Born in 1986, Canadian Artist Trevor Henderson is a surrealist digital artist known for his horror-themed artwork often featuring creatures. He had gained popularity online for creating eerie, cryptid-like monsters in a vintage-style filter.
He had been interested in the horror genre from a young age, his father was the first to introduce him to then genre and his parents have been supportive of his work ever since. His most well known piece of work is a cryptid called ‘Siren Head’ which he created in 2018, a game developer had made a game for ‘Siren Head’ in 2018. Henderson started to become well known and famous in 2020 due to famous YouTubers such as Markiplier and Jacksepticeye who had played the game and introduced his work to their communities.
His work also raised to fame due to the ‘Cursed Images’ culture. people would often use Henderson’s images and combine them into a compilation of cursed images along with creepy or cheerful/unfitting music in the background. These compilations would get millions of views on YouTube which further pushed Henderson’s work out.
Henderson creates his art by “I draw on top of photos using a couple specific photoshop brushes, and then play around with filters like noise and gaussian blur to try and mesh the two together!”. He has created hundreds of creatures, some of his most popular creations are called Cartoon Cat, Bridge Worm, Long Horse, Anxious Dog and many more. His creatures come in three different groups, Creatures (the normal ones), the Giants/Titans and the Giants/Misty Titans (that only appear in foggy or cloudy days).
Anthi Kollia
“Photography was the first form of art that made me feel uniquely different in my early years of all the forms I tried and experimented with.”
Greek photographer Anthi Kollia began her photography journey in 2017 and is currently studying photography at the University of West Attica to further develop her skills, her early work explored the themes of beauty, emotion and human expression. Her work often reflects deep emotional states such as madness, despair, and vulnerability.
Her work often conveys a surreal and dreamlike atmosphere, she blends reality with the subconscious to explore the intersection of dreams and emotions. Kollia seeks to capture the inner world of her subjects by turning their emotional states into visual narratives.
One of her projects called “Ophelia” was inspired by Shakespeare and his theme of tragic heroine, it specifically focuses on the themes of madness and sorrow.
Evaluation
I’ve decided to use these three photographers as reference to my own project because of their unique styles, compositions and how their images look overall.
Firstly, I decided to look at Trevor Henderson’s work, I really like his nightmarish style featuring creatures that give a spine-chilling sensation and how he fuses reality with these creatures to convey the feeling/image of a nightmare. I chose him as my first photographer to reference because he inspired me with new ideas of how I will present the “Dream/Nightmare” aspect of my images.
I then chose Anthi Kollia as my second photographer because of her dream-like ethereal images. I really like how she has used a veil/cloth because it adds more of an ethereal aesthetic to her work. I want to reference her because she portrays the beautiful and dramatic side of reality/dreams which is something I want to include in my own images. In other words I chose her due to the aesthetic of her work.
For my first artist reference, I went for Andrew Scott. He was firstly born in 1991 and was best known for as an artist that makes his art look realistic, because he uses effects such as breaking the glass on the frame to match the drawing/adds actual objects like a popped balloon for an art piece he did which was a little girl looking sad holding the string to the balloon.
In these images, you can see how the art piece he creates, interacts with the frames like the first one with the young boy climbing up the frame, (as stairs), which Scott has created by cutting and changing the physical shape of the frame.
In the middle image, you can see the young boy leaping over nothing, (before the frame is put on). But, after Scott has broken the frame in the middle underneath the boy jumping, it creates a realistic feel to the viewer as now the boy is jumping/leaping over the actual frame.
In the third image, he created this young boy shooting a slingshot just to his right, but in reality there isn’t any damage until Scott changes his frame/glass over the image to help add effect and emotion to the original image, such as using a nail and hammer and creating a smashed hole in the glass frame, to create a view of the young boy in the frame shot his slingshot at the frame and it smashed it. They are all very interictal with the viewers as they create a funny/realistic approach.
Through Andrew Scott’s art work, he experiments a lot whether it’s through breaking, shattering, burning, or reconfiguring frames, but Andrew brings the subjects in his artwork to life. By breaking the fourth wall and making the frame part of the artwork itself, Andrew continually bends artistic convention in new and surprising ways.
