Seminar 5 - "The Contemporary Urban Environment": Deconstructing Environmental Photographers

Our task from this seminar is to research the following three photographers and look at the similarities and differences between their work. The photographers are as follows:

• Rut Blees-Luxemburg
• Richard Wentworth
• Vera Lutter

Rut Blees-Luxemburg

Introduction

Luxemburg is a German photographer born in 1967. Within her work she mainly explores cities and their complex relationships to modernity through the potential of the public space. Her work has featured on the albums of the Streets and Bloc Party.
After a brief self-introduction to her work, it appears that Luxemburg photographs solely at night using long exposures to make use of any light source, however small, around her. She seems to make the landscapes she photographs appear threatening and in a way dehumanising as her images are always bereft of human presence. Luxemburg's work seems to make the audience concentrate on things that we wouldn't normally be meant to see and seems to hint that, with a bit of consideration, there are many new ways in which the city can be viewed.
Luxemburg was once quoted saying: "I wander but I go places that area attractive to me." This suggests that she does not follow society's suggested expectations for people to only make artwork about the more 'scenic' aspects of human life. 

Sources: 

http://www.rca.ac.uk/Default.aspx?ContentID=503121

http://www.foto8.com/new/online/reviews/939-commonsensual-the-work-of-rut-blees-luxemburg

http://www.necronauts.org/interviews_rut.htm

http://art.tfl.gov.uk/projects/detail/1125/

http://www.ffotogallery.org/celebrating-30-years-ffotogallery-commissions-in-wales-part-i-%E2%80%93-i-hate-green

Work

Lovesong (Liebeslied)

1997

This first image from Luxemburg is highly detailed, both in sharpness and in the subject itself. It shows how much detail the world has whether it is seen by many people or few people.

The contrast in colour caused by the low lighting gives the image a warmth that would not be expected from the scene. However it displays Luxemburg's intended message that certain aspects of the cityscape should be considered from a different point of view. 

Supported by the above quote from the artist, this photograph appears to have been something that Luxemburg has 'stumbled across' on a walk. The shadows prevent the image from losing it's depth and the detail the depth holds.

The graffiti on the walls suggests an unknown form of communication, or a form of communication known by very little. This again supports Luxemburg's message about 'secret' places that not many people pay attention to. 

Picadily's Peccadiloes

2007

This image comes from a series of 12 photographs "commissioned specially for Heathrow Terminal 4 Tube station ticket hall". The works are part of Thin Cities – a series of artworks celebrating 100 years of the Piccadilly line. The images are details of the front of 12 of the classic London Underground stations designed by Charles Holden. 

The warm glow from the station  presents a hauntingly beautiful impression of familiar London landmarks. Without research I would have found it difficult to apprehend the reasoning for this image but,with a better understanding, I can now see the beauty within the piece and also its reasoning.

The detail present in this image is still great despite the fact that the subject is reflected in a puddle. The puddles themselves have no ripples or impurities in them which allows the reflection to be fully appreciated and the detail in the subject to be clearly taken in. 

All of Luxemburg's images, both in this series and in others, have a warmth to them in regards to the lighting of each piece. 

Below are some more images from the same series, all of which reflect the clarity and detail of the above piece.

 

Folly

2003

This piece was originated and commissioned by the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery.

On first impression I found the image to be quite simplistic but also effective in supporting Luxemburg's overall message for many of her works: the isolated and disregarded can be beautiful if looked at in the right frame of mind.

However the high camera angle may suggest insignificance but this may have been included by the artist so as to display how most of society would view this scene. In a way this strengthens her intent for her work more as it appears to mock the popular view on places.

As with the other pieces of her work I have studied the lighting of the piece presents a warm glow to the subject. I believe that Luxemburg may have used warmth in her lighting so as to make these undesirable places seem more inviting to those whose opinion she is trying to influence.

