Darryl Baird (dbaird@flint.umich.edu)
Thu, 04 Mar 1999 00:03:34 -0500
Beakman wrote:
> Still, I'm curious to know what you meant by "flatness", and also to
> hear a bit more about the class you teach.
Ahh, flatness -- the illusory effect derived from pressing all the depth of
our environment onto the flat plane of film/print. In the case of your
image, it is the "floating" quality of the piers in the water. Everything
"floats" to the same heights or level. I don't "see" depth per se, but a
hierarchy of similar, repeating shapes forming a triangle. Anyway, that's
what I see. Shore refers to the job photographers do as solving problems of
visual juxtapositions. I think that describes your image.
I'd guess the surrounding black (ad) contributes to this sensation. I might
try and place it as a scan onto white and see...now I'm curious. oops, is
that ok?
The class I teach is one I inherited, but made over into a
history/theory/criticism class. I use Stephen Shore's new book, _The Nature
of Photographs_ and Terry Barrett's _Criticizing Photographs. Students
choose three photographers to research and present (both oral and written)
reports, we try to "connect the dots" of history, aesthetics, art theory,
and photo groups.
Who knows, maybe this list will be studied some day. So, be careful what
you say!
Darryl
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