Assignment Four – choice of image and initial preparation

From my shortlist of five images I have now selected the photograph on which I will base my essay for this assignment.  My chosen image is Juvisy, France  (1938) by Henri Cartier-Bresson as I feel that I will find this an interesting image to write about and that it has sufficient scope for the rigorous and critical analysis demanded by the assignment brief. I have made some notes in my journal about the images which didn’t make the final cut, together with my reasons for their rejection.

As a start to my assignment preparation I made some brief notes of my initial thoughts about the image, starting off by using parts of a checklist provided by OCA in the Level Two photography course ‘Progressing with Digital Photography’ (Freeman, 2011) as a basic structure in order to objectively look at the photograph.  This exercise then led to some questions and directional leads to look into further.

First impressions – what strikes the eye

•  A black and white image of five people enjoying a picnic by the riverside.
• At first glance this could be a snapshot, yet further examination reveals it to be a carefully composed and balanced image. There is a strong use of horizontal planes and also geometrics – horizontal, vertical and diagonal lines, triangles both real and implied
• There are multiple values of light within the image
• The absence of a horizon traps the viewer in the picture and forces them to concentrate on the people and the boat – the viewer does not have to think about what is on the other side of the river
• The lack of horizon also forms the image into two halves with the reeds lining the riverbank creating a dividing line.  The lower half of the image is active yet doesn’t keep our attention – the viewer’s eye is led down the riverbank to the boat.  The upper half of the image is very calm, with the reflections in the water reminding me of a Monet painting.
• The clothes and demeanour of the picnickers suggest that they belong to the working class
• The fact that the five people are all facing away from the viewer gives a feeling of voyeurism
• The image says ‘leisure’ –demonstrated by the food, wine, picnic atmosphere and the fishing rods
• There is a pervading sense of contentment – the four people are sitting separately and yet comfortably, relaxed, finishing their food
• A witty image –  the awkwardness and corpulence of the people contrasts with the narrowness and sleek lines of the boat.  Heaviness versus lightness and grace.
• Possible hint of sneering at the lower classes – is this their idea of a good time?

 The genre

My immediate thoughts were that the image was a mixture of street photography and social documentary.   However my preliminary research has shown that the image was shot for use in the press, which introduces the genre of photojournalism into the equation and also changes the context dramatically.

The intended use

The image was shot as part of an assignment commissioned in 1938 by the communist French magazine Regard and would have been intended for editorial use.  However, it appears that the image was not included in the final publication spread (Galassi, 2010)

An unplanned or planned photograph?

Working to an assignment brief, Cartier-Bresson would have carried out his research and travelled to a location where he felt he had a good chance of getting the type of shots he was after.  However my opinion is that the photograph is unplanned; that Cartier-Bresson came across the scene, sized up the situation and sensed that it would make a good photo opportunity, a skill which he was well-known for.

Technical details

Although I haven’t yet found the technical details for this image, Cartier-Bresson favoured a small 35mm Leica camera which would have allowed candid shots.  The image would appear to have been shot with a wide-angle lens.

Style

As with a lot of Cartier-Bresson’s work, this image is carefully composed whilst appearing spontaneous and contains his trademark ‘decisive moment’ as well as the visual geometry and humorous wit that he was known for.

Is there sufficient information available?

My initial research has shown that there appears to be a fair amount written about this specific image providing me with a number of different directions to follow. I need to distinguish the more reputable sources and cross-check the information thoroughly.

Preliminary questions and various directions to investigate further

• The image was first called ‘Sunday on the banks of the Marne’ and other variants, later changing its name to ‘Juvisy, France’.
  • Why was the name changed? By whom?
  • How does this affect the context of the image, the connotations, our reading of it?

• The image was shot as part of a series concerning the award of an annual paid holiday to French workers yet it wasn’t published (Galassi, 2010)
  • What was the motive behind the series – who was gaining what?
  • Are the other images in the series available?
  • Why was this particular image not published?
  • What was the political situation in France in the late 1930s?

• Feedback from the OCA Thames Valley Group at the recent study day and my initial reading has linked the image to paintings by Seurat (‘Bathers at Asnieres’), Degas and Caillebote.
  • Which paintings? What are the links?
  • How will these paintings help me to interpret the image?

Even at this early stage I am aware that there are a lot of issues to consider with this image and I am not sure that I will be able to do justice to them all in one thousand words.  From feedback I received at the Thames Valley Group meeting and also from following a discussion on the OCA Flickr forum about this assignment it would seem that it is considered more appropriate to structure my essay in depth around one key point rather than to spread my discussion too thinly by trying to cover everything.

My next steps will be to continue my research into the questions listed above and to choose the key point(s) that I want to discuss in my essay.  I will also begin thinking about how to structure the essay and write my analysis in a manner appropriate to this level of study.

References:

Cartier-Bresson, H. (1938) Juvisy, France [online image]. Museum of Modern Art. Available from  http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/968 [accessed 10 April 2015]

Freeman, M. (2011) Photography 2: Progressing with Digital Photography [online]. Open College of the Arts. Available from http://www.oca.ac.uk/subjects/photography/photography-2-progressing-with-digital-photography.html  [accessed 28 March 2015]

Galassi, P. (2010) Henri Cartier-Bresson: The Modern Century. London: Thames & Hudson