One of my favorite photos is Ruth Orkin’s “American Girl in Italy”. The photo was taken in Florence in 1951 when Orkin was traveling through Europe. She met another single, female, traveling American named Jinx Allen who became the subject of Orkin’s famous image, part of a series entitled “Don’t be Afraid to Travel Alone”. Applying Barthe’s theories, it is interesting to examine Orkin’s photograph. The studium, or photographic “truth”, of the image is clear: There is an American woman walking down a Florentine street as a dozen or so men ogle at her. There is a striped awning, and a café storefront, a large flower sconce, and hanging lanterns. The men are surrounding her- some standing, some sitting at tables, and two sitting on top of a motorbike. These are all technical facts about the photo, but the emotional quality, or punctum, of the image is another unique truth. I love this photo because I have an emotional connection with it. It reminds me of my grandparents and the Italy they left behind when they came to the United States in 1954. My grandfather still dresses like the men in this photo to this day. I think about how an Italian man wouldn’t think twice about whistling to a girl walking down the street. In my opinion, Orkin’s photo is charming and innocent. The American woman looks a bit ruffled, obviously not expecting such attention. But the men’s stares are fleeting, I imagine they went home to their wives not thinking twice about the encounter they had on that street corner. Someone else might find their behavior demeaning, but I think it’s just a reflection of 1950s mentality when it was standard for a man to let a woman know just how attractive she was with a whistle and a wink.
Take “American Girl in Italy” and juxtapose it with this controversial Dolce & Gabbana ad from 2007 and we learn even more about how punctum reveals another truth within an image. The studium of the D&G ad has similarities to Orkin’s image. In the ad, a group of men surround an attractive young woman. However, some distinct differences in the studium of the image greatly affect the punctum. One of the men, shirtless, leans over the woman who is laying down, knees bent and pelvis in the air. He is pinning her arms down and her eyes are closed. The men surrounding them seem to be moving in, their eyes on the action. The emotional quality of this image is obvious. It’s resemblance to a gang rape scene caused great controversy and the ad was banned. This advertisement completely lacks the nostalgia and innocence of Orkin’s photo. In a 21st century world, this image is not charming at all, but disturbing in nature. What is Dolce & Gabbana saying about Italian men and the submissiveness of women? The woman is powerless in this image and ironically, she looks less frightened then the subject of “American Girl in Italy”. Orkin’s photo is about the admiration of female beauty, regardless of the young woman’s embarrassment. The Dolce & Gabbana ad is about domination and control, yet the woman in this image puts up no resistance. Are women thought of as objects more so now then they ever were?
American Girl In Italy:
http://www.tribalturk.com/wp-content/gallery/fotografacumle/americangirlinitaly.jpg
Dolce & Gabbana ad:
http://amandagore.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/dg-ad.jpg
Great post. I like the 2 examples you chose.
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