Novak 1
Olivia Novak
9 September 2014
Elizabeth Chakkappan
Integrative Seminar: Fake
Transitioning From Old to New
In W.D Howell’s essay titled “The Grasshopper: The Simple, The Natural and the
Honest in Art” he discusses and supports his opinion on artists during that time period
and how they should not base their works off of ideal standards, but off of artificial and
natural standards. After reading this essay I had to find a photograph that did not
represent me, one that seemed natural, and then had to create a photograph that
represented me as who I am today, a photo that seems artificial. After doing so I realized
that my opinion differs from Howells opinion on how art should be created. Following
the comparison of the two photographs I came to the conclusion that the found
photograph, although in my physical and emotional state seemed natural at the time, is
truly artificial.
In my found photograph I am sitting down, posed awkwardly on a large flat rock
surrounded by dark greenery. I’m wearing a short black dress and draped in a long, gold
graduation gown with thick silver chain necklaces around my neck. The gold gown
represents me graduating from middle school and moving on to high school. Although
graduating is supposed to be a happy time, there is somewhat of a sadness in my blue
Novak 2
eyes that are bordered by dark make-up and there is a questionable aspect in my pale face
and faint smile.
This photo doesn’t represent me because there was a true sadness within me during
that period of time in my life. I wore silver chain necklaces every day, which represented
me, feeling chained down to the negative emotions I felt within me. I wore everything
very dark including my hair and my make-up to put on this mask that I was a very dark
person. To me this photo feels very artificial as opposed to being natural, as Howell’s
would argue. Although this photo was not staged it feels very forced to me when I think
about who I was at the time as opposed to who I am now.
In my created photograph I am relaxing comfortably on a bench surrounded by
nourished greenery with the sunlight gleaming against the leaves in the background. I’m
wearing a white/coffee colored romper and around my neck is a delicate necklace with a
crystal on the end. On my right ring finger is a small diamond ring and my nails are
cleanly painted. My hair is bleach blonde and is accentuated by the sunlight shining over
me. I’m wearing very little make-up on my face and my mouth curves upwards in a huge
smile.
This photo represents the person who I am now. I now enjoy looking happy and
healthy. My style is much different now than it was in my found photograph. I enjoy
dressing in things that make me feel comfortable instead of dressing in things to help
maintain a false image of myself. I wear little to no make-up and I’d much rather look
natural than wear heavy make-up. I’m a much more carefree person now than I use to be
and that is evident through the huge smile that I wear on my face. While taking this photo
Novak 3
I felt very natural and at peace, which is how I was able to determine that my created
photograph, although it was posed and created for a specific purpose, is not really an
artificial photograph.
In W.D Howell’s essay he presents a storyline between a young artist and a scientist
observing a natural grasshopper in the grass and an artificial grasshopper made out of
cardboard and wire. The young artist is pointing out that the grasshopper he has invented
although is artificial it should be viewed no differently than a scientist/spectator would
view a grasshopper in the grass. This storyline is very similar to the comparison of my
real and fake photograph. Although, the photograph I created of the current me may seem
artificial to a spectator such as Howell’s, it’s natural to me, based off of my point of view.
However, the artist is viewing the situation through an absolutist’s way of life. We can
infer from the historical context from Howell’s essay that Howell’s lived in a time where
everything was viewed through absolutism and no one was discouraged from creating art
from natural life instead of creating art to meet the ideal expectation of things. We still
look for the ideal within things instead of the natural within things; we still create art
based off of the ideal grasshopper instead of the natural grasshopper.
Through this assignment I took something that seemed natural during a darker time in
my life and was able to now interpret it as a state of being that was really artificial. After
comparing my “natural” and “artificial” photographs I realized that I disagree with
Howell’s point of view on what should be labeled as natural and what should be labeled
as artificial because the reality is, we really never know what’s natural and what’s
Novak 4
artificial until we look into the story behind it. The “artificial” state of me does not
correspond with who I am now and who I now am naturally as a person. However, both
phases of my life occurred and although one phase in my life has passed and is now over,
it does not mean that it did not stand true and feel natural to who I was at the time being.