In conclusion, my first photoshoot for this final project was fairly successful, yet not as successful as I had hoped it would be. The main limitations of this shoot were the setting and location, as well as the clothing. Due to my main artist focus being Helmut Newton, I aimed to carry out a shoot exhibiting similar ideas through sophisticated clothing and including a handbag as it resembles Newton’s ideas of glamour, yet also effectively ties into Yayoi Kusama, and this is one of her most important aspects as she collaborated with fashion brands. Despite the limitations of my photoshoot, overall I think it still works well in my final project a it directly ties into themes of fashion and femininity.
What went well:
Has outdoor settings – lots of Newton’s images were taken in urban settings as natural lighting provides a variety of tones.
Clothing and accessories to an extent – subjects presented as glamourous and chic, which links to Helmut Newton.
Good lighting – not too light and not too dark, creates a heavy contrast allowing the outcomes to appear more dramatic.
Areas to improve:
Low camera angles in the images do not present women as powerful, it presents them as weak and vulnerable.
Clothing and accessories to an extent – Helmut’s subjects often wore provocative outfits such as tailored suits and leather jackets. We resembled the high fashion outfits but not in the same way Newton does, I don’t think I look as glamorous and feminine.
This was the first photoshoot I executed for my final exam, mainly inspired by Helmut Newton. Newton inspired me to explore the themes of femininity and identity through dressing similarly to how he presents his subjects, which can be seen through the sunglasses, blazers, skirts and tights allowing us to look more sophisticated. However, I incorporated minor details into my clothing associating with Yayoi Kusama, and they link effectively through the use of vibrant colours and background, which is an aspect of Kusama’s work. In this specific shoot, me and one of my friends were the main subjects, meaning each image was only showing one person individually. This could be seen as an advantage for my work, as often the models in both of my artist inspiration’s work are presented alone as it symbolises empowerment and confidence. Despite this, it could also be seen as a disadvantage for my project as many of the models in Newton’s images particularly are presented in duos, showing relationships and connections. So in my future photoshoots I will keep these ideas in mind so I can carry out the most accurate images possible.
The location of this photoshoot was in Howard Davis Park, in the flower gardens mainly but we slowly made our way around to capture different settings as the background. I chose to photograph in Howard Davis purely because I wanted to include scenes of nature and an outdoor environment and flowers, as it directly links to Yayoi Kusama due to her iconic symbol of flowers. However, I will also go on to edit these images and photoshop digital flowers into the background of them so it resembles a mix of both my artists.
I imported all 422 of my photos into Lightroom and created a new collection for my final exam project. As this was a significantly large photoshoot due to the different backgrounds and settings throughout, it was time consuming for me to go through and flag each image individually, as well as flagging my favourite images and rejecting my least successful ones. In addition to this, I colour coded each image either green, yellow or red to represent how successful they came out, so it is easer for me to decide which ones to edit.
Within this final project with the theme of union, I aim to explore themes of femininity, identity and power roles. I decided to choose these three themes to focus on mainly as they briefly intertwine with my previous personal study project that focused on youth, identity and aspects of femininity. Fine art photography is something I have researched in depth, learning how artists express their creativity and make statements through their work. Additionally, it also has the power to challenge social norms and spark important conversations within the topic of gender roles, which are important factors for me because I am a female and believe some of the societal expectations are not yet fully discarded. Helmut Newton powerfully inspired me to base my project around this ideology because his work holds a powerful historical value of traditional stereotypes around females in the media, where he firmly portrays his values and feminist beliefs into his work, allowing for the viewer to see the world through his eyes. Newton photographs women in a way that is unique and raw, despite his images looking staged. The message behind all of his work is extremely powerful, which in my opinion you can see immediately after viewing. I interpret Newton’s work as very convincing through the use of sharp contrasts and lots of tension due to the black and white filters, in attempt to show a sense of realism, what it was like for women in the 1960s. I want to reinforce these ideas in my own project, showing the similarities and differences between the time period of the 60s, compared to now. I will be highlighting the power of women in a way that directly links to Newton, by photographing from similar angles with my subjects in similar clothing in order to almost recreate his scenes.
