to its neighboring bulb. What happens when somebody has not inputted their beat? The bulbs continuously flash at the same station. Does this act as if the body can simply be moved along as if it is renewable?

Image from http://www.lozano-hemmer.com/images.php

Clearly, the body is used as the primary source of this installation collection. However, is it just the body that is under watch or our feelings too? Is it necessary to understand what the participant is feeling or scientifically is this just about interaction within a physical body?

By using technology it allows us to see how much we now need it. For example, the first installation of ‘Pule Index’. Places now need a fingerprint scan to validate who you are/what you need. As we become more reliant upon technology, it is now clear that older analogue methods are not needed.