Africa in the West’s eyes has stereotypically been seen through the gaze of Afro-pessimism, only seeing Africa has a place of disease, famine, war, and essentially primitive, and static. Through this gaze the west has sought out “primitive man” as an exotic, sensationalized idea that fits conveniently into the dramatic documentary work of many western photographers, such as Kevin Carter’s work with Sudanese famine victims and Steve Mcurry’s work with National Geographic. These sensationalized images play into the idea that Africa exists in a stagnant state, never evolving, and therefore not existing in the same modern context as the west. Moyo Okediji refutes these Afro-Pessimistic views vehemently; in his essay Les Demoiselles D'Avingnon, MamiWata, and African Modernity he states” The artistic object in Africa is constantly evolving with unpredictable volatility, because society is always mutating and no identity is static or permanently determined in its interpretive potential.” Moyo Okediji also takes this a step further, not just denouncing the ridiculous views of Afro-pessimist view, he evokes the theory of Al Jabara to heal the injustices and inequities of representation. These theories of balance, healing and evolving identity relate closely to the work of contemporary African Photographers. They are currently analyzing their constantly changing identity, and balancing the sensationalized and shallow techniques of representation the West deploys, by creating Anti-photogenic works, that are personal, humanistic in their approach and a direct rejection of Western techniques, that over sensationalize, primitivism and ultimately create a commodity out of Africa. Contemporary African photographers are deploying the theories Okediji sets in motion of Al jarbara, and inspired by Okediji's Mami Wata, they seek to balance out the vast collection of Afro-pessimistic work of the West, with photographic works that reject western techniques, and depict a dynamic, evolving, vital Africa, that seeks to balance out the illustrative Western view, with a realistic and humanistic view.
Images of starving children, famished victims, nude figures are the stereotypical images that Western eyes have seen. These type of images are a well established doctrine that many popular photographers seek out when they are "documenting" Africa. Photographers such as, Kevin Carter, who's images of Sudanese famine victims graced the front page of the New York Times, Steven Mccurry, who photographs for National Geographic, and has some of the most iconic images ever produced of Africa, and Leni Riefenstahl, who's admirer's included people such as Jane Goodall and Louis Leakey. These people are well established, highly admired Western photographers, how blatantly sell stereotypes of Africa that dehumanize and misinform. Leni Riefenstahl's African photographs are [considered] intrusive, obscene and encourage only spectacle." (138, Faris) by many people. She turned potential photographic subjects away if they showed up to her studio wearing clothes, and denied monetary payment to her models and instead paid in beads and oil. While her photographs were highly admired in the West, they are complete fabrications of a life that does not exist in Africa, and were sold to the West as documentary photography. Kevin Carter and Steve Mcurry's work also feeds in to this spectacle type photography. Carter's images are dehumanizing depictions of starving children, taken out of cultural context, they depict a brutal Sudanese world, while Mcurry's lens captures an exotic, primitive view of Africa. Rienfenstahl [Carter, and Mcurry's] African Photographer is revealing of a more profoundly disturbing feature characteristic of much modernist Wester Photographic practice. especially involving non-westerners." (141, Faris)
"Western critics have questioned the validity of contemporary African Art, to the extent of considering the notion of Black modernity as an oxymoron." (55, Okediji) These critics fail to realize that Africa changes and adapts to the same modern world that the West lives in. They fail to realize that Africa has participated in some of the same image making techniques

