Brian Yen

This image by Brian Yen is called "People people people and more people." It was taken in the busy, overcrowded streets of Hong Kong. I like the movement and stillness of the image all at the same time. The crowd of people walking causes the blurriness of so many people all in one place over time, yet the buildings and the place remains still and clear.  People are constantly moving and living while the material objects around us are lifeless and stable. Pictures usually freeze a specific moment in time for the viewer to experience it forever, but this image does not freeze time it captures the notion of time and how it elapses. it is interesting to see the juxtaposition of things that move and things that remain motionless and the idea of the passing of time.

Johannes Bojesen

This image by Johannes Bojesen was taken in Denmark, of a sheep trying to cross a canal in a meadow swamp. The sheep obviously drowned which I find interesting because the canal is small and looks shallow, which makes me wonder if the sheep attempted to cross at this spot or if it drowned in a larger or deeper area and was transported to this spot. Was the sheep being chased? Did it get tangled in the floating debris of plant? I find this image to be very complex due to the many different situations and possibilities which may have produced this image. This image also stood out to me because it is a good representation of nature and the complex cycle of life. The fleshy back of the sheep which was exposed to air and the terrestrial realm has been eaten or has decayed, exposing the spine of the sheep While the rest of the body which is submerged underwater remains preserved and in tact. This image is very eerie due to the circumstances of biological processes and it is also very dark and moody, due to the gray sky and lack of life elsewhere in the frame. The image itself captures death and how nutrients are recycled and redistributed to continue the cycle of life. I am very interested in art and biology and I think this image is a great representation of both subjects which is why I am so drawn to it. As far as the topic of art, this image is visually interesting and well composed and shot, and it questions the elements of life and death and the overall existence of objects in the world. From a biological standpoint this image captures the situations which enable and restrict decay, which I think is most likely the presence and absence of oxygen in this situation. The portion of the sheep above water is available to microorganisms and birds and insects, while the portion of the sheep submerged underwater is limited to the organisms that thrive in the water. Another aspect from the biological standpoint is questioning the circumstances that caused this sheep to cross the canal and drown. What is foraging? migrating? trying to escape a predator? Did it drown in this exact spot or was it transported by the water after it drowned somewhere else? This image raises all of these questions and confronts the beauty, fragility, and delicacy of life and decay of death.

Boris Mikhailov

Boris Mikhailov documented the Soviet Union after the fall of communism. I like this image because because it displays the struggle that Russians went through and the poverty that followed the collapse of the Soviet government. The man being carried is wearing minimal clothing in the snow, while the others carrying him are wearing heavy winter clothing, which puts this man in a position which looks very unfortunate. The expression on the man's face lacks emotion which is interesting because it makes me wonder what circumstances occured to create such a scene in which a poorly clothed man would need to be to be carried in the winter snow, by other people in this unfortunate situation. I think the overall quality of the image, such as the lack of contrasting color and the graininess of the image, reinforces the feeling of misfortune and poverty. This image has two qualities that make it a very powerful image: it stands as a documentary image which describes the situation of people living in the Soviet Union at that time, and it also implies a biblical reference which gives the image deeper meaning and value. The image reminds me of Jesus Christ being escorted to be prosecuted and hung on a cross. I think this is mainly due to the expression on the man's face and his limp body being carried through the snow. The man looks weak but not quite helpless. He looks as if he is indifferent, or knows that emotion and reaction would not help his cause. The fact that this image reflects a historical story of prosecution adds to the effectiveness of capturing the struggles of Russia's homeless people after a revolutionary event in the history of the Soviet Union.