Analysis of selected Artist

Eadweard Muybridge (born April 9, 1830, Kingston upon Thames, Surrey, England –  died May 8, 1904, Kingston upon Thames). He was an “English photographer important for his pioneering work in photographhic studies of motion and in-picture projection. (Britannica). Male, Jumping; standing board jump (shoes) photographed in 1887 is the series of photograph that inspires me. In my own opinion, a repetitive movement of figure or animal creates symbolism. In this theme, I focus on “Reflection.”

Plate 163. Male, Jumping; standing board jump (shoes). 1887

Plate 187. Woman in long dress dancing (Animal Locomotion), 1887

Plate 169.  Jumping over Boy’s back (Leap frog), 1887

Plate 156. Males and Femals (draped) and Miscellaneous Subjects, 1887

Historical context:

Eadweard Muybridge, born Edward James Muggeridge (April 9, 1830 – May 8, 1904) was a pioneer English photographer, who was famous for his work of photographic studies of motion and contributions to the development of motion-picture projection.

The 19^th Century was defined by strong global trends of nationalism and colonialism as well as wars concerning territory and trade. Muybridge photographed some of the major event, while also reflecting the attitudes which perpetuated them. Muybridge also photographed traditional landscapes as well as Native American Indian people dressed in their traditional attire. (eadweardmuybridge.co.uk) His photographs helped to better protect this community. Muybridge’s photography aimed to document the conditions of people during his time, including summarizing the appearance and content of the 19th century.

Muybridge captured the first series of human motion studies on March 4th, 1879. “This extensive work depicted men, women and children variously running, jumping, falling and carrying out athletic or mundane activities. This section of Muybridge’s work reiterates the imperative Muybridge felt to explore time in modernity, as explored here through ‘Animals in Motion’.” (eadweardmuybridge.co.uk)

Muybridge is known for his pioneering “chrono photography of animal locomotion” between 1878 and 1886. (wikipedia.org ) He also used various photographic angles to capture the different perspectives of human and animal movements. “For his zoopraxiscope, a device for projecting painted motion pictures from glass discs that predated the flexible perforated film strip.” (Wikipedia.org)

Biographical context:

Muybridge favored black and white photography, and he is famous for his repetitive black and white images combined with progressively advancing actions. His photos do not tell stories through a single frame but rather through the repetition of movements (many of them) to convey the content. The connotation is more inclined towards the combination of human or animal dynamics with the sequence of photographs.

Muybridge’s photographs of animals and humans were indeed traced onto the edge of glass discs. “When the glass disc spun in the projector, a moving picture was projected onto a screen, creating an endlessly repeated short movement, akin to animated GIF images.” This innovative method allowed for the visualization of motion in a way that had never been seen before, showcasing the stages of movement with unprecedented clarity. Muybridge’s work was not just a technological breakthrough but also a significant contribution to the fields of art and science, as it provided a new way to study and understand motion. His invention, the zoopraxiscope, was a precursor to motion picture technology and laid the groundwork for the development of cinema.  (artsandculture)

One of my favorite artists, Marcel Duchamp, was indeed inspired by Muybridge. Duchamp’s later works, which involve the overlay of motion, were influenced by Muybridge’s innovative approach to capturing sequential movements. This influence can be seen in Duchamp’s exploration of repetition and the representation of time, which was a direct result of Muybridge’s impact on the visual arts.

Psychological:

When I see the photographs taken by Muybridge, I feel a great surprise. Although the photography works I have seen are presented in series, each photo contains a story. That is to say, whether it is scenery or characters, these single photographs reflect a narrative. However, Muybridge’s work stands out to me from other photographers. I was first interested in him because of his dynamic continuous photography, as the layout of his photos is repetitive. It starts from a beginning to an end, but the start and end are just our interpretation of his work. When I see his works, I feel a bit of depression, probably because of the black and white and gray tones of the photos. The repetitive actions seem to symbolize people’s lives, which keep repeating without change. There is a series of photos of a man jumping over a boy’s back, which is absurdly funny. This sense of contradiction (due to the atmosphere of depression) and the content of the photos are full of opposition, but I feel a sense of absurd happiness in it.

Citation:

“Eadweard Muybridge.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc., www.britannica.com/biography/Eadweard-Muybridge. Accessed 20 Sept. 2024.