Why it matters to me:
I want to delve into these ideas deeper to exhibit my feminist values as this is a topic I feel passionately towards. Power roles is a topic I aim to delve into throughout my project, through photographing myself and others, depicting females as strong and equally as powerful as males. This is significant to me as gender inequality has been a heavy topic for several decades, where women are viewed as weak and vulnerable. My main objective is to explore the ways in which I can present females as the opposite of these standards, reinforcing the idea of equality. I am exploring these ideas in hope that my work can become representative of all females, empowering women and therefore defeating any false narratives surrounding weakness.
How I wish to develop my project:
I wish to develop my project through conducting different photoshoots weekly, where my subjects are presented in a provocative way, a way that women are not usually viewed as. I will achieve this by photographing my first photoshoot outdoors, similar to some of Newton’s work. My subjects will be wearing sophisticated, smart clothing so the viewer can immediately interpret a like for fashion, yet the main message behind the images will delve deeper. The message I am aiming to communicate is how women can be signed up for important roles too, as well as men. I am doing this because I feel that historically, men were the only people to have specialised roles or jobs as they were viewed as intelligent, and women were only useful at home, jobless, nurturing their children. Therefore, in my first project I will be highlighting the change that has occurred in recent decades, and women achieving an important status for themselves in the hierarchy.
My second photoshoot will be in the photography studio, with my models dressed sleek and elegantly again. However, this time I will be photographing them in a way that links to Yayoi Kusama also, rather than just focusing on Helmut Newton. I will still be able to draw in accurate aspects of Newton’s work due to the clothing, props and model poses. In addition to this, Newton’s inspiration can be depicted through the act of playing into the male gaze, which I wanted to explore and challenge through portraying my subjects as dominant. This shoot will have direct links to Kusama due to the location of the shoot, as she mainly focused on photographing indoors with studio-like lighting, which will allow my images to look successful in a magazine format.
How I want to present my study:
I will be presenting my study in a photobook, specifically a magazine layout. I will use a range of images from my different shoots, edit them appropriately where they show attachments to Newton’s dramatic approaches with heavy contrasts, yet also incorporating Kusama’s approaches using vibrancy and bold colours, which can emphasise the importance of power I am attempting to present. These images will be placed into my magazine in a random arrangement to display a range of elements surrounding my artist inspirations, as well as my own ideas and values. My magazine will differ from most magazines in the media today, as there will not be any precise advertisements or persuasions built into the pages. There will not be any text, in order to keep the viewer focused on the message behind the images, rather than having a wandering eye. This will prevent the message behind my work being misinterpreted. Instead, the front cover will have a catchy title, linking to the empowerment of women, and the images throughout will show my subjects presenting themselves as confident and important women, contributing in todays society.
Where and when I intend to begin my study:
I intend to begin my study by photographing female models in a way that highlights themes of dominance and power, in attempt to discard gender inequality from going any further. I intend to highlight the change between the 1960s and now, showing how women are now viewed as equal to men, and this is something to celebrate. My first shoot will be photographed outdoors to immediately link my project to Helmut Newton, to get an idea on the type of settings I like and want to continue photographing in. If I do not like the outdoor approach, my following shoots will be taken indoors, resembling Kusama’s ideas closely. I will photograph in a studio where the images are clearly staged. Depending on how successful my first outcomes are, my next shoot will be taken in an opposing setting, to show a broad range of ideas.
