Photography and Mask: Jorge Molder’s Own Alien Face

Flashcards covering key concepts from the notes on Barthes' mask theory, the social/political history of masks, Sander, and Jorge Molder's exploration of face, mask, and self in photography.

According to Roland Barthes, when can a photograph achieve significance?

Only when it shows a mask.

How did Italo Calvino define the concept of the mask in Barthes' discussion?

As anything that turns the face into a product of society and its history.

What does Barthes say about the mask as the 'most difficult part of photography' and its relation to society?

Society does not wish to reveal its true character; the unadorned social mask can provoke unrest and censorship.

What event in 1933 involved the German press with the slogan 'Down with the Mask' and what did it signify?

The Deutsches Nachrichtenbüro called for purging photojournalism; it linked mask imagery to censorship and anti-Jewish policy.

Which author described Jews as 'masters of all masks' and in what year?

Ernst Jünger, 1930.

What is the 'thanatos effect' in Barthes' analysis of photography?

Photography carries a sense of death; images are shadows of those who are no longer there.

What does Barthes' concept of 'air' add to portraiture, and how does it differ from mere resemblance?

Air is the animation or aura that gives life to the image, beyond simple facial likeness.

How did August Sander approach portraiture in Das Antlitz der Zeit?

He depicted people as social types, detaching the gaze from the individual to reveal social masks.

What is 'Reihenaufnahme' and its purpose in photography?

A high‑speed series of shots that reintroduces time into portraiture; each image has equal value within the sequence.

What is the significance of Man Ray's 1922 photograph of Gertrude Stein?

A 'double portrait' that juxtaposes Stein with Picasso’s portrait, illustrating mask/identity themes.

What is Duchamp's 'Rrose Sélavy' and its relevance to portrait masks?

A female alter ego used by Duchamp; exemplifies mask-play and questions of identity in portraiture.

What does the frame symbolize in Jean Cocteau's portrait context?

The frame marks the interval between viewer and image, underscoring that there is no 'next time' for a photograph.

How has the digital age altered the relationship between face and image, according to the notes?

The connection is weakened; images are archived and widely accessible, challenging the old face‑image equation.

What is Jorge Molder's INOX triptych (1995) and its relation to Bacon?

A triptych where increasing light dissolves the face; echoes Bacon’s Three Studies of the Human Head by dissolving physiognomy.

How does Molder's T.V. series (1995) treat the face?

Extreme close-ups produce a troppo vero effect; the face becomes a facial landscape and the gaze is unclear.

What installation shows Molder using a living face on a dummy as a mask, and what does it signify?

Algún Tiempo Antes (Some Time Before); a double life where a mask of his own face adorns a dummy, merging two portrait media.

How does the Pinocchio motif function in Molder's work?

A mannequin with real hair becomes a living double, transforming the living mask into a full body and blurring face/mask boundaries.

What does the 'double life' in Molder’s double portrait projects illustrate about portraiture?

The difficulty of capturing the living self; the boundary between face and mask blurs, creating a doppelgänger figure.

What does Jorge Molder’s Points of No Return (1995) explore?

A mirror image revealing two faces in different positions, raising questions about visibility and existence.

What is depicted in Anatomy and Boxing (1996–97) and what idea does it convey about gaze?

Two faces—one gazing down on the other—like a boxing duel; the photographer’s gaze stages an inquisitorial confrontation.

What is the overarching thesis about mask and portraiture in these notes?

Masks are intrinsic to portraiture; photography both reveals and cannot fully capture the self, creating an ongoing tension between self, other, and image.

What is 'studium' in Roland Barthes' theory of photography?

The culturally, politically, and ethically mediated interpretation of an image refers to its general context and shared understanding.

What is 'punctum' in Roland Barthes' theory of photography?

A striking detail within a photograph that pierces the viewer, creating an intensely personal, subjective, and often emotional connection to the image.

What was August Sander's ultimate goal with his photographic project Das Antlitz der Zeit?

To create a comprehensive sociological atlas of German society through the systematic portraiture of its various social and professional types.

How did Italo Calvino's interpretation of the mask relate to faces being 'a product of society and its history' in Barthes' discussion?

The mask in Barthes’s context signifies how social roles, historical influences, and cultural norms shape the way faces are presented and perceived, making them a reflection of communal identity rather than purely individual essence.

What distinguishes Barthes' concept of 'air' from merely capturing a likeness in a portrait?

''Air'' is the intangible spark or vital current that emanates from the individual, giving the portrait an authentic, almost spiritual presence and animating it beyond mere physical resemblance.

What was the broader context and meaning behind the 1933 Deutsches Nachrichtenbüro slogan 'Down with the Mask'?

It was a Nazi-era directive to purify photojournalism, equating ''masks'' with perceived deceit and linking it to anti-Semitic propaganda, calling for a supposedly authentic, ''unmasked'' German identity.

How does Man Ray's 1922 photograph of Gertrude Stein function as a 'double portrait' in relation to mask/identity themes?

It presents Stein alongside Picasso's painted portrait of her, creating a dialogue between the photographic representation and the painted 'mask,' exploring how different artistic media construct and interact with identity.

What artistic techniques did Marcel Duchamp primarily use to manifest his alter ego 'Rrose Sélavy' in relation to portraiture?

He primarily used performance, photography (often in collaboration with Man Ray), and cross-dressing, utilizing the persona to challenge gender and identity norms through his self-portraits.

Elaborate on Jean Cocteau's idea that the photographic frame underscores ''no 'next time''' for a photograph.

The frame emphasizes the definitive, unrepeatable nature of the captured moment, highlighting photography's role in freezing time and making each image a final, isolated event that cannot be revisited or changed.

How exactly does the digital age 'weaken' the connection between face and image compared

Digital images are easily copied, manipulated, and distributed without direct physical ties to the original subject or negative. This diminishes the unique, singular bond between a face and its photographic representation, making the image more of a transient data point.