Modernism- Class notes

How have the technical advances affected the manner in which photography has evolved?


Modernism began in the late 19th century/early 20th century.

The Great Exhibition (crystal Palace) in 1851 caused much controversy with the Bourgeoisie as they felt they their wealth was not enough to sustain their power with the birth of Modernism and the Industrial Revolution.  The public were no longer afraid of the church and its scare mongering tactics - that wealth was the only way to heaven.

The Great Exhibition (Crystal Palace) was beginning of the Industrial Revolution. It was a World Fair exhibition of culture and industry.

William Blake and William Wordsworth were fiercely against the industrial revolution and wrote poems to express their views towards it.

Futurist Manifesto - a piece for an Italian newspaper written by Filippo Tommaso Marinetti talked about how the Industrial Revolution was a rejection of the past and a celebration of speed.

The Greek myth of Icarus

Daedalus, the father of Icarus created wings made of feathers and wax in a ploy to escape from Crete. Daedalus warned his son not to fly to high or too low because of the sun above and the sea below. Icarus ignored his fathers advice and flew too near to the sun. The wax on his wings melted because of the heat coming from the sun and he fell into the sea - drowning.

Lewis Hine

Man putting his trust into the machine - placing his life in its hand. No safety harness, if he falls, he would most probably fall to his death.

This image could almost be viewed as being closer to god. 















Lewis Hine & Sebastiao Salgado

Looking at the contrasts of two different photographers work depicting man and his relationship with the machine in a modernist era.

(Left below) Lewis Hine -  Power House mechanic working on steam pump.

Lewis Hine 1919

Sebastiao Salgado - Kuwait 1991

Interpreting these images and how they show the comparisons in the relationship between man and the machine.


Photo 1 - Lewis Hine

• Working class American in an industrial setting.
• Hine photographed these men as an iconic representation of masculinity - to give manual workers a higher status rather than what they were perceived as at the time.
• Some sources say that the machine represents a metal womb - looking at the mans position he does look like he is in the foetal position.
• The man is straining against it
• He is clean/the machine is clean - represent newness, a new dawn or era. 
• Style - interpretive photography - descriptive/not real
• raise the stature of industrial workers.

Photo 2 - Sebastiao Salgado

• Taken in Kuwait 1991
• The position of his body and facial features looks like he has 'given up'. I do not feel that this image depicts that the machine has defeated him, but more like it has let him down. All the promises of the machine being the new wonder that will solve all problems that Hine claims in his image, has failed. 
• Derived from war - These wonderful machines that man has built to help create a new lease of life to the people is now being used as an attempt to gain power causing war. 
• Machines against machines
• Machine has taken over the manual work, therefore man has become lazy and overweight.
• Not only has this affected man but also the earth;  the fire from the oil has caused abnormal weather patterns, the air polluted by the oil and fire has caused health problems with the people causing death in some. - Has the creation of the machine has backfired?