"The Image Trade" V.S. Pritchett

I loved this piece. I immediately connected to not only the artist, Zut, but the model, Pearson. There were notes on my paper suggesting that Pearson hated himself. However, that is not the impression that I got. He seemed to know himself very well. To be aware of his completely being instead of just his physical being. He realized that his face was not all there was to him. There was more. He wanted Zut to capture all of him. The essence of him.

What I found really remarkable was Zut. How different he was. How at the end Pearson discovered that Zut was not there to just take a picture of him, but to create art. To not only have Pearson in the picture, but to also represent a little piece of himself. I have always found that a true photographer shines through their art.

The writing reminded me of the difference of getting your class picture done and getting an actual artistic portrait. When you're getting your class picture, the photographer talks to you, asks questions, just tells you to smile and is done with it. Sure, it's a nice experience, but the picture is nothing, it tells nothing, it is just me. When getting your portrait done by an artist, the sitting is completely different. They are not trying to make it look "pretty" or "cute," but to convey a feeling. It may not be as comfortable and be more detached, but the portrait says something, it is art, not just documentation.