"Family Values & Matriarchy"
My personal investigation is focused on familial relationships, particularly that of my dad and his mother and the matriarchal aspect of her being. Additionally I am featuring family morals and behaviours. My title "Family Values & Matriarchy" make this very clear. I am shooting mostly inside the homes of these individuals that I am focusing on to offer the viewer a true essence of their life and experiences. This also makes the shoots a lot more visually intimate, because not only are they capturing intimate aspects of relationships that aren't always noticed in everyday life, but lets the viewer inside the home as well. I hope for my final portfolio to encourage the idea that if we are to look a little closer into the relationships around us there is a lot more to them than we first notice. One of my biggest inspirations in this project is Richard Billingham who says "It is certainly not my intention to shock, to offend, sensationalise, be political or whatever. Only to make work that is as spiritually meaningful as I can make it. Whatever the medium.” Although my photography is not necessarily shocking or offensive, I can relate to the idea about trying to make my work as meaningful as possible, for the viewer to notice things about people and places that they usually wouldn't.
Early History
By the beginning of the 20th century, photography was on its way to becoming the visual language it is today. Photographers used its growing influence to expose societies evils, which the prosperous and self-indulgent Belle Epoque chose to ignore; the degrading conditions of workers in big-city slums, the savagery of child labour and the devastation of war.
Jacob Riis (1849-1914) immigrated to the United States from Denmark, and although originally trained to be a carpenter, worked as a police reporter for the New York Tribune newspaper. In the early 1880s, he supplemented his investigative reporting of the city's notorious Lower East Side slums with his own photographs and soon became known as one of the city's most important social reformers. Riis was one of the first photographers to experiment with flash as he needed it for the dark settings he was shooting in.
Jacob Riis
Lodgers in a Crowded Bayard Street Tenement - "Five Cents a Spot"
Photographers would experiment with flash in various ways, using things like magnesium. The early flash guns used a mixture of magnesium powder and potassium chlorate that was ignited by hand. Later, magnesium filaments were contained in flash bulbs filled with oxygen gas, and electrically ignited by a contact in the camera shutter, but such a bulb could only be used once, and was too hot to handle immediately after use, but the confinement of what would otherwise have amounted to a small explosion was an important advance.
Or, alternatively a magnesium photographic flash light was devised by attaching a rubber tube to the mouthpiece of a clay pipe, filling the bowl with magnesium and wrapping bowl with alcohol-impregnated cotton wadding. When the subject posed and was in focus the cotton was ignited and the tubing blown through to give a good flame.
Photographer Research
Richard Billingham
A photographer that has had a massive influence on my work is Richard Billingham, born in 1970, Billingham started taking photos in 1990 as a reference to his paintings. His work was focused on his family and portraying life for a family in poverty England during this time. Over time, Billingham felt that his photographs showed more truth and felt more real, so he decided to switch mediums. Billingham shot in film, I can assume he used the average film as he was not n a particularly large budget. His alcoholic father Ray became a central focus in the photography being the spontaneous character that he is. The relationship between Ray and Liz is interesting for viewers to watch as it is so honest and shows some real ups and downs for the pair.
This image was shot in 1994 with a film camera, which we can guess from the pinkish tint in the image. This shot depicts Billinghams mother, Liz, laying on the sofa and watching TV. She appears very comfortable in this setting. It is clear that this image is a product of its time with the 90's style of sofa, wallpaper and clothing. Liz seems unfazed by this image being taken as usual, and is obviously used to it, giving it the essence of a true documentary photo. Without knowing contextual information, we can guess that this is depicting a working class family. We can assume this by the setting, as one of the pillows are ripped and broken, Liz appears unkempt and her clothing is unfashionable suggesting that money is tight and these things are not a top priority. This image also suggests that Liz is somewhat of an independent woman as she can enjoy her own company, perhaps she is busy, often taking care of her alcoholic husband Ray and rarely gets a moment to herself, so it is nice for her to relax on the sofa for a moment. I would also assume that as money is tight Liz doesn't often get to treat herself to activities outside of the home like clothes shopping etc. What particularly draws me in are the bright colours on Liz's dress and on the wallpaper as the rest of the colours in the images are quite bland or dark so these particular colours stand out.
