Paul Strand, Blind Women, 1961

This photograph of Paul Strands was a different approach to his normal work of New Yorks street figures. The women captured in this photograph was a beggar said to of been fully blind, Grahame Clarke says in capture 6 of "The portrait in photography" The subject has no name, merely a number registering her as an official beggar. This helps me to understand what kind of women were beggars in this period of time. By looking at the beggars appearance you don't nessarly no she is blind without the name tag over her neck. Grahame Clarke talks about this in capture 6 of "The portrait in photography" by saying "the blind women demands significance and status, if for no other reason than the fact of her existence, and the emotional resonance of her condition" The interesting thought about this photograph is the pure unknown that by the women being blind she may not even no her photo is being taken and a part of strands project.

Tina Modotti By Edward Weston 1923

This image of photographer Tina Modotti looks more to modernism, by photographing his lover in the daylight Edward Weston captures the photographers body in such detail to make the curves and features stand out. The photograph does make you wonder why Tina Modotti is not connecting with the photographer as they are romantically involved, it is as if he is looking past who she is and there relationship to keep the photograph purely focused on her body. Looking were this photograph might have been taken i no that by the sharp shadow underneath her, the sun was blazing down on to the nude body, giving us a bit more of an insight as to were this photograph was shot. Looking at the brick pattern on the floor it almost contrast with her silky smooth body making the textures of this photograph stand out even more to me. 

Surrealism Claude Cahun

Claude Cahun was a French artist, photography who looked at surrealism with in gender. These self portraits of her are a variation of feminine and masculine, she dramatically changes her appearance to make the viewers question the gender. For example her photographs show such a diverse range of sexual identity, on one image she appears to have short hair with a stubbed chin which is contrast to her other image appearing to be a doll like female with extravagant make up. However the interesting part of this work is on some images she shows androgyny within her photos looking past both genders.  

Constructivism/ Moholy Nagy

                                         
Moholy Nagy was a painter and photographer from Hungaria he was highly influenced by constructivism in his work. I deicide to look at his Photorames which is when a photographs is used without a camera it is made by placing objects onto photo sensitive paper then exposing it to light. The photograph is a negative shadow in different tones were the object has been exposed. Looking at this photograph used by a hand and a paintbrush Moholy is pushing  the idea that photography and painting are both incorporated with each other and  that paintings are a vital expression of the modern age.

Pictorialism/ Gertrude Käsebier

Gertrude Kasebier is a fascinating photographer from the early 20th century. Her work is powerful and inspirational, focusing on motherhood and portraits of the Native Army she captured the strength and the experiences of these people in her work.Frances Benjamin Johnston a famous photography said Gertrude Kasebiers photos were
"At once the inspiration and despair of the growing army of pictorial photographers".
 
Looking through Kasbiers photographs i noticed she uses natural lighting in a lot of her work with relaxed poses to make the viewer feel comfortably when looking at her photographs. In some of her work she used brushwork to manipulate the background, working with a variety of printing techniques. She didn't however retouch the subject in her photography as she quotes she says they make people "look like peeled onions". I find her photography to tell a story of these working men and women, looking at their lives and how the world is almost a different place to this day. 

Postmodernism

In 1936 Walker Evans photographed this women from Alabama she was a women in a state of the depression. In 1979 Sherrie Levine rephotographed the original image however Sherrie levine changed the context of Walkers image. People will argue that this is stealing another photographers work by reproducing it, other will say it is her image as she photographed something herself and changed the idea of the photograph.

This is the original photograph of Marilyn Monroe, Looking at the same idea as Sherrie Levine of reproducing photographs, Andy Warhol has done the same by using iconic images of famous people to create pop art. this still leaves us with the same question is it stealing or not? People say he is bringing iconic images to life so they don't think twice unlike Sherrie levin we do question her work a lot more as she hasn't really changed the photograph at all she has just changed the context its in. Two of the same ideas yet shown in very different way who is right? 

Modernism - Edward Weston

Edward Weston Original Photograph,, Untitled Rock Formations


This image is pure and simple, using natural light to create shadows and effects to the image without editing it. It is so pure and focused that you can see all the small details on the rock and careful understand the shape and angels the whole image gives. This rock formation is beauty in a natural form, showing a soft side by looking at the smooth edges on the  over bright parts on the rock. This is contrast to the shadowed part  that looks almost sharp and hard, giving great detail to the lines and cracks which is contained within the rock. When looking at the composition of the photograph i find it very interesting, there are so many angels and different shapes formed with in all the different rocks, and the fact that this photograph is not taken on the same view line as the rocks it gives you a greater effect in detail to be able to see more by taking the photo higher up.