Period 4 -- Critical Analysis #18

4/13/2018

Today you will be writing about an image from artist McNair Evans' series Confessions For A Son.

Write 4 paragraphs, 5 sentences minimum per paragraph. Remember, refer to your "How to See" handout for analyzing a photograph--Your analyses will be graded on:

meeting minimum length requirements
depth of organization
evaluation of the content
grammar/punctuation

Read the Project Statement before you write:

Summary
Confessions for a Son juxtaposes photographs I made in 2010 and 2011 concerning the lasting psychological landscape of my fathers legacy with images taken by him roughly 40 years ago to explore a complex relationship between father and son and the disappearance of an American, agrarian way of life.

Statement
There was no man that my father admired more than his father, and no one his father admired more than the man who raised him. With tenderness of heart and warm humor my father met everyone as his equal.

Upon his death in November 2000, I was exposed to our family businesses insolvency. Dad faced a series of devastating fires, bad crops, perpetual over-extension and high-interest loans. Five generations of familial and financial stability fractured. While the economic effects were immediately obvious, the emotional implications lingered beneath the surface for nine years.

In 2010 I returned home to photograph the lasting psychological landscape of Dad’s legacy. Retracing my father’s life, I used photography to comprehend its events. Visiting the farms where we hunted, his college dorm rooms, and his oldest friends, I photographed his family members and businesses while researching his character and actions. I could not equate these.

These photographs narrate my journey between isolation and acceptance. Initially confused and angry, I grew to know him as a teenager, college student, co-worker, life-long friend, and father who lovingly withheld business realities. I witnessed shortcomings and successes and found empathy with a man who faced so much in his life. His sacrifices cost the ultimate price, and accepting that some questions may never be answered, I grew to love him again.

These works share my emotions after his death, my search to learn more abut him in recent years, and a journey of acceptance and forgiveness. These pictures are my way of saying its OK. Everything that happened is done and it’s OK. They are my way of taking ownership of everything that I felt, and all the anger and all the shame, and saying, “Yes, I felt that, and it’s OK to feel that, and I still love you.”

Catherine Clausewitz

4/13/2018 09:22:51 am

This photo is of a boy. He looks to be about fifteen or sixteen and is wearing a polo shirt that is red and white striped. His pants are khaki and he is wearing a brown belt and a watch on his left wrist. His hair looks to be a dark brown and is cut short and clean. He is tan but you can’t really see his facial features because he has a shadow over his face. From the boy all the way to the right edge of the photo everything is in focus.

The boy look to be in his room. To the left of him there is a desk and shelves above it that have books, binders and a soccer ball on them. There is a dog behind him that looks to be open and has a towel hanging on it. There is also part of a dresser on the right edge of the photo. The colors seem to be warm colors with either white, black or gray. Everything in the room has very warm tones to it even the shadows. The background is brown, black, gray and white so the boy stands out in a bright red shirt.

The light source in the image is the window that you can see on the left edge of the image. Parts of the image are very bright but they shadows are very dark. The top right corner of the photo is so dark you can’t even see anything. The light hits the boy but a very dark shadow is casted on his face because he isn’t facing the light and is instead looking away. The image is taken where the boy is at a slight angle with his head turned to the right. The background has a pretty large angle to it.

I think the main theme if this pot is mystery and how a teens life is all a mystery. It also has somewhat of a sad or confused feel to it except usually images that i interpret as sad tent to have cooler and darker tones to them. I think there is definitely a story behind this image. It’s an image where you would want to ask the artists the story behind it. I like how you can see the boy, but he hides his face. When he hides his face that’s what makes it mysterious.

Leon Toursarkissian link

4/13/2018 09:26:44 am

This is an image of a teenage boy standing in a dark room and seemingly doing nothing besides staring at the ground. The colors the image is using are very dark and dreary, such as maroon and gray, which gives the image a very gloomy vibe. The lighting in the image is very dark with many dark shadows, and there is very little light coming in through the windows. The objects in the image include, a boy, a polo, khaki pants, a belt, a door, a shirt hanging from the door, a dresser, a desk, a lamp, a bookshelf, books, a window, a ball-like object, and a wall. In the image, the boy just seems to be standing in his dark room that was very little light in it while being covered by shadows and staring off into the great expanse of his floor.

