INTROI wish to explore the use of symbolism in photography to convey messages and concepts. Whether that symbolism is in the form of expression, light, object or composition, I would like to discuss the intent and thought behind it. The first photographer I will be looking at in discussion of this topic is Dorothea Lange. She was a photographer who produced iconic images that opened the public eye to the suffering of different groups of people. Most renowned are her photographs taken during the Great Depression through the 1930s. Her work is symbolic of times of suffering and great loss among the human race. It is iconic of various points in history and discusses core moral values and aims that are common within all aspects of humanity. Technically speaking, her use of composition and lighting are prominent areas to point out, even in her most famous image of the mother and her children, she experimented with various compositions before identifying and publishing the most striking. The lighting, entirely natural, emphasises the features of the individuals photographed as well as the atmosphere of the images work well towards capturing the overall suffering and humanity in the work. It is these things that demanded her to be noticed and become as renowned as she has. The symbolisms in her work come in the form of concepts of age and prosper; investigating humanity and our tendencies for destruction. The second artist is John Blakemore, a stark contrast to Lange to an extent. His work investigates relationship of matter, space and photographer. These explorations are in depth and personal, often focussing on organic forms that hold a strong link to my own work in this project. There is symbolism of decay and mortality that comes with the use of organic forms in photography, links to memento mori movements in conjunction with the permanence of contemporary mediums. With regard to more specific explorations, symbolism within still life photography is an area of interest. There is infinite symbolism used in the history of still life; movements of vanitas paintings and artists such as Willem Kalf (11) whose style of Pronkstilleven explores the meaninglessness of earthly life though symbols of riches and jewels. Of course contemporary explorations of still life are equally conceptual but in different ways using modern mediums. Photographers such as Ori Gersht (12) imitate historic still life paintings predominantly Dutch flower painting (13). Instead of the still, steady, peaceful compositions Gersht coats the flowers in liquid nitrogen and then explodes them and photographs the chaos. This symbol of corruption and disruption shows such a huge contrast to the beauty and sophistication of the original paintings. It is interpretations like these that show the progression of art as well as its consistency.

PHOTOGRAPHER ANALYSISFor my practical photography I am investigating the theme of symbolism within Associated Objects. In order do develop my understanding of this I have chosen to analyse the photographic work of Dorothea Lange. I have chosen this photographer because she spent long periods of time recording events of The Great Depression, a time where survival was imperative; families travelled miles and miles to find work and settlement. In relation to my themes, Lange’s work investigates the lengths people will go to in order to find prosper and roots. I have been using symbols and portraiture to explore purpose and aging in people. Dorothea Lange was born May 1895 in New Jersey. In her early life her father left the family when she was twelve, consequently assuming her mother’s maiden name. She contracted polio that left her with a permanent limp due to a weakened right leg. She was taught Photography at Columbia University in New York City by Clarence H. White, this education was followed by apprenticeships in various studios in the city. In 19 18 she moved to San Francisco and opened a successful portrait studio and married painter Maynard Dixon with whom she had two sons between 1925 and 1930. At the onset of the Great Depression, Lange moved to the street as her studio. Her photographs documented the lives of unemployed and homeless people, these photographs led to her employment with the Resettlement Administration. In 1935 Lange divorced her first husband and married Paul Schuster Taylor, an economist, with whom she documented rural poverty and the exploitation of Migrant Workers for the following five years. Her work with the RA brought the struggle of those most affected by The Great Depression into the public eye, humanising the suffering so it could be spoken about. Her documentation of the era is still one of the most poignant made to this day. In 1941 Dorothea Lange was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for excellence in photography. Following the events at Pearl Harbour, she recorded the forced evacuation of Japanese Americans from the West Coast, on commission for the War Relocation Authority. The photographs recorded over this time were so clearly critical that most were impounded and were not published for more than fifty years. In 1945 Lange was invited to accept a position in the Fine Art Photography Faculty at the California School of Fine Arts by Ansel Adams. In the final two decades of her life her health was poor, suffering gastric problems and post-polio syndrome. Lange died of Esophegeal Cancer on October 11 th 1965 in San Francisco at the age of seventy. One of Dorothea Lange’s most Iconic and influential photographs was ‘Migrant Mother’, (1) capturing thirty two year old Florence Owens Thomsen, a woman who was a mother of seven whom Lange photographed during the Great Depression. In 1960 Lange recalled her experience of taking the photograph: ‘I saw and approached the hungry and desperate mother, as if drawn by a magnet. I do not remember how I explained my presence or my camera to her, but I do remember she asked me no questions. I made five exposures, working closer and closer from the same direction. I did not ask her name or her history. She told me her age, that she was thirty-two. She said that they had been living on frozen vegetables from the surrounding fields, and birds that the children killed.

