INSIDE/ OUTSIDELEAH ALLARD & JASMINE DAWN

ONE. IN SONTAG’S CRITIQUE ON THE WORK OF DIANE ARBUS, SHE STATES:

‘The photographer is always trying to colonise new experiences or find new

ways to look at familiar subjects - to fight against boredom. For boredom is just

the reverse side of fascination; both depend on being outside rather than inside

a situation and one leads to another.’

DO YOU AGREE WITH SONTAG’S OPINION?

'Photographers are always trying to find new ways

to see their subjects, to be different from everyone

else….’

During our research we discovered Arbus’ work is

labelled in an objective way… ‘outside rather than

inside’. eg ‘Man’ ‘Women’ ‘Midget.’

Leah believed that Arbus’ titles gave off the

impression that she was an outsider rather than an

insider, because they were so formal with basic

information.

Jasmine agrees photographers are always trying to

achieve new ways to portray there subjects, to be

different from everybody else. Though she doesn’t

agree that fascination leads to boredom, vice

versa…to support that, looking at Diane Arbus’

herself, you can see she has instead grown in her

style and strength while still shooting the same

subjects in her street photography.

Overall we disagreed against Sontag’s critical

opinion on the work of Diane Arbus because we felt

during research of her images that the subjects all

have different ways of reflecting the individuals

that she shoots.

Russian midget friends in a living

room on 100th street, NYC. 1963Source: .Diane Arbus. An Aperture Monograph

(book)

TWO. SOLOMON-GODEAU DISCUSSES ‘ THE PROBLEMATIC NATURE OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC

REPRESENTATION OF THE OTHER’ IN RELATION TO SONTAG’S AND ROSLER’S TEXTS. THE AUTHOR STATES…

‘And although the inside/ outside dichotomy for Sontag pivots

on the possibility (or lack) of empathy and identification, and

where for Rosler it devolves on issue of power and

powerlessness, it is nonetheless significant that from either a

humanist or a left perspective, the inside/outside couple is a

central theme.

Research and find an image or artworkwhich will enable you to illustrate andsupport your own thoughts andunderstanding of “the possibility (or lack)of empathy and identification” and/orbetween “the power and powerlessness.

An image could have been personal andphotographed for a reason, (insider). Or itcould have been photographed for thoseoutsiders that could relate, making them aninsider, and/or photographing for ‘thepossibility (or lack) of empathy andidentification’.

On the subject of power and powerlessness,Jasmine believes it is up to thephotographer/subject to decide how theimage is viewed. The subject has the powerto let you take the image and the power to letthe viewer see how much of themselves theywant seen. For example ‘Hermaphrodite withdog in carnival trailer’ MD 1970 taken fromArbus’ book An Aperture monograph, Ibelieve the subject is in control as they holdthe power to give permission to take therephotograph. You can draw your ownconclusion on weather there being exploitedbut ultimately only the photographer andsubject know, it is up to those involved todecide who has the power and who doesn’t.

These two images connote power and powerlessness

but using the idea of rich against poor, in Leah’s

opinion. Both images represent ‘the other’ which is

both something elegant, perhaps rich, looked after;

against a rough background representing war and

damage. Rosler has present these images in very

similar ways, shown through a window.

Source: google images/Martha Rosler

THREE. THE AUTHOR USES ED RUSCHA’S EVERY BUILDING ON THE SUNSET STRIP (1966) TO ILLUSTRATE HER POINT OF THE

“EVACUATION OF SUBJECTIVITY, THE REFUSAL OF PERSONALITY, STYLE-IN SHORT, THE REJECTION OF ALL THE HALLMARKS OF PHOTOGRAPHIC AUTHORSHIP, NO LESS THAN THE NATURE OF

SUBJECT MATTER ITSELF-THAT WOULD SEEM TO SITUATE SUCH WORK LOGICALLY AT THE ‘OUTSIDE’ POLE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC

PRACTISE”.

Do you think a body of work or a photographer’s position to her/his subject/subject matter

can be considered as either subjective work/subjective approach (insider position) or

objective work/objective position (outsider position)?

Leah think‘s a body of work or a photographer’s position to her/his subject/subject matter

is considered as objective work/objective position (outsider position) because you aim for

your outcome making it YOUR objective, whereas subjective makes it an influence by

personal feelings and opinions.

What are your research findings which you will use to support or justify your opinion?

Jasmine believes Ed Ruscha’s work: Every Building on Sunset Strip to show Objectivity;

His photographs are an impersonal documentation of sunset strip. It’s a recording of the

buildings much like forensic or medical photography where it’s a record basis only.