Category: 1_Student Posts (Page 11 of 12)

The subject matter of American Gothic, 1942 is a Black Woman maid standing in front of the American Flag. The main characteristics of the photograph are The Rule of Thirds, Contrast of Light, and Dark and Patterns. We see the rule of thirds characteristics in the sense that both the broom and the mop are on the lower left and right thirds respectively. The subject and the tools of her trade are also in the lower third of the photo. There are also the stars on the flag in the background which serve as a pattern. One of the most obvious parts of the composition is the contrast between light and dark considering the subject is lit from the left side, the right side of the subject is in darkness, giving a dramatic look.

This photo was taken in 1942 in Washington D.C. To understand this photo you need to realize this photo was taken in 1942, at a time where Black Americans weren’t treated equally and segregation was very much still a pressing issue. The subject of the photo is charwoman Ella Watson. After experiencing Washington D.C. in 1942 without his camera as a status symbol and being treated just as horrible as any Black man in America at the time, he sought the story of Ella Watch who allowed him to take her photo and opened up her home to him. The fact that Parks, composed this photo with a Black woman with cleaning supplies in front of the American flag at a time where Black people were not treated fairly in America conveys the idea that while Black Americans continued to help build and maintain the country that is the USA but wasn’t given the same right as everyone else.

The photograph is titled Red Jackson and it was taken in 1948. The subject matter in this photograph is of a young man called Red Jackson. The subject is staring out a window against the bright sunlight falling down his face. This brings out a sharp contrast between light and dark. The sunlight is very harsh and it makes the color almost white against his face and shoulder. The background is mostly black lacking detail. Another composition that fits is Figure to Ground. Because of its contrast and the amount of space that the subject takes within the frame against the background of the window, it creates a positive/negative space.

The subject, Red Jackson, was the leader of one of the Harlem gangs called Midtowners. Gordon Parks’ intent with the photographs was to reduce the feeling of threats/fears for residents of Harlem. He mentions that he also did want to affect the subject, by recounting their stories. His use of light and dark brings an almost anonymous feel to the subject. He could have gone straight to silhouette, but, we can see Red Jackson, looking out at the streets and pondering. The window line creates a separation from him and society. The broken window glass shows hints of violence and poverty.

The image I decide to talk about is the “Emerging Man” 1952 photograph by Gordan Parks. In this photo we see an African-American man hiding in a manhole. Where this photo was taken was in Harlem according to Gordon Park. This photo with the details of the street and pavement with the blur building in the background gives the idea of the Harlem neighborhood. I really like this photo because it shows the life of African Americans in 1952. It gives off the emotion of sadness and fear. 

In this Photo the terms that best describe it is the Contrast of Light and Dark and Figure to Ground.

In term of composition, it shows a great example of the contrast of light and dark because it the pavement is dark when looking upward the man looks dark and blends with the light of the background. As for the term Figure to Ground which is when the relationship between subject and background can be seen as negative and positive space. The subject of the photo is a man in a manhole and the pavement creates a connection with the subject because of the dark tone and then with negative space of the background bring the focus back to the subject. The reason that the photo is black and white gives off the emotion of fear also the man looks away from the camera demonstrate that around him something frightening is happening.

-Daniel Rodriguez 

The image that I was assigned to study for homework is titled “Emerging Man”, an photograph taken by Gordon Parks in 1952. The photograph features a close-up photo of an African-American male hiding inside of what appears to be a hole in the middle of an area. Since the area in question takes place in Harlem as stated in Gordon Parks’ caption, one can assume that he is surrounded by pavement of some sort, showcasing the streets of the neighborhood. In terms of photography, Parks has displayed some intriguing composition using contrast of light and dark colors to showcase a gritty, “poor” tone to capture Harlem’s lifestyle, as well as using rule of thirds by placing the subject in the upper areas of the image, leaving the bottom half of the image as dark as the hole the subject is inside of.

Gordon Parks uses contrast as well as the Rule of Thirds strategy as a way to pay homage to Ralph Ellison’s novel, Invisible Man. In the novel, Ellison paints a picture of what living conditions were like during the mid-twentieth century. Parks took that idea and made a symbolic approach to it, as he uses the hole as a metaphor for how rough “underground” living was like during Ellison’s time. The colorless background as it becomes more and more grainy as you reach the edges of the photos give off a tone of gloominess as the man looks away from the camera, as if his own focus was more towards something else, which could portray either a sense of hope or more hardship; whichever the case may be, it is certain that his current condition can definitely be considered unfavorable–both for our subject and for us, the readers.