family.

These images are from Sally Mann’s series entitled Immediate Family. These are some of my favorite pictures we have looked at in class because they are extremely intense and almost eerie, yet also very playful and heartwarming. I think the reason this series works so well is that Mann is photographing her children whom obviously are very comfortable around their mother and the camera. This level of comfort makes the images look very relaxed and peaceful. The intensity if the photos is what really interests me about them. Especially in these two images, the little girls’ eyes stare right at you and draw you into the photo. The fact that this is Mann’s immediate family is very evident and you can feel the connection between mother and child in each photo which makes them much more intimate and powerful images.

For our class assignment of shooting “family” over break I’m hoping to portray a similar kind of closeness and intimacy as in Mann’s photos. I’m not sure how I will go about that yet, shooting my best friends may be the best way to go seeing that I am more comfortable around them than my actual family. I think the most important thing when shooting a project like this is exactly what Sally Mann accomplished: simply showing a group of people and the intense relationships between them.

"The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another's desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together."

"green-hued beasts".

This image, entitled Telenovela, is from Simone Lueck's series, Cuban television sets. I found one of the images on iheartphotograph and then explored some of the series he has posted, but the television sets appeared the most interesting to me. Lueck describes the series with this line: "green-hued beasts jimmy-rigged with ancient computer parts and fantastically adorned like religious altar's", which is such a depressing but true statement. Although these pictures were taken in Cuba, I'm pretty sure that statement has applied for pretty much everyone that owns a television set at one point or another. Lueck is successful in depicting the classic icon of the tv set and its role in the home. Like a new car or diamond ring, showing of your new technology is something that withstands the test of time. Even now when televisions are nothing new, getting a brand new big screen set is still something that's bragged about...
The images in this series are rather dismal eerie, the off-colored glow of the screen providing the only light in the room. For some, it seems that the tv is the only thing in the room, the focus of the person's life, and in others, a person is included in the image, sometimes looking happy and proud to be seated next to their set. Obsession with technology, or taking pride in the little things...im not sure which is more appropriate. Reminds me of Requiem for a Dream...hopefully this story doesn't end the same way.

"let go of the wires..."

wonderland.

This image, entitled Beach Houses, 2005 is part of a series entitled Teenage Stories by Julia Fullerton-Baton. I stumbled across one of the images on one of my favorite blogs, iheartphotograph. The jumble of photos that appear on the homepage usually only allow one to scan halfway down and then move on. Every once in a while an image will catch my eye and I will take a closer look, deciding whether or not it is worth my time to check out more of the particular artist’s images. I deemed Julia Fullerton-Baton’s work worthy of this extra time, and found that although her images are not necessarily “my style” they are incredibly intriguing. The photos are definitely “posed”, probably requiring an intricate set, and they have almost an ad photo kind of feel. At the same time, they tell a story and are beautiful fine art images that provoke plenty of emotion, at least for me...

Bike Accident, 2005

Of the several series that she has posted on her website, the Teenage Stories one interested me the most. To me they were very powerful and I can relate to the emotions that are reflected in the images. They seem to convey the story of growing up and what it feels like to experience change in every aspect of ones life. The cocky attitude and feeling of self importance that every teenager has, that you know everything in the world and are ready to take it all on and dive in head first…to me that’s what is being portrayed by the over-sized models, towering over the sets. And yet at the same time, the girls are shown feeling awkward, scared, self conscious, and intimidated by the changes one must face and the mysterious fantasies of the world...

"I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!"

the narrative.

these images are from Bruce Davidson's series from NYC entitled Brooklyn Gang, 1959. the series as a whole depicts the same group of teenagers in a 50's gang as they go through their everyday lives. the thing that struck me about this particular set of photos was that after viewing them you begin to become familiar with each "character". i started to feel as though i knew the role each person played in the group and could get a sense of their personalities. even after looking at only a small collection of the series, a story was developing in my head about who these kids are and what they do.

the pictures are really casual rather than stiff and posed, and you cal tell that this is how these guys act when they are just letting loose around their best friends. it's as if the photographer has become a member of the gang for a day because they completely trust him and are comfortable around the camera. definitely something i can admire.

the whole concept of the narrative thing itself is something that seems to work really well. it's one thing to have your images paired or displayed in a group, but to have the ability to tell a story is a whole other thing in itself, like allowing the world to get a look at someone else's life. life's really just a bunch of stores anyway.
the fact that Davidson has the ability to make his images speak like that is pretty remarkable in my opinion. itmade me think of my different groups of friends and how we interact everyday with each other. possibly an idea for my next project...

we shall see...

"Teenage graffiti, slam the door when you're defeated, we're all a victim if you give us time.

We're all of victim of the times.

So put your money where your mouth is honey my generation's got it bad.

When everybody's talking circles
better get up, get out, put out, we've got a world to burn"

ready, set, blog...

allison rabent. from the lovely city of jamestown, ny. freshman fine art photo major at RIT. love music, penguins, my nikon d500, thunderstorms, and ice cream.

this blog is an assignment for my photo arts II class with the one and only professor gregory halpern. i'll probably be posting random photography nonsense of my own along with that of other artists, in addition to the blogging assignment for class.

and so it begins...

"Don't bother about being modern. Unfortunately it is the one thing that, whatever you do, you cannot avoid."