Before Laura Gilpin (1891-1979), few women in the history of photograp

Question

Before Laura Gilpin (1891-1979), few women in the history of photography had so devoted themselves to chronicling the landscape. Other women had photographed the land, but none can be regarded as a landscape photographer with a sustained body of work documenting the physical terrain. Anne Brigman often photographed woodlands and coastal areas, but they were generally settings for her artfully placed subjects. Dorothea Lange’s landscapes were always conceived of as counterparts to her portraits of rural women.

At the same time that Gilpin’s interest in landscape work distinguished her from most other women photographers, her approach to landscape photography set her apart from men photographers who, like Gilpin, documented the western United States. Western American landscape photography grew out of a male tradition, pioneered by photographers attached to government and commercial survey  teams  that went west in the 1860’s and 1870’s. These explorer-photographers documented the West that their employers wanted to see: an exotic and majestic land shaped by awesome natural forces, unpopulated and ready for American settlement. The next generation of male photographers, represented by Ansel Adams and Eliot Porter, often worked with conservationist groups rather than government agencies or commercial companies, but they nonetheless preserved the “heroic” style and maintained the role of respectful outsider peering in with reverence at a fragile natural world.

For Gilpin, by contrast, the landscape was neither an empty vista awaiting human settlement nor a jewel-like scene resisting human intrusion, but a peopled landscape with a rich history and tradition of its own, an environment that shaped and molded the lives of its inhabitants. Her photographs of the Rio Grande, for example, consistently depict the river in terms of its significance to human culture: as a source of irrigation water, a source of food for livestock, and a provider of town sites. Also instructive is Gilpin’s general avoidance of extreme close-ups of her natural subjects: for her, emblematic details could never suggest the intricacies of the interrelationship between people and nature that made the landscape a compelling subject. While it is dangerous to draw conclusions about a “feminine” way of seeing from the work of one woman, it can nonetheless be argued that Gilpin’s unique approach to landscape photography was analogous to the work of many  women writers  who, far more than their male counterparts, described the landscape in terms of its potential to sustain human life.

Gilpin never spoke of herself as a photographer with a feminine perspective: she eschewed any discussion of gender as it related to her work and maintained little interest in interpretations that relied on the concept of a “woman’s eye.” Thus it is ironic that her photographic evocation of a historical landscape should so clearly present a distinctively feminine approach to landscape photography.   1  1. Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

(A) Gilpin’s landscape photographs more accurately documented the Southwest than did the photographs of explorers and conservationists.
(B) Gilpin’s style of landscape photography substantially influenced the heroic style practiced by her male counterparts.
(C) The labeling of Gilpin’s style of landscape photography as feminine ignores important ties between it and the heroic style.
(D) Gilpin’s work exemplifies an arguably feminine style of landscape photography that contrasts with the style used by her male predecessors.
(E) Gilpin’s style was strongly influenced by the work of women writers who described the landscape in terms of its relationship to people.

2 
 2. It can be inferred from the passage that the teams ( Highlighted ) were most interested in which of the following aspects of the land in the western United States?

(A) Its fragility in the face of increased human intrusion
(B) Its role in shaping the lives of indigenous peoples
(C) Its potential for sustaining future settlements
(D) Its importance as an environment for rare plants and animals
(E) Its unusual vulnerability to extreme natural forces

3 
 3. The author of the passage claims that which of the following is the primary reason why Gilpin generally avoided extreme close-ups of natural subjects?

(A) Gilpin believed that pictures of natural details could not depict the interrelationship between the land and humans.
(B) Gilpin considered close-up photography to be too closely associated with her predecessors.
(C) Gilpin believed that all of her photographs should include people in them.
(D) Gilpin associated close-up techniques with photography used for commercial purposes.
(E) Gilpin feared that pictures of small details would suggest an indifference to the fragility of the land as a whole.

4 
 4. The passage suggests that a photographer who practiced the heroic style would be most likely to emphasize which of the following in a photographic series focusing on the Rio Grande?

(A) Indigenous people and their ancient customs relating to the river
(B) The exploits of navigators and explorers
(C) Unpopulated, pristine parts of the river and its surroundings
(D) Existing commercial ventures that relied heavily on the river
(E) The dams and other monumental engineering structures built on the river

5 
 5. It can be inferred from the passage that the first two generations of landscape photographers in the western United States had which of the following in common?

