Blog 8

Robert Mapplethorpe, Photo of David Hockney 1976

http://www.mapplethorpe.org
The subject as object, one thing that I find interesting about this photo is the nature of the pose, the reclined form with the crossed hands and arm low on the abdomen, legs crossed, in many ways this is the same pose used as far back as the Renaissance and Baroque paintings showing the reclining female nude. The pose is something that is classic to human objectification, but the look on his face, the clothing, the rough wood all works against the soft inviting nature of the reclining nude. The facial expression on his face is something comical, almost a statement of boredom with the viewer and their gaze, as he looks back out at us as if to say I am done with this, or hurry it up will you.  In this photo it is the attitude of the subject that becomes the point.

Allen Sekula, Aerospace Folktales, 1 of 51 images ,
2005, silver gelatin print, 8 x 10 inches,
AS119

Link to: Aerospace Folktales By Allen Sekula
For such a simple and elegant photo I felt this work is loaded with information, each of the subjects with it's own story to tell. The mother stands feet close together in the same area as the man both are engaged in some way, she looks as if she is undoing a button on her sleeve at the same time as the man checks his watch. The action of the two adults in the photos gives the impression that they are expecting something or someone that is now late, the look of the stance and the gesture given seems to be impatient. The young girl in the photo stands to the side, disengaged from the two adults in the photo, she is tossing a ball in the air, entertaining herself because the two adults are to busy worrying about the time to be productive or enjoy life while they wait.  The three of them appear to be standing at a storage facility, maybe they are the tenant of a unit or they are the owners of the facility and are waiting on a tenant, either way there is a hurried feel to the photo. This photo is presenting a social position through the subjects, the unwillingness for an adult to wait, while the child is still enjoying life despite the setback. This social position is created through the signifier in the photos, body pose, gestures and actions preformed by the subjects.




3 Photos by James.

Michelle, Sophia, and Kim, Carving a pumpkin

This photo is a document of the event, showing the three carving a pumpkin and having a good time doing it. We were over there for dinner and some carving. I chose the photo because of the mood that it creates about the enjoyment of the evening and simple social interaction.

Riley as a Blue Pixie. Halloween 2010

I chose this photo because it shows the fun loving nature of Riley, her love for the world and the joy of going somewhere and having fun.

This photo is of a fellow art student, showing a work of his on multidimensional with slides of geometric forms and audio of Carl Sagan, he commented on me photographing him and how it was as if I was adding another dimension to his work. The philosophical side of my brain was intrigued by this notion of a photograph be something of its own dimension.