Pre-library Assignment Art 150 sec 01 .docx

Pre-library Assignment
Art 150 sec 01
Your first name and last name
Your email address
Instructor: Nancy Yakimoski
October 17, 2017
working idea of the essay topic (working thesis statement)
This essay examines iconic photography to demonstrate the
ways this type of image functions
in our society—in the historical moment when it was taken—as
well as its afterlife in popular

culture, including the fine arts. Leading scholars in the field of
iconic photography, Robert
Hariman and John Louis Lucaites, will be used to describe and
discuss this genre.
The iconic Depression-era photograph, “Migrant Mother”
(1936) by Dorothea Lange will be
examined in its original context and use. Lange took this
photograph of Florence Thompson
while on assignment for the Farm Security Administration
which was part of President
Roosevelt's Resettlement Administration. It was originally
published in the San Francisco News
as a way to legitimize government expenditures to help those
people hit hard by the
Depression. This essay will examine how and why the image
became iconic.
The second part of the essay explores how iconic images, and
this one in particular, has been
adapted by others and re-contextualized for other purposes. One
examination is within the
context of fine art. In the late 1980s, American artist Kathy
Grove began "The Other Series"

where she would remove female figures from photographs of
famous pieces of art using bleach,
dyes, and airbrushing. With "Migrant Mother" she airbrushed it
to look like a Calvin Klein ad.
The message of her work was to equate her removal of women
and their achievements with the
way that historians and culture has erased women and their
achievements.
Title: “Destitute pea pickers in California. Mother
of seven children. Age thirty-two. Nipomo,
California”
Other Title: “Migrant Mother”
Photographer: Dorothea Lange
Negative size: 4" x5"
Date Created/Published: 1936 Feb. or Mar.
Library of Congress Reproduction Number:
LC-DIG-fsa-8b29516
Image source (Library of Congress)
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/fsa.8b29516/
Title: “After Lange, 1989-90”

Series: The Other Series, 1989-90
Photographer: Kathy Grove
Medium: digitally enhanced photo; gelatin silver print
19 x 18 in. (48.3 x 45.7 cm.)
Image source (Art net): http://www.artnet.com/artists/kathy-
grove/the-other-series-after-lange-
50aXA8GzHJZ1dKUdakejXw2
http://www.artnet.com/artists/kathy-grove/the-other-series-
after-lange-50aXA8GzHJZ1dKUdakejXw2
http://www.artnet.com/artists/kathy-grove/the-other-series-
after-lange-50aXA8GzHJZ1dKUdakejXw2
Bibliography
Curtis, James C. “Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, and the
Culture of the Great
Depression.” Winterthur Portfolio: A Journal of American
Material Culture, 21
(Spring 1986): 1-20.
Hariman, Robert and John Louis Lucaites. “The Borders of the
Genre; Migrant Mother

and the Times Square Kiss.” No Caption Needed.
Chicago/London: University of
Chicago Press, 2007.
Isaak, Jo Anna. Feminism and Contemporary Art. London and
New York: Routledge,
1996.
"Lange, Dorothea." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online.
[accessed Sept. 16, 2017].
Lenman, Robin. "Migrant Mother." The Oxford Companion to
the Photograph. Oxford
University Press, 2005. [accessed Sept. 10, 2017]
Library of Congress. “Dorothea Lange's "Migrant Mother.”
Photographs in the Farm
Security Administration Collection: An Overview.” [accessed
Sept. 14, 2017].
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.html
Marien, Mary Warner. Photography: A Cultural History. New
York: Harry N. Abrams,
2002.
Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Collection Online. "Kathy
Grove." [accessed: Oct. 14,
2017]. http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection
online/search/294328?=&imgno=0&tabname=related-objects

"Ragged, Hungry, Broke, Harvest Workers Live in Squaller."
San Francisco News,
March 10, 1936.
Rosenblum, Naomi. A World History of Photography, 4th ed.
New York: Abbeville Press
Publishers, 2007.
"What Does the 'New Deal' Mean to This Mother and Her
Children?" San Francisco
News, Mar. 11, 1936.
Wood, Deborah. "Art and Transformation." Issues in Integrative
Studies 16 (1998): 57–
71.
http://www.loc.gov/rr/print/list/128_migm.html
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-
collection%20online/search/294328?=&imgno=0&tabname=rela
ted-objects
http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-
collection%20online/search/294328?=&imgno=0&tabname=rela
ted-objects

