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I love the photos that you chose! Each and every one of them is breathtaking and it feels like I’m going on the trip as well. The lighting and positions of the photos are really great. The music really helps the images flow with each other and the mood is very relaxed, like travelling with close friends. Really good job!

Sound, Image, Rhythm, and Flow

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I love this project! Its such a positive sequence and it feels like you’re sharing a little part of your life with us. The song choice was perfect and really sets the tone for the video. The photos move well with music as well, great job!

iMovie

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Corinne Day

Mini-Research Paper by Nicole Giuliano

Bodies of work:  Fifteen (2006) and Face of Fashion (2007)

[Photos: 15-year-old Kate Moss on a beach in London]

        At the age of 16, Corinne Day escaped a bleak and unpleasant life in search of a better one filled with more excitement. With no money, she was quickly forced to get a job, which at first was at a bank. However, she quickly switched jobs and was flying everywhere as a courier until she met a photographer and became inspired by her friends to try modeling as a career. She found that she could only get catalogue jobs, told by many that she wasn’t “built” for high fashion or runway modeling. Now travelling all over the world once again, she began to learn how to use a camera for herself and felt compelled to try her own hand at being a photographer. So, she finessed her way into getting a job as one for a fashion magazine. She had no model clients, however, so she set up appointments for models specifically without any experience. It was at one of those appointments that she came across a polaroid photo of 15-year-old Kate Moss.

        The photo was blurry, but she saw promise where others were telling her that Moss was a bit too short for modeling and maybe not the best pick. Regardless, Day met her in person and felt an instant connection. This small, young and unknown girl reminded her of herself in a way, and she decided that this was the model that she wanted to photograph. She took these photos in black and white, because she wasn’t experienced enough with color, and submitted the images to her magazine. However, they didn’t pick the photos that she loved the most to post. Her favorites were the ones that were more realistic, not just a posed photo of a perfect girl. In her Fifteen exhibition (photos above), she wanted to show that Kate was still just an awkward teen, and not as perfect as a magazine would try to sell to their audience. She emphasized the parts that Kate was most self-conscious about; her smile, her laugh, her freckles, her wobbly legs. Her style is very minimalistic and simple, which makes the photos even more impactful. She managed to perfectly immortalize Kate in her imperfect youth, revealing the humanity behind this model-to-be with bright lighting and close up shots.

[First Photo; Erica 2002, Second Photo; Georgina Home 2 1995, Third Photo; Theater Story 2003, Fourth Photo; Georgina Home 3 1995]

            Day was no stranger to hardships. Leaving home at such a young age has never been without its sacrifices and problems. Jumping from smalls jobs, she struggled with money, but she was free. When she began modeling as a young girl who was entirely unknown in the industry, she came face to face with the reality behind the glamour of it all. Low pay, unstable workflow, and people waiting to jump at the opportunity to take advantage of starry-eyed young girls. This was rarely ever spoken about by anyone and those outside of the industry would just see these smiling models in magazines and on billboards, the illusion of perfection and happiness fooling them entirely. When Day turned her talents to photography, she was drawn to showing the real women behind their perfect facades.

        In her work, “Face of Fashion,” we see models in poorer living conditions, with their guards seemingly down. Their surroundings are dark and grimy, while they lounge around in their underwear or prepare for a shoot. Day’s intentions shine through here, the pictures a stark contrast to the bright, meticulously decorated and sunny photos where models reside in magazines. The colors in the photos are muted and almost dreary in a way but they also come across as incredibly intimate. It’s almost as if the viewer stumbled into the wrong apartment in a questionably older apartment building or hotel. Most of the models aren’t looking at the camera, seeming to either be in deep thought or mid-conversation. Overall, these photos can be seen as borderline uncomfortable by some, partly due to their private nature. Its evident, however, that Day took these photos for that exact purpose, and felt that it was important that this side of modeling to be shown because of those feelings.

       These two bodies of work showcase many similarities in Day’s photography style and artistic intentions. The photos are, overall, simple in composition, with the main focus being the models within them. There are some stark differences though. In Fifteen, Day had photographed one singular model in black and white because of her inexperience with color, using bright light and nearly white minimalist backgrounds to keep the viewers eyes on Kate. These photos have a light-hearted feeling to them, a sense of youth and innocence shining through. As opposed to the photos in Face of Fashion, which is photographed in color and the backgrounds are dull and dirty, with the models having more neutral expressions. Although the colors are muted, they are still powerful and give a stifling, sadder feeling to the viewer. Both of these works have the same goal in mind, regardless of their differences. They show vulnerabilities in these young women, the sides that people prefer not to focus on when they view models. Day’s dedication to showing the real people in her photos, as opposed to an edited “perfect” version of them, was groundbreaking in her time. She utilized her close relationship with these girls to give their true personalities a voice.

        I personally love Day’s work. She experimented with styles that others wouldn’t dare and she truly wanted to bring to light that these women were real people with lives and feelings and not just objects on a page. She was able to build a name for herself and was mostly self-taught as a photographer, which is truly admirable. I love her simplistic style and the fact that utilizes lighting and facial expressions to tell an entire story in one photo. You can tell that she was passionate about her cause, and that she cared about these models that she photographed. She had a unique gift of being able to catch the perfect off-moments of these women and bring to light their “imperfections,” as deemed by society. Her work will remain iconic in the world of photography and I hope that young girls can view some of her work, and find strength in these women.

