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| Auguste Belloc & Félix Jacques Antoine Moulin, Femme sur un lit, 1856 |
Plenty to discuss: photo as reportage, as art. Illustration as fashion, as natural science, as social mores, as war reportage, as the exotic. Harper's cultural contribution. Victorian design and Pre-Raphaelite design. And the emerging Arts and Crafts.
Next week I'll talk about a huge market for 19th century erotica illustrations, daguerreotypes and early photography: EROTICA!
30 comments:
The beginning of fashion illustration may have very well marked the point in time when women and magazine viewers/advertising consumers alike began to compare themselves to perfected images of the human form. In other words, these visual representations created a high and sometimes unrealistic standard for what is considered attractive within a society. For example, Charles Dana Gibson’s illustrations transcended their role as pin-up girls and literally became an American icon of beauty. These images may have established a somewhat unrealistic standard for women to live up to during the 20th century, but it seems that an 18-inch corset and limited oxygen supply seemed like a reasonable price to pay if one were to look like a Gibson Girl. Fashion illustrations and photography alike will continue to create perfected ideas of beauty, and although there is nothing wrong with wanting to look good, it appears that individuals will go to various extremes in order to design themselves to match their idea of beauty.
Here is a look into what some of those might be:
Beauty Ideals Around the World
The invention of the printing press and the development of magazines as entertainment, laid a more modern foundation for what entertainment is today. The Harper's Dynasty shines throught as a leader in timeless, influential magazines. The magazine catered to a broad audience and portrayed entertainment in a new light. Literature, art, show fliers, and advertisements surfaced as an art form in a more accesible and tagible manner. Magazines allowed forthe masses to view what was once only available to higher society. Poems, art, and fashion trends were now available to be viewed, admired, and interpreted by the public. This in turn had a great role in the developement of individual style. People could view, read, and admire things of their interest.
I find early advertising very interesting. The earliest advertisements (in modern day terms) were based mostly on soap and cigarettes. Due to the time, people were more expressive and more rebellious. This lead to interesting advertising. In this time copywrite laws were not concrete, and advertisers got away with anything. Sexual appeal and product promises, lacking real evidence, were of often used to draw in consumers. Medicinal advertising often showcased heroine, marijuana, cocaine, and even cigarettes to be beneficial to health.
I think it is sad that due to competition and lack of time, magazines have lost a truely artistic feel. Even art magazines are saturated by petty ads piled into pages. However, today both as businesses and consumers, we are able to cater more specifically to various needs and preferences than ever before. Advertising laws are also more concrete today, and it is against the law to write false and potentially harmful claims to push a hard sell. Magazines have certainly lost the personal touch that Harpers and other early magazines portrayed in their products, however consumers today are more satisfied because of the market variety.
The use of illustration regarding social mores and war was probably to me, the most interesting topic. Even though we are largely looking the evolution of art in general, its use as a political and social tool are just as relevant--the way that it makes certain historical figures look, acting as a caricature for many, and emphasizing certain physical features for exaggerating the appearance, or even adding visual cues to point to certain social or political policies. The trends seen in popular illustration art, such as children's books or comics in the newspaper or superheroes, also shows the certain trends that a society is experiencing, what is important and relevant to each, and varies between different cultures.
-Stephanie Kryzak
The advent of photography is one of the most critical developments for the spread of ideas. Second only to the printing press. It has become important to, if not the base for, a variety of processes, including: the spread of news, education, research, and of course, art. Without photography, many scientific discoveries might not have been possible. Rosalind Franklin used x-ray photography to discover the structure of DNA. In today’s textbooks, photographs are not absolutely necessary, but still extremely prevalent and helpful. Reportage is significantly expedited by the use of photography and video. Viewers at home can watch as events unfold half a world away in real time. Art itself is always happy to encompass another media, and photography was a match made in heaven. It’s uses and benefits to society are diverse and expanding. It makes me wonder, years from now, what will the ‘new photography’ be? Like photography was encompassed by more traditional art forms, what will follow?
Alexandra Roe
It was not a long ago until I learned more about illustration. I did not know that its golden years were after the 1st World War. I thought that illustration was only used for artistic purposes. When I learned its uses, my perception for illustration changed a lot. It significantly eases everything that it is used for. For example, biological illustrations that we see in school books, in doctor’s offices, or even in children books give us a visual and simplify things. Many kind of illustrations exist and they all serve for the same reason; visualizing images. And it is a kind of art both in fashion and in children’s storybooks. Another common use of illustration I want to talk about is when they are in the booklets to show the users what needs to be done step by step. Obviously some of those user manuals have unnecessary additional illustrations but in general, illustrations have a bigger role in our lives than we thought.