Banksy
For my second artist reference I chose Banksy, the reason I chose Banksy as my second artist reference is because as I spoke about Union Jack/Flag in my mood board/mind map above, Banksy uses a lot of the Union Jack/Flag in his art work to express different meanings whether it’s anger, sadness, sorry-for or strength, such as these art pieces he made:
In this art piece Banksy created, it shows the Union Jack as the background, but all torn up, with a man about to throw flowers across the image. The reason for the Union Jack all torn up, could relate to the man who seems upset and angry about to throw away brand new flowers he could’ve just gotten for a loved one or friend. This image is very powerful as it shows anger throughout the whole image from the mans facial expression and body position and also the torn up flag. This has inspired me to create photographs similar with multiple meanings behind it.
This image on the other hand, resembles sadness and loneliness, how the young small boy, is on his knees sowing the union flags, that we put up. He did the similar idea from Andrew Scott with the art piece intertwining with the audience as their is normal in-colour flags starting to get hung up next to the boy as if he was creating them for everyone to see around Britain. I really like this image as well because it creates an emotional connection to the viewer, allowing multiple thoughts throughout and with the black and white artwork with the physical flags in colour also creates a disperse for the audience.
Martin Parr
Martin Parr, Tenby, 2018. People queuing on a beach at an ice cream van.
My image inspired by Martin Parr is documentary like his. It includes the weather (cloudy), a symbol of hope that it might get sunnier and Brits go to the beach regardless of the weather and still want ice cream. I didn’t have a queue of people in my photo, but I have a green wheelie bin instead next to the ice cream van. The Wheelie bin is an Iconic British object. And hints to the fact that British people like to do what is expected – like queuing patiently, they will put their rubbish in the bin where it belongs. Even ice cream comes with a sense of responsibility.
Ideas from Martin Parr – Sense of humor, British stick etiquette, links to my photo, humorous, sense of hope, polite nation, fair. Queuing = Deeply British = Everyday action loaded with cultural meaning.
Man Ray
He was born in 1890, his photography was based on Dada and Surrealism, he was influenced by Paul Cezanne, Auguste Rodin, Henri Matisse, Dada and Surrealism.
The Surrealist community was slowed in the wake of the political turmoil following the Second World War, however, the surrealist movement fully unraveled in 1966 when Breton died. The photography world had all but exploded when surrealism was fading, with the rise of commercial and fashion markets and an increased respect for fine art photography. Yet the avant-garde nature of surrealist photography remained timeless, allowing photographers like Man Ray to publish books, work as a fashion photographer for the likes of Vogue, and be continually exhibited beyond his death in 1976.
Observatory Time: The Lovers.
Title: A l’Heure de l’observatoire: Les amoureux. Date: 1936 Style: Dada, Surrealism.
Article: ‘One of Man Ray’s most memorable paintings, Observatory Time, is featured in this black-and-white photograph, along with a nude. It includes a depiction of the lips of his departed lover, Lee Miller, floating in the sky above the Paris Observatory. In the photograph, the nude is lying on her side on a sofa underneath the painting, with a chessboard at her feet. Observatory Time hints at what the woman might be dreaming: a nightmare or an erotic fantasy. The lips in the picture were an inspiration for the logo of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and many other pop culture iconic images. The chessboard appears in many of the artist’s works – Duchamp, Picabia and Man Ray all loved playing chess. And Man Ray considered a grid of squares, “the basis for all art… it helps you to understand the structure, to master a sense of order.” He also made chess set designs and photographs of chessboards, pieces and players.’
The main idea you have when you think of union, is people and a community of people, I though that, that could be good idea, however it would be quite common. I want to Incorporate emotions and people together, and show how each person can have an emotional impact on others. I like the idea that everyone has different things going on in their lives and how each person reacts to things differently, it helps to make people more unique. People change emotions every second of the day and it would be quite cool to capture a few of those emotions, whether if that’s by taking candid photos or staged photos of a model in the studio. By showing emotions I don’t necessarily have to capture it on someone’s face but it can be by the way a person acts, their hobbies or even just by putting a certain colour over a photo. Most colours have an associated emotion, for example people would tend to see red as anger or love, purple as boredom and blue as sadness.
Union of people:
Sonder- (psychology) sonder: the profound feeling of realizing that everyone, including strangers passing in the street, has a life as complex as one’s own, which they are constantly living despite one’s personal lack of awareness of it.
A picture of someone up close, portrait, turn it into a black and white effect using the threshold filter.
Someone up close and a smaller edited person next to them or on their head.