Photography and Western Cultural Practices:
Name:
Institutional of Affiliation:
Abstract
Use of photographs and photography has been o great
importance in the world for a number of years now dating back
to many centuries now. This has been even made of more great
importance through the various advancements that have been
made in the world of photography over years.
With new inventions every day, advances in technology of
photography and photographs that have high clarity and are
modern photographs as well as reduction of aspects like
exposure time as time goes by all are but progresses made in the
photography and photographs world. Photography has all along
made people feel that close connection with other fellow people
who geographically are far from them amongst many other
importance of photos.
This paper takes a look at the cultural uses of photography in
the western society in the 20th and 21th centuries, starting with
some background information on photography over time,
literature review on the topic and the main discussion points of
the topic, that is, the cultural sues of photographs and
photography in western society.

Background information
Photography got to different countries in different periods and
its evolution and development has been in different times in
different parts of the world or countries, especially in the
western society. For instance photography got into U.S in
around 1839, by one Jacques Mande who was really impressed
by nature and even inscribed her personal image on a sensitive
silver plated copper sheet. Various scientists got her idea and
got really impressed and amazed about it. They decided to adopt
it, study it and advance it further. They did embrace the idea
warmly and hastily got to advance and make improvements on
the idea indeed. The various aspects that were improved later
that pertained to the idea included like the reduction in
exposure time in photography. This enabled the cameras to take
photos of human subjects and not that of moving objects.
Actually between 1838 and 1850s, the existing forms of
photography for instance in America were of portrays and they
didn’t make use of negatives and each different portrait simply
was an image with its distinct uniqueness. Wright, T. (2016).
The technology in photography has undergone evolution in the
world in such a faster manner more especially in the nineteenth
century and every advance that was made allowed the work of
photography to have diverse uses compared to the limited uses
photography had before. Right from unique imagery, use of
much cheaper metal plates etc, all made it possible to evolve
photography technology. Wright, T. (2016).
As photography became more advanced and appealing, the more
it got attached to the people particularly in the periods of the
18th, 19th, 20th and the present century. With time people
found even many more uses and importance of photographs and
photography especially pertaining to their culture and practices

of people became stronger and more meaningful.
With progression of time there was increased use of “wet plate”,
negative process around 1856 gave the photographers a
technique to make negatives and then they could get to have
many positive prints as they could wish. This is an aspect that
brought more profits to the photographers and with the
motivation they could make a number of many more
photographs, but it is worth noting that the “wet plate negative
process” was still very slow and tiresome hence making the
photographers to make the glass plates sensitive just before
exposure. This went on till the “dry plate technology” in the
1880s. Wells, L. (Ed.). (2015).
Particularly in 1888 taking of photographs gained true and more
popularity with the invention of Kodak camera. Many people
really loved its operation, its picture quality, exposure time and
many other aspects that the camera had which were much better
compared to the predecessor cameras. Over time photographs
have been popular and photography has taken root and has
become very popular in the western society with many uses of
photographs and photography as a whole becoming even more.
Wells, L. (Ed.). (2015).
Literature review
Robert Tillerson in his work “photographs and photography”
published in 2013,” he notes that a photograph is not simply a
picture that is interesting to see and complement a given story,
but also is a means that is used in the western society countries
to incorporate truths, realities and cultural value system to a
given people.
In another work, “Photography and Western World” by Anne
Rollins, published in 2015, the author writes that The various
traditional photographs have been used in the various cultures
in the western states and people usually have a lot of trust in
them and they have a number of uses that range from
iconography and representation of the important personnel in
the society. Some photos are used to have that connection to

those far away, used as reminders of people not alive though
they are special to us and even used in various teachings of
cultural beliefs and values in the western society. Elsewhere,
some are just for fun without any specific uses attached to such
photographs and instead are used in leisure times and fun
making with the various photographs used to remind us of such
glorious happy in future times.
Elsewhere in Valshakmir Juni, in his work “What Photography
Means for WesternSociety” he begins his work by agreeing to
the fact that photography holds a vital part in the society
especially in the western society. He points out examples of
western society nations like America and United Kingdom that
have had cultures that have many aspects concerning
photography and photographs. The author particularly talks
about the various western society cultural uses of photographs
and photography that range from educational purposes, social-
family purposes, remembrance purposes and cultural
maintenance purposes.
Discussion
Indeed there are a number of cultural uses of photographs and
photography in the western society world. Though this is not the
same in all the western societies with some having slight
variations in uses, though some cultural uses of photographs are
more similar in many different sets of cultures. First and
foremost is the social and family use of photographs. For a
number of years now in the society as part of cultural systems
of the people, many take and keep photographs which give them
that connection to some people that they value or love yet are
far from them. With the photographs at their homes they can be
at a position to feel like they are near those whose images are in
the photos they have despite the fact that they could be miles
away from them. This helps to keep the bond and love between
people despite their distance. Larsen, J., & Sandbye, M. (2014).
Cultural teachings and imparting of cultural values from
generation to generation is another aspect where photographs
play a big role. This is by use of photos that do hold certain