Photography plays and played a big role as reportage. When it started to be developed it gave the opportunity for people to support something with an image of the exact moment. Although illustrations are also used, for example as editorials of a new, or to illustrate fashion etc., photography would let you capture the moment, the exact image that you want in any moment you want. This allows people to have a result that was closer to the moment it happened than anything. Moreover it was realistic. However we can see some magazines like the Harper’s magazine that brought to our culture the use of illustrations in magazines. This I think is really interesting because is a more personal way to approach something. You can give your composition different personalities and styles depending on your technique, which will be related t the article that it is related or the text it is supposed to described. This freedom in illustrations would let you take almost any subject and make it your own
One of the most interesting topics to me in last class is the illustration. It started from the First World War, it supposed to be a supplementary specification for the text content in the book. When something is hard to express in words or it’s better to explain a concept by words and pictures, the importance of illustration has showed. Just like the book, the illustration is a form of art as well. There are different types of illustrations for different books. The illustration for natural science book published by the Bilmorin-Andrieux Ccompany really amazed me, the accurately and vividness of those illustration has showed meticulous and careful design of the artist. The use of illustration also applied in political, fashion and children’s book. Comparing with text word, pictures are always more directviewing and easier to be impressed by human eyes. The illustration plays an very important role in any publication, it directly determined the quality of the book before people start reading the text by first impression.
Qiansongzi Chen
I find it interesting that illustration has been around since pre-historic times (cave paintings) and still is. It is a function that is still so important in many aspects of our lives today. Although we currently have so many advances in technology today, such as adobe illustrator or photo-shop, we still rely on the age old technique of hand drawn illustrations. Many medical text books today still use illustrations as a way to enhance what is written. Illustrations simplify and clarify the complicated and intricate details of medicine. Medical illustrations play an important role in the education process. These illustrations are used to teach complex procedures. They are also used to define various disorders and ailments. I find it amazing how traditional illustrations can now be enhanced with new computer software programs providing incredibly detailed work. As Prof. Triff mentioned, Cooks Illustrated uses illustrations as opposed to photos to better convey their information. I too personally prefer the illustrations to photos. I feel photos tend to detract from the recipes, however I am sure the end product will taste just the same. Another area where the art of illustration has not died is with political cartoons, it’s as though nothing has changed since they began.
http://www.cooksillustrated.com/howto/
Suelyn Chong
Last class we discussed about the development of photography as war reportage through the use of newspapers. These photographs gave a visual representation for individuals overseas that were not exposed directly to war through their own eyes. Newspapers were no longer simply describing the wars anymore, but publishing the reality of them. These war photographs were shocking and revealing because they exposed a side of the war that was unknown or clear to individuals back home. Another topic that caught my attention in class was the early development of graphic design through industrial capitalism of brands and products. The packaging used for these products appear classic and iconic because of the simple design and structure. In comparison to packaging today, packaging has developed and appears more complicated because of new rules and regulations that require specifying ingredients, instructions, and nutritional information. I believe that the reasoning for packaging to become complicated in design is due to increased competition between brands and products. However, I favor more of the simplicity of design and color because it helped consumers identify a product and purchase the product without complicating the decision-making process. It appears that now when we go to the grocery stores we are bombarded with a wide variety of colors and brands to choose from which can be difficult.
Ashley Bahamon
Photography during the mid-late 19th century began to be used as a form of reporting and capturing moments. There is something about a photograph that words cannot describe. It gets the environment, the mood, and the time. During the war, photography started being used as a form news and information. Today, a photograph is used in everything we do. Doctors use xrays and MRIs, designers use photo shoots as a way of showing off their new clothes, and textbooks use images as a form of teaching and education. Those were just to name a few of the fields where photographs are used. Photography also captures a memory that can then live forever. When I want to remember a past memory I always go back and look at pictures. As we mentioned last class, photography has become a hobby and different photographers have different styles. A photo today is what catches our attention and makes us want to buy a magazine or look more into a certain product. Photography today, I believe, is the biggest form of marketing and advertising.