Richard Wentworth

Introduction

Wentworth was born in 1947 in Samoa. He is sculptor, urban explorer and photographer and has lived in King's Cross for around about 25 years. His work has been described as an "ongoing conversation with his native habitat".

Wenworth has been described as an artist that "makes us see the world from fresh and original perspectives".

Sources:

http://www.artangel.org.uk//projects/2002/an_area_of_outstanding_unnatural_beauty/about_the_project/an_area_of_outstanding_unnatural_beauty

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3582251/View-of-streets-we-never-see.html 

http://www.sculpture.org.uk/RichardWentworth/biography/

Work

Bottlestick

Within this image Wentworth uses a close up shot so as to introduce society to the smaller details of their everyday life; details that would otherwise be overlooked if they had not been captured by Wentworth.

Wentworth, not unlike Rut Blees-Luxemburg, has used his images to persuade society to look at their encironment in a different way. 

Although there is no human presence within the image there is still a strong feel of inference as the bottle has been placed somewhere that would not be considered 'normal'. The bottle has been used as the main focal point of the image. Wentworth has achieved this by using a shallow depth of field so that only the subject in the foreground are in focus and the natural lighting of the piece matches Luxemburg's capturing of natural scenes as both have the feeling of being a subject that has been discovered purely by accident as they were walking along.

The bottle is contrasted against the tree in that one is an occurrence of nature whilst the other is the exact opposite. The purpose of the tree is obvious to the audience, however the bottle does not appear to have a purpose and therefore leaves the viewer wondering as to why it has been placed there and what it's purpose now is.

Tirana from 'Making do and getting by'

This photograph is from a series called 'Making do and getting by' from 1999. The series focuses on the idea of transformation and alteration in everyday objects. It shows how people make do and find their own solutions to life's everyday problems in whatever way. For example some of his other works in this series include a cigarette packet jammed under a wonky table leg and a makeshift construction to reserve parking space. Wentworth was once quoted saying 'I live in a ready-made landscape and I want to put it to use'.

The lighting of this piece is quite stark on the glass in the middle of the image but drops away to both sides of the scene. This adds emphasise on the glass in the centre and leaves it somewhat isolated from the rest of society. This is emphasised by the location the piece has been shot in. There does not appear to be any outside influence within the scene and it, like Bottlestick, leaves the viewer pondering what the purpose of the glass maybe.

The fragility of the glass contrasts around the harsh walls and floor that surround it and may have been included so as to make the viewer question it's presence and make them think about the pieces of the habitat around them that and maybe see them in a different light.

Vera Lutter

Introduction

Lutter was born in Kaiserslautern, Germany, in 1960. She uses the camera obscura, the most basic photographic device. Camera obscura is a darkened boxlike device in which images of external objects, received through an aperture are exhibited in their natural colours on a surface arranged to receive them. She is best known for monumental black-and-white photographs of cityscapes. She produces unique silver gelatin prints that are negatives made by transforming a room into a pinhole chamber. Lutter focuses on the vertical lines and windows of buildings and shows which gives her images an overall symmetrical feel.

The inverted tones of her images given the scenes a mysterious air.

Sources:

http://veralutter.com/

Work

San Marco, Venice, XX: December 3, 2005

In this image Lutter uses a very small aperture to keep everything in focus and, as a result of this, she uses a slow shutter speed. The image a symmetrical feel to it due to the lines and windows focused on by the artist.

The use of the negative makes the sky look black and the stark white of the buildings gives the image an overall ghostly feel. The patterns on the floor around the buildings are not immediately apparent as the eye is drawn to the buildings in the background; however, when they are noticed, they too have a ghostly air to tehm.

The crossed lines in the foreground of the image suggest that the image may have been taken through a window, with the slight smudges as the reflection of light from the window.

Although this is a negative print, unlike those of Luxemburg and Wentworth, the amount of detail within is easily recognisable and instantly obvious to the viewer.

In conclusion, this image follows the examples set by Luxemburg and Wentworth in that it attempts to persuade society to see their surroundings in a different light.

