1. Jensen
started photographing on a 35 mm film and eventually her work became a mix of
documentaries and portraiture. The orientation the artist chose for the
pictures contribute to the emotions Jensen wanted to evict from the audience.
For example, the last two pictures have a horizontal orientation which makes it
seems like I’m walking into the scene rather than looking at a portrait. The
vertical orientation of the first piece works well with the subject but isn’t
as clear what the issue is.
The artist is very upfront about
the feelings she wants to convey; nothing is suggestive in these works, it is
clear that the women in these photographs aren’t having such a good day. Suffering
is a common theme among these three pieces but I think the point the artist is
trying to make is most blatant in the second piece.
2. These
works in particular comes from a book called The Canaries which in her own words is “ …a documentation of life
on the edge of modern civilization.” Jensen is showing her audience how we’re
basically helpless as a society and have yet to realize it. We are unaware of
what’s going into our bodies. She on the other hand is more conscious of what’s
ingested in her body as a result of Environmental Illness. Because of this
illness Jensen left her home in New York and adapted to a more natural habitat.
It was in the woods she found other people like her. The Canaries is a monograph of people with Environmental Illness
similar to Jensen.
3. Looking
at the images I feel somewhat trapped or suffocated. Each subject appears ill
as a result of their surroundings. Even though many people may not suffer from
an environmental illness,
these pieces are relatable in other aspects.
No comments:
Post a Comment