Uta Barth, 2000
I chose to analyse a photograph taken by Uta Barth (photo above).
Three things Barth may have been interested in whilst capturing this picture are:
- the silhouette of the window
- the colours on the wall
- the warm glow the sun brings to the room
If I were Barth, the name I would title this image is Afterglow. I think this is a suitable name because of how the sun lights up the room. The word “afterglow” has a positive connotation as it is the light left over after the sun has set. Even if the time of day still has the sun out when this photo was taken, the warmth in the room conveys a feeling of hope and intimacy, that even after something bad has occurred, there will still be light.
The main shapes in this image are made from the window silhouette, creating wavy, Windows logo-like rectangles. The four main rectangles are separated by lines, also from the window. There is also a thicker line between the two windows’ silhouettes. You can also see that the couch in the second frame is not parallel to the camera framing, which I think is more apparent when it is placed side-by-side to the other frame. The texture is very, very smooth, which stands out to me. The wall from the distance that the image was taken is incredibly flat, and you cant see any bumps from the concrete or paint. I think the most interesting use of formal elements in this image is the use of tone. The colour of the couch, yellow, is the most stand-out colour. However, the wall behind the couch is made up of warm values, slowly becoming darker the further from the window silhouette. The colours are most likely due to the position of the sun, however, I think the warm tones create a sense of intimacy and warmth for the audience – a look into Barth’s personal life. I think there is no main “focus” in the image, nothing is properly centred or highlighted. I think the image’s purpose is to create an emotion rather than showcase an event.