History of Photography Study Guide

Lecture 11

Photography and the Body

In 1847, The Atheneum published an article in which it said "Ideality is unattainable and imagination supplanted by the presence of fact." What do they mean by this?

Photography was useful for its documentary and scientific applications-recording everyday reality and empirical facts.

Lecture 12

Photography, sculpture, painting and performance

How did David Hockney try to solve what he saw as the lack of time and fixed viewpoint of conventional photography?

Was to make many, sometimes hundreds, of photos, of a single scene and then combine them, creating a composite view.

How did Andre Kertesz make his series of distorted nudes?

he used mirrors

What is the difference between "Documentary" and "Documentary-style" as expressed by Walker Evans?

-"A Documentary photograph can be a police photograph of an accident, literally; but documentary style is what were interested in." -Walker Evans wanted his pictures to look like statements of fact, as if he was simply recording what was in front of a camera.

In what ways did the works of postmodern artists differ form those of the modernists?

-Modern: Move away from traditional methods and approaches, a rejection of reason and logic, and an emphasis on abstraction and the individual expression of the artist. -Postmodern: Rejection of modernist trends such as abstraction and the subject expression of the artist. Use of human figure, and newspapers magazines and films. Belief of presence of visual imagery.

Mann said only women could have made these pictures. How did she distinguish them from similar projects made by men?

-Most images of women made by men have a sexual element. make them tender and vulnerable -Her making the image of men strong and powerful.

What did P.H. Emerson call his theory regarding the way a photograph should be focused? What specifically did he propose?

-Naturalistic Photography for Students of the Art -Based on the idea that the photographer should imitate the effects of nature on vision. According to Emerson, the eye only focuses sharply on the main subject of its attention and everything around this is blurry.

In what way does Wendy Ewald believe that photography can be used to teach children?

-Opening the doors and helping children communicate their deepest, most personal thoughts and feelings.

What was the name of the book that Bill Brandt Published in 1961? what did he do to achieve the high degree of distortion seen in the pictures

-Perspectives on the Nude. -An extremely wide angel lens

What was the first subject matter that Bernd and Hila Becher explored? What type of light did Becher always seek out?

-Photograph industrial structures in the Ruhr Valley. -Dramatic lighting

What is the subject matter of Sophie Calle's project Suite Vénitienne?

-Photographed strangers without their knowledge and took notes of their movement.

What was the narrative suggested by Gertrude Kasebier's picture "Blessed Art Thou Among Women?"

-Reveres a common narrative in which a father sends his son out into the world. -A mother and daughter stand together as the young girl prepares to step across the threshold to make her way in life.

What is the name of the artist credited with making the first work of Pop Art, "Just what is it that makes today's homes so different, so appealing?" What was the source of imagery used in his work?

-Richard Hamilton -Took the images from mass market magazines, beginning with an image of a sitting room from ladies home journal. Was a gesture against elitism and a way of infusing art with humor.

What did Susan Sontag mean when she said, "Anybody Arbus photographed was a freak"?

-She means that Arbus's vision left all of her subjects looking abnormal, like freaks.

Why did Tina Barney feel it was important to make her photographs of her family large scale?

-She wants the viewer to able to really enter the picture and to see every detail possible.

What was the title of the series of portraits made by E.J. Bellocq in New Orleans? Who are the subjects of these pictures?

-Storyville Photographs -Subjects were prostitutes from brothels

What was the name of the group formed by Alfred Stieglitz after he left the Camera Club of New York? Why did he choose this name?

-The Photo-Secession -Signaled his intention to secede-Break away from-the most powerful photographic organization in the U.S.

What was the primary subject matter of Claude Cahun's photographs? Why were these works subversive?

-Involved staging scenes in which she acted out in diverse identities both male and female. -Blurring gender distinctions was a radical gesture. -Adopting sexually ambiguous name and creating androgynous self portraits was a way of commenting on and critiquing public perceptions of gender sexuality and beauty.

How did Annette Messager explain her motives behind her project The Approaches?

-It was a way of treating men as objects when it's usually women who are treated as objects.

What was the basis for Alfred Stieglitz's decision to make an extended portrait of Georgia O'Keefe?

-Led to breakup in marriage -Comprehensive portrait could not be achieved with a single image. -Photographic diary. -Obsessed with O'Keefe

What was the basis of Martin Parr and Gerry Badger's criticism of Tulsa?

