Photography and Fiction

Fig. 1: Cameron 1875. The Princess.

Julia Margaret Cameron is one of the most known and celebrated women in photography's history.  

According to St. Andrews Special collections, 

She was known for her RULE BREAKING.

She used costumes.

Her images had smudges and scratches (we would say 'texture')

I love her.  

Her images were CONSTRUCTED and IMAGINATIVE.

Fig. 2: Cameron 1875. Elaine Before the King.

She illustrated poems and brought stories to life.  

IN one image- she even scratched a fantasy like MOON into the corner (Staged Photography 2011).

We also have Hippolyte Bayard

and his self portrait pretending to be a drowned man:

Fig. 3: Bayard. 1840. Self Portrait of a Drowned Man

This time the fiction comes from the images ambiguity and the caption on the back.  But again the image is both CONSTRUCTED and STAGED. 

I am also inspired by photographer of MANY decades, Duane Michals who created narrative through sequencing of images.  

Fig. 4: Michals 1989. Grandpa Goes to Heaven.

Some of his images sequence full circle, the last image and first being the same, as in his collection "Things Are Queer." 

Then we have Mac Adams, the photographer in the 1970's, who narrows the sequence often to two images, the beginning (or middle some would argue) and the END. Leaving what Adam's called a 'narrative void' for the viewers to subject upon (Staged Photography 2011).  "What happened in the middle." 

Fig. 5: Adams. Mystery of Two Triangles. 

These photographers celebrated both fantasy and the cliche.  

In 1976 Cindy Sherman 'stages' self portraits like she is the captured star in the middle of some dramatic film.  She definitely explores the mechanics of 'staged' photography as well as portraiture and the female identity (Manchester 2001).

MORE Conceptual and COMPOSITE photography:

Jeff Wall in 1993 completes this masterpiece- the effects of a gust of wind all in one image:

Fig. 6: Wall 1993

It took him more than a year to shoot and composite- and the actual composition was based on a Japanese print.  

German Photographer Thomas Demand started in sculpture and creates life like cardboard replicas that explore the idea that our reality itself is a construction- no more or less real than the paper leaves he glues to a cardboard wall and captures in flat lighting.  His images are only simulacrums (Staged Photography 2001) but that is his point- isn't every photography, in fact, every real scene as well? 

"A photograph is a blank page.  

On it, each of us is entitled to write our own story." - Anonymous 2011

HOW THIS IFORMS MY PRACTICE

As of late I have been feeling the push away from my conceptual composites.   But after finding these historical contexts I feel there is a place for my own passion as well. 

I like to take reality and open up imaginary spaces.  With themes of a childhood that never really existed.  I celebrate the cliche and that reality is not that 'real' anyway- reality is internally processed by each human consumer in just the same way that a photograph is.  

I use the technology that is available to me- Just as Julia Margaret used the technology available to her. 

I like to explore the themes of youth and fictionalize or romanticize the fantasy of childhood- in a way that connects more to adults visualizing and romanticizing childhood than actual childhood itself.  

The Myths of Childhood- (hey that's pretty good- maybe that will be my new working title...)

Figures 1-2. Julia Margaret CAMERON. 1875. Available at: https://standrewsrarebooks.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/pioneering-photographs-alfred-lord-tennysons-idylls-of-the-king-photographically-illustrated-by-julia-margaret-cameron-1875/ [accessed 11 March 2020]. 

Figure 3. Hippolyte BAYARd. 1840. Self Portrait of a Drowned Man. Available at: https://monovisions.com/hippolyte-bayard-biography-19th-century-inventor-of-photography/ [accessed 11 March 2020]. 

Figure 4. Duane MICHALS, Grandpa Goes to Heaven, 1989, Carnegie Museum of Art, The Henry L. Hillman Fund. Available at: https://storyboard.cmoa.org/2014/10/duane-michals-telling-the-story-of-the-storyteller/ [accessed 11 March 2020]. 

Figure 5. Mac ADAMS. Mystery of Two Triangles.  Available at: https://digital-films-com.byui.idm.oclc.org/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=53589 [accessed 11 March 2020].

Figure 6. Jeff WALL. 1993. A Sudden Gust of Wind. Available at: https://publicdelivery.org/jeff-wall-gust-of-wind/ [accessed 11 March 2020]

MANCHESTER, Elizabeth. 2001. Cindy Sherman Untitled 1976. Tate. [online] Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/sherman-untitled-p78499 [accessed 11 March 2020].

Staged Photography. [electronic resource] (2011). Films Media Group (Photo). Available at: https://search-ebscohost-com.byui.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=ip&db=cat03146a&AN=BYUID.4585408&site=eds-live&scope=site (Accessed: 11 March 2020).

St. Andrews Special Collections. 2019. Pioneering Photographs: Alfred, Lord Tennyson's 'Idylls of the King,' Photographically illustrated by Julia Margaret. [online]  Available at: https://standrewsrarebooks.wordpress.com/2019/03/12/pioneering-photographs-alfred-lord-tennysons-idylls-of-the-king-photographically-illustrated-by-julia-margaret-cameron-1875/ [accessed 11 March 2020]