Metaphor & Allegory

This week's lecture was based on the ideas of metaphors and allegories, and how these can apply in photography.

Metaphor - An implicit, but not literal, comparison.

Allegory - A hidden meaning within a text or image.

The main focus of this discussion was two images by feminist photographer Sarah Lucas, with the first of these entitled "Self Portrait With Fried Eggs" (1996). This depicts Lucas seen in a typically masculine position, photographed from a raised viewpoint as if we are looking down on her to indicate a sense of vulnerability. More notable are the fried eggs on her chest to represent her breasts, which can arguably signify ideas of female objectification and motherhood. 

From her defiant masculinity and feminism down to the cigarettes placed on the floor, this image appears to be all about the choices we make in life, and how often we are judged because of them.

The second photo we studied was "Au Naturel" (1994); a crude metaphor, made up of inanimate objects symbolizing the reproductive organs of a long-married couple. It communicates Lucas' feminist thoughts about the degrading effects of age and marriage upon the female subject, and the constant "readiness for sex" shown from the male.  

During a further discussion of "Au Naturel", we pondered the possibility of prostitution being the main theme of the photo, rather than marriage. This was sparked by the empty room surrounding the sordid mattress, as well as the use of melons and a bucket to stand for the female body. There is nothing personal about the space, and the particular objects used in this case indicate objectification and long-term sexual activity among women.