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| (Image sourced from http://images.betterworldbooks.com/050/The-Photograph-as-Contemporary-Art-Cotton-Charlotte-9780500204016.jpg) |
As part of a seminar
that Kristianne Drake and Mandy Jandrell put together, we were given the task
of reading extracts from the Charlotte Cotton book “The Photograph As
Contemporary Art”, this is a fascinating book which goes to tell the
narratives, hidden meanings and a general back story to each image. As well as
some very interesting pieces about the nature of photography itself.
My extract was on Tableau Photography, this is the hinted and often obvious use of narrative from fables, fairy tales, apocryphal events and myths that will play to our consciousness of each image. This method of bringing a narrative to images is absolutely vital, and no image can be held seriously without meaning, whether it references to old fables or not.
My extract was on Tableau Photography, this is the hinted and often obvious use of narrative from fables, fairy tales, apocryphal events and myths that will play to our consciousness of each image. This method of bringing a narrative to images is absolutely vital, and no image can be held seriously without meaning, whether it references to old fables or not.
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| Jeff Wall, Passerby 1996 |
From viewing this image one is subjected to the uncomfortable reality of playing voyeur, this gives us a rare opportunity to this event. From merely viewing this one frame we are lead into a minefield of questions about what was going on, who are they, why is the lead character looking over his shoulder etc.
This coupled with the very overpowering use of a flash to draw every spec of contrast into full bloom in this image makes it look like a shot from a police tape.
This book is absolutely fascinating, a must have for anyone studying Photography in further education. If not it's a good read for anyone seriously interested in what photographs can stand for and mean in this twenty-first century world where we're surrounded by trillions of images.