Africa in the West’s eyes has stereotypically been seen through the gaze of Afro-pessimism, only seeing Africa has a place of disease, famine, war, and essentially primitive, and static. Through this gaze the west has sought out “primitive man” as an exotic, sensationalized idea that fits conveniently into the dramatic documentary work of many western photographers, such as Kevin Carter’s work with Sudanese famine victims and Steve Mcurry’s work with National Geographic. These sensationalized images play into the idea that Africa exists in a stagnant state, never evolving, and therefore not existing in the same modern context as the west. Moyo Okediji refutes these Afro-Pessimistic views vehemently; in his essay Les Demoiselles D'Avingnon, MamiWata, and African Modernity he states” The artistic object in Africa is constantly evolving with unpredictable volatility, because society is always mutating and no identity is static or permanently determined in its interpretive potential.” Moyo Okediji also takes this a step further, not just denouncing the ridiculous views of Afro-pessimist view, he evokes the theory of Al Jabara to heal the injustices and inequities of representation. These theories of balance, healing and evolving identity relate closely to the work of contemporary African Photographers. They are currently analyzing their constantly changing identity, and balancing the sensationalized and shallow techniques of representation the West deploys, by creating Anti-photogenic works, that are personal, humanistic in their approach and a direct rejection of Western techniques, that over sensationalize, primitivism and ultimately create a commodity out of Africa. Contemporary African photographers are deploying the theories Okediji sets in motion of Al jarbara, seeking to balance out the vast collection of Afro-pessimistic work of the West, with photographic works that reject western techniques, and depict a dynamic, evolving, vital Africa, that seeks to balance out the illustrative Western view, with a realistic and humanistic view.
Images of starving children, famished victims, nude figures are the stereotypical images that Western eyes have seen. These type of images are a well established doctrine that many popular photographers seek out when they are "documenting" Africa. Photographers such as, Kevin Carter, who's images of Sudanese famine victims graced the front page of the New York Times, Steven Mccurry, who photographs for National Geographic, and has some of the most iconic images ever produced of Africa, and Leni Riefenstahl, who's admirer's included people such as Jane Goodall and Louis Leakey. These people are well established, highly admired Western photographers, how blatantly sell stereotypes of Africa that dehumanize and misinform. Leni Riefenstahl's African photographs are [considered] intrusive, obscene and encourage only spectacle." (138, Faris) by many people. She turned potential photographic subjects away if they showed up to her studio wearing clothes, and denied monetary payment to her models and instead paid in beads and oil. While her photographs were highly admired in the West, they are complete fabrications of a life that does not exist in Africa, and were sold to the West as documentary photography. Kevin Carter and Steve Mcurry's work also feeds in to this spectacle type photography. Carter's images are dehumanizing depictions of starving children, taken out of cultural context, they depict a brutal Sudanese world, while Mcurry's lens captures an exotic, primitive view of Africa. Rienfenstahl [Carter, and Mcurry's] African Photographer is revealing of a more profoundly disturbing feature characteristic of much modernist Wester Photographic practice. especially involving non-westerners." (141, Faris)
"Western critics have questioned the validity of contemporary African Art, to the extent of considering the notion of Black modernity as an oxymoron." (55, Okediji) These critics fail to realize that Africa changes and adapts to the same modern world that the West lives in. They fail to realize that Africa has participated in some of the same image making techniques

http://www.opendemocracy.net/content/articles/3730/images/african_photography.swf

Africa in the West’s eyes has stereotypically been seen through the gaze of Afro-pessimism, only seeing Africa has a place of disease, famine, war, and essentially primitive, and static. Through this gaze the west has sought out “primitive man” as an exotic, sensationalized idea that fits conveniently into the dramatic documentary work of many western photographers, such as Kevin Carter’s work with Sudanese famine victims and Steve Mcurry’s work with National Geographic. These sensationalized images play into the idea that Africa exists in a stagnant state, never evolving, and therefore not existing in the same modern context as the west. Moyo Okediji refutes these Afro-Pessimistic views vehemently; he states” The artistic object in Africa is constantly evolving with unpredictable volatility, because society is always mutating and no identity is static or permanently determined in its interpretive potential.” Moyo Okediji also takes this a step further, not just denouncing the ridiculous views of Afro-pessimist view, he evokes the theory of Al Jabara to heal the injustices and inequities of representation. These theories of balance, healing and evolving identity relate closely to the work of contemporary African Photographers. They are currently analyzing their constantly changing identity, and balancing the sensationalized and shallow techniques of representation the West deploys, by creating Anti-photogenic works, that are personal, humanistic in their approach and a direct rejection of Western techniques, that over sensationalize, primitivism and ultimately create a commodity out of Africa. Contemporary African photographers are deploying the theories Okediji sets in motion of Al jarbara, seeking to balance out the vast collection of Afro-pessimistic work of the West, with photographic works that reject western techniques, and depict a dynamic, evolving, vital Africa, that seeks to balance out the illustrative Western view, with a realistic and humanistic view.



Paragraph one

Western problems of depicting Africa: Steven Mcurry, Leni riestahl, Kevin Carter


Paragraph two
Early African Photographers and how they differ from previous photography of the west:
Sedou Keita, Sidebe
Humanistic, honorable, seeing African life as it exists and allowing the people in the photos to be the subject not the heroric acts of the photographers, or the exotic content that stripes Africans of individual identity and makes them alien.



Paragraph Three
How photographers are seeking balance to stereotypes, Moyo Okediji talks about algebra and how it is an African theory, that seeks to heal broken bones, to bring balance, and how the work of these photographers are doing that. They are exploring their culture, their post colonial identity, and bring just images to the surface. They ultimately become artists of Mami Wata that travel globally to show an African View of Africa. Reference Enwezor and his tools of anti photogentic eye and how they seek balance to the over sensationalized eye of the west. How it is more humanistic in its approach and
This needs to be a very long paragraph or several paragraphs, this is the meat of my argument and my paper, everything after this is the research that supports my theories.

