Week 3

Lecture on Metaphor and Allegory

Today, our lecture was based on the use of metaphor and allegory in photography. We learnt the differences between the two: Metaphor: A figure of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable and Allegory: A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. Firstly, we looked the work of Sarah Lucas:

Self portrait with two fried eggs

At first glance, this is an image of a woman with fried eggs on her chest; however, from looking at metaphors and allegory, it is clear to see the hidden meaning behind this image. The fried eggs are a crude metaphor and links with the saying 'as flat as two fried eggs' because the woman is flat chested. This then gives the viewer a sense of ambiguity - is the model a man or a woman (the model's posture and outfit may make the viewer believe that they are a man). However, the connotations of the eggs themselves are linked to fertility and the camera is looking down on the model which makes them seem vulnerable and uncomfortable.

Au Natural

Lucas' sculpture here shows a clear representation of gender. The sculpture is another crude metaphor for sex and age - it shows what happens to the genitalia with age and represents what may happen during long term relationships and marriage. The sculpture shows the idea that the man of the relationship is always alpha-male and ready for sex, and the woman has almost given up on sex and the marriage as a whole. The old, stained marriage is a clear allegory for married life; the fact that lust and passion is often lost through years of marriage. Also, the fact that the room is empty is a metaphor for the emptiness of the marriage itself. Lastly, when I first saw this image, I did not see the melons embedded in the top of the mattress - this shows that the woman's body slowly becomes less important, and she is hidden.

The Great Bear

In this image, Simon Patterson has redesigned the London tube map so that each line has a new meaning, for example - the Jubilee Line is now full of famous sports people. The metaphor in this particular image is saying that in life, we cross paths with so many different people, and you can always choose who and when you do this. The map itself is a representation of everyone's life and the choices within it. It shows how there are a million choices we can make - where we get on, where we get off, the people we meet and things that are stopping us from reaching our goals. I find this piece really interesting because at first glance, it is so simple; but behind the simplicity, there is a really complex metaphor about who we are as people.