Where Find Gesture In Inanimate Objects? (Light, Color, Gesture)

[tom_thumbnail]

<p>Where can gesture be found in inanimate objects?</p>

<p>One of the principals noted photographer Jay Maisel often espouses is to look for Light, Color and Gesture.</p>

<p>Gesture in people is pretty obvious. And even animals can gesture. But where does one find gesture in inanimate objects? Examples of photographs with any responses might be helpful.</p>

[jtk]

<p><a href="http://www.pbase.com/mityam/maisel">http://www.pbase.com/mityam/maisel</a></p>

<p> </p>

[fate_faith_change_chains]

<p>Gesture > Inanimate objects. Also sounds like something " Miksang ".<br>

<a href="http://miksang.com/miksang.html">http://miksang.com/miksang.html</a></p>

[jtk]

<p>Maisel seems to think of light as an element with its own independent existence in the photo..like an object, a subject in itself....not just overall illumination. Compare his images to soft box/umbrella/bounce lighting, "North Light" or other traditional studio-like lighting. </p>

<p>It'd be hard to simulate much of his work in a studio and that wouldn't be sensible anyway...most of his work is "found"...he evidently keeps his eyes peeled for interestingly lit bits. For him light isn't just a kind of lighting.</p>

[lex_jenkins]

<p>Try <a href="../philosophy-of-photography-forum/00SYvD">this photo.net Philosophy Forum discussion on the concept of gesture</a> in photography.</p>

[Norma Desmond]

<p>Gesture isn't necessarily a function of the subject of a photo. Sometimes the photographer makes an artistic or photographic gesture . . . </p>

[jpo3136b]

<p>From drawing, I would say gesture is any alignment of a structure's internal parts to reach outside of itself. In the strictest sense, a bracket from a hardware store would be an example of an inanimate object that has gesture.</p>

<p>The L-shaped bracket; or, pretty much any other inanimate part that's built to touch another part, has gestural qualities. Like, the hook that holds the wire that supports the picture frame. All of those items could have "gesture" in them as an idea.</p>

<p>When we draw the gesture of a human figure as a subject, we're drawing how the parts of that figure, as an object, position themselves to somehow reach out to something else. Gestures are not physically internal because we can only observe the exterior of an object with the five senses.</p>

<p>You can have a lot of internal parts which affect the appearance of external gesture; this is why artists study anatomy.</p>

<p>If you want a book that can help you break into the link between gesture and structure, particularly how internal structures of people as imagined from outside (not scientific anatomy), then look up Burne Hogarth's "Dynamic Anatomy." Hogarth was a career comic book artist. I think he drew Tarzan or something.</p>

<p>Hogarth's books carry some influence because they bridge the gap between scientific anatomy, and how artists draw figure. It's a blend of a sound understanding of both. Once you start thinking about how internal structure affects figure and is applied into gesture, you can probably imagine it just about anyplace.</p>

<p>If someone told me they were photographing gesture in inanimate objects, I'd probably receive that as a sales pitch. Maybe they're actually interested; but, I'd imagine the photographer who was would probably start out by saying something like, "I'm photographing brackets."</p>

<p>Beware of the Bamboozler.</p>

[Norma Desmond]

<p>Avedon's photo of Louis Armstrong is a gesture to jazz.</p>

[jtk]

<p>The OT had something to do with Maisel's use of the term "gesture" so maybe it'd be a good idea to look at the man's work :-) I provided a link for the purpose above.</p>

<p>Maisel seems to mean something specific . Consider his work, remember that we're dealing with images rather than concepts, then consider what makes Maisel's work distinctive.</p>

<p>Go ahead, look at his work :-) This ain't rocket science.</p>

<p> </p>

[fate_faith_change_chains]

<p>John, your link doesn't show Jay Maisels work, it shows Jay Maisels name, not his photographs. I tried to find actual Jay Maisel images on the web, which does seem to be rocket science as there strangely appear to be not many galleries of his images on the web, besides some individual ones here and there. Have you studied my link ? : )</p>