The idea behind this piece was “being haunted by the past” . I showcased this by having depictions of slavery almost breaking into the modern world and infecting it with its presence.
To capture this feeling, the frame and slave drawing (along with the paper behind them were taken by the library of Congress.
Looking at the work there is a lot to unpack. I see a person head down on a table, maybe tired, distressed, or just taking a nap. The glass that is sitting inside of the frame is shattered, a clean break, smooth but big cracks covering the entire person at the table, unveiling an image of people underneath it. Those people are scared and in pain. Underneath that layer there is also writing, a bulleted list on notebook paper. The frame is old but decorative, coated in gold colored patterns with velvet and maroon red integrating harmoniously with it. There are smudges and splotches all over the photograph and a subtle graininess as well.
ReplyDeleteThe composition of this photograph makes me think that this is about unveiling the past. The person in the photo that is resting on the table seems in distress, perhaps thinking about the past conflicts and struggles that haunts them, as seen with the old drawings and depictions of slaves in the photograph. The shattered glass makes it seem like the things that are troubling the person are resurfacing, leaking into their present life.
The work incorporates a lot of the Wet Plate collodion style with the smudges, the monochromatic photograph, the graininess of it, sepia tone, and blurriness as well. The piece itself also fills the criteria for concept development, it plays a lot with the idea of time showing history in a unique way with the cracked glass uncovering hidden layers. Without the artist's statement, the clarity of the composition might be a little hard to read or understand. The cracked part of the glass I think should be shifted a little bit away from the corner of the frame as it is sitting right at the top left of the frame right now, making the composition feel tight, and not as fluid.
The photo is strong, powerful and impactful. It shows the harsh history and past of the person behind the photograph revealing the mental struggles they have to face daily throughout their life. They are reminded of it even when sitting and laying down on a table. The way it is portrayed in the composition is unique, with the shattered glass, a common way of depicting things underneath the outer layers. The Wet Plate collodion aesthetic is achieved through the use of the different things like smudges, scratches, ink and splotches that make the photograph feel like a wet plate. The work is a reflection of the struggles of the person's current life while also showcasing the struggles their ancestors faced.