Upon naively glancing at the photograph 'A View from the Apartment' I was completely convinced that it was every bit as "inconspicuously normal" as Wall intended. His utter mastery of light, composition and the tableau style shine through in this image. I would think that without the essay though, or at least a brief description of the story behind the image, it would not be as impressive. I believe however that because of his reputation and almost rockstar status in the photography world, not person in the know could look at a Jeff Wall image and assume it is merely a snapshot straight out of the camera of a real event. His efforts continue to impress me.
The article itself has some clever views and in depth analysis that is apparently necessary with such a multi layered image such as 'A View from the Apartment'. It has encouraged me to think about every aspect of my images such as the body language of the subjects and their relationship to people and surroundings. Also the attire and setting are features that should not be rushed or overlooked.
Lighting in my images can apparently make a real difference to the viewers perception of believeability. For myself i use all natural lighting but it is obvious that when creating such drama as Jeff Wall over a long period of time is a far more difficult task. Then again narrative is in no way constricted to an aesthetic depicting the real world, it is often quite the opposite.
I found the essay to be easy to digest but still quite interesting, I will likely be looking back to it in the future for critical analysis techniques.
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