The image that I have chosen is of a native American taken by Edward Curtis (see fig. 1.). This image was taken in 1907 and shows an elderly man who appears to be quite senior, at least that is what I deduce based on the relatively large headdress that he is wearing.
Whilst much historic portraiture is posed in a similar way to a painting, and usually has the subject facing the camera, this is different, the man is looking into the distance as if lost in thought. This feature of the image is what made me choose it, it is posed in a manner that I might expect a modern day image to be posed.
This image was taken in 1907, at a time before Native American rights were restored and in fact, their culture was fading as white man expanded across America. To record their people and culture, it was a race against time (King, 2012). Curtis’ aim was to document this both before they disappeared (En.wikipedia.org, n.d.). In his project he captured over 40,000 images from more than 80 tribes (ibid.).
When I look at the image I first notice the subject’s gaze; I wonder what he is thinking, to me his expression is sad. I wonder if the sitter, Crazy Thunder, is reflecting on his disappearing culture as he is sitting for the images to be taken and if he is wondering what will happen to it, and how this image will be judged in the future in relation to whatever happens to his race. Perhaps in line with that, as well as sadness I sense a feeling of resolute determination, it makes me feel as if the man is saying ‘here I am, still here, you have not got rid of me yet and this image will make sure I stay around’.
Lastly the lighting of the image, which again looks very modern rather than something taken over 100 years ago, has captured the very deep lines in Crazy Thunder’s face. From this I see him as worldly wise, somebody that has been part of his race’s battle for survival and has many a tale to tell.
As I sit and gaze at this image, I am left wanting to talk to Crazy Thunder, I feel that he has many interesting stories to tell and that he is very proud of his race. I feel the hint of sadness in his face transferring to me and I find myself wishing that he was still here and I wonder in disbelief that that a nation of white men could do what they did to almost destroy the rich culture that Crazy Thunder came from.
King writes “Some critics have accused him of photographic fakery—of advancing his career by ignoring the plight and torment of his subjects” (King, 2012) but I compare this to how the subject might have been approached today. There is a trend at the moment to highlight poverty and struggle rather than people themselves and there is much discussion on aestheticizing poverty. This is absent from Curtis’ work. He has not shown the struggles and injustices forced on to Native Americans at the time, which were many, instead he has chosen to portray the strength and honour of the culture by showing the people in portraits such as my chosen image. This approach has captured my thoughts at a much deeper level than it might if he had gone the other route. I think this is because the image puts the subject on the same level as me, I am interpreting the person in the image, not the struggles that they are faced with (which might only have triggered feelings of sympathy).
Bibliography
King, G. (2012). Edward Curtis’ Epic Project to Photograph Native Americans. [online] Smithsonian. Available at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/edward-curtis-epic-project-to-photograph-native-americans-162523282/ [Accessed 26 May 2019].
En.wikipedia.org. (n.d.). Edward S. Curtis. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_S._Curtis [Accessed 26 May 2019].
Figures
Figure 1 Curtis, E. (1907). Crazy Thunder. [image] Available at: https://edwardcurtis.com/product/crazy-thunder/ [Accessed 26 May 2019].