Erika Gonzalez-Rebull
I find the topic of illustration as fashion to be very interesting. Fashion has been around since the beginning of our time. it doesn't refer only to clothing styles, but even the fashion in art, or the fashion in the way someone works, or talks. Thus fashion has existed prior to photography, and was most prevalently expressed in illustration. If we look at a time period like the Victorian era, it is quite obvious that there was an exquisite fashion in elaborate clothing of lace, ruffles, tatted collars, structured bodices and layers of blooming skirts. We of course know this by the evidence of illustration, or paintings from the era. More importantly than educating us of historic trends, were showing the people of the time. We look to magazines, TV, blogs, and such for our inspiration and guidance, but these options were not available in the past. People looked to art to see what upper-class citizens were wearing just as we do to different forms of art now.
The use of photography in journalism connected people around the world in a way that only the printing press had done before it. It made everything feel more real, with less of a storybook quality to it. The inclusion of images in the news led to the spread of ideas and movements, such as opposition of war, that was only possible when people could see and feel like they were witnessing the terrible conditions and atrocities being committed. I imagine this led to a level of unrest in society that had seldom been present before. When we think of prominent occurrences in more recent history, we have images to go along with them in our minds. These pictures can be positive and uplifting, such as the nurse and the sailor kissing the war goodbye, or negative and painful, such as the World Trade Center going up in flames. Either way, they contribute to a knowledge of, and familiarity with, events that was simply not possible before. Sometimes it is interesting and fun to learn through statues, artifacts, illustrations, and guesses, but in our day and age it seems more useful to possess a positively accurate representation of the past.
To think photography was created from a science experiment; first it was science then it became an art and now it affects every single aspect of our lives. As art photography has proven that it can be as dramatic and as valuable as any painting; as means of reportage, it is the heart of the news, some of the most important stories of war have born from a single photograph, and some of the most brutal horrors committed on these wars have been acknowledged by the masses through the lenses of picture cameras. There have been great discoveries in both the human anatomy and the natural world that can be accredited to photography, many scientists have devoted their life to photograph species of animals and plants that before photography were unknown to many, and thanks to their work, today we can find them in books and everyone has a chance to study them.
Ernest Morales
The topic that I enjoyed most from last class was the topic of Illustrations. How illustrations have changed the way we see and perceive graphic design. The earliest Illustrations were the prehistoric cave paintings, then came the illustrations of books, woodcut , engravings, pictures and since then illustrations have been one of the most accurate ways to communicate. In today’s day illustrations have been essential to express an idea, and to provide a visual representation graphically. As an architect major I understand the meaning of illustrations, is the main method we use to express and communicate our thoughts and design proposals. Everything we do is illustrations from a sketch, to a floor plan to a rendering. As time goes by Illustrations keep evolving and each New Year they become more advanced, they will always be important in our daily lives and I can only imagine what illustrations would look in thirty years.
The topic I enjoyed the most in class was the use of photography to report the news. From a Journalism student’s perspective I view photojournalism as an extremely important factor to the way we report the news. The use of photos in conjunction with the text makes a story more credible, interesting and emotionally closer to the reader. Images allow the reader to be connected to realities that are far from their immediate ones. It is also interesting for me to examine how photojournalism differs from artistic photography. People may look at it as just a photograph that captures a feeling, an event, etc.; but in reality photojournalists are expected to deliver a product that is held to other journalistic standards; a product that is accurate, timely, fair and a representation that is not held to the demands of the subject, but rather one that would provide accurate information to the public. In other words, a photojournalist must be careful not to exclude important parts of the context of the event being photographed.
The topic I enjoyed the most in class was the use of photography to report the news. From a Journalism student’s perspective I view photojournalism as an extremely important factor to the way we report the news. The use of photos in conjunction with the text makes a story more credible, interesting and emotionally closer to the reader. Images allow the reader to be connected to realities that are far from their immediate ones. It is also interesting for me to examine how photojournalism differs from artistic photography. People may look at it as just a photograph that captures a feeling, an event, etc.; but in reality photojournalists are expected to deliver a product that is held to other journalistic standards; a product that is accurate, timely, fair and a representation that is not held to the demands of the subject, but rather one that would provide accurate information to the public. In other words, a photojournalist must be careful not to exclude important parts of the context of the event being photographed.
This is an extremely beautiful portrait of a curvy woman. It portrays that eras beauty, which is quite different from the understanding of beauty of our era. Nowadays, in the magazines we see variety of girls with different hair colors and styles however there is something that is the same for all if them, they are all very skinny.
In the 19th century, the fashion illustrations were so much more realistic.
