The gloomy and rainy day depicted in the photo emphasizes the overall mood of Tom Garnish’s work “Philadelphia’s homeless” shot in 1986 in the streets of Philadelphia. Walter, a homeless man, is having his meal while sitting in his only shelter, a carton box.
Image from www.Flickr.com
The back wall of the box serves as the concept of visual hierarchy called value contrast. The dark surface of the carton creates a contrast with the man’s figure. The wall’s boldness makes the curves on his coat and face more vivid making the main figure stand out. Tom Garnish used the concepts of composition, such as the rule of thirds. This concept is made obvious by the fact that Walter in not at the center of the image which leads to the subject of unequal spacing in the photo.
Walter is sitting by the edge of the photo while the background and the rest of the scenery almost take the whole space. In his book “Photo, Idea, Index”, Jim Krause mentions that the unequal spacing gives the viewer “something extra to consider while looking at the subject” (p76). This statement becomes fully realized in this photograph. One can say that with this background, Tom Garnish broke the busy backdrop rule, which states that one shouldn’t place subject against a busy backdrop especially if the subject itself is visually busy (P42). In this case we see a visual exception since the “crowded” background is what makes this picture stand out.
The background conveys a number of interesting messages. In the photo, Walter sits on a sidewalk with a ridged and rough surface, contrasted by the other side with lined wood or stone, which creates a perfectly polished surface. By capturing the repetition of lines of the first surface the photographer draws the attention to the sharp contrast and difference between the harmoniously organized visual textures of the one side to the uneven texture of the Walters side. This detail underlines Walters’s role as a social outcast who is not allowed to walk on the ‘good’ path and is just left aside.
Tom Garnish uses this technique of 'implying a story' in the photo. On the top of the pole under which Walter is sitting there is “No parking “ sign. This detail once more reminds a viewer of the status of a homeless man with an understated dark humor. He has no place in the society, no place to ‘park’. The photo is shot by wide shot because it depicts not only the subject but also the surroundings. Also backlighting technique is used in this photo so that the subject seems to be put between the light and the camera.
Human kinetics plays the key role in this piece. Krause mentions the term “Visual Sentence” which means that one can convey a mood or a message of the photo by depicting a certain action. Walters whole body is hunched over the plate, his eyes and his whole attention fixed on the food. It is remarkable how Tom Garnish, by capturing this one position introduced the viewer to the number of emotions and feelings: the desperation, the hunger, relief, loneliness. Human kinetics is also used in other part of the photo. Garnish chooses to mask the identity of the people walking on the smooth path behind Walters. An umbrella hides them, a symbol of the shelter and protection Walter doesn’t have. They remain blurry figures in the background. Their backs are turned against him, which highlights the indifference they experience towards the main figure in this photo. Tom Garnish managed to depict the reality in an emotional and visually stunning manner. He caught a moment that we all see every day, but rarely pause to think about. Capturing a variety of emotions and contradicting aspects of our society, Tom Garnish told a whole story in just one picture.
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