VISUAL ANALYSIS OF FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY I ADMIRE BY VIVIANE SASSEN

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As part of my recent Fashion communication and promotional study, I have explored the world of fashion photography and visual analysis which is an area of my course that I most enjoy. I think I personally enjoy this particular area of my study because I generally like breaking things down and piecing them back together to discover new insights and information that I wouldn't have initially noticed. As a viewer, I think that it is important to have your own interpretations of photography, but it is also important to understand and recognise the photographers own intentions, which is often only discovered through thoughtful analysis rather than one look. After the challenge of being allocated a fashion photograph at random in class and analysing it in depth, I decided to dedicate this blog post to a fashion photograph that personally intrigues me and analyse it.


Photographer: Viviane Sassen 
Image:


Viviane Sassen a Dutch artist, born in 1942, who lives in Amsterdam. She is a skilled photographer who works in both the fine art and fashion world. She is best known for her use of body abstractions and geometric shapes and has created campaigns for brands such as Louis Vuitton, Mui Mui and Stella McCartney. Sassen's work reminds me of the phrase "less is more" and I would describe her typical style as contemporary and clever.

What I appreciate most about this photographer (Sassen) is the way she creatively uses the sky within her work and demonstrates a sophisticated and intelligent use of colour. In this particular illustration, she has used the sky's natural shade of pale blue to generate aesthetic pleasure. To do this, Sassen has used a physical two-dimensional shape which has been edited to very closely match the shade of the sky, which the model has held across the centre of her figure underneath her arm to create the illusion that a section of her has been eliminated. Although the edges of the shape are slightly visible, it is not easily noticed at first glance, which is what makes the illusion effective. The idea is very simple yet very impactful.

I find something very attractive, satisfying and beautiful about the combination of a black model and vibrant colours in a photograph, which Sassen has done very successfully in this image. The way the model's outfit closely matches the tone of her skin creates a dark silhouette which contrasts highly with the pastel blue background, making the model stand out as the key element of the image whilst generating a visual that is alluring to the eye. The setting used in the photograph is very natural and because of the colours and emptiness, makes the image rather calming and conveys a sense of peace; the model's elegant posture also adds to the beauty and overall mood of the image. 

Sassen's work has inspired me to want to experiment with different landscapes, environments and elements of nature, such as the sky or ground, within my own work. It has also inspired me to want to experiment with the simplicity of complimentary block colours within my own photography.



Other photographs that I admire by Viviane Sassen include the following:













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