In this image the mother/caregiver has taken the 4 girls out. I assume that there are also boys in the family, making it a rather large family. This would live up to the stereotype about how poorer families in rough estates have larger families in order to earn more childcare benefits from the council. Although I am not saying that this is the truth of this family. The mother is giving the children money so they can get some ice cream, perhaps this was a treat for them. Again, the mother is taking the stereotypical role of a mother in the family taking all the children out herself, although she could be a single parent. The girls look slightly scatty despite being in dresses, although it might be the wind making their hair messy. The younger girls probably get lots of hand me downs as the family probably don't have a massive amount of money to be spending on new clothes all the time. The mother appears important in this image not only because of her age and position within the relationships but her size and the way that she towers over the girls, similar to Liz in Billinghams images. To be honest I would assume that the mother in this image is of a larger size as unhealthier foods and takeaways are much cheaper to buy rather than healthy meals. This image is a product of it's time and I can tell that it's from the 90's due to not only the clothing, but the style of ice cream truck. It's a very old type of van. Also the buggy that the little girl is in is also very 90's looking with the big chunky wheels and thin frame. Furthermore, if i'm really looking into detail I would guess that the houses built not too long before the image was taken. I can tell by the front doors, they are all exactly the same changing from blue to black. In 2018 it is very unusual that one person have the same front door as another unless living on a brand new estate. But council estates are not built as brand new anymore like they were in the 90s.
This image is one of Waplingtons most famous and potentially most popular from this series. I think that it is interesting for the middle-class or just different types of families to have an insight into this family's life. Their morals and the way that the behave around each other is definitely a surprise to people with more traditional or quieter families. This household is very loud and busy, filled with people and things everywhere. Although they all seem very comfortable. The larger woman is shown to be hitting the man next to her and looks fed up with him. the children are obviously quite used to this kind of behaviour as they all seem completely un-phased and in their own little worlds. The woman in red is a particularly macho type of woman, a matriarch. She has probably picked this up from her own mother.
My work in relation to photographer research
This image is from my fourth shoot which was inspired by both Richard Billingham and Larry Sultan. My nan's house was always quite good at shooting billingham inspired images, as it's older looking and more of a 90s styled house inside. Seen in Billinghams image is both Ray and Liz, Liz clearly the matriarch looking over Ray who appears slightly slumped over in his chair. However although my nan is the one in the chair in my image, she is the matriarch of the shoot and clearly the ruler of her home. I wanted to portray how her home is her whole world, much like it is for Ray and Liz. They didn't get out much seeing as they had little money and Ray struggled with his alcoholism. Billingham has always shot on film cameras and still does to this day. I wanted to re-make this idea but struggled in the beginning. I would probably re-edit this image if I were to go back and improve my work. I liked the time and date in the bottom corner at the time but feel as if it can be distracting now. And i'd like to change the colours in the image, make it slightly brighter with a tiny green and blue tint as it is too warm. Aside from this I feel like my work links very nicely to Billinghams in regards to setting, relationships, composition and aesthetic to an extent.
Larry Sultan
Larry Sultan is an American documentary photographer, well known for his series "Pictures From Home" shot in their 80s home, focusing on the relationship between his parents. A lot of people are interested in Sultans father as he seems to be quite a mysterious character throughout the images and you can never quite tell what he is thinking or feeling.
