Jeff Spirer
Praxis
This paper is an analysis of the photograph that was quite recently taken by Jeff Spirer. The photo is entitled ‘Praxis’ and comes from the author’s web site. It is only there that one can find series of black and white pictures taken by Spirer between 1997 and 2002. He called his snapshot cycle Seeing in the Light & Dark. Thus, his interest in the world is perceived through black and white veil of colours. The paper will try to interpret the photo from the 19 century perspective as well as from contemporary view.
This is black and white picture, evidently taken without a flashlight, probably not to spoil the overall darkness of the place. In case of this photo, the film must have been that of a very sensitive type. This means that the objects shown in the picture had to stay motionless else the contours would not be sharp. It might be the photographer intention to expose the picture within a shorter period of time than it is generally needed for proper rendering. The effect of such a technique results in making well-lit room a dark place. Therefore, the photo might appear to be underexposed but there lies a purpose in doing so.
Shadow and light play main role in this picture. On the right side of the picture, there is a figure, which stands hidden in the dark. Though the spotlight is directed in close vicinity of the person, the figure remains intact by the shaft of light. The whereabouts can be described as spacious, capable of gathering crowds of people. There are two spotlights, which provide some light in this place. In the background a broad white square can be seen. It may be a window or wide television screen. The dark figure corresponds with the paleness of the white square, which make up a background. This place might bring reminisces of a theatre stage or perhaps the workroom or atelier of a painter or sculptor. This could be also a place for instruction or experimentation in one of the performing arts, such as a dance studio. The mysterious figure is of tender build and delicate shape. The shape such as only females can have. Therefore one can assume it is she who stands or maybe poses for a picture in the photographer’s atelier. This unnamed person from the picture can be interpreted in various ways, now that it is specified.
Referring to Romanticism and the paintings of that time, one can find some features that appear similar with the photograph taken by Jeff Spirer. First, let us concentrate on the general mood of the picture. Darkness of the picture is what strikes the observer at the first glance. This picture inevitably causes sense of mystery and invites the viewer to use his imagination. The author seems not to have used elaborated techniques in creating this image. One might presume that the intention was to make the picture simple and without redundant endeavours. Beauty, as Romantics would say, comes from simplicity and reduction of what is unnecessary. There is no need of producing any ornamentation in order to beautify the picture. The simple leaves more freedom of thought for imagination. Fancy is let loose, so that person is able to interpret the picture in his own way. Leaving the picture almost empty and vacant (there is no one in it, except for the tall figure on the right), the author allows the viewer to get involved. He invites to step through the picture and join the dark figure, together with the overall silence that accompanies the photo.
If we were to assume that the mysterious character on the right existed, then its sex would be preferably described as feminine. The figure in itself is beautiful. She is dressed very simple and scantily. The dark covers her with its gloomy mask. This must be sufficient enough for the viewer to imagine the rest. She manifests pure nature of female body. She stands lightly winged, in such a way only female can do. Her perfect pose reveals her delicacy and a tinge of daintiness. This picture shows a woman as a delicate instrument to be dealt with. The instrument, which is given all heart when creating and later handling it, such delicate as guitar or violin can be. On the other hand, it might be as well a piece of wood shaped in the figure of a girl. Whether it is life form or imitation of a person, the demiurge did celestial work – he pointed at the true delicacy and tenderness of the female side. This dark figure can represent an image of an ideal person one can fall in love with. The mythological story of Pygmalion immediately comes to mind.
Another question might be raised here: is not ‘love’ this kind of feeling that demands compromise between what a human being expects and what he eventually gets from life? The dark lady here stands for the ideal pattern to which many faces can be attached. The pattern that every human is endowed with. Once he has it, he struggles to find the right person who would comfort his expectations. Consequently, he finishes with very similar or not similar at all person with whom he feels ‘only’ good. Thus, it is not the person with whom one might fall in love with but the mere apparition, an image in head that distorts preys and subdues them to our mind. Humans are slaves of their own desires.
Although the dark lady does not stand in the middle of the picture, she is the centre of attention. It is partly her who creates the mood of the picture. She is the mysterious one and the enigma left to solve through the imagination of watchers. Her evanescence dominates here and perseveres the darkness. It is her figure in the shade, which illuminates on the enlightened spot. She might be considered as the light in the tunnel. She is the heart of the darkness, the mystery waiting forlorn. Such might be the Romantic aspect of mysteriousness of the woman figure.
