final Flashcards
Semiotics
the study of signs and symbols and their use or interpretation. Photographs are often perceived as direct representations of reality, but they are also cultural artifacts loaded with meanings and interpretations that are shaped by context, culture, and the photographer’s intent. Semiotics helps us understand how these meanings are constructed and communicated.
The Decisive Moment
The Decisive Moment is a concept in photography made famous by French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson. It refers to the precise moment when all the visual and emotional elements in a scene come together in perfect harmony, creating a photograph that is both aesthetically powerful and deeply meaningful
The Black Power Movement
emerged in the mid-1960s and gained momentum into the 1970s, used photography as a critical tool for activism, representation, and cultural empowerment. Photographers documented the movement’s leaders, events, and cultural expressions, creating a powerful visual archive that challenged stereotypes, highlighted systemic oppression, and celebrated Black identity and resistance. Here’s how photography intersected with the Black Power Movement:
The Anti-War Movement
particularly during the Vietnam War in the 1960s and early 1970s—was profoundly shaped and amplified by photography. Photographers captured the horrors of war, the anguish of its victims, and the widespread protests against it, creating images that became iconic symbols of resistance and galvanized public opinion.
Earthworks and Performance Art
two artistic practices that rely heavily on photography, not just as a tool for documentation but as a medium that contributes to their legacy and meaning
-Documentation: Earthworks are often created in remote locations and subject to natural decay over time. Photography ensures these works are accessible to a wider audience.
-Documentation: Photographs serve as the primary record of performances, capturing moments of movement, expression, and interaction.
feminism
- to document and amplify their activism, creating powerful visual narratives that challenge patriarchal norms.
- captured protests, rallies, and moments of feminist resistance, creating iconic images that symbolize the fight for gender equality.
-images from the Women’s Liberation Movement
intersectionality
intersect as tools for understanding and representing the overlapping systems of oppression and privilege that shape people’s experiences based on race, gender, class, sexuality, disability, and other identities.
- intersect as tools for understanding and representing the overlapping systems of oppression and privilege that shape people’s experiences based on race, gender, class, sexuality, disability, and other identities.
-Carrie Mae Weems: Her series “The Kitchen Table Series” (1990) captures the intersections of race, gender, and family dynamics, exploring the roles and expectations placed on Black women in domestic and social contexts.
-Lorna Simpson: Through her conceptual work, Simpson examines how gender and race intersect in the societal perception of Black women, often incorporating text and fragmented imagery to create layered narratives.
anti-photography
- critical and often experimental approach to the medium of photography that challenges its traditional practices, aesthetics, and functions
-Rejection of Aesthetic Norms:
-Questioning the Nature of Photography
-Focus on Process Over Image:
-Deconstruction of Representation
postmodernism
- diverges from the modernist approach, which emphasized purity, originality, and formalism.
-Rejects Originality
-Questions Truth and Reality
-Explores Identity and Subjectivity
-Engages with Popular Culture
-Blurs Boundaries:
Example: Cindy Sherman:
Sherman’s “Untitled Film Stills” (1977–1980) consist of self-portraits where she assumes various roles and personas, referencing stereotypical female characters from film and media. The series critiques the idea of authenticity in photography and the constructed nature of identity.
Example: Sherrie Levine:
Levine’s rephotographing of works by male artists, such as Walker Evans, questions the notions of authorship and originality in photography.
George Eastman
-revolutionizing the medium by making it accessible to the masses
- founder of the Eastman Kodak Company,
Horace Engle
contributions to photography, especially in education and advocacy, were transformative.
-supporting the idea of photography as an art form, and promoting the documentary style,
Alfred Stieglitz
-The Photo-Secession Movement
- founded the Photo-Secession, a group of photographers who aimed to elevate photography to the level of painting and sculpture
-major proponent of “straight photography”, which emphasized clear, sharp images that avoided manipulation or artistic distortion
-most iconic series, “The Steerage” (1907), exemplifies his straight photography approach. The image depicts a scene on a ship with a stark focus on composition and geometry, capturing the sharp details of everyday life with remarkable clarity and precision. It is considered one of his most important works, representing a moment of modernist exploration in photographic art
-291 gallery
-georgia 0’keefffe was his wife
-iconic works: the equivalent, portraits of Georgia O’Keeffe
-“The Sterrage” -picture on boat
Edward Steichen
visionary photographer whose work spanned across various genres, from Pictorialism to modernism, from commercial photography to fine art. His contributions to the medium helped elevate photography to the status of fine art, and his work as a curator, particularly with exhibitions like “The Family of Man”, left a lasting impact on the way photography is viewed today. Steichen’s ability to bridge the gap between commercial and artistic photography made him one of the most influential figures in the history of the medium.
