amyyoungphotops

[amyyoungphotops]

Analyse why and how photographers Sally Mann, Joel Parés, Paula Akpan & Harriet Evans have explored and challenged ‘stereotypes’ in their creative photographic work.

Stereotypes are “...a fixed, over generalized belief about a particular group or class of people.” (Cardwell, 1996).1 It can be argued that stereotypes are most commonly used to pigeon hole people into a category when first meeting them so that their characteristics are easy to adapt to or to identify. However, as we know, first impressions aren’t always correct as many people act and behave in different ways, even if they like the same things or dress / act a certain way. It could be argued that stereotypes are mainly used in a negative way, this is because people often feel trapped as they cannot be their 'true' self as they feel the need to fit into a group. Stereotypes can also effect people if they are not placed into a stereotype as they could often be bullied for being different and sticking out from the crowed.   In 1933, psychologists Daniel Katz and Kenneth Braly did a social experiment about racial stereotyping. Their aim was to investigate the stereotypical attitudes of Americans towards different races which they did by asking 100 university students to complete a questionnaire about ten different social groups. The conclusion that Katz and Braly arrived at from the result of this experiment was that "Ethnic stereotypes are widespread, and shared by members of a particular social group".2  When looking into stereotypes, the views are sometimes very controversial depending on who you ask, what you ask or who openly wants to discuss the topic.  

This essay will look at the work of different photographers in relation to the topic of ‘Stereotyping’, some of these where they are directly addressing issues to do with stereotyping and others who have done this inadvertently: these are: Sally Mann, a photographer who took a series of photographs titled: 'Immediate family' which contains images of her own children naked on a family holiday. Joel Parés who aims to combat racial stereotypes through side by side images in his series 'Judging America' and finally Paula Akpan & Harriet Evans who have taken a series of images titled 'I'm tired...' which features women displaying messages about the types of different stereotypes that they have been labelled with.

Sally Mann was born in 1951 in Lexington Virginia and was introduced to photography by her father. " Mann graduated from The Putney School in 1969, and attended Bennington College and Friends World College. She gained a B.A from Hollins College (now Hollins University) in 1974 and a MA in creative writing in 1975. Mann took up photography at Putney, and exhibited her first photograph which was a ‘nude’ of one of her classmates.  It can be argued that her series entitled ‘Immediate Family', which was first exhibited in 1990, challenges stereotypes that are often associated with ‘mothers’. It is often assumed that mothers want to protect their children from the 'horrors' of the world; they want to hide them away; they don't want people to see their children in a ‘vulnerable’ way and they want them to remain innocent etc. However, in contradiction to these stereotypes, Mann published a series of photographs focusing on her own children in ‘vulnerable’ situations which, it could be argued, would be hugely frowned upon by society as a whole. The reason for this may be that these images are the opposite in nature and content to the stereotypically expected behavior of ‘mothers’. In most of Mann's interviews about 'Immediate Family', she tells the interviewer that she took this series of images when her and her family were on summer break and that none of these images were staged, they were natural and she was able to capture how her children often acted on family summer holidays.   “It’s not that I wanted to do a series of pictures of my children nude, it’s just that they were always nude in the summers when I did most of my shooting. We had a cabin on the river on our farm and there’s not another breathing soul for probably 5 miles in all directions and they just never seemed to wear clothes. Why should they? They were in the river almost all day and deep into the night … that’s just how the children were. … I didn’t take pictures of them once they reached the age of puberty”3

It could be argued that because the subjects are her own children, Mann was able to take completely authentic photographs. If the children had complete trust in their mother, she was able to complete the work on a very personal level. When this series of photographs was published in a book however, it received many negative responses from the general public and was banned in certain American states. At the time it was seen as a very controversial series of photographs because to some viewers, it was as if they were promoting child pornography and providing an opportunity for people to openly look at naked children for sexual pleasure. In an article, Valerie Osborn says that "To her, they were little more than tender, maternal photographs of her children. Yet to others, they were  child pornography, and the mark of an irresponsible mother."4  However, it could be seen that Mann was simply showing one of the joys of being a mother in being able to see her children grow up naturally and enjoy their holidays. To tackle the concerns of the public and to explain to people as to why the mages were not negative, Mann stated: “People feel like they understand the children just by virtue of looking at the pictures but … those aren’t my children. Those are photographs of my children. They’re just a tiny, tiny moment slivered out of time, a 30th of a second."5 It could be argued that Mann has unwittingly challenged a stereotype of ‘mothers’ as opposed to doing this in a conscious way. She did not set out to purposely challenge the concept of ‘stereotypes’ in her work but it happened because in her roles of being both a mother and photographer, it seems as though being a photographer came before being a mother.   Mann also photographed her children sleeping in a bed which they had earlier ‘wet’ and having bloody noses and black eyes. This also seems to show that Mann is not what is thought of as being a ‘typical mother’ as many other parents wouldn't want to show their children in this state as it could hint at neglect and of her not taking proper care of her children. This view supports the fact that she might be taking the role of the photographer more seriously than the role of being a mother.