Pictures of peoples windows with silhouettes
For final project, the theme union was given, to me union is a community of people together, it could be focused on their emotions or the clothes they wear, the food they eat and so on. When I heard the theme union, I immediately thought of the word sonder, sonder is known as the profound feeling of realisation that everyone around you, even the strangers walking past you has a life just as complicated and difficult as yours that they are constantly living despite one’s personal lack of awareness of it. The way I see it is a union of people and emotions, each person carries different emotions and each person decides to hide it in a specific way, some more than others, and it is important not to judge people for the way they show emotions. For this project I want to be able to capture peoples true emotions and there life, their real life, that isn’t staged. This could consist of just walking around the island and talking candid pictures of strangers to capture the true moment, but I’ve don’t that previously for my other projects, so I wanted to switch it up, one thing I haven’t used much is a portrait, portraits are a good way of finding a persons emotions and this will help me develop my skills on the different types of portraits there are and how to accomplish them. One of the firs photoshoots that I have in mind is taking pictures of peoples windows, not necessarily going round and taking pictures of people in general but to capture the truth behind each window, everyone will have a window and behind it lays a different life, a different set of emotions that the person that’s living there may feel. there may be different lighting and different style of furniture in the window and this will allow me to spot the different and realise how different everyone is, this is due to cultural and ethnical backgrounds, the way you were brought up and how it has shaped you as a person.
When looking at the theme of union, we had to decide what type of union we would pick and along that we had to pick an art movement, I decided to have a look at Surrealism and Dadaism. I really believe that those art movement can help me create some good set of photos. I really like the idea of surrealism as it provides a dream like feeling, something that isn’t real, its fake and unrealistic. This can be compared to how society is shaped now, there are some unrealistic rules that people need to follow and it can effect each person in a different way. Dadaism is slightly more difficult to link to union, though Dadaism was seen to record the news and protest for things, its almost like a poster full of painting/pictures to inform the world about something. I could take pictures to inform people about the meaning of sonder and how it can shape a persons mind set. I will be looking at different artists that inspire me, for example I will be looking at Angus Mcbean who is a surrealist artist. I also will look at Hannah Höch who is a Dadaist artists and finally I would like to try and recreate some of Andy Warhol’s work.
Here is an example of the window photograph I would want to try and recreate. I really like this concept as if shows the different lives each person has. Though it could be a bit more difficulty to achieve this photoshoot as it could be seen as invading a persons privacy and it would be a bit unusual to go round and take pictures of peoples windows. So to make this less sketchy I could go to some of my friends houses and get them to pose in front of their window, therefore I will still get the photos I want and i will be doing it in a respectful way.
overall, my main goal is to capture some photos to try and get a perspective on how everyone’s life is different and how each person can make an influence in the world. The word union, makes me think of a community or a group of people, some could say that the world is a union and we all come together to form a society. Each person has a purpose and each person has a goal. A lot of people could suggest that the world is quite selfish and we don’t realise that the people around us have a strong impact on us. I want to be able to capture photos that really show peoples expressions and how a persons mood can change over time, I also want to show that there is a group of people, whether is the same person edited or multiple different people, just to show how the world is and how everyone in this world has a purpose.
I will be analysing cubism, futurism and surrealism, looking at the manifesto, and how they are united together.
cubism
Art Examples (mostly Pablo Picasso):
Photography examples ( DAVID HOCKNEY):
another example – Byron Robb
About Cubism:
Cubism was a revolutionary new approach to representing reality invented in around 1907–08 by artists Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. It transformed everyday objects, landscapes, and people into geometric shapes.
The Cubist style emphasized the flat, two-dimensional surface of the picture plane, rejecting the traditional techniques of perspective, foreshortening, modeling, and chiaroscuro and refuting time-honored theories that art should imitate nature.
By using cubes instead of curved lines, the artist is able to distort the image, creating an illusions and changing the perspective. Cubists believed they could give the viewer a more accurate understanding of an object, landscape or person by showing it from different angles or viewpoints, so they used flat geometric shapes to represent the different sides and angles of the objects. By doing this, they could suggest three-dimensional qualities and structure without using techniques such as perspective and shading.
surrealism:
About Surrealism:
The poet Guilliame Apollinaire first coined the term “Surreal” in reference to the idea of an independent reality, existing “beneath” our conscious reality.
