I'll just have to be far more pontifical than I usually am regarding matters of visual art and say that the significance of expressive and design relationship of figure to ground (the formal term) is indisputable. Period.
You say that a larger or smaller head in a photo wouldn't make so much difference but the fact is you don't have the two on hand to compare and contrast. The simple fact of the matter is that the image consists of the whole format, not just the thing called the subject. This is not unlike voice where intonation is much of the expression. WC --- On Sun, 10/5/08, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Subject: Re: Perceptual Cropping was Marks on Canvas > To: [email protected] > Date: Sunday, October 5, 2008, 5:00 PM > William writes: > "If you think the background doesn't count in > portrait photo of Lincoln, > consider the effect of having the head very small or so > large as to crowd the > edges of the picture." > > I admit I failed to consider the effect of a very small > head on a large > sheet. That would be bad, because the treasurable effect of > headshots of > Lincoln > comes very much from considering the details of his > face/features. A small > head > on a locket-sized sheet would be wanting for the same > reason. > > I did consider a large head with the edges in close, but I > admit I decided, > too quickly perhaps, that as long as they didn't cut > off half his ears etc, > the > pic would preserve what I esteem. > > "A blank background is never blank. It is a shape > and that shapes affects > how we see and regard the photo. This is first lesson > stuff." > > As long as the background is not what I'll call > "extreme", I can't say I'd > always agree. When I consider Lincoln headshots -- of > sufficient size to yield > details -- that I have here my sense is the blank > background could be > considerably larger or smaller with no appreciable effect > on the impact of the > pic. The > frame could even be of different comparative dimensions as > long as it did not > call attention to itself and thus make the background lose > its "blankness" > for me. > > When Arnold Newman created a portrait that had the subject > occupying only, > say, the lower right quadrant, part of its attraction, its > dramatic effect, > came > from the "extremity" of the composition, but I > believe Arnold never produced > such a portrait with no element other than the subject in > it -- in other words > it wasn't "blank". > > Photographers from Cameron to Mapplethorpe (he did more > than just "schlong" > shots) have produced portrait-photos with purposely > "blank" backgrounds, where > it seems to me the backgrounds could have been enlarged or > shrunk -- this side > of "extremity" -- with no great effect on the > impact. > > "Re Lincoln's photos specifically, keep in mind > that those photos were glass > negative photos, where exposure time was relatively long > and Lincoln was > seated in a chair with a head brace to hold him still. > Thus a background of > real > life would have been blurred if anything was moving, even > in the wind." > > Understood (though I can't say I know the circumstances > of the various > Lincoln headshots). But it's also true that > photographers from Cameron forward > did > portraits WITH backgrounds. > > "I am amazed that Cheerskep, one expert in the stage, > would think that a > clear background would be lacking expression." > > I hope I didn't say that. "Emptiness" may be > part of what a playwright and > director want to project. In any case, it's often true > that as empty a stage > as > possible is what they want because they think background > stuff will simply > detract irrelevantly from focus solely on, call it, the > "souls" of the > characters. However, the larger the stage is, the more its > emptiness feels > extreme, > calling attention to itself. > > "Is an empty stage really empty, ever?" > > No, I agree -- not for me, anyway. It always comes across > to me as either > "artsy", forced, and clichid, or distracting for > LACK of a grounding > background. > But then, theater and two-dimensional visual > "art" are two different genres. I > often like a blank background in portraits. > > > > > ************** > New MapQuest Local shows what's happening at your > destination. > Dining, Movies, Events, News & more. Try it out! > > (http://local.mapquest.com/?ncid=emlcntnew00000001)
