Entry #4.

Sam Wagstaff, 1979, Photographed by Robert Mapplethorpe


a.) The primary subject in this piece is Sam Wagstaff.

b.) Formal elements: light and value, texture, point of view, distance of camera to subject matter, frame and edge.

c.) interpretation: I love Robert Mapplethorpe's series on portraits. They are all of very famous people and he captures them in a way that suits their personality. He captures Princess Gloria Von Thurn und Taxis in a very elegant and peaceful way. He captures David Hockney with a sense of humor. My favorite of his photographs is this one of Sam Wagstaff.

d.) Form: The light and value created by this studio shot is very powerful. The contrast in the light hitting his eyes, eyebrows and face are exceptional, especially where the wrinkles and bags under his eyes stand out. The lack of negative space in this piece is very important because it creates an emphasis on this figure. The way he was so close to the subject also had a great deal to do with this. The way the subject is cropped more to one edge of the frame makes this pictures very intriguing.

subject: The subject here is this gentleman.

interpret:I think this photo is simply about this figure, about his life, about his expression and about how it has all been depicted through his expressions throughout the years.

refined: This piece has such a stoic feeling. It feels almost like this guy is staring at you, scolding at you, annoyed with you. When looking at this picture it is hard to not try to figure out what this figure is thinking. You don't need to know any background information about this character to have a want or need to figure out what is going on in his head. It sure is an intriguing portrait.

about his style:
In my next project I really want to look into his style a little further. I want to see how it could help my photography. Perhaps in this portrait project i will try to investigate getting really close to the figure so that it is all about this person. Not about what they are or where they or going or where they have been. It is about all that summed up on their face. This will be an investigation on what does come out on the face of someone who has traveled such miles in life.