This image above is titled ‘Damaged Child', 1984. This is a particularly strong image; the focal point is the little girl's swollen eyes, which are made even more prominent because she is staring straight into the camera and connecting with the viewer. This specific image of her daughter could be seen as not typical of a ‘family photo’ because it can be argued that ‘typical’ mothers wouldn't want to show images of her own children injured or upset, however, Mann embraces this as it is all part of childhood.   Joel Pares, a former U.S. Marine, changed career and become a photographer and digital re-toucher. A lot of his inspiration comes from his ‘colorful upbringing: watching his father take pictures with a 35mm camera and listening to his mother tell stories about her modeling days in Puerto Rico.'6   Unlike Mann, Joel Pares' series ‘Judging America (2016)  is very obvious in its links with issues to do with ‘stereotypes’. It could be argued that from just looking at his images from this series the viewer would get a clear idea about what Pares is trying to portray and communicate to the viewer and it is fair to say that they would probably be able to identify what kind of’ stereotype they are looking at. When asked what inspired him to start this particular series, Pares replied: "The way I like to show the series is where you view the judged image first, to fuel the fire inside of some of us, and then the reality image to cool down the fire and open the eyes of those who think in a negative way while judging individuals." All of the images in this series are edited in a very straightforward way which, it could be argued, gives them a strong visual impact. These images are actually presented in a GIF format so that the first image that the viewer sees is the ‘stereotype’ associated with that particular ‘look’ and ‘style’, however, the second image is actually the 'true' image of the person.  

‘Widowed Mother of 3 Kids’(2014)

"New York City Nurse" (2014) “The purpose of this series is to open our eyes and make us think twice before judging someone, because we all judge even if we try not to.”7   This series has a very simple intention that can relate to many people, either those who have been subjected to stereotyping or those who feel like they need to belong to a certain group or ‘tribe’ so that they are able to ‘fit’ into society. Pares is openly challenging stereotypes in a creative way. He is using race as the main reasoning behind this series of photographs and challenging the stereotypes associated with the color of the subject’s skin, to support this, Pares said: "My inspiration for this series is the fact that America is a country that is very diverse with many ethnicities that together create the United States of America". The images above show this as, the Thai woman is perceived to be an escort due to her race and the Asian woman is perceived to be a terrorist but is in fact a doctor. Pares specifically chooses people's actual professions or situations in the image so that the viewer is able to see the fake and real them. This added factor means that Pares' work can be important to many people and they would be able to relate to the ideas within the photographs.  Much of the critical writing about this work is almost always positive and journalist Nico Batista stated that: “The message is simple enough: Don’t judge a book by its cover. After all, everyone knows that controversial subjects such as accusations of racial profiling make for big headlines, and for a very good reason: No one likes the idea of being unfairly or preemptively judged by someone else based on their appearance, ethnicity, nationality, gender or even age.”8 This quote is able to tell the viewer exactly what Joel Pares' aims were for this specific series of photographs and how damaging stereotyping can be to people, in relation to employment and renting homes for example. This series of work is very important when looking at how damaging stereotypes can potentially be because it shows viewers how many people are perceived just because of their ethnicity or everyday appearance. The fact that this work raises controversial issues has the potential to get people to talk openly about these issues as there will be many mixed signals about how he chose to show the negative stereotypes, and although the discussions may not all be positive it still has the potential to highlight the danger of stereotyping and allow people to see how easy this issue is ignored in today’s society.   Paula Akpan and Harriet Evans, both recent graduates at Nottingham University and have created a joint series of photographs entitled: ‘I'm tired of...’(2015). Like Pares, the photographs in this series is quite obvious in what they are trying to show and achieve. The artists ask the models to write down a stereotypical label that they are tired of hearing or that is simply associated with them and the script / part of the script is then written on their backs using either black or white paint, depending on their skin tone. When asked about why they chose the back of the models as the place to apply the writing, they replied “We wanted to use the back as a canvas because it also worked as a symbol, a representation of always carrying it with you,”9 They also said that “people are often damaged because they are fundamentally shaped by what other people say, using small things that can add up to a bigger problem. If you can point out the small things and the way you think about someone who is different from you in some way, hopefully that leads to a change higher up when you get to really nitty gritty stuff.”10. It can also be argued that because the viewer cannot see the subjects’ faces, it seems as though the stereotype that is associated with them is all that they are, that their real personality or self is lost inside the labels that has been thrown at them, at the same time, it could also represent that everyone is labelled in the same way.  

"I'm tired of being shamed from having natural body hair".

