Photographs have always been presumed to possess a
certain objectivity, an element of honesty and forthrightness in their
representation of people and places.
From the earliest views of civil war battlefields by Matthew Brady and Alexander Gardener, to the highly subjective photos of Diane Arbus, the photograph as a document has been at the
core of the development of the medium.
But narrative
statements can come in the form of fiction as well as documentary fact. Photographers such as Francesca Woodman and
Cindy Sherman expressed dark, personal beliefs about society and gender roles
in their photographs. Nate Larson looks at cultural icons and contemporary
beliefs in his series “Charlatans and Tricksters."
In this final assignment we will look at the role of subjectivity in making objective statements.
