Photographs
Superhero Photographs throughout History
By Keith Gelderloos
Introduction
Out of all of the readings in this course, the one that stood out to me the most was Teju Cole’s “The Superhero Photographs of the BLM Movement.” I found the concept of Superhero photographs interesting, and I wanted to explore it further and find more examples of these photos. With this in mind, I chose for my final project to be an analysis of other photographs that follow Teju Cole’s description. As both a photographer and a lover of history I thought this would be an interesting way of combining my interests with the material in the course.
Methodology
During my research for this project, I found that the best way to find Superhero photos was to find events where these photographs might take place. This meant that my search largely focused on revolt, protest, and general conflict. It is not my intent to glorify violence by discussing these images, instead, I am trying to analyze what gives images their power.
The raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima
One of the most legendary photographs of World War Two, the raising of the American flag by the U.S. Marines exemplify the hard fought battle that took place on the island. This is a quintessential example of a Superhero photograph, as with it comes the context of the brutal war in the pacific and the thousands of people who lost their lives on all sides. The landscape around them on the highest point of the island is scarred and unrecognizable from the artillery bombardments. The men who hoist the flag pole up look battered and are missing their equipment, much has been lost in this fight. Nevertheless, these men have persevered and come out victorious. After over 26,000 casualties, the U.S. had succeeded in taking the first step into Japanese home soil. It is only with this context that this image carries the power that it does. These few men representing such a massive cause clearly makes this image a Superhero photo.
Jan Rose Kasmir Confronts the National Guard
It is hard not to immediately draw comparisons between this image and the focus of Cole’s article, the Ieshia Evans photograph. It depicts a undeniably similar scene of a lone protestor standing against the might of the state. Even though his opposition is wielding live guns, ready to kill him, Kasmir holds his dandelion although it has the power to do so much more. Despite the stark contrast between Kasmir and the opposition, the swirling effect of the camera lens pulls both sides together and reminds us all once again that we are all the same no matter whose costume we wear or whose flag we fight under. It is this unwavering defiance in the face of that which could very well kill him that gives Kasmir the Superhero look and put this photo alongside other great photos of protest. Despite the nearly half a century of time between the two photographs of Ieshia Evans and Jan Rose Kasmir, it is clear that the exact same energy is with them and their passion.
Mark Clennons photo of an unnamed protest during the 2020 BLM protests
This is by far my favorite photo to come out of the protests that engulfed America last summer. This unnamed protestor stands with such powerful defiance against the powers at be. The symbolism of protesting Trump specifically, while also criticising the broader American narrative comes through beautifully in the visual construction of the photo. The pose of the unnamed protester also holds much significance, as it is commonly used as a black power symbol and was employed by the Black Panthers often. It is the unwavering voice that comes through this photograph that makes it a Superhero photograph.
Protestors tearing apart the Berlin Wall
This image carries with it similar themes of fighting against tyranny and the authority of the state, but it does it with a different antagonist and it does it with a very different context to the image. The fact that the antagonist of this image is a wall rather than a human entity is interesting because it shows that even something passive and ordinary such as a wall is capable of the same malice of any human being if wielded correctly. This is also a different photo from the ones that Cole references in his article, as in this photo, the energy is that of celebratory anarchy and fiery success. In contrast, the photos that Cole discusses, have very solemn and martyr-like undertones as we know that the events in those photos did not work in the favour of the Superhero. It is an interesting twist on the genre of photographs as so many if it’s cousin photographs have ended with tragedy.
posted by Aloyzio Achutti at 11:55 PM
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