Art of the Day Presentation Colby Hester Honors English 1-2 Period 3 Ms. Tanaka 18 th April, 2014

Chechnya, 1996 – Ruins of Central Grozny by Nachtwey

Background Taken during the first Chechen war, in the city Grozny – Russians vs. Chechens Two previous years, city had been stormed by the Chechens

Character His expression = sad, concerned Not looking at camera = he is shy, feels powerless He is young, not directly engaged in war We cannot see his whole face, we do not know who he is

Setting Generic buildings, blurred background Blurry = confusion, general turmoil Reflects boy’s thoughts (confusion, but tries not to focus on it)

Proportion We can only see his head and eyes Head is larger than eyes = his thoughts are more prominent than what he sees (destruction) Background is much larger = to others, war is more significant ¼ ¾

Placement Half of face is cropped out = we don’t know his identity Mouth is not visible = he has no say in the war Alone with thoughts Bottom of image = powerless

Angle Taken above his eye level = powerlessness relative to those in control This angle allows for better view of street, but camera focuses on boy Those in power should think about the children and citizens of their town

Color Black and white Absence of color = gloomier If it was in color, sky = blue and buildings = various colors Bright colors = hope, so taking away the color shows how little hope they have

Light Lightest part = buildings in upper left Light = hope. It is high on buildings, out of reach of the boy, but still there High up, one side of the street = photo was taken during a sunrise or sunset We can’t tell which, so neither can the boy = confusion

Analysis Character: The character in this image is a young boy. From the part of his face that is visible, mainly his eyes and eyebrows, one can discern that he is concerned about the war and his situation. However, since he is only a child, the viewer also knows that he isn’t engaged in the war. This shows that war does not only affect those directly involved, like soldiers, but rather everyone, including citizens of the town and its neighbouring towns, and their children. The ambiguity of his identity also shows that any of us could be put in that same situation, hinting at the vulnerability of the human race. He is not looking at the camera, which shows how he is shy and reluctant to directly face anyone in power, probably because of the powerlessness and vulnerability that comes with being a child. Color: The photograph was taken in black and white. This absence of color creates a gloomier mood overall, which matches with the subject of the image. If the picture had been taken in color, the sky would have been blue, and the buildings would probably have been a variety of colors. The presence of bright colors like this would have created a sense of hope in this image, but by taking it in black and white, Nachtwey takes away this aspect of hope and replaces it with a sense of dread or hopelessness. This probably mirrors the boy’s opinion of the war; that it has been going on for a long time, and has no prospect of ever being resolved.

Analysis Light: Most of the photo is in dark shades of grey. The lightest parts of the image are the buildings on the left side in the background. Here, the light represents hope. It is high on the buildings and unreachable by the young boy. This shows how at this time, hope seemed far away and unattainable, but it was there all along. The light being high up and only on one side of the street shows that this picture was taken during either a sunset or a sunrise. A sunset would show that the hope was slowly going away, and the boy’s situation is becoming more dismal, while on the other hand, a sunrise would show that the war is getting closer to being resolved, and hope is returning. However, we can’t tell which is true, and therefore neither can the young boy. This shows the confusion he is experiencing because of the war, and how he has no way of telling when it will end. Angle: This photograph was taken at a level above the subject’s eye level. This shows how the boy feels inferior and powerless relative to those in control of the war. This is further shown by the fact that you can’t see the boy’s entire face. The angle this photograph was taken at allows for a better view of the street behind him. However, the camera didn’t focus on the background, but rather, the boy. Through this, Nachtwey points out that those in power should be more worried about the children and people of their town, and the danger they are placing them in, rather than the destruction of the town itself.

Analysis Proportion: The boy does not take up very much of the image. The top of his head and forehead are more prominent than his eyes, which show that his thoughts largely dominate his life, more so than what he sees (the destruction of the town). This is also shown through the blurriness of the background. However, the background is proportionally much larger than the subject, which shows how to others, the boy’s thoughts and inner problems are less significant than the war. The boy feels sad and ignored because of this, and thus returns back to his thoughts. This explains the sad expression in his eyes and eyebrows. All in all, this image provides a glimpse into how the boy views the world; a blur of events centered around his own thoughts. Setting: The boy is standing in the middle of a street in Grozny that has been demolished by the war. The background is blurry, and the buildings seem to be rather generic, which shows that this kind of war can happen anywhere. The background is also out of focus to show the confusion and general turmoil that existed in the town during this time. It also further shows the boy’s thoughts towards this situation. It shows the confusion he feels towards the idea of war, while at the same time representing the way he tries not to focus on it, in the same way that the camera didn’t “focus” on the destruction.

Analysis Placement: The subject is placed at the bottom of the photograph, with the lower half of his face cropped out. We are not able to see his entire face, and thus are unable to determine his true identity; he could be anyone. This shows how anyone could be in his same situation. Being placed at the bottom of the photograph shows his powerlessness in the situation and the war. Omitting his mouth from the photo also shows how he has no say in the events that are taking place, and is unable to change things for the better. Instead we only see the top of his head. This, combined with the boy’s apparent concern, shows that he is somewhat alone with his thoughts of improving the city’s current state, but is unable to share any of his ideas. This is probably how many of the citizens in this town, or any town undergoing siege, would feel.