Tina Modotti

[tim atherton]

I just came across this wonderful picture - what treat to find it (I'm sure it must be in my book of Modotti's work, but I'd never noticed it):



I think there must be a whole intriguing sub-genre of "hands photography"

[Lee Shively]

The puppeteer's hands? I've seen this before.

I'm not a big fan of her photography but she did lead an interesting life and her influence on Weston is undeniable.

[copake_ham]

I just came across this wonderful picture - what treat to find it (I'm sure it must be in my book of Modotti's work, but I'd never noticed it):



I think there must be a whole intriguing sub-genre of "hands photography"

These look like puppet strings etc. Are they?

[c6h6o3]

These look like puppet strings etc. Are they?

I have to wonder if the hands are those of Modotti's friend Rene D'Harnoncourt, who posed for her famous portrait of him as a marionette.

(Sorry about the beensy size of the picture. It was the only copy I could find on the web.)

[Q17]

I think there must be a whole intriguing sub-genre of "hands photography"

Some of my favorite include Stieglitz' images of O'Keeffe's hands...





=michelle=

[pentaxuser]

Obviously a puppeteer's hands but one who has got into a tangle with the strings, suggesting a novice or someone trying a particularly difficult maneouvre and failing. It might be a significant picture but only if you know the context. Otherwise it is just another shot of hands which anyone could have taken.

If an APUGer had put this into his /her gallery without explanation would it have merited any more than a passing glance?

pentaxuser

[tim atherton]

If an APUGer had put this into his /her gallery without explanation would it have merited any more than a passing glance?

certainly

[John McCallum]

That is a wonderful photo indeed Tim. I'd not seen it before either. Thanks.

Her images of hands (and feet too) are wonderous. Especially the iconic '[font=Verdana]Hands pressed on a Tool[/font]'.

Her photography was so driven by her political agenda and symbolism that it eventually detracts a little, for me. But as a result there are fantastic and iconic images. They can stand so well on their own.

I think this is one of those.

[mark]

This is a great photograph. Very expressive. If this was in the the gallery I would have expressed this same thing.

[juan]

I agree that Modotti's photography started out showing great promise, but became too obviously political. And I think that knowledge may lead me astray with this image - is there political symbolism in the hands tangled in string? If the photograph were made by someone I didn't know so much about, I may be able to see the image better for itself.

As it is, I find the composition interesting - the position of and detail in the hands - the pattern of light and dark in the background.

Tina certainly did lead an interesting life. Though I would disagree with her politics, I have to admire someone who worked so hard for what she believed in.
juan