I think these photos convey abstract ideas and emotion. In the top photo, for example, the American’s face is blocked or replaced by the tuba(?)/ brass instrument. I’m not sure of the significance but it is more interesting to look at than if Frank had captured the shot from the side of the musician. The writers mentioned on NPR who didn’t like “The Americans” when it was first released probably felt negatively because the new style was avant garde. Focusing on an object rather than a face, or shedding light on everyday insignificance was strange and unsettling. Lewis Hine is an American photographer I learned about in a U.S. History course last year. Hine used his photography to bring public awareness of child labor in the early twentieth century. Like Hine, Frank’s photography seems to serve a purpose, but it is more of an artistic one. Not everybody likes art and it’s often because they don’t get it.
These pictures seem to represent the level of nationalism that was prominent during the time. McCarthyism was in its peak and people were being classified and identified only by their loyalty to the nation and its policy. They seem to represent how people were unable to “show their faces” and instead hid behind a cloak of patriotism, whether forced or truthful. And if you weren’t to hide behind the guise of patriotism it would be done by other means, such as the man covering his face with the tuba or French horn, whatever it actually is. Perhaps this is to indicate that some people merely hid behind what they did and disassociated themselves with politics entirely or at least left it in the background. The second picture of the people inside their apartments also evokes a sense of fear, that they knew the consequence if they were to stop hiding. This time period was wrought with fear-mongering and the average person could have quite literally been afraid to leave their own homes.
Both of these photos contain people in them, but the people are taking the back seat to the American flag and what that flag stands for: nationalism. The first photograph with the man playing an instrument—which is covering his face—shows the facelessness of individual Americans. The first thing that comes to my mind is the term "forgotten man" used during the 30's to symbolize the people at the bottom of the economic turmoil who were suffering the most. This man's face is covered by the gaiety of the parade, presumably celebrating the U. S. A. This cheerfulness is masking the man's true identity and possibly the true issues of what is really going on in America. The second photograph is similar in that you cannot make out the faces of the people in it. One person's face is actually covered by the American flag. To me, these two people look trapped, unable to be free from the situations they are in. They are looking out on the things happening outside of their prison. This makes me think of the Professor and him looking out of his small window in his study at Lake Michigan. How he would dream of going for a swim instead of working. However, unlike the Professor, there is a desperation and heaviness apparent in the postures of these two women, almost as if they have given up or lost hope.
What I find interesting about these photos, is not only the obvious sense of patriotism, but the fact that all the faces seem to be wither nonexistent or blurred. I think this represents America as a whole. The people in these photos are meant to bee seen as the "average America man (or woman)," hence the reason their faces are not easily seen. Anyone can find it easy to relate to. In the first photo, there is also a prominence on the musical instrument, which is the main focal point in the picture. I believe that this represents how music, and other arts have helped to shape the United States. Music is an important part of our culture, and by the looks of the American flag in the corner, is crucial to American culture.
I agree with B Taylor- these photos convey abstract ideas and emotion. I love photography and take pictures frequently myself, and what I notice and love is that these photos of a sense of beauty and mysteriousness that make them absolutely incredible. What I notice about these two photos, other than the fact that they are in grey scale, they both have the flag exposed within them, emphasizing the unity of the American spirit in citizens during this time. What I also notice is that there is only one face being exposed, in which it is in the foreshadow of the picture. There is no emphasis directly on the people in these pictures, but rather, what is going on around them.
I think this is an interesting photo for a couple different reasons. My main argument is that the artist placed this shot so that the tuba was in front of the mans face because it symbolizes that people are still consumed by their machines. The man is now faceless and the only thing that the audience is paying any attention to is the tuba. The only way the man would get any type of recognition would be if his fingers hit the wrong notes in which case society would blame the man, not the machine for the mistake. On the flip side of that however, if he plays beautiful music society praises the machine. I believe this photo is all about recognizing that machines are taking over humanity.
in both photographs, the people are faceless , anonymous. there is also a powerful nationalistic pride. the american flag in both pictures overpower the people. maybe Robert Frank agrees with O'Neil's nihilistic views on American society. the American dream is a pipe dream and people are slaved to these dreams. The point of the people being faceless is that anybody could be that person. everyone has a pipe dream, pipe dreams rarely happen.
I think the faceless people in these photographs are meant to be over-represented by the images at a parade. A symbol of individualism, the face seems either removed or shadowed by some symbol of American nationalism. The suggestion is that American nationalism is socially suffocating and dehumanizing. People's resemblance to their individual selves is erased by the presence of an event that celebrates America. The people in these photos also seem to be confined by their surroundings. The people in the windows are encased by the brick wall that houses the windows, and the man playing the tuba stands in front of a stone wall that bears patriotic flags above his head. Their overall confinement during a parade implies that American patriotism is capable of stifling the American individual. Perhaps the photo suggests a gilded pursuit of the American Dream; and, that although America as a symbol can be realized, the presence of an attainable dream is due largely to its mythic status in American consciousness.
Both of these photos have a picture that represents what america is and that is freedom to do and represent what you please. The faces of the citizens however, remain anonymus. This could be because of the fact that America is not represented by just one face. America is represented by a group of different people with different faces of different shapes and sizes and colors. These photos represent the America that is inside all of us and how this America is the America we should all be a part of.