“The Flatiron”
“The Pond: Moonrise”
“The Maypole, Empire State Building”
James Van Der Zee
-invaluable record of African American life and culture during the Harlem Renaissance.
“Couple with the Car” (1929):
Harlem Couple” (1932):
The Lasker Family” (1927):
James Latimer Allen
-an American photographer, best known for his work in portraiture and as a pioneering figure in African American photography in the early 20th century.
-capturing dignified, professional portraits of African Americans during a time of widespread racial prejudice and marginalization.
Carl Van Vechten
- his portraits of African American cultural figures. His photography played a crucial role in documenting and elevating African American artists, writers, musicians, and intellectuals during the Harlem Renaissance and beyond.
man ray
-one of the most influential figures in the development of modern photography. Known for his avant-garde style, innovative techniques, and close associations with the Dada and Surrealist movements
-“Rose Selavy”
John Hartfield
-pioneer of photomontage
-combined elements of photography, graphic design, and collage
-highly political
Gustav Klucis
-pioneering work in photomontage and graphic design.
-work in Soviet propaganda utilized photography to serve the goals of the state, particularly in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution and during the early years of Stalin’s rule.
-His work combined photography with geometric abstraction, typography, and other graphic design elements, creating visually arresting and effective propaganda pieces.
André Kertész
-one of the pioneers of modern photography.
-street photography, portraiture, focus on everyday and poetic aspects of life
-liked the Leica camera -could word in a spontaneous and intimate way
-characterized by its humanism, quiet beauty, and innovative use of the photographic medium.
Alvin Langdon Coburn
abstract photography, pictorialism, and avant-garde techniques, Coburn’s photography spans several styles, including portraiture, landscape, and urban imagery
-Vortographs (1916–1917) are perhaps Coburn’s most revolutionary contribution to the development of modernist photography.
-work in this series is often compared to cubism and futurism
-“The Octopus” -sidewalks
Paul Strand
-contributions to straight photography, a style that emphasized sharp focus and clarity, and for his ability to capture the essence of human experience through both portraiture and documentary photography.
-focus on social issues formal abratration, humanist aspects
-pictorialist style
-straight photogrpahy
László Moholy-Nagy
- influential work in the field of modernist photography.
-key member of Bauhaus school
-significant contributions to both photographic techniques and the theoretical aspects of photography.
-photograms
-“Dolls”
“Berlin Radio Tower”
Henri Cartier-Bresson
photojournalism and his concept of the “decisive moment”,
“decisive moment”, which refers to capturing a fleeting, spontaneous instant that reveals the essence of a situation or subject. He famously said:
“There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment.”
The decisive moment is also about the photographer’s instinctive understanding of timing, composition, and the ability to capture fleeting expressions and actions.
–“Behind the Gare Saint-Lazare”
-
Walker Evans
shape the field of documentary photography and became a significant part of American visual culture.
- hired by the Farm Security Administration (FSA),
-to create a photographic record of the economic hardship faced by rural America.
“American Photographs” (1938):
-“Let Us Now Praise Famous Men” (1941)
-Architectural Photography:
“Brooklyn Bridge”
“Alabama Cotton Tenant Farmer Wife”
Dorothea Lange
social issues and human suffering during the Great Depression and World War II. Her work, particularly as part of the Farm Security Administration (FSA),
-“Migrant Mother”
Bernice Abbot
-portrait photography and documentary photography. She is best known for her iconic images of New York City during the 1930s, as well as for her contributions to the field of scientific photography and her influence on modernist photographic techniques.