'I'm tired of 'the ethnicity competition’ This series was initially inspired by the 'free the nipple' movement - a movement which was created by women who thought it was unfair that men could walk around topless and not be criticized for showing their nipples but, if women were breast feeding or were not wearing a bra so that their nipples was visible through their shirt, they would be heavily criticized and were often asked to try and cover up. Evans herself said that “I’m tired of people seeing my breasts before seeing my 1st class degree.”11 The fact that both of these female artists feel that they have been ‘labelled’ or stereotyped may suggest that they have a deep connection to the aims of this project. Like Joel Pares, Akpan and Evans are very direct in what their intentions and topic is for their series pf photographs: they want to bring an awareness of ‘labelling’ and ‘stereotyping’ that people face because of the color of their skin, their gender, the way they dress/look etc.   In relation to the original question, I believe that Joel Parés and Akpan & Evans have explored and challenged ‘stereotypes’ in their creative photographic work' in a very direct way; they have challenged issues connected with ‘stereotyping’ and ‘labelling’ by bringing it to the forefront of conversations through their photographs. However, Sally Mann does not tackle the issue of labelling or stereotypes at all and sticks to her own thing but she still manages to portray stereotypes in a much subtler way which is not obvious to the viewer.   Conclusion Question: Can an important social issues such as ‘labelling’ and ‘stereotyping’ really be challenged through art photography and the media, and do they really have any influence to change anything? In this day and age, social media is a big platform for debate and many topics are talked about on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc. which is why I believe that important topics, such as stereotyping can be expressed through different types of art such as photography, especially if they are displayed through social media. From my own experience, I know how quickly certain images or debates can circulate through these social media platforms and with something as pervasive as ‘stereotyping’, expressing it through photographs is a really quick way to get the messages across to a large audience. Photographs can also be displayed on advertising platforms such as billboards or posters. Pares, Akpan and Evans have had blogposts published because of the work they are doing on stereotyping. People are interested in what they have to say through their work and want a way to show it to others without directly getting involved. In my opinion, art and photography is the best way to get thoughts, feelings and debatable topics out into the open as people can interpret it in different ways and it can affect them in different ways. There have been a number of issues that have been addresses through art- based photography such as domestic violence, addiction etc. and there have been countless songs, posters, videos etc. about these types of issues which, once again can be interpreted in different ways by different people. I think that art and photography has the ability to reach many people which is why I believe that important social issues can be challenged through these and because it is easily accessible, it is easily talked about and it has the potential to challenge and even sometimes change situations in the world. A very important social issue that has recently been brought into light via art and media is the T.V show '13 reasons why' in which this show highlights issues such as teen bullying, suicide and rape. From my own experience, I have seen how quickly people begin to talk about this program and especially the many different views it presents to the audience. I think that an important example of how the media has challenged ‘stereotyping was in the 'Dove' skin care campaign recently which featured women of all different ages and ethnicities to show the idea that there is no right way to be beautiful. The cast of ITV's 'Loose Women' also recently did a campaign which featured them in their underwear to show that there is no 'right' way to be woman.  

In regards to photography, one clear example of how a photograph, although a photo-journalism photograph and not an ‘art’ photograph, has made a difference in the wider world was during the refugee crisis of 2015. In September 2015, a number of refugees drowned trying to reach Greece, and in one tragic drowning 2 young brothers. The photograph of one of these brothers, Alan Kurdi - a Syrian refugee appeared on the fro of many British newspapers. This single image of Alan Kurdi changed the views of many British people towards refugees and the Government become more open to the idea of offering refuge for more children suffering in Syria and those in refugee camps in countries close by.

In regards to artists, there have been alternative ways in which stereotypes have been perceived and presented to the public. Marc Quinn, born in Britain in 1964, is a leading contemporary artist who through the years 2000-2012 made marble sculptures of Alison Lapper who is an artist and who has a condition called ‘Phocomelia’. Quinn specifically chose sculptures of Lapper as she has overcome a number of very difficult circumstances. His sculpture of Lapper was featured on the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square between 2005 – 2007, and it made people question the narrow beauty standards in today’s society, it is also an empowering piece for the disabled community. This work then went on to be featured in the London 2012 Paralympic games opening ceremony in the form of an inflatable version of his work. Quinn's work is tackling the beauty stereotypes that are very present in today’s society by showing everyone that although Lapper is different, is does not make her any less beautiful than everyone else.  

Tracy Emin is another British artist who has openly challenged stereotypes using art with her piece 'My Bed' which was showcased in 1998. The piece contains her unmade bed which is dirty, surrounded by empty bottles, fag butts and worn panties; all of which are the results of a nervous breakdown. Emin published this work to show that she is just like everyone else and encounters the same struggles as them; that no one is perfect. Both of these artists are able to tackle to different stereotypes through two vastly different methods of art, one of which happened to move a lot of the country into thinking differently about disabled rights.  