Surrealism started with the artist Andre Breton back in the 1920s. He was interesting in the dreams and the unconscious mind, balancing this with the rational vision of life. Many surrealist artists have used automatic drawing (creating art without conscious thought) or writing to unlock ideas and images from their unconscious minds. Others have wanted to depict dream worlds or hidden psychological tensions.
In many instances, these artists have turned to political activism. In this way, the revolutionary concepts encouraged by Surrealism has led the movement to be seen as a way of life.
Beginnings of Surrealism
Surrealism grew out of the Dada movement (formed during the First World War in Zurich in negative reaction to the horrors and folly of the war), which was also in rebellion against middle-class complacency. Artistic influences, however, came from many different sources. The most immediate influence for several of the Surrealists was Giorgio de Chirico, their contemporary who, like them, used bizarre imagery with unsettling juxtapositions (and his Metaphysical Painting movement). They were also drawn to artists from the recent past who were interested in primitivism, the naïve, or fantastical imagery, even artists from as far back as the Renaissance.https://www.theartstory.org/movement/surrealism/.
How to take Surrealism photographs
below are some Ideas I have to create surrealist photography:
Photomontage
Choice of Color
Floating the Subject
creating interesting perspectives
using reflection
multiple exposures
distortion
By using unconventional techniques, like the ones above, surrealist photographers turned a previously mechanical tool into a medium via which they could express the avant-garde framework of the surrealist movement.
Giorgio de Chirico
Futurism:
About Futurism:
‘we will free Italy from her innumerable museums which cover her like countless cemeteries’
Above is a quote by by the Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti in 1909. He started the movement and among modernist movements futurism was exceptionally vehement in its denunciation of the past. This was because in Italy the weight of past culture was felt as particularly oppressive.
Futurist painting used elements of neo-impressionism and cubism to create compositions that expressed the idea of the dynamism, the energy and movement, of modern life. (tate)
How I will use these movements:
By doing research into these movements, I have been able to find more inspiration for the topic of union. For example, I can use surrealism to talk about the union between the conscious and unconscious mind through photography, as well as analyse artists like Man Ray to further add to my studies. I can also look at the union between past, present and future with the Futurism art movement, researching further into Italian history potentially using my Italian relatives to help me.
Here I created multiple layers, which created lots of sections which I could then piece back together, and overlap which created thus fragmented, broken up image.
For this joiner I liked the process of building up the layers, on top of one another, and repeating certain areas of the portrait as this effect builds you up and leads your focus into the centre of the portrait, were certain details and elevated more as they are a repeated detail or they are broken away, resulting in this fragmented look.
For this photo I did the same, by creating lots of layers then fitting back together.
Overall the photogrpah achieved an interesting effect, and leaded your eye into the the centre as the fragmented pieces alters the way you look into it. I like this idea of repeating aspects of the photo then layering this on top of one another which highlights certain details which you wouldn’t notice straight away. This mis-leads your eye and creates movement as it alters your focus as it isn’t obviously clear what the focal point is.
Inspired by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, I wanted to experiment with other ways that I could re-join/ re-connect the photo back together, that still showed the disjointed and fragmented look, so for this photograph I took inspiration from Kirchner’s loose painting style and expressed this within my own style.
I used the same process as I used for the joiners and created individual layers and pieced them together to form a mosaic pattern, leaving a small gap between each piece. This became interesting as each shape was different in size which resulted in this interesting composition and dynamic arrangement of each piece of the image. I liked this idea of how the photo was disconnected, fragmented and broken up by each individual piece, then it was reconnected back together in a similar way. I like the uneven-ness of the image as it creates this interesting movement and figurative style as it is disconnected which describes the opposite of union ( two subjects connected together.) It is expressive because each area of the photo is broken up in a similar shape and size, but differs in the composition and layout.
For this photo shoot I am going to have my sister as the subject, and capture her in different moments, in particular as she is applying her makeup, doing her hair and then portraits of her once she is ready. My goal is to document her as she gets ready in her ‘natural’ environment, capturing unfiltered moments that express her inner world. I am going to slightly edit the images, adjusting areas slightly for example highlights and shadows, then showing the subtle contrast that is created from this.
Contact Sheet:
Edited:
For this photo I have slightly edited areas where I thought needed emphacising, but in a subtle way. This brings through the contrasting shadows and highlights, brought from the warmer tones on her face.
