In this essay, I want to see how photography can be used to bring new life to historical events and provide greater representation of individuals and groups. I will do this through a careful examination of another photographer’s work and then compare it to my own imagery. I am interested in knowing more about photography’s ability to teach as the medium is set to remain central to our lives and that of future generations. Understanding the capabilities of image making is an essential part to my own progression as I look to shed light on hidden truths.
I recently came across Laia Abril’s photobook Lobismuller when researching artists for my own project called T.C. At the time, I had been struggling with finding a direction in my work as I could not envisage what the final outcome might look like. Having never made a project like this before I took much inspiration from Abril’s book. Lobismuller came at a midpoint between two series of work in which Abril addressed eating disorders and more recently misogyny. The book looks at the story of Manuel Blanco Romasanta who in the mid-19th century became Spain’s first documented serial killer. Convicted of murdering 13 women and children, Romasanta plead not guilty as he claimed to be cursed which turned him into a werewolf. Another unique element to this story is Romasanta’s hidden intersex syndrome. Those who know of this legendary case see Romasanta as a male serial killer; however, Abril has retold the story from a female perspective (although never featuring the killer). As Abril put it, she “was trying to tell the complex psychology of a character without the character itself being available” (Abril, 2018). This fictional take on the story gives Abril the opportunity to correct the misrepresentation Romasanta has experienced for all these years. Clearly passionate about exploring societal and systemic issues, it is no surprise Abril pursued the story at the heart of this particular book. In recent years, sexual identity and gender has been at the forefront of much debate making Lobismuller particularly topical. Being Spanish herself, Abril would have heard of the Romasanta killings whilst growing up and presumably hoped to bring a new life to this national event.
I used Lobismuller for artist research after being recommended it by a tutor. Although T.C. and Abril’s book centre around completely different subjects, the projects’ styles and outcomes are similar. T.C. looks at Bristol’s history with slavery whilst primarily focusing on an individual called Thomas Clarkson. Clarkson came to the city in 1787 with the ambition of gathering evidence that would help lead to the abolition of slavery. This target was achieved although his journey was a turbulent one. I was attracted to this story for a number of reasons. Firstly, being new to Bristol myself, researching and exploring the city taught me a great deal about its history which was a valuable experience. I was also aware that over the past few years Bristolians have taken a keen interest in acknowledging its past with the slave trade. Perhaps the most notable moment was when the stature of Edward Colston, a prolific slave trader and merchant, had his statue torn down by the public. I was surprised to find very few people who I have spoken with about T.C. were aware of Clarkson and his contribution to the abolitionist movement. I hoped by illustrating Clarkson’s journey through a fictional narrative that I could make more people aware of him. Similarly to Abril’s Lobismuller, the individual at the centre of our works does not feature; however, we both want to provide better representation of this person.
Taken from the 192 pages that make up Lobismuller, Figure 1 is an image which upon first glance seems to have no connection to the book’s narrative. The same could be said for Figure 2, a photo I made and included in T.C. The main technique I noticed in Abril’s book was its indirect nature, specifically that many of the photos on first glance do not bare an obvious connection to the serial killer. Many of the photos including Figure 1 require careful thought to be understood. It is this indirect nature that makes these images as successful as they are. In Figure 1, we see a foggy scene and can just make out horse and foal stood centre composed. Why these two animals? What do they have to do with Romasanta and the serial killings? These are the types of questions Abril wants the viewer to be asking themselves. The horses represent something. I believe they symbolise the murdered individuals. The foal, innocent, just like the women and children tragically killed. This fictional, indirect form of image making relies heavily on symbolism to get across the emotions and ideas the artist hopes to convey. I borrowed this style for my own project. For example, Figure 2 shows a single bird feather on the ground. With the context of the book, viewers can interpret what the meaning of the feather is. I know it represents Clarkson. Just like the feather coming free from its plumage, Clarkson chose to stand alone and fight against a wrongful issue society deemed permissible. The beauty of using symbolism is that it gives the reader space to bring their own ideas and conclusions into the work. Most importantly, images such as Figure 1 and 2 engage the viewer and encourage them to think carefully about the story being told.
Figure 1: ‘Horse and foal’ by Laia Abril, 2016
Figure 2: ‘Feather’ by Jake Barker, 2022
Another element of Abril’s work I found intriguing was her use of black and white photos which give the images a dated look. This was a particularly useful technique for me to implement in T.C. as I could not find any appropriate archive imagery. I had hoped to include both my own photos and some archive material as well. Fortunately, through the use of Abril’s methodology, I could create the same effect. The black and white photos acted as historical points in the journey bringing the viewer closer to the era in which the narrative was based.
