Tourism, Landscape and myth

Heritage in Britain

Paul Reas

"British photographer Paul Reas is part of a select tradition of British photographers who brought to light the understated faces of British culture in the 1980s and 90s. Humorous and slightly caustic, Reas' images are a criticism of an emerging cultural façade epitomized by heritage industry sites, branding, and figurative cultural icons."

http://www.jameshymangallery.com/artists/17200/8965/paul-reas/flogging-a-dead-horse-eden-camp

"Flogging a Dead Horse (1993) presents a nationwide survey of the emergence of the ‘heritage industry’: museums and theme parks such as Beamish Open Air Museum that offered a nostalgic and often commercialised version of the past in the wake of the collapse of heavy manufacturing and industry. "

http://www.impressions-gallery.com/exhibitions/exhibition.php?id=62


Although a lot of paul reas' work focuses on britain during a time of 'rebirth' when thatcher was in power, some of his work focus' on this concept of tourism as a myth, as he looks at the new heritage sites which were sprouting up due to the closure of industrial sights. This emphasis on consumerism and the idea of heritage sights bringing money through people looking at the past is exactly what photographers such as martin parr try to get across in his photography surrounding tourism around the world. Everything is so materialised and focused upon the booming consumer industry. 


" Flogging a Dead Horse (1993) presents a nationwide survey of the emergence of the ‘heritage industry’: museums and theme parks such as Beamish Open Air Museum that offered a nostalgic and often commercialised version of the past in the wake of the collapse of heavy manufacturing and industry. "

http://shutterhub.org.uk/blog/paul-reas-day-dreaming-about-the-good-times

Centre Parks

From the series 'Flogging a Dead Horse' 1985-1993
A working colliery until 1982, the Big Pit Mining Museum is now a 'majour' experience.

FLOGGING A DEAD HORSE, THE NORTHERN EXPERIENCE, BEAMISH OPEN AIR MUSEUM

Tourism, Landscape and Myth

Tourism can lead to the landscape almost becoming a myth. In my many cases on post cards and in holiday brochures photography is used to make a place or landscape look appealing to the consumer. Stereotypes of popular tourist destinations are often created. For example when we think of anywhere we think of its popular tourist sights; Paris, the Eifel tower. Egypt; its pyramids, Jamaica; its golden beaches.


Martin Parr;

A brief description of Martins Parr's work as a whole, found on his website and written by Thomas Weski sums up really well Parr's aims and motives behind his work, especially the work i am about to present here, to do with Landscape, Tourism and Myth.

http://www.martinparr.com/introduction/

".... But at the same time they show us in a penetrating way how we live, how we present ourselves to others, and what we value."

"...Leisure, consumption and communication are the concepts that this British photographer has been researching for several decades now on his worldwide travels"

" Parr enables us to see things that have seemed familiar to us in a completely new way. In this way he creates his own image of society, which allows us to combine an analysis of the visible signs of globalisation with unusual visual experiences."

http://www.martinparr.com/2012/too-much-photography/

" One thing that has really changed in recent years is how the tourist uses photography. When I started shooting this topic many years ago, people would take one photo of themselves in front of the site and move on. Now mobile phone cameras and digital photography mean that the entire visit is documented. From the moment the tourist enters the site, everyone has to be photographed in front of every feature of note. Now it is almost impossible for me to shoot a photo where someone is NOT taking a picture or posing for one.  So I am under the impression that no-one is really paying attention to the splendours and beauties of the site, as the urge to photograph is so overwhelming. The photographic record of the visit has almost destroyed the very notion of actually looking.

My theory is that the act of photographing ourselves at tourist sites becomes so important because it makes us feel reassured that we are a part of the recognisable world.

Martin Parr, April 2012 "

Martin Parr Small World; 

https://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=29YL53G7RT3#/SearchResult&ALID=29YL53G7RT3&VBID=24PVHET6XY1V&PN=1 

These images show exactly what martin parr speaks about, how much consumerism is involved in tourism, how popular tourism is in this day in age and just how important photography has become as part of being a tourist. 

Roland Barthes

A vital piece of text found and shown to me by my tutor Jamie; Something which makes the texts of Roland Barthes slightly easier to understand. Something which i also hope to quote parts of in my essay as my chosen question asks me to relate to Roland Barthes. Ive chose to present it here on my blog as it was an online link not something found from a book. 

http://www.ac.aup.fr/~ggilbert/theorypages/Barthes.html

" Roland Barthes. 'TITLES' (by S N)

The ethnic reality of Spain is thus reduced to a vast classical ballet, a nice neat commedia dell Arte, whose improbable typology serves to mask the real spectacle of conditions, classes, and professions. For the Blue Guide, men exist as social entities - they constitute a charming and fanciful décor, meant to surround the essential part of the country: its collection of monuments. (Barthes. The Blue Guide )