The composition of the image functions well because it uses very dark and dreary colors along with dark and dreary lighting. The rule of thirds is not being used because the boy isn’t on a thirds line. The photographer took the image from an angle that is directly across from the boy. The image is using a shallow depth of field because the objects in the background are blurry. The focal point of the image is the boy, who is framed by the books and the wall. The lines of the image are all over the place and don’t direct your eyes in any one direction. The image is not symmetrical because each side is much different than the other. The subject takes up little space is there is a lot of extra space. The frame randomly crops off at the wall, dresser, window, and pants. The positive space is the boy and the negative is everything around him.

The theme of the image is that there is a boy in his room in quite a depressing environment, and seemingly pondering something. There doesn’t seem to be a specific story being told in the image. The artist probably made this image just for the sake of art and not for any particular reason. This image reminds me of rainy winter days, when I am in my room watching the rain. This image does not question any beliefs. I think the image is interesting because it seems very simple yet very powerful.

I personally do not like this image mainly because it is so vague. There doesn’t seem to be any kind of story or background to this image which leaves me wondering what I’m looking at. The lack of any kind of narrative to the image just gets rid of its appeal because personally, I like art that has a story to it. I also do not like the very depressing lighting in the image because it makes me feel depressed. I think this image is successful because of its well-balanced composition and its good use of shadows.

Julieta Vazquez Martinez

4/13/2018 09:31:41 am

This is an image by McNair Evans of a boy. This is not a portrait because the boy is not in the center and you cannot see his face clearly. He is around fourteen years old and he is standing against the narrow light coming from the window looking down to the left. He is wearing a red polo shirt with a khaki pants and a belt and a watch as accessories. The setting is indoors in a room that could potentially be the subject’s bedroom.

If I were to grade this image’s composition from one to ten I would probable give it a 6. To begin with, there are many objects that are cropped out of the frame that I as a viewer would have liked to complete. One of these objects is the subject himself, his legs are cropped out and I can't even see his face. Also, the little bit of lighting that there is is somewhat good but it isn't enough. As already said multiple times, I can't even see the boy’s face completely which is frustrating, adding to the fact that there is too much going on in this picture.

This image is open-ended, meaning that it is open for interpretation. With this said, there could be a variety of stories told behind it. Personally, I could see this boy that has just finished showering and that is getting ready for church. Because of the messy-ish bedroom and the style of the boy, this picture reminds me of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. To be honest, I do not think that this image is noteworthy or beautiful in any sense.

As probably already indirectly stated, I hate this image. For some reason, it bothers me that I cannot see the boy’s face. It also bothers me how saturated of information the image is. I feel like the boy’s position is uncomfortable, and that I can tell that this was too posed (it doesn't seem natural). This image makes me feel like I'm in a rush, or in an uncomfortable position, I do not like this image at all.

Estefan Zorrilla link

4/13/2018 09:32:49 am

This image is about a boy in a dark room that is dressed nicely. It seems that you cannot seem to make out his facial expression. He is inside in what you expect a normal kids room would look like. The room contains a desk soccer ball, closet, lamp and some binders. There is some towels hanged in the closet which is a bit odd because its not clothes but nothing out of the ordinary.

There is some red used in the photograph which is really eye drawing but not too bright. There is a lot of light browns and whites for the closet and desk. It's a very nice choice that the kids shirt is red and the rest is usually bland colors that mix together. This makes the kid which is the subject pop out more. The light of the window also added some light color to the picture which adds to the composition by lighting it up by a litte.

The lighting is very aesthetic and it adds to the composition. The subtle lighting lights up the body of the kid but not the fafe so you can make up his face expression. There is a kid in the middle but you can't really see his face tat well. There are some desks round and small objects like books and pencils and normals desk utensils like a amp and erasers. The kid isn't really doing anything special. Not much is happening in the picture, the kid is just looking down while the room is slightly light up but the outside light coming from window.

