During part 2 of our course material we look at typologies and New Topographies for Assignment 2 I’m drawing inspiration from the approaches of typologies. The approach towards this type of photography is its deadpan aesthetic. I have decided to read Charlotte Cotton – Chapter 3/deadpan to help me towards my research and to gain a better understanding of this style of photography. Charlotte Cotton provides the reader with some insightful information about the deadpan aesthetic, its historical background and how this type of style of photography is used by referencing some interesting photographers work such as Andreas Gursky, Walter Niedermayr and Lewis Balts are just a few mentioned. The deadpan aesthetic is one of the most used styles, this style of photography is cool, detached and keenly sharp. (1) A deadpan style photograph shows no emotion. The subject matter may possess expressive qualities but the meaning is not influenced by the emotions of the photographer. (1) The deadpan style is mostly used toward landscape and architecture photography. The photographs are usually objective and help to state facts about situations such as economics, politics or sociology and their effects on the natural environment. The adoption of a deadpan aesthetic moves art photography outside the hyperbolic, sentimental and subjective. (1)
References –
(1)C.Cotton (2009) The photograph as contemporary art, Thames and Hudson world of art (new edition)
OCA Learning log: Landscape 