(A) They photographed the land as an entity that had little interaction with human culture.
(B) They advanced the philosophy that photographers should resist alliances with political or commercial groups.
(C) They were convinced that the pristine condition of the land needed to be preserved by government action.
(D) They photographed the land as a place ready for increased settlement.
(E) They photographed only those locations where humans had settled.

6 
 6. Based on the description of her works in the passage, which of the following would most likely be a subject for a photograph taken by Gilpin?

(A) A vista of a canyon still untouched by human culture
(B) A portrait of a visitor to the West against a desert backdrop
(C) A view of historic Native American dwellings carved into the side of a natural cliff
(D) A picture of artifacts from the West being transported to the eastern United States for retail sale
(E) An abstract pattern created by the shadows of clouds on the desert

7 
 7. The author of the passage mentions women writers in line 50 most likely in order to

(A) counter a widely held criticism of her argument
(B) bolster her argument that Gilpin’s style can be characterized as a feminine style
(C) suggest that Gilpin took some of her ideas for photographs from landscape descriptions by women writers
(D) clarify the interrelationship between human culture and the land that Gilpin was attempting to capture
(E) offer an analogy between photographic close-ups and literary descriptions of small details

redskull1 · Answer

5. It can be inferred from the passage that the first two generations of landscape photographers in the western United States had which of the following in common?

The answer lies in Para 2...

2 generations is mentioned only in the 2nd para.So go there.
 
(The next generation)  shows there are 2 generations.

the 1st generation says =exotic & unpopulated land ready to occupation.

the 2nd generation says = fragile world held with reverence.

2nd generation does not talk about occupation.Hence D isn't the answer

The 2nd generation maintained  "outsider peering in with reverence at a fragile natural world"  which can quite easily be assumed as not interacting with human culture.Which the both of them say.

So A

dabaobao · Answer

Took 7:15 min in total including 4:10 min to read the passage!

Passage Map: 
1) Unique female photographer, Laura
2) Typical photography style of men in those days
3) Photography style of Laura & how it's unique
4) Relationship between photography style and gender

deepshikha12 · Answer

5. It can be inferred from the passage that the first two generations of landscape photographers in the western United States had which of the following in common?

My approach for this question was to refer 2nd para.

Summary of 2nd para: 
1. Gilpin’s approach of landscape work was different than that of her contemporaries.
2. Western American landscape photography - started with males 
3. 1st team of photographers: Documented exotic and majestic land shaped by  awesome natural forces, un-populated and ready for American settlement . 
4. 2nd team of photographers: Maintained the role of respectful outsider peering in with  reverence at a fragile natural world .

Both portions suggest that they studied the land which was not populated with nature dependence.

POE
(A) They photographed the land as an entity that had little interaction with human culture. - yes
(B) They advanced the philosophy that photographers should resist alliances with political or commercial groups. - not true. 1st group as with political/ commercial group, 2nd was with conservative. Noway in para it suggest the resistance. 
(C) They were convinced that the pristine condition of the land needed to be preserved by government action. - not mentioned 
(D) They photographed the land as a place ready for increased settlement. - because the 1st group was with commercial group, only the 1st group thought that. 2nd group did not think this, as it was with conservationist group. 
(E) They photographed only those locations where humans had settled. - opposite.

Hope this helps.

ballest127 · Answer

Hi Experts,

Please post OE for question 5.

I really have no idea why D is incorrect?

Thank you.

CrackverbalGMAT · Answer

Hi

The answer to question (5) comes from the second paragraph of the passage. Here's what we know:

i) The first generation of photographers:
 1) were attached to government and commercial survey teams
 2) went west in the 1860’s and 1870’s
 3) documented the West that their employers wanted to see
 - an exotic and majestic land 
 - shaped by awesome natural forces
 - unpopulated
 - ready for American settlement

ii) The second generation of photographers:
 1) often worked with conservationist groups rather than government agencies or commercial companies
 2) preserved the “heroic” style and maintained the role of respectful outsider peering in with reverence at a fragile natural world

We can see that the only point in common between the two is (i) - (3) - third button and (ii) - (2), both talking about the West as being unpopulated and untouched by humans.Answer option (A) captures this best. While (D) is true of the first generation, we do not know if it was true of the second generation. Hence it is to be eliminated.