Helmut Newton was born on October 31st, 1920 and was a German-Australian photographer renowned for his provocative, highly stylised fashion photography that explored themes of eroticism, power and femininity. He passed away on the 23rd January 2004, yet is still one of the most influential photographer’s of women today. His work pushed the boundaries of visual culture, blending sensuality with stark and bold aesthetics. Newton’s influence continues to shape contemporary photography, fashion and visual art. Born in Berlin to a wealthy Jewish family, Newton began to develop an interest in photography early and then apprenticed with German photographer Eva. After World War II, Newton started his career in fashion photography, contributing to Australian publications. He began to grow popular when he moved to Paris in the 1950s, working for big fashion companies like Vogue Magazine. His distinctive style marked by elegance and stark compositions quickly gained him widespread recognition towards the 1970s, where his work had also appeared in major fashion publications such as Harper’s Bazaar and Elle.
Newtons common themes throughout his images are eroticism, voyeurism and power. His photographs often depict strong, sensual women in provocative poses, exploring tensions between desire, power and vulnerability. His work is described as “unapologetically erotic but also confronts the viewer with a sense of voyeurism, making them complicit in the act of looking”. He portrays women as powerful, dominant figures often dressed in sharp, tailored clothing or high heels reinforcing confidence and control, which was a new concept due to the traditional roles of women.
“I like photographing women who appear to know something of life.”
This quote from the photographer himself shows his preference for capturing women who can exhibit life experience and are well educated, which highlights his feminist way of thinking. This quote also aligns with his admiration for strong women with a sense of power and domination, which also ties into traditional gender roles and challenging them.
Helmut Newton also stated:
“I love women. I love strong women.”
This statement also tells us that Newton celebrates empowerment, which carries on from the quote above. From this, I can infer that Newton admires women who are self-reliant rather than dependant on a man. This is challenging traditional female roles as women are often undervalued and only seen as objects of male desire. Historically, strength and power is as trait that is only associated with masculinity or affirm a belief in gender equality. By Newton attempting to break these stereotypes, he is allowing himself to gain recognition from the public as this was an uncommon thing to do in the 1970s, due to society being completely male-dominated.
How does Newton link to the theme of union?
Helmut Newton successfully links to the theme of union for my project through many aspects. One of the main ways is through blending art with fashion. His images which are often provocative create a union between commercial photography and artistic expression. By doing this, Newton brought together the aesthetic beauty of women, with deeper cultural values about femininity and empowerment. As he depicts women who embody sensuality in all of his work, this creates a union between traditional stereotypes and dominance, where he combines them together to reflect tension in a patriarchal society.
In addition to this, Newton interplays with light and shadow in his images to create a stronger dynamic with lots of depth. In all of his images, his use of stark contrasts between light and dark shadows create a strong contrast, and a dramatic aesthetic. The contrast between the light and the shadows symbolises binary opposites and uniting them to give a striking visual impact.
Lastly, Helmut Newton also explores human connection within his works. Specifically, they portray themes of intimacy and desire, which also links to objectification of women. In this way, the photographer manages to create a sense of unity through contrasting elements that usually oppose each other, as well as highlighting his feminist way of thinking when photographing his subjects.
Why did I choose to study Newton for my project?
I chose to study Helmut Newton for my project as his work holds significant cultural and historical value. This is because he revolutionised fashion photography with fine art which is a unique approach and differs from other artists who usually focus on one main element. I believe he had a big impact on fashion photography due to his feminist beliefs and the way he photographed women – in a provocative way where they hold power, rather than portraying them as weak and vulnerable in comparison to men. Through incorporating Newton into my project I will be able to carry out a similar approach as I share similar values and beliefs with Newton on femininity and I aim to challenge the stereotypical way in which women are presented in photography.
Helmut Newton’s work also has cultural effects as it reflects on the climate of the late 20th century around sexuality, beauty and the societal norms based around women and femininity. His work effectively makes the viewer question the intersection of art and forces us to believe in gender empowerment and equality between them. He sparks debate which encouraged me to think about what specifically constitutes beauty and empowerment and the requirements to ‘meet them’. By challenging these standards through presenting women as strong and dominant, this adds a sense of value and purpose to his images.
