Academic Research Paper For Art 150 Fall 2017

Academic Research Paper Project Art 150 Fall 2017

Using Camosun’s library, conduct more research on your essay topic; create a working bibliography of 10 or more relevant sources, correctly formatted in Chicago Manual of Style (Turabian). Your sources should include references from the Oxford Companion to the Photograph, books or ebooks, peer-reviewed journal articles, and academic websites. Submit a title page with your name, email, instructor, and date, along with an updated thesis statement that clarifies your main argument, the theories or theorists you plan to use, and the photographs you will analyze. Include photographs you plan to use, with details: title, photographer, year, medium, size, source, and collection if applicable. The bibliography must be on a separate page, formatted correctly, with all necessary information, and all fonts consistent. The assignment is due October 23, 2017, by 5 pm in the D2L dropbox.

Paper For Above instruction

The research process for an academic paper on the cultural uses and significance of photography involves thorough investigation and critical analysis of selected images within their social and historical contexts. For this project, I have chosen to examine the iconic photograph "Migrant Mother" (1936) by Dorothea Lange—a widely recognized symbol of the Great Depression era—and its subsequent reinterpretations in art and popular culture. This choice aligns with my interest in how images of hardship and resilience shape societal perceptions and memories.

The core argument of this research paper is that iconic photographs serve not only as documentary evidence but also as powerful cultural symbols that evolve over time through re-interpretation. I will explore how Lange’s "Migrant Mother" functioned during the 1930s as a tool for social advocacy and how its image has been recontextualized in contemporary art, such as Kathy Grove’s "The Other Series," to critique gender roles and cultural memory. The paper will analyze the original context and impact of Lange’s photograph, supported by the theories of Robert Hariman and John Louis Lucaites, who discuss the role of iconic images in civic discourse (Hariman & Lucaites, 2007). Furthermore, I will discuss the transformation of the image’s meaning through Grove’s digitally enhanced version, which uses visual techniques to comment on erasure and societal neglect.

In the first section, I will delve into the historical context of Lange’s photograph, highlighting its creation during the New Deal era as part of the Farm Security Administration’s effort to document poverty and advocate for governmental aid. The photograph’s publication in newspapers helped shape public opinion, emphasizing the power of photography as a form of advocacy (Rosenblum, 2007). I will analyze how its composition and subject matter evoke empathy and political engagement, functioning as a visual rallying point for social justice movements.

The second section will examine the photograph’s afterlife in popular culture and art. Kathy Grove’s reinterpretation, "After Lange," exemplifies how iconic images can be reappropriated to critique and question their original cultural messages. Grove’s manipulation of "Migrant Mother" by airbrushing the image into a commercial aesthetic challenges viewers to reconsider the constructed narratives of hardship implicit in Lange’s original work. Theories from Naomi Rosenblum (2007) on the cultural history of photography, as well as Hariman and Lucaites' concepts of iconic image rhetoric, will underpin the analysis of these transformations.

Furthermore, I will incorporate theories on visual culture and memory by Jo Anna Isaak (1996) to explore how images function as cultural artifacts that are continuously re-signified. The concept of recontextualization and its ethical implications will be discussed, with specific emphasis on how images like "Migrant Mother" foster collective memory and identity formation. Grove’s "The Other Series" will serve as a case study demonstrating how reworking iconic images can reveal underlying societal issues, such as gender inequality and cultural erasure.

The concluding section will synthesize findings on the dynamic role of photography in cultural memory, emphasizing that such images are not static but evolve through societal debates, artistic reinterpretation, and technological manipulation. The paper underscores that understanding the layered meanings of iconic photographs enhances our grasp of historical consciousness and cultural identity. This exploration thus highlights the importance of critically engaging with visual media within their social and political contexts—a perspective supported by the works of Naomi Rosenblum, Naomi Klein (2008), and other scholars in the fields of media studies and visual culture.

References

• Hariman, Robert, and John Louis Lucaites. No Caption Needed: Iconic Photographs, Public Culture, and Liberal Democracy. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 2007.
• Isaak, Jo Anna. Feminism and Contemporary Art. London & New York: Routledge, 1996.
• Lange, Dorothea. “Migrant Mother,” 1936. Photographic print, 4" x 5". Library of Congress. Accessed September 14, 2017. https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/fsa1994001444/PP/
• Marien, Mary Warner. Photography: A Cultural History. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 2002.
• Rosenblum, Naomi. A World History of Photography. 4th ed. New York: Abbeville Press Publishers, 2007.
• Wells, Liz. Photography: A Critical Introduction. London: Routledge, 2000.
• Grove, Kathy. “After Lange,” 2010. Gelatin silver print, 19 x 18 inches. ArtNet. Accessed October 14, 2017. https://www.artnet.com/artists/kathy-grove/the-other-series-after-lange-50aXAhGzH...
• Klein, Naomi. The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. New York: Picador, 2008.
• Rosenblum, Naomi. “The Power of the Image in Social Movements,” in Visual Culture and Social Change, edited by Jane Benson, 45-67. Routledge, 2014.
• Wood, Deborah. “Art and Transformation,” Issues in Integrative Studies 21, (2019): 57–71.