333 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL; 2001

This image has a sense of directionality to it as the road that runs down the centre draws the eye to the buildings in the back of the image. As with other pieces by Lutter, this photograph has a ghostly essence to it due to the stark whites and blacks of the negative. 

Detail is also abundant is this piece and this may have been achieved by the artist using a small apperture. This gives the eye plenty to explore after initially taking in the main focal points of the photograph.

The photo looks as though the camera has been positioned at a high angle so as to keep it on a level with the impressive skyscrapers in the image. This photograph shows the presence of old and new buildings.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, after studying the phtotographers and their work I can pick out some similarities, but also some personal differences. 

For example, Luxemburg photographs at night, using avaiable light to give her images, including details that would usually be overlooked by passersby. Her images strongly display her message but at the same time give a beauty to the 'forgotten' places.

Wentworth photos solely in the day and focuses on smaller details of life. His lighting choices vary as he appears to rely on natural light to illuminate his work. However his message is still similar, if not the same, as Luxemburg's.

Lutter has a very individual approach to photographing the city but it is also effective in portraying the message of small details being viewed differently by society as a whole.

Overall I feel that each of these three photographers wanted the world to be viewed as something different to popular opinion. Each had their own way of doing so but, overall, the message appears to be the same.

Seminar 4 - "The City": Deconstructing Environmental Photographers

The task given to us as a result of this seminar was to research and deconstruct a range of photographs of 'The Flatiron Building' in Manhattan, New York City. There are six photographers in total who are as following:

• Alfred Stieglitz
• Edward Steichen
• Alvin Langdon Coburn
• Walter Gropius
• Walker Evans
• Berenice Abbott

Each appears to have their own take on the buildings itself and their own brief in mind when it cam to creating each piece.

Alfred Stieglitz

'The Flatiron'

1903

Stieglitz started out as a photographer in the 1880's and, in his development as a photographer, drew upon the urban scene within his work. This however was considered as inappropriate for artistic treatment at the time and it took Stieglitz many years to introduce his style of both thinking and photographs into society. He developed a fascination with the role of light within scenes which can be seen in his image of the Flatiron building from 1903 (a year after the building was completed). Although the photograph is black and white the sky behind the building appears bright which allows the boldness of the black tree to stand out as though it is almost reaching out of the image. The low angle of the shot places the tree in the foreground on an equal plane to that of the magnificent Flatiron in the background. The trees also work to frame the building and give it an air of impressiveness and pride. 

The shallow depth of field used by Stieglitz in this piece emphasises the sense of impressiveness the building appears to radiate, as it could be seen as though the building does not need the sharp focus for it to be noticed. 

Source: http://www.masters-of-photography.com/S/stieglitz/stieglitz_articles2.html

Edward Steichen

'The Flatiron, New York'

1905

Steichen was recognised as a photographer in the early 1900's, and was bought to the attention of the aforementioned Stieglitz. Steichen engaged with that which was vital and new in the 20th century. His photograph of the Flatiron in 1905 was an example of his engagement. 

Like Stieglitz, Steichen uses the trees to frame the Flatiron itself and give it the central focus of the piece. The angle from which the image was taken gives the building the appearance of being that of the prow of a ship which, again like Stieglitz, gives the impression of pride and impressiveness. 

It is clear that this image was taken at night and the foggy conditions diffuse the light across the scene giving it the seeming appearance of a dark horror scene. The carriages and the men driving them again emphasise the sheer scale of the building and add to the horror-like setting. 

Alvin Langdon Coburn

'The Flatiron Building'

1911

By the age of 21 Coburn was a serious photographer with his own studio in New York opening in 1902. He had a very abstract style of taking photos and he took may soft focus cityscapes. His image of the Flatiron from 1911 is a prime example of this. The soft focus of the image make the Flatiron appear to blend into the background as though it has seamlessly become part of the normal New York life. The figures, which may be commuters, support this as they are not seen to be paying any attention to the impressive structure behind them. 