She had just sold the tires from her car to buy food. There she sat in that lean-to tent with her children huddled around her, and seemed to know that my pictures might help her, and so she helped me. There was a sort of equality about it.’ The photograph was included in an article in a San Francisco newspaper, which consequently led to government action sending food to the camp. The impact of the image was huge, the strength and suffering in the woman’s face brought onlookers to view the events at the time differently. The statements within the image are political, discussion the hardships of the era which have been influential ever since. There is a natural set up, as the artist describes, she simply approached the woman and asked to take an exposure. This increases the impact of the image in a way, there is nothing forced or unnatural about the image. It is entirely honest and straightforward. The composition centralises the face of the woman, but her gaze is elsewhere, implying an absence or distraction. The individuals fill the frame, allowing no room for a viewer to look elsewhere, meaning it is almost confrontational but not quite because of the despair captured. The lighting and black and white emphasises the aging on such a young face, the wrinkles and depth in her gaze, which is well beyond her years. Other exposures taken in the series (2,3,4,5) involve different compositions and components. The setting and surroundings are more visible in some. I think these are less impactful due to the inclusion of the surroundings, but in a different approach the glimpse of the desolate surroundings (5) is very provocative. Other works are of a similar mood and impact as the above; Lange’s documentations are in depth and striking, recording suffering and strength.

The second photographer I have chosen to analyse is John Blakemore. His work is, at a glance, a huge contrast to Lange. However his intentions of developing a relationship with his photographic subject, and documentation being a primary aim are all relative comparisons to make. The work of both is taken on creative and instinctive impulse, a passion for documentation of experience. Blakemore was born 1936 in Coventry, discovering a passion for photography in service with the Royal Air Force in the 50s. Self-taught he was inspired by wartime child hood experiences and Edward Steichen’s The Family of Man exhibition (incidentally, including ‘Migrant Mother’) to photograph post-war Coventry and its reconstruction. This freelance work led to employment with Black Star and ultimately a variety of studios. Towards the later years of his life he was the Professor of Photography at the University of Derby from 1970 to 2001. During this time his reputation as one of the most influential landscape photographers evolved, later diversifying into still life and documentary photography. He won several awards throughout his life and is widely regarded as one of the leading photographers in the last century. One of my favourite works of Blakemore’s is one taken during a period of interest in the documentation of space and light in relation to objects and one’s self. This period is discussed in his book ‘Black and White Photography Workshop’: ‘Working in a domestic space affords the possibility of frequent practice. One can be constantly aware of the space, of the shifting qualities of light and of its interaction with motif. I was able to photograph daily or hourly, as shifts in the light presented me with new possibilities. I developed my awareness of how the world is changed through the intermediary of the camera.’ The image presents a wide range of stimuli to look at and the composition is effective in the sense that the rule of thirds is in place. A viewer’s eye will be drawn to the darker areas due to the overall pallor of the image. Upon an initial glance, the set up appears entirely incidental, the gradual decay of matter, the arrangement of objects. However there is a depth of intention in the arrangement which becomes apparent with further viewing, the direction of the stems, the flowers which have been pinned up, those on the surface, the reflections in the glass, the botanical drawings included in the frame. The image is quite messy but I perceive it to be fully intentional, the decay accompanied with matter that will not. This is a juxtaposition often used in Vantias paintings, rotting fruit placed next to a silver knife. The lighting is soft and beautiful, the black and white accentuating the tonal value and eliminating distraction; a statement also applicable to Migrant Mother. There is a slight glimpse of the photographer in the reflection in the vase; this is effective in relation to Blakemore’s concepts of relationship between artist, camera and motif. Other examples of Blakemore’s work are pictured in appendices 7, 8, 9 and 10. In relation to my own work I have spent lots of time throughout assignment one and two working with plants and more specifically flowers. Investigating their form, stages of decay and their effectiveness in symbolism. These symbols are in relation to concepts of life and decay, longevity and purpose. This is resonant in both the artists whom I have been analysing here.

MY PRACTICAL WORKIn my work I have been exploring the value and the method of symbolism in photography. Through the evolution of the project I have been looking more and more at the use of flowers in symbolism; both historical/cultural meaning and a later personal meaning. I developed these symbols through my shoots in conjunction with technical qualities and other tools of symbolism, as well as literature towards the end of my exploration. In relation to the artists in concern, it is more the motives and concepts that have played a role in the inspiration of my work than direct links of visual quality or technique. John Blakemore’s in depth investigation of space and of the flowers is a direct visual and conceptual link to my own work. As described previously he is interested in the relationship between elements of a photographic interaction. This is almost entirely technical in Blakemore’s work, however in my own I have been exploring this relationship on a more conceptual level. The meaning of the subject matter to a photographer, how this will influence the way they capture it, the meaning they impose on the space and composition. And secondly the raw humanity in Dorothea Lange’s work is what I have been

