Unit 4 Art and the artist
century demonstrated that consumers were open to
suggestion, they provided support for a new suggestive
Reading Section 1 advertising strategy, often called 'atmosphere
advertising'. Some more adventurous advertisers had
Read the title and subtitle of thepassageabout already been experimenting with this, arguing that
photography and advertising below. How do you photographs did not need to show what a product
think thepassage will be structured? could do, but could instead create a mood or feeling
2 Quickly read thepassageto check which period that people would associate with that product.
of history the writer covers.
One of the inspirations for this strategy was American
illustrator and photographer John Hiller who, in
the early 1900s, was illustrating stories in women's
MIRACULDUS
NEW BA BANGES magazines with photographs. He employed a soft focus
technique, and used dramatic lighting and complex
stage sets to create visually stunning pictures. His style
MAVEWINMENBETER COOKS was revolutionary for the time, and it gradually occurred
to advertisers that this type of picture would be ideal for
illustrating advertisements. As a result, photographs in
advertisements suddenly became very popular. In 1920,
fewer than 15 percent of illustrated advertisements in
mass-circulated magazines employed photographs. By
the end of the decade, this gure had soared to about
80 percent.
The tremendous new market for advertising
Advert from the 1930s photography provided a wealth of business
opportunities for professional photographers. Clarence
A brief history of White, a successful pictorial photographer, led the
way in training commercial photographers at his
photography in school in New York. He encouraged his students to
apply a ne-art style of photography to industrial and
advertising commercial design, combining (as he put it) 'beauty
and utility'. Some of his students went on to become
Commercial photography has long had a signi cant New York's top commercial photographers. They
place in the history of photography, and the practised a modernist style based on close-up views,
advertising industry has been its largest benefactor. spare geometric compositions, unusual vantage
points and sharp focus that dominated advertising
In the late 19th century, photography was used photography for the next twenty years. It was also at
only rarely to advertise products or businesses. this time that images of real-life situations began to
Photographs occasionally appeared on business be used in advertising, a trend that became especially
cards or as small informative pictures in catalogues popular in the 1930s when the economic disaster of the
and magazines, but it wasn't until the early 20th Great Depression prompted advertisers to adopt the
century that advertisers began to realise the qualities of sincerity and realism in advertising imagery.
enormous potential of this relatively new medium. At The 1930s also saw technological progress in colour
rst, most preferred to use a 'reason why' strategy, photography, and when commercial colour lm went
with the result that their photographs just showed on sale for the rst time in 1935, the widespread use of
consumers the bene ts of the product. However, colour in advertising photography suddenly became
when advertising psychologists in the early 20th much more affordable.
(24) Unit
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
fi
The dominant and most highly paid commercial or unrealistic material aspirations, criticism of today's
photographer of the 1920s and 1930s was Edward advertising has targeted images that glamorise
Steichen. Like Clarence White, Steichen had been a unhealthy lifestyles. Criticism has also been directed
pictorialist art photographer who turned to commerce. at advertisements that appear to be trying to shock,
In 1923 he landed two commercial photography offend or provoke rather than sell a product. One well-
contracts - to produce fashion and celebrity portrait known clothing company, for example, received a lot
photographs for Condé Nast periodicals, and to of negative attention when it used powerful images of
produce advertising photographs for J. Walter prisoners, refugees and a blood-covered T-shirt in a
Thompson, a major advertising agency. Over the series of advertisements. These became notorious for
next twenty years, he built up a huge client list, which their provocative content and led to a re-evaluation
included makers of beauty products, packaged of what should and shouldn't be acceptable in
foods, cars, jewellery and soaps. He was one of the advertising.
rst comnercial photographers to work in close
collaboration with his art directors, convincing them
to look beyond conventional uses of photography in
advertising (pictorialism for romance and suggestion; 3 NowanswerQuestions1-13below.
straight photography for information and reason-
why). During his long career, he evolved a persuasive
photography style that projected ideals, aspirations and Questions 1-5
obvious fantasies, but made them seem attainable. Complete the table below.
By the 1940s, advertising was seriously big business, Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from
and vastly increased budgets meant that photographers the passage for each answe.
working for the business could be more and more
ambitious and experimental. The two best-known Signi cant moments in photographic
commercial photographers at this time were Irving advertising
Penn and Richard Avedon. While both continued Event Reason or cause
to use photographic modernisrm in their advertising
photography, they developed highly personal styles. 1920s Hugeincrease Advertisers begin
Penn's pictures were characterised by a minimalist style in number to realise that
which projected an image of calm elegance. Avedon's of illustrated 1
*******
photographs were much more dynamic and conveyed advertisements photographs
an important message: the world was changing, and using photographs. are perfect for
it was changing very quickly. His work, perhaps more advertising
than any other, was to in uence future commercial purposes.
photographers, and his style is still very popular today. 1930s Popularityof Advertisers
Commercial photography in the 1960s was less pictures showing respond to
stylistically uni ed than in previous decades. It also saw 2 ..... ...... a serious
a greater emphasis on internationalism and greater Colour in nancial crisis.
collaboration with art directors. Furthermore, there 3
advertising .....
were huge changes in beliefs and attitudes, especially becomes available.
photography
with regard to the way we behaved, or the way we saw becomes more
ourselves and others. The advertising industry could not widespread.
ignore this, with the result that newer representations 1940s Commercial More mnoney
of things like gender roles took their place alongside photographers is available for
traditional ones. This set the tone for advertising become advertising.
photography in the remaining decades of the 20th increasingly
century. 4
Advertising around the turn of the 21st century 1960s5 Changes in beliefs
provoked new content-based controversies. Where are portrayed and attitudes.
mid-20th century advertising photography was often in a new way in
criticised for promoting overly traditional visions of life advertisements.
Art and the artist (25
fi
fi
fl
fi
fi
4 Check your answers. ForQuestions 1-9, make
Questions 6-9
sure you have copied the words exactly from the
Complete the ow chart below. passage, have used no more than the maximum
Choose NO MORE THAN THREE WORDS from allowed number of words, and check that your
the passage for each answer. answers are grammatically correct in the context
of the sentences.
Edward Steichen
Turned to commercial photography after Listening Section 4
illustrating stories. You are going to hear a lecturer talking about
ancient forms of art. Before you begin, look at
In 1923, began taking pictures for magazines these pictures and decide where they might
and a 6 originate from.
Spent 7 working with many
***.*****
different companies.
Persuaded art directors that they should
be less 8 .in the way they used
photographs.
Developed a 9 ******..**...*. which made
dif cult or impossible things seem achievable. B
Questions 10-13
Do the following statements agree with the
information in the Reading passage?
Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the
information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the
information
NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this
10 Advertising psychologists in the early 20th
century came up with the idea for a new
advertising strategy known as 'atmosphere
advertising'.
11 John Hiller's photographs were often used to
illustrate advertisements. Read through Questions 1-10 and decide:
12 Photographs by Irving Penn and Richard Avedon 1 which of the three art forms above you will hear
contained both similarities and differences. being described, and the order in which they
appear.
2 how the lecture is structured.
13 Some modern advertisers believe that people pay
3 what type of information you need for each gap.
more attention to an advertisement if it contains
deliberately provocative images. *******a**********
26 Unit
fl
fi
