Art 141 Kerry Marshall Repeat Critique
Kerry Marshall and I chose to critique each other’s work after working together to complete our repeat photography projects. Kerry repeated two photographs, which is a testament to her work ethic and perfectionism. The first photograph she went out to complete was the 1972 gym photograph of a young woman doing a handstand. She put together the wardrobe as shown in an accompanying photograph, but because of circumstances outside of her control, Kerry was unable to reenact the photograph as it originally was. Instead of settling for a modern take on the original she decided to post the photograph with her project and start over on another, choosing a new photograph that she had the means to repeat in more detail.
The next photograph, taken of Sharon Kirk in the 1960’s was a profile shot with some specific facial lighting. This made for a real challenge, as unlike an image of architecture, any minor discrepancies would be in the immediate foreground and therefore noticeable. I found that the styling of Kerry’s model was very accurate to the original, down to the flip of the models bangs, and the hair slightly covering the models ears. Despite the accuracy of the styling the difference in the face shapes of the models did not allow for the exact facial lighting to be reached. However, just like in the original a small patch of light can be seen just below the right eye. The original portrait’s background was a bit darker and less blown out than the repeat, but I believe that this due to the different light source used by the original image-maker.
There are, of course, a few discrepancies between the two images, but overall the shot is an excellent representation of the original. Instead of attempting to recreate the feel of the portrait by moving into a more modern, in colour, representation, she stuck to the very classic roots of the photograph and represented her own model as closely to the original as possible.
I think this repeat project is greatly aided by the other photos in the series. I like how these photographs were also shot in black and white as it keeps me focused on the details rather than drawn away by the colours. I particularly like the photograph taken to show the making of the project such as the image titled “Preparation and Composition”, as well as the one marked “Setting and Lighting”. These two images give me a similar feeling to one of the photographers we viewed in a video earlier in the year. This photographer, like Kerry, reenacted past historical moments. However, instead of only showing these scenes, allowed the camera to pan out and view all of the things in the room, relevant or not. It is photographs like these that make the series more dynamic and personal, drawing the audience in as if they are a part of the making.
Looking at the final project I see very little editing, which is also in keeping with the original work. I was impressed by the attention to detail, and the amount of times Kerry attempted the photograph. All in all I found the series to be successful, and a sincere representation of the original.