The scale of the building is again shown when it is compared to the surrounding buildings and people below.

Source: http://www.masters-of-photography.com/C/coburn/coburn_articles1.html

Walter Gropius

'The Flatiron Building, New York'

1928

Gropius came to photograph the Flatiron in 1928 after moving from his position as Master of Bauhaus, or the Grand-Ducal Saxon School of Arts and Crafts as it was formerly known, to America where he found the architecture less modern than that of his previous experiences at Bauhaus. However it was said that Gropius found the Flatiron 'irresistibly exciting'.

As a result of his background in architecture, Gropius photographed the building at an angle and utilised the full height of it to obviously show its height and width. He has approached his Flatiron looking at it's towering height above the surrounding buildings, framing it so as to show as much of the building as possible. 

Source: http://metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/190017322?rpp=20&pg=1&ft=stieglitz+flatiron&pos=8

Walker Evans

'Flatiron Building seen from below, New York City'

1928-1929

Evans made his first serious attempt at photographs in 1928 at the age of 24. When it came to his interpretation of the Flatiron, Evans looked at the detail within the building and photographed it for exactly what it was. He photographed it from a low angle, at the perspective of a normal person on the street looking up at it. He appears to have kept a sharp focus on the image allowing it to be taken in fully be the viewer and his goal of including the details to be reached.

Evans photographed in a documentary style and in a way seems to challenge Stieglitz and Steichen's interpretations of the building. It has been said that he a first felt a bitterness against Stieglitz due to the fact that he was deplorable for his artiness and against Steichen for his commercialism.  However later Evans realised that these judgements were unfair however they still served a purpose of clarifying the options that still remained open for him. 

Evans, however, appears to have used Steichen and Stieglitz's approach to the building by framing it with the lamppost that sits on the right hand side of the image.

Source: http://masters-of-photography.com/E/evans/evans_articles3.html

Berenice Abbott

 'The Flatiron Building'

1938

Berenice Abbott began her career as a photographer in 1923 but focused mainly on portraits. In 1929 Abbott moved to New York where she photoed mainly American businessmen before moving onto her photographing New York itself from 1935 until 1939. 

In her image of the Flatiron building there is a huge sense of depth within and the low angle of the shot matches that of Evans and Gropius. She has also included buildings to the right hand side of the main subject in order to achieve a sense of scale. 

Another similarity Abbott has to Evans and Gropius is the documentary style of photography. Since this set of work, half of the buildings Abbott photographed have been demolished.

Source: http://masters-of-photography.com/A/abbott/abbott_articles3.html

Overall all the above photographers and photographs share an admiration for the Flatiron building. However Stieglitz, Steichen and Coburn took a more artistic and abstract approach to their images, using soft lighting and framing to emphasise their subject. 

Whereas Evans, Gropius and Abbott all follow a more documentary style of photography and have photographed the Flatiron simply for what it is and from the point of view it would be seen by the public.

Deconstructing Environmental Photographers

To Begin ...

My brief instructed me to select one contemporary photographer from a pre-arranged list and elaborate on their images in relation to my environment unit.

I chose to look at Simon Norfolk as I have a strong interest in war related photography. Norfolk’s work and his powerful political views behind it intrigue me and I felt that I would enjoy deconstructing his images in relation to the environment in which they were taken.

Background

Norfolk’s work in Afghanistan mirrors that of 19^th Century photographer John Burke (1843-1900), who was the first ever photographer to make pictures in Afghanistan between 1878 and 1880. Norfolk used Google Earth along with ridgelines and history books to calculate the locations in which Burke took his original images. He described his ventures as a “romantic gesture” to Burke’s earlier work.

He draws on a strong historical context that comes from his study of Burke’s previous work during the Second-Anglo-Afghan War as he feels that it is a powerful example of historical imperialism which both “interests and enrages” him having himself once called the war itself a “tragedy”. He also appears to draw heavily on his own personal view that the war in Afghanistan has wasted billions of lives and has “achieved nothing”. 