-returned to New York, and it was there that she developed her most influential body of work, capturing the rapid modernization and urban transformation of the city during the 1930s
-Changing New York series -highly systematic
-“nightview, New york”
“The canyon, broadway and exchange place”
Leni Riefenstahl
-controversial work during the Nazi era and her lasting influence on the art of cinema and photography
-associated w/ Nazi
Brassai
-dramatic and atmospheric night photography of Paris. Often referred to as the “eye of Paris,”
-unique perspective to documentary photography and the aesthetic of the urban landscape.
“The Stream Snaking Down the Empty Street”
“A morris Column in the fog”
“Lovers in a cafe”
Arthur Fellig (“Weegee”)
American photographer and photojournalist, best known for his gritty, often shocking photographs of crime scenes, accidents, and urban life in New York City during the 1930s and 1940s
-raw reality of the city’s underbelly, making him a key figure in the development of street photography and tabloid journalism.
-1945 book, “Naked City”, was a seminal collection of his photographs,
-nphotographing the celebrity world,
-had portable darkroom in his trunk
Diane Arbus
-best known for her intimate, challenging, and often controversial portraits of people on the margins of society, such as those in the circus, freak shows, mental institutions,
-examining the themes of identity, alienation, and the otherness of individuals who were often neglected or stigmatized by mainstream society.
-“A Jewish giant at home with his parents in the Bronx, New York, 1970”
-“Transvestite, New York City, 1968”: Arbus often photographed members of the LGBTQ community
Minor White
-development of modernist photography and for his involvement in the New York School of photography.
- explored the relationship between self and subject
-Sequence series -far away pictures, gradually get close
-“Windowsill Daydreaming”
“The Sound of ONe Hand Clapping”
Ansel Adams
-landscape photography
- Zone System, a method of controlling exposure and contrast in black-and-white photography.
-Yosemite National Park
Robert Adams
- best known for his landscape photography that explores the intersection of human activity and the natural environment.
-New Topographics movement, a genre of photography that examines the impact of human development on the landscape.
-suburbia
-environmental change
-contradications of modernity
-“The New West”
Lewis Baltz
-prominent American photographer known for his stark, minimalist style and his critical approach to documenting the built environment, particularly in the context of suburban sprawl and industrialization.
-New Topigraphics movement
Lee Friedlander
- innovative and dynamic approach to street photography
- American social landscape. His work is often characterized by its use of complex compositions, reflections, and a focus on everyday life.
-American Monument series
gordon parks
pioneering African American photographer, filmmaker, writer, and composer whose work is recognized for its powerful social commentary, particularly in relation to race, poverty, and civil rights in America
-Harlem Family
-American Gothic -Ella Watson in picture
Eddie Adams
- capturing iconic moments during pivotal events in history, particularly during the Vietnam War.
-“Saigon Execution”
-celebrity portraits
Art Workers Coalition
-a group of artists, curators, and art professionals that formed in 1969 in New York City as a response to the perceived inequities and injustices within the art world. The AWC was committed to advocating for the rights of artists, addressing issues related to the commercialization of art, and challenging the power dynamics in museums and galleries.
-The group was initiated by a diverse group of artists, including Robert Morris, Carl Andre, Judy Chicago, Dan Flavin, Jasper Johns, and Andy Warhol, among others.
picture of the massacare in Vietnam. “And Babies?”
Richard Hamilton
-pop art
- art that incorporated elements of mass media, consumer culture, and modern technology.
“The Photograph” - involved a combination of photographs, collages, and texts to explore the concept of photography as an art form
-experiment with photography in his works, combining photographic images with techniques like digital manipulation and laser printing.
“Just What is it that makes today’s homes so differesnt, so appealing?” -callage
Andy Warhol
pivotal role in defining Pop Art. Warhol’s relationship with photography was complex and multifaceted, and it became an essential medium through which he explored themes of celebrity, mass media, consumerism, and repetition. While Warhol is best known for his silkscreen prints and paintings, photography was integral to his artistic process and often served as the foundation for his most iconic works.
-“13 Most wanted men”
Robert Smithson
Land Art (or Earthworks) and is best known for his large-scale, site-specific installations and sculptures, such as the Spiral Jetty (1970) in Utah’s Great Salt Lake.
