Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #3

11/6/2019

Today you will be writing about this image by artist Zora Murff, which is from his series titled Corrections. Your analysis must be 4 paragraphs, 5 sentences minimum per paragraph. Remember to post your analysis as a comment to the blog post that corresponds to your class. If you post your analysis to the wrong class's post, it will not be graded.

Below is a project statement written by Murff about his body of work, Corrections:
From 2012 to 2015, I worked as a Tracker for Linn County Juvenile Detention and Diversion Services in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As a Tracker, I provided services to youths who were convicted of crimes, adjudicated, and subsequently ordered to complete probation. Juveniles in my charge were asked to comply with services which may include: electronic monitoring, therapies, drug screening, and community service; it was my responsibility to have continual contact with them to ensure these expectations are met.

Tracking and other similar community-based services are being increasingly used as an alternative to detention facilities. These services, which allow juveniles to stay in their homes, show a higher rate of success than strict incarceration. Although community-based services are built to foster a collaborative relationship between juveniles and service providers, attaining the actualization of teamwork becomes problematic when juveniles feel that they have done nothing wrong, are victims of circumstance, or do not fully understand why they have committed a crime. The system has been put in place to provide rehabilitation, but it is far from being a straightforward process. Many influences outside of the youths' control such as education, socioeconomic status, and race all play a role in whether or not a youth reoffends - all of these factors possessing the propensity to lead them to extended periods of incarceration in the juvenile system or to involvement with the criminal justice system as an adult.

By reconsidering the role that I played in the lives of the kids I worked with, I began to acknowledge the burden that comes with tasking young men and women with continued complicity. My stance as a consequence kept our relationships in a state of flux ranging from stable to tenuous – a constant motion mirroring the discord that develops between the system's intentions and outcomes. Through employing ideas of anonymity, voyeurism, and introspection, Corrections is an examination of youth experience in the system, the role images play in defining someone who is deemed a criminal, and how the concepts of privacy and control may affect their future.

Refer to your "How to See" handout for analyzing a photograph--

Describe specifics.
Describe form.
Describe the content.
Evaluate the image

Your analyses will be graded on:

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

Isabella Grossman

11/6/2019 12:08:32 pm

This image is taken of a boy sitting on stairs outdoors. The image is intentionally staged so that The handle of the stairs block his eyes. The boy is resting comfortably on the stairs, not too posed or in a stressed position. The colors in the photo are cooler colors, lots of greys which makes most of the image quite muted and lifeless. The stair handle is red which provides contrast to the cool greys and blue hues of the image. The lighting is natural because it is taken outdoors however it was not taken in harsh sunlight. The main focus of the image is the boy: he wears broken-in blue jeans, old black sneakers, and an oversized button down shirt. This wardrobe feels very natural and specific to the figure in the image which goes parallel with his relaxed nature.

The composition of the image is very strange because although the main figure or center of attention of the image is obviously the boy, the stair handle completely blocks out his eyes and most of the features that would tell us more about him. The rule of thirds in not being used because the figure is placed in the middle of the photograph. We can easily conclude that he is the intended center of attention of the image due to the shallow depth of field which blurs out more of the background except the figure’s face. There are lots of lines in the image that draw the eye naturally to the center focal point of the image.The subject does not fill the entire frame and is surrounded by background which means there is no negative space but rather, a lot of positive space.

The ideas or themes that appear in this image could possibly be interpreted as a stripping of identity. By removing the figures hair, eyes and forehead, the photographer is strippiing the figure of his identity and portraying a more general story which is one of a generic troubed teenager. This makes the image more relatable instead of personalizing the image for the figure in it. This image reaches out to audiences as if to say that everyone is the same, and each person is troubled in their own way. The figure in the image represents troubled youth and the artist does a very good job of conveying this idea through his photography. The images challenges beliefs and could make some uncomfortable. It is raw and far from perfect, it tells the story of the troubled youth, of kids who just need guidance.

