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For my critical review, I had chosen the print "Chicago" by Harry Callahan American in 1980.
While I was seeing the print at first, I can recognize a nude mother figure who is motioning
towards a wind sill. And within the mother's hand is a nude child who is following her
footsteps. The surroundings looks like a plain room most likely in a residential house and
a simple, clean open window beckoning the two figures into the light. The mother is
leading the child into the light, a more pure dimension. It can be seen as she carefully
takes a step on the windowsill, watching her child. There is so much vulnerability detected
within this print, as the woman and the child are fully exposed without any clothing on
their bodies. Easily and naively the child trusts their life with the mother as easily
the child obliges the mother and follows suit. They are both embarking on a journey to the
outside world as the spectator simply observes their story unfold. The mother brings her
child into the light, signifying vitality with the brightness of the sun. Vitality in
the sense, that she brought the child into existence as well so the child easily follows.
The artwork during the time that it was made signified the depiction of someone's life
at that time, like a personal diary or journal that is kept secret to them. So during that
moment was a piece of their family captured and forever ingrained into their memory. I
believe this is similar to someone's own journal simply because it is such a vulnerable and
beautiful depiction of a mother doting and carrying along their child. There is a candid
beauty that is contrasted and sticks out to the audience as the mother's bare backside
is to the camera as is the child's, there is something so precious and trusting to the
cameraman. This artwork makes me feel very fond and careful as I observe and look upon
this captured moment, it seems almost sensitive how the mother interacts with the child. Their
interaction stirred an understanding within me of my relationship with my mother because
at a young age I could always remember blindly holding onto her hand and following her regardless
of where she took me. I could also remember moments of my mother being incredibly vulnerable
but yet still being a doting, wonderful mother as to how she would shape the situation for
me as a child. This print resounded a few deep springs of my childhood looking at the
element of trust and pure love that is exchanged between the child and mother. Harry Callahan
had clearly depicted each of the roles to the figures in the photograph due to the way
that they are holding hands and how the woman carefully trudges above the wind sill to ensure
her child's following footsteps. Her towering figure leading the smaller, much more fragile
creature into the light.. This is a good work of art in the sense that it seems very innovative
and original with capturing wonderful intimate depictions of his models. The expressive details
of the contrasting light and dark come into play with multiple exposures. MY experience
with Chicago has changed me in a sense of having me reflect upon the fond memories of
my childhood that I had forgotten. I can now remember and cherish those memories and possibly
carry them along whenever I have my own children. Now that I can see the well played techniques
the photographer used, I can possibly recognize those elements myself in real life as well.
My interpretation was somewhat close to the actual deal. In reality, Harry Callahan print
Chicago was a picture of his wife Eleanor with their child Barbara. Harry Callahan was
known to often times use his wife and child as models as he developed his successful career
throughout the years. It was a sensitive capturing of him displaying his wife's mother like qualities
within the piece with their young child Barbara. The comparison makes me come to understand
the photographer's perspective whenever he took this, that what was going within his
mind when he snapped this. It obviously involved very close relationships so it was a very
intimate moment he shared with a lot of his viewers.