I firmly believe Newton’s work has highly influenced me to focus on women empowerment and challenge gender norms and stereotypes through photographing them in an assertive manor showing an equal balance between genders. He has inspired me to base my project around historical value, and the ways in which we can push the boundaries of narratives based around traditional values.
All of Newton’s images have been photographed in black and white as it aligned with his artistic vision and the provocative aesthetic he aimed to convey to the viewer. The use of black and white imagery has a timeless effect which accurately demonstrates the time period in which Newton was photographing. This time period (1950s) also reflects when women were only seen as objects of male desire and existed purely to visually please men. The women he photographed were presented in a way that felt both classic and enduring which aligned with the high-fashion world he worked in. In addition, by removing colour from his images it allowed the lines, shapes and shadows to be emphasised without any distractions from colours. This effect heightened the sensuality and strength, as well as drawing the viewers attention primarily to the women and their clothing in the images.
Critiques of Newton and his work:
Although Newton is undoubtably a successful and celebrated photographer, he has also been criticised for his provocative aesthetic which includes many bold aspects of eroticism and power within women. This is due to the fact many of his images show women in a way that emphasises their bodies, or are wearing minimal clothing. Although the artist’s overall aim is to allow women to feel more powerful, some critics argue that his work objectifies them, reducing them to only figures for the male gaze rather than presenting them as autonomous subjects to create an equal balance between genders in the media. One of the main elements showcased throughout Newton’s work is his subjects dressed in high heels and wearing lots of leather. Some see this as an exploration of female empowerment as it allows them to appear confident, yet many argue that Newton is reinforcing and conforming to the traditional power imbalances between men and women, forcing men to view the subjects in his photos as submissive.
In other ways, Newton’s work has also been criticised. This is through the repetition he uses throughout his images, as they all reflect similar vibes to one another due to the high contrast, black and white and including females who have a similar body type. Whilst these themes are iconic and allowed him to stand out from other feminist photographers, yet they are formulaic and sometimes predictable as there isn’t a huge variety of exploration.
Despite these critiques, I believe the subjects in Newton’s models did present lots of power and were able to challenge the societal norms surrounding how women ‘should’ behave or appear, as it is clear throughout his images that the women do hold power to a strong extent. My ideas can also be seen through the settings of his shoots, many of which are outdoors and appear luxurious, showing these women have important roles, which makes the viewer believe they are intelligent and have a high status. This is a significant feature of this specific type of photography because traditionally women were only useful in their homes to either cook, clean or nurture families, and Newton effectively challenges these associations which tells me he worshipped women and shows his admiration through his work.
Image analysis:
This image by Helmut Newton perfectly portrays his interests and themes of power dynamics and sensuality. In this specific image, my eye is immediately draw to the two models in the foreground. They are both dressed in sleek, black gowns with thigh splits which enhances the elegancy of the overall image. Both subjects are wearing long gloves which allows them to appear more sophisticated, and they both have a focused facial expression which adds to the theme of power as this gives off the effect that they are important and perhaps educated. This is an effective presentation of the message Newton is suggesting about power roles and equality between genders, as historically women were not allowed an education. This ideology contrasts with the image above as I can infer that both women feel confident and dominant rather than weak and vulnerable, which is how they were usually portrayed in photography. Both models are handcuffed together, which suggests there is a close relationship or bond between them. The woman in front has an extended arm, implying that she wants to walk forward. The woman behind her looks as if she is firmly holding her arm which creates a sense of tension or resistance.
The background in the image is an open, outdoor space with fencing and architecture. The use of this is to contrast with the styling of both the subjects as they are dressed dramatically, and the background appears rugged. The wind is sweeping through both if the models hair which enhances the sense of motion throughout the image, which overall gives it a more natural effect.
This image uses sharp contrasts throughout, contributed by the black and white imagery added. The lighting in the image is very strong as they are outdoors, using natural sunlight. This helps to sculpt both of the figures, which allows them to stand out and appear more important in the image, which again reinforces Newton’s main objective of women empowerment. There is a slightly low camera angle, which adds to the sense of dominance as the women appear to be higher up in the frame, suggesting a high status.
