Annie Leibovitz - Alice in Wonderland

 

 

This shot has to be one of the most recognisable images she produced from this series. This scene is also considerably important in the story as it tells the tale of the growing cake and shrinking potion. Many elements of this image are important, the main being Alice, the uncomfortable look about the way she is sitting as well as her facial expression with a creased forehead. The main colour of this shot is blue which contrasts with the other photographs in the series being mainly shades of green in the background. Alice however is overpowering due to her out of proportion size. The miniature furniture and room make the image intriguing giving a sense of scale. I can only speculate on how this was achieved but i assume that small furniture was constructed to make the room the size of her or that the room was a regular size and the illusion was created in post production. For me another important piece in this shot is the small window looking onto the woods as it connects this photograph to the next.

 

 

 

In this shot Alice is back to her usual size in an outdoor environment this time away from the constraining environment of the kitchen. The man to the left is Karl Lagerfeld the fashion designer who plays himself, he has an air of power as he stands with both hands on his hips. His sunglasses mask his eyes giving a sense of mystery however the slightly tilted head and disgruntled expression give him an air of authority added to by the tie and various gold. A contrast between the two characters is also the size of Alice being next to him emphasises the difference. Alice is cradling the pig however she has a stern expression which is explained in the text. I like the back lit effect in this shot it highlights both Alice and Lagerfeld's hair creating a soft glow. The natural light also creates a soft backdrop complimenting the colours, the greens follow on from the previous image introducing continuity also with the repetition of Alice as the main character.

 

 

The main thing i notice about this photograph is the opposites: Alice is standing, Jean Paul Gaultier (as the Cheshire Cat) is perched, she is on the ground, he is up a tree, they are at opposing sides of the frame on different levels and she looks stern as opposed to his mischievous grin. I also noted the fact that Alice is in the opposite side to the frame than the previous image. Another key part i notice is the light coming through the trees in the centre of the shot, it brings out the textures on the trees. The consistency of the outside setting in the woods works follows on well from the previous photograph.

 

 

 

This next photograph is of the renowned mad hatters tea party. The mad hatter played by Oliver Platt does not meet my expectations to be frank in this shot, i do not feel the character from the book is portrayed as well as it could have been, however the checked trousers, waistcoat and hat are somewhat quirky it just seems to me a little bland. This also matches the mood of this image, the facial expressions are that of fed up and bored. The hatters is somewhat curious which does link with the quotation from Alice in Wonderland displayed. One larger change I see in this photograph is a different angle of view. In most of the photographs in this series the figures of the characters have been fully displayed, in this all of the subjects are seated and are not completely visible. It is also shot from a slightly higher viewpoint.

 

 

In this next image Alice is in the right hand side of the frame with the 'Queen of Hearts' played by John Galleano situated in the left of the frame. The eye contact is one of the first things i notice with both the queen and Alice looking into the camera, this is similar with most of the images i have looked at so far. The Queen's stance with his hand on his hip is powerful as well as the pointed hand, this mirrors Alice's stance in an image later on. In this image she seems more reserved, with the flamingo under her arm. The kings stance is also of power looking down on Alice. We are again in the woods which is becoming a consistent theme as we go through, greens and blues are recurring colours however pinks seem to be important with the flamingos and paper sash the Queen wears. The facial expressions seem to be key to this shot making the lasting impression.

The next photograph links back to the woods, this time she has been positioned to the left of the frame with the other characters to the right, an irregular pattern seems to be emerging with the alternation of where she is placed in the frame. The main colours been greens, blues and blacks again are consistent with the narrative. The expression of the character to the right is interesting as it contrasts with the plan look on Alice's face. The scenarios created are successful perhaps because they invite the viewers interpretation.

 

This photograph utilises more props in an indoor environment like the kitchen set I previously looked at. The elaborate set gives the image character. The main thing i like about it is the movement in the photograph, the act of walking into the mirror. The main light sources visible are the chandelier as well as the open door, which create soft highlights on the furniture. It does appear that extra lighting was used on Alice herself as the shadows become harsher on her against the black, the disappearing into the black mirror does seem to be the intentions of Leibovitz. The woods in the background i feel are again important to the consistency of the narrative, they create a loose link along with the consistency of Alice and the main blue colours.

