Strange And Unusual Photograph example essay topic

'David Moore has always expressed an interest in city skylines and seeks to depict them in unusual ways. ' This can be clearly depicted in his contrasting black and white (gelatin silver) photograph "Western Distributor Forms 1" taken in Sydney, 1979. David Moore grew up near the Harbour at Vaucluse and at the age of ten he found the habour environment to be a 'world of delight, adventure and mystery'. And at the age of 11, Moore was given his first camera and it was then that he began to take photographs around the habour.

In 1947, at the age of 20, Moore was greatly influenced by his friend and mentor, Max Duplin and began working as a professional photographer. From there he became a photojournalist. During the 1970's Moore's works became more and more extreme. After his 'Up in New York Series' in 1973-75, he reduced the monumental skyscrapers to simple dramatic forms. At that time, hard edge abstract painting also influenced him and he experimented with unusual viewpoints in his Sydney Western Distributor Forms to create images with large area of flat space and carefully arranged tones of planar forms. In his photograph "Western Distributor Forms 1" shows a great contrast between black and white.

This photograph is taken outside with an unusual viewpoint. It is lit by natural light to create a clear sharp image, frozen motion and an interesting and unusual angle. The photograph is composed with straight, vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines to create a frozen motion. Squares, rectangle and the use of hard edge to create a clear shape image. Sharp and shiny texture for the objects helps to product an interesting and unusual angle. The photograph has a flat space as it looks like there is no or very little depth.

The tone used in this work of art is highly contrasted by the use of black and white. This contrast has been created by the use of black and white (gelatin silver) photographic paper. The main purpose of this photograph is that the photographer is trying to reflect an artistic idea. "Western Distributor Forms 1" produces a feeling of mysterious, boring, angry, interesting, dream-like, theatrical, imaginative and rather creative. All this feelings is mainly created by the use of black and white in the photograph. This can be clearly seen that the major influence on the artist in the production of this masterpiece is the photographer himself.

Overall, this eerie, strange and unusual photograph depicts what modern art is like. At first the photograph did not interest me at all, but after examining the photograph "Western Distributor Forms 1" by David Moore, in detail. I realise the creativeness, the interesting angles and how well the photograph has been taken, despite the boring and uninspiring figures. After this, I finally realise what a good photograph really is.