RECREATING MASTERWORKS

HELMUT NEWTON

I debated for a long time whether I should do a recreation of this image. I have always admired Newton’s attention to detail in the arrangement of objects in space. There is an exac amount of space left on all sides of his image. Everything placed just so. I’ll also be the first to admit that in no way do I possess that kind of patience, so recreating this image as a composite was the only way I wanted to approach it.

There’s also the pervasive thought in the back of my mind that this image has already been recreated plenty of times. I’ve seen several photography school folks shoot this with their partners, seen it on photo social sites, and I think once referenced in an ad. The difference for me was that those images were ‘paying tribute’ in a way that just felt like a lazy referencing. For whatever reason, my whole brain said “I can do that whole layout”.

So we did. My partner, Ana, sat in the partner seat and watched the proceedings as Sarah and I shoot 5-6 different poses that would eventually come together as seen above.

THE EDIT

My goal was to create as exacting of a recreation as possible utilizing only the equipment and materials that I had in studio on hand. This meant that I had to get super creative with replacing some elements - like the exit sign above the door, the standing mirror for my rolling mirror wall, and an outdoor view for my building’s hallway.

Placement of image elements was as exacting as possible using a transparent copy of the Newton image overlaid on my own work to verify. I wanted to prioritize putting elements in correct placement rather than being an exact copy - hence why I, a six foot tall person, chose to sit and take up the same space in the image as Newton, a much less-tall man.

The only thing that I couldn’t sort out in the edit was how to change the direction of my studio’s floor boards. Yes of course its possible to just click and flip, but the lighting would have been all wrong.

… IS THIS PLAGIARISM?

Honestly, I don’t know. I don’t think so though. I think it falls under creative fair use?

As a working artist reflecting on this piece, it feels like a high effort way of making a photo I have no claim of originality over. A strange thought.

My intention was to create an homage, and I believe that’s what’s been achieved here.