Overall, this image by Helmut Newton successfully captures a moment of elegancy, where both subjects appear significant and sophisticated through their clothing and expression.
Yayoi Kusama was born on March 22, 1929 and is a Japanese artist known for her distinctive use of repetition and large installations. Kusama’s work is contemporary, as she works across painting, sculpture and performance blending elements of minimalism, surrealism, feminist art and Pop Art. She explores themes of infinity, self-obliteration and mental health, in which she uses her key motifs, such as excessive use of polka dots, to reflect her personality throughout her art.
In an interview with Bomb Magazine, Kusama stated:
“Polka dots symbolise disease.”
This short statement from the artist shows how she reflects her personal struggles into the ways in which she carefully creates her art and portrays it to the world.
Yayoi Kusama explores a unique view, starting with artwork created during her childhood up to works made this year. Her personal expression was shaped by her childhood experiences, including hallucinations that overwhelmed her sense of self. These hallucinations included flowers that spoke to Kusama, and patterns in fabric that she stared at coming to life, a process which she has carried into her artistic career and which she calls “self-obliteration”. She has explained these visions as an obsessional neurosis that has driven her to create art for almost 9 decades. In between, her career is surveyed, from her experimental years in Japan to her contributions to New York’s avant-garde scene in the 1960s, through to her return in 1973 re-emergence as an internationally known artist.
“My art originates from hallucinations only I can see. I translate the hallucinations and obsessional images that plague me into sculptures and paintings.”
– Yayoi Kusama – Interview by Grady T. Turner – January 1, 1999
Today, Kusama is renowned globally for her use of pattern, colour and symbols to create immersive and and personal works of art that transcend language and borders. She has made significant contributions to key art movements of the 20th and 21st century, including minimalism, Pop Art and feminist art. Although Kusama has experimented with many media and forms of expression, her underlying motivation for making art has remained the same. She seeks to convey the beauty of the natural world, and to further explore her place within an expanding universe of art and photography.
How does Yayoi Kusama’s art link to the theme of union?
Kusama closely explores the theme of union in several ways throughout her pieces, where she emphasises harmony and personal boundaries. As I researched in the interview linked above, Kusama often speaks about self-obliteration, the idea of losing yourself within a larger whole. By covering herself, other subjects and even large rooms in polka dots, she visually represents the merging of the self with the universe. This is an important element for me personally because in this project I want to delve into the theme of identity as it allows for me to self-reflect as well as find relations to my artist inspirations.
Furthermore, Kusama’s infinity mirror rooms create a sense of boundlessness, where reflections discard the separation between herself as the artist, and the viewer. The installations in her work suggest unity, where everything is connected due to the repetition of elements such as patterns and symbols. These factors reinforce the theme of unity as the viewer actively engages with her work through becoming part of the infinite reflections.
Lastly, her anti-war protests that took place in the 1960s due to the Vietnam War promoted peace and collective experience. She painted peoples bodies with dots as a way to symbolise their connection to one another, in attempt to bring a sense of community to the societal troubles occurring at the time.
Why did I choose to study Kusama for my project?
Her work has had a heavy influence on feminism and fashion, where she has collaborated with several major fashion brands. A significant collaboration that stood out to me from viewing her art is her 2012 collaboration with Louis Vuitton. She had originally teamed up with Marc Jacobs, then the creative director of Louis Vuitton to create a collection featuring her signature polka dots on bags, clothing and accessories.
Kusama also intersects with feminism through the challenges she faced in the male-dominated art world. When she emerged in the 1960s New York art scene, it was largely controlled by male artists like Andy Warhol and Donald Judd. Despite being overlooked, she continued to push the boundaries proving that women can succeed in conceptual art. She also delves into the exportation of the body through her Happenings which featured nude performances. These pieces challenged traditional representations of women’s bodies, and highlight her passion towards rebelling against stereotypical norms. This stood out to me due to the extensive use of vibrancy and abstract backgrounds in all of her work. Historically, most classical art favoured muted tones and Kusama rejects these traditional ideals, which signals a break from the past and reinforces growth.
