The first image I chose to analyze was Gordon Parks’ “American Gothic”. This image is modeled after Grant Wood’s “American Gothic” of the 1930s. The image depicts an African American woman standing in front of an American flag holding a broom and a mop. The woman is dressed in what appears to be a dirty gown. The setting looks like it could be in a gymnasium or an auditorium of some kind. The framing is also in a similar style to the original “American Gothic” painting. The woman is photographed from the waist up, cutting off the bottom half of the picture. This appears to be shot at eye level directly in front of the photographed subject. The lighting also plays an important role, because the entire right side of her face is in the shadows.
I believe that this picture represents both progress and oppression at the same time. In the original “American Gothic”, a man and a woman stand in front of a farm house with a pitchfork in hand. In Parks’ adaptation, the African American woman is all by herself holding a broom and a mop. This could be a statement about African American women and their hard working attitudes and determination to overcome the challenges they face. Switching perspectives, this could also be viewed as an image of oppression. The fact that the woman is standing in front of the American flag could represent the American dream. The broom and mop shows that for an African American woman in the 1940s…this was the reality. I see hope in the woman’s eyes. She appears to be unhappy with the situation, but is looking toward the future for better times.
The second image I chose to examine was Margaret Bourke White’s “At the time of the Louisville flood”. This image sums up a good portion of the twentieth century. This photo is taken in front of a large billboard in what might be heavily populated city. The photo depicts a group of African Americans standing in a line waiting for something. The African Americans in this photo are dressed in long coats, and everyone is wearing a cap. The white family in the car appears to be dressed nice and everyone is smiling. The photo is framed so that the entire billboard is legible. The line of African Americans extends beyond the shot, because some people were cut out. The photo looks like it was taken from a slightly lower angle from a distance.
This photo is significant because of the irony that it depicts. The white family in the car is smiling and enjoying life. The caption above them reads, “World’s highest standard of living…there’s no way like the American way”. Directly below the billboard is a line of African Americans who are waiting in for something perhaps a soup kitchen. During that time in American history, African American’s were not treated fairly and faced many hardships that white people could not even imagine. The words on the billboard confirm that this is the American way. According to Dyers essay on whiteness, being white is everything or nothing. Being white means having power and decision making abilities. The fact that the white family in the car is at a higher level than the African Americans on the ground symbolizes the inequality facing African Americans. The cruel reality is that “the American way” is that for most of the twentieth century, African Americans were going to face severe hardships. Some would argue that the inequalities have not completely vanished. I would agree, but they have improved since 1937 when this picture was taken.
