David Bailey.

The final artist whose work I have categorised as social realism is the acclaimed fashion photographer David Bailey (1938 - ). Bailey began work as a photographic assistant and then went onto work with Vogue. His most notable work took place in the 1960’s and the BBC even made a documentary focusing on his 1962 photoshoot with muse Jean Shrimpton. Bailey’s photography helped to capture the vibe of ‘Swinging London’ – an era where fashion and culture really flourished in the capital city. 

Bailey revolutionised the industry by taking photos of elegant-looking women in locations that were less than pristine. This was different to anything previous photographers had done. At the time, there must have been a shock element to Bailey’s photography because no-one had seen anything like it. Bailey was brave enough to challenge stereotypes, this made his work stand-out although I’m sure there were some that felt his work was too controversial or not very tasteful. For example, he photographed women smoking or women out alone in what perhaps may not be the safest of places. Bailey’s work could be seen as a positive movement for gender equality.

The first image shows one of the world’s first supermodels, Jean Shrimpton standing on a NYC street. She herself is dressed elegantly in a trench coat and heels, however her settings are not so aesthetically pleasing. There is a large puddle that dominates the forefront of the image, evoking a grey and gloomy feeling. Bailey cleverly displays the buildings on the street through a reflection in the puddle. In doing this, he shows the location without taking an extreme long shot of the street, therefore Shrimpton can be a focal point and be clearly visible to the audience.

In the second image, we see Shrimpton holding a cigarette in her hand. Smoking in that time, was typically a man’s activity so there is no doubt that this would have caused some controversy. The expression on her face is anxious and maybe slightly fearful. The anxiety is reinforced by her biting her thumb. Her facial expression and body language makes the audience wonder why Shrimpton is anxious, the audience are drawn in because she connects with them using eye contact. They are curious and intrigued about her and about her lifestyle.

From analysing Bailey’s work, I can see how effective contrast is, whether that is contrast of colours or the subject and location. Elements that do not complement each other are always eye-catching. I am hoping to take similar shots where maybe the styling of the model does not fit in with the location.