This image is from my shoot 5 which was heavily influenced by Sultans 'Pictures From Home' series. Unsure on how to use Sultans work as an influence without completely re creating some of his work was hard. Sultan's work can seem surreal at times which is why I mainly struggled with this shoot. I chose to shoot this in my nan and Grandads house as it is similar to Sultans family home in the sense of modernity. it's definitely a product of its time in the 21st century for a working class retired couple. The openness and lighting is quite similar especially in this image. For this image in particular I asked my grandad to sit like Sultans father, on the end of his bed. I also asked him to avoid eye contact with the camera. Although he is not wearing a suit he is still dressed smart and it is unsure what he is thinking about. I also like how the light bleeds on his face from the window. I edited my image and gave it a slightly warmer tone, Sultan's series was shot in sunny America so his images were naturally brighter than mine. Sultan's subjects skin is quite pinkish in his images so it was important to give my images a pinkish orange tone.
The Future:
The future of documentary is unknown. But to capture a moment, a person, in it's purest and rawest form is the most important and most likely why documentary even began. Maybe to make a statement, political or not. Maybe just for personal use. With the progression of cameras and technology it is becoming easier for anyone to pick a camera up and take a good photo. However there are always new ways of editing and exploring documentary photography. For example using a film camera or polaroid.
This image was shot in 1995 and shows Ray and Liz eating their dinner together on the sofa. This image was also shot on a film camera leaving a green tint on the image. Billingham is really relying on the decisive moment for his documentary shots, capturing the dysfunctional life of a working class family in poverty England perfectly. This image actually says quite a lot about the family. The fact that they are eating their dinner on the sofa suggests that they are quite informal and not really bothered by mess or dirt. Additionally, they are eating with animals beside them which emphasises this idea. Ray is blinking in this image with a mouth full of dinner whilst Liz is looking straight faced and probably watching the TV while eating her dinner. She does seem quite tired and from this we can assume that she has been taking care of Ray and most likely cooked the dinner for the family. The married couple are sitting quite a distance apart and this could suggest emotional distance as well, but we cannot know this for sure. Although I would assume that Liz can feel quite strained at times having to look after a household, unsupported by her partner.
This image was shot in 1996 and depicts a frail looking Ray, happily receiving some boiled eggs from Liz. This image appears quite a bit brighter than the previous two images, this could be something to do with progression in photography, or perhaps has just been edited with some white balance. I like the composition in this image, with ray on the sofa in the bottom right and Liz towering over him, being framed by some ornaments on the wall behind her. The fact that Liz is towering over Ray suggests that she is the matriarch of the family, and a strong figure in the household, particularly in her relationship with Ray. She is clearly the main care giver, taking care of Ray who appears to getting old and fragile as alcohol and age gets the best of him. She seems calm and content in this role in this image, and Ray is very happy being taken care of. The house still seems messy with a broken cardboard box on the sofa beside Ray. Also, I can assume that there is lots of dog hair in the house from the two dogs sitting on the sofa. Although the pair appear unkempt at times and eat by the animals, Liz seems to take some pride in her house going to the effort to hang interesting ornaments on the wall and have some flowers above the fire place.
Nick Waplington
Nick Waplington shot the Living Room Series in Nottingham, 1991, in order to offer a perspective on the lives of two families on the wrong side of the economic tracks. A consistent theme throughout is that although the families houses may look slightly rough to middle-class eyes, the people in Waplingtons images find happiness in their lives. This particular image depicts three little girls, all in matching outfits out on their front lawn with hoovers, imitating hoovering or lawn mowing perhaps. The composition is nice as the girl as the front with her hoover almost frames the two girls slightly behind , the image was most likely shot with a film camera and this is why the colours aren't completely natural. I am guessing that Waplington crouched to get this shot as he is in eye contact view with the girls who are very small. Although the girls appear a bit scruffy, I wouldn't say that their parents don't care about their appearance as they are all in matching dresses which is quite nice. The fact that the girls have hoovers is quite stereotypical and links back to the ideas about Nuclear families in which the father is the breadwinner and the mother takes care of the children and the housework. Perhaps these sex specific roles are something that the girls have picked up and are copying as they probably see their mother as a role model wishing to follow in her footsteps. It is nostalgic to look at these types of images and think about how society, culture and morals have grown and developed since 1991.