-The incessant focus on the sleazy aspect of the lives portrayed the the exclusion of almost anything else whether photographed form the inside or not raises concerns about exploitation and drawing the viewer into a prurient, voyeuristic relationship with his work. -Disgusting and his work is like pornography.

What was the original name of the gallery that Alfred Stieglitz opened in 1905? What was the shortened name by which it is later became known?

-The little Galleries of the Photo-Secession -Later shortened as 291, reflecting its address at 291 Fifth Avenue

What was the title of the robert mapplethorpe exhibition that was cancelled by the Corcoran Muesum of Art? Why did Corcoran make this decision to cancel the show?

-The perfect moment -Under pressure from members of congress and organizations such as the American Family Association

Why did number of feminist critics find Hannah Wilke's self-portraits troubling? How did Hannah respond to these critics?

-They accused her of being narcissistic, flaunting her beauty and perpetuating the physical objectifications of a women. -argue that a feminism that sought to tell women how they should look was as harmful as the objectifying values that feminist were fighting for.

Why was the subject matter of Tulsa particularly shocking when it was first published?

-Tulsa was not seen as a place in which such things as would take place. It was known as a clean, healthy town that fulfill the American dream.

What method did Walker Evans employ to make his series of photographs of people on the subway?

-Used a camera concealed through his coat that on one could see.

On what ground was The Americans criticized in the U.S.? What was the political climate in the United States at the time The Americans was published.

-Was seen as an attack to the United States. -Was during the cold war

What was the name of the school founded by Walter Gropius? What was its education philosophy?

Bauhaus Each student took courses in every medium, with the belief that they would emerge as well rounded, thoroughly flexible artist, comfortable in all areas

Why was F. Holland Day drawn to making his photographs of the nude in nature?

Because he believed that this was man's natural environment.

Lecture 9

Biography / Autobiography

What did Andres Serrano say this photograph was about?

Image was meant to be a comment on the commercialization of Christian icons in contemporary society.

What were the primary themes with which Steichen attempted to recreate the cycle of life in the family man?

Images of lovers, were followed by childbirth, then household, then work, then death. In addition to upbeat themes such as birth, love and joy, a number of images explored war, poverty, the struggle to survive and death.

What was the title of the book of family pictures that Sally Mann published in 1992?

Immediate Family

What was the name given to the group of painters who had great influence on the pictorialists?

Impressionism

What form did the ballad of sexual dependency initially take? How was it seen by the audience?

Initially shown in the punk clubs of new yorks lower east side. it was liked.

What was the primary inspiration for Cindy Sherman's series Untitled Film Stills?

Inspired by 8x10 black-and-white publicity photos for films from the 1950's.

Why were the pictorialists drawn to make soft focus photographs?

It was seen as a means to create beautiful images as opposed to simple documents of facts. Was also a means of bypassing the camera's relentless descriptive ability, in effect, making the image more painterly.

8.

New Ways of Seeing

What were Ann Brigman's three primary influences?

Pagan mythology, European Romanticism, And her exposure as a child to the beliefs of native Hawaiian people.

What was the name of the wider, philosophical movement in Germany with which Albert Renger-Patzsch is associated?

"New Objectivity"

What was the title of the series of photographs that Lee Friedlander made inside motel rooms?

"The Little Screens"

What was the title of Oscar Rejlander's best known combination print? What is the story it portrays?

"The two ways of life" - Father leading two sons through arch (symbolizes boundary between city and country) - The youth chooses to follow the path of religion, mercy, industry, the others will inhabit world of gamblers, idlers and sinners. "Hope in Repentance"

What was the title of Lucas Samaras series of manipulated Polaroid SX-70 self-portraits?

"photo-transformations."

What were the three classes of photography devised by Jabez Hughes. What was his definition of "High art photography"?

- "Mechanical Photography" - "Art Photography" - "High art photography" To instruct, purify and ennoble" the viewer.

What was the appeal of collage and photo-montage to artists who were opposed to traditional methods of art making? Why were they particularly drawn to photography?

- Could construct images without traditional materials -Because it represented a break from and a threat to painting but also because they could use pictures as substitutes for the world itself, when they could, they used objects. when it was to big they use photos.

How did Julia Margaret Cameron first discover the soft-focus she commonly used in her portraits?

- Discovered soft focus by accident - When focusing and coming to something which, to her eye was very beautiful, she stopped. Instead of screwing the lens to more definite focus which all other photographers insist upon

What was the name of the exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art which included the work of Garry Winogrand, Lee Friedlander, and Diane Arbus? How did the curator John Szarkowski distinguish the work in this exhibition from traditional documentary photography?

