C&N Assignment 4 – Preparation
Assignment 4 calls for us to write a 1000 word essay about any image, and I have given this a lot of thought to choose the right image. And I have chosen an image that has fascinated me since i was at school and was on display in an independent poster/art shop (not Athena) in what is now the Victoria Quarter in Leeds. I walked past there on my way home from high school from 1983 to 1989, the original image was taken in 1981 so I would estimate that my fascination started circa 1985 around when i started to take more interest in movies and photography
The image is Richard Avedon’s, Nastassja Kinski and the Serpent (1981)
When I first started with photography as a teenager I was fascinated with the portraits by Terry O’Niel, Richard Avedon, David Bailey & Annie Lieberwitz and I still have a soft spot for this style of images as basically I’ve not out grown a childhood dream to be David Bailey.
Why was a I drawn to this image as a teenager, when I am terrified of snakes (to this day this is the only image of a snake that doesn’t not physically give me goosebumps), is Nastassja Kinski I had seen Tess (Roman Polanski., 1979) and Paris, Texas (Wim Wenders, 1984) and I liked been unusual when asked who;’s your favour actress I would answer Nastassja Kinski usually to blank faces. I was always the quiet person at school not athletic nor actually academically brilliant but what i did have was good general knowledge and love of movies at that could be my ‘superpower” knowledge gave me strength.
This wanders away from the image and why I want to talk about it, the image is now dangerously close to 40 years old and I think it deserves a reviewing in 1. todays #metoo world, 2. with my 48 year old eyes not 15/16.
Initial Notes
- Background of the image appears that Kniski was involved in the planning of the shoot – not maipulated.
- Very different to American West that Avedon was also working on at the time, and so of harsher celeb portraits (windsors?)
- Shot for Vogue but not fashion? a portrait?
- Casting Kinski as Eve? she was sex symbol at the time infamous for nutity in films. Snake temptation
- Snake also shed their skin are seen in some cultures as renewal new life.
- Kinski Passive to the snake unmoved by it – ignoring it even.
- starting to get better roles – Tess – for her acting ability
Avedon
- Prolific career changed shape of fashion photography, photographic anyone who was anyone.
Kinski
- Daughter of famous actor who we know know was abusive
- Admits lack of esteem it earlier work
- perhaps exploited in roles due to age and background of abandoned father
- career never really blossomed as expected given talent
Parallels for today
- #metoo – passive to the snake resisting the advances of executives? Reasons career is 2nd division?