Photography always has been very important as a reportage. It is the best tool to advertise anything. Not just that but to capture the great moments.
In addition to this, Harper's brought illustration into our lives. It has a very important role in the illustration world.
Ela Apa
I find it very human that once the ability to capture an image with a photograph was invented, the desire to edit, alter, and distort the image was also birthed. But the birth of Pictorialism is a chicken or egg debate. The extent to which it was a reaction or an action is undecided. Was the intent to humanize photography a response by artists to justify photography as an art or was it a grassroots artistic movement initiated not by critics but by artists themselves?
The ‘artistry’ of pictorialism both created and destroyed photographic aesthetic. Sepia tone, color hues, and intentional lack of focus did indeed create unique artistic impressions to still frame photos. I particularly like the post of Frederick Evans portrait of Aubrey Beardsley(1894) which gives out a particular somber and mystic impressions.
But by masking photos to look like prints and other productions of graphic media, were pictorialists denying the photo its most basic strength – reality?
All about what we talk in last class was very interesting; each one of them has significance and contributed to something original to society. It is evident that photography throughout the years has developed, beginning with just a basic dark room to now days the digital camera. From being mastered by those who use it as a profession to now being just a mere hobby to some people. Also through time the type of photography has change, from portraits to a method of study to being use to as reportage. Photo as reportage now days can be useful or be abuse. Back then this was a way the public could find out and know what was happening in the world or just in their neighborhood. It was also a way to show “How the other Half lives”; as Jacob Riis did by photographing the slums in New York City. But now day photo as reportage can be abuse, it sometimes can become a mass production of unimportant events.
Ana Trinchet
The art of photography made a huge impact in the american society during 19th century. This form of design has been used to achieve social changes. The writer, reporter and photographer, Jacobs Riis, used this method in order to show how immigrants lived in New York during the end of the19th century. In his very influential book “How the other half lives” he portrays the reality of the slums of New York. He believed that the rescue of children was the key to solve poverty. Therefor, he constantly photographed children while working at a very young age. The intention of his photographs was to create a new generation of politics that would take into consideration the poor. Also to make the rich realize the reality of the other half. His book, full of dramatic photographs became a tour of the social and ethical of people who lived in the slum. Riis is considered to be a founder of the modern photography for taking into consideration social problems. I consider Riis images as an example of how influential art and design could be. Strong and dramatic images could change the point of view of the citizens of a country.
Luzyanis Fraga
The illustrations from The Post (especially by Norman Rockwell) have become iconic to American society. These illustrations were accepted by Americans because of their familiar scenes that related to the masses. The post was very smart in using these types of illustrations because they were "snapshots" into the lives of the typical American. Although illustrations and not real photos, these drawings served the same purpose as realistic photographs by upholding the social norms of the times and having a very personal feel to them. The Post set the standard for "typical" life and because people could relate, they kept buying the magazine.
Natalia de la Canal
Natalia de la Canal
Your Post #5?
Under the tab "Designer Shopping" you wrote that it was found that "habits, rather than conscious decision-making shape 45 percent of the choice we make every day." This is leading way to innovative approaches to psychological issues including anxiety, depression, and addictions. The limits to how this fact could help society are endless. This could change almost any negative behavior. I wonder what advancements could make for learning disorders such as ADHD and even autism. Also, a theme that keeps entering my mind is the theory of "Nature vs. Nurture". It is a controversial debate. Are we born to be who we are meant to be? Or does the way we were raised and the environment weigh more in our development? I believe that it is a combination of both, however with new psychological findings and statistics, there must be more than nature and nurture that add to the compilation of our design. If nature and nurture are the primary parents of our development, where does the psyche come into play? Is it possible that if we bring to surface ill habits, and strengthen the bridge between the conscious and the subconscious, could we then be more prominent in designing our own destiny? During childhood, one might not understand the difficulties in life and why people choose the vices and ill habits they do, but most children do have an idea of the person they want to be. Drawing our destiny with a firmer hand on the pencil that illustrates who we are, may be much more tangible than we currently think.
Haley Alonso
With photography being able to relay the ‘truth’ as an actual image and not as an artist rendition, the world became a smaller place. Information was no longer just expressed by word or by artist renditions, but by photos. A real authenticity was added to newspapers. The visual conformation of what is being reported allowed a stronger and realistic description of place. People could feel as if they’ve been somewhere they haven’t before. One didn’t have to go to war anymore to feel the pain; one could simply get a sense of the evil setting by real photos.
