This document provides information about artist Joseph Cultice's photography series "The Garden". The photos depict adults struggling with conflicting desires for debauchery and domestic life. Cultice uses himself and family in staged photos to convey this personal issue. Each photo includes a garden, which Cultice sees as symbolizing the biblical Garden of Eden and the contradicting desires of freedom and responsibility. Two photos are described - one shows Cultice in a messy room with alcohol and drugs, suggesting a desire to rebel from domesticity. The other shows a woman in her underwear in the garden, linking to freedom but also showing children's toys, representing domestic duties.

1. Joseph
Cultice
–
The
Garden
Conceptual
Practice
The
images
in
this
body
of
work
depict
adults
caught
between
what
he
calls:
“Contradicting
desires
for
limitless
debauchery
and
domestic
bliss,
as
a
messy
domestic
life
interspersed
with
seemingly
wild
liberation”.
Cultice
was
trying
to
portray
this
issue
with
a
series
of
staged-­‐narrative
images,
depicting
the
issue
as
he
saw
it.
He
forces
the
question:
“is
the
nuclear
family
still
a
relevant
dream
for
contemporary
society?”
on
the
audience,
as
although
many
people
are
very
happy
with
their
domesticated
lifestyle,
there
are
still
underlying
desires
for
self-­‐
indulgence,
rebellion
and
living
for
today.
Although
this
is
a
common
issue
about
a
certain
section
of
society,
he
has
used
only
himself
and
his
own
family
members
in
these
photographs;
a
technique
that
would
indicate
the
purpose
and
meaning
of
this
body
of
work,
and
is
an
issue
he
feels
is
personal
to
him.
A
garden
has
been
used
in
each
of
these
photographs,
as
Joseph
Cultice
believes
that
the
Garden
of
Eden,
stands
at
the
very
centre
of
these
contrasting
desires
and
symbolises
the
very
issue
he
is
trying
to
convey.
He
believes
that
biblically,
although
Adam
and
Eve
were
bound
by
domestic
responsibilities,
despite
being
in
happiness,
there
was
still
an
element
of
rebellion,
self
indulgence
and
freedom,
and
example
of
this
would
be
Eve
taking
an
apple
from
the
tree,
despite
the
fact
that
God
had
explicitly
told
her
not
to.
Withdrawal
of
concept
through
2
images
Image
1
• This
image
shows
Joseph
sitting
on
the
sofa
watching
television;
the
mise-­‐
en
scene
depicts
props
that
have
been
placed
around
him
such
as
a
bong,
several
bottles
of
alcohol,
these
items
have
connotations
of
recklessness
and
partying,
which
links
back
to
Cultice’s
concept
of
desires
for
limitless
debauchery.
•

2. • It
also
shows
that
he
has
a
lot
of
time
on
his
hands,
as
he
is
able
to
sit
there
for
hours
doing
nothing
but
watching
television,
and
consume
drugs,
alcohol
and
take-­‐away
food.
As
a
result
of
this,
the
room
is
a
complete
mess,
almost
like
he
is
trying
to
rebel
or
escape
from
the
domestic
conditions
that
he
currently
lives
in,
in
order
to
feed
his
other
desires
for
debauchery.
• The
room
doesn’t
look
like
it
would
always
be
messy,
as
the
props
on
the
floor
and
table
look
recent,
and
don’t
look
very
old.
E.g.
I
doubt
that
he
would
be
able
to
survive
for
a
long
period
of
time
with
2
packets
of
crisps
and
a
pizza.
His
family
must
be
out
of
town,
as
there
is
an
‘Okay’
magazine,
which
is
aimed
at
women,
so
it
is
doubtful
that
it
is
his,
there
is
also
a
pair
of
children’s
girl
shoes
on
the
floor,
so
there
is
still
an
element
of
family
and
domestic
lifestyle
within
the
image,
despite
it
being
minute.
• He
looks
like
he
has
most
likely
sat
there
all
through
the
night,
because
the
two
lamps
in
the
corner
of
the
room
are
still
on,
and
assuming
that
he
only
needs
them
in
the
dark,
he
may
have
turned
them
on
at
night,
and
because
of
the
laziness
of
this
character
at
this
time,
has
yet
to
turn
them
off.
• The
garden
is
in
the
background
of
the
image,
and
can
be
seen
through
the
window,
and
the
sunlight
that
is
shining
through
the
window
could
symbolise
the
conflict
between
the
two
desires
that
Cultice
mentions.
(Light
+
Dark
=
Domesticity
+
Debauchery)
• He
looks
like
he
hasn’t
showered
yet
either,
as
he
is
sitting
in
his
pyjamas,
slouching
on
the
couch.
Image
2

