Concept Behind the Image by Carlos Bernal - Essay Example

Image Analysis At the start of his career as a photographer, Louis Carlos Bernal did not know what to expect of the path he had chosen. The path came about as a result of an exhibition he was meant to head. It was about this time that his fascination and intrigue for his culture grew. During the exhibition, the passion he had for his roots was fuelled. This propelled him into working toward building awareness about the culture to the world around him. It is this passion that built his international publicity and recognition. He is responsible for the diversification of a subculture, among the American people that might not have understood what it was all about. The society he represented became known and understood through some of his famous works (Jackson 79). It made them, as people, proud to know they had representation in the form of an artist. This paper will examine one photograph by Carlos Bernal, and the concept behind the image. It was after receiving funding from the Mexican American Legal Defence that prompted Carlos to follow the path of photography. He had the experience after joining the faculty at the college and developed the institution’s photograph program. This funding enabled Carlos and a few other faculty members, to explore the possibility of bringing out the subculture of society through photography. In the following photograph, Carlos decided to capture the Martinez brothers in a candy store. Through such photographs, he brought out the family ties, and the life they led. This was the spiritual and cultural journey Carlos set out to achieve with the belief of making everyone understand the nature of a subculture (Kaplan 165). Analysis of the image Images people see in photographs often have a consistent and recurrent structure (Debroise 176). This is based on the standards of the camera setting, and how it may be placed. In the image of the Martinez brothers, Carlos decided to take the picture while behind a glass frame. He did this so as to capture some of the products that the candy store also had to offer. By putting these two together, the audience gets to understand the closeness of the family relations, and ties to this economic activity. Carlos often tied his subjects to material possessions in order to capture a way of life. Photographs that have the ability to do this often bring out more than just colour and imagery into the mind of the audience. He understands the innovation of having his subjects in a photograph surrounding themselves with treasured possessions. Many at times, this further leads to a superior understanding of the subjects (Debroise 187). One can respect the subjects based on the things that surround them, hence; one might try to find a deeper meaning to the image presented. In the Martinez photograph, the two children appear oblivious of the photographer’s intention. This means that their emotions are displayed genuinely. He did not have to tell them to smile for the camera or pretend to do anything. Such works often depict the subject’s emotions and what they are thinking. His technical expertise is seen in the way he brings out the candy’s bright colours. The audience may be drawn to the candy, but not too much because; they might lose focus of the primary objective. The clothes, the Martinez brothers wore showed of the daily attire the subculture wore during daily life. It is such unawareness displayed by the brothers that brings out the daily life of the subculture. In most subcultures, the mode of dressing is an enormous aspect because it brings out how individuals chose to live their lives, and how they prefer to relate to each other (Debroise 216). The image’s compositional design brings out the colour of their clothes perfectly. In his subsequent images, one gets to see the evolution of the sub-culture’s mode of dressing. In the image, the audience gets to see of the age difference that exists between the two brothers. It is through such imagery that Carlos brought out the distinct way of life of the Mexican-American people (Debroise 245). In the candy store, the Martinez brothers peering through the window depicts the children’s desire to have something from the store. Lack of money to purchase anything in the store is brought out through the photograph, which might depict society’s way of life. They might not have the capability to have the once considered luxuries every now and then, but they might indulge themselves at some point. The significance of the closeness or relation between the candy and the children might not be obvious to everyone. Children are often attracted to sweet things at a tender age. The fact that their parents cannot indulge them all the time is a clear indicator that parents from this sub-culture do take care of their children. This is contrary to common belief. Conclusion The emotion of the two children from outside the candy store is captured in the photograph. This is what Carlos Louis set out to achieve. By surrounding themselves with things in everyday life, the two children are inclined to behave like ordinary children. The audience gets to understand this, and relate immediately to how the children feel. At one point, everyone has felt helpless as the children in the photo feel. However, the smile displayed by one of them depicts the faith that, at one point, they could attain what they desire from the candy store. This works in the real world, away from the imagery displayed by Carlos (Otfinofski 196). People have to believe that they might get the one thing they want, even if it may take some time before they get it. Moreover, the promise of getting something after being patient is evident. The two children are waiting to get what they need from the candy store. One can equate this to everyday life and have the patience to wait for something they might need. This is even though; there is the uncertainty of getting it. It is this hope that most of Carlos Louis gets to display to his audience through the powerful tool of photography (Otfinofski 197). Works Cited Debroise, Olivier. Mexican Suite: A History of Photography in Mexico. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001. Print. Jackson, Francisco J. Chicana and Chicano Art: ProtestArte. London: Macmillan Publishers, 2009. Print. Kaplan, Louis. American Exposures: Photography and Community in the Twentieth Century. New York: PULP, 2005. Print. Otfinofski, Stephen. Latinos in the Arts. London: Sage Publishers, 2007. Print. Read More