Parade, Hoboken, New Jersey
I think these photos convey abstract ideas and emotion. In the top photo, for example, the American’s face is blocked or replaced by the tuba(?)/ brass instrument. I’m not sure of the significance but it is more interesting to look at than if Frank had captured the shot from the side of the musician. The writers mentioned on NPR who didn’t like “The Americans” when it was first released probably felt negatively because the new style was avant garde. Focusing on an object rather than a face, or shedding light on everyday insignificance was strange and unsettling. Lewis Hine is an American photographer I learned about in a U.S. History course last year. Hine used his photography to bring public awareness of child labor in the early twentieth century. Like Hine, Frank’s photography seems to serve a purpose, but it is more of an artistic one. Not everybody likes art and it’s often because they don’t get it.
ReplyDeleteThese pictures seem to represent the level of nationalism that was prominent during the time. McCarthyism was in its peak and people were being classified and identified only by their loyalty to the nation and its policy. They seem to represent how people were unable to “show their faces” and instead hid behind a cloak of patriotism, whether forced or truthful. And if you weren’t to hide behind the guise of patriotism it would be done by other means, such as the man covering his face with the tuba or French horn, whatever it actually is. Perhaps this is to indicate that some people merely hid behind what they did and disassociated themselves with politics entirely or at least left it in the background. The second picture of the people inside their apartments also evokes a sense of fear, that they knew the consequence if they were to stop hiding. This time period was wrought with fear-mongering and the average person could have quite literally been afraid to leave their own homes.
ReplyDeleteBoth of these photos contain people in them, but the people are taking the back seat to the American flag and what that flag stands for: nationalism. The first photograph with the man playing an instrument—which is covering his face—shows the facelessness of individual Americans. The first thing that comes to my mind is the term "forgotten man" used during the 30's to symbolize the people at the bottom of the economic turmoil who were suffering the most. This man's face is covered by the gaiety of the parade, presumably celebrating the U. S. A. This cheerfulness is masking the man's true identity and possibly the true issues of what is really going on in America. The second photograph is similar in that you cannot make out the faces of the people in it. One person's face is actually covered by the American flag. To me, these two people look trapped, unable to be free from the situations they are in. They are looking out on the things happening outside of their prison. This makes me think of the Professor and him looking out of his small window in his study at Lake Michigan. How he would dream of going for a swim instead of working. However, unlike the Professor, there is a desperation and heaviness apparent in the postures of these two women, almost as if they have given up or lost hope.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find interesting about these photos, is not only the obvious sense of patriotism, but the fact that all the faces seem to be wither nonexistent or blurred. I think this represents America as a whole. The people in these photos are meant to bee seen as the "average America man (or woman)," hence the reason their faces are not easily seen. Anyone can find it easy to relate to. In the first photo, there is also a prominence on the musical instrument, which is the main focal point in the picture. I believe that this represents how music, and other arts have helped to shape the United States. Music is an important part of our culture, and by the looks of the American flag in the corner, is crucial to American culture.
ReplyDeleteI agree with B Taylor- these photos convey abstract ideas and emotion. I love photography and take pictures frequently myself, and what I notice and love is that these photos of a sense of beauty and mysteriousness that make them absolutely incredible. What I notice about these two photos, other than the fact that they are in grey scale, they both have the flag exposed within them, emphasizing the unity of the American spirit in citizens during this time. What I also notice is that there is only one face being exposed, in which it is in the foreshadow of the picture. There is no emphasis directly on the people in these pictures, but rather, what is going on around them.
ReplyDeleteI think this is an interesting photo for a couple different reasons. My main argument is that the artist placed this shot so that the tuba was in front of the mans face because it symbolizes that people are still consumed by their machines. The man is now faceless and the only thing that the audience is paying any attention to is the tuba. The only way the man would get any type of recognition would be if his fingers hit the wrong notes in which case society would blame the man, not the machine for the mistake. On the flip side of that however, if he plays beautiful music society praises the machine. I believe this photo is all about recognizing that machines are taking over humanity.
ReplyDeletein both photographs, the people are faceless , anonymous. there is also a powerful nationalistic pride. the american flag in both pictures overpower the people. maybe Robert Frank agrees with O'Neil's nihilistic views on American society. the American dream is a pipe dream and people are slaved to these dreams. The point of the people being faceless is that anybody could be that person. everyone has a pipe dream, pipe dreams rarely happen.
ReplyDeleteI think the faceless people in these photographs are meant to be over-represented by the images at a parade. A symbol of individualism, the face seems either removed or shadowed by some symbol of American nationalism. The suggestion is that American nationalism is socially suffocating and dehumanizing. People's resemblance to their individual selves is erased by the presence of an event that celebrates America. The people in these photos also seem to be confined by their surroundings. The people in the windows are encased by the brick wall that houses the windows, and the man playing the tuba stands in front of a stone wall that bears patriotic flags above his head. Their overall confinement during a parade implies that American patriotism is capable of stifling the American individual. Perhaps the photo suggests a gilded pursuit of the American Dream; and, that although America as a symbol can be realized, the presence of an attainable dream is due largely to its mythic status in American consciousness.
ReplyDeleteBoth of these photos have a picture that represents what america is and that is freedom to do and represent what you please. The faces of the citizens however, remain anonymus. This could be because of the fact that America is not represented by just one face. America is represented by a group of different people with different faces of different shapes and sizes and colors. These photos represent the America that is inside all of us and how this America is the America we should all be a part of.
ReplyDelete