Most of the artist that I have looked at in this essay has influenced my thoughts and ideas behind stereotypes, they have helped me to prove my initial point that stereotypes are a negative but very prevalent aspect of today's society. Joel Pares, and Evans & Akpan have taught me different ways in which stereotypes can be portrayed depending on your target audience or the models which are being used. Although different models are used each time, they have all been subjected to a stereotype and have been hurt by the stereotype. All three of the artists that I have looked at have influenced my work as I wanted to do shoots where the intention is obvious and other shoots which makes the viewer have to think more deeply about what it is that I am trying to show, whilst simultaneously connecting to them. Other research has allowed me to see that art and photography is a very strong platform to use if a message has to be communicated sent to a large audience as it will most likely draw people’s attention, especially if it goes against the 'norms' of society.   BIBLIOGRAPHY:   > ASX Team (2009). Sally Mann’s ‘Immediate Family’ – The Unflinching and Unafraid Childhood (2006) [online]. Available from: http://www.americansuburbx.com/2009/11/theory-sally-manns-immediate-family.html [Accessed on 14th November 2016]   > Batista, N (2014). "Judging America" Series by Joel Parés [online]. Available from https://fstoppers.com/editorial/judging-america-series-joel-pares-34764 [Accessed on 2nd December 2016]   > Dovas (2015). Judging America: Photographer Challenges Our Prejudice By Alternating Between Judgment and Reality [online]. Available from: http://www.boredpanda.com/prejudice-photo-series-judging-america-joel-pares/ [Accessed on 25th November 2016)     > Emin, T (1999). Tracy Emin, My Bed [online]. Available from:http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/artpages/tracey_emin_my_bed.htm [ Accessed on 21st May 2017] > Google (2017). Joel pares judging America [online] available from: https://www.google.co.uk/searchq=joel+pares+judging+america&biw=1920&bih=1006&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwja5sKw48PQAhWkLsAKHSyuBSYQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=_  [Accessed on 25th November 2016]   > Lynch, A (2015). Women challenge damaging stereotypes with powerful ‘I’m tired’ photo project [online]. Available from: http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/11/women-challenge-damaging-stereotypes-with-powerful-im-tired-photo-project-5337840/ [Accessed on 23rd November 2016]   > Mann, S (2015). Making Art Out Of Bodies: Sally Mann Reflects On Life And Photography [online]. Available from: http://www.npr.org/2015/05/12/405937803/making-art-out-of-bodies-sally-mann-reflects-on-life-and-photography [Accessed on 14th November 2016]   > Mann, S (2015). Photographer Sally Mann shares life behind iconic images [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfPBfqE9sCs [Accessed on 7th November 2016)   > McLeod, S (2008). Stereotypes [online]. Available from: http://www.simplypsychology.org/katz-braly.html [Accessed on 22nd November 2016]   > Moldoven, O (2013). The Truth About Beauty + Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty [online]. Available from: https://oanamoldovan05.wordpress.com/2013/02/04/the-truth-about-beauty-the-dove-campaign-for-real-beauty/ [Accessed on 24th May 2017]   > Pares, J (2015). Joel Parés on The GI Show [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tXDFxgb2VM [Accessed on 7th December 2016]   > Pares, J (2016). Joel Pares Photography [online]. Available from: http://www.joelpares.com/judging-america-1/9qcn3pfdaduwbzzxvcocf7jypoh428 [Accessed on 23rd November 2016]   > Quinn, M (2000-2012) Artworks, Alison Lapper [online]. Available from: http://marcquinn.com/artworks/alison-lapper [accessed on 21st May 2017]   > Shoesmith, H (2015) Bespoke Interview: The “I’m Tired” Project [online]. Available from: http://bespokemag.co.uk/bespoke-interview-the-im-tired-project/ [Accessed on 14th December 2016]     > Terasaki, K (2016). Sally Mann and the Immediate Family Controversy [online]. Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrlbMrtfi-w [Accessed on 7th November 2016]   > The New York Times (2016). Looking Back at Alan Kurdi and Other Faces of Syrian Crisis [online]. Available from: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/03/world/middleeast/alan-kurdi-aylan-anniversary-turkey-syria-refugees-death.html?_r=0 [Accessed on 24th May 2017] > Wikipedia (2017). Sally Mann [online]. Available from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Mann [Accessed on 7th November 2016]

[amyyoungphotops]

Piece of critical writing about Paula Akpan and Harriet Evans

For example, a microagresssion I often experience pertains to my racial presentation. My South Asian descent makes my skin brown and my features appear different from many of my white peers, so I'm often asked the question, "Where are you from?" Though my parents were both born and raised in Pakistan, I was raised in the United States, am a U.S. citizen, and did all my schooling in Seattle, so naturally my answer is that I'm from Seattle; no other answer makes much sense. Of course, a lot of white Americans have trouble accepting that I'm just like them because I look so different, so in their dissatisfaction, they'll follow up with, "No, but where are you really from?" What makes this a microaggression is the assumption that I am an "other" based off of a physical characteristic, combine with the fact that it forces me into a box into which I don't actually fit. It's the other person's way of saying, "You can't be like the rest of us. You're not normal." Besides, would I ever ask a white person where they're really from?