 

In this image she has arranged Victor and Rolf (Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee) in the left hand side of the frame, each with one arm around the others waist, by facing their bodies away from Alice we get a sceptical stance from the two this is added to with the stern perhaps disapproving looks on their faces. Alice's Stance is much more powerful in this shot especially in comparison with the previous images. Her look is not stern like theirs it is more questioning towards them, confused. This is wear the dialogue helps us to understand. The backdrop for this works well as the blues of her dress and beige and blacks of the suit stand out against the green. The lighting for this shot is hard to determine, it appears to have been shot on location so a great deal of natural light will have been utilised however artificial lighting may have been used to enhance, as well as reflectors. 

 

 

 

 

Nigel Shafran

Nigel Shafran is a British photographer who photographs everyday scenes through documentary photography as an onlooker. The juxtapositions in his series, "Bookshelves" are what initially attracted me to his work.
 This first photograph displays a bookshelf, each book is neatly placed along with the other objects. The lighting is natural, coming from the open door shown in the left hand of the photograph. A main colour is the yellow of the curtain, the lines lead down to the bookshelf where the books also point to the same direction, this directs the eye through the photograph. Another element of the photograph I like is the texture of the door as well as the contrast between the dark wood and white walls, this also has vertical lines. Shafran has composed the shot so the bookshelf is the main focus, the curtain works well tucked behind the bookshelf as it keeps up the neat appearance as well as bringing the eye to the bookshelf.

The second photograph contrasts significantly with the previous. There are considerably more books which are distributed between a bookshelf, some other shelves and a table. Unlike the previous neatly arranged room this room is chaotic. The lighting however is similar, this is also lit naturally from the left hand corner from what I assume is a window or open door. Little of the background can be seen in this photograph however you can see a small part of the wall which is painted black. I like this series because of the contrasts between the images, I find the idea of documentation of different types of people really interesting.

Richard Serra

An artist who creates large scale installations, his work often dwarfs the observer. One of the things I like about him is that he questions the way you relate to the space.

The first installation I found interesting was this, the person inside demonstrates the scale of the piece. He uses large sheets of metal as a medium, often textured which is one of the elements that I like about his work. It is minimalistic however he still makes a statement as it dominates the space. The small gap that acts as a doorway seems to give the sculpture a sense of confinement, which is added to by the size of the sculpture around the person within.

The second I like because of the statement Serra is making. This piece is in a way more confining in the space, however without a person in the photograph it is harder to get a sense of scale. It looks fragile, as if touching it would make it fall over. Again the textures of the metal work well, which the overhead lighting help to emphasise creating variations of shades and shadowing.

Lucinda Rogers

The main element of Rogers work that interests me is the overlapping and layering, compacting many buildings onto her canvases without making it look overcrowded.

In this illustration she uses small amounts of colour to highlight certain areas of the drawing. Another thing that works well is outlining, including all of the detail would overcrowd the illustration, it also works well in the background in which the lines become even less defined allowing more depth. Another element in the illustration is the clouds on the horizon.

I have chosen this second illustration because of the people, they are roughly outlined sparing detail again which works well. The background colour makes a change from a white background it also brings out the white lights. The other colour in the illustration is a grey which covers the head of the man but also a part of the man behind. The variation in thickness of the lines is an interesting feature I would like to use in my illustration work.

Martin Margiela

A Belgian fashion designer whose work largely involves the deconstruction of recycled materials to create couture garments.

The first piece of his that caught my eye was the denim dress. I like the asymmetric features of the dress as well as the graduated change in colour. Another feature is the concealed face of the models focusing the viewer solely on the dress. I like the frayed details of the dress also making it less neat. As well as the features I have already mentioned I find the deconstruction element fascinating, the idea of deconstruction jeans to make a dress as well as the layering involved in the reconstruction.

Kerrie Stritton

The main element i find interesting in Strittons' work is the social issues she explores in her work. I have looked at "The disjointed series" in this she explores parts of East London that are physically disjointed, for example not on the transport route, as well as socially deprived areas for example tower blocks in poorer areas.

