Because the work associated with archaeology is often done in the dirt or sand, there is a trend in photography where tan-toned images rule.
Here are the top images when searching "archaeology." There is very little color involved and a serious lack of anything to entice the viewer. Even in cartoons, archaeology is portrayed in shades of brown and tan.
It is human nature to be attracted to images of beauty, and though often the subject matter is not something to be considered "beautiful," it is important for photographers to make an effort to convey images in a way that will attract attention of the viewer. By including colorful, bright or more visually appealing images of artifacts, dig sites or real-life archeologists, photography has the potential of capturing the interest of the public.
It is crazy how much tan and brown surrounds archaeology. It is one of the first things I associate with the word archaeology but I couldnt tell you why. My only guess is that I think about dirt and sand. People often make generalizations like these. I wonder if that is bad or good? Does tan work as a "logo" for archaeology invoking the profession and what they do? Maybe they could use this innate connection to their advantage!
ReplyDeleteThe browns and tans make me strangely unattracted to archaeology. It may have something to do with the girl in me, but something about this field always seemed so unappealing and dirty. Strangely enough, though, I don't think this had as much to do with the actual work, but more with the outfits and photographs.
ReplyDelete