Evaluation:
For these portraits I captured a girl as she gets ready, from applying her makeup to her afterwards. I thought this represented union as it shows her and and her world, and how both are connected together. I wanted to capture portraits of the subject as this showed their connection, to then editing the photos in a to form a mosaic pattern. This creates and interesting effect as multiple perspectives are revealed, altering your overall perspective of the image. For the lighting I used a lgiht as well as natural lighting which helped enhance the details of the image. I decided to have the subject holding a makeup brush whilst looking into the camera as this created a strong connection to the audience, as it shows a single moment unfiltered moment which is what I think best describes union.
Documentary photography is a genre of photography that aims to capture real-life events, environments, and individuals in a way that tells a story, conveys a message, or documents history. The key characteristic of documentary photography is that it focuses on truthful, objective representation rather than artistic manipulation. It seeks to provide an unembellished record of people, places, and situations, often with a social, political, or historical context.
What are some key concepts?
Realism and Authenticity
Documentary photography emphasizes a realistic and authentic representation of its subjects. Unlike staged or heavily edited photographs, documentary images aim to present the world as it is, often capturing moments that are fleeting or unplanned. The intention is to provide a truthful portrayal without manipulation or idealization. The goal is often to highlight real human conditions, social issues, or historical events, providing a raw, unfiltered glimpse into life.
Storytelling and Social Commentary
Documentary photography serves as a powerful tool for storytelling. It can be used to document significant events, everyday life, or aspects of society that are otherwise overlooked or ignored. Often, the photographs are meant to provoke thought, raise awareness, and sometimes even inspire social change by capturing moments that reveal injustices, inequalities, or the beauty of the human experience. For example, photojournalism is a form of documentary photography that focuses on documenting current events and news stories, aiming to inform the public about important issues.
Unposed and Candid
In documentary photography, the photographer often works in a candid manner, capturing subjects without them being aware or without posing. This approach helps to create a sense of naturalism, ensuring that the subjects are shown in their most authentic form. The focus is not on manipulating the subject’s appearance but rather on documenting their real-life context and the moment’s truth.
Artist Reference
Robert Frank
Who is he?
Robert Frank (1924–2019) was a Swiss-American photographer and filmmaker, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of documentary photography. He is best known for his ground-breaking work, particularly his book “The Americans” (1958), which is considered one of the most important photographic works of the 20th century.
What is the Americans?
“The Americans” is Robert Frank’s most famous work, a collection of photographs taken during his road trip across the United States in 1955–1956. The book includes 83 images that depict the diversity and complexities of American life, from the rich to the poor, from everyday scenes to the marginalized. His style in “The Americans” was raw and uncompromising, capturing unsentimental and sometimes uncomfortable realities of American society. He did not shy away from showing alienation, inequality, and discontent, which contrasted with the idealized representations of America often seen in the media at the time. The book was initially met with some criticism for its unorthodox style, but it later became a landmark in the history of photography. It challenged the traditional aesthetics of the time and is credited with transforming documentary photography into a medium for personal expression.
Robert Frank’s work is fundamentally tied to documentary photography, as he played a crucial role in reshaping the genre and pushing it beyond its traditional boundaries.
How to Incorporate:
Documenting Union: Capture the collective identity of groups, whether they are families, labor unions, or cultural communities, showing how people come together in moments of shared purpose or adversity.
Pictorialism was an artistic movement in photography that emerged in the late 19th century and flourished into the early 20th century. It was a reaction against the growing technical focus of photography, particularly with the rise of Kodak’s mass-market cameras, which made photography more accessible and mechanical. Pictorialism, in contrast, emphasized the idea that photography could be a fine art, comparable to painting or drawing.
What are the key elements?
Artistic Expression Over Technical Accuracy:
Pictorialists sought to move beyond the purely technical and documentary aspects of photography. They believed that photography should be an expression of artistic vision rather than just an accurate reproduction of reality. They often manipulated the image to create an emotional or aesthetic effect, mimicking the qualities of painting, such as soft focus, rich textures, and tonal effects.
Soft Focus and Painterly Effects:
One of the hallmarks of Pictorialist photography was the use of soft focus. Photographers would often intentionally blur the image or use techniques like gum bichromate printing or photogravure to create a texture that resembled a painting or etching. The result was a dreamlike, ethereal quality that emphasized mood over sharp detail. The soft-focus technique was meant to emphasize mood, atmosphere, and the emotional content of the scene rather than capturing the sharp, clear details associated with documentary photography.