________________________________________________________________

Bibliography

Font, Laia. “Corinne Day: Rawness and Beauty.” Herdes Magazine, 18 Mar. 2020, www.herdesmagazine.com/corinne-day-rawness-and-beauty/.

“Gimpel Fils: Corinne Day: 15/ Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook: The Class.” Gimpel Fils | Corinne Day: 15/ Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook: The Class, www.gimpelfils.com/pages/exhibitions/exhibition.php?exhid=45&subsec=1.

Mrnmoren. “Kate Moss x Corinne Day.” Schön, 12 June 2013, guinverevanse.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/kate-moss-x-corinne-day/.

“Website Of Corinne Day.” Corinne Day, Photographer, www.corinneday.co.uk/home/.

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Nicole Giuliano Final Portfolio & Artist’s Statement

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Nicole Giuliano SIRF Assignment

“Ephemerality”

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Cotton Reading Post

     For this assignment, I chose photographer Yang Yong, who is a Chinese photographer well known for his photography of young Chinese women throughout the decades. The most recent solo exhibit of his I could find is entitled “On Edge” from 2011. This project was intended to show Chinese women in their 30s who were born in the countryside and their struggle to keep up in a fast-paced and ever-growing China. 

    I greatly enjoy Yong’s work because I feel that he captures the raw emotions of these women. His photographs are simple in composition and don’t have over-complicated backgrounds that would distract from the subject. The picture I chose caught my eye, because I feel that it portrays so much through the smallest of details. It feels almost as if the woman in the picture is exhausted, like she’s taking a moment to catch her breathe. Its Yong’s capture of these small, private moments that adult women experience that truly make his photos amazing.

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Taken; 2/22/20, around 11pm, at my home

lower shutter speed, higher ISO

Caption: “A Mother’s Love Through a Nurse’s Tired Eyes”

Portrait Assignment (10)

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Taken; 2/19/20, around 10pm, at a friend’s house

fast shutter speed, low ISO

Caption: “Seemingly In Place”

Portrait Assignment (9)

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Taken 2/22/20, taken around 9pm, in my bedroom

very slow shutter speed, high ISO

Caption: “A Teenager at Heart”

Portrait Assignment (8)

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 Exhibition Assignment

     The photographer I chose for this review is Harry Gruyaert and the photos are taken from his exhibition in the main gallery of the Howard Greenberg Gallery. This particular exhibition of his is actually his first solo-exhibition, and the photos are gathered from all over the world and span 4 decades; from 1981 to 2017. There are approximately 32 photos in this exhibit and they vary in color and composition, from crowded plazas to empty deserts, yet they feel very cohesive. This exhibition goes along with his biography, speaking about he found his love of photography through his fascination with color. He talks about how his lave was saved by color, and he traveled the world looking for beauty and complexity intertwined with brilliant color. 

    The first photo I chose was one he took in Antwerp, Belgium in 1988. This one in particular caught my attention because of the almost simplistic nature of it, yet it still conveys so much. The very dim, muted colors of the background portray the stillness and dreariness of a small town being kept inside by poor weather. However, these colored lights hanging from a tree bring a bit of brightness. It sends tons of questions to the viewers mind. Who hung these lights? Is this a picnic or celebration? Why would someone be out in such bad weather? So much is unknown and yet, the colors all together are almost comforting. The angle is perfect as well, the branches of the trees and the slight twisting of the light wire gives such texture in a very symmetrical background. The second photo that I chose was taken in Brabent, Belgium in 1988. The composition of this photo is very nicely done. The shadows around the women in the doorway almost make her seem drawn, like an ad you would see in a very old newspaper. The person on the left’s body language shows he is deep in conversation and its amazing seeing how different the technology is today. Most people my age haven’t seen a real telephone booth, let alone someone actually using one. The colors in this photo pop in such a warm and welcoming way, as if you’re the one walking down this street on a sunny day, going about life. The difference in geometrical shapes also adds another dynamic to this photo, with the variety of street signs and posters around. I wish I could transport into this photo, and experience it first hand. 

    This project is clearly very personal to Gruyaert, and his passion shows in his work. All of the photos in the exhibition feel as if he’s taking us with him on this worldwide journey and letting us see the beauty of these little things, the way he sees it. He captured all of these tiny moments in time and made them feel somehow more significant than just everyday life. I feel that his intention to show the growth of his love of capturing beauty and details of life is definitely successful and shines through his work. His eye for color and the way he composes his photos are truly spectacular, and each photo I saw of his, I was captivated for so long going through each detail. He proves that art doesn’t have to necessarily be groundbreaking or completely wild to be able to capture your audience. Sometimes its nice to just go on a small journey of someone doing what they love. 

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Taken; 2/18/20, around 7pm, in a cafe

Caption: “Piercing”

Portrait Assignment (7)

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Taken; 2/21/20, around 10pm, by a lake

Caption: “Opposing Similarities”

Portrait Assignment (6)

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Taken; 2/21/20, around 10pm, by a lake

Caption: “Caught In The Moment”

Portrait Assignment (5)

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Taken; 2/19/20, around 2am, a park

Caption: “The Kids From Yesterday”

Portrait Assignment (4)

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Taken; 2/21/20, around 11pm, an old street

Caption: “Ghosts of Modern Day”

Portrait Assignment (3)

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Taken; 2/20/20, around 12am, in friend’s bedroom
 Caption; “Undergrad”
 Portrait Assignment (2)

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Taken 2/16/20; around 4pm; at Curtis High School Caption: “Blood in the Water” Portrait Assignment (1)