Hicham Benohoud- The Classroom
Hicham Benohoud, born in Marrakech 1968, and living there, he decided to teach in high schools after he received his baccalaureate degree in the visual arts in 1987. After teaching he became a visual artist. With his work, The Classroom, he returns to the school setting that he found himself teaching at years ago and explores the pressures of the educational system and the pressures it puts on the students involved. The Moroccan educational system is known for its formality, students not being allowed to talk and have to just get on with work. Benohoud wanted to break this preset with this project by allowing groups of students to use props to create a silhouette or just do anything they had liked. This was done to criticise the educational system for not allowing freedom within school, and what he had seen within his time teaching.
In this particular photo the subject has bamboo around his limbs, students in the background doing work, and the subjects shoes on the floor behind him. The photo itself is fairly odd due to the contrast between the subject, who is clearly at the forefront of the image, and the students in the background focusing on the their work being almost robotic in their actions.
Questions:
1. What is the genre of this picture?
The genre of this image isn't easy to pinpoint, it could be considered portrait as the focus is a person and is showing their personality.
2. What do you find unusual or surprising about the subject matter?
I find the pose of the subject and that the subject has bamboo on him. Usually this wouldn't be in photographs, and of course the student used his creativity to choose out the objects and use as he pleased, so it isn't all staged and done for him.
3. How would you describe the relationship between the foreground and the background?
The foreground and background seem separated, as if they weren't actually in the same room. This is because of the people in the foreground and background being contrasted. The subject, as explained earlier, isn't exactly posing or holding anything normal, whereas the students in the background are focusing on their work, with their heads down, paying near no attention the the person posing.
4. How does this photograph make you feel?
The photo doesn't exactly make me feel much. Maybe curiosity in the situation, why are the children in the background not paying attention to the one in the foreground? Are they drawing him? Why has he got bamboo on his limbs?
5. What ideas do you think are explored in this photograph?
With some background context I know that the idea of the project is to criticise the education system of Morocco and how it doesn't allow much freedom within the classroom.
Questions:
1. What is the genre of this picture?
The genre of this image isn't easy to pinpoint, it could be considered portrait as the focus is a person and is showing their personality.
2. What do you find unusual or surprising about the subject matter?
I find the pose of the subject and that the subject has bamboo on him. Usually this wouldn't be in photographs, and of course the student used his creativity to choose out the objects and use as he pleased, so it isn't all staged and done for him.
3. How would you describe the relationship between the foreground and the background?
The foreground and background seem separated, as if they weren't actually in the same room. This is because of the people in the foreground and background being contrasted. The subject, as explained earlier, isn't exactly posing or holding anything normal, whereas the students in the background are focusing on their work, with their heads down, paying near no attention the the person posing.
4. How does this photograph make you feel?
The photo doesn't exactly make me feel much. Maybe curiosity in the situation, why are the children in the background not paying attention to the one in the foreground? Are they drawing him? Why has he got bamboo on his limbs?
5. What ideas do you think are explored in this photograph?
With some background context I know that the idea of the project is to criticise the education system of Morocco and how it doesn't allow much freedom within the classroom.
Response
My photos:
Mike's photos:
For this photoshoot we were paired up with someone else to take portraits using a prop each. We were told to follow a set of instructions during the photoshoot:
I believe that we were successful in some aspects. The use of focus is present in many of the photos, for example, the third photo and the 5th photo are good examples as there are clear distinctions between the props in the foreground and the people in the images. Also the use of colours are successful in a some of the images too, the second photo being an example of the red stickers and green spray paint contrasting with the more neutral colours of the wall and Mike's jumper. However what could've been more successful would've been the implementation of the props themselves, also the use of us being the photos could've been more better, with us being more in the frame, wether it be more interesting or more of us in there.
- You will only take 3 portraits
- Use at least two props
- We must be able to see some of the person in each portrait
- Think carefully about framing and composition
- One or two portraits taken outside and the others inside
- Carefully consider the relationship between foreground and background
- Be imaginative!
- Try to enjoy the process
- Take your time
I believe that we were successful in some aspects. The use of focus is present in many of the photos, for example, the third photo and the 5th photo are good examples as there are clear distinctions between the props in the foreground and the people in the images. Also the use of colours are successful in a some of the images too, the second photo being an example of the red stickers and green spray paint contrasting with the more neutral colours of the wall and Mike's jumper. However what could've been more successful would've been the implementation of the props themselves, also the use of us being the photos could've been more better, with us being more in the frame, wether it be more interesting or more of us in there.