Hope this helps.

PhantomAY · Answer

12min40s, all correct.

Notes:

Paragraph 1: LG is introduced as a women photograpies the landscape - background info.

Paragraph 2: LG's interest in landscape makes her special. Comparison between her and WA landscape male photographers are made. (2 generations)

Paragraph 3: How LG's work differ from those male photographers (e.g. Rio Grande).
-- relationship between human and nature
-- avoid extreme close-ups
her style can be defined as feminine

Paragraph 4: LG never insist a feminine angle. But work, ironically, represents that.

A) the comparison between G's style and her male counterparts is used to illustrate how her style is different from the mainstream. Not the main idea
B) the influence of G's work on her male counterparts is not mentioned
C) the "ignorance" is not mentioned
D) correct
E) the work of women writers is used as an analogy, no influence is warranted

Refer to  "These explorer-photographers documented the West that their employers wanted to see: an exotic and majestic land shaped by awesome natural forces, unpopulated and ready for American settlement."

A) the fragility is not the focus but next generations'
B) not mentioned
C) correct
D) "rare plants and animals" is not mentioned
E) vulnerability is not highlighted

Refer to  "Also instructive is Gilpin’s general avoidance of extreme close-ups of her natural subjects: for her, emblematic details could never suggest the intricacies of the interrelationship between people and nature that made the landscape a compelling subject."

The correct answer is A

Refer to  "The next generation of male photographers, represented by Ansel Adams and Eliot Porter, often worked with conservationist groups rather than government agencies or commercial companies, but they nonetheless preserved the “heroic” style and maintained the role of respectful outsider peering in with reverence at a fragile natural world." , this kind of photographer would emphasize conservation and the respect for the fragility of the nature.

A) seems to be LG's style
B) the focus on natural places with no human intrusion 
C) correct
D) that's the focus of previous generation
E) contradicts untouched natural places

The first 2 generations both features unpopulated natural places, the difference is the first generation focus on commercial part while the 2nd on conservation.

A) correct
B) Don't think the first generation would embrace this ideology
C) seem to be only 2nd generation's focus
D) only for 1st generation
E) both generations don't

Refer to  "For Gilpin, by contrast, the landscape was  neither  an empty vista awaiting human settlement  nor  a jewel-like scene resisting human intrusion,  but  a peopled landscape with a  rich history and tradition  of its own, an environment that shaped and molded the lives of its  inhabitants ." . So we should look for a natural place with rich history, and its inhabitants

A) "untouched by human culture" is derailed
B) "visitor" is not inhabitant
C) correct
D) missing everything
E) no inhabitant, no history nor tradition

Refer to  "While it is dangerous to draw conclusions about a “feminine” way of seeing from the work of one woman, it can nonetheless be argued that Gilpin’s unique approach to landscape photography was analogous to the work of many women writers who, far more than their male counterparts, described the landscape in terms of its potential to sustain human life." . The author basically said even though we cannot conclude for sure LG's work is feminine, it contains the elements (similar to the works of many women writers).

A) did not counter, but more as a compromise. The author is mainly trying to highlight the "feminine" element of LG's work
B) correct
C) no influence is implied
D) the point is not to clarify the details of LG's work, but the abstract elements of it - "feminine"
E) same issue as for D

SolankiDas · Answer

it can nonetheless be argued that Gilpin???s unique approach to landscape photography was analogous to the work of many women writers who, far more than their male counterparts, described the landscape in terms of its potential to sustain human life.

Please explain this part of the passage.

Please explain this part of the passage.

RonTargetTestPrep · Answer

•  Lots of women, when describing landscapes / natural scenery, emphasized  nature's ability to nurture and nourish living things . 
Only a few men emphasized this theme. 
 
•   The same theme  is prominent in Laura Gilpin's photography.

VerbalBot · Answer

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Before Laura Gilpin (1891-1979), few women in the history of photograp

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Before Laura Gilpin (1891-1979), few women in the history of photograp

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