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ART 333 HOMEWORK ONE “The Americans” by Robert Frank

Sequence. The order of the photographs tells a story about the American way of life. In the first photo (shown left), a youthful group is depicted in a car travelling towards the right side of the frame, while the following picture shows an older couple heading towards the left side. By placing these photos one right after the other, Frank creates a connection or relationship between them. It is important to note that the kids are riding inside of a convertible and the elderly people are in an older type of vehicle. From this point onward, nearly every picture includes either a car or a motorcycle. The sequencing of these particular images communicates a sense of momentum or forward progress into an abstract future. Earlier in the book, there are contrasting images of wealthy and middle-class individuals. The first photo shows a celebrity standing at a movie premiere in

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Hollywood. Many staring faces surround her. The next picture is of a well-dressed man eating a steak in a cafeteria. Finally, the last image shows a diner packed with people. What stands out is that the attire becomes more casual as we move from picture to picture. Also, the price of 10¢ is clearly visible in the diner photo, which suggests that the dining experience is of lower social status than the man in the cafeteria. Page Design. The book employs a clean, minimalistic theme that allows each photograph to be the main focus with each turn of the page. Images are positioned on the right side in the center of the page. Pages are plain white, which complements the black and white photos. Text. The text is positioned on the left side of each page in small, dark gray font. Each one is a short blurb that includes a description of the photo’s content followed by the location it was captured. For example, the photo to the right has a caption that simply says “Detroit.” Small size, low opacity, and isolation make the text a non-intrusive addition to the pages. Since the text plays

a relatively small role, it allows the images to shine on their own without much clarification necessary.

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“White Road” by Ivan Sigal

Sequence. Photos from this excerpt follow a logical pattern. Many of the images appear grainy and reminiscent of not only older photography but also taking pictures with friends and family. An example is the picture to the left, which depicts a group of women drinking alcohol. The picture is distorted/blurry and off center which communicates a lack of balance or drunkenness. The next image transitions the viewer closer to the action by showing a close-up of the bottle and shot glass. Sigal connects these two images into a short narrative that captures the essence of drinking with friends. The excerpt also explores contrasting images of the young and elderly just like in Robert Frank’s “The Americans.” At the beginning of the book, there is an image of an older woman who is bedridden and appears quite unwell. The following photo is of a woman who looks like she is a nurse taking care of the old woman in the previous picture. These images are presented in sharp contrast to the younger women having a good time and taking shots of whiskey.

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Page Design. Sigal’s book follows a minimalistic design similar to “The Americans.” The cover consists of a textured black background with slightly transparent titling. The organization of the page is simple and quite easy to understand. Photos are large and are placed directly in the center of each page. Each image is given a great deal of attention because it is the only component on the page. The color scheme involves plain white pages and black and white photography, giving the book a clean appearance.

Text. The only time that text is used is on the cover and on the bottom right corner of certain pages. On the cover, the font is bold and white with the name of the book and author’s name transcribed. The bottom exhibits smaller lettering and indicates that it is part of the Corcoran Gallery of Art. In terms of the pages, text is simply used to show the page number. Just like “The Americans” by Robert Frank, this book incorporates a minimal amount of text to underscore the importance of the photography.

“A Living Man Declared Dead and Other Chapters” by Taryn Simon Sequence. The book reads like an encyclopedia in the way the images are presented. The beginning includes a few paragraphs about Hans Frank, Adolf Hitler’s personal legal advisor and governor-general of occupied Poland who mistreated the Polish citizens. This introduction sets the tone for the collection of photos. Photos in this

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excerpt are often grouped in pairs. Sometimes, the two subjects are members of the same family while other times it is difficult to find a connection. It seems that all of the people are from Germany. Some of the spaces are left blank which means that the person/parent declined to provide information. There are also newspaper articles, paintings, and diary entries included, which adds even more variety to the book. Overall, this book seems to focus on documenting the history of Germany when Hitler was in charge.

Page Design. Just like “White Road” this book has a black cover with white text. Overall the pages resemble that of an encyclopedia, partly because of the photos arranged side by side but also due to the fact that there are numbers and footnotes pertaining to each image. Meticulous documentation seems to be a theme here. In terms of color, the pages are a light brown while the backgrounds of the photos are tan. The book reflects a sterile and very precise way of arranging images. Unlike the other two books, these photos are in color. The subjects truly stand out against the dull background.

Text. This excerpt is quite different from “The Americans” and “White Road” in the way that text is used to share information. Page numbers and footnotes are helpful in orienting the viewer in time and space. Each photo is numbered, which makes it easy to pinpoint the footnotes. At the bottom of each page, the small text includes a name, date, and brief job description. Some of the spaces are noticeably empty as seen on the right. The footnote reveals that the person withheld their information.

James Klapper, 1/23/13