1

Representation of Human
Form; how the human form,
emotion and fear are depicted
in the photography of Lee
Jeffries and Arnulf Rainer.
By Jaspal Gharu

Index
Page 3-4

Introduction

The difference between Figurative Art and Abstract Art

What I expect in my personal study

Page 5-6

Analysis of Jeffries' Photography

Page 7-8

Analysis of Rainer's Photography/Art

Page 9

Conclusion

Page 10-14

Bibliography

Introduction
My personal study is based on contemporary photographer (Lee Jeffries) and a historical
photographer (Arnulf Rainer), who express the emotions through figure. The photographers
are completely from different eras however, have synonymous styles to one another.
I chose to research photographer Lee Jefferies because of the emotion he captures in
figurative forms. In my personal study the emotion that will be concentrated on is 'fear', the
aim of this personal study is to understand what approach each artist/photographers use to
depict this. Finally the reason why I chose to research Arnulf Rainer is because of his unique
style, where he combines art with photography. I believed Rainer was the perfect balance
between Jeffries. However, Jeffries works with black and white whereas Rainer uses colour
to emphasise the particular emotion.
The difference between Figurative Photography and Abstract Photography
The "figure" in photography can mean a human figure or it can be used more loosely to mean
some other recognisable object or form of nature. So figurative photography is photography
which depicts there recognisable forms. In abstract photography, the photographer interprets
subject-matter, which may or may not be based on recognisable things, without necessarily
providing the viewer with a recognisable visual reference point. It is the absence of this
recognisable reference point that distinguishes photography which is abstract, from
photography which is figurative, or more generally depicting something. The figure is
represented in all of the photographers that will be looked at in this personal study. It is vital
to understand that these photographers are not abstract because the emphasis they put in their
work depicts recognisable forms.
What do I expect in this personal study?
I want to step in the shoes of Jefferies and Rainer, understanding their styles and emphasis
they put in their artwork. Jeffries who uses light very elegantly to create articulate pieces, as
it looks so simple but the trick is its simplicity which makes it so complex. This again is
through composition, he establishes in his pieces. Speaking of composition, Rainer's work is
revolved around this and without would truly lose his captivity.

Before I start going deeper into my personal study I would like to present a few pieces by Lee
Jeffries and Arnulf Rainer. This is to highlight each of their work, before any crucial
analysing is done.

Jeffries' Photography

Rainer's Photography/Art

Analysis of Lee Jeffries Photography

Lee Jefferies uses the facial expressions to captivate the harsh reality of homelessness. This
subject is the base of his work as it tries to engage people to understand homelessness and
effectively help the homeless. I believe helping people is his motivation which is truly
inspiring.
When looking at Jeffries 'Tony', I feel engaged as this is the
horrific reality of homelessness and Jeffries really captures
this in a extreme way. This truly shows that life is not always
beautiful however, the opposite (that it can get nasty,
sickening and terrifying). In Rainer's photography we have
seen how he portrays more of a serene effect, however still
implementing fear. I think to myself, this person has seen
many things in his life. Looking closely the person is blind
which completely changes the whole aspect of this image. I
believe many questions arise how did he get blind?, Does he have family?. This image is
a gruelling reality, and this is what Jeffries is trying to illustrate, the fear of being homeless.
Mucus is leaking from this persons nose. This could emphasise he is cold and he is ill. The
line used in this image varies from thin to thick; as dark thick lines are used under the eyes
which emphasise tiredness. Thin lines are used for the forehead lines which capture the
persons old age.
The mood this image sets is utter sadness. The theme of cruelty is set in this image, as you
can feel the pain and suffering of this person including what he has gone through. In effect
you want to end his suffering. The mood brings fear of homelessness. In this sense I believe
this image makes you act instantaneously. The colour used in this image is black and white.
The effect Jeffries has used is very clever, the image has no colour as it shows; dullness,
death, loneliness. This really goes well with the issue he is trying to express. However, light
is shining on him at the top. This could be a religious aspect but maybe illustrating that there
is still beauty within.
From looking at the composition, the background is lighter than the person which makes this
person stand out and catches attention. However, looking at the fore ground the jacket seems
to blend in the background. Maybe Jeffries used this for effect. Jeffries idea of this image
was to attract audiences that do not understand how terrible homelessness is. This

photograph in my opinion really achieves this goal, as this is powerful imagery and really
opens eyes for change. Jeffries uses this type of style to attract people, because I believe he
wishes to change the world to make it a better place.
Looking at Jefferies piece Terry; the facial expressions
straight away tell you the mood and feeling, as it illustrates
fear, sadness and confusion. This can be shown through
colour, as this is in black and white emphasising he is
lifeless. The light coming from the top left hand corner
shines onto his face maybe giving a sense he is still alive.
The strength of this photograph lays in the models
attitude.
The line again used in this image varies from thin to thick, as the bags under his eyes show
quite thick lines for the effect of tiredness. Thin lines are also used for hair to get the
intricacy. The mood of this is quite sad and horrific to see what the world has done to this
person. It's like the person is asking a question can you really help me? as he looks like he
is lost and needs some kind of saviour. The texture of the person looks rough, but the
photography which Jeffries used to edit this image makes it look smooth. This may be a
technique Jeffries has used, the irony of the texture deliberately goes with the concept of this
image.. From looking at the composition , I can see the light coming from the left hand side
which makes this three dimensional. The background is lighter than the person which makes
the person in the image stand out. This is a great effect Jeffries has used, as he really
concentrates on this particular person.
As I look at this image, I am indulged as I think, what is this person thinking? and what if I
was in his situation? I can see he has had a tough time out on the streets; because of the
unshaven beard, long hair and bags under his eyes. This gave me the idea that he is homeless.
I like the way Jeffries has kept it simple, with colour as everything is defined by his facial
expression. Also this man looks old; which gives a sense he has been homeless for a long
time. Jeffries' message in this image is to act now to give this person some kind of humanity
in his life