A second point needs to be made when talking about Romantics - the eternal question of ‘who am I?’. The dark figure is a symbol of a human being asking the question of existence. The purpose of human existence and the inability to answer this question makes the viewer puzzled and helpless in front of the picture, thus in front of himself. The figure is merely shown by the author; it is only signaled that it exists in the picture. In this way the observer may question the visibility and reality of the figure. Is the character real or is it my imagination playing tricks on me? Am I living in this world or am I only a projection that wanders blindly, perceived only by a few onlookers? Together with these questions goes the belief in humanity. The object of the picture is a human or a shape that resembles human origin of which one cannot tell. The Gothic element once again appears: this figure cowers in darkness as if trying to hide the true visage. The body is beautiful but the true character might be detestable, horrible, and shameful. Or might it be the body deformed and twisted in paroxysm of pain but with perfect shapes of body.
Praxis is not a dynamic picture; it does not show any action. It is static and indicates stagnation, lack of movement. The dark figure is rigid as if she were posing for a picture. The author seems to put an emphasis on the light or the lack of it. Thus, this picture could be an attempt to show darkness by introducing a diagonal spotlight, which emits from the wall and falls spread on the ground. There is light in the middle of the picture. For most people it is obvious that in the centre of the spotlight there should be someone standing. But in this picture there is no one in the centre. The middle lacks the body, which is actually moved on the right. In this way one can suspect the figure to shun being shown in the view. The figure prefers to stay in the dark rather than to be recognized and put in the centre of attention.
One more possible interpretation can be drawn here. The picture mirrors underground atmosphere like the one during a concert or artistic performance. This picture is entitled Praxis, such as the name given to one of the musical projects created by a musician and producer Bill Laswell. What might be seen, as a parallel line between Spirer’s photographs and Laswell projects is that the first one created web site for the Laswell’s label Axiom. Together with his musical groups Bill Laswell has been playing on the so-called ‘avant-garde’ scene for decades. His projects were in many respects considered by critics as impossible to be listened to. Many regarded his projects as unsuccessful attempts to unite ethnic musicians with Western ones. His musical collages of tribal music plus electronic ambient, dub or improvised music left his temporal groups in the niche. Therefore, he might be perceived as the musician who chose to create new sounds and remain unknown to pop-culture rather than copy popular songs and be a musical celebrity. Praxis is one of his projects that trailblazes in seeking new sounds and joins apparently different genres of music. It is Laswell choice to stay as a well-known figure to a certain group of people rather than be recognized as a worldwide ‘pop-artist.’ He remains in the shade like the figure from the picture. The fame is close to him, within the reach of the hand, like the light that falls in the vicinity of his person. Many of his projects are mysteries to many and still it is not certain what genres of music Laswell will stick to next.
A close look at the dark figure may reveal that it is only a play of light that one can see a standing person. The white shape that comes together with the shadow figure is almost as real to the observer as the dark being, previously described as a woman. Looking at this picture, with the musical background in mind and knowing what kind of music Praxis plays, one can assume that the white figure is one of the disc jockeys scratching on the turntables. His presence in the picture might be justified not only by the title of the picture Praxis. What explains his existence is the fact that he is on stage. Caught in the process of mixing and playing with the sound, he leaves the rest of the band aside to perform his solo. The dark woman here is on the huge screen in the pose of the lifeless form. Now, it is she who is in the background and it is the disc jockey that scratches in front of the audience. But why his shapes are white that is hard to say not knowing photographic processes, which might have deformed and altered the picture. Therefore, the curiosity of his whiteness remains unsolved.
The light is directed nearby the figure, which seems to lose its shapes; it almost melts into darkness. Being absorbed by blackness, the figure loses its clarity. The effect of fogginess and dimness encompasses the whole stature and makes it almost invisible. This picture bares some significant elements with impressionism and has features, which William Turner would be interested in. Though Praxis is far from Turner’s abstract visions, the picture focuses on the change of the object when influenced by light. It gives also the clue how to paint darkness (spotlight) and make the place look mysterious (dark figure). It is a confrontation of light and darkness. The question that might be asked is: how these two influence watcher’s perception while affecting objects?
This picture has one more Romantic feature. It is truly puzzling. It can be interpret in many ways, thus it is ambiguous. It is not certain what darkness hides – whether it is human figure in the corner or just a mannequin, tailor’s dummy. John Keats would say that it is ‘semantic darkness’, vagueness and uncertainty that join the mysterious and ambiguity. Praxis puzzles and waits to be explained but in the moment of the explanation one can find the picture not interesting, no more mysterious. Therefore, it is better to enjoy the ambiguity and leave the picture unexplained. It is far better to see a picture that strikes with questions and remember it as puzzling than to see a picture and immediately forget it because one understands it. Imaged created in mind, which provokes and asks questions is hard to erase from memory. Pictures that are open for questions and thoughts demand knowledge and provide us with further experience; it is the path open for broader thinking, which flee conventional thinking.