- Mehak Anwar

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Artist 3: Paula Akpan and Harriet Evans

Paula Akpan and Harriet Evans, both Nottingham University graduates, funded the ‘I’m tired” project to tackle issues such as: Racism, misogyny, homophobia, ableism, and other types of discrimination. This photographic series has a main focus of tackling microagressions - a statement, action, or incident regarded as an instance of indirect, subtle, or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalised group such as a racial or ethnic minority - which they believe many people experience without really realising what is going on. They both took inspiration from the #FreetheNipple movement and the Humans of New York. Akpan says the subjects' backs were used for a few different reasons. "We felt that use of the backs helps maintain anonymity whilst also [being] somewhat symbolic, because these are grievances which all of our subjects have carried with them,""Lastly, it's very practical, as it gives us a large canvas to play with!"

Photo credit: Harriet Evans

"Having been diagnosed with an eating disorder over four years ago, I have heard these words uttered over and over again. As if it was that simple, as if I didn’t try. But recovery is not just about the physical act of eating more and it is not something I can always control. Each day is a struggle to eat a reasonable amount, let alone that little bit more. 'Just' eat more ignores the fact that it is a mental illness and NOT a lifestyle choice. It shows the ignorance over mental health that is still ingrained in today’s society."

Photo credit: Ming Au

"Growing up, in a mostly Caucasian area, I had not realised until I was much older that the image of a black boy or man is often one of anger or aggression. In many ways I can understand this given the often aggressive media portrayals of frankly large black males in music, TV, video games and films. However, what I do not appreciate is the way that this portrayal has come to define the presumption of my character and who I am from individuals who do not know me or who see me in a club and assume that I have an aggressive character. Through my career choices I hope to show them wrong. ‪#‎John15‬:7’"

All of the images in this series is simple in their editing and overall composition which adds to the effect and message that the images hold. the fact that there is no background or colour in any of the images means that the viewer is not distracted and will only focus on the message on the subjects back as it is the boldest shade that stands out in the whole image. 

[amyyoungphotops]

Paula Akpan and Harriet Evans’ own words

“We wanted to use the back as a canvas because it also worked as a symbol, a representation of always carrying it with you,” 

“to highlight the significance and lasting impact of everyday micro-aggressions and stereotypes.” 

“We talk a lot about race and gender issues and we always came to the same conclusion, we were really tired. Really frustrated that people didn’t understand the little things they would say can get to you and wanted to know what other people were frustrated with.” 

“people are often damaged because they are fundamentally shaped by what other people say, using small things that can add up to a bigger problem. If you can point out the small things and the way you think about someone who is different from you in some way, hopefully that leads to a change higher up when you get to really nitty gritty stuff.”

“There needs to be more of an understanding that every subject has the right to say what they want and word it how they want, that’s the beauty of the world, everyone lives different experiences and you should embrace that.”  

Paula: “I’m tired of bisexuality being seen as greed, or a wishy-washy kind of choice. I identify as bisexual but I didn’t know before. It’s not black and white, it’s a term that challenges traditional thinking. There was a lot of confusion and I found it difficult it explain to both heterosexual friends as well as LGBT friends. I just think if there wasn’t such rigid “who are you? What do you identify as?” it would have been a lot easier.”

Harriet: “I’m tired of people seeing my breasts before seeing my 1st class degree.”

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Interview with Paula Akpan and Harriet Evans about ‘I’m tired of’

http://bespokemag.co.uk/bespoke-interview-the-im-tired-project/

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Artist 2: Joel Pares

Judging America

Growing up, pares watched both his mother and father in the photo industry, his father takin photographs and is mother being a model. This part of his childhood has influenced his narrative style of photography that is present in a majority of his photographs. When looking at Joel Pares photographs, it is very clear what he is trying to show and what his intentions are as all of the image sin this set feature a before and after picture of the subject. In this particular series of images, the attention to detail is what makes them so convincible, this is telling us that Pares was passionate about this series and wanted to make the images as real as possible. 

This is one of the images in his series. As you are able to see, it is very clear in what he is trying to show and that all of us, whether we admit it or not, is subconsciously judging people whom we do not know based off of their ethnicity or looks. In the second, ‘real’ image, we are able to see what the person does or get a brief view of how they live their life. This style is particularly strong as, as we look at the second image, we feel guilt for judging someone so quickly with knowing them or their story. Due to the fact that these images are so blunt, it makes it easy for everyone to decipher what they are trying to portray. 