No longer did images of war have a strong sense of propaganda (with Napoleon on a horse in a clean battle field); photos could dictate the debacle of war and it’s bloodshed. Photos still were manipulated either by framed views or post-production and still indicated a certain way of thinking. Photo as reportage did not stop propaganda, but instead created a new medium. For the authentic nature of photos could be manipulated and staged to create an even stronger piece of propaganda such as the image of the battle of Iwo Jima in WWII to help raise moral support by the people of the United States.
I found the Arts & Crafts movement particularly interesting. Since its modern day comparison is the DIY movement, it is novel to see that rejecting mass production has been in style for centuries. Its even more humorous considering the Arts and Crafts movement rejected Victorian mass production, which is paltry compared to the beast of modern production we deal with now. Arts & Crafts proponents would have shuddered and fallen over in fear in their pricey custom made chairs. It is amazing to see how humans change, yet always manage to have the same problems. The quality of materials in mass produced products is still shoddy and products are still more ostentatious and showy, than they are functional. Appliances and electronics today are gaudy and shiny, made out of cheap plastics and metals. Cell phones, straight out of the box, have more apps than you could ever possibly need. What ever happened to simple, useful design? Why should a cell phone have much more than calling and texting functions?
The invention of photography was monumental. It allowed one to capture a moment and have a timeless reference to it. Unlike other inventions that are constantly being upgraded by new technology, I believe photography will never be replaced or a lost art form. It allows people to see things they otherwise be unable to. Similar to art, it’s a form of expression and takes skill and talent to execute properly. It’s also used to convey a message, especially since one picture has the power to reveal as much, if not more, than a written piece. It’s used as an art form and also to report news. Art photography allows for me editing of the picture, while news photography does not. In visual journalism, it’s taboo to alter and edit a photograph. News photography is supposed to depict the moment, as is, not an altered version.
-Kristen Vargas Vila
Photographing fashion was orinally perhaps not intending to document one designer's view of a tend, but more of what different kinds of people wore in a certain era. Paintings that captured kings and government officials of days prior were meant to show their level of royalty; they were not meant to focus on the fashionistic qualities per se. As time moved on, names of designers became more important, and today, these names and brands are documented in fine print along with the photograph in magazines. It is very interesting how perhaps photography helps fashion evolve. Photographs circulate fashion trends around the world, and allow their influence to spread more rapidly. Paintings long ago that showed fashion were only viewed by few, and others were not as able to copy these trends.
Above comment: Lauren Hahamovitch
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The topic I thought was the most intriguing was the illustration of natural science. In particular I am interested I the wildlife art produced in the nineteenth century which accurately depicted wildlife an served as an educational tool for scientists to communicated their knowledge in the simplest form. One of these artists in particular was John James Audubon who produced the Bird of America, a book. In his book, Audubon produce life sized drawing of bird of all kinds, even discovering several species and subspecies. The book took over fourteen years of field sketching and drawing 700 species across the Americas.
His images accurately described the birds; the drawings were produce in a mechanical fashion, similar to an architectural drafting. Pages 39x26" large showed Americans and Europeans creatures they were not likely to see in person.
Today, people have become so numb to images of wildlife because they have become so accessible. However, I am sure that seeing a great pink Flamingo in 1830s London would be like seeing a photograph of a newly discovered alien life form taken by an astronaut.
We can only wonder the questions these images provoked in the minds of those who first saw Audubon's book: Are these real creatures? How much is imaged and what is true? Their inquiry shows the power of illustration to make the human question reality and debate natural possibility.
http://www.ukauctionnews.com/2010/12/sothebys-sets-new-world-record-set-for.html
---Eric Rodgers
Looking back at the front covers of The Saturday Evening Post which were all illustrations, it made me wonder about how we use photography as our main medium for anything and everything. Illustrations manifest the overall message by hand. Arguably, they were less accurate than the camera and the realism is always at stake depending on the illustrator. Now no longer is accuracy or realism an issue. Photography captures every detail from your pores to your gray hair. However, looking at photography as reportage, there is much room for distortion and manipulation even today. I find it ironic that at one point our goals in art were to make it as real as possible, but now with the tool to do just that we now use air brushing techniques on everyone’s blemishes. As much as we see, think, and speak in images, photojournalism demonstrates that we are still not completely fluent in the language of visuals, but we require captions, descriptions, stories, etc., which can potentially change the meaning of any image entirely.
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