For this post, read Kracauer's "On Photography" (available on Blackboard).
Then watch this video by Feist.
Then watch this video by Feist.
Finally, find one quote from Kracauer's essay that helps answer one of the questions from the Post #4. Provide the quote, and write a brief explanation as to its significance/meaning. Be sure to give the page number of the quote as well.
Siegfried Kracauer notes in 'Photography' that, “In a photograph a person’s history is buried as if under a layer of snow” (p. 426). As soon as I read this quote it immediately caught my attention because it is very true. When I see photographs I just in vision those happy memories or the accomplishments I have achieved. I don’t think about the hard work or struggles it took for me to get to those happy memories or goals. The steps to get to those moments or adventures are buried behind the photo because all I see in the photo are the happy memories. As I put more thought into the photograph that’s when I think about the process it took to reach my goal or adventure. There is always history behind any photo because it generated a meaning to an individual’s life; whether the meaning is positive or negative it produced an affect to the person.
ReplyDeleteA photograph will have a different meaning to each person. There is no correct form when viewing or describing a photo. Individuals are free to express their views, ideas, or emotions based on a photo and for the same photo to affect another individual in a different form. Which is why photography is an easy form to express art and emotions.
Christina Orozco
What function/purpose/utility do photographs serve for us as individuals?
ReplyDeleteIn Photography, by Siegfried Kracauer, the author mentions, “There the manikins are displayed solely for the historical costumes, and the grandmother in the photograph is also an archeological manikin that serves to illustrate the costumes of the period” (424). Photographs can serve as evidence of history. The pictures can take us back in time and show how people dressed, lived, etc..
Faviola Gurrola
Siegfried Kracauer stated in his article: "But by penetrating this nature the artwork orients itself toward 'higher purposes.' There is cognition in the material of colors and contours, and the greater the artwork the more it approaches the transparency of the final memory-image in which the features of 'history' converge. A man who had his portrait painted by Trübner asked the artist not to forget the wrinkles and folds on his face. Trübner pointed out the window and said: 'Cross the way there's a photographer. If you want to have wrinkles and folds then you'd better hire him, he'll put'em all in; me, I paint history.' In order for history to present itself the mere surface coherence offered by photography must be destroyed."
ReplyDeleteThis quote about a painter named Trübner provides an excellent example of the difference between art and photography. Kracauer later goes on to say that images just take a snapshot of something and show the object with all its likeness. Essentially, nothing is left to the imagination, because the object is right there in front of you, you can see every detail. Art, like paintings, on the other hand, provide a sort of "transparency" between the object and viewer, leaving more room for imagination and personal interpretation. Artwork tends to have more of a meaning due to this ability to create a personal interpretation of what you're seeing. Photography eliminates this ability by putting everything up front and visible, leaving nothing out.
Sabrina, this is a good quote to use because of the phrase "higher purposes," which implies that there is a hierarchy of purposes/functions of photographs and that some are more worthy than others. This might be a good topic to explore in the essay.
DeleteHow is photography different from other forms of art (like literature and painting)?
ReplyDeleteSiegfried Kracauer clearly identifies distinct characteristics that separate art from photograph. Kracauer states in his article, “For in the artwork the meaning of the object takes on spatial appearance, whereas in photography the spatial appearance of an object is its meaning. The two spatial appearances the "natural" one and that of the object permeated by cognition are not identical.” The importance of paintings of portraits or another painting focus on the object (self-portrait) rather than its background or where that painting was created, while in photographs whether it’s at a natural forest or in the desert that includes an individual in it, its location of that individual has greater meaning than the individual itself. It recalls memories that the episodic memory has trouble doing and reminds them of where they were and the date they were there. I agree with this quote because when I take photographs I don’t necessarily stare at myself, I stare at the spatial location of the picture, where I was, and how long ago it was taken. In art, such as tattoos, I don’t necessarily react to spatial location but rather on how creative the drawing was and how amazing the picture looks.
Siegfried Kracauer states that “it is only with the increasing domination of nature that the image loses its symbolic power” (434). This answers the question why do people take photographs. Individuals take photographs to capture a moment in life related to any experience they may be having. Individuals care to share their stories and express themselves through a photograph. Yet, the feelings a viewer may have will fade away with time. An example of Kracauer’s quote would be a World Wide Web application like Instagram; it is an example of social media where individuals can post and share photos. Although photos may be taken for various reasons, individuals enjoy receiving feedback from the photos they take. As humans, we are interested in what other humans think and feel. Individuals who post pictures on social media are interested in feedback about a particular person, place, or thing. After viewers critique a photo, it becomes something of the past. The feeling that a photo initially gives to a viewer does not last forever. One may be impressed and/or dissatisfied initially, but after viewing the photo at a later time, the viewer has already experienced certain stimuli about that photo and does not impact the viewer’s perception the same way.
