Visual Culture - The 1970s to the digital revolution.

From the 70's onward was a very exciting time in the photography world. Advances in technology with cameras, making them so small that they were able to go on a strap around your Neck and the introduction of colour film was to totally re-create the industry.

Martin Parr A Photographer that was heavily criticised for his subjects and style of photography. He was frowned upon for taking pictures of people that were deemed less fortunate thank him.

To me, I feel he's just showing parts of life that strike him as amazing or annoying. Take for example, his picture of the person eating a Bacon sandwich. He says even the Queen has the same issue as us. That we don't want the fat in our mouth and we try to work our way around it at all costs.

https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/blog/a-spotters-guide-to-martin-parr/

Maybe it's just the viewer taking offence to the images before trying to find out Parr's real reason for the image.

He takes lots of Images and uses a 'Ring Flash' this is almost like having a mini studio strapped to his Camera and is fantastic for close up shots.

http://www.art-days.com/martin-parr-1952/

http://www.photoforager.com/archives/martin-parr/martin-parr

Other major advances that are still used today were the age of digital photography. This was groundbreaking technology that would potentially bring most use for film to an end. A very worrying time for the manufacturers but a huge much needed boost to ready the industry for the 21st century.

Kodak DCS 100, 1991

http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/news/537891/16-digital-cameras-that-changed-the-world.html

A Photographer that not only takes amazingly composed photographs but the people he takes the Photographs of are World Leaders and A list Celebrities.
My reason for being interested in him making photographs of these people is, although there are hundreds, possibly thousands of candid pictures of these people and Movies with them in. None of these pictures actually capture their true self.

Being able to get up close and personal with the likes of leader of the revolution of Libya Muammar Gaddafi and actually have a few moments of his time to be able to compose him for your own work is a pretty amazing.

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/photographing-gaddafi

A technique Playton uses when photographing these high profile subjects is to shoot from a very low perspective. This gives the subject an aura of a God-like figure. making you feel almost dominated by the picture.

He says he's very clear about what his pictures read but finds it very interesting to hear how other viewers interpret them.

http://reelfoto.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/platon-power-of-portrait.html

This image he was commissioned to take of President Bill Clinton was to be his last official Portrait as President. He was instructed to take a neutral, formal Headshot rather than putting his own signature style into the Photograph.

After this instruction Platon said to the President. "Mr President. Will you show me the love?" This obviously didn't go down too well with his staff but President Clinton assured everyone he understood what Platon was talking about.

Months after taking this image, there was a debate regarding the way it was composed. the way his Hands were placed so far in front of the rest of his body to give them a larger perspective to the rest of his body. The Smirk on his face, even down to the way his Tie is pointing to his Crotch. Some believe this was composed this way to signify how he got away with the things he was accused of.

Is this looking into a Photograph too much and making something of nothing?

Absolutely not!

If a simple image can create so many debates and controversy, simply from a Tie and a small trick of perspective then the Photographer won.

Not only does he take Photographs of World Leads but he also visited Egypt during the revolution. He set up a pop-up Studio in the Street and invited the people to sit for him.

He doesn't see his images as just 'images'. His images are more of a story.

Visual Culture- 1950s and 1960s pop culture in USA and Britain.

Documentary, street and fashion photographers in the 1960's.

This was a new age of photography, with the likes of David Bailey and Terence Donovan hitting the fashion scene and making for the first time photography a sexy industry. It was Photographers like these that would make the famous even more famous. The Rockstars and supermodels were all lining up to have their photo taken. The photos would be spread across the world in magazines and newspapers.

Not only did this boost the fame of the already famous but the photographers were all of a sudden celebrities.

Twiggy, photographed by Terence Donovan for Woman's Mirror, August 27 1966 Photo: © 2012 Terence Donovan Archive

French Elle, September 1 1966: 'Du Nouveau sous le nouveau tunnel', shot by Terence Donovan. Photo: © Archives Elle/HFA/Terence Donovan

David Bailey, Photograph by Terry O’Neill/Getty Images. Published in GQ, November 1999.

David Bailey, Michael Caine (1965)

http://uk.phaidon.com/agenda/photography/picture-galleries/2010/april/13/david-bailey-look/?idx=3

Not only was fashion a style that was getting a lot of recognition but Street and documentary where well respected.