Although I feel Abril’s image is visually stronger and creates a better sense of mood than my own, I do see a lot of the same strengths. Both rely on simple composition to direct the viewer’s eye towards the subject. They also share similar low contrast which makes picking up on the subtle emotions within the photos easier. Being uncomplicated gives the images more room for the viewer to contemplate what is important in the scene – what is being suggested. With this knowledge, I pieced together my project focusing on finding simple compositions that held a level of depth and meaning. To enable those reading T.C. with the necessary knowledge to interpret the story, I provided a short piece of written context at the start of the book. I also included a number of Clarkson’s own quotes to act as a portrait of him. In doing so I hoped the viewer could piece together what they saw and make sense of the fictional narrative I had created in honour of Clarkson.
Using fiction to retell actual moments in history can seem counterintuitive; however, I learnt from Lobismuller that it can be a useful approach. An event or person whose story has mostly vanished from the memory of those alive today needs to be retold in a way that gives new life and energy to this moment. To produce something fictitious which can then go on to create a meaningful reality in the eye of the viewer comes naturally to some artists. One such individual is Sophie Calle. A French writer and photographer, among other disciplines, Calle has been using fiction throughout much of her career. One example is the 1981 work, The Hotel. For three weeks, Calle worked as a maid in a Venetian hotel and photographed the used rooms and belongings left behind by guests. In the book, presented like a diary, Calle paired her images with a room number, a short description of their belongings and any information she could gather about the persons. The visuals and text give viewers a sense of the guests’ personalities, economic statuses and much more. Doing this provides a starting point from which more thought can go into the lives of those of whom we do not see even once.
Taken from The Hotel, Figure 3 illustrates the snapshot style of black and white photos Calle made during this project. There is a crime scene like quality to the images which helps bring Calle’s narrative to life. Similarly to Figures 1 and 2, Calle works with simplistic images and ideas, interrogating the everyday as this forms an ideal base upon which the audience’s own imagination can take off from. In The Hotel, it is not the obvious marks of life such as a stained sheet or used tissue but in fact the more ominous details that suggest more about those who stayed at the hotel. As Calle wrote in The Hotel having seen a ‘Do Not Disturb Sign’ hung on a door for six days, “ I begin to wonder if anyone is really staying in there” (Calle, 2021). The book reveals just as much about the guests as it does Calle herself. Interestingly, in 1993, Calle revealed that she had fabricated one of the rooms and filled it with objects that she had hoped to find. In revealing this secret, the context of the book shifted and sent readers back to revisit the book and search for the ‘fake’ room. As Lili Owen Rowlands wrote when quoting Calle, what “her viewers—see is always, inevitably shaped by what they “wished to find.” Every room, in this sense, is the “empty room,” a place in which we make something out of nothing” (Owen Rowlands, 2021).
Figure 3: ‘Room 30’ by Sophie Calle, 1981
What Abril and I both share in making our projects is a desire to provide greater representation of our chosen individuals. Interestingly, we both chose books as the final outcome of our works. As Abril put it when discussing her reasons for releasing the research project in this format, “books allow me to combine photography, text, research, design, and deeper and complex narratives to give the reader time to consume them” (Abril, 2018). Like Abril, I made T.C. into a book because I felt it was the best option for this type of work. A book engages the viewer in the process of exploring the work as they flick from one page to the next. Furthermore, it gives them time to understand the intimate and emotional details we both hoped to convey about our subjects. Another reason for making T.C. into a book is the medium’s longevity and its ability to be reproduced and shared easily among people. These qualities will allow our works to be viewed by a great number of people today as well as future generations to come. This is important as Abril and I both want the individuals in our books to be seen by as many people as possible, thus giving greater representation.
It is worth thinking about other personal reasons myself and Abril wanted to create these bodies of work. As a student photographer, I used this project as a chance to learn and make something totally new. I had in mind producing the best book I could for my own growth and that of Clarkson’s name. Abril on the other hand is a professional photographer. This makes Lobismuller a source of income. Although Abril’s motives for making the book were partly financial, some of the earnings will have gone towards researching and producing important later works that tackle other unknown and misunderstood topics. Although monetary support can come from other sources such as Arts Council England and other creative grants, being self-sufficient gives Abril the ability to continue making the meaningful work that she does.
What has become evident to me through writing this essay is just how successful using fiction can be when revitalising forgotten stories. Adding another layer of mystery and emotion to an individual’s experiences brings the viewer into the narrative. Rather than simply showing the reader exactly what occurred, this method encourages them to think for themselves as it engages the audience. Looking at Abril’s Lobismuller and later Calle’s The Hotel, I can understand why the mundanity of life is often the subject when looking to convey emotions and ideas. This examination of the everyday offers the viewer something simple to see and then draw ideas from more easily. However, it is important any fictitious narrative has adequate context from which the reader can make sense of the emotive and often unclear imagery.
References list
Abril, L. (2018) A conversation with Laia Abril. Available from: https://cphmag.com/conv-abril/ [Accessed 28 January 2023].
Calle, S. (2021) The Hotel. 1st ed. New York: Siglio Press
Owen Rowlands, L. (2021) Sophie Calle and the Art of Leaving a Trace. Available from: https://www.newyorker.com/books/under-review/sophie-calle-and-the-art-of-leaving-a-trace [Accessed 29 January 2023].