McLean, Virginia, December 1978 © Joel Sternfeld Each week in class, you will write a critical analysis on a work of photographic art. An image will be published weekly on our class blog. Spend time studying the image and then write a detailed analysis of the photograph. Publish your analysis as a comment to the blog post; this comment should show the student’s name and time posted. Your analysis must be posted to the original blog post in order to be graded.
All analyses must be 4 paragraphs minimum, 5 sentences minimum per paragraph unless otherwise noted. Students will write eleven critical analyses per semester, and the lowest grade per semester will be dropped. On the class blog, if you look to the right you will see the word Analyze. There is a link to a handout you may download or print called your "How to See" handout. This will help you learn to write about art. Refer to your "How to See" handout for analyzing a photograph--
Abby
9/4/2019 11:37:37 am
The image depicts a small, abandoned looking farm stand with a large farmhouse burning in the background. The pumpkins and apples in the front of the image appear to be squished. There are dead apple trees and a fire truck with firefighters putting out the burning house. There is another firefighter looking at the pumpkins in the stand. This is a darker, more dull color palette, consisting of muted greys, greens, browns, and oranges.
chloe clark
9/4/2019 11:43:32 am
Sternfeld’s photograph consists of a farm market in the front of the image, a burning house in the background with fire trucks around it. Near the farm market, there are some busted pumpkins lying on the ground. A firefighter is standing at the farm market observing the pumpkins for sale. There are trees in the background that are not healthy. The colors include orange, yellow, green, and brown. The feel of autumn is represented with these warm colors. 9/4/2019 11:48:44 am
The piece of work being analyzed is a photograph taken by Joel Sternfeld taken in 1978. This image is composed of a burning house, what appears to be an abandoned farmers market stand, rotting and broken pumpkins and a lone firefighter shopping at the stand. The colors in this image which are earth tones are muted and understated with a hazy hue that emits feelings of fall. The lighting in this photograph far from harsh but rather extremely natural and raw as if looking at the scene with the naked eye. This image, although detailed, contains no close up views of human facial expression which is a really powerful weapon in a great photograph. The fact that this photo makes me feel things such as warmth, comfort and discomfort without targeting my emotions with the visible emotions of another person is a form of artwork all in itself. Sternfeld’s photo is chaos in the form of the burning house that is being balanced by serenity that takes form in the actions of the firefighter who is calmly browsing the farmers market stand.
Nathan Harrison
9/4/2019 11:49:39 am
The image shows a house on fire being fought by firefighters in the background behind a farm market that sells pumpkins, oranges, apples, and apple cider. In the very front is a bunch of pumpkins lying on the ground with a lot of them being broken. The image has a range of colors within, e.g green for the small patches of grass, gray for the smoke originating from the fire, orange for the flame of the fire, and tan for the wilting grass in the colder season of the year. The lighting of the image is the type of lighting on a cloudy day where it is just enough light resonating from the sun through the clouds to where someone can see clearly, but not too much to where shadows appear. In front of the farm market, there is a firefighter looking at the items that are displayed at the farm market and more firefighters on the extension ladder fighting the fire.
Flint Rose
9/4/2019 11:50:49 am
Mclean Virginia 1978 is a piece that I have come to enjoy greatly. Depicted in the foreground is a farmers market selling pumpkins. There is a Firefighter selecting a pumpkin. Upon looking closer we see that a house is burning in the background. There are two fire trucks putting out the fire. There is also see a batch of pumpkins destroyed outside the farmers market. The entire piece has a very washed orange color. All the tree’s leaves are dying and the sky is overcast.
Kellen Dukatnik
9/4/2019 11:52:48 am
The Image by Joel Sternfeld is an image depicting a house on fire, a fire truck, fire-fighters, a farmers market with pumpkins and oranges, and a firefighter looking at the pumpkins. The image has colors of orange, yellow, red, white, and brown. The photographer may have used these colors to have that sort of fall or autumn vibe. The lighting used is natural lighting with an overcast. The image has firefighters putting out a fire, while another firefighter is buying pumpkins. 9/4/2019 11:54:21 am
The picture depicts a pumpkin section of a farmers with a house fire in the background. In the shop a fireman is shown to be inspecting a pumpkin. Near the hut there is some cider out. In the foreground there are broken pumpkins laying out. In the background there are some firefighters attempting to put the fire out. All of the colors shown aren’t to bright and give off autumn vibes.
Mateo
9/4/2019 11:57:49 am
This image is of a house on fire in the background of a farmers market where there is a firefighter looking at pumpkins. The image has more muted or less bright colors like grey and dark shades because it’s trying to portray a more serious or sad tone. The lighting in the image is dark because of the overcast and there is no sunlight. There is a house in the background with fire trucks and firefighters next to it trying to contain the fire inside of it. There is also a small building with a sign that is selling pumpkins and other fruits and one of the firefighters is looking at the pumpkins. There are firefighters and fire trucks trying to contain a fire that erupted at the house.
Ben Barlow
9/4/2019 11:59:47 am
McLean, Virginia by Joel Sternfeld is a historic photo from his series American Prospects. Sternfeld is an artist from the United States who told stories about the places he visited through the pictures he took. This scene in particular takes place in 1978 during an emergency test drill in which firefighters put out burning buildings to test their capability. It is immediately apparent upon learning the circumstances that Sternfeld twists the piece to his advantage. In the foreground is seen a firefighter, seemingly bored by the house that is being engulfed behind him. More firefighters are seen, although they are the ones who are actually making an effort to save the structure from collapsing from the extending platform off the back of their truck in the distance. The primary color in the frame is orange from the pumpkins, which blends nicely with the vibrant flames trying to be put out. The huge smoke clouds also match with the dark trees in the background, which contrast sharply with the bright colors seen from the front. Overall I’d say that the mood of the photo is very grim because of the dark situation combining with the overcast weather.
marco Perales
9/4/2019 12:02:43 pm
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