Garry Winogrand, a photographer from New York City was and still is a huge name in Street Photography. He photographed the struggles and general day to day life.

http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Garry-Winogrand.html

http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Garry-Winogrand.html

http://www.atgetphotography.com/The-Photographers/Garry-Winogrand.html

Eddie Adams was a photojournalist from America and his work took him to the war in Vietnam. Being able to work on 35mm Cameras in the 60's Eddie Adams had the advantage of being able to take literally thousands of pictures and send them back to the press to print.

Eddie Adams, Marine Crossfire, Vietnam,1965

http://www.monroegallery.com/photographers/detail/id/370

Eddie Adams, Black Soldier U.S. 1st Cavalry, Vietnam, 1966

http://www.monroegallery.com/photographers/detail/id/802

Visual Culture - 1930's USA The Great Depression.

From the start of the 1930's in america the great depression hit. This effected all classes of society. Not only was it the stock market that rapidly plummeted but the natural disaster known as 'The Dust Bowl' happened. This stopped any crops growing, therefore hitting the farming industry hard too.

http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/photos/

http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/photos/

http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/dustbowl/photos/

The people that were unable to find work to support themselves and their families were forced out of the cities into refugee camps. the photographers from the press were sent to report.

His photographs captured the poverty and desperation of the camps. for the people back in the cities who were still able to work, this must have looked like a third world country but it was only down the road.

Visual Culture - 20th Century Art Photography.

By the early 20th century, the Camera had become far more advanced. Things like faster film speed was developed, giving photographers a lot more room for creativity and capturing in less light thank before. Although nowhere near as advanced as now, this was seen to be groundbreaking. It was also becoming more accessible to people with less money.


Photographers were able to set up studios and invite the public in to have their portrait taken. Although still more for the upper-class, The industry was starting to get more accessible.

 http://www.photographymuseum.com/histsw.htm

 http://www.photographymuseum.com/histsw.htm

http://www.photographymuseum.com/histsw.htm

This was also the start of early Street Photography. Photographers didn't have to take a darkroom everywhere with them so the possibilities were much greater. You can see from the light trails from the cars and motion blur from the people that the cameras were still not as fast as today but a lot faster than the older 19th Century ones.

 http://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-new-york-famous-nyc-locations-in-pictures-2011-11?op=1

 http://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-new-york-famous-nyc-locations-in-pictures-2011-11?op=1

 http://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-new-york-famous-nyc-locations-in-pictures-2011-11?op=1

http://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-new-york-famous-nyc-locations-in-pictures-2011-11?op=1

Visual Culture - Late 19th Century

Photography by the end of the 19th Century was starting to become popular. This is down to the availability of equipment. The invention of Silver Gelatin Dry plate in 1871. made it possible for photographers to take out film with them apposed to having to take a whole darkroom with all the chemical treatment.

George Eastman introduced a camera  in 1888, called the Kodak, that had a roll of the flexible cellulose film. This Kodak was the start of popular photography and ensured that Cameras were now available for almost anyone.

The Kodak (original)

http://www.fiberq.com/cam/

George Eastman's motto was, “You push the button, we do the rest!” The Camera had a single shutter speed and fixed Lens. The Whole unit was to be returned when the film was used fully. This was because the Film needed to be kept in the light-tight box, so not to spoil the film.

In 1900 Eastman came up with the Brownie. This was for sale for $1

Visual Culture - The Industrial Revolution

The American Civil war was one of the first wars covered by Photography in the 19th Century. Photography was still a very new medium for recording things so advances had only got to 'wet plate' this was a very slow process and demanded patience. The equipment needed was very large and heavy so getting everything into the battlefield was an large-scale operation in its self. as you can see from the picture below, it was far from a one-man job. Each shot on the wet plate's took quite a long time to prepare. The Wagon in the photograph is actually the Darkroom. This was needed to be kept close by for the process to be done as quickly as possible.

http://www.civilwar.org/photos/3d-photography-special/photography-and-the-civil-war.html

For the first time, photos of war could be seen as almost real life rather than paintings. This showed people on the home front the true violence of the war, rather thank the usual paintings that were artist's impressions.