In this image the mother/caregiver has taken the 4 girls out. I assume that there are also boys in the family, making it a rather large family. This would live up to the stereotype about how poorer families in rough estates have larger families in order to earn more childcare benefits from the council. Although I am not saying that this is the truth of this family. The mother is giving the children money so they can get some ice cream, perhaps this was a treat for them. Again, the mother is taking the stereotypical role of a mother in the family taking all the children out herself, although she could be a single parent. The girls look slightly scatty despite being in dresses, although it might be the wind making their hair messy. The younger girls probably get lots of hand me downs as the family probably don't have a massive amount of money to be spending on new clothes all the time. The mother appears important in this image not only because of her age and position within the relationships but her size and the way that she towers over the girls, similar to Liz in Billinghams images. To be honest I would assume that the mother in this image is of a larger size as unhealthier foods and takeaways are much cheaper to buy rather than healthy meals. This image is a product of it's time and I can tell that it's from the 90's due to not only the clothing, but the style of ice cream truck. It's a very old type of van. Also the buggy that the little girl is in is also very 90's looking with the big chunky wheels and thin frame. Furthermore, if i'm really looking into detail I would guess that the houses built not too long before the image was taken. I can tell by the front doors, they are all exactly the same changing from blue to black. In 2018 it is very unusual that one person have the same front door as another unless living on a brand new estate. But council estates are not built as brand new anymore like they were in the 90s.
This image is one of Waplingtons most famous and potentially most popular from this series. I think that it is interesting for the middle-class or just different types of families to have an insight into this family's life. Their morals and the way that the behave around each other is definitely a surprise to people with more traditional or quieter families. This household is very loud and busy, filled with people and things everywhere. Although they all seem very comfortable. The larger woman is shown to be hitting the man next to her and looks fed up with him. the children are obviously quite used to this kind of behaviour as they all seem completely un-phased and in their own little worlds. The woman in red is a particularly macho type of woman, a matriarch. She has probably picked this up from her own mother.
My work in relation to photographer research
My personal investigation aims to shoot documentary photography in order to capture the relationships of the people around me, particularly focusing on matriarchy. Photographers such as Richard Billingham, Nick Waplington and Larry Sultan have influenced me throughout this project.
Richard Billingham
Billingham is an English photographer famous for his series "Ray's a laugh" that focuses not only on Ray, his alcoholic father, but Liz his mother and her relationship with Ray. This is where I originally developed the idea to focus specifically on matriarchy, as it was mainly influenced by Liz's character.
Larry Sultan
Larry Sultan is an American documentary photographer, well known for his series "Pictures From Home" shot in their 80s home, focusing on the relationship between his parents. A lot of people are interested in Sultans father as he seems to be quite a mysterious character throughout the images and you can never quite tell what he is thinking or feeling.
This image is from my shoot 5 which was heavily influenced by Sultans 'Pictures From Home' series. Unsure on how to use Sultans work as an influence without completely re creating some of his work was hard. Sultan's work can seem surreal at times which is why I mainly struggled with this shoot. I chose to shoot this in my nan and Grandads house as it is similar to Sultans family home in the sense of modernity. it's definitely a product of its time in the 21st century for a working class retired couple. The openness and lighting is quite similar especially in this image. For this image in particular I asked my grandad to sit like Sultans father, on the end of his bed. I also asked him to avoid eye contact with the camera. Although he is not wearing a suit he is still dressed smart and it is unsure what he is thinking about. I also like how the light bleeds on his face from the window. I edited my image and gave it a slightly warmer tone, Sultan's series was shot in sunny America so his images were naturally brighter than mine. Sultan's subjects skin is quite pinkish in his images so it was important to give my images a pinkish orange tone.
The Future:
The future of documentary is unknown. But to capture a moment, a person, in it's purest and rawest form is the most important and most likely why documentary even began. Maybe to make a statement, political or not. Maybe just for personal use. With the progression of cameras and technology it is becoming easier for anyone to pick a camera up and take a good photo. However there are always new ways of editing and exploring documentary photography. For example using a film camera or polaroid.
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