Social Space as Found and Altered

Prior to looking over the given PowerPoint I did not know how altering images of space really changed their meaning. Adam Ekberg's photographs, for example, if taken without all of the added objects, these images would be simple landscape photographs. 

My initial response to the series of photographs shown in the slide show was that the artists were very creative in changing their location. Each of the artists had completely different points of views when taking their photographs and each individual series has its own meaning based on its location. That being said, as a viewer, we are unable to determine the location at which these photographs were taken. I really liked how Marie Bovo's photographs gave a sense of future or the beyond. These images left me feeling as if I was missing something that was just outside each of the doors.

The series that stood out the most to me was Adam Ekberg's. His photographs were very modern and had a real sense of innocence with each object placed in them. The image of the goldfish placed in the field made me feel as thought Adam was trying to show the cliche "If you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree...". The goldfish is trapped in this small bag but, if the bag was taken away, the fish would not be able to survive in its current environment. Going back to the idea of location, to that fish, the plastic bag is his ocean, not knowing what the ocean actually is. This is similar to viewers looking at photographs... the things photographers choose to leave out in their works, make the viewer trapped to their single point of view. 

I think the reason Adam's work resonated with me the most is because they were the most clean cut and symmetrical. Having a strong background in mathematics, this definitely plays a role in my daily life as I seem to be more attracted to more geometrically pleasing images. Taking a more philosophical approach when interpreting the image of the fish in the field led me to theory that the fish's reality consists entirely of a plastic bag. Using other disciplinary modes to interpret these images may result in an entirely different interpretation. 

How can photographers change the ways viewers will interpret their photographs?

Are photographers able to tap into our subconscious minds in order to lead us to a specific interpretation of their works?

Adam Ekberg - http://adamekberg.com/news.html