"A harvest of death", a famous scene from the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, in Pennsylvania, in July of 1863(Timothy H. O'Sullivan/LOC) 

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/02/the-civil-war-part-1-the-places/100241/

Confederate dead lie among rifles and other gear, behind a stone wall at the foot of Marye's Heights near Fredericksburg, Virginia on May 3, 1863. Union forces penetrated the Confederate lines at this point, during the Second Battle of Fredericksburg.(Mathew Brady/NARA)

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/02/the-civil-war-part-1-the-places/100241/

African Americans collect the remains of soldiers killed in battle near Cold Harbor, Virginia, in April of 1865. (LOC)

http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2012/02/the-civil-war-part-1-the-places/100241/

Visual Culture- 17th. And 18th. Centuries.

In the 17th and 18th centuries only for the church or the very rich was it allowed to create art work. This was to be sure only particular subjects were painted. Therefore curbing creativity and spreading the wrong message or propaganda. This could potentially harm the control of society.

When painting portrait pictures of the rich, the artist would include some of the sitters possessions. This could be items or food that were seen to give them wealth and status or they may be painted with their land/estate in the background, as pictured in: 'Thomas Gainsborough, Mr. and Mrs. Andrews; 1748-9' (above)

Visual Culture - The Renaissance.

Hieronymus Bosch

A painter from the Netherlands is a very famous painter from the Renaissance era. His subject as many great pieces from that era was of the Church and religion. The time of his work was very strict on who was allowed to create art and of course the subjects were very strict.

Hieronymus' paintings were full of humour and surrealism. All of his paintings created narrative and would always hold particular meaning.

http://www.hieronymus-bosch.org/Tabletop-of-the-Seven-Deadly-Sins-and-the-Four-Last-Things,-(detail-of-The-Eye-of-God-which-Sees-the-Committing-of-the-Seven-Deadly-Sins).html

The image above which was created for a table top is based on the Seven deadly sins. From what looks a very colourful is actually telling of all humanities downfalls. Quite obvious messages when the painting is studied.

http://www.hieronymus-bosch.org/The-Conjuror.html

Another of his famous pieces which is a humorous piece of work is 'The Conjurer'. It shows a magician performing to a group of people while a pickpocket is stealing from one of them.

The Middle Ages - Pre-Columbian America.

The Mayan Calendar.

http://www.premierlife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Mayan-Calendar.jpg

The Mayan Calendar is thought to have been created around 1050ad. The Calendar was very accurate, even compared to todays technology. It is mate up of 3 separate dating systems, all working together to create a date.

The Three systems are: the 'Long Count' the 'Tzolkin' and the 'Haab'.

• The Long Count represents the number of days since the start of the Mayan era.
• The Tzolkin represents weeks of either 13 or 20 days.
• The Haab is an 18 month system of which months contain 20 days followed my 5 single days making a 365 day year.

Mayan Art.

An example of Mayan art was discovered in 1912 at the ruins of Xultun. It was investigated up until the 1970's around the site where much more was found.

Ancient Egyptian to this day is still recognised for it's religious beliefs. Wether it be for the amazing paintings on Papyrus or their unexplainable architecture. Although dating back past 3000BCE their visual communication lives on in a broad scale of things in contemporary life.
Modern jewellery pays homage in a number of different ways to Ancient Egypt.

Egyptians had around 2000 Gods for a manner of different parts of their life. Believing that everything that happened to them was a direction from a particular god.

• Anubis.

"Since Jackals were often seen in cemeteries, the ancient Egyptians believed Anubis watched over the dead."

Anubis is a well known religious figure who is still used in many different ways today.

(Image and quote: http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/anubis.html)

The Egyptians were very visual when it came to recording religious practice. The weighing of the Heart is one that was famously recorded. We can see from the painting that the Heart was weighed against a feather. The Hieroglyphics have been translated to tell the story, The Heart of the dead is weighed against the 'feather of truth'. Should the heart be lighter than the feather, the dead will pass on to the next world. If the Heart was heavier it would be eaten by the monster that was, part Lion, part Hippo and part Crocodile.