Victory in Japan Day

This photo is one of those 'classic american icons', meaning lots of people associate it with america and the past. The piece is fairly sound in it's composition, because it captures three different grounds with a fair amount of clarity and descriptiveness of Times Square, but the head on view of the figures is a bit harsh. I actually kind of prefer the Victor Jorgenson version of this image, because the composition is more dynamic, but the sailor in the dark uniform is obscured by the kissing figures, giving them a weird footed appendage.

Other stuff we're supposed to be examining:

"Reverence of Goldfish"

• the palette in this one is a little more depressed, because of the deep shadows. They give the masses of fish great contrast though
• the man sitting on the bed - he might be only half conscious, or depressed like his surroundings - seems to be the focus of the piece, as the majority of the fish are pointed toward him.
• if it weren't for the fish this would read as a very domestic scene, perhaps in a Tim burton film from the 90's - the monochromatic decorations remind me of films like Beetlejuice andEdward Scissorhands, because they're minimal. They provide only the basic detail necessary to describe the scene, which leaves you more space visually for the characters within the scene.
• the young woman is asleep and ignorant to the fish mob

"Portrait of Nan" by Joe Peter Witkin

• elegance due to elevated hair, satin gloves and decoration, perhaps a noblewoman.
• the little skull might be an agent of death, either in her command or her ally, like an ambassador
• the woman's true face is concealed by the large letter -perhaps her real face is grotesque, or isn't there at all
• the blank look on the fake face combined with the dangerously spiked hair suggests she is cruel or powerful
• the cruelty is only reinforced by the darkness of the photograph and the strange, dark stain on the left, could be blood or something similar.
• the darkness of the page and the sharp furniture on which the woman sits are all very unfriendly, if not mildly threatening

Ohhhh, that's gross.

"The Cocktail Party" by Sandy Skoglund, 1992

What makes this a cool piece:

• The bright palette and composition attracted me.
• Upon closer examination i realized all the 'little orange squiggles' were actually cheese puffs, which I think are the most abhorrent snack food to come into existence.
• The composition and selection of models intrigued me. why are the four in the background only dressed in food and not covered head to toe like their companions? Are they all turning their attention to the puff-suited man in the back of the room? The narrative possibilities are endless.