A Review of Go by Bruce Gilden - Mike Bennett

Gilden, B, 2000, Go, Trebuk Publishing

Bruce Gilden is an American street photographer, well known for his confrontational approach and fearlessness in the face of danger, an approach no doubt severely tested by the work presented here, given it includes bosozoku (bikers ) yakusa (Japanese mafia ) and various street people, tramps and a whole list of the forgotten.
“Go” is a game, very popular in Asia, where the idea is to acquire territory, suggestive of the Yakusa who feature heavily in the book,  whose aim is broadly similar. The book is laid out in bright blocks of red, a colour strongly associated with the Japanese in both negative and positive ways, though all the photos are single or double page, slightly above A4 size, no borders, no captions, all in black & white, stark, monochrome. The title is on the last page in small type, the only writing a very atypical one page Q & A near the back, the chapter breaks are more culturally standard manga type images, oppressive yet familiar, schoolgirls and samurai, the expected and the known. The introduction is noted as such as its first, but is a scrawled list of slight descriptions of picures taken, annotated, circled, a virtually secret language of Gildens own understanding.
The work seems to be almost photojournalism, a harsh realism, a document of the hidden people of Japans cleancut and perfect image of harmless automatons. Certainly there is no lack of emotion displayed here, amongst the mass of pain, there is confusion, sadness, distress, anger, though mostly pain. It tells us that every society has its fringes, an underground or underclass that is kept from the publics view, a dirty secret.
My conclusion as to the success of “Go” is that Gilden has tried to portray a societies forgotten or ignored people in a very direct and documentarian way, using design and sequencing to elevate the already brilliant photographs, until the book comes across as a sort of bright, and despite its content, beautiful artifact, a elegiac museum piece for the disaffected and the dispossessed.

Gilden, B, 2000, Go, Trebuk Publishing

Gilden, B, 2000, Go, Trebuk Publishing

Book Review, Love On The Left Bank By ED van der Elsken

Book Review

Love on the Left Bank

Love on the left bank, 1956, Ed van der Elsken 

Love on the left bank is a narrative story that portrays the carefree lives of bohemian youth and a reflection of post war Parisian life. The images featured in the book feel staged but fresh allowing us to see a diverse atmosphere of cultural realness and blunt subject matter. It's difficult for us to remember that these images are from a time long gone. without the written story accompanied with the images its hard to make the connection and to understand the nature of their nocturnal, aimless, drug addicted lives.

The book appears to have been created to express a story that can be artistically influenced by the black and white photography. Love on the left bank successfully sits as a documented black and white piece and captures the fictional story of Ann a bohemian woman living in Paris and records the birth of rebellious youth culture in Europe during the 1950's. The introduction to the book is short but interesting enough to grasp our attention giving the reader intrigue to continue on with the rest of the book. Images featured in the book provide the viewer with justification, while the viewer is drawn in with the story. The images don't appear to follow a clear sequence however the images support the narrative on several of the pages within the book. The narrative follows the youth culture in Paris in the 1950's and the life of the people involved many of with serious issues and even ended their lives just a few years after the events portrayed in the book.

To conclude Love on the Left Bank delves into the culture, lives and seeded activities of the lives of young European youths in the 1950's. Sex, scandals and convictions flourish and take form not just in the text but in the images so beautifully created of the fictional narrative. Love on the Left Bank is something people can relate to and at the very least appreciate it due to the realistic subject matter. Ed Van Der Elsken has truly recreated his vision of youth culture in Paris with a memorable
story something of which will stay with us for a life time.

Reference:
Ed van der Elsken (1999). Love On The Left Bank. Stockport: Dewi Lewis Publishing.

