Homework 1

pgs 18 & 19. ivan sigal.

19, 20, 21, 22. taryn simon.

public park. robert frank.

ivan sigal’s work is characterized by the gritty quality of his black and white photos and what strikes me about the series of images is the role of the gaze in relation to each photo. the progression flows between the photographer, the viewer and the subject, drawing attention to both the fore and background through focus and gaze. for example, the image on the right emphasizes the gaze of the photographer and the viewer as the photographer, but also, due to the focus, draws attention to the background details, such as the food on the plates, the fingers of the figure in the left corner and the rims of the glasses on the table.

taryn simon’s series maintains a similar gaze. the figure’s are looking straight into the lens, and the photographer is parallel to the figure, providing a portrait that is straightforward. she really employs a visual storytelling, incorporating relatively blank frames to stand for those who wish to be anonymous. She also consistenltly puts the name, occupation, etc of the figure in the bottom left corner of the spread, bringing a great deal of attention to their identity as humans, and not just figures.

robert frank’s book is characterized by the consistent formatting of his spreads : one full page photo with the title on the opposing page in the outer lower corner in small print. he is clearly focusing on portraits of america (as we discussed) but not in as a traditional or straightforward manner as simon. the three different artists choose to portray their human figures and the idea of a human in different ways. Simon uses color and a straightforward gaze while sigal plays with his part in the taking of the photo, inundating the viewer with full page picture after picture. Frank’s message is slower to build, perhaps encouraging the viewer to focus on one image at a time while continuing through the progression.

I would say the most similar in style and effect of those stylistic differences are frank and sigal. Simon stands out as the black sheep of the three artists, taking a more series specific approach to her photos. Sigal has a very snapshot feel with the rapid progression and Frank, as a calculated series due to the white space and minimal text.