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Interview with Joel Pares about ‘Judging America’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tXDFxgb2VM

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Piece of Critical writing about Joel Pares

https://fstoppers.com/editorial/judging-america-series-joel-pares-34764

This article was written by Nico Batista in 2014, in this he is talking about the photography series ‘Judging America’ by Joel Pares. In this article Batista said that this series worked very well in making a statement. He then  goes on to say that: 

“The message is simple enough: Don't judge a book by its cover. After all, everyone knows that controversial subjects such as accusations of racial profiling make for big headlines, and for a very good reason: No one likes the idea of being unfairly or preemptively judged by someone else based on their appearance, ethnicity, nationality, gender or even age.”

Batista also said that “From the technical perspective, Parés gear of choice starts with his D800, 24-70 2.8, and a simple but ideal two light setup using Elinchrome 500 and 500 BXRI strobes, and a trusty v-flat for fill. Keeping the light straight forward, in my opinion, helped to avoid distraction from the content of the photos, and worked quite well for the series. He approached the retouching from a highly commercial angle, and here again it too worked perfectly for the theme and tone.”

[amyyoungphotops]

Joel Pares’ own words

“Many of us judge incorrectly by someone’s ethnicity, by their profession, and by their sexual interest,”  

“The purpose of this series is to open our eyes and make us think twice before judging someone, because we all judge even if we try not to.”

"Telling a story is the job of every photographer, but my passion is telling a story in a unique way, a way that can inspire the world. I love telling deep stories of experiences people have had and creating something positive that will change their lives for the better. When I first began conceptual portraiture, I began will self-portraits of stories of my life in my series “The Unconscious.” Once I found my niche I have focused my energy into conceptual portraiture."

[amyyoungphotops]

Class discussions:

INTRODUCTION: 

1. Has to be 400 words. 

2. A- look at historical photographers & compare and contrast to what I am looking at. B - discuss the theme from an academic point of view (use articles as support). C - look at the theme from a social point of view. 

3. Definition of the theme. Scientific or medical research that links. Political events linked with theme. Historical events. Historical photographers. Cultural theories that link e.g. documentaries or television programmes (think about beliefs, behaviours an values of different people). Different institutions (family, education, religion etc).

4. Reference 3 contemporary photographers you will mention in the main body paragraphs.     

MAIN BODY: 

1. 500 - 600 words (each author) 

2. 2 examples of their work including date and title 

3. call author by their last name only

4. directly quote the author 

5. how does this work relate to the personal study question? 

6. what themes does the work address? 

7. what is their personal context? (looking at personal information)

8. who or what inspired the photographer? 

9. what are their aims or intentions? 

10. what ideas or messages does the work communicate? 

11. analyse the photograph itself 

12. relationship between the photographer and the subject? 

13. underlying genre? 

14. anything controversial? 

15. has it been titled? does this help you understand it? 

[amyyoungphotops]

Sally Mann’s own words

"People feel like they understand the children just by virtue of looking at the pictures but ... those aren't my children. Those are photographs of my children. They're just a tiny, tiny moment slivered out of time, a 30th of a second." 

"I was surprised by the vehemence, I guess, of the letters and the dead certainty that so many people had that they understood ... my motivations and feelings and who my children were,"

“It's not that I wanted to do a series of pictures of my children nude, it's just that they were always nude in the summers when I did most of my shooting. We had a cabin on the river on our farm and there's not another breathing soul for probably 5 miles in all directions and they just never seemed to wear clothes. Why should they? They were in the river almost all day and deep into the night, so the fact that in many cases the children were nude ... that's just how the children were. ... I didn't take pictures of them once they reached the age of puberty, certainly. But considerably before then, I think, I quit taking pictures of them” 

“One of the interesting things is to go back and look at the contact sheets and you look at picture after picture after picture of the same scene. And you'll see in one picture, [the children] look mean; and in another one, they're giggling; and in another, one of them is punching the other and they're laughing. They're just doing regular kid things. You just always have to remember that picture ... that's a 30th of a second and to either side of that picture are half a dozen other images that are completely different and warm and friendly and sweet.”

[amyyoungphotops]

Interview with Sally Mann about ‘Immediate Family’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfPBfqE9sCs

[amyyoungphotops]

Piece of critical writing about Sally Mann

http://www.americansuburbx.com/2009/11/theory-sally-manns-immediate-family.html,

In this article, written by Valerie Osbourn in 2006 concerning Sally Mann’s series of pictures Immediate Family, there is an analysis of the different views that people could have when viewing Sally Mann’s work. To some viewers, these images were a form of child pornography and showed Mann as an irresponsible parent but Mann states that these photographs are “of my children living their lives here too. Many of these pictures are intimate, some are fictitious and some are fantastic, but most are of ordinary things that every mother has seen” 

From reading this particular piece of critical writing done by Valerie Osbourn, it is clear to see that she is intrigued by the images but she is also slightly disturbed by them by the fact that they contain images of naked children. She does however see the way Mann was thinking when taking the images for this shoot.    

