Ideology of the Family -Matt

First of all, the idea of the family unit and childhood as a human creation was fascinating. I generally thought of these things as natural, not human creations but in when discussing this it does make sense. 

Robert Frank appears to be the prominent photographer of Cold War. His iconic images are high contrast, have organic viewpoints that often imply motion. It was the general uneasiness of the time reflected in the art. The tension of the Cold War had infiltrated photography.

The discussion about Franks’ Bar,gallup, New Mexico, 1955-56 piece was interesting. The angle created a sense of confrontation. By having the camera angled lower and looking up, it makes the figure more intimidating. Having the figure be a Native American wearing a Cowboy hat was of course the central irony of the piece. Here was a Native American displaying the icon of what is his natural enemy. This was the America that was forming. A melting pot of different viewpoints and struggles. And while the Native American likely was not a fan of the white men who displaced them from the land, he could not discount the iconic nature of the cowboy hat. Here was the quintessential American according to the class; a Native American wearing a cowboy hat. We have the past and the future represented by one picture that displayed the confrontational position that these Americans have been put in.