Paragraph 4
Adrew Dosunmu and Nontiskeolo Veloko south African photographers that use fashion photograph to celebrate a post apartheid identity

Paragraphc 5
Colonial tension and the the artists that reflect upon the past. Allan deSouza, Zarina Bhimji, Otobong Nkanga

Paragraph 6
Guy Tillman bring insome stuff from grey areas. Communites have every right to be suspicious of outsiders. Talks about the sensitivity needed to photograph subjects where you are an outsider.

Paragraph 7 Conclusion

Kerry Brown

Paris, je t'aime: David (Peter Sarsgaard, right) has just the sort of savoir-faire to charm Mulligan's quick-witted Jenny, who's eager to leave the suburbs behind for more cosmopolitan pleasures.



Life studies: A 16-year-old schoolgirl (Carey Mulligan, center) learns hard lessons — but also discovers a thing or two about the value of experience — as she navigates an affair with an older man.

Cross Processing

Cross processing (sometimes abbreviated to Xpro) is the procedure of deliberately processing photographic film in a chemical solution intended for a different type of film. The effect was discovered independently by many different photographers often by mistake in the days of C-22 and E-4 . The process is seen most often in fashion advertising and band photography, and in more recent years has become more synonymous with the Lomography movement.

Cross processing usually involves one of the two following methods:

* Processing positive color reversal film in C-41 chemicals, resulting in a negative image on a colorless base
* Processing negative color print film in E-6 chemicals, resulting in a positive image but with the orange base of a normally processed color negative

"The vast emptiness of the sky, as seen from the confines of an airplane seat, becomes a metaphor for the suspended travel of time."
-David Carson's Book : Fotograficks

http://contest.pdnedu.com/rules.shtml

Toensing Places
Focus on Places
National Geographic photographer Amy Toensing is your expert mentor in the Places category.
Photograph by Amy Toensing

When Amy Toensing traveled to Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, and India at the age of 20, she realized that a camera offered her a way to engage the world. "I've always been curious," she explains, "and photography was a license to engage in people's lives, to discover more about places I visited. It gave me a role in the world."

Toensing was drawn to places through their people, and gradually her work evolved toward the social issues that shape everyday life. Whether documenting life on the New Jersey Shore or the Kingdom of Tonga, she seeks out the familiar rather than the exotic. "I look for the ordinary in the extraordinary," she says. "I think about place the way I think about people: every place has its own personality, its own moods. A good photographer becomes attuned to these."

Toensing captured the mood of Australia's Murray-Darling Basin drought (above) by photographing the barren land with a high horizon in the day's harshest light. She followed Simon Booth as he checked his ranch for growth after a rare rainfall. "It still looked like moonscape," she explains. "These people were simply overpowered by the dramatic changes in their world. Murray-Darling was the story of a landscape and of people's fading place in it.”

“Photography records the gamut of feelings written on the human face, the beauty of the earth and skies that man has inherited, and the wealth and confusion man has created. It is a major force in explaining man to man.”

Edward Steichen quotes

Why Write the Paper?

paper: not info necessarily what people want to read on the website.

description/ methodology

definition of food to society
.personal or larger idea

stem from a personal experience with food and expand it to a large audience

not about text too much to read


Professionals:
objectives, methodology, why, how, controls, and outcome

Paper very critical and more analytical. Convention perspective to Unconventional

I made real bread.....

So my previous bread recipe turned out like crap, even though I got some good photos of the process. This is the same type of bread but I used the recipe from the Joy of Cooking. I'll post it later, but I'm so excited! It looks, tastes, smells and is REAL BREAD! The lighting isn't the best, but its so amazing! I made real bread!

Eesh Baladi (Egyptian Caraway Seed Bread)

Eesh Baladi (Egyptian Caraway Seed Bread)
• 2 tsp. dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 2½ cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 cup caraway seeds
• fresh honey


Many cooks will serve Eesh Baladi (Egyptian caraway seed bread) with honey, but it is also very tasty when eaten plain.
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Mix the flour and salt together and slowly add it to the yeast. Add the caraway seeds. Work the mixture into a dough and knead for several minutes. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 1–1½ hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and roll into balls. Press into flat, round shapes. Place on a greased baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, or until barely golden.
Drizzle with fresh honey and serve warm.
Yield: 8 servings

