Irving Penn
Irving Penn (June 16, 1917 –
October 7, 2009) was an American photographer known for his fashion
photography, portraits, and still life’s. Penn's career included work at Vogue
magazine, and independent advertising work for clients including Issey Miyake,
and Clinique. His work has been exhibited internationally, and continues to
inform the art of photography. Best known for his fashion photography, Penn's
repertoire also includes portraits of creative greats; ethnographic photographs
from around the world; Modernist still lives of food, bones, bottles, metal,
and found objects; and photographic travel essays. Penn was among the first
photographers to pose subjects against a simple grey or white backdrop and he
effectively used this simplicity. Penn's still life compositions are spare and
highly organized, assemblages of food or objects that articulate the abstract
interplay of line and volume. Penn's photographs are composed with a great
attention to detail, which continues into his craft of developing and making
prints of his photographs. Penn experimented with many printing techniques,
including prints made on aluminium sheets coated with a platinum emulsion rendering the image with a
warmth that untoned silver prints lacked. His black and white prints are
notable for their deep contrast, giving them a clean, crisp look. Even if they appear at first more sterile and less romantic than Penn’s
previous works, the cigarette series is as superbly chic in its simplicity and
frankness. We see dark remnants of a beautiful world and little white relics of
enjoyment, all at the same time.
This photograph
depicts a close-up portrait image of two burnt, rotted cigarettes. I believe
Irving Penn is trying to send a message to his viewers, explaining that
‘smoking kills’ as he captures the repulsive, decayed and burnt cigarettes
which helps to establish the obnoxious side of cigarettes. The burnt tobacco at
the top of the cigarette gives this photograph a sense of rottenness as the
close-up captures the detail of how unpleasant a cigarette can look like. The
composition of this photograph is really effective as it portrays the depth of
field. Irving Penn has capture the depth of the cigarettes which helps to
establish the detail and tone of the photograph. The black and white effect is
really effective from Irving Penn as it reveals an outdated perspective.
Furthermore, the lighting in this photograph is really effective as the bright
patches tends to capture the main aspects of the photograph, as the black
patches reveals the revolting side of this photograph. Nevertheless, although
this photograph can be seen as a revolting image, it can reflect to the
beautiful side as the ugly beauty Irving Penn has captured helps to contradict
the perspective. For instance, cigarettes are often represented as a damaging
cause, however it can also been viewed in a striking way due to the perspective
Penn has captured. The beauty in the banal theme helps to establish that
anything can be beautiful with a certain perspective, as they say ‘One man’s
trash is another man’s treasure’.
This photograph is similar to the
photograph above as it is part of Irving Penn’s cigarette photograph series.
Irving Penn has captured a shot of used, burnt and outdated cigarettes as it
reveals the disgusting side of cigarettes. However, this sort of trash can be
seen as ugly beauty, these burnt cigarettes help to establish the brief beauty
in the banal. It is pretty satisfying that Penn has gathered a group of used
cigarettes and has created a perspective which reveals the beautiful side of
this photograph. The gold, crispy effect on the cigarettes gives this
photograph a sense of saturation and burning which is really effective.
Additionally, the misplaced trash reveals the portrait image Penn has captured
as his composition is really effective. The composition of this photograph is
the rules of third. The camera angle and position is well positioned as the
shot is central and high. The lighting in this photograph is really bright as
it helps to establish the tone and detail. This photograph make me feel that
trash can be an advantage in life as we can recycle, create or use it for
something important.
