Art Does Not Exist in a Vacuum
Lewis Hine
I was drawn to this photo taken by Lewis Hine because of the emotion and context within the picture. Lewis Hine captures two young boys probably between the ages of 6 and 8 working in a cotton factory. They boys are standing on the spinning frame trying to reach the cotton on the top that was broken. The boy towards the back is wearing overalls with a white long sleeve shirt, a hat and shoes. The boy in the front looks younger then the boy in the back and is wearing shorts that go down to his knees and are being held up by suspenders. He is wearing a white long sleeve shirt that is tucked into his shorts and is torn at the elbow. He is standing on the spinning frame with no shoes on and a hat on his head. This photo portrays the idea that children had to work in cotton mills/factors at such a young age. The children were so young that in order to fix the spinning frame they had to climb on it. The mill is not a safe place for children to be climbing around especially barefoot because they could get their foot stuck or steeped on something that could injure them. This photo by Lewis Hine hints at the hardships of this time era. Children were forced to work in mills to earn money for their family.
Dorothea Lange
I was also drawn to this photo by Dorothea Lange because of the feeling and context within the picture. This photo captures the presence of three people. The women in the middle appears to be the two young boys mother. She has a worried look on her face and her hand is rubbing her chin. She is wearing a checkered shirt with a jacket over it. The two young boys have their back to the camera and are clinching onto their mother. The boys and the mother look like they are poor and struggling to get by. This photo like the one taking by Lewis Hine hints at the idea of poverty and hardship. Children and adults are suffering and are looking for a way to escape poverty and survive. This photo makes me want to help those who are in need and are less fortunate than i am.
Gordon Parks
This photo captured by Gordon Parks portrays the same concept as the two photos above by Lewis Hine and Dorothea Lange. The photo has a powerful feeling and context. An African American man wearing a long sleeve checkered shirt is coming out of a drainage hole. The man appears to be looking behind hind him to make sure it is safe for him to come out. Gordon Parks' photo has strong emotion and idea of racism. The man appears to be running away from his old live and past. He is trying to escape where ever he came from. The African American man makes me feel worried and wanting to help him. He is trying to change his life but it is difficult and dangerous because of his race.
Eugene Atget
Eugene Atget's photo of an old building shows the hardships people are having to deal with in their everyday life. This picture shows an old building surround by other old buildings. The man building has cracks on the walls and the stairs are chipped and cracked. There are no doors or glass to cover the windows. The upstairs window has a rug hanging out of it. The building to the left has flowers/weeds outside the window. The window behind the main building on the second story to the left and the window to the right on the first floor have a glass window and a white curtain inside. This photo shows the type of housing some people have to live with. Their houses are barley houses, they can be defined more as old broken down building. This photo focuses on poverty and strong emotion just like the other photos by Gordon Parks, Dorthao Lange and Lewis Hine.
Nick Brandt
Nick Brandt is another photographer that uses emotion in his pictures to tell a message. Nick Brandt's photo shows 22 men standing in a curving line holding two elephant tusks in their hands. Elephants are my favorite animal so I was immediately drawn to this picture. Many people go to Africa to kill elephants just for their tusks. They would leave the elephant and torture the animal just so they can make money. This photo seems to be a message and cry for awareness to others. Many elephants are being killed yearly just for their ivory tusks. Nick Brandt seemed to have noticed this problem and is wanting something to change. The way Nick Brandt positioned the men make the photo more powerful. The are standing up tall in between the two tusks. The emotion within his photo is why I was drawn to his photo and the photos proceeding this one.