What photo "pricks" you?

[brainmonster]

In his book Camera Lucida, Roland Barthes analyzes photography in terms of two concepts: studium and punctum. Studium is what causes an detached intellectual interest in you of the photograph, what you can learn from it, the time period etc. Punctum is the personal emotional reaction you have to the image or a detail in the image. I found his analysis pretty interesting, since he focuses on the primary importance of the personal and individual emotional impact a detail or details in an image has, a private emotional reaction and journey that one take's oneself from the photograph, from which derives the true meaning of what is depicted in the image - it cannot be universalized since each identity is a particular and not reduceable to an image or representation.

This photo personally interests me in an intellectual way as well as caused an emotional reaction.
Perhaps one reason why this image is interesting is because it was taken in 1931, thus the details, objects, are all nostalgic and representative of the time period.
However the detail that "pricks" me in particular is the kid's shoes - they look very old fashioned and working class, and bring to forefront the time period in question, and show their age and time. It makes me wonder if this boy is still alive, what happened to him since the picture was taken, and imagine what adventures may have transpired in his life.

Do you have an image that pricks you in a particular way? While it may not apply to others, the emotional reaction of an image is personal and what Barthes argues, are what separate the deluge of objective images that one studies with detached interest until one comes across an important image to oneself that touches you in some way.

Ernest by André Kertész taken in 1931.

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Everything in this photo screams old to me.

Photography is often, if not always the mirror. It is up to each individual to explore, learn, memorize and feel what this individual will see in the mirrored to the light sensitive layer.
Two concepts (to be self stupun) or the World.

 

[ced]

How about Gauri Gill's photograph.
https://www.documenta14.de/en/artists/13545/gauri-gill

 

[Helios 1984]

He might very well be alive, about the same age as my grand father.

 

[warden]

One of my favorites. I've seen a print of it once and it's a keeper. I inquired about purchasing a copy but it was too expensive for me. Lovely image and moment.

Emmet GowinNancy, Danville, Virginia1969

https://www.moma.org/collection/works/46763

 

[brainmonster]

Yes, the arms and eggs have an effect, I think it's the distortion of the body and of the confusion of the egg and morphism with her arms. This is disturbing because it calls into question what is there, and what is real, because what is pictured unquestionably happened because it is a photograph but by a kind of trick it seems unreal as she plays with light and shape. There is also a play with time, as is evident in pictures of children (they are now older), and I think there is a play with the picture of the egg (that which brings life about).

There's also the question of time which Barthes says is the "new punctum, which is no longer of form but of intensity, is Time, the lacerating emphasis of the noeme ("That -has-been")[noeme means 'object of thought], its pure representation".

"more or lessed blurred beneat the abundance and disparity of contemporary photographs, is vividly legible in historical photographs: there is always a defeat of Time in them" (Barthes). As Ko. Fe. noted above, historical photographs "screams old to me", and historical photographs are touching (at least to me) because it's obvious that things have changed since they happened, what is there is no longer there precisely, and it reaches to one of the cores of a photograph (the moment of the past).

The photograph that Ced posted by Gauri Gill is also disturbing because it represents death, another defeat of time, and the fact that a photograph taken in the past like that might indicate that the subject is now dead, regardless of whether the picture is "fake" or not, we can't really be sure, but we can be sure that the scene really happened at some point regardless of how, because of the photographs referent to reality.

One of my favorites. I've seen a print of it once and it's a keeper. I inquired about purchasing a copy but it was too expensive for me. Lovely image and moment.

Emmet GowinNancy, Danville, Virginia1969

https://www.moma.org/collection/works/46763

 

[macfred]

For me it is 'The Three Graces' by Sally Mann,1994.
Content warning - some viewers may find disturbing : https://www.jacksonfineart.com/artists/125-sally-mann/works/32890/

 

[removedacct1]

"The Repulsive Bed" by Clarence John Laughlin was one of the first photographs I encountered during my art education (Ontario College of Art, 1983-86) that spoke to some latent Gothic sensibility I held within me.

https://static.mfah.com/collection/104995.jpg?maxWidth=1000&maxHeight=1000&format=jpg

https://www.mfah.org/art/detail/5226?returnUrl=/art/search?artist=Clarence+John+Laughlin&page=2

 

[pbromaghin]

Japanese girl with an apple, taken during the removal of Japanese from the west coast in 1942. My in-laws were part of this, losing nearly everything they had. She looks like my wife at that age and is about the same age as my granddaughter. I am struck by her sad calm, clutching her purse and eating an apple, amid the madness all around.

 

[warden]

Yes, the arms and eggs have an effect, I think it's the distortion of the body and of the confusion of the egg and morphism with her arms. This is disturbing because it calls into question what is there, and what is real, because what is pictured unquestionably happened because it is a photograph but by a kind of trick it seems unreal as she plays with light and shape. There is also a play with time, as is evident in pictures of children (they are now older), and I think there is a play with the picture of the egg (that which brings life about).

There's also the question of time which Barthes says is the "new punctum, which is no longer of form but of intensity, is Time, the lacerating emphasis of the noeme ("That -has-been")[noeme means 'object of thought], its pure representation".

"more or lessed blurred beneat the abundance and disparity of contemporary photographs, is vividly legible in historical photographs: there is always a defeat of Time in them" (Barthes). As Ko. Fe. noted above, historical photographs "screams old to me", and historical photographs are touching (at least to me) because it's obvious that things have changed since they happened, what is there is no longer there precisely, and it reaches to one of the cores of a photograph (the moment of the past).