Image analysis:
The image above by Yayoi Kusama is a portrait displaying her interests in contemporary photography through using her iconic installations which she is celebrated for. This photo specifically captures many of Kusama’s significant themes such as obsession, identity and self-obliteration in many ways. The image is dominated by an intense red and white colour palette which immediately portrays Kusama’s style of her work using lots of vibrancy. She repeats polka dot patterns throughout the image in her clothing and accessories as well as the background. The use of this successfully blurs any distinction between the artist and the work itself, which is something she aimed to achieve. The main subject in the image is Kusama herself, as she is positioned in the centre of the frame, yet she is almost camouflaged by the intense background. This is due to the repetition of the same patterns, however we can see that Kusama is still the main focus point as there is lots of symmetry used in the image, which allows her to be emphasised against the background. The image as a whole appears to me as surreal, mainly due to the tentacle-like sculptures that dominate the background and surround the artist. The shapes of the tentacles almost introduce a sense of movement, which contrasts with Kusama as we can infer that she is standing still. The repetition of dots on these forms suggest Kusama merging natural life with her psychological state, which allows the viewer to feel more connected with the work by understanding the context and Kusama’s psychological struggles.
The lighting in the image is soft and diffused, allowing for minimal shadows and emphasising the vibrancy of the red colours. Moreover, the use of symmetry throughout the image amplifies the hypnotic quality and forces the viewer to focus on Kusama, as she is placed in the middle of an even background.
As Kusama’s work is deeply rooted from her personal issues and she incorporates these into her images, this shows her lifelong obsession with polka dots and infinite repetition due to her hallucinations. This informs her perspective on self-obliteration where she can discard the boundaries between the self and the world. As well as including herself in the image, she enacts this idea by becoming a part of the infinite visual field created in this image. Additionally, Kusama has included a handbag as an accessory, which directly links to her collaborations with fashion brands, and therefore highlighting the intersection of art with personal identity.
Overall, this image by Yayoi Kusama is a statement that embodies the psychological challenges into her work to reinforce the themes of identity and obsession. By placing herself in the centre of the frame surrounded by colourful polka dots in every aspect, Kusama is emphasising the importance of the nature of identity and the ways in which humans are shaped by the world around us.
Union is the act of joining two or more things together to form a single entity. The end goal of union is to often achieve strength, harmony, or a shared purpose that may be difficult to attain individually. There are two main types of union:
Personal union – two people may come together in marriage, representing the union of their lives and combining them into one.
Social union – signifies mutual cooperation, where individuals or groups work together for collective benefits. Social union focuses on emphasising commonalities over differences from people who may share a similar belief, value or goal.
Symbolism of unity:
The idea of union often symbolises harmony and peace, strength through togetherness and the formation of a single entity from multiple parts.
The etymology behind union:
The word “union” comes from the Latin word “unionem” which means “oneness, unity or a single entity”.
Initially, the term “union” referred to the state of being united or combined into one. However, over time, the definition expanded to describe specific forms of unity such as political unions or labour unions. Despite this, the root idea of the word has remained consistent throughout its history, and is known as the concept of oneness and joining.
Mood board of union in photography:
Mind map of union:
Art movements & ‘isms’:
In order for me to gain a deeper understanding on the theme union, I decided to research some of the most known art movements for union throughout history. They refer to styles or trends in art that are defined by specific approaches or ideologies.
Renaissance (14th – 17th century)
This movement focused on realism, perspective and human anatomy. Artists aimed for realistic depictions of the human form and everyday life using careful observation, as well as using light and shadow to create depth and volume in their work. Some key artists featured in the movement are Leonardo da Vinci, Michaelango and Raphael.
