Dali Atomicus Philippe Halsman
PATRICIA LÓPEZ MORAIS. ANDREA REY MARTÍNEZ. 3º ESO.
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Table of contents 1.
Introduction………………………………………………………….P.3
2.
Photographer’s biography…………………………………………P.3
3.
Formal analysis of the photography……………………………….P.3 3.1.
3.2.
4.
Observation skills…………………………………………...P.3 3.1.1.
Action………………………………………………..P.3
3.1.2.
Setting……………………………………………….P.4
3.1.3.
Theme……………………………………………….P.4 3.1.3.1.
Andrea’s interpretation…………………….P.4
3.1.3.2.
Patricia’s interpretation…………………….P.4
3.1.4.
Characters…………………………………………..P.5
3.1.5.
Clothing……………………………………………...P.5
3.1.6.
Pose…………………………………………………P.5
3.1.7.
Expression………………………………………….P.5
Technical knowledge………………………………………..P.5 3.2.1.
Point of view………………………………………..P.5
3.2.2.
Lightning…………………………………………….P.5
3.2.3.
Framing and cropping……………………………..P.6
Context……………………………………………………………...P.6 4.1.
Salvador Dalí……………………………………………….P.6
5.
Symbol……………………………………………………………...P.7
6.
Bibliography………………………………………………………...P.8
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1. Introduction. We are going to talk about a photograph that we think it is special because it impressed us a lot.
2. Photographer’s biography. The photographer is Philippe Halsman. He was born in Letonia on 2 May 1906 and he died in New York on 25 June 1979. He was Jewish and he studied engineering. He was put in prison because people thought that he had killed his father. There he met Sigmund Freud, Thomas Mann and Albert Einstein. He was condemned four years but he only was two years there. When he left the prison he went to Paris and he worked in the magazine “Vogue”. When the Second Mundial War started, he went to The United States with Albert Einstein.
3. Formal Analysis of the photography. 3.1 Observation skills: 3.1.1. Action: We can see a wizard holding a brush. He is very surprised because of his spell. He got the cats to jump out of the painting. We see a chair “flying” (that is) in the air. In the picture the wizard is painting different drawings and suddenly the cats try to leave the painting. And for this reason the wizard is surprised and to celebrate it he starts jumping. The subject of our photograph is the wizard because our attention was attracted by him. The 3
background is the artwork that the wizard was painting and the chair that is in the air. And the foreground is the water and the cats that try to leave the painting, the shadow of one cat and a small stool that is in front of the painting. We think that before painting the picture, the wizard prepared everything, he went to his basement to paint and finally he cast a spell. And after painting the picture the wizard is very happy and surprised because he got to cast his spell.
3.1.2 Setting: The picture was painted one day that the wizard was in his house alone and he saw the material to paint, and he went to his basement to cast the spell. We think that the photo was taken in the basement because there isn’t enough light and he wanted to paint something different.
3.1.3 Theme: 3.1.3.1 Andrea’s interpretation. I think that he is a wizard and one day he was bored and (he) decided to paint. When the wizard went to his basement he discovered a book and he read a spell. He liked this spell because (the spell) it could transform his painting in a real thing. He cast the spell and he got his painting became real.
3.1.3.2 Patricia’s interpretation. I think that the character is a wizard that one day was in his house alone. And he remembered the spell that he had practiced with other wizard two days before. The spell consisted in painting a drawing and then, casting the spell. So, he caught the material to paint and he went to his basement. When the wizard finished the drawing, he cast the spell and suddenly three cats jumped out of the painting. He saw the cats and he got surprised because he didn’t know how to do it. And to celebrate it, he jumped.
3.1.4 Characters: 4
We think that the man is about 50 years old. He is from America because we think that the chairs are from there.
3.1.5 Clothing: The wizard is wearing a black tunic. His clothing tells us that he likes black colour because he is wearing a black tunic.
3.1.6 Pose: The wizard is standing and jumping. He seems happy and motivated.
3.1.7 Expression: The wizard expresses happiness and excitement because he got to cast the spell. We think that the wizard is thinking that he has to cast the spell. His face and his expression suggests that.
3.2. Technical knowledge. 3.2.1. Point of view. We think that the photographer is crouching because we can see the floor of the basement. He takes a photo from below the subject because the wizard is jumping to express his happiness.
3.2.2. Lightning. The light is artificial. It is bright and clear. It is soft and diffused too. The light is coming from a lamp in the basement. The light draws our attention because of the shadow. When we saw the photo, the light transmitted us happiness and motivation.
3.2.3. Framing and cropping. In the picture the frame includes the wizard, the cats, the painting, the water and the chair. We imagine that outside the frame there are more paintings hanging on the wall and the rest of the room. He chose 5
to frame the picture this way because he thought that it was the most important. The photographer cropped the photo this way because he wants the wizard to be the most important element in it (of photo.)
4. Context. The photo was taken in 1948 by Philippe Halsman. Our “wizard” is Salvador Dalí. Philippe needed enoughs helpers to take the photo. Philippe and his helpers needed 5 hours and 30 attempts to take the photo. Two of his helpers threw the cats, other helper threw the water, Dalí jumped when Philippe counted four and the last helper threw the furniture, while Halsman’s wife, Yvonne, was holding the chair in the air.
4.1. Salvador Dalí. His complete name is Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech. He was born in Figueras a city in Spain on 11 May 1904 and he died in Figueras (Spain) on 23 January 1989. He stood out in painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, design and writing. He studied in Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid.
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5. Symbol. For us the symbol of the photo is that all in life is possible.
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6. Bibliography. ● Photographer’s Biography: ○ Wikipedia, http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Halsman [Accessed, 4th March 2014]
○ Colorado
Nates,
Óscar;
http://oscarenfotos.com/2013/05/04/philippehalsm
anpodriaustedsaltarporfavor/[Accessed, 4th March 2014]
● Context: Wikipedia,http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Salvador_Dali_A_%28Dali_Atomicus%29 _09633u.jpg?uselang=es [Accessed, 4th March 2014]
● Salvador Dalí: ○ Wikipedia, http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvador_Dal%C3%AD [Accessed, 4th March 2014]
○ Anaya,
Camilo;
http://plaguemenphotography.blogspot.com.es/2010/11/ph
ilippehalsmandaliatomicus.html [Accessed, 4th March 2014]
Link of the presentation: http://editor.wix.com/html/editor/web/renderer/edit/8de5c3c1a4d244dd9d50a97daa08e65b?metaS iteId=0ec8a5e4c3fc4622bf9b37a5f22d3d9e&editorSessionId=A432EC06D25A45F6B51E8 C9E04C8DBDC
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