-Photography and Time: Smithson was fascinated with the relationship between time and the landscape,
“Spiral Jetty”
Allen Kaprow
-pioneering work in Happenings, a form of performance art that emphasized spontaneous, participatory, and experiential elements.
-“Yard” -picture w/ tires
Yoko Ono
conceptual art, performance art, and experimental music
Cut Piece”
Chris Burden
- explored themes of pain, violence, power, and the body in relation to societal and political structures
- work primarily involved performance, sculpture, and installation art, he also engaged with photography as a key medium to document his extreme performances and to communicate his conceptual ideas to a broader audience.
-“Shoot”
Vito Acconci
-performance artist, videographer, architect, and photographer whose work spanned across multiple mediums.
-“Following Piece” (1969)
Ed Ruscha
-pioneering work in Pop Art, Conceptual Art, and Photography.
-exploration of language, urban landscapes, American culture, and visual communication is evident in both his photography and his other artistic endeavors.
“Twentysix Gasoline Stations” (1962):
“Every Building on the Sunset Strip” (1966)
Joseph Kosuth
Conceptual Art, particularly in the use of language, semantics, and philosophy. While he is most famous for his text-based art and installations, Kosuth’s work has occasionally intersected with photography, particularly in how he has used photographs to explore the relationship between words and images.
“One and Three Chairs” (1965) -cornerstone of Conceptual Ar
Sherri Levine
-Conceptual Art, Feminist Art, and Appropriation Art
“After Walker Evans” (1981): Perhaps Levine’s most famous series, this work consists of rephotographs of Walker Evans’ iconic images from his 1930s series documenting American life, particularly from the Great Depression.
John Baldessari
blended photography, text, and humor to challenge conventional ideas about art, representation, and meaning.
-exploring the relationship between images and language,
“Wrong” -picture framed oddly, mad house, tree
Linda Nochlin
critical contributions to the field of art history and feminism have had a significant influence on the way photography and other visual arts are understood, especially in relation to issues of gender, representation, and power.
Carolee Schneemann
was a pioneering American artist best known for her performance art, body art, and multimedia installations.
“Interior Scroll”
Cindy Sherman
-conceptual portraits that explore themes of identity, gender, stereotypes, and representation.
-often using self-portraiture to examine societal roles
- “Untitled Film Stills”, is a group of 69 black-and-white photographs that she took between 1977 and 1980.
Barbara Kruger
best known for her conceptual art and photographic work that explores themes of power, identity, gender, and consumerism. Kruger often combines photography, text, and graphic design to create powerful images that challenge societal norms and question the role of visual culture in shaping personal and political identity
- text overlays on photographic imagery
“I shop Therefore I am”
“Untitiled. Your gaze hits the side of my face”
Kimberle Crenshaw
concept of intersectionality has reshaped how we understand identity and inequality, offering a critical framework to examine how various forms of oppression and discrimination intersect and compound. Her scholarship has transformed the fields of critical race theory, feminist theory, and legal studies,
- visibility of people whose identities fall at the intersection of multiple marginalized groups. For example, Black women, immigrant women, LGBTQ+ people of color, and other intersections of race, gender, and class are often overlooked in mainstream media and art.
ACT-UP
AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power
-Photography played a crucial role in ACT UP’s activism, as it helped capture the movement’s direct action protests, raise public awareness about the AIDS epidemic, and document the personal and political struggles faced by those living with HIV/AIDS.
Gran Fury
provocative use of art and photography in the fight against the AIDS crisis.
-“Kissing Doesn’t Kill” (1989):
“Read My Lips”
David Wojnarowicz
groundbreaking artist, activist, and photographer whose work was deeply intertwined with his personal experiences, particularly his HIV/AIDS diagnosis and his involvement with the ACT UP
-“The Manhattan Series” (1980s–1990s):
Robert Mapplethorpe
explored themes of sex, gender, race, identity, and artistic expressi
-The “Perfect Moment” Exhibition (1988)
Judith Butler
prominent philosopher and gender theorist, known for her foundational work in queer theory, feminist philosophy, and post-structuralism.
Catherine Opie
highly influential American photographer known for her exploration of identity, sexuality, and community, particularly within the context of queer culture.