I personally really enjoyed this image because of the message and story it told to me. I enjoyed learning about the artists and his reasoning behind his work. I love his process and what he stands for and his personal story which influenced his art. I support using art as a medium to convey tough stories and to express yourself and what you have been through.

Ben Barlow

11/6/2019 09:55:44 pm

In Zora Murff’s series titled Corrections, he intends to photograph juvenile criminals by using his camera as a way to see them from a different, more honest perspective. With the setbacks young juveniles face today, many feel there are preconceptions towards them that keeps them from having a more successful life. His brother, Andre, had to deal with many charges placed on him at a young age, which was the motivating force for Murff to become a mentor to guide criminals back to a more normal life. Working for several years as a tracker at his local detention center, Murff learned from his experience that more often than not, particular socioeconomic circumstances heavily influence whether the youth will become a reoffender. This particular image is taken of one of the minors he helped during his time as a tracker. Being unable to reveal his identity, Murff frames the picture around his subject while still obstructing his eyes. Taking place on a staircase, this particular scene could possibly be the location of where a crime was committed. The color of foliage behind contrasting with the grey concrete nature suggests that the setting might be in a park of some kind. Overall, the lighting in the image is good, everything is visible and it appears to be midday. The subject is sitting on the stairs, facing another direction with his face pointed towards the camera.

The image, I think, isn’t exceptionally pleasing to look at because of the state of everything that is visible. The staircase, for example, is covered in leaves and the posts appear to be worn significantly. Although nothing may be wrong with the subject himself, the angle the photo was taken from does not intend to be charming, it is rather honest and expressive. The rule of thirds is not really being followed since the figure is roughly in the center of the image. The point of view is at the same eye level as the subject, as if someone was sitting down across from him at the exact same height. The subject is what Murff chose to keep in focus while the surrounding landscape is not. I think that the lines image from the concrete could be used to suggest that the boy may live in a poor, industrial area. This picture is completely asymmetrical, as this shot was taken from the side. Murff left a lot of extra, negative space around the focus of his image that describe in detail the setting in which the photo was taken.

I think the main theme this image conveys is a standard or stereotype that all troubled kids go through. Although this situation is certainly unique in itself, Murff is able to show by his work the story that all juvenile criminals are going through in the United States. I think that Murff’s intention is to show the restrictions that many people are suffering from that influence them towards making the wrong decisions. Whether it be how much money they have, what race they are, and their own education, these factors largely contribute to whether or not they will become convicts. These limitations, although present in other countries, are especially poor in the United States where greed takes precedence over caring for one another. Although these ideas challenge some political thinking, I think most rational people would agree that we have built some degree of an oppressive society where the privileged are able to live free from jail time.

Overall, I like this image for the strong message it carries that I personally agree with. The United States has many problems to deal with, but above all, we suffer from a large amount of disparity, a system where only the lucky survive. The majority of people will never understand how impossible it is to free yourself from a world that is keeping you back. Even though I did not find the image particularly pleasing to look at, I value the ideas it represents much better. I found that Corrections by Zora Murff is a highly successful series that allows us to view these young kids for who they truly are, without the preconceptions society built for them.

Nathan Harrison

11/7/2019 06:06:06 am

This image shows a minor sitting on steps with his eyes covered by some wooden handle. The lighting of the image indicates that the picture was taken during the day with the sun being covered by clouds. With the contents of the image, the setting of which the picture was taken could be any park, or in front of a building with steps and trees. With the decent amount of dead leaves on the ground, we could conclude that the picture was taken sometime during the fall.

The focus point of the image is obviously on the minor that is sitting on the steps. The image does not follow the rule of thirds as the subject is generally centered in the photo, but is generally close to the right side of the frame. The depth of field in this photo is definitely very shallow as the subject of the photo is in very close proximity of the photographer. Although the subject doesn’t fill the frame, the image is fine with the surroundings around the subject. I feel that there is an equal amount of positive to negative space as the positive space generally consumes the middle of the photo while the negative space surrounds the positive space and makes the image look pleasing.

