This photograph displays two children, under the age
of five, at a childcare center in Connecticut. The two children in this image
are washing up for lunch in the restroom. I interpret the two children in this
photograph to be sisters because of the bond I feel between them. When looking
at this image, I feel a lot of tenderness, care, and love toward one another by
the way they are carrying themselves so closely together. The way the older
child is leaning over the younger one to wipe her face off leads me to believe
that she takes care of her quite often. Considering that this childcare center
is for children with mothers who are involved in the war industry, I would say
that the older child in this photograph takes care of the younger one most of
the time while their mother is away.
The lighting Parks used in this photograph is mostly
shining onto the little girls in this photo to make them the main focal point.
There is also a significant amount of light on to the brick wall in the back of
the image, which also brings out the old concrete floor and pipes in the
restroom. I feel that by putting bright light on these objects in the image, Gordon
may be showing that this is a very poor childcare center concentrated in some
type of warehouse or basement.
Gordon shot the image looking down on the two
children. The angle that the photo was shot at emphasizes how young these
children really are. Parks may be implying that these children are too young to
be taking care of themselves and one another. I also feel like Gordon is trying
to show the audience the result of parents being away from their children most
of the time trying to support their family; the children are forced to take care of themselves instead
of being taken care of by their parents.
I like the connection you made between the two girls caring for one another. I feel that this was the focal point that Parks was trying to showcase through this photo. The picture truly captures how the bond of two human beings can shine when put to the test. It would seem like he was trying to celebrate the feelings of friendship but also report the effects that parental absence was having nationwide. I also like how you pointed out that the older one is probably left as caretaker quite often. During the War, in the parents absence, it was quite common for an older sibling to accept the role of the father or mother leaving many children with a hefty amount of stress and obligations. Overall, I think you really hit the main points of this photo.
ReplyDeleteI like how Samantha has brought our attention to the intimacy of this photograph. As she says, the children's proximity to each other, familiarity and physical contact, and the caring act of cleaning another person all seem to indicate that these two girls are sisters, or at least closely bonded friends. I agree that the bathroom does not looks very nice, but the two girls don't look destitute. Their clothes are clean and not tattered, and their hair has been done. I like how you point out that the light focuses on them and the angle of the shot emphasizes their youth---underscoring the need at this time for even the young to take on personal responsibility.
ReplyDelete