Melbourne can be called a city of exhibitions for they are extremely popular there. It abounds with galleries and exhibition halls giving its citizens and guests of the city a possibility to enjoy works of art of different trends. One of the photographic exhibitions which are currently taking place in Melbourne is Threads which presents a display of photographs by Pia Johnson, a young photographer who is still studying Creative Arts at Melbourne University. A thorough discussion of one of her photographs from this collection (Picture 1) reveals such aspects of her work as installation, subject matter, space, message, colors, and different compositional aspects.
The installation of the work allows transforming the viewers’ perception of space. The photograph presents a contorted piece of cloth. It seems to be spread against the wall, but a more thorough look at it allows distinguishing that there is space behind the cloth. The cloth of natural material creates intricate patterns. Pleats and folds on it interweave thus forming new patterns. Good imagination makes it possible to see certain forms and shapes creating a whole picture with numerous characters that are a part of a unique and mysterious story able to fascinate and deeply impress the viewers.
The subject matter of this photograph of Johnson’s is not clear until the viewer starts searching for it. In the case of this picture, the subject does not lie on the surface; instead, it lies in the eye of the photographer. The subject should not be distinct for such pictures; the greatest task of a photographer shooting such objects is to transform what he/she sees into a subject. The subject matter of the photograph under consideration is the nature of identity or, to be more exact, the exploration of it. The picture shows how complex the identity is and how much it involves. Intricate patterns express the whole fragility and delicacy of the human identity inviting the viewers to take part in the adventure which helps to explore and understand the uniqueness of each person.
The space in this picture is widely utilized. Almost the whole photograph is occupied by the cloth with only the bottom, a part of the right side, and the upper left corner being darkened, thus limiting the space. This, however, seems to increase the lighter part of the picture where almost every fiber of the cloth is easily visible. The folds on the cloth create additional space and produce an impression of being three-dimensional. All these characteristics make it impossible to determine which space the cloth occupies in reality. It may be of a great size with its folds being spacious and extensional; it also may be rather small but create an impression of a spacious one due to the fineness of the cloth.
The photograph under consideration is contemporary for it has been created by a young modern photographer. This is why all the pictures made by Pia Johnson may be regarded as contemporary. The modernity of the photograph adds special values to it. Not only does it make the pictures more emotional, but it highlights themes and subjects which simply cannot be discussed in non-contemporary works. Such works as the one under consideration offer a fresh take on the issues which the public is concerned with and is more valuable than non-contemporary works for it turns attention to these issues and emphasizes their importance.
The work under analysis may also be regarded as having a certain historical value. One of the most important facts about Threads is that the pictures are unique. The idea itself was hardly ever used by other photographers. There are some photographers that shoot compositions made of fabrics of different colors and textures, but there is hardly somebody who makes close-up shots of the fibers of the cloth attributing certain meaning to these fibers. Moreover, the work under consideration expresses modern themes turning attention to public problems and concerns inducing to find solutions to them, which means that historically it is quite valuable.
The main message of the work is the peculiarities of the Chinese culture and the current intertwining of the Eastern and Western cultures. Eastern culture is mysterious this is why it has always attracted the interests of Western people. What is more important is that the West never tried to imitate the Eastern culture; instead, it simply borrowed some of its refinement and singularity. The treads and their intertwining and forming patterns symbolize the fusion of the East and West. This message is emotive, though it is not quite clear. It would have been even clearer if certain elements of the Eastern culture were introduced into the photograph.
Certain compositional aspects of this work allow considering it a professional photograph. Thus, for instance, the rule of space is perfectly observed. Johnson applied the illusion of movement and, due to successful lighting, managed to give the fabric a continuously streaming look. Shapes and proportions of the folds are also organized properly; there are no absolutely flat spaces, which adds to the picture completeness. The shapes are not meaningless; the viewers’ imagination allows interpreting each pleat and folds differently. The contrast is used properly; this helps to define the source of light in the photograph. The source of light seems to be behind the fabric. This, however, may be deceptive; perhaps, the photographer who skillfully utilized the light intentionally created an impression that the source of light is behind the cloth.
The photograph in general is black and white. On the one hand, this makes it toneless and inexpressive with some parts of the photograph being difficult to discern. On the other hand, this adds the picture originality and mystery and does not distract the viewers’ attention from the subject matter and message which the photographer aimed to transfer.
Pia Johnson has several similar works all of which depict fibers of the cloth. They are all interrelated for they have the same message and subject matter. However, each of them is special due to the different composition elements used.
Bibliography
Pia Johnson Photography 2009, From ‘Threads’ Series 2009, digital image, Pia Johnson. Web.