-"New Documents" -Szarkowski argued that these people were following Robert Frank's lead in pursuing a new approach to documentary photography. Instead of focusing on what was wrong with the world, with the hope of rectifying it, they used the camera to observe, without a need to pass judgement.

What was the title of the photographs by Andres Serrano that prompted a storm of controversy? What was the subject of photographs?

-"Piss Christ" -Image shows a crucifix immersed in a yellow liquid.

What was the term that Jerry Uelsmann used to describe his process? How did this differ from that of Straight Photographers?

-"Post-visualization" -Rather than going out looking for the perfect picture in a single negative, Uelsmann makes pictures thinking of how he might combine them in the darkroom. Then when he starts to print he intuitively experiments with different combinations.

What is the title of Richard Billingham's book of family photographs

-"Rays a laugh"

How did Manabu Yamanaka describe his goal in making his series of nude portraits of old women? What was the title of this series?

-"The last physical body of a human who is just vanishing away" -Age

What was the title of Ulay's performance in which he temporarily stole a painting from the National Gallery of Art in Berlin? What was the political issue that he was trying to bring attention to?

-"There is a Criminal Contact in Art." -Mistreatment of turkish immigrants in Germany.

On what grounds has Richard Prince defended himself in court from accusations of copyrights infringement?

-"fair use" if it can be proved that Prince has changed the nature of the original work, he is not guilty of infringing on the copyright.

What is the title of Sally Mann's book of the photographs of her husband Larry? What photogenic process did she use for this series?

-"proud Flesh" -Used wet collodion process

What is it that separates Emmet Gowin's photographs from the average family album

-Began to photograph his wife Edith and his family -Many of Gowin's pictures of Edith were nudes.

Why was Guillame Duchenne de Boulogne particularly interested in the human face? Why did Guillame often present his images in grids?

-Believed that the human face was a map which could be classified into a taxonomy of universal states. What made it universal was that the same muscles would be used by every person to form each facial expression -believed that the expressions of the human face were the gateway to the soul. -He used grids because each item is treated equally, allowing the viewer to easily compare and contrast images.

What is the name given to Robert Rauschenberg's works that incorporate, painting, photography and sculpture elements such as stuffed rooster or eagle?

-Combine paintings?

Why did Carrie Mae Weems begin to photograph her family? What purpose did Weems believe the project would fulfill?

-Desire to record to her family's life and history. to understand her own experience and relationships in her family. Storytelling was important for her. - Document that future people of the family can learn about their past and that we can look at in order to learn about the present.

What is the subject of Hannah Wilke's Project Intra-Venus?

-Detail of the gradual decay of her body from lymphoma.

Why were some critics troubled by Harry Callahan's photographs of his wife Eleanor?

-Eleanor serves as a formal element in relatively austere (severe or strict in manner, attitude, or appearance.) compositions. -represent idea of a female -Callahans pictures are reductive placing her by extension women in general into male centric trap one that has perpetuated centuries of gender inequality

What was the name of Marcel Duchamp's alter ego? What specifically was he seeking to do when he created this persona?

-Female named Rrose Selavy -Choosing to create an alter ego, making this character a women, and ascribing her name which declared that the erotic meaning of life. Was his assault on traditional approaches to art

Why did Duane Michals first began to make staged photographs?

-Frustrated at his inability to convey complex personal concerns. -Goal was to use camera to take on philosophical, Spiritual and political questions. His works often appear to question the truthfulness of photography and probe ways that pictures can mirror a world that often defies logic

Why was Lázsló Moholy-Nagy particularly drawn to photography? What was the name that Moholy gave to his theory for photography?

-He felt it was untainted by the past and also because it required simultaneous coordination of mind, hand and eye. He was especially fascinated by unusual angles and points of view. -The New Vision

How does Larry Clark's book Tulsa differ from other photographic projects which document drug use?

-He was not looking from the outside of drug use. He was an active participant in the way of life he was recording, and even included himself in some of the pictures in the introduction to the book.

What is the primary subject of work that Francesca Woodman is best known for?

-Her work that she created while she was a student. -Emotional darkness of her pictures, The young revelation of a young one facing inner demons.

Nan Goldin describes the Ballad of Sexual Dependency as her "visual diary" how does she distinguish this from her written diaries?

-Her written diaries are private and her visual is made to be seen by a wide audience.

In what way did Lucas depart himself from "selfie culture?"

