A Critical Analysis of Fashion Photography as a Developing Art Genre during the 1920s and 1930s focusing on Cecil Beaton

by

ABSTRACT

In this study we try to explore the history of fashion photography in a holistic context. The main focus of the research is on the analysis of fashion photography of the 1920s and 1930s, which has been done by focusing on the work of Cecil Beaton. The research also analyzes how fashion photography has developed as an art. The study has been conducted using secondary research methodology.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACTII

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION1

Background of the Study1

Research Aims and Objectives2

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW3

Photography as art3

Photography as entertainment4

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY6

Data Collection Technique6

Secondary Research6

Literature Search7

CHAPTER 4: DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS8

History of Fashion Photography8

Cecil Beaton11

Contribution of Cecil Beaton from 1920-193912

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSION24

REFERENCES27

List of figures

Figure 1 - The Bright Young People at Wilsford: William Walton, Cecil Beaton, The Hon. Stephen Tennant, Rex Whistler, Georgia Sitwell, Zita Jungman and Teresa Jungman13

Figure 2 - Elizabeth Taylor13

Figure 3 - Marlon Brando14

Figure 4 - Vivien Leigh15

Figure 5 - Tallulah Bankhead16

Figure 6 - Orson Welles17

Figure 7 - Marilyn Monroe18

Figure 8 - Baba Beaton: A Symphony in Silver, 192519

Figure 9 - Edith Sitwell, 192719

Figure 10 - The Hon. Stephen Tennant, 192720

Figure 11 - Loretta Young 193020

Figure 12 - Gary Cooper, 193121

Figure 13 - Mary Taylor 193521

Figure 14 - Tanned and shining: Crawford (1932)22

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Fashion photography is the use of photography to communicate the latest trends in clothing (see fig.). It has a distinctive history, separate from the developments in photography among fine artists. Fashion photography acts as a representation of popular taste and is created to serve a commercial industry, yet it has also served as an avenue for change, pushing the boundaries of acceptability with innovations in style, technique and the portrayal of fashion. Fashion photography was a democratizing force in the acceptance of photography, as it brought the new form of expression to an audience of every social level, rich or poor, urban or suburban. Via mass media, photography serves to relate changes in fashion over long distances and many cultures, primarily disseminating the styles of high fashion in Paris, Milan, or New York to the rest of the world (Bull, 2009, P 249).

In today's image-obsessed world, it is neither the hairdresser nor the make-up artist, the cosmetic surgeon, the stylist who is the true friend to celebrities. It is the air brusher who can work true magic, as unsightly blemishes, portly thighs, and horsey features are all gently removed with the aid of a steady hand and a subscription to Photoshop. It's seen as a relatively new phenomenon, but manipulating celebrity portraits to flatter the sitter was a technique used heavily by the acclaimed photographer Cecil Beaton, one of the pioneers of the approach (Cotton, 2004, P 225). The purpose of this study is to examine the contribution of Cecil Beaton to develop fashion photography as an art genre.

Research Aims and Objectives

The aim of this study is to present a critical analysis of fashion photography as a ...