An Accidental Artist

Of the countless of albums I have viewed, one thing they share most predictably, along with their common domestic themes, is the psychological focus of the photographer. Rarely in a family album can one see, except in their most rudimentary form, the artistic consideration of, say, framing, composition, perspective or atmosphere, let alone symbolism or metaphor. There are comic tableaus sometimes and some curious set pieces, but rarely anything consciously artistic. Rather, the photographer’s sole focus is normally on the person with whom they have a relationship and to whom they are attached. As long as their favoured or loved one appears in the shot, the rest is largely insignificant. Yet in most family albums, due to a confluence of chance circumstances, there is often one photo that can be described as ‘artistic’. 

Throughout this entire album compiled in the 1960s, there is no sign of any artistic flair. Most are poor photographs of dreary scenes, making this one stand out. The first thing that gives this photo its immediate allure is that there are three clear picture planes: the woman and the bag in the foreground, the bench and the bin in the mid-ground and the buildings in the background, drawing the eye in and giving the image perspective. Although the horizon is sloping (the first thing likely to be fixed by the artistic eye), it splits the frame nicely too. It’s late afternoon; the sun is low in the sky. Long shadows have given the image depth; the fading day and muted sunlight have softened the image. How do we know that these were not deliberate artistic decisions? We don’t. But certain other features make it unlikely. 

The vertical centre of the frame runs between the bin and the woman sitting reversed on the bench – this empty space seems an unlikely subject for a photo. As she puts on her shoes, the woman in the foreground brings narrative to the moment. Seen in candid motion, she is clearly not posing for the shot. The man on the bench with his back to the camera adds a little mystery to the scene. The Adidas bag anchors the composition and dates the image, but its position in the frame is not central enough to assume it as the subject of the photo. I believe the photographer was inspired to take a picture of the woman on the bench. Out of focus and also caught in motion, she is the only person in the shot facing the camera. If she were the subject, then in this regard the photo is an abject failure, but the overall effect is an artistic success.  

Nigel Martin Shephard