A Critical Analysis of Fashion Photography as a Developing Art Genre during the 1920s and 1930s focusing on Cecil Beaton
by
ABSTRACT
In this study we try to explore the history of fashion photography in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on the analysis of fashion photography of the 1920s and 1930s, which has been done by focusing on the work of Cecil Beaton. The research also analyzes how fashion photography has developed as an art. The study has been conducted using secondary research methodology.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABSTRACTII
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1
Background of the Study1
Research Aims and Objectives2
CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW3
Photography as art3
Photography as entertainment4
CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY6
Data Collection Technique6
Secondary Research6
Literature Search7
CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS8
History of Fashion Photography8
Cecil Beaton11
Contribution of Cecil Beaton from 1920-193912
CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION24
REFERENCES27
List of figures
Figure 1 - The Bright Young People at Wilsford: William Walton, Cecil Beaton, The Hon. Stephen Tennant, Rex Whistler, Georgia Sitwell, Zita Jungman and Teresa Jungman13
Figure 2 - Elizabeth Taylor13
Figure 3 - Marlon Brando14
Figure 4 - Vivien Leigh15
Figure 5 - Tallulah Bankhead16
Figure 6 - Orson Welles17
Figure 7 - Marilyn Monroe18
Figure 8 - Baba Beaton: A Symphony in Silver, 192519
Figure 9 - Edith Sitwell, 192719
Figure 10 - The Hon. Stephen Tennant, 192720
Figure 11 - Loretta Young 193020
Figure 12 - Gary Cooper, 193121
Figure 13 - Mary Taylor 193521
Figure 14 - Tanned and shining: Crawford (1932)22
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Fashion photography is the use of photography to communicate the latest trends in clothing (see fig.). It has a distinctive history, separate from the developments in photography among fine artists. Fashion photography acts as a representation of popular taste and is created to serve a commercial industry, yet it has also served as an avenue for change, pushing the boundaries of acceptability with innovations in style, technique and the portrayal of fashion. Fashion photography was a democratizing force in the acceptance of photography, as it brought the new form of expression to an audience of every social level, rich or poor, urban or suburban. Via mass media, photography serves to relate changes in fashion over long distances and many cultures, primarily disseminating the styles of high fashion in Paris, Milan, or New York to the rest of the world (Bull, 2009, P 249).
In today's image-obsessed world, it is neither the hairdresser nor the make-up artist, the cosmetic surgeon, the stylist who is the true friend to celebrities. It is the air brusher who can work true magic, as unsightly blemishes, portly thighs, and horsey features are all gently removed with the aid of a steady hand and a subscription to Photoshop. It's seen as a relatively new phenomenon, but manipulating celebrity portraits to flatter the sitter was a technique used heavily by the acclaimed photographer Cecil Beaton, one of the pioneers of the approach (Cotton, 2004, P 225). The purpose of this study is to examine the contribution of Cecil Beaton to develop fashion photography as an art genre.
Research Aims and Objectives
The aim of this study is to present a critical analysis of fashion photography as a ...