Analysis of Rainer's Work

'Art is a conceptual piece. The way layers have

been used to create a three dimensional image
brings out the emotion and expression. Rainer
uses a particular technique in his work, the use
of paint on a printed photograph is very unique.
The question arises what is Rainer trying to
represent?'. The idea of beauty and sincerity is
captured in the emotion this person feels. The
idea of regret is also depicted, one can see this
through the facial expression. The colour Rainer
uses can portray the theme he is trying to
express. The red and blue colours may be
interpreted philosophically to represent difference. Moral is very important as it has to have
some type of meaning behind the work otherwise it would have no purpose in what it is
trying to portray. The use of a white back ground is interesting, keeping the background
white makes the piece look simple and elegant.
Rainer's motif is having a white background in his work. Its like his trade mark. In my
opinion Rainer's main feature of his work is to map out the conflicts of moral, social and
intellectual ideas which are represented in everyday life. In this view, I need to adopt a style
which shows my own artist emotion.

'The Black, Yellow, Red Mouth', is a very

dramatic piece. Rainer's use of composition is
very interesting and organic. In every piece I
have seen of his work it is the superb
composition which captures the emotion of his
pieces.
Light and dark contrast ideally make the image
three dimensional. Light is used to highlight
the facial features whereas the dark contrast is
to show the shadow. The media used varies

from paint to photography, which enhances the piece. Each spec of colour is like its meant to
be there. For example the motion of the brush to create a sad emotion. This makes me feel as
though each stroke of the brush has been done with a purpose.
Rainer succeeds in magnifying the character who seems both timeless and out of this world.
This portrait speaks volumes. A story unfolds. It is no longer possible for the spectator to
remain indifferent. The photograph becomes a document which narrates misery, injustice and
suffering. This reminds me of Jeffries' 'Terry'. The elusive expressive theme is captivating in
both of these pieces of work.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the outline of this personal study was...'to step in the shoes of Jefferies and
Rainer, understanding their styles and emphasis they put in their artwork.' The way that I
believed this could be achieved, was firstly to analyse photographers work and then create
my own final piece/s based on what I learnt from analysing each artist/photographers work.
Therefore, for this particular reason I would like to explain, how I got to my final pieces.
These final pieces were created by using some of the traits of Jeffries and Rainer which they
use predominantly in there pieces. For example, I noticed that Jeffries uses composition in
quite a synonymous way to Rainer. The close up of the face captures features of different
types of emotions. It is a technique to attract the audience. Rainer concentrates on texture.
The smooth organic style grabbed my attention straight away when viewing his pieces. For
this reason I tried to create my own organic style. Jefferies used light to create a three
dimensional image. I used the same technique by using the dodge and burn tool.
Rainer uses a very elegant style, intertwining the photography and paint to get an extremely
passionate expressive piece. Rainer's impact on my work, comes from the emotion of each
character in his pieces. They all have a different facial expression. Each character has their
own persona. In my final pieces I believe I need to create this same elegance, straight away
making the character unique. Light is a key element in all the photographers work. When
researching my final pieces are based on the topic 'Fear and Emotion' and the character I
portray in my photography reflects on this topic. I believe I have created adequate pieces
which reflect on Rainer and Jeffries work. I would like to end this essay with a quote by
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme
excellence is simplicity."

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Bibliography
Image

Name

Source

Faces Series
(Fear and
Emotion
Project)

Primary Source

Faces Series
(Fear and
Emotion
Project)

Primary Source

Faces Series
(Fear and
Emotion
Project)

Primary Source

Faces Series
(Fear and
Emotion
Project)

Primary Source

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Faces Series
(Fear and
Emotion
Project)

Primary Source

Terry

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2
013/07/11/lee-jeffries-photos-ofhomelesspopulation_n_3579416.html

Tony

http://www.digitalcameraworld.co
m/2011/12/13/winner-of-thedigital-camera-photographer-ofthe-year/

Art

https://cinemaelectronica.wordpre
ss.com/tag/arnulf-rainer/

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Red Tears

http://orwellwasright.co.uk/2011/
12/20/arnulf-rainer-angst/

Messerschmi
dt Series

http://www.getty.edu/art/exhibitio
ns/messerschmidt/rainer.html

Untitled

http://www.moma.org/explore/ins
ide_out/tag/arnulf-rainer

The Black,
Yellow, Red
Mouth

http://arttattler.com/archiveimmed
iatetouch.html

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Homeless
Collection

https://500px.com/blog/123/portra
it-lee-jeffries

Homeless
Collection

http://illusion.scene360.com/art/5
4919/lost-angels/

Homeless
Collection

http://api.ning.com/files/kV4MbY
iv7oQwNVF8i0saleJaWJH3zwZ9
dlE*K6AHVEtXFMt2jgVVr0gLv
uyC0c*0IKGZp7l6Tr66EVht56Y
r9-zbWBB2Poh/1082066343.jpeg

Homeless
Collection

http://n-cruickshank1013dc.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/leejeffries.html

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Homeless
Collection

https://500px.com/blog/123/portra
it-lee-jeffries

Untitled

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artwork
s/rainer-untitled-body-languaget03388