The composition is very nice here in the photograph. The kid is in the middle and he is wearing a color different from the rest of the room which draws attention. The light shines mostly on the kid which adds to the eye drawing aspect. The photographer took this photo in a 3rd person view as if he was looking at the kid. There is a narrow depth of field being used. The image is very symmetrical because it is aligned straight and is not unbalanced.

Adriana Vazquez

4/13/2018 09:36:48 am

This image is of a boy that looks to be around fourteen or fifteen. He is wearing a white and red striped polo with khaki pants and a brown belt. The boy is in his bedroom looking down as the sun comes in through the window. Behind him, there is a desk with a lamp and what looks like a tablet. On the same wall, there are book shells hanging with books in them. On the other side of the bedroom, there is a furniture and a door. You can not see the face of the kid because of the shadows.

I think the photograph is pleasant to look at because of the light coming in, it makes a really soft fall on the boy and without it, we wouldn't be able to see anything. The photographer took this picture in a standing point of view. Everything in this image is focused, this means, they have a very big depth of field. The focal point is the kid in the image and it is not being framed. I think that the picture is balanced, on one side of the picture, there are books, the window and objects, and on the other side, there is a door with towels so it makes the image full. The positive space in this image is the boy standing, while everything else is the negative space.

I think the idea of this photo is to tell a story. The story of an old man telling a story when he was younger. Or an old man that visited his home that he used to live in when he was younger and feeling like he is young again. I think that the intention of the artist was to tell his own story. The image is very interesting for myself.

I like the picture. In particular, I really like how the sun is coming through the window while everything else in the room is dark. I like the story that has behind it. I think that the photograph is successful. Not only for it being a good photo but because it can have lot of stories behind it.

Andi Feik

4/13/2018 11:09:03 am

This is an image by McNair Evans from their series Confessions For A Son. This is an image of a boy in a room.This image has some bright colors but the overall lighting is dark. In this image, the boy is standing near the door and is facing forward looking down at the ground. In the back of this image are a desk, dresser, door, towels, soccer ball, and some books.

This image is interesting to look at because in the center of the image is a boy looking down and the shadow on his face is dark so you cannot see his face. The rule of thirds is being used in this image because the boy is in the center of this image. The photographer took this image from eye level. This image has a pretty long depth of field. The subject of the image is the boy, there is some extra space on the side with his desk, dresser, and door.

The lines in this image are created by the dresser and the desk directing you to the center of the image. The image is balanced with the boy in the center and the other items on the edges. There is some extra space on the sides filled with the desk and the dresser. The items being cut off from the images are also the items on the edge of the image. There is some negative space from where the shadow makes whole sections of the image black.

The theme of this image is Confessions For A Boy. There is a story behind the images in this series. This series is about the connection between McNair Evans and his father. I think this image is very interesting. When you first look at the image you just think its a boy, however, McNairs story behind the images in this story changes it.

Pedro Mejido link

4/15/2018 10:46:15 am

The picture is of a young man in his bedroom. The room has shelves of books which also holds an orange cup and a soccer ball. There are towels hanging on the doors of the room and light coming from the window. The light of the window makes the face of the young man darker because he’s facing away from the window. The young man is looking down at the floor of the room as if it were his last time seeing the room.

The room is pleasing to look at because the lighting makes the room look gloomy. The rule of thirds is not being used in this image and the photographer didn’t use any special type of views. The photo has a shallow depth of field and there are some leading lines on the door. The image is balanced and the subject of the image does fill the entire image. The photo crops of the drawer and the table ,and the image has negative space outside the window and in the shadows.

The theme of the image is about the relationship between a father and a son who’s way of life has disappeared. The photos show the struggle of your way of life taken away from you and remembering how the past was so much better. The artist made this image to honor and commemorate his father’s legacy. The image reminds me of me coming home from practice and being the sun is low so the house looks gloomy. I think the image is pretty neat because of the lighting and the young man’s shadow covering his own face.

I like the photo because the lighting gives off a gloomy look. I like how the light coming from the window makes the boy’s face like a shadow. The photo is successful because it focused my attention to the young man’ face. The photo is unsuccessful in a way because you can’t really tell the theme is about the relationship of a father and his son. I also don’t see the theme of a disappearance of the american way of life.

