Comparison of Maurice Tabard’s Hand and Women with Distortion by Andre Kertsz

I have chosen to compare Maurice Tabard’s Hand and Women, 1929 with Andre Kertesz’s distortion work.  The image consists of a lady in white dress hiding her face behind a hand held mirror. It shows a dark figure next to her with a hand reaching round her as if to hold her waist. I feel this image has a strong sense of desire as the lady in the image has a very flattering desirable figure. When you look at the image you can feel that there is a tension between them. I think the viewer could feel slightly uncomfortable when looking at Hand and Women as there seems to be a dark side to the desire in this image. A notion of ambiguity and fantasy almost as though the hand is going to grab the lady.

The other work I have chosen to focus on is Distortion by Andre Kertsz 1933.  This distorted image of a lady laying on her side wearing no clothes is a powerful image. I feel Kertesz wanted to show that there is a blurred perception of how people see the female body. I believe this image has elements of fetishism as some people see this distorted body or figure as pleasing or attractive. She seems to be in a vulnerable position almost as though she is on display. He created these images using mirrors to show different ways of viewing what can be seen as ‘beautiful’. The image has a certain dramatic element to it but when you look at the ladies face she seems to be calm and peaceful looking. This could show that she is comfortable with herself and her body. I feel both images are showing the desirability of the female body both being represented in dark ways