The first photograph shows five young boys frolicking in the cold. One boy is flailing his arms and one can almost imagine him moving his legs in an animated way. His jacket is much too big for him. The central shot of the photograph is centered on a younger boy, dressed in a hoodie and appears to have been hit with a snowball with some remnants of snow still visible. He is cold and shivering, but the subjects of this photograph seem immune to the cold, as is typical of youngsters.
The black and white background of the photograph is a stark contrast to the subjects. The hazy fog meshes well with the background that is almost invisible. One can almost make out the background of a pier and a boat. The dusty roads reflect the harshness of the environment however they cannot hide the curiosity of the third subject in this photo. The artist has decided to blur out his face but viewers can make out his large eyes. Another boy is unaware of all the action that is occurring and standing stoically. The last subject peeks out from the background and may be tagging along in the group and peering down.
The purpose of this photograph might be to show that despite the harsh and spartan environment –children playing remains the same. In this scenario, there is no adult supervision and the children are left to occupy their free-time independently. This small group certainly has some hierarchy. One can tell that the young boys are cared for by the older boy. The older boy also seems to be goofing off, moreso than the younger ones. This might tell us that this boy might get few chances to play freely in an unstructured environment. The lack of any color seems to indicate the lack of joy but the actions depicted by the subjects suggest otherwise.
I do like this picture but feel somewhat sad for the subjects as it seems to prepare the children to grow up in a tough environment, one with little means to spoil children. It seems like this photograph captures one of the few moments that children have to play. The lack of winter clothing suggests that the parents have little means to adequately care for children, as we know it in the West.
The first thought that came to mind as I looked at the picture was the close-up nature of the subjects. They are so close that one can almost touch them. This photograph is fascinating as there are few instances in traditional art whose main subject are persons of color and even more so, subjects that are not rich or famous, but regular individuals.
Art is never wasteful use of resources, money or time. As long as there is someone to appreciate and purchase the pieces, the works of art will live longer than maybe it was intentioned for.
Photograph number two:
One cannot help but look at this photograph and notice that the background shows dilapidated conditions, metal rusting, chipped paint, dusty shoes, tattered clothing, eroding wood. This photograph shows impoverished kids, they seem to be waiting. Waiting for their parents to return, perhaps from a day’s work at the fields. Their innocuous faces betray their tough circumstances, having to grow up with little material pleasures. The clothing worn by the young toddler, straddled by his older sister seems to suggest that these might be hand-me-downs. The dirt that seems to pervade the clothing worn by the subjects makes me think of the
The framing of the photograph shows us a picture within the frame of the door enclosed by the two sisters, one of which is holding their baby brother. The facial expression of the older child seems to suggest that she has been taking care of her younger brother for quite some time and is regarded by the younger children as a mother-type. The middle child, looks out the door waiting. There are few luxuries. No toys but a hard life filled with responsibility and surviving the next day. There are also few decorations that would make life worth living.
There are square shaped references all over this photograph, starting from the square frame to the square-ish stone container in front of their dwelling to the square tin. This particular shot is effective as it invites viewers to take a closer view into their world, like it’s almost a private screening into one screenshot of a normal day.
The inside of the residence is unseen except for a colorful tin box perched on a table. Objects are scattered on the floor and seems to suggest a lack of particular care as to where they are placed. The darkness seems to reflect the circumstances facing this family.
This photograph is particularly fascinating as the crumbling decay that seems to invade the photograph makes for excellent storytelling. It makes one wonder what their story is. Have their family always lived here? Did their family experience any boom or bust? I also wonder if their neighbors are living in similar circumstances and hope that their future will be a brighter one. Much like the previous photograph, this one is absent of any adult supervision.
This photograph is absolutely not a waste of money to purchase. It’s a dramatic photo that depicts the wide gap in Western industrialized nations and others that have yet achieved equal parity of wealth. With this gap, one can see the differing set of survival skills that are necessary to make it to the next day. One can almost get the sense that in order to survive in this particular part of the world, youngster’s need more than wits to survive. One needs to rely on family or a similar type of close network that allows someone to tap into those resources.
