Izaya Abdurakhmanov
MHC 100 Arts in NYC
I entered this seminar with practically no appreciation for modern art. Then came along the “Pictures by Women: A History of Modern Photography” exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Prior to this exhibit I believed that photography was rather simple and something not requiring much skill. I also didn’t think photography was really art. However, after seeing some striking photos I realized that photography really does take skill and that it can actually have an impact.
The first photo that really caught my eye in the exhibit was called “Venus Chiding Cupid and Removing His Wings” by Julia Margaret Cameron. In this photo there is a female figure, who is supposed to represent Venus from Roman mythology, removing the wings from a naked child, who is supposed to represent Cupid. This photo was taken in 1872 and the photographer, Cameron, was one of the ones who started the idea of the staged photograph according to what I learned from the exhibit. The people in the photo are in costume and are positioned purposely in that manner as opposed to a photograph taken in the moment of an event. What makes this idea of a staged photograph so impressive is that I completely forget I am looking at a photograph because it looks like a painting. The photo literally looked like it was a painting of mythological beings, especially the child. The child in the photo looks pretty angelic due to the nudity enhancing the lightness of his skin color. The child looks so pure and vulnerable and the woman, being above the child, is clearly portrayed as a maternal figure. Both are white therefore stressing the heavenly and mythological theme of the photo. The maternity of the woman in the photo is also highlighted through the title. The woman is chiding the child, which is a necessary thing for mothers to do in order to raise their children. The look on the child’s face looks sorry and sad just exactly how a child’s face would look after getting scolded and punished. Overall, what I liked the most and what impressed me the most about this photograph was the way the people seemed to actually be mythological as well as the angelic qualities of the child placed together with the maternity of the woman.
Another photo that attracted my attention was “ The Wind Harp” by Anne W. Brigman. The reason I stopped to look at this photo was because I like nature and this looked like a nice and interesting picture with a person in nature. In this photo, there is a silhouette of a woman standing next to a short, leafless tree with its branches going in several directions. The figure is holding out its hands as if holding a harp. In the background there is barely any light since the sun has almost set. In class I found out that the person in the picture is the photographer herself. At first glance I though it was the silhouette of a man with long hair but it is a lot more interesting knowing that Brigman posed for her own photos. The reason I thought it was a man was because the figure strongly resembles a centaur. Only the upper body is visible and it looks like it is connected to the tree, which looks like the bottom half of a horse. In addition, the position of the arms makes it look like the figure is holding a bow and arrow. Either way it is a very interesting and fascinating image. What I like is how the background causes the figure to become a part of the nature rather than stand out from it. The non-existent harp in the hands of the figure adds to the harmony and oneness with nature that the photo is conveying. The photographer had to specifically wait until this time of day to take this photo, which is also very impressive and worth noticing. It shows how important the sunset is to the photo is making her become one with nature.
Overall, the exhibition definitely changed my views on photography and modern art. The photos that intrigued me proved to be taken rather skillfully in addition to having a lot of meaning. I also realized how staged photos take a lot of thought and creativity to create a message. Overall, I think that this was an eye-opening experience.
