I'm going to be doing the "darker" side of romance with this critique. I will be using a photograph that is meant to portray a domestic violence victim.
Photograph by Andy Armstrong
Abuse is not something that is extremely rare within our society. Though we like to think that it does not happen, it does, and it is not something new. Abuse is a terrifying actuality within many women's lives. Domestic violence is something that is tackled within art countless times, but many artists cannot grasp the pain of these women correctly and tastefully, Andy Armstrong does both of these things. In Andy Armstrong's photo "Love Shouldn't Hurt" he utilizes gritty color and harrowing characterization to portray the devastating pain all victims of domestic violence feel while tackling their lives on their own.
The gritty colors of the photograph only enhance the striking emotion flowing through it. The image itself is uncomfortable to look at, but way the colors makes the scene just that much more unbearable, it is truly amazing. There is a chartreuse like filter across the scene, painting it in an almost nauseating fashion, in a sense trying to push that unsettling envelope just that much further. The color also holds a gritty tone, almost a texture within the filter as if it is trying to manifest what her emotions look like in color and feel. This gut wrenching color is magnificent and horrifying; proving that such raw emotion can be captured within a single frame is something that is truly fascinating.
The characterization of the model is something that is extremely unique about the photograph. The model clearly shows such a terrifying emotion, something that she (probably) has never felt, but is still able to embody the fear and helplessness of all the women subjected to domestic abuse. She portrays a simple woman stuck within an nightmarish relationship, something that only haunts our dreams, but lurks dauntingly within this woman's everyday reality. It is hard to imagine living such a devastating life, and knowing that woman do actually live it is hard to take. The model within this image is so breathtakingly painful to view, and I find that all the more fantastic,
Photography is a hard art to master, but Andy Armstrong seems to be making his way there within "Love Shouldn't Hurt". The biting emotion displayed within it is nauseating and surreal. The way he is able to portray such a heartbreaking life in such an artistic and careful way is superb.