ReplyDeleteKracauer's "On Photography" essay states, “Never before has an age been so informed about itself, if being informed means having an image of objects that resembles them in a photographic sense” (p.432). This quote I feel answers the question, what function/purpose/utility do photographs serve for us as individuals? For us as members of a family or community? For anonymous/unknown audiences? I found this quote to be meaningful because, I feel like in our capitalistic society photography’s is also being used to show case the progress in our society and it’s being used to broadcast developments and achievements to the public. I this quote, Kracauer’s is talking about how illustrational newspapers are taking a snapshot of every person, place and thing, but it only having the intention to inform. This quote explains how photography can have multiple purposes, but it shouldn’t just be used for the showcasing of meaningless images.
ReplyDelete-Maria Zamarripa
In "Photography" Siegfried Kracauer mentions how photography functions in todays daily papers, "The daily papers are illustrating their texts more and more, and what would a magazine be without pictures? The striking proof of photography's extraordinary validity today is provided above all by the increase in the number of illustrated newspapers" 431. In this particular portion of our assigned reading I got very intrigued on how Siegfried explains one of the many roles photography plays in our society today. The question I find this statement to answer is, " What function/purpose/utility do photographs serve for us as individuals?". In this case photographs serve to the purpose of informing readers/viewers. Being able to see images of news that is being discussed helps understand the full context of what is being presented. An example of this would be a televised broadcast reporting in detail that a 5 car pile up on the freeway just took place; it isn't until we see images or actual footage that makes the situation seem more surreal. Photographs are also being used in magazines to show the latest fashion trends and advertise those used pieces of clothing. Our generation is probably by far the generation that has been most informed through art/photographs; pictures/images are everywhere.
ReplyDeleteHow is photography different from other forms of art (like literature and painting?)
ReplyDeleteSiegfried Kracauer states in his essay, " This likeness refers to the look of the
object, which does not immediately divulge how it reveals itself to cognition;
the artwork, however, conveys nothing but the transparency of the object. In so doing it resembles a magic mirror that does not reflect those who consult it as they appear but instead as they wish to be or as they fundamentally are. The artwork too disintegrates over time, but its meaning arises out of it's crumbled elements, whereas photography merely stockpiles the element" (428). This helps to illustrate the fact that in both art and literature it is easy to capture the artist's thoughts, feeling, or views on what they are painting or writing. This also makes it less likely that paintings or literature accurately depict what happened in reality or the true likeness of the people or things involved. On the contrary a photograph captures everything as it was, but it is harder to capture the emotion and reasons behind the photograph.Finally as art improves and it's meaning grows over time, a picture will always remain the same and depict the image as it was at a particular moment in time.
In Siegfriend Kracauer's "Photography", he states, "The last memory-image outlasts time because it is unforgettable; the photograph, which neither refers to not encompasses such a memory-image, much be essentially associated with the moment in time at which it came to existence." (pg.428)
ReplyDeleteAs I read this quote I thought about the difference of a memory and photograph. A memory is for those involved in the moment whereas with a photograph, the moment is captured and we are able to share it with others. The photograph allows us to bring a moment to life.
To answer the question, "Why do people take photographs? What purpose does it serve us as individuals?", I believe we take photographs to share moments in our lives. A moment can be a significant moment or an everyday moment, but there may be a time where we want to look back on it with someone else, and with a photograph, we are able to help share the moment with someone else and give them a visual of what we can vividly remember ourselves. For our family members, we are able to capture moments that others may miss. My significant other is in the military and through photographs, I am able to she with him milestones he is missing here at home. For example, he had missed the birth of our nieces and nephews. To me, it was a memory because I was in the moment and witnessed it all. I was able to take my memories and share photos with him and describe everything in that moment. For the anonymous audience, photos can be used to create an imagination. When one does not know the story behind a photo, they are able to be creative and create a story of their own on what story they believe the photo is trying to tell.
- Emily Chim
DeleteIn Kracauer's "On Photography" he writes, "they glimpse a moment of time past, a time that passes without return. While time is not part of the photograph like the smile or the chignon, the photograph itself, so it seems to them, is a representation of time"(424). At this point in our reading, I think Kracauer is saying that to some people, photography is important because it is a glimpse into a past time that may hold secrets and stories another person may have no knowledge about until they get a chance to see it in a photograph. Photography can be used to catch pieces of a person's life that is important and represent their history. Just like a memoir or biography, photography tells a story of another time.