Emphasis on Aesthetics:
Pictorialists were heavily concerned with the aesthetic value of their work, often seeking to create images that had emotional depth and conveyed a personal artistic statement. This approach was in direct opposition to the more straightforward, realistic style of photography promoted by photographers like George Eastman (founder of Kodak) and others who focused on the technical aspects of the medium. Pictorialists often chose to depict subjects in a more idealized or romanticized way, similar to how artists approached painting.
Influence of Impressionism and Symbolism:
The Pictorialist movement was heavily influenced by artistic movements like Impressionism and Symbolism, both of which sought to evoke moods, feelings, and subjective experiences. Pictorialist photographers often sought to express emotion through their work, using techniques that were meant to evoke a sense of mystery, romanticism, or nostalgia. The use of light and shadow in a way that might be seen in Impressionist paintings became a hallmark of Pictorialism.
Conclusion of pictorialism
Pictorialism was an important early photographic movement that elevated photography to the status of fine art. It focused on creating mood, atmosphere, and personal expression through techniques like soft focus and manipulation of the print process. While it eventually gave way to more realistic, documentary styles of photography, Pictorialism helped establish photography as a legitimate art form and influenced generations of photographers to explore the emotional and creative potential of the medium.
Artist Reference
Alfred Stieglitz
Who Is He?
Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946) was a pioneering American photographer, art dealer, and promoter who is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of photography. His work helped elevate photography to the status of fine art, and his efforts were key in the development of modern photography in the early 20th century. Stieglitz is often credited with helping to establish photography as a legitimate art form. At the time, photography was often seen merely as a technical or commercial pursuit, not as a form of creative expression comparable to painting or sculpture. Stieglitz worked tirelessly to change that perception and advocate for the artistic potential of photography. Pictorialism: Initially, Stieglitz was a proponent of Pictorialism, a photographic movement that emphasized the emotional, aesthetic, and artistic qualities of images over technical precision. He used soft-focus techniques, grain, and other methods to make photographs resemble paintings or prints, creating mood and texture. This helped elevate the medium as an art form.
What is the 291 gallery?
In 1905, Stieglitz opened Gallery 291 in New York, which became a significant space for exhibiting modern art, including photography, painting, and sculpture. The gallery was a pioneering venue that showcased European modernist painters (like Picasso and Matisse) as well as American artists. Stieglitz also displayed his own photographic work there. The gallery became an influential centre for avant-garde art and played a critical role in the development of modern art in America.
Conclusion of his work
Alfred Stieglitz was a visionary who played a foundational role in elevating photography to the realm of fine art. Through his work as a photographer, his founding of the Photo-Secession movement, and his gallery exhibitions, he changed the way people viewed photography and modern art. His contributions helped shape the artistic landscape of the 20th century, and his legacy continues to influence photographers and artists today.
Image analysis/focus
Equivalents – 1925/1934
Stieglitz took a series of cloud photographs, which he referred to as “Equivalents.” These were abstract, poetic images that he viewed as visual representations of emotion, akin to musical compositions. This body of work marked a significant shift in his artistic approach, aligning him more with modernist ideals of photography.
The primary subject of the “Equivalents” series is clouds—Stieglitz photographed clouds in a way that abstracted them from their typical, literal interpretation. The images are close-up, largely devoid of recognizable details like sky or landscape, and instead focus purely on the clouds’ forms, textures, and tonal qualities. Stieglitz’s goal was to capture the emotional equivalence of a visual experience—hence the title “Equivalents.” The clouds become metaphors, intended to convey emotion, mood, or states of mind rather than depict any physical object or scene. Compositionally, these photographs often have sweeping curves and jagged, cloud-like formations that evoke a sense of movement. The use of space is essential to the abstract nature of the work. The photographs often frame the clouds against an empty background, isolating them and focusing the viewer’s attention on the cloud forms and their tonal variations. Light plays a crucial role in the “Equivalents.” Stieglitz was a master at controlling light exposure, and in these images, light is used to emphasize the texture and mood of the clouds .The photographs exhibit a wide tonal range, from deep blacks to pure whites, creating dramatic contrasts. This play of light and dark adds an emotional depth to the images, enhancing their abstraction and making them feel more like musical compositions or paintings than traditional photographs. Stieglitz described the “Equivalents” series as a way to express emotion through abstraction, much like music expresses emotion through sound without any literal representation. The use of clouds as a subject can be seen as an attempt to achieve something akin to musical equivalence in the visual world. Just as a composer might create emotional resonance through the arrangement of musical notes and rhythms, Stieglitz arranged visual elements of light, form, and tone to create an emotional experience. This parallel between music and photography was an important part of Stieglitz’s thinking. He believed that just as a musician does not depict a literal “sound” but instead creates an emotional tone, so too could photography convey emotion through its forms.
