C&N Assignment 4 – Response to Feedback

Dear Robert

Thank you for your feedback and annotated essay.

Reading your feedback and comments, I understand your points. This is my first essay reading a photograph, so I was a difficult struggle to mental under what I would be including. A bit like my first attempt in Instruction to Film Culture – I wrote from within and as with that course I will learn how to structure and develop my essays. 1000 isn’t a great deal and in hindsight I have tried to cover too much therefore only touched on some of the points.

With regards to the description of, and comments about punctum I am a little confused. As you say it can be a personal thing what is the punctum of an image. However, this is something, after reading the course notes and the relevant section in Barthes Camera Lucidia, that stood out for me. Made me understand punctum and almost perfectly defined hence why I decided to add it. Not sure why I would be wrong to talk about what I consider to be the punctum of an image – I understand your point not all photographs have punctum and its dangerous to talk about in all images but here there is a something happening that stands it out from a generic fashion image.

I have read the image as we would see it now in 2017, not as it would have been read in 1981. From my research and understanding yes, the image was taken as part of a Vogue fashion shoot, but wasn’t set up by an art director. The shoot was fairly standard fashion shot nothing earth-shattering. Polly Mellon (Vogue Fashion Editor) asked Kinski if there was anything, she would like to which she answered I like snakes. A python was fetched, and the shot was taken impromptu – the suggestion of nude came from Avedon. (In answer to you comment on the bracelet – Polly Mellon regret having her wear it too).

There is a sexual, even phallic feel to the picture, you are correct that she aware of her sexuality, but we are now aware from interviews Kinski suffered low self-esteem stemming from abandonment from her father, leading to appear nude in films from a very young age and rumour about her relationships with directors. I wasn’t trying to be pretentious with the comments around her career, moreover, when viewed in hindsight, there is a strength in that sexuality that was not obvious at the time – that she is not scared or interested in the temptation the film world was throwing at her. It seems now a much stronger image just a generic sexy poster to but on a wall.

However, I will take your points on board an assess and structure the essay to get a more as you suggest stream-lined essay.

With regards to the coursework particularly the reading of the Breitling advert – yes, I was aware of the manipulation, but I don’t seem to have found that word when I was writing it. Everything you have commented it what I thought, hence why I read your comments I was a little upset until I revisited my blog post and I have just skirt and touch on the ideas on expressed them fully. Again, I will redress that more my own learning and development.

a4 highlighted feedback A4 Tutor Annotated

Wish we luck with the restructure and rework