ReplyDeleteKracauer stated that "Once a photograph ages, the immediate reference to the original is no longer possible (429), answers the question to why people take photographs. You cannot go back in time to retake a picture. That moment only happens once. People can see time fly by with a picture, like in the video posted. The viewer can see that time has flown by. A photograph creates a lasting memory, some memorable some not so memorable. Today many pictures are taken everyday, and they are posted on social media. It's a timeline of memories that others are able to see as well.
ReplyDeleteJasmin Vega
What purpose do photographs serve for us as individuals?
ReplyDeleteSiegfried Kracauer states, “But were it not for oral tradition, the image alone would not have sufficed to reconstruct the grandmother.” (423). I believe Kracauer mentions the significance of oral tradition, because every photograph has a story behind it. If the story is unknown, people can make up their own stories about the photograph or not realize the importance of the photograph. Photographs can keep memories alive. Kracauer’s quote caught my attention, because when people pass away, we use photgraphs to remember them and often times photographs bring back certain memories or stories about that person. The stories are what help to “reconstruct” the person we are remembering. My son was very young when my mother passed away, but if you were to show him a picture of her, he could tell you who she was. If it weren’t for me telling him about her while showing him her pictures, he would probably not know anything about her and he definitly wouldn’t know of her significance to our family.
Isabel Mireles
In his essay Siegfried Kracauer states, " The truth content of the original is left behind in its history; the photograph captures only the residuum that history has discharged." Kracauer tells us that, even though the stories behind the images have escaped from our minds as time passes, there is a remnant of those stories in photographs. Whether we take photos of our families or events, our minds more than likely will erase the details or reasons why the pictures were taken, however we will have the images that will take us back to that moment in time. In the slide show, we see the pictures of people at a young age and then at an older age. We don't know their stories, but through the pictures we learned about their physical changes as they aged and whether they still had some resemblance to their younger version. The pictures didn't come with written biographies, but there are stories being told.
ReplyDeleteIn Siegfried Kracauer article "Photograph" he states,"Photography shows cities in aerial shots, brings crockets and figures down from the Gothic cathedrals; all spatial configurations are incorporated into the central archive in unusual combinations that distance them from human proximity."(435). Reading this quote made me think that photographs always have gaps in between that most can’t see. This particular statement indicates that because the human eye can’t see it, doesn't mean it’s not there. It answers why people take photographs? The reason being is that photographs show people many things, such as were a city can be located or what routine can be taken. Just by typing a location in whether its being a mobile device or GPS it will show it in photograph of how the roads look and how to get to the destination it was programmed. Since technology has advance dramatically now, all we need is a mobile device that takes individuals were we need to go. A person is able to see what the perspective view of places and spaces that a human just couldn’t see without seeing form another perspective. As a person searches for places and driving direction they see it from a birds view, and are able to see other gaps or roads that can lead to the same destination without them realized it. Now anybody can get anywhere they want without thinking that they will get lost, and that it’s just a click away from finding the desire location
ReplyDeleteIn Siegfried Kracauer’s article “Photography”, he states, “the photograph does not preserve the transparent aspects of an object but instead captures it as a spatial continuum from any one of a number of position” (p. 428). A photograph captures the entire image of a scene but it didn’t capture the reflection of the emotions. In a photograph viewers don’t capture emotions or feelings from the person who is behind the picture. Viewers don’t see the transparency of the meaning of the picture. Each viewer has their own imagination and personal interpretation of the picture.
ReplyDeleteDiana C Montoya
Siegfried Kracauer stated, “In so doing it resembles a magic mirror that does not reflect those who consult it as they appear but instead as they wish to be or as they fundamentally are” (427), and that answers the question “what is art”. The quote informs that art is viewed and given different meanings depending on who is observing it. People can place different interpretations on art because art does not have one specific meaning. I think art can mean one thing and then another depending on the mood people are in when they are observing it. That is what makes art special, that there is no right or wrong answer of what it depicts.
ReplyDeleteIn Photography, Siegfried Kracauer states, “Now the image wanders ghostlike through the present like the lady of the haunted castle” (p.430). Photographs last a very long time. If it is well preserved, it can be taken into the future, where generations can see what past generations were like. This quote helps answer, what function/purpose/utility do photographs serve for us as individuals? Old photographs help keep memories of loved ones that have passed away. It is a way to keep the image of someone close to them. Other than memories, emotions are also saved through the photographs; it’s a form where one can remember the good and the bad times.
