Photographer Research: Collier Schorr -

Photographer Research - 

Name: Collier Schorr
Born: Unknown 1963

Death: N/A

Birthplace: New York, America
Occupation: Fashion photographer, artist

(South of No North, Girlfriends Bathing)

Connotation: The term girlfriends is not clarified to mean relationship or friendship yet the image appears to link more closely to a romantic relationship opposed to platonic. The two girls who serve as the subjects appear to be relaxing in a meadow where romance is often inferred in novels and films and such. The title of the photograph is "Girlfriends Bathing" which could directly mean sunbathing or such whilst it could also instead infer bathing and baring all to one another through their love.

Denotation: This photograph is of a landscape orientation with two subjects that intersect the compositional rule of three grid. The angular shapes of the body and the soft lines created by light and shadows allow the audience to explore the image gradually as if also in the meadow themselves.

Context: Collier Schorr is a feminist photographer who often focuses on ideas such as gender and identity and this is evidenced in this series titled "Girlfriends Bathing" as they could either be exemplifying lesser depicted sexualities within media or to show the unity between women in society.  Collier Schorr herself is a lesbian and as such attempts to depict relationships in the media that are not being sexualised for the male gaze but instead to convey a statement. 

(South of No North, Contralto hidden behind the sinuous folds of a silk curtain)

Connotation: This photograph shows a subject who is wearing what appears to be a chest binder and the composition of the model appears to be someone who is studying their body either critically or approvingly. Moreover, the shallow depth of field could be a metaphor for the shallow ideas around gender and beauty and such which links well with the idiom of beauty being skin deep. The title of the photograph connotes that the subject is not binary in respect of gender norms in that a contralto is the lowest singing female voice whilst the silk curtain is inferred as the cloth binder that is hiding the subject and an element of their gender identity.

Denotation: There is one subject placed centrally within a portrait photograph which uses a shallow depth of field where the subjects arm is in focus and the rest is blurred into the background. 

Context: Schorr is a feminist who often studies constructions and perceptions of collective identities in relation to gender and sexuality and such. Therefore, it is made more possible that this image and small series addresses gender and sexuality as is connoted through the title of some photographs. To further this, Schorr gave an interview in a magazine where she addressed some of her subjects and reasons behind her work; for instance, when asked "What drew you to them [adolescent youth and androgynous male figures]?" Schorr replied with "Probably the fact that they were almost girl-like on some level. 
But I also remember them as clean slates. It was like the body was a tablecloth for the face. So much of the bare flesh in all my work – even the wrestling work – is to erase as many of the signifiers as possible, so the pictures become timeless, not in a romantic sense but in a ghostly sense.".

(Jens F, Daydreaming II)

Connotation: This photographic collage is an installation within a frame that combines multiple subjects and photographs into one image. There are two subjects, one female and one male who are both in states of various undress which appears to focus on the themes of sexuality which often recurs in Schorr's work. There is also a contrast between nature and man made structures which could be an implicit method of contrasting females to males. Nature is often seen as feminine, mother nature, whilst man made structures, even in its naming using the generic man, contrasts to that. It appears to be a battle on the page between masculinity and femininity through colours and the skill of layering. Moreover, the masculine photos are jagged and cut into straight lines whilst the photograph of the female is curved almost conveying the shape of a feminine body. 

Denotation: There are a combination of photographs and pencil notes within the frame of this installation. The photographs are cut into various shapes and sizes which mimics an amateur scrapbooking nostalgic aesthetic and also utilises various colours; some photographs are fully in colour whilst others are black and white. There are multiple juxtapositions in this image with some being the colours, themes and technique of cutting. 

Context: This photomontage is from 2000-2002 and suggests that each image took careful consideration and time to place together. The title is "Daydreaming II" but other in the series do not follow a similar naming process and therefore the titles are significant in what the photographer wanted to convey. 

(Americans, American #3)

Connotation: This image uses one main subject and appears to depict an entire lifestyle through the collage. The main subject is in black and white whilst the background images are in colour which is the same for others in the series. This could imply that the lifestyle and belief system of the American dream is one that is nostalgic but yet tells many stories as represented by the various subjects behind the central image. 

Denotation: There is one central subject who is photographed in black and white whilst the other background subjects are in colour. There is evidence of layering techniques as employed in other photographs by Schorr such as in "Jens F". 

Context: There is little information on this series and as such it could be understood that Schorr is relying on audience interpretation of the images instead of overloading the collage with explicit ideologies. The series is entitled "Americans" and therefore could be making reference to the everyday lives of ordinary people or instead forming a collective identity through anonymity, "Americans  # 3" shows the subject becoming just a number, for American's who buy into ideas such as the American dream. 

Influence - 

The above photographs and collages have influenced me mostly in my compositional techniques more than anything else. For instance, I have employed collage skills in my first five photographic shoots to create an amateur scrapbook aesthetic to my work which helps to convey ideas of self identity and how it is constructed. The images from each individual photoshoot are combined with other photographs from the same series that address a similar aspect of my life and use similar techniques throughout. Therefore, my first five shoots create a a series of connected images inspired by the way in which Collier Schorr creates connected series'. 

Summary -

This photograph is to show how I have been influenced by inspirational photographers such as Collier Schorr during the pursuit of my project. I was mostly influenced by Schorr in reference to concept and the ability to have an ideology and to continue studying it through photography. Moreover, this photograph, not intentionally, mimics Schorr's "Girlfriends Bathing" but again shows how subconsciously I have been inspired by multitudes of photographers and artists. The variety in Schorr's work is also something that I have explored in my project in that shoot 6 and 7 are different from my first five photoshoots. Also, although not evidenced here, I was inspired by the photomontage technique in "Jens F" and "Americans" that lead me to create a collage as the final piece compiled of my photographs from my first shoots of the project.