Photography unlike paintings has the ability to capture reality and look more authentic. This group of pictures depicted everything from the human figure to social problems to the glitz and glam of Hollywood and the Jazz culture. Most of the photos were in black and white, which moved the concentration to the content within the photographs, not how colorful they had in them. Some of the first photographs were of nude women, human torsos, and human body parts, such as The Hand in Doorway. Others included pictures of regular, everyday people, such as a tenant farmer’s wife, a piano player, people at Venice beach and other places, etc.

However, the pictures that stood out to me were the ones that showed an image in a unique way, tried to convey a unique message or depicted well-known people. The first was of photograph of a statue of a man holding a bow and arrow pointing directly at a man walking down a long hallway. The second was of a female mannequin looking outside the window at a woman passing by the window. Both photographs show a strange interaction between inanimate human figures and real humans. The photographs of famous people included Jean Cocteau, Joan Crawford, Edward Steichen (self-portrait), Pablo Picasso, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Billie Holiday, Pearl Bailey, Count Basie and the cast of The Misfits (Marilyn Monroe). These photographs either showed these Hollywood and Jazz greats in normal everyday life or doing what they do best, acting and performing.

The last set of the photographs had a serious impact on me. They were photographs of African refugees and child soldiers. The first photograph was of Rwandan refugees. Standing around in a group in the photograph, they all looked lost, without a home. The second was a picture of the chest of a girl from Sierra Leone. She was a child soldier who had the initials R.U.F. branded on her chest. This picture saddened me because it was as if she was being treated like an animal or piece of meat that belonged to others. The gallery really conveyed the broad views and aspects of human life.

Edward Steichen’s Joan Crawford (1932) uses few elements, such as an emphasis on contrast, to convey a deeper message. The focal point of the gelatin silver print (11” by 14”) photograph is Joan Crawford. It is a sharp photograph with high contrast of blacks, whites and few grays. In the foreground, Joan Crawford is dressed in a black robe and she has a white rose on the left side of her chest. Her robe puffs out onto the floor, which is made of wooden planks that have spots. Both of her hands with painted nails are on her left hip and her right arm crosses over her midsection. Joan’s face is in low-key lighting, which means it is half in shadow and half in light. Also, her eyes are downward, her lips pouted and one eyebrow is up. Her short hair is straight, but cascades into curls. To the right of her is a large, square cushioned seat, which she is leaning on, and has a white top and a dark gray bottom with a sewed line in the middle. In the background, there is a plain white wall that is dark at the top, but light at the bottom with shadows of her arms. At the right of the wall, there is a wide, black cloth and a slight shadow behind it.

The photograph itself gave a sense of tension and suppressed feelings within its simplicity. Joan’s half lit face presented a sense of uncertainty or conflict. Her raised eyebrow suggested a condescending look, as if she was trying to be strong or hide her feelings. But her pout, downward eyes and single presence gave off a feeling of sadness and loneliness. Also, she is leaning against the seat and holding her hips, and I felt that she was trying to hold herself up. I could relate to that emotion of trying to be strong and feeling as if no one is around to catch me when I fall.

Billie Holiday’s song, “Sophisticated Lady”, complements Joan Crawford because it conveys that sense of gracefulness yet loneliness portrayed in the photograph. It is a slow blues song that uses only piano, guitar and drums with a trumpet solo and resembles the simplistic nature of the photograph. The song’s title communicates the poised appearance of Joan Crawford. The two lyrics that reminds me of the photograph are “…with disillusion in your eyes” and “…and when nobody is nigh, you cry.” Joan Crawford’s eyes showed disappointment and she was alone like in the two lyrics. “Sophisticated Lady” matches the feeling of isolation that I saw in the photograph.

My choice of Steichen’s photograph shows that I am a minimalist when it comes to visual art. I was immediately drawn to picture because there was so little happening in the photograph. The simplicity enhanced its intensity and forced me to decipher the subtleties within it.