How does this link to pictorialism?
Alfred Stieglitz’s “Equivalents” series represents a departure from his earlier work as a Pictorialist photographer, yet it also carries traces of the Pictorialist influence.In the “Equivalents” series, although Stieglitz had moved toward a more modernist approach, some aspects of Pictorialism are still present. For example, the emotional resonance of the work and the focus on mood or atmosphere over objective realism still echo Pictorialist ideals. Stieglitz’s focus on the clouds’ forms and textures, the soft quality of the light, and the romantic abstraction could be seen as a continuation of Pictorialism’s emphasis on expressive aesthetics rather than strict documentary or technical precision.
How does this link to union?
Stieglitz’s “Equivalents” series, though abstract and focused on natural forms, can be seen as thematically linked to the concept of union in several ways. This connection is not immediately obvious in the literal sense, but it becomes apparent when considering the unification of emotion, nature, and the individual’s experience through the photographs. In the “Equivalents,” Stieglitz sought to capture the emotional essence of clouds, not as literal representations but as symbols of inner emotional states. The union of nature and emotion in this series is a key feature. Stieglitz felt that by photographing natural phenomena like clouds, he could evoke the emotional experiences of the human spirit, thus creating a union between the external world and the inner life.
How to Incorporate:
Symbolic Union: Create dream-like or idealized compositions that represent connections between nature and humanity, or between individuals in moments of tenderness, using soft focus and blurred edges to give a sense of unity.
Surrealism is an artistic and literary movement that emerged in the 1920s, focusing on the irrational, dreamlike, and subconscious mind. It sought to break free from logic and realism, creating art that explored fantasy, dreams, and unexpected juxtapositions.
What are the different types of surrealism?
Dreamlike Imagery, inspired by Sigmund Freud’s theories of the unconscious, surrealist works often resemble hallucinations or dreams.
Unexpected Juxtapositions, artists combine unrelated objects or concepts in strange, thought-provoking ways.
Automatism, a method where artists and writers create spontaneously, without conscious thought, to tap into the subconscious.
Irrationality & Absurdity, surrealism challenges logic and reason, embracing the bizarre and nonsensical.
Symbolism & Metaphor, objects often hold hidden meanings, reflecting deep psychological themes.
Conclusion of surrealism
Surrealism aims to revolutionise human experience. It balances a rational vision of life with one that asserts the power of the unconscious and dreams. The movement’s artists find magic and strange beauty in the unexpected and the uncanny, the disregarded and the unconventional.
Artist Reference
Man Ray
Who is he?
Man Ray was an American visual artist who spent most of his career in Paris. He was a significant contributor to the Dada and Surrealist movements, although his ties to each were informal. He produced major works in a variety of media but considered himself a painter above all.
What are the Dada and Surrealist movements?
Infamously called the “anti-art” art movement, Dadaism developed out of disgust and resentment from the bloodshed and horror of World War I, which began in 1914 and ended in 1918. Dadaism’s main purpose was to challenge the social norms of society, and purposefully make art that would shock, confuse, or outrage people.
Surrealism is an art and cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists aimed to allow the unconscious mind to express itself, often resulting in the depiction of illogical or dreamlike scenes and ideas.
Conclusion of his work
Man Ray’s career is distinctive above all for the success he achieved in both the United States and Europe. First maturing in the center of American modernism in the 1910s, he made Paris his home in the 1920s and 1930s, and in the 1940s he crossed the Atlantic once again, spending periods in New York and Hollywood. His art spanned painting, sculpture, film, prints and poetry, and in his long career he worked in styles influenced by Cubism, Futurism, Dada and Surrealism. He also successfully navigated the worlds of commercial and fine art, and came to be a sought-after fashion photographer. He is perhaps most remembered for his photographs of the inter-war years, in particular the camera-less pictures he called ‘Rayographs’, but he always regarded himself first and foremost as a painter.