Melody Umsted

4/15/2018 11:48:40 am

This picture is of a boy standing in his bedroom. The boy is wearing a red and white striped shirt and khaki pants with a belt. He has his head turned to one side, hidden in a shadow. The lighting is coming from a window on the far left of the photo. There are lots of shadows in the room, creating a nice contrast.

This photo is pleasing to look at because it is very realistic. The boy is centered in the picture. There is a shallow depth of field because the boy is focused, but the background gets a little fuzzy. There is a window and a dresser at the edges of the image, both partially cut off. The angle of the camera is from about the boy's torso, looking up.

The idea of this photo was for the artist to get closure for his father's death. He retraced his father's life to photograph people and places from his father's life. The artist wanted to learn more about his father after he died. He wanted to convey his emotions after his father's death. This image is noteworthy because it plays with highlights and shadows nicely.

I like this picture. I like the lighting and how it is in an everyday setting. Alone, I think this photo is unsuccessful. I can't connect to the author's intentions from looking at just this photo. If I was looking at it along with the rest of the series, I think I would feel what the author is intending.

Kaitlyn Evans

4/15/2018 03:07:53 pm

This picture is of a boy probably around my age. He is wearing a striped red polo shirt with khaki pants and a belt. The colors in this picture are vibrant the red and whites go really well together. The lighting in this picture is dark shadows and sunlight. What is happening in this image is that there is a boy standing in his room looking down.
The composition in this image is very pleasing to look at because the light illuminates the space around him while the shadows hide his face which is really nice. The point of view is at eye level. The photographer took this at a shallow depth of field. The subject does not fill the space there is still extra room around the boy. The positive space is the boy and the negative space is the background behind him.
The idea in this image is that the boy is standing in a room and we can see everything around him except for his face which I think is what he is trying to hide. The story in this image is that the daughter of this photographer is trying to get his work out into the world after her father’s death. The daughter is trying to show the world how amazing her dad’s photography was even though she didn’t have the best relationship with him. I think this image is very interesting because most people would just look at this image as any other image but we got to know the full story behind which makes it more memorable. I think this image is definitely noteworthy.
I like this image a lot because the shadows make the image look better. This image works very well with the sun. I like the story behind it and how the daughter became closer with her father after he passed away. The father was very successful with this image because he knew how to make the sunlight and the shadows look good on the boy. I like how the photographer hid the boy’s face because it makes it more of a mystery.

chase Blackwell

4/17/2018 05:21:58 am

The photo depicts a black child/ man standing in a dark bedroom, with a shadow concealing his face. He is standing in the foreground of the picture and is slightly left of the center of the photo as well. He is illuminated by the natural light coming in from the window in the background of the picture. The rest of the photo is the messy room that he is standing in. The light coming in through the window creates a pseudo line of light for you to follow across his room and onto his face.
The photo is likely taken at a medium ISO, because it’s too light to be a low ISO due to the natural light limitation, and it’s too dark and clear to be a High ISO. The image has a deep depth of field, with the entire image in focus. This leads me to believe that the image was shot with a smaller aperture. This photo was most likely shot from a tripod set around the height of a an older child, due to the fact that this series is a reflection on how he felt about his father. This lower camera height makes his figure imposing and larger than it likely is.
This photo series was made to reflect on his emotions about his father’s death. This particular picture seems to be a photo about how he remembers his father. The camera height, in particular, leads me to believe that this photo is shot from his, as a child's, POV as he remembers his father bursting into his room.The messy of the room both leads to clarifying this is his childhood room, but also represents his emotional turmoil over his father's death. The shadow over the father’s representation is a very strong representation that this is supposed to represent his now passed father.
I personally really like this photo, as the father subject has often been interesting to me, seeing as I have two moms. This photo enables me to see what it’s like from his perspective to have a father burst into your room. The shadow over the face really enables this picture to transcend just his experiences, as it allows you to fill in anyone in that roll. I personally think this is a really strong picture composition. The artist did an amazing job of self-expression while still enabling others to see themselves in his work, and that is very, very hard to do.

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Period 4 -- Critical Analysis #18

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