My choice of photographer is André Kertész (2 July 1894 – 28 September 1985). He is one of the world’s leading photographers who ‘influenced a subsequent generation of photographers including Man Ray, Brassai, Maholy Nagy and Cartier-Bresson’.( 2007, Phillips de Pury & Company)[i] He’s known for his intuition and innate ability to effortlessly capture and freeze the moment in his pictures. He is not a photojournalist but known as a photographer who had ‘the soul of photojournalist’.[ii]
It was very interesting for me to see his ‘Distortions’ series. In his ‘Distortions’ series, I could see his artistic side. “Distortions” is ‘a series of about 200 photographs of two nude, female models in various poses with their reflections in a combination of distortion mirrors, in some cases the models, were so distorted that only certain limbs or features were visible in the mirror's reflection.’(2011, Photographynow)[iii]
[iii] http://www.photography-now.net/listings/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=363&Itemid=334
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| Distortion 1, photographed by Soyeon |
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| Distortion 2, photographed by Soyeon |
These two pictures are my own version of Distortions. In the first picture, it is interesting that everything is distorted but the camera and invisible parts in the biggest distortion mirror are visible in those two little mirrors below. The second picture provides an interesting contrast between the distorted image of me and the old lady standing in the back between distortion mirrors. Before I encountered Kertesz’s distortion series, I’ve never given much thought on the distorted image other than the fact the subject looked distorted in a funny way. I think similarity between Kertes and mine is, other than that the images are distorted, that every element of reality is still reflected in the images and tell their story in a distorted way. Isn’t every photograph somewhat distorted in its own way?
Kertész’s pictures are inspired by his life. For him, camera was like a notebook that he recorded every event happening around him and every moment of his life. “My work is inspired by my life. I express myself through my photographs. Everything that surrounds me provokes my feeling”(Shooting the truth, Iccevska)[i]
He successfully captured ‘images of ordinary life in a style without pretention. He made a visual record of his daily life.’(2011, Photographynow)[ii]
My pictures below are visual records of my daily life. My third picture was taken at school during a break. This is my favourite out of five pictures I took. This moment I captured in this picture is the slice of the most ordinary life of mine. It’s my everyday life, so very ordinary but this image makes this ordinary moment very special and precious. I like how everyone looked different and how everyone’s showing different facial expressions when they are all in the same place at the same time with the same purpose, though it is not well composed. This one picture would tell a lot more than one page of my daily journal.(I used to but don’t actually keep a journal anymore though. I take pictures instead. I many times get pleasantly overwhelmed by how just one small picture can bring those memories all alive. I then walk down memory lane.)
After I took this picture, I could understand what Kertész meant by saying “The subject offered itself to me and I took advantage”.
[ii] http://www.photography-now.net/listings/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=363&Itemid=334
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| At break, photographed by Soyeon |
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| Rush hour at King station, photographed by Soyeon |
This image also shows my daily life which I don’t enjoy very much every time I go through it. This is a part of my daily life I can never get used to and never get comfortable with. It’s the rush hour. I believe everyone in this picture feels the same way I do. We are all heading for different destinations but we are here at the same subway station all waiting for the same train. I wanted to freeze this moment without them noticing that I was taking a picture. My last picture is a picture of my shadow. Whenever I go, my shadow follows everywhere. I usually never pay attention to my shadow. Who does? I was walking down the street looking for and waiting for the moment or the scene to offer themselves to me. Then I found something that drew my attention. It was my shadow. It was me. After all, I’m the one that is always standing at the very core centre of my daily life. My life revolves around me, not the people around me, not the events happening around me.
I believe this is what Kertész meant by saying “My work is inspired by my life. I express myself through my photographs. Everything that surrounds me provokes my feeling”(Shooting the truth, Iccevska)
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| Shadow of me, photographed by Soyeon |
Resources
Week 9, KerteszCartier-Bresson From Shooting The Truth, Gordana Iccevska
http://www.phillipsartexpert.com/in_the_know/lot/andre-kertesz-distortion-no-40-paris/
http://www.photography-now.net/listings/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=363&Itemid=334
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