-Hes a professional and the others are amateurs. -Comes from art tradition which is desire to look good whereas selfies could not care less whether it looks nice or not

Why did Louis Agassiz hire J.T. Zealy to photograph African born slaves and their children?

-Intended to prove Agassiz theory that each race was created differently, at separate times, in different places, and that there was, therefore, justification for his idea of racial inequality.

What was the subject matter of Alfred Stieglitz picture, "The Steerage"?

-Was the cheapest way to travel. Passengers here slept on the deck for the entirely of the journey. -"A round hat leaning left, the stairway leaning right, the white drawbridge with its railing made of circular chains-white suspenders crossing on the back of the man in the steerage below, round shapes of iron machinery, a mast cutting into the sky, making a triangular shape.

Why did Hugh Welch Diamond begin to photograph patients at the Surrey County Asylum for the insane? What was the title that he gave to this series when he first exhibited it?

-Welch believed that a patient's mental state was reflected in her appearance and that the photographs could be used to help treat mental illness. -"Types of Madness"

What did Moholy-Nagy mean when he used the term "dematerialized" in relation to the photogram?

-abstraction and a method of image-making or -The resulting images were mysterious and magical. conveying the transformative light itself

In what way did the critic Jonathan Green believe that Robert's work should result in redefining the meaning of the term photographer?

-one who makes photographs, to one who uses photographs to make images

What are the two definitions of the word "taxonomy" that are relevant to photography?

1. The science or technique of classification. 2. A classification into ordered categories

On what grounds were both J.M. Barrie and the Contempotary Center Aquited?

???

What were the main issues that Duane Michals wanted to use the camera to explore?

??? Challenge straight photography, Provocative subjects such as sex and religion, often expressing strong opinions. ??? Believability, Some saw it engaging some saw it fake. Make work feel Contrived

What is meant by combination printing?

A method of combining multiple negatives to make a single seamless photograph (smooth and easy to see)

What is the main goal of an allegorical photograph?

A picture that can be interpreted to reveal a meaning, typically of a moral or political nature.

How did seeing Ansel Adam lecture in Detroit affect Harry Callahan's approach to photography?

Adam's lecture freed him to make his pictures close to home, in his own backyard even.

Why did victorian artists such as Julia Margaret Cameron prefer to be called "amateurs" instead of professionals

Amateur suggested noble intensions, the pursuit of something driven by love ("amateur" is derived from the latin verb "amo" to love).

What was the name of the magazine that Alfred Stieglitz began publishing in 1902?

Camera Work

Lecture 10

Catalogs and collections

What were the charges brought against the Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center and its directior, J.M. Barrie in relation to the Mapplethorpe exhibition?

Charged with obscenity, Pandering Obscenity for pictures of homoerotic acts.

Why did the FBI raid the studio of Jock Sturges in april 1990? On what grounds was he threatened with an indictment?

Charges relating to obscenity and the production of child pornography.

What was the subject of James Allen's book Without Sanctuary?

Collection of photographs that recorded lynching that took place in the United States.

What was the name of the avant-garde movement that emerged from the Cabaret Voltaire? What were the primary goals of these artist?

Dada -Include unusual music and anarchic performances, Began rejection of mainstream societal values and the deliberate provocations intended to offend and destroy traditional culture and aesthetics. Produced magazines and books, anti-art position, make the opposite art represented for. goal was to liberate art from the constraints of traditional values, but also bring widespread societal changes.

Why were Nazis disturbed by People of Our Time?

Demonstrated that all Germans were not blond, blue-eyed, perfect specimen.

What was the subject matter that sustained Karl Blossfeldt's practice for 35 years?

Devoted to photographing flowers, buds and seed capsules

Why have some people observed that Walker Evans was a "pop artist" thirty years before the term was even conceived?

Fascinated by the images of popular culture.

What popular use of photography was the inspiration for the visual presentation of "The Family Man?"

Form of photo-essay

In what way did John Coplan's self-portraits challenge the tradition of nude photography?

He didn't show his face

What are the subject of the photographs made by Hans Bellmer that was branded as degenerate by the nazis?

He photographed a doll in a number of different formations and locations.

What role does photography play in the art of Richard Long?

He would take long walks and take pictures of landscapes. He would consider the walk itself to be art. He would often make physical sculptures in the landscape, sometimes by arranging stones, fallen tree branches etc.

In what way did Aziz and Cucher use the computer to manipulate the photographs in their series dystopia?

Made portraits removing such features as eyes, nostrils and mouths.

What is the title of Gerhard Richter's enormous collection of photographs?

