Sally Mann

1. Which of the artists many technical choices are of interest to you and why?

Sally Mann's use of black and white traditional analog photography fascinates me. She makes pictures of contemporary landscapes and people of the south; these technical choices suggest the south's landscape and people are still very haunted by what they would rather stay dead. Some of the photos waver blur and distort as people wish they could forget the south's horrific past or worse manipulate the horror into a romantic antebellum vision. 

2. What do you believe are the artists conceptual and/or thematic intentions?

Mann's black and white photography is appropriate as she wishes to portray the stark truth. The south is not innocent and free of the consequences of the slave trade, civil war, and jim crow laws. The echoes of the past are still heard today. The south's wounds are ignored, left open to fester. Sally presents the first step to healing, facing the fact that the south is wounded. Only once the south can admit and face its past then the south can repent its sins and heal.

3. How do you personally respond to these choices and intents?

I am deeply moved that Sally Mann choses local and seemingly ordinary content to portray the much deeper moral, and psychological conflicts the south faces regarding its past. As a woman growing up in Georgia surrounded by the classist  southern aristocracy these photos are more deeply felt. The southern aristocratic culture, though watered down from the past is still very toxic and needs to be seen, addressed and felt. The pressure I felt in high school to maintain the status quo of public success, wealth, and ease ate a hole in my stomach. Literally, I got an ulcer. Possibly, for similar reasons, three of my peers committed suicide; however, I do not know the minds or experiences of the deceased. Like much southern gothic literature portrays, the southern aristocracy is killing itself in trying to maintain its pride. 

Lewis Hine- Post 1

Schuyler VanSyckle - Anne Laure Autin - Post 1

"Blood Line"---Photos by Anne Laure Autin

1. Which of the artists many technical choices are of interest to you and why?

The choice that Anne made to stage her photos in such a way where they will express the message/meaning that she is trying to portray is one of my favorite things about these images. Anne has positioned her daughter in these photos to create an illustration of  illnesses/death that everyone can understand or even relate to. The way Anne has staged her photos fills me with so many emotions. I have lost many loved ones due to smoking, self harm, and stillbirth. These photos show a simple illustration yet hold such deep meanings. 

2. What do you believe are the artists conceptual and/or thematic intentions?

I believe that Anne's intentions for photographing these images are so that her audience can not only relate to what she was feeling but also to reminisce on the loved ones they've lost due to these conditions. 

3. How do you personally respond to these choices and intents?

I can personally relate to these photographs because I have had loved ones go through the same things that the images are portraying. I have lost a grandfather from his smoking habits, I have lost a friend from self harm, and I have lost a cousin from stillbirth. Anne's technical choices and intentions for these photographs have greatly portrayed the message that she is trying to show her audience. 

Brezaja Hutcheson - Myles Loftin - Post 1

1) which of the artist’s many technical choices are of interest to you and why? 

I love how young photographer Myles Loftin considers the personality of each subject that he captures for his portraits. I feel that he captures their essence precisely, which enables viewers like me to gauge a sense of their persona, whether that be through their fashion sense, the environment that they are in, or the subject matter of the photos. After taking these factors into consideration, Loftin's photos have a way of coming to life, and providing a background for each of his subjects.

This is particularly interesting to me because I wish to do the same thing with my photographic work.  I want to evoke feelings from viewers, and immerse them in a world that they may not be too familiar with, and be unapologetic about displaying queer culture and the expression of my subjects - whether that be artistic, cultural backgrounds, or through one's gender identity or expression.



2) what do you believe are the artist’s conceptual and/or thematic intentions?

I believe that Loftin intends to create visibility for those who may not fit into the "mainstream" category, or what is readily accepted by society.  He aims to make spaces accessible to people that once were not.  Loftin often aims to photograph members of marginalized communities: people of color, members of the queer community, and those with disabilities.  Often times, many of the subjects that he chooses to photograph have intersecting identities.  I believe is his way of emphasizing that people in marginalized communities can occupy many identities, and deserve to be appreciated and acknowledged by all.  He also usually depicts his subjects in their native environments, which is typically urban.  I get the impression that he wishes to highlight the vitality, passion, and uniquely expressive ways of life that these young adults tend to live, which is partly due to living in a fast-paced environment like New York City.


3) how do you personally respond to these choices and intents? 

Whenever I see Loftin's photos, it sparks something in me. The colors that he uses, the composition, as well as the transparency and intimate state that they subjects are in is something that truly inspires me. I consider myself a dreamer, and when I see these images, it transports me to a place that gives me hope and confidence to be myself. It gives me relief to know that there are people in the world like me - a queer individual, a person of color, an artist - and inspires me to think deeply about the message that I want to convey with my art.

After having viewing Loftin's film portraits, it had quickly become the driving inspiration for me to begin shooting on 35mm as well.  The rawness, saturated colors, and nostalgic feel that these images bring struck something in me that I still have yet found the words to explain.  I hope to find the answer to these feelings in work that I can create for myself and others to see.