RD14-Monochrome in media

Monochrome in media (further to Q4 of listed questions)

I have looked at both histories of black and white photography and color photography. It is not hard to find that even today, monochrome is frequently used in contemporary media. In terms of monochrome applied in media, the documentaries by Steven Spielberg and Gregory Colbert are both very inspiring. The monochrome photographs by the latter one are absolutely amazing and impressive. This may reveal and help to explain more about why Sally Mann used monochrome for her work.

Schindler’s List (1993), Steven Spielberg, accessed on 24th Nov 10

Schindler’s List is a 1993 American epic drama film about Oskar Schindler,  a German businessman who saved the lives of more than a thousand Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust  by employing them in his factories. The film was directed by Steven Spierlberg, and based on the novel Schindler’s Ark by Thomas Keneally. I happened to find this trailer from youtube which is great.

The decision to shoot the film mainly in black and white lent to the documentary-style of cinematography, which cinematographer Janusz Kaminski compared to German Expressiosm and Italian neorealism. Kamiński said that

he wanted to give a timeless sense to the film, so the audience would “not have a sense of when it was made.” Spielberg was following suit with “virtually everything I’ve seen on the Holocaust… which have largely been stark, black and white images.” Universal chairman Tom Pollock asked Spielberg to shoot the film in a color negative, to allow color VHS copies of the film to be sold, but Spielberg did not want “to beautify events.” ( sourced from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schindler’s_List#Filming, accessed on 25^th Nov 10)

 

(Unknown Titel, Gregory Colbert, Online Image from : http://sufigeek.tumblr.com/post/1272057359/upthespout-devilchic05-c-gregory-colbert , accessed on 24th Oct 10)

“When I started Ashes and Snow in 1992, I set out to explore the relationship between man and animals from the inside out.”—Gregory Colbert .

I would also like to include the amazing work by Gregory Colbert. He had also used monochrome photos to show the world a peaceful paradise. In his photos, human beings and animals get along like families.  And to show this, he had produced both moving and still images in monochrome. The picture above, which shows a young Indian girl touching the nose of an elephant. It is beautiful and creates a sense of pure and the interaction between human being and animals.

Canadian-born artist Gregory Colbert began his career in Paris making documentary films about social issues. He has been filming and photographing elephants, whales, manatees, eagles, orangutans, and other animals on more than thirty expeditions to such places as Egypt, Burma, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Ethiopia, Namibia, Tonga, the Azores, Antarctica, and Borneo. The images of Ashes and Snow explore wondrous interactions between man and animal dissolving the boundaries between humans and other species. Gregory Colbert’s photographic artworks capture extraordinary moments of contact between man and animal. None of the images have been digitally collaged or superimposed; they record what the artist himself saw through the lens of his camera.

(Sourced from : http://www.ashesandsnow.org/en/home.php, accessed on 25^th Nov 10)

 Ashes and Snows(2005),Gregory Colbert, accessed on 25th Nov 10

The project has been embraced by visitors around the world, and inspired such critical responses as “A new master is born,” (Photo magazine) A clip from Ashes and Snows shows a visual feast of moving monochrome images.

The work by two world class masters not only just showed us how monochrome was applied in the media. In Schindler’s list, we see the event played in black and white which is timeless and also displayed the event in its solemn way. Because of the fact and the nature of the event being disconsolate, a black and white shooting tells the story in a perfectly fine way. 

And the film as well as the still images in Ashes and Snow showed the viewers a place like heaven and the beauty of eternity. The monochrome had created a sacred place which color photos may not be able to achieve. This brings the question of beauty in monochrome, how does it play the magic? I have found an interesting point from the website source:

An impassioned artist always strives to create something uniquely different within his genre. He is ultimately compelled to create a difference in his medium that conveys his unique perspective. When photography is done in black and white, an artful touch emerges from the subject matter. Passion coupled with style gives a distinctive edge to this genre, captivating a viewer’s attention. It is its innate magical quality which simply enthralls the onlooker. Photography can capture the essence of an object within the frame of a camera. The soul of that thing is seemingly seized and frozen; forever in the picture. Black and white photography delicately reveals the subtle interplay of light and shadow, while introducing an element of mystery into the photograph. It is usually more poetic and sensitive than color photography. (Sourced from : http://www.allbestarticles.com/arts-and-entertainment/photography/the-magic-of-black-and-white-photography.html, accessed on 25^th Nov 10)