single photos American Goth

This cracks me up, its great!

Awesome Photo! Robert, your work here is some of the best I've seen on photo.net.

Interesting reworking on an old idea. The background is a bit distracting and the wardrobes looks more tacky ( fake snow leopard ) than Gothic.

IMHO a really "plastic" look, almost cut and paste, which isn't particularly appealing to me from an aesthetic standpoint.

Great idea! Grant Wood's "American Gothic" has to be one of the more popular subjects of spoof in all Artdom, yet this attempt succeeds rather well, I think. It's immediately recognizable.

 

Some observations:

 

The building is aptly chosen in terms of its shape and more contemporary function.

 

The skin tones are a bit pale, but, considering the subject, this can be overlooked. I'm not sure if there was a conscious decision to wash out the flesh, if the subjects had naturally pale skin, or if it's a by-product of overexposing for the dark fabric.

The color balance seems a little bluish.

 

The building, though shaped right, is a tad askew.

 

In the Wood's original, the female is subservient to the male in terms of her position, and in her contact with the viewer, whereas here, she holds more equal footing. Her hand, too, seems a little larger than I would expect it to be, but this might be a figure/ground illusion. (It's clear that Robert Anderson made no attempt to completely duplicate the original, especially in his choice of characters, who are not at all similar to Wood's elderly and rural couple. Of course, an older couple here wouldn't quite fit the goth/gothic pun.)

 

Increased throttle could have been given to the "Goth" aspect of the pun with the extreme use of other Goth hallmarks, for instance, heavy eyeliner, metal studs, and piercings.

 

The pitch fork is rather large, due either to Anderson's interpretive licence, or else the limited availability of pitchforks these days. I suspect the latter.

 

In terms of presentation, I don't feel anything is gained from showing the film edge. In fact, I think this does more harm, than good, giving the impression that nothing has been "altered," when the image could actually stand a little sprucing up.

 

I love the idea, but don't feel this is an A+ execution.

Oh my goth, Doug. How much more "throttle" do we need? The original has been parodied about as often as any other painting in the American tradition. I confess that I am disappointed in this one, which is more about attitude than anything else. I do not see much that is artistic here to critique, one way or the other. It seems a bit too sophomoric to me to be a serious parody. Frankly, and with all due respect, I don't like it.

 

--Lannie

That said, it is a notch above these:

 

http://cc.ysu.edu/~satingle/AmSt%202601/parodies.htm

 

--Lannie

Although I am not sure about Paris and Brittney or Bill and Hillary:

 

http://www.rogersandall.com/Spiked_American-Gothic.php

 

I just wish these were photos.

 

--Lannie

About as derivative as it's going to get.

I like it. Everyone involved seems to know how cliched everything about the photo is, which makes their serious attitudes all the funnier to me. As for it not being a "serious parody", I would respectfully suggest that to be an oxymoron.

If I understand the Goth subculture, there is quite a bit more furtiveness and self loathing than this presentation suggests. Here I see more defiance and individualism. Not really Goth-like. There is only one piercing visible - lower lip on the man. As mentioned above, the makeup is underdone. I'm not at all sure what the building behind them is supposed to symbolize. I think it was probably just a building that happened to be there, and an attempt was made to create symmetry with it. I get a sense that these people are models in Goth costumes (faux Goth leopard, if there is such a thing), and not very convincing ones at that.

Strenght: Documentary in that documents a current fashion.

Weakerness: The subjects looks over acting and they don?t look sincere or real. Just acting for the shot. The color seems so false to me. I am not sure that the simetry is doing something good to the picture but making it boring.

AWFUL! Photographic fromage at it's deepest, most blase, blah, boring, uninspired, and corny.

Absolute Kitsch. This photo exudes, bleeds with "try-hard, try real, real hard". Overdone, over parodied subject, out of vertical and bland background and overly plain, cloudless sky that makes me shudder to think of the moment the shutter was released.

Bleagh! And what's with that short-handled pitchfork anyway?

Ludicrous. Absolutely, completely and nothing other than ludicrous.

sorry.

I wish I could edit to add that I DO like the way the shadow falls on the wall, bringing the faces out of the background.

shudder.

It often gets overlooked here that the Photograph of the Week is all about discussion, it is not an award for excellence, necessarily. Why a photo gets picked is completely beyond the realm of this forum, yet it comes up over and over again.

 

I suppose the comments on this thread should be more along the line of "Does this parody work?" Pros and Cons.

 

My comments on this image is that it is not very goth in appearance, the models look like they are playing at goth and the background isn't relevant to the parody except faintly in shape, it should mean something for it to be a full communication. So the impact here is diluted and more like the kind of paradoy where you stick your head through a hole and get photographed into a classic painting.

The lighting on the models is flat, the background has no connection with them, even the different foreground/background light doesn't make sense which contributes for the cut&paste looks. Come on, they don't even look like goth, more like tastelessly dressed farmers.

Interesting hairdo ,something scared him?Sorry I cant get much out of this photo ,it looks too pretentous.

pretentous?

It is the definition of pretentious and that is one of the points it makes.

1. Claiming or demanding a position of distinction or merit, especially when unjustified.2. Making or marked by an extravagant outward show; ostentatious. See Synonyms at showy.

also consider "cynical" or "sarcastic"

It's hardly high art, but please, let's try to find a sense of humor

Kinda looks like a cut and paste job. I like that fact that we can see the word "Kodak" on the edge. Gives the photo a certain "Je ne sais quoi." And that's the best part.

Maybe the whole point of this post is not to discuss the artistic pro's and con's. Maybe it's to discuss what they are trying to convey in this pose. If you look at the Goths of today they are trying to become part of the Matrix film set. They are generally people who are emotionally scared and druged up emotional froot loops who hide behind their dark eyeliner black lip stick and pale skin, it is a defence mechanism. If you look at the models in this pose they sre dressed in black with leopard print no eye liner or lip stick and look very fake. Are these self confident well adjusted people who are trying to become part of the Goth culture? Is this just a send up of a famous peice of art by someone who has contempt for these people as much as I do. Or are they fans of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and just want to Jump to the left again????

Great Photo, I like how you've set less colourful subjects against a colourful background; I found the window at the top of the building by their heads distracting, however.

It either works or it doesn't. And for me it doesn't work.

 

It's just too "cute" for it's own good.

Conservative Midwest Goths? Cliche or no it's still a good concept. Execution needs some help I think. That window in the background distracts by being a hole and not center between the couple. They do look out of place...on purpose? I think so. Where on earth would they look to be at home? I'd have rather seen a tall pitch fork with the narrower tines or at least edited out the handle. I'm still compelled to look at this work. Nice job sir. I hope to do work at least this good some day.

Tom I said it was "TOO pretentious " thanks I spelt it wrong first time . But you make a good point . But I see it as over kill .

Ho-hum. This has been depicted in just about every manner and medium imaginable.

 

That being said, this particular parody isn't so creative as to be memorable. From a technical standpoint, I have serious issues with the subject composition, background, lighting and framing.

 

Not meaning to be overly critical, just weary of seeing a true classic American work of art beat to death.

 

The responsibility in taking on something like this should, at least be something as memorable and creative as the original, if not more.

 

I don't believe this photo, posed as it is, even comes close.

 

Just my honest opinion.