I have Barthes and his mom kicking around here somewhere but haven't read him in fifteen years I bet. I recall his analysis as useful for me, helping me go beyond just "I like this picture" and think about why I was responding to images the way that I do.

 

[warden]

For me it is 'The Three Graces' by Sally Mann,1994.
Content warning - some viewers may find disturbing : https://www.jacksonfineart.com/artists/125-sally-mann/works/32890/

Now that's interesting, I'm a fan of Sally Mann but have somehow missed this image! I bet it was a funny scene - "Ok girls, one, two, THREE!"

It reminds me a bit of Edith Gowin relieving herself in the barn, but this is even better considering the mother/daughter dynamics and arms raised.

 

[macfred]

Now that's interesting, I'm a fan of Sally Mann but have somehow missed this image! I bet it was a funny scene - "Ok girls, one, two, THREE!"

It reminds me a bit of Edith Gowin relieving herself in the barn, but this is even better considering the mother/daughter dynamics and arms raised.

Emmet Gowin took so many beautiful and intimate frames of Edith - love those photographs !

 

[jtk]

"Do you have an image that pricks you in a particular way? While it may not apply to others, the emotional reaction of an image is personal and what Barthes argues, are what separate the deluge of objective images that one studies with detached interest until one comes across an important image to oneself that touches you in some way. ?"

"Roland Barthes analyzes..."

Barthes "analyzes" ...in order to distance himself from a more direct, less cluttered response.

Minor White teaches something more personal and direct than "analysis.."

 

[John Koehrer]

Gowin's "Nancy" reminds me of Diane Arbus' work.

 

[Ariston]

What a wonderful thread. The types of images you are talking about represent the polar opposite of Instagram culture, and I know exactly what you mean.

 

[Kino]

Duane Michaels: "Death Comes to an Old Lady" sequence
http://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/duane-michals-death-comes-to-the-old-lady

I am searching my mind to remember the photographer/journalist who took a horrific photo of the immediate aftermath of a farm tractor tire explosion that killed the father and son, but left a stunned wife looking on in disbelief. That one is hard to look at; perhaps it's best if I can't find it again...

 

[pentaxuser]

Japanese girl with an apple, taken during the removal of Japanese from the west coast in 1942. My in-laws were part of this, losing nearly everything they had. She looks like my wife at that age and is about the same age as my granddaughter. I am struck by her sad calm, clutching her purse and eating an apple, amid the madness all around.

View attachment 232245

This one gets to me every time. First time I saw this picture it reminded me of the kind of look my grand-daughter would have in the same situation. I will go to bed depressed after seeing this, as I did the first time. It reinforces my belief that since then we have not moved forward one jot as a species as recent events seem to demonstrate. Here's hoping that yours and my grand-daughter can expect better

pentaxuser

 

[pbromaghin]

Pentaxuser - I'm sorry to bring that onto you. It does make me momentarily sad, but since I know the people in my life came through it, how the next 2 generations came out and the 3rd is beginning, it's not so bad.

 

[pentaxuser]

I hope your optimism is justified,pbromaghin. I think the little girl's look reminds me of my grand daughter's look on the thankfully few occasions she is sad and "lost". She is not Japanese even in part but her stature, hair style and hair colour and even facial features to a certain extent were not dissimilar to this little girl who has a vulnerability combined with dignity that is heart rending

pentaxuser

 

[perkeleellinen]

Koen Wessing Chili, September 1973

https://www.tours.fr/uploads/Externe/9f/18669_660_koen-wessing.jpg

I think this fits the studium and punctum concepts for me. Firstly, it's historically interesting and Wessing was in the right place at just the right time. But more than that, this photo is fascinating with the composition; those security types semi-hidden in the left, the fellow briskly walking by, the political prisoners painting over anti-Junta graffiti within an almost totally deserted scene. Also, Wessing's hard printing with the really obvious dodging and burning really gets me thinking about his technique.

[Koen Wessing's daughter used to be active on Flickr and she used to pass on complements from fans to her dad].

 

[jtk]

Duane Michaels: "Death Comes to an Old Lady" sequence
http://www.orderofthegooddeath.com/duane-michals-death-comes-to-the-old-lady

I am searching my mind to remember the photographer/journalist who took a horrific photo of the immediate aftermath of a farm tractor tire explosion that killed the father and son, but left a stunned wife looking on in disbelief. That one is hard to look at; perhaps it's best if I can't find it again...

Excellent link. That stuff isn't the opposite of cheerful ...and it does hint at the stupidity of all but a little street photography. And it neglects ecstasy (per Weston et al) not to mention joy and boogie.

 

[CMoore]

For me.?
There are dozens and dozens of them.
It could change daily.

I remember seeing these three for the first time. The first two were many years ago.
They both frightened me in their own way.


The Jimi photo i was not aware of until 5-10 year ago.
It was, almost, like gazing at an Ansel Adams landscape photo. I must have stared at it for a minute, maybe.


Eddie Adams - Vietnam War

Josef Koudelka - Prague 1968.?

at Yale University 1968

 

[VinceInMT]

There are just so many to choose from. I'd go for something by Man Ray or Lazlo Maholy-Nagy. Or maybe a Weston.

Coincidentally I am taking a college class in Visual Theory and Criticism and each student is assigned a lesson to teach/lead. I'll be doing Part 2 of Barthes the end of next month.