Dorothea Lange
Biography:
Dorothea Lange was educated at Columbia University in New York City. She moved to San Francisco and opened a successful portrait studio. With the onset of the Great Depression, Lange shifted her focus to the streets and the homeless and unemployed. She gained attention for her work and was them employed by the FSA, Farm Security Administration. She examined the abuse of sharecroppers and the lives of the rural poor. Her work brought the sharecroppers, migrant workers and displaced families to the attention of the public eye. Her photos defined the decade of the Depression and are lasting symbols of the time.
Why I Chose Dorothea Lange:
I chose Dorothea Lange because when I look at her photographs, I can see a story. There is a compelling aspect in the images that make you want to know the story of the person(s) in the image. I am very interested in the Depression, the time period she exposes in her photography. I have seen her photography on numerous occasions and have been intrigued by it and wanted to learn and see more.
Dorothea Lange was educated at Columbia University in New York City. She moved to San Francisco and opened a successful portrait studio. With the onset of the Great Depression, Lange shifted her focus to the streets and the homeless and unemployed. She gained attention for her work and was them employed by the FSA, Farm Security Administration. She examined the abuse of sharecroppers and the lives of the rural poor. Her work brought the sharecroppers, migrant workers and displaced families to the attention of the public eye. Her photos defined the decade of the Depression and are lasting symbols of the time.
Why I Chose Dorothea Lange:
I chose Dorothea Lange because when I look at her photographs, I can see a story. There is a compelling aspect in the images that make you want to know the story of the person(s) in the image. I am very interested in the Depression, the time period she exposes in her photography. I have seen her photography on numerous occasions and have been intrigued by it and wanted to learn and see more.
Migrant Mother: 1936
This is an iconic image from the Great Depression. There is so much depth and a story that comes with this photo just by looking at it. The mother looks extremely pensive, deep in thought about something seemingly important. She has two young children and is presumably young herself, but it seems as if the hardship of the Depression has aged her beyond her years, defined by the arch in her eyebrows and the crinkles in her forehead. I like how she is looking off into the distance, giving her a mysterious look. The most important aspect, in my opinion, of this photograph is how if makes the viewer sympathetic for the mother, with two or possibly more children in an obviously difficult situation.
Country Store: 1939
I really like this photograph. There is a lot to look at but it doesn't appear busy. When I look at one thing, I find something else to look at. From first the different signs to the has pump to the cool pillars and then finally to the girl. I love how she has a dress and not shoes on.
The Happy Camper: 1938
I really like this photograph and the spirit that it captures. The fact that the boy is form a poor family is evident. His shirt is too large and her is covered in dirt. Yet, he can still smile ear to ear with an infectious spirit. As for the photo itself, I really like how much the boy stands out against the plain background. You can see so much detail on the boy. The fact that he doesn't have his two front teeth really adds to the picture.
On the Road: 1938
I chose this photo because I think it is important. It displays how bad it really got, leaving people to cook on small fires in a frying pan. The viewer can see form the background that there is little to nothing going on around the woman, just dessert.