I have chosen this illustration because of the colours, the pallet consists of mostly greys and blacks with the small amount of red which stands out amongst the dullness of the background. The illustration is of a football stadium, Upton Park surrounded by fencing, with two men walking side by side along the road one supporting the other. One of the things I noticed almost immediately was the barbed wire on top of the fence, this along with the graffiti brings to mind negative stereotypes of a potentially violent neighbourhood. The football along with the building behind the fence tell us that behind the fence is probably a football stadium. 

The second illustration I have chosen interested me again because of the colour pallet of greys and blacks with red. This illustration however displays tower blocks, an industrial side which contrasts with the football stadium. I did notice however the lack of habitation in the illustration. The no entry sign is definitely powerful in this for me, even though it has been composed in the bottom left corner it immediately jumps out to you. As well as it standing for no entry the red can also represent danger when placed in context with Strittons' explanations of the series. 

For me there is a sense of truth in Strittons' work, instead of focusing on the most successful buildings in London, along with the most successful people she has looked at ordinary people in their own environments, with this she has created a series of thought provoking illustrations. 

Robyn O'Neil

She is most known for large scale graphite drawings on which she uses the largest available paper with the finest of graphite.

The first drawing I noticed when researching her was, "A Disharmony, 2007", a piece that was inspired by  George Stubbs. One of the main elements that struck me was the precision and accuracy in the drawing of the horse. By covering the horses head with the cloud O'Neil almost removes its identity, masking it. As well as the precision of the drawing the use of shading brings the horse out from the sky. Another particular thing I notice is the straightness of the divide between grass and sky. Arttatter.com calls it a "Strange interruption", I agree with this to an extent as it can seem almost dreamlike due to the softness of the clouds and the cloud covering the head however the sharp, precise markings make for a realistic drawing 'interrupting' the dreamlike features.

Sophie Calle

Sophie Calle is a french writer who uses photography as a means of documentation. When i first came across Calle I was immediately fascinated with her work. Mostly by the subject matter, her work is based around the same aspect of evidence of human presence I employ with my work.

The series I find most intriguing of Calle's work is, "The Hotel" mainly because of the sense of legitimacy behind the photographs. She was hired as a chamber maid in a hotel in Venice which allowed her access to the rooms of all of the guests. With this freedom she documented, in writing and with the use of photography, different belongings she found within the rooms. Being the chamber maid she was allowed an insight into how the guests lived as things were left untouched exactly how the guest had left it. After she had collected the images she arranged them in these 3/3 grids.

Her work links to the work I did for my A-Level Photography course, documenting decaying buildings, however it is much more intimate. The work I did was about building up a character however there was a lack of evidence to create accuracy in this so it was more of a fictional fantasy. By photographing current belongings positioned by the actual people she creates frankness in her work.

"For each room there was a photograph of the bed undone, of other objects in the room, and a description day by day of what I found there." - Sophie Calle

Joel Sternfeld - American Prospects

Joel Sterfeld is a fine art colour photographer who is most famous for his book “American Prospects”. In this he explores parts of the United States that would usually be ignored in documentation of the United States; it’s the interest Sterfeld takes in documenting these places that attracted me to his work. The book consists of images showing us a less desirable side to the US. 

Sternfeld's work seems to me to be a search for truth, by documenting a wide range of environments as well as ordinary people, he builds up a series of images which aim to represent the United States. The first image that impacted me in the book was "The Bronx, New York" shown to the left. There is a considerable contrast with this image and the images usually publicised in the media from New York it would hardly be believed they were in the same city from this. The grey stone wall of the flats in particular contrasts with the huge luxury apartments associated with well off business men working in the city. The barren ground is also a main part of this image, as well as the emptiness of the street, making it feel slightly eerie however the reds, yellows and whites stand out against the stone building making the image look more inhabited. 

The second image I have chosen is called "The Happy Land Social Club" again in "The Bronx, New York". I chose this because of the brightness of the building, the red really stands out against the black. The graffiti is also powerful in this shot because it demonstrates the sense of ordinary. The fact that this is as much an environment as any other, it is beautiful in its own right. The cross and flowers are also powerful as they demonstrate loss and mourning but at the same time love.