According to Barthes, it is difficult to talk about the culture of a society, without talking about the people of that society: their classes, politics, socio-economics, and their way of life; or rather, their way of struggle. To select only monuments suppresses at one stroke the reality of the land and that of its people. (Barthes) Thus, a study of culture should ground itself in the understanding, of the everyday practices of the peoples of that society. This is by no means an exhaustive and straight forward approach. But it does outline a framework of the actual questions that a society asks about itself: questions of power, economics, and relations in the social space. But as for the Blue Guide, it still abides by a partly superseded bourgeois mythology, that which postulated (religious) art as the fundamental value of culture. (Barthes ) Such a narrow minded, and limited, approach to culture risks the danger of becoming a propaganda mouthpiece, for the bourgeoisie, that obscures the dynamic realities of a society: reducing geography to the description of an uninhabited world of monuments. (Barthes) The existence of the Blue Guide, as a cultural description of a society, attests to the uneven, and largely one sided, representations of culture in society. It is a commentary on the circumstances that govern its being: culture, like the Blue Guide, is a manufactured creation, and not necessarily natural, as the Blue Guide would try to present itself. Those that control the forces of production, and the culture industry, control the cultural product. In our readings of culture, we should thus be careful about the seemingly natural presentations of culture, that do not take into account the circumstances of their creation: as the view point from a specific social group, with particular interests and pursuits in greater society.

Plastic is a shaped substance: whatever its final state, plastic keeps a flocculent appearance, something powerless ever to achieve the triumphant smoothness of Nature. (Barthes. Plastic )

In our study and understanding of culture, we should keep in mind the economic, political, and social factors that may be involved in a particular description of culture. The word itself has an evolutionary, and revolutionary history, whose accounts can be mapped to changes in the social, economic, and political enviroments. A hegemony may use the cultural sphere to propagate its thoughts, tastes, and preferences, as the natural attitudes and patterns of behavior, for a largely unhomogenous cultural space. Barthes writes about seemingly mundane objects like, The Blue Guide and Plastic, to draw our attention to the underlying implications, and significance, of such items; whose very nature of being, we would otherwise treat with indifference, and without critical thought. It is in this sphere of consciousness, or unconsciousness, that the naturality of culture seeks to manifest itself: by presenting itself as nothing out of the ordinary; as something that is common and unconstructed. Just as hilliness is overstressed to such an extent as to eliminate all other types of scenery, the human life of a country disappears to the exclusive benefit of its monuments. ( Barthes, The Blue Guide)"

Photography and its impact upon 1950-60s

David Bailey, Building up sitters 



In the 1960's the portraits produced by David Bailey were highly influential. Its interesting to look at the way David Bailey produced these cutting edge images through this use of black and white photography and his interesting view points and angles. The view points david bailey used in his images and what he directs his subjects in the images to do, whether that be looking at the camera or away from the camera or how the subjects stand in the image give an almost subliminal message, or say something about the person being photographed. 

Whats really interesting and what would have been edgy about this image at this time it was produced is the way david bailey fills the frame. Rather than the typical idea of having the frame equally filled with the models standing in the middle, david choses to capture one model half in and half out the frame, this draws the eye round the image as appose to just focusing on the centre. 

Its also interesting how much like the images below, the subjects arnt directly looking into the camera. 

Because of what these brothers were known as, it seems fitting the way David bailey has captured this image of them. The camera slightly below them looking upwards creates and effect of the brothers over powering the viewer and having some sense of greater authority. The stern faces rather than warming smiles also create a fitting vision of the brothers as they are obviously not known for being kind smiley people. 

Its evident that David Bailey considers the space around the subject as well as the actual subject. The image is a perfect example of this, the image feels so much more interesting than what it would have done if you imagine the subject being completely central in the image. Chosing to have the subject of the image smiling and so up close creates a much different effect to the previous images. This image feels more inter mate and comforting for the viewer. 

Whats most interesting about this image in the interlinking of the two subjects. Again this creates interesting shapes and space to the areas not filled. the two people create an almost abstract feel to the whole image. 

This image really shows Baileys talent to fill the frame. To any photographer they will understand how not so easy it is to fill the frame in such a way, especially when focusing on getting so many of the people in the one image. The fact the family have natural expressions on their faces rather than beaming smiles like a typical family portrait causes the viewer to think a lot more about each subject. The viewers eye is also drawn all over the image because of the many different faces on all different levels and depths of the image. 

The photographic Message

Decoding the image as 'fact.'



In a lot of imagery there is more than what just meets the eye, a lot of images have a deeper meaning. aspects of the image are often purposely included to get something across to the viewer. Propaganda is a good example of this. For example if a photographer is capturing an image of a person, a celbritiy perhaps and they want the viewer to see the person in a certain way or feel a certain way towards towards the image, the photographer can do so.

Photography: A critical introduction
liz wells
page 210


Weve introduced to Ronalds Barthes theory. He wrote an essay called the photographic message. In this he explains a theory in which he believed could be applied to the decoding of an photographic image. This theory consists of the 'dennoted' and 'connoted' message.


denoted; what we see infront of us
connoted; what this is telling us.


Example

The denoted image, what we see in front of us, is two people; priminster of the united kingdom and the president of th united states, stood in front of flags, by the looks of things, having a discussion.

