Artist : Dorothea Lange
Title: Migratory cotton Picker
Year: 1940
medium: Gelatin-silver print;
dimensions : 10½ X 13½in. (26.8 X 34.3cm).
Migratory cotton Picker is a work of social realism. Social Realism appears in the early 20th century. It depicts the social and racial injustice, economic hardship through unvarnished pictures of life’s struggle, working class activities, and also contains political goals.
The artists of Social Realism usually depict the social troubles of urban lower class. They focus on the ugly realities of contemporary life, and sympathized with working-class people, particularly the poor.
Description:
Migratory Cotton Picker is taken by Dorothea Lange in 1940. The medium is Gelatin-silver print. Its dimensions are 24.8cm X 34.3cm.
The photo depicts a Cotton picker with his sack slung over his shoulder rest at the scales before returning to work in the field. This photo was taken in Arizona in the southwestern part of USA. We can know that the man was under the hot sun since in the photo the sky is very clean and the contrast of dark and light is clear. And we can see that the man is with messy hair, rough and dry hands, and a broken sleeve that means he is poor. For the composition, his face is not really in the center of the photo, but also his sack slung, hand and the contrast of dark and light. It is because the photographer would like to depict the condition of the man instead of who the man is.
How this work fix into Social Realism.
First, it depicts a working class activity that is picking cotton. Besides, It shows the economic hardship. It can be showed by the hands of the man that is very dry and rough. It means he work in a very harsh working condition to earn a living. Also, It contains political goals such as to evoke the social conscious to the poverty after the Great Depression.
Key quote
“The man is physically attractive, but worn by laboring in the fields and toughened by the hot sun. Earth clings to his hands, the lines and veins of which create abstract patterns by virtue of close-up view. ”
--- Laurie Schneider Adams
Why I choose this work…
The contrast of dark and light catches my eyes. Also the posture of the man makes me want to know what is happening to him.
I think this photo is very mystery that even the man looked at the camera but it seems that he did not want to be captured as the man used his hand to cover his face.
I think this photo is very mystery that even the man looked at the camera but it seems that he did not want to be captured as the man used his hand to cover his face.
Question:
1.What do you think about his gesture?
2.Would it be outdated to use this photo taking method to depict the social problem nowadays? Why?
Hi Yan Ki,
ReplyDeleteI think you need more description of the work, then analysis every formal elements. You can try to relate these formal particulars to the social background, for example, to show us how this feature can evoke certain emotion or reflect certain social reality of that period.
Queenie