In this blog you will find an interesting, but not very technical, analysis of some pages of Citizen 13660:
http://www.discovernikkei.org/en/journal/2010/10/27/mine-okubo-citizen-13660/Choose one of the instances and use your skills to improve on that analysis, considering the article on moodle about approaching compositional elements of images (read especially from p. 13 onwards), and the following sum-up:
1) Sensory elements: colour, lighting and texture;
- shadows, heavy lines, points of light, fabrics and materials
- what emotions are conveyed
2) Structural elements: axes, perspective and depth;
- horizontal axis - left (given) and right (new)
- vertical axis - up (ideal, spiritual) and down (real, sensual...)
- prominent and secondary elements - how parts contribute to the whole
- center and background
3) Dynamic elements: orientation of figure, gaze and point of tension;
- figure looking of us (demanding) or away, offering her/himself to our gaze?
- features and postures of characters
4) Emerging elements: directionality and focal point.
- what is the first thing we notice
- where is the eye drawn to and what directions does it folllow
You will find the analyzed instances of the link above in the following pages of Citizen 13660
ReplyDeleteLooking at the image of the pregnant woman (p.163), it is possible to make a more in depth analysis of certain compositional elements in order to extract a meaning.
In this book we are presented with black and white pictures and this particular image is no exception. Therefore, the usage of black and white highlights this significant historical moment: Japanese Americans' life during WWII. When we first look at the image, the first thing we notice is a group composed of men, women and children all moving in the same direction (in this case to the left), with the exception of a woman, who is moving to the right. However, our focal-point is on a Japanese pregnant woman, with children, who looks unhappy: her eyes are closed and she has a sad expression (In fact, the children and women appear to be unhappy). This apparent sadness can be related to the fact that many families were separated, as well as the fact that many women and children would die in the concentration camps due to the lack of medical care. The sadness expressed by this Japanese woman is also expressed in her clothes: she seems to be wearing a dress with crosses which represents death (maybe the premonition of a birth that can go wrong). In general, there are either sad expressions or an absence of emotions conveyed by the characters to us: we are also evaded by this lack of expression. In terms of texture, we are dealing with an effect of stiffness.
In here, there is a long shot (the figures are more distanced) and these people appear in sideways. This suggests a certain distance to the viewer: it shows that our presence is irrelevant, which indicates detachment. Besides, there are two elements in the background: a cross, combined with the idea of death, possibly indicating the location of a cemetery or a hospital, and two men. The fact that these elements are in the background make them almost irrelevant because here the focus is only on women and children, both appearing “closer” to us .
To conclude, if we consider these elements together it is possible to make an interpretation beyond what a first glance reveals to us.
Laura Gouveia:
ReplyDeleteLooking at page 162 we are confronted with the cruel reality of hospitals and treatments in the camp. The text below doesnt describe the image doesnt describe what we see but tells us that the hospital only has 175 which we can tell is way too little for the amount of people living there. This means not enough health care is possible for all those who would need it due to the unhuman conditions of the camp. With the cold, the virus and diseases and poor nutrition and hygiene, over 175 would need treatments.
Nonetheless, our eyes are drawned to the biggest image, the nurse and sick patient on the middle left side of the painting. I think its really interesting that the center of the picture is just occupied by the bed sheets and the man's (possibly) aching body. In the right corner we see Mine Okubo with a concerned attentive look, probably intrigued by the treatments being applied: a nurse that (i'd say) looks unbothered and cold seems to be checking his pulse while taking his temperature. All the medical techniques seem old and not entirely reliable and the nurse's indifference indicates the overall feel of the camp. Distance, coldness and reitification of humans. We see other beds in the background and even a woman on a left side reading something. The center action focuses on only one case, so id say it represents every situation that happens in the hospital, in the foreground.
Besides that, it could be also interesting to mention that the only strong lines and darker colors are used in people's hair, while softer traces are used in the rest of the painting. The ground has a curious texture, seeming to be made of wood and its lines are perpendicular to the nurses aprons. Okubo's and the sick man clothes have common patterns that are used all throughout the book, making everyone similar and ignoring their different characteristics. Okubo is looking away, putting us in the position to judge and analyse. The overall emotion seems to be rigid, painful and cold.
We can also see flowers in the bedside table, the only source of nature or happiness in the picture, contrasting with the tense, sad situation.
Our look goes from left to right, focusing first on the specific situation being shown and only after seeing the rest of the hospital in a particular to general analysis.
Looking at page 82 of Miné Okubo's _Citizen 13660_, I would like to expand on the analysis of this seemingly simple portrait of a camp scene presented in the provided article.
ReplyDeleteAs an aside, this interpretation focuses on the typical western top-to-bottom and left-to-right reading. Miné was a Japanese American artist who was forced to prove her unwavering loyalty to the US over Japan, where reading is also done from top to bottom but from right to left.
The first thing that grabbed my attention was not Miné's tired expression but a wooden post in the centre of the image, resembling an arrow pointing to the horizon. The illustration depicts a long shot of the camp, implying an impersonal relationship between the reader and the evacuees. Nonetheless, there is a close-up of two figures. The first figure is turned away and, like the aforementioned wooden post, incites the reader to look at the background. The second, Miné, is looking at the reader, implying a more personal relationship with us and demanding our attention (most likely looking to elicit a reaction).
Generally, the illustrations in the book are square, demonstrating that neither axis (horizontal or vertical) is more relevant. In greater detail, the sign, in the background, and Miné’s reaction, in the foreground, are both on the right side of the image, representing what is now being added to everything else previously revealed about these scenarios. The top of the image symbolises the ideal circumstances, as commonly depicted in advertisements: an industrial city bustling with action and a refreshing drink in such a desert-like landscape. The bottom reveals the reality of the camp's living circumstances and of the people who are forced to inhabit it.
Finally, while the choice of black and white may suggest timelessness, the contextual components portrayed place the narrative in specific time periods. Following the storyline leads us to the Tanforan Assembly Center, where many Japanese Americans were incarcerated at the Tanforan Racetrack (in San Bruno, California) until their forced transfer to places like Camp Topaz in Utah, in the early 1940s. For instance, the drawing portrays the South San Francisco Hillside Sign, which was built in the 1920s and is still standing on a hill overlooking the city of South San Francisco with the words "SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO THE INDUSTRIAL CITY." Miné's picture also includes a temporary advertisement promoting the Acme Brewery of San Francisco, "ENJOY ACME BEER." Thus, this key element serves as both a witty observation and a contextual time piece.
After reading Citizen 13660 and looking back at pages 162-163 one can say that these drawings are very descriptive of the health and medical situation lived during this time. As one of my classmates said, the text underneath the images doesn't describe them but nevertheless, the images speak for themselves. In page 162 we see a room full of hospital beds and in the nearest one is a dying person. This image shows us the poor conditions in which these people had to live in and even more so in situations like the one shown. As said in the book, there are less than 200 beds to keep the whole camp at bay which adds to the last sentence. Also, the wooden floor and poor equipment make of this a hazardous environment for the sick. On the right we can see Okubo's distressed face which reflects the tough conditions and concern for the people in need of assistance. On the other hand, although in the picture we mainly see death, I interpret the drawing of flowers on the left as a sign of life from part of the author and not just a mere decoration. This goes to show that although the conditions are harsh, there is still hope.
ReplyDelete