[amyyoungphotops]

Artist 1: Sally Mann

Immediate Family 

Sally Mann started to get interested in photography after her father, who was a doctor, gave her a camera when she was a child and since 1969, she has been taking pictures of everything and anything that interests her. The firast two series of her photographs didn’t cause much, if any, controversy as they were quite ‘safe’ subjects to take images of. Her third series of photos ‘Immediate Family’ was exhibited in New York in 1992 and unlike her first two series, caused much controversy around the world. This series features many black and white portraits of her own children, in rural Virginia, who were all under the age of 10 at the time of the images being taken. The images in this series ranges vastly from her kids taking naps, insect bites, wet beds, playing and the innocence typically associated with children, however, the controversy was caused because many of the images features her kids without any clothes on. 

"The Perfect Tomato"

Many people argue that the images in this specific series of images by Mann is telling us that she is a bad mother for allowing this to be published but also for taking the images in the first place. Viewers are seeing a majority of these images as child pornography as the kids featured are naked a lot of the time, they are also claiming the images to be showing incest as Mann is viewing and collecting evidence of her own naked children. Raymond Sokolov released an article Critique: Censoring Virginia whereby he took an image of Virginia, which Mann had took and censored out certain parts. Mann said that when Virginia saw these images, she thought something was wrong with her and said to Mann “what’s wrong with me?”. Virginia also wrote a letter to Sokolov which said “Dear Sir, I don’t like the way you crossed me out.” This habit of nudity is a family thing because Mann says she used to walk around her house naked when she was growing up. 

When the time came for her to publish her book ‘Immediate Family’, she said “I thought the book could wait 10 years, when the kids won’t be living in the same bodies. They’ll have matured and they’ll understand the implications of the pictures. I unilaterally decided.” To further protect the children from “teasing,”Mann told Woodward that she wanted to keep copies of Immediate Family out of their home town of Lexington. She asked bookstores in the area not to sell it and for libraries to keep it in their rare-book rooms. Dr. Aaron Esman, a child psychiatrist at the Payne Whitney Clinic believes that Mann is serious about her work and that she has “no intention to jeopardise her children or use them for pornographic images.”He says that the nude photographs don’t appear to be erotically stimulating to anyone but a “case-hardened pedophile or a rather dogmatic religious fundamentalist.”Mann states, "I didn't expect the controversy over the pictures of my children. I was just a mother photographing her children as they were growing up. I was exploring different subjects with them."

When looking at Mann’s images, I personally believe that they are a very special set of images to have captured. Not only does it take a tremendous amount of skill to capture these perfectly staged but also non-staged images but it is something very rare for a parent to have. I do not believe that this series of images is at all bad as it is simply a mother taking images of her children in a scene which was normal for that specific family. Looking at the evidence, it is clear that she took precautions when it did come to publishing the book and she did have her children’s feelings at the front of her mind when it was time to publish. This specific series links in with my theme of Stereotypes as it is showing the generation divide between then and now. In this day and age, it is highly unlikely for young parents to have photo albums of their children, instead, the images are instantly uploaded online via Facebook or Instagram without the child’s consent and they are not criticised however, when Mann did it, it was seen as absurd and that it shouldn’t be allowed when she had the consent from all of her children who she photographed and from child psychologists. This is showing the stereotype which is typically associated with a large age gap.  Sally Mann is also away from stereotypes associated with women, more specifically mothers as mothers wouldn’t normally publish pictures of their child seeping in a wet bed or their children naked however, as you can see in this line of work, she is doing everything that is against the stereotype associated with mothers. 

[amyyoungphotops]

BIBLIOGRAPHY & REFERENCES

Sally Mann: 

1

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfPBfqE9sCs 

DATE ACCESSED:  07/11/16

TYPE: interview 

2

URL: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Mann 

DATE ACCESSED: 07/11/16

TYPE: contextual knowledge

3

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrlbMrtfi-w 

DATE ACCESSED:  07/11/16

TYPE:  interview

4

URL: http://www.americansuburbx.com/2009/11/theory-sally-manns-immediate-family.html

AUTHOR: Valerie Osbourn 

DATE CREATED: October 27, 2006  

DATE ACCESSED: 14.11.16

5

URL: http://www.npr.org/2015/05/12/405937803/making-art-out-of-bodies-sally-mann-reflects-on-life-and-photography 

AUTHOR: Sally Mann

DATE CREATED: May 12, 2015  

DATE ACCESSED: 14.11.16

Joel Pares

6

URL: https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=joel+pares+judging+america&biw=1920&bih=1006&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0ahUKEwja5sKw48PQAhWkLsAKHSyuBSYQ_AUIBigB#imgrc=_ 

DATE ACCESSED: 25.11.16

TYPE: image for artist analysis 

7

URL: http://www.boredpanda.com/prejudice-photo-series-judging-america-joel-pares/ 

