National Gallery of Art
Washington, D.C.
Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop
Washington, D.C.
Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop
On March 17, 2013, I visited the National Gallery of Art and viewed "Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop" exhibit. Wow!!! The exhibit displayed manipulated images from the early 1800's to late 1970's. The images were manipulated by being painted so they looked like color photographs as well as artistic rendering as shown in the image below.
Henry Peach Robinson (British, 1830–1901)
Date: 1860
People were added and people were removed in images like the example of the bubble.
Unknown
Date: ca. 1910
Accession Number: 2010.292
The images were used for political propaganda. Photographs were manipulated by removing or adding people to make a political point or persuade the viewer. In the Civil War some images were changed to add people who were not at the photographic sitting.
Unknown
Date: ca. 1916
Accession Number: 2010.193
Images were changed to spark humor. Many images were designed to amuse the viewer. Some manipulated images were novelties to sell products or services.
[Man on Rooftop with Eleven Men in Formation on His Shoulders]
Images were changed to spark humor. Many images were designed to amuse the viewer. Some manipulated images were novelties to sell products or services.
Unknown, American
Date: ca. 1930
Layering face images with other faces to create a new image created thought on similarity of family members.
The image below shows another popular technique of layering human and animal faces.
Wanda Wulz (Italian, Trieste 1903–1984 Trieste)
Date: 1932
Accession Number: 1987.1100.123
A practice or drastically changing the image itself was popular. These images were used as satire and to invoke humor.
Weegee (American, born Hungary, 1899–1968)
Date: ca. 1968
Assembling different images to create photographic collages created thought-provoking as well as humorous images. Photographs of objects that are larger than life put in unique situations created eye-catching results.
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Untitled
Jerry N. Uelsmann (American, born Detroit, Michigan, 1934)
Date: 1976, printed 1980
Accession Number: 1981.1073
DO NOT MISS THIS EXHIBIT!
If you thought manipulating photographs only started with Photoshop - THINK AGAIN. Just after the invention of photography there was artist that manipulated the image. The photographs are inspiring, thought provoking as well as humorous. You will leave with a renewed enthusiastic for your own manipulated creation.
This website has the entire photographic collection if you are unable to view the exhibit.
All images are use from The web address below:
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