3. • The
subject
of
the
photograph
is
lying
down
on
a
towel
in
her
back
garden
wearing
only
her
underwear
whilst
she
reads
a
book.
This
sort
of
clothing
in
such
an
open
area
has
connotations
of
freedom
and
rebellion
to
the
social
norm
of
wearing
clothes
in
such
an
open
area.
• On
the
flip
side
of
this
rebellion,
there
are
children
toys,
and
a
washing
line
in
the
background,
which
suggests
that
despite
this
desire
to
do
what
she
wants
when
she
wants,
she
still
has
domestic
responsibilities
to
deal
with.
• There
is
also
a
noticeable
difference
in
the
lighting
between
the
primary
subject
and
the
props
in
the
background.
The
subject
in
the
centre
of
the
photograph
seems
to
be
illuminated
slightly
more
than
the
props
in
the
background,
and
the
photographer
has
more
than
likely
done
this
with
artificial
light
sources
to
make
a
distinct
separation
between
the
sections
of
the
image
which
both
symbolise
different
desires
-­‐
Almost
a
metaphor
for
light
versus
dark.
• The
soft
lighting
of
this
image
also
has
connotations
of
normality
and
innocence,
and
may
suggest
that
she
thinks
that
there
is
nothing
wrong
with
her
self-­‐indulgence
and
ignorance
of
her
domestic
responsibilities,
and
she
seems
to
be
escaping
from
those
domestic
conditions
to
do
what
she
wants
to
do.
• The
body
language
of
the
subject
also
suggests
that
she
is
rather
comfortable
sitting
down
in
the
garden,
wearing
only
underwear,
with
not
a
care
for
the
child
that
she
obviously
has,
and
has
perhaps
left
it
up
to
the
responsibility
of
the
child’s
father,
while
she
relaxes.
Identification
of
Genre
conventions
The
genre
that
Joseph
Cultice
had
chosen
to
shoot
this
body
of
work
in
was
staged
narrative,
and
it
is
clear
that
his
body
of
work
is
a
depiction
of
how
he

4. sees
this
problem,
this
is
also
supported
by
the
fact
that
in
many
of
the
photographs
he
uses
his
own
family,
making
it
ever
more
personal
to
him.
This
image
is
a
good
illustration
of
the
conventions
of
a
staged
narrative
genre,
the
first
and
foremost
distinctive
feature
of
a
staged
narrative
photograph
is
an
‘enigma
code’,
and
this
image
leaves
the
viewers
asking
multiple
questions
about
the
image,
each
of
these
questions
born
from
the
‘Mise
en
scene’
that
has
been
carefully
constructed
within
the
image.
She
is
wearing
a
nice,
outgoing
top,
which
somebody
would
probably
wear
if
going
to
a
party
or
a
nightclub,
so
it
forces
the
question
and
places
the
enigma
code:
where
is
she
going
and
why
does
she
look
like
that.
Another
thought
provoking
asset
to
this
image,
is
why
the
subject
is
not
wearing
anything
on
the
lower
half
of
her
body,
other
than
her
silver
shoes.
This
again
could
soon
relate
to
the
rebellion
and
devil
may
care
attitude
that
the
subject
is
desperately
trying
to
hang
onto
whilst
simultaneously
trying
to
maintain
a
domestic
lifestyle
with
her
family.
The
main
subject
is
also
paying
more
attention
to
what
appears
to
be
a
mobile
phone,
than
her
child
beside
her
who
appears
to
be
sleeping
on
the
floor.
There
is
another
enigma
code
here
as
the
positioning
of
the
child
on
the
floor
looks
like
he
may
have
either
fell
down
or
have
been
dropped
whilst
sleeping
as
the
position
of
his
leg
pointed
slightly
upwards
suggests
that
he
may
have
moved
to
that
position
by
other
means
than
attempting
to
sleep
there
intentionally.
The
light
is
also
on
in
the
house,
coming
through
the
window
so
suggests
that
somebody
else
is
in,
and
knowledge
from
looking
at
the
other
photographs
that
are
similar
to
this
photo
suggest
that
it
is
her
husband
who
is
in.
This
leads
to
ask
the
question:
what
is
he
doing?
And
where
is
his
involvement
in
the
caretaking
of
the
child,
is
he
just
as
bad
as
the
mother
in
giving
into
these
rebellious
desires
for
immediate
and
selfish
pleasures?
Another
convention
of
the
staged
narrative
genre
is
that
the
images
are
‘staged’
and
a
scene
is
set
up,
with
the
photographer’s
specifications
in
mind,
it
is
the
complete
opposite
approach
to
photography
in
comparison
to
documentary.
This
image
clearly
has
been
set
up,
as
although
the
photographer
is
the
husband
of
the
subject,
in
a
scenario
where
this
was
documentary,
the
subject
would
not/
would
be
very
unlikely
to
stand
bottom
half
naked
for
a
photographer,
and
it
is
also
unlikely
that
the
child
on
the
pavement
would
be
sleeping
there
if
there
was
a
warm
bed
inside.

