So we had to read Dave Hickey's "Prom Night in Flatland". What I mainly got out of it was the idea of 16th century "vaginal" artwork and 17th century "penile" artwork. I also learned about the "imaginary plane" that artists create with planes that fall off/extend over the piece, thus creating an imaginary plane for the viewers to interpret for his or herself. I chose a photo that I took up in D.C. during the reading days to try and place some context regarding Hickey's ideas.
The image that I am examining is one that I took of DC tourists. It is only amusing to me, probably because I am from here, so seeing people scramble to get photos of themselves with famous architecture behind them is just kind of funny. I have never taken photos of people posing for photographs. I took a photo of a young girl getting her photo taken by her father in front of the Washington Monument. From this, it might just seem like nothing. To myself, it is more of a vaginal image, due to the context given. But perhaps I am just overlaying such a title because I am from the area. My reasons for calling it vaginal are because of symbols of American pride that this young Asian family has. An interesting note is that the girl getting her portrait taken is looking away from the camera. The mother is reaching into a brightly colored backpack (probably belonging to the daughter) to possibly pull something eye-catching (like a toy) to grab the girl's attention so she will pose for the photograph. Maybe not. Something I find strange is how the Washington Monument, already regarded as an incredibly phallic shape, and a tree line up, so that it almost appears to be an erect penis with pubic hair. Perhaps this is the representation of America.
I do feel like a lot of my photographs are more "penile" based than "vaginal", and therefore a lot more straightforward. I feel my pieces are only more "vaginal" when it's a subject that speaks to me, but may not be obvious to actual viewers.
