For my final research subject I have decided to go back to the battlefield. David Levinthal's I.E.D. exhibition showcases war photography like none I have seen before now. What's so different about Levinthal's work is the fact that his subjects are all toys and dolls. Levinthal creates some amazing scenes and it's his use of lighting and composition that makes these images come to life. For my surrealism/war theme I am definitely interested in creating something using close up and miniature photography.
Through the use of miniature soldiers which were found in most American toy stores, Levinthal constructs and recreates the horrors of modern warfare. His images aren't merely trying to recreate what is happening every day in the world around us but they are trying to question our perception of war.
I find quite often, Levinthal's photographs blur the line between real life and fantasy extremely well. With brilliant uses of shadows and highlights and the really soft focus you almost forget that these photographs are merely toys. The way he blurs out the background just enough to show you whats there, but take away any of the detail is a great way to hide the plasticity of the tanks and cars. It's great to know that you can create such powerful images without putting yourself in danger.
On viewing this series of photographs I can help but be taken back to my childhood. I was forever playing war with those little plastic soldiers and hundreds of the little blighters are probably still out their in the jungles of my garden and buried deep under the mud. As a child I was amazed by global conflict without any consideration about the aftermath. Through films and history we were spoon fed glamorous tales of heroism and everyone wanted to be the guy that single handedly wins the war. Levinthal's photographs bring the brutality back but I think we live in a society where people have been de-sensitised to violence.
Looking back, it cant be a good thing to have children seeking satisfaction by murdering hundreds of toy soldiers. We all did it as kids but we never stopped to think, "There's something not right about that!"
It's amazing how thought provoking a few photographs of toys can be.
“Ever since I began working with toys, I have been intrigued with the idea that these seemingly benign objects could take on such incredible power and personality simply by the way they were photographed. I began to realize that by carefully selecting the depth of field and making it narrow, I could create a sense of movement and reality that was in fact not there." - David Levinthal
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