Experimental Photograph:
Alina Szapocznikow
Alina Szapocznikow was a polish
sculptor who was known for her famous chewing gum photographs. The Polish artist Alina Szapocznikow (1926-73) coined the term photo sculpture in 1971 to describe her remarkable series of black and white
photographs featuring chewing gum forms. These unique images consist of
close-ups of blobs of chewing gum attached to concrete or wooden supports,
which have been manipulated into curious shapes in the artist’s mouth. This
famous technique by Szapocznikow helped to establish the creativity which can
be created with a piece of trash. The long-lasting gum is dangling off the edge
of the table as the end part drips and dangles down till it falls. This sort of
form helps to manipulate shapes and styles of gum. The composition of this
photograph is really effective as it portrays the rules of third. The camera
angle and position is well positioned as Szapocznikow has captured a central,
high angle to create a perspective for her viewers. Additionally, the lighting
in this photograph is really dim, however it helps to establish the darkness of
the tone and detail. The effective black and white effect gives this photograph
an outdated, dry sense as it depicts the time period in which Szapocznikow has
captured this photograph. My initial thoughts of this photograph is that the
subject content is too dark as the shadows and highlights help the lighting
stand out. My reaction and feelings towards this photograph is that trash can
be creative aspect in art.
This photograph is similar to the
photograph above as it portrays another manipulated chewing gum form from Alina
Szapocznikow. Szapocznikow has captured this photograph by placing a used
chewing gum onto the edge of a brick. The deformed chewing gum is shaped into a
hedge with the edges of the gum dangling down on the brink of falling. The
composition of this photograph is really effective as it portrays the rules of
third. Furthermore, the camera angle and position is well positioned as
Szapocznikow has captured a perspective for her viewers. The lighting is really
bright as it helps to establish the tone and detail. The black and white effect
is really effective as the brightness is established onto the gum and brick
whilst the background is really dark and non-existent. This photograph makes me
feel distorted as Szapocznikow has manipulated her viewers to see a perspective
which makes them feel deformed.
Experimental Photograph:
John Vink
John Vink’s Photographs of life in
Cambodia draw the viewer into the world that he has inhabited, creating an
intimacy with his subjects as they struggle to survive, evicted into barren
areas often without water or sanitation, and from which they are sometimes
evicted again by people who covet the land. The photographs are intended to
capture the harsh reality of life in Cambodia but in doing so Vink produces
beautiful, captivating images. This photograph captured by John Vink depicts
the harsh reality of the state and poverty Cambodia can produce. Vink has taken
advantage of this issue by producing a captivating image of trash in its most
creative form. The composition of this photograph is really effective as it
portrays the leading lines effect. In addition, the leading lines effect helps
to establish the constant trash piling on top of each other as they steadily
decline down the captivating stairways. Moreover, the camera angle and position
is well positioned as Vink has captured a high angle to capture the depth in
each the stairs gradually goes onto. As you can see, the top of the stairways
is piled with trash and as it gradually goes down the stairways, the trash
tends to decrease, this could be a signifier of the harsh reality in Cambodia.
The black and white effect is really effective as it gives the atmosphere and
the mood a dull, outdated sense which relates to the conditions in Cambodia.
The lighting in this photograph is spot on as it is really bright which helps
to establish the tone and detail. Although this photograph portrays the sad
conditions in Cambodia, Vink has captured the ugly beauty by using creativity
to embrace the beauty in the banal. My feelings towards this photograph is that
the harsh reality is devastating as Vink struggled to survive in these
conditions.
This photograph is another harsh
reality of the conditions in Cambodia as Vink has found the answer to embrace
this state by capturing the ugly beauty of Cambodia. It depicts a man doing his
daily duties whilst the mirror reflects his actions. The state of Cambodia in
the background tells you how hard it is to survive as Vink struggled to
survive. However, people in Cambodia have learnt to be appreciative and
grateful for what they have as they embrace the struggle. The composition of
this photograph is really effective as it portrays the rules of third.
Additionally, the camera angle and position is well-positioned as Vink has
captured an astonishing shot of the person working through a reflection. This
reveals the beauty that trash can produce as Vink has captured a perspective
for his viewers. The black and white effect is really effective as it gives
this photograph a poor, poverty sense whilst the time period depicts the
conditions people had to live in. The lighting is really bright as it helps to
establish the tone and detail. This photograph makes me feel sad but grateful
for what I have as people had to live through these conditions.
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