I don’t know what the story behind the image and may never know, but based on the photographer’s previous work and story, the subject was probably incarcerated before the image was taken. The photographer possibly didn’t want us to see the image as a minor that was incarcerated for being rebellious or bad, but as a minor is in need of help and assistance on his journey through life. The photographer wanted us to do a double-take on what a story be behind someone before we take action or judgment to or against that person.

I would say that the image was successful as I can relate to these kids not as being incarcerated, but needing help on my journey in life whenever a roadblock appears or we falter and are in need of assistance. It represents the saying “Do not judge a book by its cover”.

chloe clark

11/7/2019 12:35:35 pm

Zora Murff’s image consists of a young boy sitting on a small set of concrete stairs. A red, old, wooden post is blocking his eyes out of the picture. There is a dark forest in the background. The color of the wooden post combined with the leaves and forest gives off a fall vibe. The lighting in this image is fairly bright, except the trees in the background have a darkness to them.

The staircase helps to lead your eye down the stairs to end up looking at the young boy. The lines that are the wooden post lead you to look at the cross between them two where the boy’s face is cut out. This image is cropped to cut out the trees and the continuing staircase. The subject does not fill the frame, and there is leftover space. The image is not particularly balanced, because on the left side of the image, there is not as much to focus on than there is on the right side.

Murff created “Corrections” to show the youth experience in the juvenile system. He wanted to show how it was like for them, being considered a criminal at such a young age. I believe his reasoning behind this series of images was to not only inform people of what it was like, but also to make people have sympathy for these kids. He had an experience from the system with his brother, and he really didn’t like how they were treated.

I like this image because it really interested me finding out why Murff created these images. Hearing him tell his story was very interesting to me. He is very calm to be able to speak about it in a public place such as that. This image is successful, because there is a very real and serious backstory. That really makes the image more interesting and meaningful.

Kellen Dukatnik

11/7/2019 05:31:31 pm

The image depicts a boy sitting on a stair-step looking in an agitated state, and the railing partially covers his face. The boy is sitting in front of a school or juvenile detention center. The colors include blue, black, maroon, grey, green, brown, white. The lighting is outdoor lighting on a day with overcast, kind of dark. What is happening in the picture is that the boy is sitting on the steps upset over something.
The composition is quite melancholy, the boy is upset, and the overall mood the lighting gives off is depressing. The rule of thirds seems to be used because it seems to be lined up where the boy is sitting. The photographer took the image from the point of view of someone who may be sitting across from the subject, but not interacting. The depth of field is shallow; the photographer really wants to emphasize the subject. The subject does not fill the whole image; there is space on the outsides of the photograph.
The idea of the image shows is that the kid has been going through many hardships; he seems stressed or heated. The story being told is the child shown in the image is part of a juvenile detention center for committing a crime and the photographer is a tracker, the tracker wants to show us just how the kid feels by the kid’s natural state which happens to have a frown and a sort of exhausted body posture. The author made this image to help us understand and empathize with the subject. The image challenges beliefs about kids who are in juvenile detention centers and makes them not look like criminals. The image is interesting, to the person who does not understand the story behind this, they may wonder why the boy is upset or there in the first place.
I like the photograph and the meaning behind it because it really connects to the theme of a photo is worth a thousand words. The photograph was successful because it follows what I believe Murff wanted to do with this image. In the TED TALK, where Murff is speaking, he explains that these kids need help. In the beginning, he shows a mugshot of his brother and says everyone wonders what his brother had done. Murff explains that his brother had not started like this, and it had started because of one thing he had done when he was a child that got him on a road he could not get off of. This adds to the success of the image.

Flint Rose

11/7/2019 05:35:32 pm

This piece is one of a teenager sitting on a set of steps. You can only see his mouth and nose, the rest is covered by the rails for the steps. The colors are very bright, this makes the black tee shirt the kid is wearing stand out a lot more. The trees in the back have their leaves, but there are orange leaves on the ground so it appears to be the start of fall. The steps could be to his house, but are more likely to his school or facility because of the fact that we can see more steps in the background.

