other juxtaposed images

Thoughts...

These tableau vivant images, or living images are narrative filled. They are still scenes with activity and the sense of time passed. I find when i take pictures, i fit myself to the scene, i think I'd feel like i was cheating if i asked someone to pose for me. Plus, actors or not, i find people could never do exactly what i wanted them to, and I'd end up taking pictures of myself, which is even less ideal because i would be 100 times more critical. I enjoy the fluidity of a spontaneous picture, it may work, it may not. As soon as i put too much thought into a shot, i take rubbish pictures. I found this was so with the second image project (juxtaposed images). I was trying to hard to relate one picture to another, rather than just taking as many interesting images as possible.

 

The images journalists capture are perhaps a good combination of spontaneity and staging. They go to places where there will almost certainly be a photo opportunity and just click away, trigger happy. Compositionally the images may not be ideal, but this adds to the rich narrative these images often have.

 

 

 

Petros Giannakouris. The observers top 2o pics of the week. Taken from http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/gallery/2012/sep/29/observer-20-photographs-of-week#/?picture=396893005&index=0

Ivan Avarado/ Reuters. Source : as above.

Juxtaposed Images.. The beginning

First Cam Project- Unedited

Line

Pattern

Symmetry

Texture

View Point

 

Tableau Vivant photographes

Jason Shmidt, directed by Vanessa Beecroft. Influenced by Manets Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe and McCarthy's The Garden.

Ryan Shude, all Untitled.  Taken from http://www.modny73.com/artwork/photography/living-pictures-tableau-vivant-photography-by-ryan-schude.

Adad Hannah, Taken from googleimages.com

 As I look at more images I'm finding more and more that the tableau vivant style has these qualities; they are dream like, surreal and have a fairytale like narrative. The images are either frozen moments, or what i'll call 'still time', meaning the scene is still but there is still suggestion of time. The lighting is often very dark with suggestion of light, this creates quite a dramatic effect, and makes one think of spotlight lighting on a stage. 

staged vs spontaneous images- Jeff Wall

Jeff Wall, Passerby. Taken from googleimages.com

                           Jeff Wall, Vampires Picnic. Taken from googleimages.com

Jeff Wall, A Sudden Gust of wind. Taken from googleimages.com

Artist Summary - Jeff Wall

Jeff Wall was a prominent tableau vivant contemporary photographic artist; meaning his images were staged or choreographed to create a solidly recognisable narrative. The word tableau vivant means ‘living picture’. Wall discusses two styles of living pictures which he uses; the one being the ornate artifice is obvious in that the images narrative is fantastical such as Insomnia. And the other style which is much more subtle and the images staging is less obvious such as in Passerby, where it is a glance, something more naturally staged than Walls other style. Since the 1980's Wall began using digital manipulation to create his desired effect. Wall also appropriates Renaissance style artifices such as angles that lead the eye to another section of the image. The use of light boxes to display his work gives a balance between photograph and painting that niether would achieve alone. The light box gives the images a greater presence and gives the sense of advertisements on billboards, yet because his work is viewed in gallery spaces rather than on buildings, one gives greater time and thought to his work.



Jeff Wall, Insomnia. Taken from googleimages.com

Jeff Wall, Passerby. Taken from googleimages.com