The Recognition of Youth and Old Age

Watched

My second event is Imogen Cunningham’s 1939 Self-Portrait with Jane Foster. There is no description on the photograph or information on Jane Foster, but it may be safe to assume that the woman in the water is either Cunningham or Jane Foster posing as Cunningham. This image could have served as an inspiration for Dater’s 1974 Imogen and Twinka at Yosemite, as it follows a similar pattern. Like Twinka, the woman in the water is being watched by someone who she may or may not know is there. Both photos are taken in a natural environment, one in the woods and one in freshwater. The question remains, “What does this photograph mean?”. Well, in the 1930s it was unusual to photograph a naked woman. Cunningham, being a former member of Group f/64, was known for capturing simple subjects and landscapes. The open freshwater and the nude woman are so simple that there is not much to conclude from the photograph, as it is left to the viewer’s interpretation. The woman in the water is facing away from the camera as she floats peacefully, naked. This means we do not know what she is looking at or how she feels based on her expression. The shadow of the person photographing the naked woman in the open water is visible, which makes it safe to assume that it was included in the self-portrait intentionally, possibly to warn viewers that someone is always watching, whether they’re welcomed or not. Even if this image did not influence Dater, the similarites between it and her 1974 photography are still prominent.

Cunningham, Imogen. 1939. Self-Portrait with Jane Foster, Lake Tenaya

http://www.artnet.com/usernet/awc/awc_workdetail.asp?aid=425931891&gid=425931891&cid=167759&wid=426000196 

Accessed 02.04.2023

Imogencunningham.com. Short Biography.

 https://www.imogencunningham.com/about/biography/

Accessed 02.04.2023

Inspired

My first event is Judy Dater being inspired by Thomas Hart Benton's 1938 Persephone. According to Dater, she first saw this painting when she was a child, which is why I have ranged the approximate date from her birth to age eighteen. Persephone "creeped" Dater out at first, as she said in an interview (date unknown) after she captured the famous Imogen and Twinka at Yosemite in 1974. As she got older, she was inspired by the concept of a clothed person looking at a naked person, without the naked person's knowledge. When it came time for Dater's 1974 workshop, she used those same ideas. Viewers see Imogen heavily covered in dark clothes with a camera around her neck while Twinka is naked rather than nude and (supposedly) surprised that Imogen has found her in the woods. I say Twinka is supposedly surprised rather than truly surprised because the women's expressions read as if they expected to see one another. If Twinka were truly unaware of Imogen’s presence, she would be even more similar to the woman in Thomas Hart Benton’s work.The idea of a clothed person "creeping" or "spying" on a naked person napping or strolling is uncomfortable yet begs many questions. The many questions, which will be discussed later, are some of the things that influenced Dater in her later artwork, Imogen and Twinka at Yosemite.

Getty.edu. Imogen and Twinka at Yosemite. https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/109C5J?tab=exhibitions 

Accessed 02.04.2023

Admired

The Nude in the Landscape workshop was held in 1974 and Judy Dater was an instructor. Cunningham was a guest lecturer and there were about 100 people (students) present. When the workshop was getting disorganized, Dater, Cunningham, and model Twinka Thiebaud stepped away and Dater captured the photo. It is important to know that the mentor and mentee came together to make "live" art on the spot. It shows how creative and "outside the box" the artists were. While the original intention was to teach the students about lighting and certain posing techniques, the photograph became more monumental than that. Dater was inspired by other artists such as Thomas Hart Benton and Cunningham herself to have the nude watched and met by the clothed. Dater also mentioned the connection between the two artists when they looked at each other, which she described in an interview as, “the recognition of youth and old age looking at each other, about what will be and what has been.” I interpreted this as Tinka looks at Imogen and sees what is inevitable: she will age; Imogen looks at Twinka and admires her youth, something she once had. Without this event, the image obviously would have never been taken, but also the students and later viewers would not be able to analyze, draw conclusions, research, etc. the photograph.

Getty.edu. Imogen and Twinka at Yosemite. https://www.getty.edu/art/collection/object/109C5J?tab=exhibitions 

Accessed 02.04.2023