Review of Stephen Hughes Book: Photographs

 

The Front Cover of Stephen Hughes: Photographs



I found Stephen Hughes book to be quite interesting, I would categorise Stephen Hughes book as colour landscapes. The purpose of the book is to ‘Suggest a particular notion of the social landscape in today’s Europe’. I would class his work as documentary work as the photographer is traveling throughout Europe photographing changes in some landscapes due to the social environment. I liked the introduction to the book, I found it very successful and useful it gave me plenty of information as to what the book is truly about and it also tells you a story that relates to the images that are shown in the book. The book is laid out in a smart organised way. It starts off with one off Stephen Hughes’ images and then goes into the introduction. In the first few pages he has decided to have the title pages in a pastel colour with bold white text. After the introduction the images are laid out only on the right hand side of the book only and there is only one image per page and all of his images are in colour. At the last page of the book there is one page with small versions of each image printed on it and with each picture there is the name of the image and a date from when the picture was taken. Stephen Hughes images show different things. In some country’s you see a struggle in the environment but in others he shows the wealth. All of his images seem de-saturated and remote, he is quite distant from his subjects. His earlier images is where he shows the more worn down areas and the struggle but as you go through you see the wealth where there is much more colour involved in them.

Beachy Head, England 1996

Port Talbot, Wales 1998

Book Review - William Eggleston's Guide - Roxie Fortune

William Egglestons Guide was first published in 1976 by the Museum of Modern Art in conjunction with the exhibition Photographs, these set of images are almost vernacular with an ordinary impression. Forty-eight images were selected from an essay of 375 pieces completed in 1971. They were the first set of colour film images that were shown at the Museum of Modern art. The images within this publication are digital scans using the same transparency as Eggleston’s original 35mm film.

The images document life with real people and repetitive idiosyncrasies. The book is almost documentation of the surroundings and domestic life in and around Memphis where Eggleston was born in 1939. The monograph is an excellent introduction to William Eggleston and his collection of images; it highlights domestic life and its repetitiveness, which makes these images extremely relatable to our native lives. In interview Eggleston was very dismissive of his images having anything other than documenting his childhood towns, no links to political views or opinions were ever made, but it’s clear from the images the American confederate link. It’s practically a comparison to our individual family albums. They have no real sequence, with no real pretext and answer no questions.  Just a snapshot of lives being lived in simplicity. A journey through the American confederate Northern Mississippi and Memphis towns in 1969-1971.

It is a clear representation of the confederate lifestyle with almost insignificant imagery. It wouldn’t truly be missed if the image hadn’t been captured, if you were to seek these scenes you would find the same view. This publication is pure and concise with images presented with a location title on a double page with images capturing life with real photography. 

I enjoyed this publication because of its documentation style; I hadn’t really come across William Eggleston’s imagery before but will definitely be researching his imagery more. I found it almost heart warming and family orientated, with just a glimpse into American social lifestyle.

Referencing:

The Museum Of Modern Art (1976). William Eggleston's Guide. 2nd ed. New York: Museum Of Modern Art. p1-p110.

Review of Cindy Sherman's book: Retrospective - By Emily Tweedie

Review of Cindy Sherman's book: Retrospective

By Emily Tweedie

Cover of Cindy Sherman's Retrospective

     In this essay I will be writing a short review on Cindy Sherman's Book Retrospective.

 I would first put this book into a fantasy category. The purpose of Sherman's book is to show the expectations of society such as people's fears. She also does some exploration of the body with her later work. 

    Her work fits into the genre of fantasy with her earlier work when she dresses up and impersonates celebrities which the average "house wife" who is stuck at home looking after the children while doing the house work, would look up too and aspire to be. As well as her later work where she creates living monstrosities with manikins.  

   The introduction of Sherman's book is very successful with telling the audience what Sherman wanted to portray within her work. 

   The book is laid out in a very linear way. It's starts with an explanation of twenty years of Cindy Sherman's life. Giving the viewer very detailed information about Cindy Sherman and her work. After the text, it starts with Sherman's earlier work of her dressing up/impersonating celebrities on plates. All these photographs are in black and white. Then it comes to her more recent work which may be seen as very grotesque and can be quite uncomfortable to look at. Sherman creates rather sinister and physiological work which press on issues within society. 

