American Way of Life

O trabalho desenvolvido pelo suíço Robert Frank é comparável a outras grandes obras como as de Cartier-Bresson, Walker Evans e outros “gênios” que, por meio de suas lentes, revolucionaram o fazer artístico da fotografia. O artigo aqui proposto analisa de que modo Frank, entre o final de 1950 e por toda a década seguinte, desenvolveu uma de suas maiores obras: os registros fotográficos feitos por várias partes dos Estados Unidos. O que, posteriormente, compôs o importante livro “Les Américains/The Americans”. Como metodologia de análise fez-se uso da leitura de imagem proposta por Alberto Manguel – em especial: a imagem como compreensão, testemunho e subversão. Algumas das reflexões ao fim do trabalho apontam para o olhar de um estrangeiro, Frank, sobre os EUA de modo que o “diferente”, isto é, as mazelas sociais, a crítica ao nacionalismo alienado, a cultura do carro, da autoestrada e a própria cultura beat, são mediações sociais e visuais realizadas de maneira sui generis por sua câmera.

Resumen.

El presente trabajo intenta, a partir de la revisión de las obras fundamentales de Jean Baudrillard, dar cuenta del origen de la personalidad narcisista, que no conoce límites entre ella misma y el mundo que exige la gratificación inmediata de sus deseos, así como la erosión de la vida íntima tenida lugar en la sociedad del espectáculo. El American way of life aparecerá caracterizado como el imperio de la seducción y de la obsolescencia decretada; un sistema que rinde culto al fetiche de la mercancía y la pornografía de la información. Finalmente, se buscará dar cuenta de cómo el consumo no es, en absoluto, la base sobre la que descansa el progreso, sino más bien la barrera que lo estanca o, al menos, lo lanza en la dirección contraria a la de la mejora de las relaciones sociales.

Based on the ideas of Susan Sontag and the phenomenology of Merleau-Ponty and Henri Bergson, this article presents reflections on part of Life's photojournalistic production and on a report in that publication about the architect Mies van der Rohe. In terms of mass communication, photography in this magazine was used as a vector of ideals, a mechanism that made possible the existence and the feeling of belonging to a world that, although fragmentary and changing, intended to establish itself as dominant. Keywords: Photography. Mies van der Rohe. Perception.

À travers les fonctions d'enseignant-chercheur et de membre permanent du conseil de perfectionnement, j'ai réalisé le suivi tutoré du guidage à l'exposition internationale de la Foire de Toulouse avec pour thème Rock Story, exposition de Philippe Manoeuvre. Les étudiants ont réalisé un livret de l'exposition pour guider le millier de visiteurs au mois d'avril 2014. Autonomie, savoir être, savoir-faire, connaissances vérifiées, organisation et présentation à l'oral pendant 30 minutes pour des groupes, furent les objectifs pour nos BTS Tourisme première année.

The article probes the social background to the controversial ‘Kitchen Debate’ between the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and the US vice-president Richard Nixon, which occured at the American trade exhibition in Moscow during summer 1959.  Political histories narrowly focus on diplomatic point-scoring between the two leaders, leaving largely untouched the purpose of the landmark exhibition, and its expression of America's ‘suburban’ values.  This discussion traces a broad arc exploring:

- The exchange between Khrushchev and Nixon, especially their discussion of housing
- What was shown in the Moscow exhibition (detailing the display kitchen that prompted Khrushchev’s indignation), and the US State Department’s broad aims.
- The expansion of suburbia in post-war America (census figures quoted), and changes in property development including the emergence of commuter suburbs.
- The influential Levittown model for mass home construction & instant suburbs, and the impact of its highly publicised estates on Long Island, Connecticutt and New Jersey.
- Nature and extent of suburban conformism, including pointed criticisms made by urban planning commentators, the sociologist William Whyte, and the Feminist Betty Friedan.
- Mounting distress of women who did not feel fulfilled as homemakers, and their main grievances.
- Segregation, and enforced racial exclusion at the Levittowns.
- Portrayal of suburban values in the key literary works, ‘The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit’ (1955), ‘Revolutionary Road’ (1961), ‘The Stepford Wives’ (1972)
- Efforts to raise the quality of home and suburb design in California, prompted by the magazine ‘Arts and Architecture’
- The pioneering Case Study House project.
- Role of the Los Angeles firm Eames Office in post-war domestic design.
- Contribution of Eames Office to the Moscow exhibition.
9pp.