Tina Modotti
Italian/Mexican Photographer, Tina Modotti was a captivating personality from whom creativity effortlessly flowed.It has been said that her career divides neatly in two, the first half inspired in particular by her relationship with the American photographer Edward Weston and their shared exploration of Straight Photography. is considered dominated by the artist's love for Mexico and the growth of her passionate Communist beliefs. It seems more accurate to assert that all of Modotti's recurring interests - in the floral, repeated pattern, of the working classes, and of indigenous culture.
Roses, Mexico, is an extreme close-up of four roses. Cropped to fill the frame from edge to edge, this is not a traditional still-life photograph of roses arranged in a vase. Here, the roses lay prone and slightly wilted, just beyond their prime. Yet, still shows their past of when they were in bloom. I like how its got a dull beige/brown shade to it. I would like to focus on the more botanical aspects of this type of photography and have a real close image of a layered flower.
A closely cropped black and white photograph of two hands holding a puppet's strings, Hand of the Puppeteer makes dramatic use of light and shadow, textural contrasts, and isolation of the subject, to produce a carefully composed image that resonates with symbolism. I like the way that she has used puppet strings in this image as it can show manipulation in which ever way the viewer sees it (political, domestic, in the workplace etc.) i like the use of shadows in this image, i would like to play with shadows in my work as they can represent so many different things to different viewers.
In this photograph of isolated telephone wires, Modotti shifts the perspective, removing any reference to the ground that holds the telephone poles in place. Instead, the carefully composed image focuses on the angles and patterns produced by the wires and clouds, to create a work that mingles modernism and social concerns. I like that the direction if the image goes down from the telephone wires to the wire connector. i also like the fact that she captured this picture on a cloudy day. i would like to incorporate the use of lines in my work to further improve my work.
black and white photograph, a woman dominates the picture frame. Standing with arm raised holding a large gourd on her head, she gazes off to the right, somewhere out of the picture frame. She wears a circular pendant and earrings, and a traditional dress with geometric patterns. he careful framing, cropping, and pose highlights the image's angular forms. Shot from below to emphasise the woman's noble and heroic stature
My Ideas
in my first shoot i would like to focus on flowers and other plants, possibly wilted to show how negative behaviour can cause an impact on others. i would like to make my work to show a political opinion is a passive way like Modotti. i would love to work with nature for the first shoot.
in my second shoot, I could mimic her work by having broken items on the floor and having close ups on items that the youths are "obsessed" with (like alcohol and smoking). I would also like to show how the government are corrupt, I'm not sure how I'm going to convey this but i'll try.
i would also like to incorporate a blurred and golden looking aesthetic to my work. i create this by using the natural sunlight "golden hour" or Photoshop and a white thin material.