Cindy Sherman: Plate 14
Untitled Film Still 1978

Cindy Sherman: Plate 143
Untitled #314E 1994

Finally, Sherman clearly shows the cultural conditions within her work. In her earlier work, it's clear to see that society was still a sex oriented time- where women would stay at home and look after the children, while the man of the house would go out to work and be the "bread winner". With her later work, she shows how the society is a very image-based place. She also presses on issues such as the male gaze by putting manikins in certain positions.

Amada Cruz, Elizabeth A. T. Smith and Amelia Jones, First Published 1997, Retrospective, Cindy Sherman.

Review of David Campany's Essay - Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp 'Dust Breeding"

David Campany begins his essay by discussing his first connection and personal opinions of the image “dust breeding” Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp 1920. He then moves on to discus the history and story behind the image. Including process and practice behind the making of the image, Including descriptions and first publications.

After his initial story telling of the image and its history Campany talks about its links with surrealism and how the image is the first surrealist photograph, then moves on to make comparisons to semiotics and discuses how this image is a sign. A sign of life and living, almost like an index of life being present, Comparison are made between this and a photograph also being an index of information.

Campany discuses the title of the image and how this is also an index of the image and how the title is a source to a vantage point, weather this vantage point be it true or false. He then discuses how titles that accompany images suggest a subject and how the subject is expected. The subject of this image is then discussed and dust is compared with passing time, and terrain. He makes comparisons by using film, quotes and other images depicting this.

Campany then discuses Dechamps previous work and publications of the image, and how his previous work is an integral part of his work “Dust Breeding”.  The links are then made with realism and how this is not initially visible and is overlooked, and how this images is a representation off life and time. Links are made between the image and modernism with it containing harsh textures. Various comparisons between all different aspects of art are made, and its process and how this image is an innovation before its time.

To finalize Campany summarizes that photography is an index to something and a trace, and how we use photography to document time, and modern times are making way to simplicity and hopefully images will be about to capture time and life just like “dust breeding” depicted.

 Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp, (1920), Dust Breeding [ONLINE]. Available at:http://selfinterestandsympathy.wordpress.com/2008/07/23/the-future-as-disruption/man-ray-dust-breeding-1920/ [Accessed 12 February 14].


David Campany (2005) Singular Images: Essay on Remarkable Photographs. New York: Aperture, : 

300 word Summary Iago, Study from an Italian 1867 By Rogar hargreaves

Iago portrait was one of the 508 images which Cameron had trouble to copyright; her portrait is seen as Iconic in many museums and in cultural merchandises. 

The photograph was made in 1867; her aspirations were to simplify photography as an art form.  Angelo Colarossi, a professional artist’s model, Cameron, the title of the photograph was applied later to suit the image. Her experimental technique meant her utilizing close up images that gave a contemporary feel to them.  Some say her use of plates have enhanced her composition and graphic qualities, and so minimizing her emotional involvement in the subject she’s taken.

Some have commented on how she might have been viewed as a centric in England but survived because of her high social background. It has been suggested that the logo subject in its close up and scrutiny has less of the artificial traits then her other portraits; and more of the cinematic feel to it. Wynfield has been sighted as a influence as a focus technique in her photography. She uses in Iago the mouth as her focus point rather than the eyes which is usually the main focus point for portraits.

Hargreaves seeks to find quotes from Othello by the William Shakespeare to create a narrative that explains the features in the portrait. The 508 images she had taken were the only examples of the work in the Herschel Album. 

Cameron’s photography was never out of the public domain for long since Victorian times. A new collector was emerging quietly from out of the shadows was Wagstaff. Wagstaff and his enthusiasm in his photography it was soon established itself in the 20^th century.

The National Portrait Gallery matched Wafstaff for the portrait bid by which keeping it in the country. The National Museum of photography, film and television was eventually founded in 1983, the album became one of the first collections.

Iago’s portrait has continued to influence both Wagstaff and Mapplethorpe’s works In Photography just like Cameron would of viewed as in ennobling an art form.