This is a film color photograph. The red numbers in the bottom right corner indicates that the picture was taken in April 14th 1991. Three people are sitting on the table praying over their meal at their home. They are unaware that someone is taking a picture of them. In the middle there is a baby boy about 2-3 years old sitting facing the camera and on the left there is a middle aged man and at the right there is a little girl looking about 5 years old. They are a family sitting on the table praying over their meal. Subjects in the photograph are Asians with black hair and white skin but it is impossible to know which country they are in. The girl is wearing a blue long sleeve shirt and has short curly hair, father is wearing an olive shirt with a pair of glasses and the boy in the middle is wearing a bright white shirt. The only light source in the picture is the sunlight from outside of the house. The light is coming in from the back window with white curtains. The baby in the center is fully lit but the girl on the right and man (assuming it to be the father of two children) is lit sideways. Because of the white wall on the girl's side, the girl's side is brighter compare to the father's side of the picture. The baby is sitting on the baby blue high chair but the girl is sitting on a dark blue chair and the father is sitting on a white chair. They are sitting in a triangle on the wooden table and there are four rice bowls, four side dishes, metal spoons and chopsticks. Everyone has a rice bowl in front of them but the girl has a can of juice in front of her. Her hands are resting on the can but holding firmly onto it. Each of them have their hands put together in from of their faces` and their eyes are closed. It is hard to see if anyone is praying out loud or if they are praying in silence. The baby in the center has his mouth open as if he is leading the prayer. Next to the baby boy, there is a plastic mini car that has a yellow top, red bottom and black wheels. On the white wall there is a picture hanging with a red frame around it.
It is odd that the baby in the family is sitting at the top of the table because in an Asian family, the father usually sits on the top of the table to show that he is the head of the family. The lighting gives a glow to the baby in the center making the baby look like a saint or a celestial being. This photo is showing a family that practices their religion. The family members seem sincere about their prayers and the fact that they are praying before they eat shows how the children are religiously disciplined to pray.
4 comments:
What is the significance of having a photographer making a picture of an (assumed) patriarchal dinner during prayer in Asian society?
There appears to be another bowl in the foreground of this picture-could it belong to the photographer? Is the photographer a member of the family? It is interesting to consider those who are present at the table. A mother figure is absent, thus is she taking the picture and sitting at the head of the table?
The date in the lower right hand corner seems to suggest this is a snapshot documenting an average family dinner for the family. That being said, I wonder if this is just a casual photo a family has taken for themselves, or if it was staged for more artistic purposes. Also, if it is just a casual family photo, it is odd that it is being taken during prayer time. A prayer before dinner is something which one would assume the photographer, (if it is the mother or another family member), would be expected to participate it.
I think there is a strong significance here in this photograph. It captures the critical importance of family, obedience, and ritualistic events. This image automatically displays how a young child's brain is like a sponge and absorbs so much information and how a child is very observant and imitates adults in many ways.
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