Reading Photographs
The agents of socialisation have a profound effect when moving from stages of individualism and socialisation, the social network we our placed in drive an extensive amount of influence onto our personal development from a young age in which we may adopt into adult life. 'As part of their integration into society, children are required to adopt certain behavioural standards. These standards vary somewhat from society to society [...]' (Handel, 2011, p. 7) the differentiation from society to society implements both incremental and diametrically opposing opinions from everyones' social and political, etc. opinions.
With photo analysis the impact of socialisation has on the interpretation of the imagery is prevalent. For example, considering the work of Chris Killip, fig. 1, the body of work 'captured the Northern communities at the forefront of resistance to Thatcherism – and gave their struggles a human face.' (Collett, 2020) this series embodies the working class moral, realities and hardship experienced around the time. For me, growing up in a working class household in north east of England the series has a sense of nostalgia and relatability as the town I grew up in has an industrial decline in the fishing industry, leaving economical and political dynamics impacted, especially for those made redundant in these periods. The series in particular with the children, fig. 2 and 3, reflect somewhat of a jovial atmosphere juxtaposed by the surrounding emulating the social commentary but in a sense disregarded by the innocence of children. However, considering a diametrically opposing social class, the punctum of these images will land very differently. Perhaps due to the lack of relatability or nostalgic feel or political standpoint as these images were created in a time when Margret Thatcher was prime minister, were huge divides can be seen the social classes.
These ideas of the agents of socialisation can be counter argued with the changes in opinion from childhood to adult life. As we begin adulthood, we are often refreshing our social networks thus causing for development of our childhood personas. '[...] the directedness of individual action to the 'behaviour of others' as a fundamental component. [...] individuals anticipate other people's behaviour, and include this awareness into their own reasoning and actions' (Kim citing Weber, 2011, p.20) The influences of other with the need for social connection and acceptance asa species develops sometimes a falsified mask in which we use to shapeshifter with the people around us.
The shapeshifting is evident in my experiences, as a child I had very little connection with art and was not exposure to art on a serious level until I was 12/13 in an educational setting. This level of art again was brushed over by some areas of my social agencts as art was considered 'less important' in comparison to STEM subjects, the pressures applied by my network at the time to focus more on 'serious subjects'. However, as I began to mature immediate family and hospital encouraged me to develop a voice through art medium as an escapism, encouraging me to explore and develop an opinion of art. When progressing into further education, my new educational network exposed me to a variety of art forms encouraging for inspiration to be taken from all elements of artistry. To present day were art is now a prevalent sector of my life and personality. Thus the change of social network from childhood to adulthood has challenged original beliefs and given me a new appreciation for art, which if I was shown this element at a younger age the response would be very different.
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Reflecting on recent examples of image deconstruction, it is evident the agents of socialisation have a direct impact on the thoughts and opinions we share. An element I find interesting is the interpretations people have of a singular image especially as there are no right and wrong answers. However, simultaneously when decoding imagery it can be hard for one to understand another's interpretation. To overcome this mental block I can have, collaboration will be an important part of my journey, as often I work on my photography in solitude. By collaborating I will once again change my social network to help engrain a wider understanding of photography.
Reference list
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Collett, R., 2020. Chris Killip: Photographer of the Working Class. [online] Tribunemag.co.uk. Available at: <https://tribunemag.co.uk/2020/11/remembering-chris-killip-photographer-of-the-working-class> [Accessed 25 June 2022].
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Handel, G., 2011. Childhood socialization. 2nd ed. Transaction Publishers.
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​Keim, S., 2011. Social Networks and Family Formation Processes. Springer Science & Business Media.
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Advertisment campaign
Fig. 1, Guy Bourdin, Charles Jourdan, Ad Campaign, 1975
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The Charles Jourdan campaign shot by Bourdin, fig. 1, connotes themes of sex, female empowerment and fashion. With the female liberation movement beginning in the early 1970s, women began to find empowerment both in their gender and sex,
‘There also was sexual liberation, which had something to do with women liberating themselves in the bedroom, too, but had as much to do with loosening norms around sex. In 1960, half of 19-year-old women who were unmarried had not yet had sex. By the late 1980s, as Nancy Cohen pointed out, two-thirds of all women had done the deed by age 18.’ (Kohn, 2015)
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This new sexual liberation transcended into main stream media, with the late 1960s beginning to see the emergency of nudity and other sexual themes presented in advertisement campaigns, fig. 2.
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Fig. 2, Brylcreem television advert, 1965
The 70s began to intensify the era of sex, drugs and rock and roll, the campaign epitomises these themes through the power dynamic between photographer and subject, the elongation of the legs creates strong leading lines, and in particular the right leg framing the sandal which is the product advertised. The use of red in the swimsuit, formulates speculation of sex and passion especially as the red is paired with a tight-fitting bathing suit, again clinging to the subject curves further exaggerating her curves and framing the left side of the frame, this adds a sexualised nature the photo which is very fitting of the ideologies of the time. Additionally, the complementary colour blocking of the red paired with the colour block of the green glass and sandal fragments the frame against the tungsten surroundings to frame the subject and the product of the shoe. The main focal point of the imagery surrounds the shoe area, the masking of the subject identity contributes to the sexualised mystery of the narrative, the missing identity has a direct correlation to the sexualisation of the image upholding the current ideological conventions in the commercial industry of ‘sex sells’.
Reference list
Kohn, S., 2015. The Seventies: The sex freakout - CNN. [online] CNN. Available at: <https://edition.cnn.com/2015/07/21/opinions/kohn-seventies-sexual-revolution/index.html> [Accessed 19 June 2022].
Reichert, T. and Lambiase, J., 2012. Sex in advertising. New York: Routledge.
Resource list
Bourdin, G., 1975. Guy Bourdin, Charles Jourdan, Ad Campaign, 1975. [online] Louise Alexander Gallery / AFP. Available at: <https://www.louise-alexander.com/artists/35-guy-bourdin/works/698-guy-bourdin-charles-jourdan-ad-campaign-1975/> [Accessed 19 June 2022].
Youtube. 2020. Brylcreem Television advert, 1965. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hu4yxN66rE> [Accessed 19 June 2022].
Comparative Piece- McCurry and Bieber
Both portraits have a humanised captivation, the composition emulates an illusion of the eyes following the viewer, the punctum of sustained eye contact establishes a power imbalance between the viewer and photographer.
The subjects’ eyes are lined with the grid intersections (rule of thirds) ensuring the photographer instils the power and autonomy with the subject. Considering the context of each photograph both subjects have experienced deliberating circumstances but have been photographed in an empowering way.
The juxtaposition between the power the subject may have had at the time and the power photographed by each photographer through the equalised levelling of position and intersection of eyes constructs a diametrically opposing narrative between context and the power dynamics.
