Monday, October 27, 2008

What Is A Portrait?

Sally Mann: Shiva At Whistle Creek
Composition is extremely important in this photograph. She does a great job depicting the young womans personality. The photograph catches her in the moment right before she jumps. The way the photo is slightly out of focus and how she casually peers over the slide of the water fall makes it seem like she is uncertain and vulnerable. Her eyes are closed and shes looking away from where she's going to jump. The artist also creates a dark tone with the colors, which adds to the personality of the girl and the moment.
James McNeil Whistler: Portrait of artists mother
I chose this photo because i really liked the set up. The subject of the painting is an old traditional looking woman, shes looking straight ahead and wears dark colors with her feet planted on the ground. Out the window you can see a big city with bright lights. I love how the two contrast, it shows change over different generations are well as contrasting two different cultures. The fact that the woman is not interacting with anything else in the set makes it feel like she is fighting her suroundings and doesnt accept the big cities and different ways of life. She sits firmly and upright, her stiff figure shows alot about her stubborn nature.

Annie Liebowitz: Whoopi Goldberg
I also really enjoyed the composition of this picture. When i first saw it I barely even noticed there was a person there, which i think is a major part of the reason the artist set it up like that. Not only is the person alone but the tree behind him is also completely seperated from its suroundings. The composition shows alot about the withdrawn personality of the subject. He also seems to have a shy or secretive side to him. At the same time the tree he is standing under is also the highest tree among all the others and has a very strong and important feel about it.

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