Format case study: Bruce Gilden

I've chosen to look at Bruce Gilden as my Format case study photographer, as we had to relate it to our essay topic, I think he fits in well, due to his paparazzi style of photography.

Gilden is well known for his, sometimes, crazy approach to capturing his subjects. Using the ..."Pretend like im a tourist, im going to walk almost completely past you, then jump in front of you hold my flash in your face then photograph you" ...approach, he captures some interesting subject matter.

He scouts out 'personalities' and 'quirks' within people who are simply walking down the street going about their daily business, once he has seen them he uses the above approach, pretending he is looking at something nearby then quickly jumps in front of them and uses off camera flash to capture and freeze his subject.

The aesthetic of his work is obviously not the same as Jessica Layton, my essay subject, but they have quite alot in common in terms of their work. Both Gilden & Layton aim to show peoples personalities within their images, Gilden capturing them off guard with his spontaneous approach and Layton with her, dress up in their clothes and photograph herself in their house surrounded by their possessions.

They both satisfy this voyeuristic side of the world and the curiosity we possess and the urge of NEEDING to know about other people, and what happens behinds closed doors.

Gilden's image from streets of derby 

Laytons image 'The House Sitting Project' Portrait as Mimi taken by Sue Chow'

Individual task based on essay

Q - Examine motivations of tabloid reporting into celebrity culture, setting out your position in relation to Lacan & Foucault.....


Western Culture has had no choice about its participation within hearing about 'celebrities' and their trivial daily chores becoming front page news, be it a footballer having an affair or lady gaga buying a pint of milk. Regardless of the who or the what, we know about it, it makes the news and it makes the newspapers, tv and radio, meaning at some point during the day, each and every day we will be fed some piece of mind numbingly boring & irrelevant piece of information, clouding our judgement on somebody that we have never even met.

Tabloid reporting is responsible for this. It is split into two types, being informed of daily occurrences and information about people in such a voyeuristic way, people need to know where lady gaga is and what she's doing even if it is a simple trip to the shops. And in our world today, we are the people that make the news what it is, if we weren't interested, and I use the term 'we' loosely, then the tabloids wouldn't tell us. We have made tabloid culture what is.

Being informed about world disasters, and important issues is something that is important to all aspects of economy, society and culture, and is what should be reported. Celebrity culture...well, I wouldn't be protesting if tabloids decided it wasn't worth reporting anymore.

Lacan's mirror theory talks about how a child can recognise his or her own reflection before they can actually master their own bodily movements. This is the basis and forming of an ego. In relation to tabloid culture, this theory indicates how from such a young age we have this voyeuristic element to us, that we are more interested in watching something than actually doing something ourselves.

Foucault's theory plays on a different element to this of how a panopticon guard can see hundreds of prisoners, yet is not seen by any of them. It is the fear of knowing that they are being watched which is what deters them from misbehaviour. This is mirrored in the celebrity lifestyle of constantly being under watch by the tabloid reporters & photographers and how they are waiting for celebrities to slip up and do somethign which the newspapers can exploit them for.