AMY POWELL
Amy Powell is a young photographer who used her camera to document her sister’s growing up in Columbus, Ohio where she lived with her mum who struggled to support five children. When planning to study photography at college, her father tried to dissuade her by saying “Ninety-nine percent of the world don’t give a #$&% about photography” and this spurred Powell on to show the beauty of the most generic and simple objects or actions when captured through the lens of a camera. |
This photograph of Erica depicts her lying on the grass with her head on her arms, hidden by a curtain of her hair. Amy Powell has used natural light and the grass as a backdrop for her photo; this gives it a more spontaneous outcome to reflect the unplanned lifestyle of a child. The way that her sister is pictured with closed body language highlights a child’s tendency to live in their own separate world, to emphasize this, the image was accompanied by a caption ‘Erica hugging herself’ which suggests that she purposefully isolates herself with only the nature as an escapism. To add to this, Erica’s hair lies in tangles across the back of her head to symbolise a young person’s carefree attitude towards their appearance. This photo makes me feel nostalgic and encourages me to remember how children often need only their imagination to play. I think that I can use this picture to help me because a strong sense of nostalgia is created purely through Erica’s body language and I think I could incorporate this into my project.
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Amy Powell took this photograph of her sister looking through a window, within the reflection of herself; by standing in front of one another; she has fitted with the theme of change and generations. In this way, viewers are given a sense of progression and are encouraged to consider their own likenesses to their siblings or relatives. As with most of her photos, Powell has used natural light and an un-ordinary background of her photo to emphasize the simplicities of their lives. There is a strong contrast between the snowy, hostile setting outside the window and the apparent warmth suggested by her sister’s minimal clothing, in the house; hence insinuating that despite their lack of luxuries, home is a continuity and security for Erica. Powell’s sister has been made the main focus of the photo because the whole background is composed of pale, natural colours and it is out of focus, whereas her leotard is bright and colourful; this could possibly suggest a child’s ability to see the vibrancy of their surroundings when the situation is seemingly dull. I think that I can use this photograph to aid me with my theme of stages or generations, from what used to be, to what it has become.
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This photo shows Erica in her bedroom, with her back towards the camera however, the face of her doll is facing the camera instead. From the view outside the window, it seems as if the photograph was taken either in the evening or on a cold, dull day. Within the room, the walls are bare, there are no curtains and the furniture is very simple, Amy Powell uses this to hint at their lack of luxuries within the house and their parents’ inability to make ends meet. On the other hand, the way that Erica is turned away with her hand behind her back adds elements of concealment to the photo in that, her emotions are hidden. As a result of the dolls face being visible, it can be viewed as a replacement for Erica’s being hidden to reflect society’s influence on young children who are encouraged aspire to be like a ‘Barbie doll’. Alternatively, because the doll is made the main focus of the photo, it gives the impression that it is of high importance to the child and further influences a viewer to look at the photo from a child’s perspective. I think that I could use this photo in my project because I like the use of ordinary items as symbolism for the subject’s feelings and emotions rather than using facial expressions.
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