The Body 2013

The focal point of the picture is the figure to the left side of the frame. From the figure the sidewalk creates two distinct lines that stand in contrast to the dark paved street. The dashed crosswalk also creates a line the travels in a different direction from the other two lines of the sidewalk. The lines created by the street signs mimic the lines of the street and the sidewalk. The figure is much darker than the rest of the shot making her stand out. The picture was composed with a lot of things going on and a lot of lines to lead your eye around the picture. The point of view is at eye level and because it is from the back of the figure it gives the impression that the viewer is seeing what the figure is seeing.

My art historical is a statue of a greek goddess looking out across the ocean. The statue has no head. She is poised forward as if she is about to travel into the ocean and beyond. The statue being headless makes her anonymous; she could be anyone. Her body is poised for motion and the endless possibilities of the ocean stretch out in from of her.

This photograph represents the body in 2013 because to me the body takes you were you want to go. Physically the body is literally what allows one to move forward and take which ever path you choose but it also it also gets you where you want to go in other ways. I was reading an article that discussed the correlation between being perceived as attractive the ability of the person to get hired. The article noted that “attractive” people were more likely to get chosen for a position over a more average looking person and that “attractive” people are generally perceived as more friendly. In this sense the body or physical appearance is what gets people where they want to go. The figure in the picture is poised forward, much like the statue, and she is looking up at the road signs trying to determine where her body will take her.