I think analyzing photographs is a very interesting process. I've taken art classes, so I've looked at works of art to analyze their components and speculate about the intentions the artist had in creating the art. In a handmade work of art, things such as line, shape, space, hue, etc. are things the artist does, usually intentionally.
When we were watching the film about Dorothea Lange in lecture, I thought it was very unusual how the photographs were referred to as 'made'. Before looking at Lange's photographs, I considered photography to be a simple snapshot of whatever is in front of the camera. The way Lange is depicted as an artist implies that her photographs were manipulated to look the way she wanted them to. This is possible, considering that a photographer chooses the angle to shoot from and can manipulate things in the area of interest to make them look a certain way.
However, there are things a photographer cannot control in a photograph, and some objects in the picture seem to have a deeper meaning, as if the image was destined to be captured in that certain moment to purposely convey a point of view or a story to the viewer.
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I absolutely agree with Elaine. There is an odd balance in photography within the way things are manipulated, naturally destined and perceived. Although Lange has much control over what appears in the image, she has to rely on the beauty of the world around her. I think that Lange's work proves her talent as she can manage to create true artwork that continues to be analyzed for decades.
ReplyDeleteI think that the things that Lange does not have control over in the picture and part of what makes it so captivating. The emotions and interpretations, specifically that the viewer brings to the photo, are what make the photo tell a meaningful story. Her images capitalize on raw human emotion frozen in the moment. No about of discussion about lines and definition can triumph over her talent for that.
ReplyDeleteI would like to relate this topic of photography with our last discussion of truth. Photographs are often interpreted by the audience at face value, not questioning the image one bit for its actuality. Lange, like any artists and more so like any individual human, has her own special perspective she would like to convey to her viewers. Therefore I believe there was a great deal of manipulation on her part and the subjects, relating to the overall theme of 'question everything!'
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