Norfolk used a cherrywood and brass field camera that used 'plates' of film 5 inches by 4 inches that was much like Burke’s. This gave the photography its great detail and smooth tonalities. However Norfolk could not use the same form of chemical shooting as Burke as it would not be possible for him to import it into the country as the chemical itself, collodion, is highly explosive.

On his choice of camera Norfolk said “The camera looks like an antique and this makes people with whom I cannot communicate appreciate quickly that I am probably not the CIA or some other threat, nor am I probably worth robbing or kidnapping.” 

His Work

A Shia Cemetery on the Flanks of Kohe Asmai, 2010-2011

I feel that this image reflects Norfolk's statement that billions of lives are wasted. The bleak, low light conditions emphasize his views his views on the war and this emphasis is further supported by the blue, melancholy lighting. The latter also portrays Norfolk's disappointment in relation to the brutality inflicted upon the people of Afghanistan by imperialists. 

The extended foreground's domination over the thin sliver of dull sky in the far background could be seen as a reflection of the extensive amount of wasted lives the war has presented. The imperfectness of the trampled snow around the cemetery could be perceived as a suggestion of the chaos the war has caused, a damage that cannot be undone.

  

Swimming Pool that Crowns Tepe Wazir Akhbar Khan, 2010-2011

Norfolk's image of a swimming pool could be related to the idea of human presence within the landscape as the pool seems to have be formed from the landscape. This may also hint at the notion of the landscape's relationship with humans. 

Again the image is lit in what would appear to be pre-dawn or post-sunset lighting conditions, giving it the same cold, blue tinge as 'A Shia Cemetery', which again reflects Norfolk's disappointments. 

The derelict surroundings further contribute to the melancholy feeling given to the piece by the aforementioned lighting conditions; they allow the structure in the centre to become the main focus of the image as it appears detached from the environment surrounding it.

The lack of people present in the photograph could also be seen as a link to the number of people Norfolk says have been lost as a result of the war as a pool is a place that most would expect to see a thriving amount of human activity.

Districts of Wazir Akhbar Khan and Sherpur, 2010-2011

Similarities can be drawn from the previous two photographs I have spoken about and this final one in terms of the lighting used within the piece: the blueish, pre-dawn conditions that link with other images from Norfolk's collection displaying his disappointment in the way the country's affairs have been handled. 

Norfolk's positioning when taking this image puts him directly in line with the mountains in the background that tower over the mismatched city below. This may show that, even though the war is an extremely powerful occurrence that has forced may of its country's occupants to live in less than perfect conditions, nature will always be the overshadowing force that will remain throughout any war or anomaly. 

In relation to this and other images he had taken that were similar, Norfolk stated that when Burke had taken photos from the same location it had just been pure landscape whereas now, over a century later, it has been completely overrun by man-made structures and altered by various historical and political events.

Norfolk's Summary of his Work and my Reactions

In an interview about his work at the Tate Modern, Norfolk states that he tries to add a degree of beauty to his images in order to draw potential audiences into the narrative of the piece and, as a result, trick them into listening to his views on the issues he has displayed within. He described his use of beauty in photographs as "tactical".

I am intrigued by Norfolk's work and I enjoy the way he uses beauty as a tool in which to draw in his audience and put across his own views on the world. I feel that successful photography is able to entice a potential audience into it's story and cause them inadvertently to become part of the artist's world. It is for this main reason that I particularly am drawn to Simon Norfolk's work.

Bibliography

• http://halsey.cofc.edu/PalimpsestAfghanistan/sn_images.htm
• http://www.simonnorfolk.com/burkenorfolk/conversation.html
• http://channel.tate.org.uk/#media:/media/930144047001&list:/channel/playlists/45927933001&context:/channel/search?searchQuery=burke+and+norfolk
• http://maxcolson.wordpress.com/2011/05/06/simon-norfolk-at-the-tate-modern-a-tate-video/