Researching the starting point
Artist: Lee Friedlander
“Lee Friedlander: America by Car.” Whitney.org, whitney.org/exhibitions/lee-friedlander.
This picture was one of the photo albums created by Lee Friedlander called America By Car. According to Whitney, through driving a rental car across 50 states of the U.S., Lee Friedlander’s record on the realistic landscape as well as “the country’s eccentricities and obsessions“ (Fraenkelgallery) in the early 21st century of America. Specifically, the photographs were taken based on his technique of changing the car’s side-view mirror, rearview mirror, windshield, and side windows as picture frames to create a sense of reflection when depicting landscapes of urban and rural regions, which successfully demonstrates “contemporary America’s unique visual identity” (Fraenkelgallery). Furthermore, according to Fraenkelgallery, there were two major exhibitions revolving around Friedlander’s work in 2008, which were located in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Moreover, according to Wikipedia, Lee Friedlander was born in Aberdeen, Washington, United States, in 1934 and studied at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, when he was 18, and he predominately devoted to recording American social landscapes (Fraenkelgallery). Additionally, in this photo, Friedlander suggests a feeling of surprise and curiosity in the audience, as Friedlander’s utilization of a wing mirror – not a particularly popular style of photography during that time period – has depicted detailed views of America’s urban and rural landscape, becoming a vehicle for the audience to engage with the unconventional and explore the insights of contemporary America’s unique visual identity.
Artist: Naoya Hatakeyama
“River Series / Shadow (2007-33).” Artmuseum.princeton.edu, artmuseum.princeton.edu/collections/objects/51128. Accessed 13 Jan. 2024.
This picture was one of the photo albums created by Naoya Hatakeyama called The River Series. According to the Princeton University Art Museum, Hatakeyama demonstrates the tension between nature and culture in his River Series of photography. By investigating Tokyo’s sewer system and subterranean riverways, Hatakeyama emphasizes “the beauty and destruction that infrastructure produces” (Princeton University Art Museum), highlighting the sewage humans create that pollutes the environment. According to SFMOMA, this could be attributed to Hatakeyama’s anecdote. Specifically, Hatakeyama was born in northern Japan and studied art at the University of Tsukuba. He especially appreciates “the countryside and the natural beauty of the mountains in his home region” (SFMOMA). Thus, when he moved to Tokyo in 1984, he brought his recognition of the landscape in rural areas to an urban city and “[examined] the meaning of landscape in the present day” (SFMOMA) with human intervention. In this particular photo, through showcasing the reflection of street light in an artificial stream, Hatakeyama creates a sense of serenity in the audience, as the colorful luminosity of the water offers beauty to attract the audience to further appreciate the mixture of nature and manufacture.
Artist: Lisette Model
Bernard, Sophie. “Lisette Model: A Photography Lesson.” Blind Magazine, 27 Sept. 2021, www.blind-magazine.com/news/lisette-model-a-photography-lesson/.
This picture was one of the photo albums created by Lisette Model called Reflections. According to MoMA, Model was born in Venice and immigrated to New York in 1938. After arriving in New York, she devoted most of her time to actively participating in the Photo League, substantially supporting her future photography career. According to The Met Museum, during the production stage of the Reflection series, Model utilized a plate-glass window to create reflections of objects and obscure portraits, mainly inspired by Europe’s photography trend called film noir that particularly emphasizes the aesthetic of shadow. By employing film noir in Model’s Reflection series, the picture successfully “[defines] and [questions] the nature of city life” (aidanhendrickse). It creates a sense of mystery to the audience, specifically because of the unknown identity of the person being portrayed in the frame, as well as the “flickering bulbs and indecipherable signs” (The Met Museum), which provoke the audience to interpret the complex thinking that Model must have possessed, ultimately inspires a rich curiosity among the viewers.
Artist: Robert Holden
“The Burning House Project – Robert Holden.” Art She Hearts, 28 Sept. 2011, intoform.wordpress.com/2011/09/28/the-burning-house-project-robert-holden/. Accessed 13 Jan. 2024.
This picture was one of the photo albums created by Robert Holden called The Burning House. According to jmortongcse2022, Holden assumes a situation when his house catches on fire and selects his favorite object that he would rescue, eventually forming the elements in the picture above. According to Art She Hearts, Holden’s photograph deliberately reflects an individual’s interests, backgrounds, and priorities of its subjects “in a mere handful of items.” By depicting an object of one’s favorite (or most important) that the individual is willing to rescue, even with the risk of mortality, the photograph’s context creates a sense of curiosity and intrigue in the audience. Although the picture does not realistically demonstrate any form of reflection, Holden subjectively reflects on the essential items that an individual will prioritize, in order to evoke engagement among the viewers and encourage them to contemplate their important objects. Moreover, according to It’s a small web, Holden’s demonstration of objects not only conveys the importance of certain objects but also underscores “a conflict between what’s practical, valuable and sentimental” (It’s a small web), which further motivates the audience to engage with Holden’s photograph.
Reflection on researching the starting point:
What did I learn from this research about the starting point?
I learned that each of the photographers employs unique methods to convert their message, encouraging the audience to observe our contemporary society from various perspectives, and promoting thinking regarding the theme of identity, environment, and the essence of the places we inhabit.
What you have learned from looking at the work of other artists – techniques, processes, compositions, subjects, mood/atmosphere, lighting etc.
I learned that though the theme of pictures lies in reflection, each artist has a unique approach to depicting objects in their frame. For example, Lee Friedlander utilized car windows to depict the societal landscape of the U.S. in the early 21st century, Naoya Hatakeyama emphasizes the unseen aspect of the urban environment to explore the mixture of color, Lisette Model use of mirror aligns with the film noir technique to add depth and complexity of the photograph, and Robert Holden captures photograph based on a hypothetical scenario, which encourages personal reflection on their most valuable properties.
How have the photographers included in “some sub-themes to inspire’ actually inspired you and helped develop your understanding of the starting point?
The photographer in “Some sub-themes to inspire” inspired and helped me develop my understanding of the starting point by demonstrating techniques when attempting to highlight reflections, such as creating contrast between the reflection and the surrounding grounds, adjusting the focus and camera angle to an appropriate and interesting side, and depicting the reflection through the normal object that possesses surprising effect to the audience, which ultimately increases the engagement of the viewer.
Mindmap
Moodboard
Vision