Food on a basic level is relatively easy to define, the dictionary says this: “any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth” I generally agree with this statement, food is about sustaining life and energy. On its most basic level, scientifically that is what food is, and does for all life. Humans however have much stronger connections to food then I think most people realize. Food has so many powerful connections to the human experience. Food defines people, connects people, and it can conversely divide people, but the importance we place on food exhibits itself in our religions, cultural experiences, and our ties to home. So when the dictionary claims that food is a nourishing substance it cannot just mean that food keeps us alive, but it nourishes our spirituality, our sense of community, and our day to day feelings. Food defines our cultures, religions and our ties to our community and home life. For instance the United States is a country made of a large immigrant population, and you can see it reflected plainly in our food. While many restaurants are derivatives of the food people brought over from their original countries’ and cultures of origin, the United States has a plethora of diverse food and that defines different cultural groups. An outsider would probably recognize that culture more by the type of food they made, then by the flag of the country where that person’ is from. Food is a huge indicator of cultural background and origin.
In today’s modern society people think less about old religious rules about food, (eating kosher, no meat on Fridays, ect) and are focusing more and more on dieting, health food, fast food, organic food, natural food, vegetarian, vegan, and a million other choices for their personal diets, based on just as many reasons for eating that specific way. Some people choose to the way they eat for political reasons, while others for health and diet reasons. While our foods have a strong connection to our cultural past and present, now more then ever people are asking questions about where our food comes from and how its produced. The question of organic, natural and processed foods is at the forefront of people’s minds, and politically driven food purchases are starting to take root. The debate about organic food rages on, many believe organic food to be healthier but contradicting studies have shown no conclusive evidence that this is true. Same with environmental impact, many companies and websites claim that organically grown food is better for the environment, because of the lower ecological impact as compared to conventional farming; however conversely evidence shows that organic farming is much less energy efficient then organic.
The beauty behind food is almost harder to define then food itself. Why people think something is beautiful is so personal and more then just athletics that I don’t even want to attempt to define beauty. Food has that relates so intensely to our relationship with food that its hard to describe. There is a beauty in the athletics of the natural world, the colors, the range of shapes, smells and tastes, but there is also an intense beauty in the way people cook and manipulate food. The process behind cooking has an deep relationship too ritual that speaks very closely to our relationship with cultural and heritage.

FOOOOOOOOOOOD

Food on a basic level is relatively easy to define, the dictionary says this: “any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth” I generally agree with this statement, food is about sustaining life and energy. On its most basic level, scientifically that is what food is, and does for all life. Humans however have much stronger connections to food then I think most people realize. Food has so many powerful connections to the human expereince that food defines people, connects people, and it can conversely divide people, but the importance we place on food exhibits itself in our relgions, cultural expereicnes, and our ties to home. So when the dictionary claims that food is a nourshing substance it cannot just mean that food keeps us alive, but it nourshes our spirituality, our sense of community, and our day to day feelings. Food defines our cultures, relgions and religions. For instance the United States is a country made of a large immigrant population, and you can see it reflected plainly in our food. While many restuaurants are dirivatives of the food people brought over from their country and cultures of origin, the United States has a plethera of diverse food and that defines different cultural groups. An outsider would probably recognize that culture more by the type of food they made, then by the flag of the country where that person’ is from. Food is a huge indicator of cultural background an origin.
In today’s modern society people think less about old relgious rules about food, (eating kosher, no meat on fridays, ect) and are focusing more and more on dieting, health food, fast food, organic food, natural food, veggitarian, vegan, and a million other choices for thier personal diets, based on just as many reasons for eating that specific way. Some people choose to the way they eat for political reasons, while others just want to be healthier.

Photo Communications:Class 1 Notes

Assignment 1:
> strengths and weakness as a photographer
> artist statement
> digital and print portfolio

Sky Details
.favor the hightlights

Rule of Thumb expose -3/4 of a stop
Always check your histogram
Clarity sharpens highlight detail
Fill maintains highlight
where the contrast is in a photograph, is where the attention focuses

HW: Bring in a few raw files to work with, bring in photo portfolios from digital photo 1 Pok's class,



FOOD AS BEAUTY// assignment 1

not cooking for yourself, look into health concerns, about the process of cooking, food as a need, not about physical beauty

not about great photos, just a documentation, just keep shooting

Where does our food come from?

DOCUMENT EVERYTHING!!!!!

learn about how to consume fruit peels, learn about pesticides. Shoot how you clean fruits and vegetables.

explore beyond the comfort zone

must share with someone, must do with other people, and photograph together

FINNISH IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS!
.tuesday first lab day, first documentation due
.sharing is encouraged

THURSDAY: research due!

"common objects require uncommon photography.
uncommon objects require common photography."

[David Carson]