Image analysis/focus
Le Violon d’Ingres (French for Ingres’s Violin) – 1924
The subject and composition can be analysed as a nude woman with the suggestive silhouette and a violin in the shade of her back. The woman’s form is sculptural, where her human body is merely reduced to a form of a canvas which depicted woman as idealized forms. The violins shape is drawn in chalk like lines, which echoes his own studies of the human body. Integrating the elements of classical art with a dream like surrealist twist. The violin is an impotent symbol in his work, it alludes to the idea of an artists secondary passion or hobby. Ingres was known to be am accomplished violinist in addition to his work as a painter/photographer. Man Ray cleverly uses the violin as both a literally and symbolic device within the photo, offering a playful suggestion that the female body itself could be used as a musical instrument as well as an artwork. Some key surrealist elements are portrayed, as surrealist were fascinated by the juxtaposition of seemingly unrelatable objects. By placing the violin the image disrupts but also draws attention to the sexualised nature of the female form. The use of the violin is a playful distortion of familiar artists motifs, adding an element of absurdity. The lighting is also key to enhancing the from of the by rendering the violin as something almost unattainable , as if it is a abstraction. This brings attention to the objectification of the female form, using the instrument as a metaphor for desire. The models pose is reminiscent of the classical depictions of the female nude, whilst the violin makes it odd, almost unsettling. This ties into the early 20th century critiques of traditional arts treatment of woman as objects for male pleasure. The high contrast lighting emphasised the figure of the model, creating sharper shadow’s that accentuate the body’s form while drawing the viewers eye to the very exaggerated shape of the violin. The use of light here is reminiscent of Man Ray’s ,artery of experimental photography. Notably his famous use of rayographs and other methods that have explored shadow, texture and form. When this image was created in 1924 the surrealist movement was at its peak, pushing boundaries in both visual art and photography. Man Ray who was a prominent figure in the movement, experimented with both fine art and fashion photography, creating works that blurred the lines between the real and the imagined much like the surrealists approach to art and physiology.
In summary, Le Violon d’Ingres is a masterful blend of playful surrealism, art historical reference, and subversive critique of femininity, objectification, and classical art. It invites the viewer to reflect on the tension between the human form and the arbitrary imposition of artistic and sexual symbols. Through its light, composition, and humour, the photograph remains one of the most significant works in the history of 20th-century photography.
How does this connect to surrealism?
Ingres, whose name appears in the title of Man Ray’s photograph, was a leading figure of Neoclassicism, an art movement that can be seen as a continuation of the humanist tradition, where the human body was viewed as an ideal form to be studied and revered. In Le Violon d’Ingres, the model’s body is positioned in a similar way to Ingres’ classical nudes, suggesting a connection to this idealized human form.
The photograph emphasizes the human body, particularly through its curves, light, and shadows. This focus on the body itself evokes a humanistic tradition that places the human figure at the centre of artistic contemplation. However, the surreal manipulation of the figure with the violin inserted onto the model’s back introduces a surrealist twist to this tradition, creating both a nod to humanism and a challenge to its conventions. This tension between the classical ideal and the distortion of that ideal reflects a key theme of the early 20th century, when humanism was being re-examined, especially in light of modernity, industrialization, and the upheavals of war.
Hoe does this connect to union?
The most direct way the photograph connects to the idea of union is through the fusion of the human body with artistic representation. The model’s nude body, traditionally the subject of visual art, is combined with the violin, which is an instrument often used to create music, an entirely different form of art. This union of two distinct forms of art—visual and musical—creates a deeper connection between the body and the creative expression. The body itself becomes a medium through which both visual art (the photographic representation) and music (symbolized by the violin) are explored.
Man Ray’s photograph brings together two distinct artistic worlds: classical and surrealist. Ingres, the painter referenced by the title, was a master of classical art and Neoclassicism, which emphasizes idealized, often sensual depictions of the human body. Man Ray’s photograph invokes this classical aesthetic with the smooth, curvaceous form of the nude woman. However, by replacing her back with a violin, he injects a surreal, playful element that distorts this classical vision, bringing a modern, irrational twist to an otherwise conventional subject. This union of the classical with the surrealist approach reflects the way modern artists of the 20th century were blending historical traditions with experimental, avant-garde methods.
How to Incorporate:
Union Between Real and Imagined: Explore surreal or abstract depictions of unity. This could mean photographing individuals or objects that merge together in strange ways (e.g., using double exposure, juxtaposing dreamscapes with real scenes, or creating imaginary unions between people or elements in unexpected settings).