DATE ACCESSED: 25.11.16

TYPE: information about his work

8

URL: https://fstoppers.com/editorial/judging-america-series-joel-pares-34764

AUTHOR: Nina Batista 

DATE CREATED: 24.09.14

DATE ACCESSED: 02.12.16 

TYPE: article

9 

URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tXDFxgb2VM

DATE PUBLISHED: 03.04.15

DATE ACCESSED: 07.12.16 

TYPE: interview

Paula Akpan and Harriet Evans

10

URL: http://bespokemag.co.uk/bespoke-interview-the-im-tired-project/

DATE PUBLISHED: 13.08.15

DATE ACCESSED: 14.12.16

AUTHOR: Hannah Shoesmith 

TYPE: interview

11 

URL: https://www.bustle.com/articles/102506-im-tired-photo-project-by-paula-akpan-and-harriet-evans-poignantly-highlights-the-reality-of-microaggressions

DATE PUBLISHED: 06.08.15

DATE ACCESSED: 25.01.17

AUTHOR: Mehak Anwar 

TYPE: article

Introduction for personal study 

12

URL: http://www.simplypsychology.org/katz-braly.html 

DATE ACCESSED: 22.11.16

TYPE: stereotypes, contextual knowledge

13

URL: http://www.joelpares.com/judging-america-1/9qcn3pfdaduwbzzxvcocf7jypoh428 

DATE ACCESSED: 23.11.16 

ABOUT: Joel Pares 

14

URL: http://metro.co.uk/2015/08/11/women-challenge-damaging-stereotypes-with-powerful-im-tired-photo-project-5337840/  

DATE ACCESSED: 23.11.16 

ABOUT: Paula Akpan and Harriet Evans 

[amyyoungphotops]

ESSAY TITLE

Analyse how and why the photographers (Sally Mann...) have explored and challenged stereotyping in their work?

ROUGH DRAFT

[amyyoungphotops]

INITIAL RESEARCH INTO THE PHOTOGRAPHER: Jehsong Baak

Published Information:

http://invisiblephotographer.asia/2016/07/19/jehsongbaak-fadingfury/

http://www.loeildelaphotographie.com/en/2016/02/25/article/159892071/jehsong-baak-the-heart-of-exile/

http://www.jehsongbaak.com/blog.php

https://daylightbooks.org/blogs/news/17204845-jehsong-baak-a-voyager-in-exile

Jehsong Baak has quite a unique style which is very evident in his photographic work, whether it be recent work or old work. In his new book, 'fading fury', which will be released later on this year, there are images that have a certain impact on the viewer that is either due to the way he has edited them or the minute details of the picture such as the background or the main focus of the image. In an interview, Jehsong Baak says "I generally work intuitively and emotionally rather than cerebrally, I always end up discovering things in my photographs long after they were taken.  Most of the time, I have no idea why I want to take this picture or that.  I do my best to allow my subconscious to guide me."  After looking at his work in depth, it is easy to get lost in the amount of little details evident, such as the lighting, the background or even the way in which a specific image is edited. The way in which these images are edited, in a black and white and almost grainy way, makes them seem almost timeless as they could be from any time because there is no indication of the time in which they were actually taken and after researching more into this specific piece of work from him, some of the images are 25 years old from when he was first starting to do Photography, it is comparing the two different yet similar times in his life.  Although there is a theme to this book, it is almost as though there isn't a theme present at the same time due to the different secret message that each image is able to conceal, what the main focus of the image is or even person in the image, it is a very varied photography book however, the lack of theme within the theme may confuse certain people but this doesn't mean any of it's captivating tendencies are lost to the viewer. All of the images in this book are black and white, after being asked why this is in an interview, Jehsong Baak said that it is because he was brought up in an era where images were more impactful in black and white compared to those in colour.    

As mentioned before, the images that are featured in this book are a mixture of photographs that were taken some 20 years ago and more recently. Jehsong Baak said that "The events of the past are fixed, in the physical sense – they really did take place and the events unfolded in a certain precise manner whether we remember them accurately or not." Baak has also mentioned that he is better able to understand himself by looking back at the pictures that he was taking at the time than trying to remember back to himself at that time, a photograph is a physical memory that cannot be altered or morphed into something that it is not. This is probably what makes some of his images more impactful as the viewer does get a more complex sense of Jehsong Baak than they would have if they were just simply listening to and interview or reading an article, the images in this book are and insight on his past and possibly his future.  Baak also has images from his other books featured in galleries and even museums around the world, further supporting the fact that he is an impactful and modern photographer.  

Bibliography:  

http://invisiblephotographer.asia/2016/07/19/jehsongbaak-fadingfury/

http://www.loeildelaphotographie.com/en/2016/02/25/article/159892071/jehsong-baak-the-heart-of-exile/