When I first see this image I immediately feel it is a modern day take on a classic photograph. It is a snapshot that feels very natural. I first noticed the amount of detail and attention that has been paid to every part of the work. The work is calm and low energy, bringing back many memories of various times that I have gone through the same ritual. The artist made very good use of the visual elements present in the work to contribute to its esthetic and meaning. I feel in many ways the reproduction is stronger and more successful that the original, but especially when it comes to the narrative.
This is a photographic recreation of an image of Grace Kelly taken by Allen Grant. It is a photograph of a woman, in a white dress and gloves, who is in the midst of getting ready in her bathroom, to go out for a special occasion. In her backhand she is holding a tube of lipstick, her hair is up and she is almost ready to go. In the bathroom mirror the viewer becomes aware of the presence of a little girl who is peeking through the doorway on the far left, watching her mother get ready. The woman is located on the left side of the frame and looking towards the right. The scene is lit using one light source from over top the bathroom mirror. Many formal qualities of the work add interest such as the use of reflection, diagonals and texture on both the clothing and materials that make up the bathroom.
When comparing the original work to the reproduction, they contain many similarities. They both play with the idea of beauty and fashion. They have very similar settings and quality of light. The one difference that stands out is the narrative being created and the positioning of the main character. Grain has been added back into the new version to imitate the image quality of the original. Both images have a glossy quality on many of the objects included and lots of texture. The Clothing used in each work is very different but work well in their own setting. In the artists own work they have included a doorway, which was not used in the original, but adds interest. As well the energy level of the new image is significantly lower, mainly due to the amount of people in the foreground and reflection.
Once I had picked out the image of the little girl reflected in the mirror I instantly knew this photograph was about desire. The little girls eyes stare longingly at her mother as she hopes she too will be as beautiful as her some day. The artist talked of trying to emulate the gaze that was captured in the original work. She looked at the idea of fetish in that it is a photograph of a person who is looking at something else, touching on the idea of voyeurism. She remembered this image from a Life Magazine and it has always stuck with her. She tried to capture the element of documentary photography. The original photograph made her feel as though she was the young girl who desired to be the women in the beautiful dresses, and brought back memories of herself watching her own mother get ready in front of the mirror.
This work to me references all the amazing photographs that have been produced of Grace Kelly. It also seems to look at the back stage life or behind the scenes type of documentary photographs; or the amateur documentation of getting prepared for a special occasion.
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