Photography Saturday: Sohn
Always and Forever 2008 - Copyright Yisook Sohn
Welcome to the Korean edition of Photography Saturdays. I actually happened upon this photographer on another a blog I read regularly, Women in Photography, right before leaving for Seoul. But I'm not sure I would have been as struck by her photos if I were still in the US. It's easy to overlook them, if coming at them with a male Westerner's eye. After a week here in Korea I think I can begin to approach her work with a different understanding. To be honest, the description written for the WIP entry is pretty obtuse. I think she's saying the women in her photos are uncertain of their identities. That is the element that I find most revealing in the series the above is taken from. Koreans seem to have a bit of an identity crisis, generally speaking. They are certainly proud of their country, but it is one that is divided. And they are culturally overshadowed by China and Japan, nations which have at times been ally and enemy alike. The cultural remnants of both their neighbors and the West are deeply entrentched. And all these influences work to cloud what it means to be Korean. It is this aspect that I see in Sohn's work.
Here's what I like about this photo:
1. It's on point with the theme of the series. While my specific interpration may be off-base, this photo clearly relates both thematicly and stylisticly with the others in the series. When viewed in context with the rest of work, it enhances what is being said. The level of detail also provides clarity. Sohn is trying to reveal something about her culture to the viewer. She's bold enough to give a frame to the subject matter while exposing the details in sharp focus and bright light. She is trying to communicate as much of the idea as possible. The information leads the viewer but does not force conclusions on them. The presenation borders on clinical, but that actually works in Sohn's favour.
2. The lighting. Sohn really set herself a challenge by creating a scene that is almost entirely white. Add in the presence of a mirror and you have a subject that could easily be blown out entirely by strobe lights. It's nearly all highlights, but the exposure and placement of the lighting is very deft. It also cuts against the rule that one's eye tends toward the brightest part of and image. Here you go to the darkest part, the woman's face and hair, because it is nearly the only thing that is not a highlight.
3. The colour. This photo could easily have been done in black and white. It's almost monocrohmatic as it is. But there is such an imense feeling to the slight tones of yellow and magenta that mix in with the white. It gives the image balance, depth, and footing. Black and white would have a totally different feel.
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