In today’s lesson we watched a video called ‘Seven Photographs That Changed Fashion’ by a photographer called Rankin who was recreating his favourite images with his own style. Rankin took us through the history of fashion with 7 artists he felt changed the fashion industry, the artists Rankin used were Cecil Neaton,Erwin Blumenfeld, Richard Avedon,David Bailey, Helmut Newton, Guy Bordin and Herb Ritts.
Firstly Rankin started with artist Cecil Beaton
Cecil Beaton
The original image hat box created 1930 with model Elsa Schiaparelli was Rankin’s first of the 7 photos he recreated. Rankin recreated this image with Artist/Model Sophie Ellis-Bexter using a digital camera instead of 10 by 8 camera (which shows the image upside down) as it was more difficult to really capture the image using that camera and wouldn’t of been able to see the finished image that day were as using digital Rankin would of been able to see a final image. I personally feel this image is nice and works well with using a digital camera as can capture the image very clear and shows the models features extremely well but I prefer the original as I feel it shows more emotion in the picture and because of when it was made and the camera used I like that it has that old school feel to it.
Erwin Blumenfeld
This image for Vogue Cover in 1950’s with Jean Patchett Rankin had got Heidi Klum to recreate, on the original image back in 1950’s would of taken a while to actually create as technology was not as advanced as it is now. With this image Blumenfeld erased majority of the image leaving minimal details the eye, eyebrow, lips and beauty spot, as they didn’t have photo shop back then the bright colours they used for the makeup had to be painted on afterwards. I prefer the original image as for vogue this cover looks extremely strong you can tell a lot from photograph even though the hole face is not in the image but on the other hand I like how Rankin has modernised the image with Heidi letting her cheeky personality come through with her tongue showing.
Richard Avedon
This Image Dovima with Elephants with Dorothy Horan (Dovima) 1955 was recreated using Erin O’Conner. Comparing the two images I love how Rankin’s picture is bold and as Erin has a nice pale complexion it makes it look just that much bolder which works well within this picture. As modelling changes along the years you can see that in the original Dovimas body is more relaxed and its extremely elegant looking were as Rankin’s version Erin is sharp and more rigid, This works but with this particular image I do prefer the original as it looks like Dovima was just caught in a moment not actually modelling. Even down to the elephants they give a different feel to the picture as the elephants in the original are distressed and look as though they are struggling to become free from the chains and it looks as if Dovima is almost naturally soothing them, were as in the recreated one the elephants are not distressed at all and it appears to be the other way round Erin looks less comfortable and the elephants look fine almost statue like.
David Bailey
This image with Jean Shrimpton who was one of David’s previous lovers took a beautiful picture in 1960’s quiet seductive showing jeans feminine physic and this picture shows her features extremely well, her jaw line is very apparent and define a long side her lips, nose and her positioning of her body, her arm above her head elbow in line with her nose making everything look sharp. I think this picture is just beautiful and defiantly prefer the original more than Rankin’s recreated version with girlfriend Tuuli. The recreated version is still a lovely photo with the lighting and modernised look but I just feel in this version Tuuli looks almost flat I don’t know if it’s the positioning of Tuuli or the camera but if you look at Baileys original you can almost see the other side of Jeans face as if the lighting is bouncing of Jeans skin and features making the photo look more sharp and rounded were as in Rankin’s, Tuuli could almost pass as a painting or as if she had been glued onto the page.
Helmut Newton
Rue Abriot Vogue 1975 this image and artist in fact is my favourite because like you will see in my write up about Mr Helmut Newton I love what his about and what he tries to get across with his photographs. This image is amazing I love the way Newton has a woman dressed in a suit looking masculine but very pretty in the face the model almost reminds me of Keira Knightly I would of used someone like her if I had to change anything about the picture. Out of all the pictures Rankin recreated this one I feel he did extremely well I like how he has done it on the exact same street and it shows in the pictures which one is modern and which one is not.
In the original picture the street looks worn its quiet gloomy and grungy and how the models standing and dressed with the attitude I feel coming off the model with her fag and facial expression I feel I am looking at an Italian gangster of some sort.
In Rankin’s recreated image I feel you can tell it is a model posing for a photograph as it doesn’t look as natural as the original, more posed like the models worrying about were to position her hands and concentrating on her facial expression other than that I do feel this was a very good recreation of the picture.
Guy Bordin
This image by Guy in 1970’s is one of the images I wouldn’t of picked to recreate, it’s a nice photograph but I feel there are other photos from Guy that I personally would have picked over this one for example,
Or
I like Guys work a lot it’s unique with a different twist, A lot of Guy photographs I have seen without realising who the artist was for example in the Madonna video Hollywood she used a lot of guys work and on adverts and films I have seen his images in. With this image Rankin recreated I am unsure on it as it is a good photograph but the model and the clothes I am really unsure on. The original looks fun and quiet fresh were as Rankin’s photograph is quiet sexy and serious. I prefer the original but as a modern day photograph Rankin’s one does work.
Herb Ritts
Fred with tyres 1984 this image works very well and Rankin has done a good job with this image, Rankin’s photo surprisingly looks quiet natural as if he caught Model David Gandy actually at work and he had got a quick snap whilst he was turning around. The original is a nice picture and from my research it was very hard for male models to be accepted in 1980’s they felt they had to hide the fact they was models as it was considered homosexual. The original image is actually modelling jeans although you wouldn’t have thought it. I do like both photographs the original and Rankin’s version I feel he did very well here.
BlackRose 