Recreation 02

 Recreation: Alison Manciu, Blind Man, 2011

  Original: Paul Strand. Blind Woman, 1916

     Paul Strand born in 1890 in New York city. He was a radical who confronted the world directly with his camera. Strand gave a take on meaning and made the viewers look at their surroundings. It was powerful and brutal at the same time. Strand took this photo when many others were taking portrait shots that conveyed beauty. During this period in his career he took many photographs of slums, drunks, and peddlers.

     The photo, Blind Woman, is similar to a mug shot, the elderly blind woman stands stiffly against the stone wall. Her eyes are rolling in different directions, making it obvious that she is blind. The sign that reads, BLIND, dangles around her neck. She has a number above the sign that gives her the right to beg. The mood of this photo is of despair and of sadness. She is clearly in need. It is embarrassing to be labeled in such a way that you have a sign dangling around your neck. it objectifies her. He captured the world in this woman's face, as he did with many of his portrait photography.

    The recreation I made is of a man holding the sign, BLIND. It also looks similar to a mug shot but he has a different expression and holds a different mood. he made and wrote the sign, showing his choice to be labeled. The eyes have a similar gaze, but he looks more mischievous, he could be cheating the system. he looks confident, like he is in control, where as the woman in Strand's photo looks helpless and hopeless. They are similar photos that give two different meanings.