Artist Log - William Klein

William Klein

I've chosen William Klein because I really like the way he portrays youth, through youth he clearly shows that throughout time youth are getting progressively worse, for example not caring for the law, danger or even their own country. The images I've selected show children being socially inappropriate and playing a role that at their age shouldn't be.

In the image above a child is shown with a revolver handgun, this in our society is considered wrong. Klein has taken that concept and broken the rules of society, he has purposely chosen a child, he has chosen for the child to look more playful than innocent to show their innocence to the world.

Again in this image a child is shown with a gun but instead of playful like the one above, this time the child is older and seems more aggressive, perhaps to show that as we grow up in this society it turns us into hateful people or that some children are so deprived they have to resort to violence.

The image above shows a child looking gormless holding an American flag, I think this symbolises the way America has brainwashed their nation into lobotomised zombies, especially their children.

This photo is quite creepy when you think about it at first glance you're scared for the child but then you relise that he and the other children are all smiling and people in the background don't seem to care what is happening as they are looking the other way, I believe this shows the hatred white Americans share for foreign people are the white people are on the right side (armed with a revolver) and the darker skinned children remain on the left with the weapon pointed at them.

William Klein influences me as I would like to think about the problems within society and portrays it in a very similar way, I feel as if this is a great way to show the theme of evidence and point out some serious issues within the world and our country's society.

In summary of Klein's work, I like how he takes everyday life and shows the harsh reality of it, in America many children do have access to weaponry and it can be used in properly by them, Klein's photography overall is great and very thought provoking.