representing in objects in my photo shoots, the emotion and hardship of those she strove to know in her photographs. I have been exploring historical symbols as well as personal meaning in material objects. Expressions of creativity through arrangement, literature and making are all resonant of these things. Aside from these I have been developing my skill within different areas of photography, predominantly balancing compositions and camera settings. These aspects of photography, when refined can strengthen the communication of any image or concept, firstly the absence of distraction of flaw in quality, for example, will always play a role in highlighting the true aims of the image. And secondly a thought out composition and settings to best capture what is intended to capture will undoubtedly work towards a stronger overall aesthetic. The component of the camera settings plays a significant role especially with the motion photographs; I have found there are very different consequences of different combinations and these show a variety of strengths and weaknesses in conveying my intentions. It is this motion element of my shoots which has been most effective and surprisingly so, there is a creativity and a poetry in it which I had not anticipated but as a symbol in itself is very effective in relaying meaning of human creativity and expression as well as passage of time. There is surrealism and a degree of literature in it that is not possible to capture in other techniques. With manual techniques I have been especially interested in the artist Miguel Tornero, his piecing together of photographs and the play on perspective is a strength in aesthetic which I find very interesting, and as far as the associated objects theme goes the technique is strong; the immediate relation of separate components in this way. It is this technique mainly which I intend to carry through to my final product as a summation of my theme. I will experiment with shape and relief, layering matter and edge to see what is most effective in summating my photographs and enhancing their qualities, amplifying the themes. The photographs I have taken vary in strength of different elements, to an extent this variety creates a challenge in the sense that I need to pick out which parts I wish to carry forward, considering what would go well together technically and aesthetically, tackling links and feasibility. For example in one of my motion shots (pictured Appendices 14), the strengths lie in the form created by the motion, the colours of the flowers and scarf, the level of focus and in the composition. The angle and meeting point of the skirting board give structure to an otherwise unstructured form which gives structure to the whole composition as a consequence. The meeting point and linear elements also play to the rule of thirds, which visually aids the compositional aesthetic. However weaknesses of the image include the degree to which the camera settings are well balanced; the shutter speed was clearly the most optimal for capturing the motion element, but the overall image is a little dark and grainy. The solution to which should lie in a longer shutter speed, which would not have been possible. The aperture was already as wide as it could be and the ISO, if more sensitive could have led to an overly more grainy effect, which I did not want. Consequently the darkness of the image is not something I can alter in any way other than digitally. But the ability to lighten this image digitally shows strength to an extent. It is these things that allow me to gain a greater understanding of my photographic ability and skill, and grow in these, as a result I can improve myself and my ability and ultimately produce better work with more potential for conveying a message and aesthetic. Another of my stronger photographs thus far (pictured Appendices 15), shows completely different strengths; the composition is effective with the most concentrated centre of the flowers following the structure of the rule of thirds. The colour scheme works well, the flowers playing off of each other both in colour and in scale, adding up to a strong photograph. The viewpoint is quite unusual, the perspective enveloped by the flowers, surrounding the composition and growing towards an audience. They are tactile and tangible, close and far. The aperture aids the success of this particular aspect of the image. These are just two of the photographs I have taken and I intend to take the strengths and utilize these in the outcome of my investigation.

CONCLUSION

In conclusion I feel I have managed to investigate my chosen theme to some extent. The project has, in running it’s course naturally reached a point where I am more invested personally than I had originally thought I would be. The exploration of literature and physical symbolism involve an investigation of oneself with regard to creativity and the meaning I give to different aspects of my photographic composition, as well as the meaning given by other people to objects/literature, how all these things interact. As a result I have a greater understanding of the way in which this personal investment is a requirement for artists, photographers and authors alike. However trivial or in depth the subject matter is, the creative mind has no option but to delve deep. For example the photographers I have written about here: Lange’s work involved gruelling journeys, building relationships and all degrees of emotional investment in the people she was seeking to capture before it even came to considering a composition. John Blakemore’s visual investigation of his surroundings, however physical they may appear involved exploration of concepts such as relationship, space, worthy of these things. These investments resonate in all creative forms and this is something that is fascinating to me, and I have enjoyed developing my understanding of it.In evaluation of my project I feel I could have investigated the subject far more given more time. The exploration of symbolism allowed me to explore my own personal meaning of material objects and the way these resonate in other aspects of society, history and in creative expression. My technical development is something I am pleased with, understanding camera settings and processes more with each photo shoot allowing me to better investigate my concepts and thus produce more successful work.

Figure

Name Of Art/Photograph

Source Piece

1 Migrant Mother

http://loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8b29516/

2 Migrant Mother series

http://loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8b29523/

3 Migrant Mother series

http://loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8b29525/

4 Migrant Mother series

http://loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8b29527/

5 Migrant Mother series

http://loc.gov/pictures/resource/ppmsca.03054/

6 Untitled

Black and White Photography Workshop

7 Linch Clough, Derbyshire 1974

http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/work.aspx?obj=24131

8 Rock Pool, Skerray

http://www.gac.culture.gov.uk/work.aspx?obj=10118

9 Tulips

http://annabelowens4pg503.blog.com/2013/04/07/research-john-blakemore-tulips/

10 Trees

https://www.onlandscape.co.uk/2011/03/master-photographer-john-blakemore/#/

11 Still Life

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willem_Kalf

12 Ori Gersht

http://www.elledecor.com/culture/art-show/art-show-ori-gersht-a-70833

13

Jan Davidz de Heem (1655) Glass Vase with Flowers on a Stone Ledge

http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=960980