2. Baroque (17th – 18th century)
This movement was involved with emotional art with strong contrasts of light and shadow. It has been described as “grand” and “dramatic”. Some key artists featured in this movement are Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Peter Paul Rubens.
3. Romanticism (18th – 19th century)
This movement was focused on emphasising emotions, nature and individualism. Artists such as Fransisco Goya depicted the power and beauty of nature and often portrayed it as overwhelming or spiritual.
4. Fauvism (Early 20th century)
This movement primarily focused on bold and vibrant colours and simplified forms to convey emotions rather than to accurately represent reality. A key artist from this movement is Henri Matisse – leader of the movement.
5. Pop Art (1950s – 1970s)
Mainly celebrated popular culture, mass media and consumerism using imagery from advertising and celebrities. It aimed to blur the boundaries between “high” art and “low” culture, making art more accessible and reflective of contemporary life. Artists used bright, flat and vibrant colours to mimic the aesthetic of advertisements. The most famous artists from this movement are Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein.
Other examples of isms:
I decided to research the following 3 “isms” in more depth and detail as I am most intrigued by the concepts behind them. I would like to touch on these three, as well as the isms I listed previously, in my project of union as I understand that they provide cultural and historical contexts, and they will help ground my project within a broader historical framework. I can also engage with the philosophical ideas that shaped artistic movements, which I think is an important element within this project because it will also allow the viewer of my work to think critically about how specific concepts influence artistic choices as well as cultural narratives.
Minimalism (Mid 20th century – present):
Minimalism in photography is an artistic approach that focuses on simplicity and clarity within an image. It emphasises the idea of “less is more”, and aims to create powerful imagery with minimal components such as space, colour and shapes. The ,main goal of minimalism is to evoke emotions in the image by highlighting a subject and convey a sense of tranquility. Some key principles of minimalist photography are
simplicity – reducing visual clutter to keep the image pretty empty and only including a few key elements.
negative space – helps isolate the subject which enhances its visual impact.
use of lines and geometry – the use of clean and geometric lines add a structure to the image and excentuate the minimalist aesthetic.
Some famous minimalist photographers:
Michael Kenna – known for his minimalist black and white landscapes with haunting compositions that create a strong contrast and add a dramatic mood to his work.
Edward Weston – captured organic forms and natural objects in a minimalist style with dull settings in order to emphasise the objects.
Fan Ho – celebrated for geometric urban photography in Hong Kong.
Expressionism (Early 20th century – present):
Expressionism is an artistic movement in photography where the photographer seeks to convey emotional experiences and subjective perceptions rather than depicting objective reality. Rooted in the broader Expressionist art movement in the early 20th century, this approach focuses on using photography as a medium to express mood, intensity and personal interpretation for the viewer to engage with. The origin of expressionism emerged in Germany in the 1900s, influencing the art and literature in response to rapid urbanisation and the anxieties of modern life. It aims to emphasise personal and emotional depth by manipulating light, composition and perspective.
Some key characteristics of expressionist photography are listed below:
emotional intensity – artists convey loneliness and existential fear through their images
experimental techniques – double exposure, photomontage and unconventional cropping enhance emotional depth as well as ambiguity
symbolism and metaphor – expressionist photography often uses things like broken mirrors, decaying structures or dark landscapes to represent their personal psychological states.
Conceptualism (1960s – present):
Conceptualism in photography is where the idea behind the photograph takes precedence over its aesthetic. In this specific style, the photograph by the artist will serve as a means of conveying an intellectual message, rather than being an aesthetically pleasing image. This concept challenges traditional notions of representation, instead, it focuses on how thoughts and feelings are communicated to the viewer through the image.
Some core ideas of conceptual photography:
The meaning or emotions behind the image outweigh the visual appliance – encouraging the viewer to interact with with the image deeper
Photographers often use symbolism or staged scenes to express abstract ideas or emotions
The process of creating the photograph is often just as significant as the final image itself