5.
Photographer
Technique
Analysis
(Father
+
Son
under
umbrella)
Camera
Tech
• This
photograph
has
a
very
deep
depth
of
field,
as
the
toy/ball
in
the
foreground
is
in
pretty
good
focus,
and
the
focus
is
good
all
the
way
through
the
image,
but
falls
out
of
focus
slightly
towards
the
background,
as
is
evident
with
the
children
toy
in
the
back
right
of
the
shot.
I
think
that
Cultice
would
have
used
an
aperture
setting
of
around
f/18,
as
this
allows
for
sufficient
depth
of
field
without
sacrificing
too
much
light
such
as
an
aperture
like
f/32
might.
• Because
the
lens
has
been
set
with
a
very
small
aperture
you
would
imagine
that
the
shutter
speed
has
been
set
to
a
long
exposure,
however,
because
of
the
high
amount
of
light
within
the
scene
from
the
sun
(and
possibly
reflectors),
this
wasn’t
necessary.
Instead
of
a
slow
shutter
speed,
which
would
compensate
for
the
limited
light
being
allowed
into
the
camera’s
sensor,
because
of
the
small
aperture,
a
relatively
quick
shutter
speed,
has
been
used,
as
is
evident
with
the
lack
of
motion
blur
on
the
small
child’s
hand.
However,
the
shutter
speed
wouldn’t
necessarily
be
that
fast
as
the
genre
of
this
image
is
staged-­‐narrative
and
so
the
actors,
including
and
perhaps
especially
the
child,
may
have
been
asked
for
stay
still
for
a
brief
moment
of
time
so
the
photographer
could
get
the
correct
exposure.
I
would
say
that
the
photographer
may
have
used
an
exposure
time/shutter
speed
of
around
1/20s
give
or
take
1/10s.

6. • As
far
as
I
can
tell
there
isn’t
any
noise
within
this
image,
and
the
other
two
exposure
settings
in
conjunction
with
the
good
quantity
of
light
from
the
sun,
would
probably
produce
a
decent
exposure
setting
anyway.
So
I
think
that
Cultice
has
used
an
I.S.O
setting
of
100
or
perhaps
200,
as
I
see
no
conceptual
reason
for
there
to
be
any
grain/noise,
and
the
previous
exposure
settings
would
have
been
sufficient
for
a
good
exposure.
Consideration
of
Lighting
• For
this
image,
the
photographer
doesn’t
appear
to
have
used
any
artificial
lighting
as
the
main
light
source
appears
to
be
the
sun,
which
is
a
natural
light.
• Although
it
produces
hard
lighting,
which
would
give
connotations
of
drama,
and
perhaps
mystery,
the
photographer
has
used
high
key
lighting,
and
a
natural
white
balance,
which
helps
to
reduce
the
dynamic/dramatic
feel
to
the
image,
creating
a
photograph
that
looks
a
lot
more
natural
despite
the
hard
lighting.
• It
is
also
possible
that
he
has
used
a
reflector
to
reduce
the
contrast
between
the
highlights
and
shadows
on
the
subject’s
faces,
other
than
that
the
only
other
way
that
Cultice
may
have
reduced
this
contrast,
was
his
clever
use
of
location,
because
the
large
light
coloured
wall,
may
have
acted
as
a
large
reflector
to
bounce
the
light
back
onto
the
other
sides
of
the
subject’s
faces,
reducing
the
harshness
of
the
transition
from
light
to
dark
on
the
subjects’
faces.
Composition
• The
rule
of
thirds
has
been
used
in
this
image,
as
the
man
on
the
left
hand
side
of
the
photograph
falls
across
the
bottom
left
intersection
on
the
rule
of
thirds
grid.
The
woman
on
the
right
hand
side
is
also
positioned
close
to
the
top
right
intersection
of
the
grid.
This
is
done
as
these
are
the
two
main
subjects
that
he
is
trying
to
depict
as
having
contradicting
desires,
the
small
child
may
not
have
been
placed
in
a
similar
spot,
as
the
photographer
wanted
to
metaphorically
place
him,
caught
between
their
contradicting
desires.
• The
texture/pattern
of
both
the
exterior
house
walls/
patio
provide
plenty
of
natural
lines,
which
help
lead
the
audience’s
eyes
into
the
shot
and
towards
the
subjects,
helping
to
direct
focus
on
the
most
important
area
of
the
shot.
Vantage
Point
• Joseph
Cultice
has
used
an
eye
level
vantage
point
+
camera
angle
as
he
has
attempted
to
keep
this
photograph
as
natural
looking
as
possible,
so
that
the
photo
will
look
less
posed
and
thus
more
realistic,
an
asset
of
a
photograph
that
he
wants
to
keep,
to
be
able
to
highlight
that
this
is
a
real
issue,
and
not
just
a
point
of
view,
which
would
have
been
imposed
with
a
different
camera
angle.

7.
Framing/Shot
type,
CU,
ECU,
MS,
LS,
ELS
• The
shot
type
of
this
image
is
a
long
shot,
and
this
shot
type
was
chosen
because
it
allows
the
photographer
to
show
each
of
the
family
members,
and
what
they
are
doing/how
they
are
feeling,
(judging
by
facial
expression
&
body
language)
whilst
at
the
same
time
it
keeps
the
location
in
focus
as
well,
which
would
highlight
that
this
is
a
very
domestic/family
orientated
location.
This
allows
the
audience
to
make
a
link
between
the
location/domestic
conditions
and
how
the
subjects
are
feeling,
and
make
that
distinction
that
there
must
be
something
wrong,
(in
particular
with
the
woman)
despite
having
a
family
to
love
and
a
house
to
live.