This piece has a good balance of colors, this balance of colours makes the piece very easy to look at. The rule of thirds is not being used here but the balance in colors and the fact that its a portrait means it does not need it. The point of view could be seen as if the camera is someone sitting next to him. The traditional positive space of the subject is being obstructed by the railing, this railing is one of the first things you notice when looking at the piece. The frame cuts off information like where he is, why is he waiting here, and is there anyone else here.

This piece tells the story of a kid who asked Zora Murf to come outside and talk. Murf sits on the steps next to him and looked him and talked. We get to feel this from the viewpoint that the camera is. The eyes could be blocked because this could be anyone. Even though there are very bright colors the image gives off a cold atmosphere. The kids blank expression shows how just like there are many kids Zora Murf has had to work with, there have been many Trackers this kid has worked with.

Personally I like this piece a lot. Everytime I look at it I feel a cold chill down my back. Zora spent 3 years of his life working with these kids, looking through his collection this one truly shows how his interactions with these kids went. I love pieces that tell a story, so I enjoy this piece quite a lot. I think what Zora did was very good for the kids, and very good for art.

Abby Muir

11/7/2019 07:21:04 pm

The image is of a teenage boy sitting on concrete steps strewn with leaves. The boy’s face is partially covered by a red wooden handrail on the steps. The image uses muted greys, blacks, blues, and reds to make the image almost look calm. There are some darker shadows in the upper right corner, but everything is naturally lit. The boy in the image looks like he’s thinking or sad. He’s sitting alone, so it makes me think that he’s almost waiting for something.

The photograph is interesting because it makes you want to duck your head to look under the handrail and see his face. However, you can’t, so it’s up to you to come up with how you think his emotions or facial expressions are. He’s obviously the focal point, because the background and handrail in the front are blurred out slightly, so the boy is in focus. The lines are strategically placed to make the lines of the steps direct your eye to the focal point. The subject doesn’t completely fill the frame, but it’s pretty close.

The artist worked at a juvenile detention center, and he wanted to show that these kids aren’t just criminals. They are real people, with real feelings, and he wanted to capture that in his series. The image is one you can look at for a long time, because you can’t see the kid’s face. So, you have to guess as to what his emotions are, thus changing the mood of the whole picture. The image definitely has a story behind it.

I personally really love this photograph. It may seem simple at first, but if you look closer and read the story behind this photo, it makes so much sense. It’s sad but uplifting at the same time. It really gets its message across well.

Isaiah Rettig link

11/7/2019 07:28:20 pm

The image is of a boy sitting on the steps of somewhere. The colors are mostly dark or gray. The lighting causes the photo to have many shadows and gives off the impression of a cloudy day. The wooden railing on the stairs obscure the boy’s face out of view but he is still looking at the camera.
The boy is centered in the photograph and isn’t framed by anything. Your eyes follow the railing pole to the boy’s face. While following the pole you see what the boy is wearing and how he is sitting. The image is mostly balanced except for the wooden railing taking up the front. The top of the steps are cut off so we can’t see where these lead.
One of the main themes seems to be shame. Not only is the boy covering his face, but he’s frowning and you could guess that he probably has a look of sadness in his eyes. You don’t know what the boy has done to be convicted but you can tell he is ashamed for what he has done. The image is interesting because it feels incomplete.
I like the photo, the photo feels incomplete and makes the viewer want to see the boy’s face. The line following to the boy, the colors and the railing seemingly in the way of the photo all make me wish I could see the boys face. It’s successful in the way it makes the viewer feel emotions like sadness and want.

Marco Perales link

11/7/2019 07:35:42 pm

One of the specifics of the picture is how the photographer purposely covered his eyes because the kid maybe was crying or has red eyes from how bad they treat kids in the asylum .

The form that the photographer took it was to give the person looking at the picture question what could you see in those kids eyes .

The content shows more shallow depth of field on the kid then on the background .

The image shows how the kid has gone threw things i can tell from his positioning it gives a look of guilt and fear .

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Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #3

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