Tina Barney

The Son 1987

Monday, 30 September 13

Monday, 30 September 13

 The artist likes to be theatrical, to stage her

models and present a scene, rather than nd and capture one.

Within her book she mentions choosing to

photograph and study her own upper class American family. knew.

I began photographing what I already Portraying daily lives, exploring the

Monday, 30 September 13

dynamics of interpersonal relationships.

 Dominant male gure in the foreground, his

posture and gesture expresses his power and intimidating nature.

Boy is shielding himself from harm. The mother is in a calmer, more caring
posture.

Monday, 30 September 13

 The depth of eld, has been selected to

to separate the mother from the male gures in the space.

display the room without pulling focus from the models.

The table has been used as a distinct prop The objects on the table, books, documents
and magnifying glass, have been chosen to represent their families high status. showing in the scene, as though shes peering into the scene from another.

The girl in the frame has just her face

Monday, 30 September 13

 The wardrobe and framed photograph have

been displayed in a way that may represent the styles in Vermeers Lady at the Virginal with a Gentleman.

This together with the fathers gesture with

his hand into the scene, as well as the light drawn into the scene, aid in drawing the viewers eye into the centre of the scene to the boy as main character.

Monday, 30 September 13

 Though the scene displays empty space and

a large open window, the viewer still has the feeling of being trapped, just as the boy feels, in a space thats closing in.

The visual hierarchy of the scene is as; The

boy as the 1st visual point, the father as second, the mother as third, then the table, the open window and lastly the child in the framed photograph.

Monday, 30 September 13

 Spiral framing, eyes owing into the scene. Instantly involved in the scene by the
camera height, at eye level (the boys eye level) close to the scene.

The eyes of the models are scanning the Neutral color scheme, upper class 80s.
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scene, two pairs of eyes looking inward, as two other pairs of eyes are looking outward.

 The mother in the scene may well be the Social context: The image shows a social hierarchy

child in the framed photograph. A child looking in on another child from different generations.

between the controlling father, the caring mother, the defensive boy and the happy child misunderstanding the scene.

Monday, 30 September 13