Zoe Trodd’s talk was a fascinating tour of the phases of Douglass photography, as well as a consideration of the ways his likenesses have been used by artists seeking to commemorate elements of Douglass’ life.
Identify at least one specific element of Trodd’s talk that you found most provocative. Also, draw a connection between what we learned about the uses of Douglass’ photos and what we learned about Shepard Fairey’s HOPE poster.
I thought that Zoe Trodd’s talk about Douglas was very interesting. I found it fascinating that pictures that all looked so similar all were to portray a different message. One technique I found particularly interesting was the clenching of the first at time of war. I found the whole speech to be a very interesting to see the first real use of media to manipulate an audience. Similar to the Obama “Hope” poster Douglas made good use of facial expressions and backgrounds to portray his message.
I thought that the fact that Douglas made a point in almost all of his pictures was very interesting. In each photo, he purposely didn’t smile, or didn’t add backgrounds. Before the war, he had clenched fists to tell African Americans to fight during those times. After the war, his hands were more relaxed. He never smiled in pictures- almost to make a point. In each of his photos, he is protesting. He never really smiles or adds backgrounds until late in his life, when he is close to dying. I also found it interesting that many people during that time perceived Douglas in different ways. Those that were against him used the stereotype of Blacks. Those that were for him made him seem more white, by giving him a longer nose. Both the ‘HOPE’ poster and Douglas’ images have distinct poses. We all know Obama’s poster to be “his famous” pose, and it has been used in several ways since the poster came out. Similarly, Douglas has a few photos that have been used elsewhere.
i thought it was interesting how Douglass only smiled for two of his photos, and i thought the fact that one of them was from later in life was interesting. I also thought it was interesting how he had his hands clenched in fists when there was fighting, but when the fighting had ceased, his hands were no longer clenched. One common theme of Douglass’ photos was the 3/4 pose which was also used in the infamous HOPE poster from Obama’s campaign.
I enjoyed Zoe Trodd’s explanation of how Douglas’s body language spoke to the present issues much like the Obama Hope poster. I particularly liked how he often had clenched fists as if ready to fight at a moments notice. Douglas also stares directly into the camera directly confronting socials norms as well as uses a three-quarter pose to portray power and seriousness. This is much like the Hope poster with also has a three-quarter pose to evoke a message of power and solidarity. Douglas uses his powerful image to show inequality while Hope aims to inspire hope.
I liked the detail she went into about how Douglass looked straight into the camera. She had said that during the time period it was more common for people to look off into the distance or away from the camera while being photographed. Douglass, however, didn’t do this; he looked straight into the camera, kind of like he was challenging the people looking at the image. I learned that by him doing this he was sending a message about being black and empowered by the images of himself. His pose in the majority of the photographs relates to the pose of Obama in the Hope poster. This pose seems to resemble the power that men emanate through their photographs.
The thing I found most interesting about her presentation was her attention to detail in Douglass’s posture. For example, his clenched fists during the civil war showing how he was battling and the more relaxed pose he had post war. Also prewar was a very challenging stare directly at the camera in his older pictures, while he resumed a more traditional three quarter pose post war. This is also where it comes into play with the Hope poster, the significance of the three quarter pose. Men of power and influence (for example the presidents and Obama when we learned about the Hope posters) often pose with their heads turned three quarters. By using the infamous angle, douglass showed he was manipulating photography to put himself on the same level visually as the powerful white men.
The most provocative point of information in Trodd’s speech was when she shared Frederick Douglass’s view on the faults of white artistry when depicting a black face. She showed images to explain that certain features tended to be distorted such as the nostrils being widened, the forehead being more pronounced and the lips being more plump than the realistic representation. She also showed artwork of Douglass that had made him look more “white” with a longer face and skinnier nose. Information is lost or recreated in the images because they are depictions of the artist’s perspective.
Douglass’s photos were used as a symbol of social change during a time of unsureness and anxiety. Most photographs were of white, upperclass people who portrayed themselves in their best quality outfits and possibly materials that showed their prestigious belongings. Douglass brought social change by having himself photographed with nothing particularly special besides certain symbols to show social struggle and fight against black rights. In some photos, it can be seen that his fists are clenched and gradually, as he becomes older and the society begins to be more accepting, his fists relax. He also can be seen in his younger years looking directly at the camera with a powerful glance. Later, he begins to look away in a sort of pose that may be seen as equally powerful and respectable but more as representing a power rather than proving and fighting for the power. This same idea of social change can be seen the in Obama HOPE poster by Fairey. During a time of social struggle, Obama is seen with a determined facial expression and pose that may be depicted as gazing into the future. The title, HOPE, represents the purpose of the portrait because it is showing society a new president who will bring change to the country.
I liked how she explained that when Douglass had his hands clench in his photos is was to show that he was ready to fight and when they were open he felt the fighting was done. The way Trodd explained it me is that he keeps his hands in clenched in his photos to show he was ready to fight for something and is simialr to a social struggle that existed during the time of the photograph. This idea of social struggle was especially evident in the HOPE poster and similar ideas where within Rodeo Pantheon, the Retro In Moore’s text and evident in Le Coney and Trodd’s text. Douglass lived during a time that the social struggle was in regards to being an African Man and being a former slave. Fairey created the HOPE poster during a social struggle during Obama’s campaign and both Douglas’s and Fairey’s photographs are shaping the future. Fredrick Douglass’ used his photography to shape the future into where all men where equal and Fairey used the HOPE poster to show that Obama would be the best next president after going through the economic crisis of 2008 and to have hope in him.
I like how she explained how Douglas used photography to protest the racism that existed in his society. Looking at the photographs I never would have been able to tell they were a form of protest without her explaining it. The portraits of Douglas and the Hope poster of Obama are both ways of using art to make a stand. In the Douglas portraits he is taking a stand against racism and in the Hope poster Obama is making a stand about change and progress in the future if he gets elected.