Unit 2 Activity 2

Unit 2 Activity 2: Passage Questions

‘To quote out of context is the essence of the photographer’s craft. His central problem is a simple one: what shall he include, what shall he reject? The line of decision between in and out is the picture’s edge. While the draughtsman starts with the middle of the sheet, the photographer starts with the frame. The photograph’s edge defines content. It isolates unexpected juxtapositions. By surrounding two facts, it creates a relationship. The edge of the photograph dissects familiar forms, and shows their unfamiliar fragment. It creates the shapes that surround objects. The photographer edits the meanings and the patterns of the world through an imaginary frame. This frame is the beginning of his picture’s geometry. It is to the photograph as the cushion is to the billiard table.’

~ John Szarkowski; The Photographer's Eye

The Steerage by Alfred Stieglitz

1. When Szarkowski talks about "quoting out of context," he means that his picture only tells part of the story. The picture that people see may not be a fair representation of the actual events. For example, there is a picture by Alfred Stieglitz called The Steerage in which a ship is bound for Europe. Some people believe that this is a picture of people boarding the Titanic, but people would never know the difference unless they read a description of the photo. 

1. Below is a painting by Degas from the end of the last century. People during this time period would have found his paintings completely shocking because of their "raw" material. He painted what he saw, and used various color patterns to create moods for his pieces. Another major shock factor was the fact that he so casually painted these portraits of people. During this time, it was common for portraits to be formal and have structure, but Degas didn't do that. 

The Tub by Edgar Degas; 1886