Magnum Opus Atlas

Who said "I photograph what I do not wish to paint and I paint what I cannot photograph."

Man Ray

What role does art history play on the work of Joel Peter Witkin?

Many of his pieces are interpretations of works from art history.

What distinguishes the series of nude photographs made by Miyako Ishiuchi?

Most images are made from very close up, and there is a distinct contrast between the sensuality of the skin and the relic of a wound, left by a scar.

How do Cindy Sherman's work differ from traditional self-portraits?

Pictures are not intended to reveal Sherman's personality. Instead, she is an actor, assuming the roles of numerous different types of women.

Describe Felix Gonzalez-Torres series Untitled (Monuments)

Pieces were a combination of sculpture and photography. -The public were invited to take a print from the stack of his work at no charge. The images could be dispersed or disseminated and the stack can be replenished.

How did postmodernist artists and critics perceive the place of visual imagery in daily life?

Presence of visual imagery had become so pervasive that the image of the world was as real as anything else one encountered. Photographs have become so present, so embedded in our daily lives that they shouldn't be seen as something separate from daily lives but much a part of it as buildings and trees and the sky.

In what way did photographers such as Lady Mary Filmer seek to introduce the human hand into their work? Why did she do this?

She made many albums consisting of photographs pasted into painted scenes or surrounded by collaged elements

How did Sally defend her work?

She said that her work was perfectly natural, that her family live on a farm and that the children spent much of their time naked. She argues that she was just recording their day to day existence.

What was the name of the artist who produced a series of pictures of other photographers works and titled them as her own?

Sherrie Levine

Atget understood that his photographs had to come "Cleansed of the present." What does this mean in relation to his work?

Signs of modernity were to be avoided.

What special piece of equipment enabled Paul Strand to surreptitiously make pictures of people on the street?

Specially designed prismatic lens.

On what grounds did Stieglitz sever his friendship with Edward Steichen?

Stieglitz's view was that his friend had betrayed the artistic scruples of the Secession.

What specific belief of the previous age was rejected by modernist artist?

The core of a belief system (began in the enlightenment) based in logic and empiricism

In 1945 Aaron siskind made a series of pictures on the beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts, departing from his earlier practice of documentary photography. What was it that siskind felt was unsatisfactory about documentary photography?

That documentary pictures, with a specific point to make, were too easily understood.

In what way did David Hockney believe his works are more realistic than straight photography?

That the eye is always moving, scanning, and that the completed image is a function of our brain. "I've had frequent arguments with people about photography. I've said, I think you've got this permanent problem of this one fixed viewpoint and therefore this lack of time... if you put three or four images together you've got to look at the image three or four times. you are aware that the photographer has looked three or four times, and that each frame is taken from a slightly different viewpoint.

What did Bill Brandt believe was the key ingredient that transformed the everyday into the beautiful and surprising?

The Atmosphere

What was the name of the international photography exhibition organized in Germany in 1929?

The Barcelona Pavilion

In her performance "Rhythm 0," Marina Abramovic arranged objects on a table which she allowed the audience to use on her as they pleased. What was the message embedded in this work?

The act of kindness? Extradordinary Gesture? To see how people would react? ????????????????????????????

What was the core goal of the surrealist movement?

The core goal was the liberation of the imagination with the belief that this would have a profound impact on all areas of life.

What was the primary difference between the performance works made by Ana Mendieta and those of Marina Abramovic and Ulay?

There was no live audience. She performed only in front of the camera.

Ryan Mcginley began by photographing his friends and many people saw the work as a celebration. What is it specifically they thought Mcginley pictures celebrate?

They are willing collaborators, generational of self awareness.

In what way did Mike and Doug Starn take an unorthodox approach to photography?

They avoided archival printing methods, using chemical toners and insisting that the prints were not precious objects

On what grounds did some people criticize Mann's family pictures?

They were child pornography. Gross parental irresponsibility.

In an effort to integrate photography into modern art, Alvin Langdon Coburn made a series of abstract photographs. What was the title he gave to these images?

Vortographs

What was the ambition behind August Sander's project "People of Our Time"?

To photograph every type of person in Germany.

What is the motif that Robert Frank used to signify the beginning and ending of individual sections of The Americans?

Used the American Flag to signify beginning and end of sections

Fredrick Sommer believed that beauty was not directly related to subject matter. What was it that he saw as a key element that could make an image of any subject beautiful?

result of a perfectly constructed composition

What strategy did early photographers of the nude borrow from paintings such as "Grande Odalisque" by ingres?

used daguerreotypes