ReplyDelete-Andreina Rendon
Can photography be art? In the article, Siegfried Kracauer gives the statement of how "there are manikins displayed solely for the historical costumes, and the grandmother in the photograph is also and archeological manikin that serves to illustrate the costumes of the period" (424). This quote defines how a manikin can display so much by time, place, location and maybe what it's wearing. In addition, the photo of the grandmother shows how times were different when she was young and we notice changes when we go back and see images of how it used to be. Can photography be art? Yes, in my opinion it sure can because art is something that we ourselves give meaning to an object. For example, the picture of the grandmother can be art because it can be used to demonstrate the differences in era's. Not all people hold on to such photographs and can show them to the rest of the family. A photo can be art because of the meaning we hold from it.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Siegfried Kracauer, “As consciousness becomes more and more aware of itself and in the process the originary "identity of nature and man" dissolves, the meaning of the image becomes increasingly abstract and immaterial.”(p433) this quote answers how photography is different from other forms of art. Sometimes when people know that a picture is being taken of them, they usually like fixing their hair, make sure they are smiling right, and so on. They don’t take a picture if they are not looking good. As for art, artists usually show originality in the type of art they do; artists don’t try to fix it to make it look pretty. Unlike picture art can be unique, where as pictures of people usually have the same post in every picture.
ReplyDeleteRuby Montes
Kracauer states "In the illustrated magazines the
ReplyDeleteworld has become a photographable present, and the photographed present
has been entirely eternalized." (433). This answers the question of why people take photographs because it is a way of capturing a specific moment in time so it can forever be recorded for reminiscing at another time. Photographs are something that can be perceived differently depending on the person and their opinions. There is no right or wrong perception. Nonetheless, a photograph, like art pieces are a great way of preserving a specific setting for our enjoyment.
In Siegfried Kracauer’s “Photography” he writes, “While time is not part of the photograph like the smile or the chignon, the photograph itself, so it seems to them, is a representation of time. If it is only the photograph that endows these details with duration, it is not at all they who outlast mere time, but, rather, it is time that makes images of itself out of them” (424). In saying that I believe that Kracauer meant that, although a picture may sometimes just be another photograph, but to someone who knows the photo personally may have a different take on it, because of being there in time while that photo was taken. They remember a specific memory or story that has to do with the photo that was taken. I believe this ties in to the question from Post #4, which is “why do people take photographs?” A reason could be because they want to remember that moment, that representation of time.
ReplyDeleteSiegfried Kracauer writes, “The blizzard of photographs betrays an indifference” (p 432) . I automatically think of how supermodels are portrayed in pictures. Pictures of supermodels are enhanced to allow the viewer to see a different view that might be illusionary. Kracauer also mentions “the image-idea drives away the idea”. This quote is true because society looks at a supermodel as being attractive. This illusionary idea that beauty should be a certain way and not the reality of how it is, might make the viewer upset. It might lower the viewer’s self-esteem if the individual does not feel good about their image. Society puts a high value on image to where some individuals might feel disconnected.
ReplyDeleteAshley, this quote is a good one. "Indifference" is a concept that is important in philosophy and aesthetics, and this could be a concept to explore in the essay.
DeleteIn Siegfried Kracauer’s “On Photography”, he states that “Memory encompasses neither the entire spatial appearance nor the entire temporal course of an event. Compared to photography memory's records are full of gaps.”(425) By this, he means that people often take photographs to capture a specific event or location, but the image does not always give us the full story unless the viewer creates one. The image may serve more meaning to the photographer and those who may be in it rather than some random audience. In most cases, the viewer will have to connect and carefully examine the image to fill in the gaps of the story that the image is trying to convey.
ReplyDeleteStefano Subia
In "Photography" Kracauer states, "Once a photograph ages, the immediate reference to the original is no longer possible. The body of a deceased person appears smaller than the living figure. An old photograph also presents itself as the reduction of a contemporaneous one. The old photograph has been emptied of the life whose physical presence overlay its merely spatial configuration.'' (429) I chose this quote, by Siegfried Kracauer, to answer the question of how photography differs from other art forms. Unlike other art forms photography can gain or lose significants based on time, whereas writing, film, and paintings always seem to maintain their greatness. An audience can relive a movie or paining or book over and over, but a photo often has no true story and is left up to the onlooker to decide. If the photo is outdated or aged it becomes more difficult for the audience to come up with the story and eventually it becomes somewhat irrelevant. The photo itself is a tiny sliver of a second that cannot provide justice to an actual event or human life especially once the original subject is no longer available in our current world. The other mediums seem to leave a longer and deeper lasting impression on their audiences and while photography can be important and intriguing it always tends to feel shallow.
ReplyDeleteTaylor Dunn