cultural value significance also having many beliefs that are
associated with them. Various photos are used in teachings of
various cultural aspects that have passed from generation to
generation over a number of decades in the western society
nations. For instance photographs with images of well
disciplined and upright people are used as complementary
mechanisms of teaching some cultural values in western
nations. They get to create the visual impression amongst those
being taught and they easily get to comprehend what they are
being taught at least to some extent making the ones being
taught at least to get a visual idea of how people with good
cultural morals look like and how they even will be required to
look like. Larsen, J., & Sandbye, M. (2014).
Another cultural aspect use of photographs in the western
society for a number of years now, especially in the 21st
century is divinity and divine uses. This has been common
especially in the places of worship with different people with
different cultural beliefs and divine practices making use of
different portraits and images that are of people or beings that
they believe have or had extraordinary powers or divine powers
or whom they consider as being holy and that they play a big
role in their divine life. Ogborn, M., Blunt, A., & Pinder, D.
(2014).
The photographs and photography are used to maintain the
various cultural heritages of different people in the western
society. Different people are associated with different cultural
heritages and practices in the western society and this is
maintained over the generations by use of photographs and
images of various practices done in various places are taken and
kept and are passed over to many generations and this is deemed
and understood as a cultural practice that is well retained in
society. Shifman, L. (2014).
Family relationships are indisputably one of the strongest bonds
that exist between people in a society. We feel the real
happiness with our family members be it father, mother or even

cousins. Is usually feels indisputably heartbreaking and
emotionally disturbed when one such a loved one dies. One of
the things that have been used over time in the western society
as the only way to comfort ourselves and even feel like the
departed ones are still with us is by having their photos which
were taken when they still were alive. Indeed the photographs
and photography do play a great role in the societies especially
the western society and their cultural practices. . Shifman, L.
(2014).
Other uses are like fun activities which basically involves
taking of photographs which later act as reminders of good
memories and fun moments that people get to experience. For
instance the various parties that one gets to attend as well as the
picnics that we go. This being in line with the cultural practices
of the western world societies who are characterized with
typical cultural practices of fun loving for instance, the western
world people really love to party and have fun especially when
off work, and that is no doubt indeed. Wells, L. (Ed.). (2015).
Photographs have for a longtime now also been used in the
western society nations as a means of communicating the
expressions and emotions of people. This comes about as a
result of physical distance by people for instance between
lovers or family members. In cases that people are away from
each other for a long time, they get to miss each other a lot and
its atypical cultures of western society people to send each
other photos which helps a great deal to relieve the emotions of
people for instance the missing of another person so much.
Wells, L. (Ed.). (2015).
Elsewhere the various photographs get to display the various
cultural practices and various cultural heritages of different
people in the western society. This provides room for
comparison of such cultural practices that could lead to
adoption of better cultural practices of a gin type of people that
would help to build a rich heritage and cultural set of practices
that can benefit a society very much. Banta, M., Hinsley, C. M.,
& Joan Kathryn, O. D. (2017).

Not to forget that that other cultural use of photography and
photographs is simply the selling of the cultural heritage and
values to the outside world. This is done by taking of photos of
the various cultural aspects of the western society nations that
are typical to the various particular places in the western world.
This in turn when is shared to the outside world that is, is
posted and viewed by other people around the world it even acts
as a tourist attraction mechanism indeed. Banta, M., Hinsley, C.
M., & Joan Kathryn, O. D. (2017).
References
1. Wright, T. (2016). The photography handbook. Routledge.
2. Banta, M., Hinsley, C. M., & Joan Kathryn, O. D. (2017).
From site to sight: Anthropology, photography, and the power
of imagery. Peabody Museum Press.
3. Wells, L. (Ed.). (2015). Photography: a critical introduction.
Routledge.
4. Larsen, J., & Sandbye, M. (2014). The (im) mobile life of
digital photographs: the case of tourist photography. Digital
Snaps: The New Face of Photography, 25-46.
5. Ogborn, M., Blunt, A., & Pinder, D. (2014). Cultural
geography in practice. Routledge.
6. Kádár, B. (2014). Measuring tourist activities in cities using
geotagged photography. Tourism Geographies, 16(1), 88-104.
7. Shifman, L. (2014). The cultural logic of photo-based meme
genres. Journal of Visual Culture, 13(3), 340-358.