The connoted image can be hard to read without the use of text with the image. This image was actually used in a newspaper so had a heading and article accompanying it. just by seeing what type of paper the image is in can say a lot about the deeper meaning of the image.

Starting Contextual Studies

Intro:

Context of Photographs.


Questions to consider when looking at the context of an image;

• Why
• When
• What for
• Who for 
• Who will see
• Where will it be seen 

Understanding the term 'Modernity';

1. Google: "Modernity is a term of art used in the humanities and social sciences to designate both a historical period, as well as the ensemble of particular socio-cultural norms, attitudes and practices that arose in post-medieval Europe and have developed since, in various ways and at various times, around the world."

   
   

   
   

   Picturing the City

   When looking at urban photography it is interesting to look at where todays urban photography style has stemmed from and how it has developed into what it is today. Before photography painting was the closest way to capturing a scene, it wasn't until photography was developed that artists views of urban surroundings began to change. Paintings of the urban landscape often presented real life but in a much more picturesque way before the development of photography.

   
   

   

   Gustave Caillebotte: Paris Street, Rainy Day

   http://blindflaneur.com/contact/browse-the-archives/flaneurs-gallery/gustave-caillebotte-paris-street-rainy-day/

   
   

   Many photographers began exploring a more modern style of urban photography, which captured the 'under belly' of the city as a way of raising awareness. 

   
   

   Example of this is the photography by Jacob Riis, whom captured images of the desperate and deprived people and areas of New York during the 19th Century.

   http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2089243/Slumdogs-New-York-The-remarkable-images-capturing-immigrant-families-unrecognisable-19th-century-New-York.html

   
   

   
   

   

   
   

   

   
   

   The level that this photograph has been taken at means the viewer feels more like they're in the situation themselves. Its as though you're knelt down to the same level as the suffering children. The way the childen are huddled in the centre of the image and the way the image has been taken from a straight on view point means that the walls either side of the children draw the viewers eye into the centre even more so. 

   
   

   This style of photography particularly appeals to me as i am so interested in street photography as it is. However what i like most about street and documentary photography is being able to capture the real nitty gritty sights of the streets we see every day and think nothing of. 

   
   

   
   

   

   Thomas Annan.

   http://tomclarkblog.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/tight-spaces-thomas-annan-old-closes.html

   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   
   

Bibliography

Bibliography covering all posts to this blog.


Books;

Abbeydale Press, 2001, Handbook of Word War II, An Illustrated Chronicle of The Struggle for Victory

Aston, M. Thames and Hudson, The Panorama of the Renaissance

Campbell, A. ILEX, 2012, Inspirational post cards for hard times. We Can Do It!

Claibourne, R. and the Editors of Time-Life books, The Emergence of Man. The Birth of Writing

Kynaston, D. 2007, Austerity Britain

Kynaston, D. 2009, Family Britain 1951-57

Malpas, J. 1997, Movements In Modern Art, Realism. 

Milena Magnano, 2012, Leonardo, Prestel

Murray, P & L. The Art of the Renaissance

Orminston, R.Foreword by Gary Sheffield. First World War Posters

Osterwold, T. Taschen, 2007, Pop Art

Phaidon, 1997, The Photo Book 

Phaidon Press Limited, 2007, Raphael

Spike, J.T. 2012, Young Michelangelo

Timmers, M. The Power of the Poster

The institution of Arts. Citezens and Kings, Portraits in the age of revolution 1760-1830

Websites;


http://www.bbc.co.uk/photography/genius/gallery/lange.shtml

http://www.allworldwars.com/Crimean-War-Photographs-by-Roger-Fenton-1855.html

http://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/sacredtexts/lindisfarne.html

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/media/4224/Interlace-patterns-of-the-initial-page-of-the-Gospel-According?topicId=341885

http://www.eccentricbliss.com/tag/book-of-kells/

http://www.missgien.net/celtic/art.html

http://english.islammessage.com/ArticleDetails.aspx?articleId=1075

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/leon/hd_leon.htm

http://saintpetersbasilica.org/Altars/Pieta/Pieta.htm

http://www.rome.info/michelangelo/pieta/

http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/Michelangelo-David.html

http://baroqueart.tumblr.com/

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/53809/Baroque-period

http://www.absolutefacts.com/arts/baroque-period/rembrandt.htm

http://wadingacross.wordpress.com/islam/quranic-troubles/

http://artnouveaustyle.tumblr.com/archive

http://blog.the-dot.co.uk/design/soviet-russia-propaganda-posters/

http://www.all-about-photo.com/photographer.php?name=Chris%20Killip&id=264&popupimage=4

http://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=CMS3&VF=MAGO31_10_VForm&ERID=24KL5357TF

Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keCUMHhsvUQ&feature=player_embedded&noredirect=1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O34YVQsFiWY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keCUMHhsvUQ&feature=player_embedded

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03pn6xz/Italy_Unpacked_Series_2_In_the_Footsteps_of_the_Poets/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRHNOtYRTH4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-8ChAfzWaYg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oXAekrYytA