ART 150 REVISED FINAL EXAM OVERVIEW
Fall 2017
page 1 of 3
Exam section Instructions: part 2, 3, and 4 will
be written during the exam
Grade weight Suggested time allotment
for answering the questions
Part 1: definitions 15 x 1% = 15% 10 minutes
Part 2: question #1 You may bring in paper-based
work to assist
1 x 30% = 30% 25 minutes
work to assist
1 x25%= 25% 20 minutes
work to assist

1 x 30%= 30% 25 minutes
THINGS TO NOTE
• the exam will begin at 6:30 (not 6 pm as indicated on
Camlink); exam runs from 6:30-8pm
• it is worth 30% of your course grade
• expect to write for the entire 80 minutes of the exam
• the exam covers material since the midterm; it starts with the
lecture on Oct 23
• research papers will be handed back at the exam
• the final exam is NOT returned but you can view it in my
office
EXAM RULES
o write Part 1, hand it in, pick up the exam paper, and use it to
finish the exam
o you may bring in any paper-based notes or images for Part2, 3
and 4
Part 1: definitions (15 x 1% each)
• I provide 15 definitions and you provide the correct term or
phrase; capitalization is important!
• vocabulary words are NOT provided on the exam
• You are not allowed to use material or electronic devices for
this part of the exam.

Vocabulary (23 words)
Oct 23 optical empiricism, physiognomy, lithography,
iconography
Oct 30 phrenology, composite photographs (Galton)
Nov 01 pseudo-science, Spiritualism
Nov 06 documentary photography, “salvage” motive/paradigm,
dry plate, shallow depth of field,
tableau/tableaux
Nov 08 social documentary, wood engravings, half-tone
printing, F.S.A. (Farm Security Administration)
Nov 15 photojournalism
Nov 27 paparazzi photography, celebrity photography
Nov 29 simulacrum, hyper-reality, tabloid journalism
Fall 2017
page 2 of 3
Part 2: question #1 (30%)

In discussing the cultural work of photographs, one must
consider the role of the photographer, the perceived
“necessity” of the photographs, and the purpose of the images
when circulated. From the list below, select
ONE of the topics and answer the following questions in
relation to that one topic. Use specific photographers
and photographs shown in class as your proof. Submit photos
with your answer.
• the Farm Security Administration (FSA)
• war photojournalism of the Vietnam War and Life Magazine
• late 20th and early 21st century paparazzi photographers and
celebrity culture (North America)
No
marks
1. From the list above, state which topic you will be discussing.
2 x 5% 2. Name a specific photographer we talked about in
class and describe the actual and/or
perceived role(s) of the photographer in the context of the topic
you chose. Make 2
key points and explain them. (3-5 sentences per key point)

5% 3. What are the real and/or perceived social necessities of
these photographers’ work?
(3-5 sentences)
15% 4. Select one photographic image from the topic you chose
(it must be from the images
shown in class). Describe the aesthetics of it with respect to the
intended function(s) of
that photograph. In other words, discuss how the subject matter
and the way it was
photographed work together to achieve its intended function. (6-
8 sentences)
Fall 2017
page 3 of 3
2 x 10% 1. E. S.Curtis’ photographs in The North American
Indian (1907-1930) have been heralded by

critics and scholars as being important while others have
criticized the photographs and
how they are perceived. Referring to A. D. Coleman’s essay,
"Edward S. Curtis: The
Photographer as Ethnologist," (on D2L) describe and discuss
two different
ways/categories that critics and scholars use when referring to
Curtis and his
photographs. (6-8 sentences)
5% 2. In your opinion, is Curtis an ethnologist, an artist, a
blend of the two—or even something
else? State your reason(s). (3-5 sentences)
5% 1. In the film, The True Meaning of Pictures, how does
Shelby Lee Adams describe and defend
his work? (3-5 sentences)
3 x 5% 2. List and describe 3 different ways that his
photographs can be labeled or categorized; you

may refer to specific people in the film and how they categorize
his work. (6-8 sentences)
5% 3. State and describe one key controversy or problem arising
from his work? (3-5 sentences)
5% 4. In your opinion, how do you approach and understand his
photographs? Are they
problematic for you—why or why not? (3-5 sentences)

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