Over the last term, I have managed to gain a wide variety of skills which contribute to archive research,  extraction, development and documentation. The creative pathways scheme has gained me vital competences in a creative  media, and has allowed me to feel confident in a workplace which is surrounded by these demands. Gareth Syvret and Karen Biddlecombe have helped me consistently to discover a new perception and insight into my personal study. Me and Karen extracted work from the archive which dated back to the post-war era, then with help from Gareth, we went through the images to see how it collaborated and linked with my project. This gave my project a new window into understanding the depth and relevance of me moving house.

As a final response, Gareth suggested that it was a good idea to place all the archival material we collected as a chronicle, for the viewer to understand the idea of a process, a space of time and a development, some of the key aspects I wished to consider in my project.

This is an example of how we pieced the final images together:

After this experience, I asked myself a few questions:

How has this experience changed my perception of the Archive? 

When entering this process, I knew little about what the Archive does, and how it works towards the achievements Gareth and Karen co-ordinate. I realised soon after that my own perception of the archive was far from correct.  There are various key aspects to the ‘Archive’ such as the archive itself, with images dating back over hundreds of decades. Sections of this can be used for the demands of Archeologists, Planning commissions, the Jersey Government, botanists, the environmental departments and many more to help with the development of their own investigations and relevance to history. The Library is also used thoroughly for archive extraction and exploration, with facilities like computers which link to the Archives database, which allows people to search using key words material they wish to extract. During my experience with the archive, I was lucky enough to discover some of these key aspects which are encapsulated within the Archive, I have learnt allot during this process.

What do you think when you hear the work ‘Archive’? 

When I hear the word ‘Archive’ I instantly hear the words

” records /  annuals / chronicles / registers /  accounts / papers / documents /  rolls / dossiers / files /  deeds /  ledgers /  history /  information / evidence /  documentation / paperwork / formal muniments.”

The oxford definition for ‘Archive’ is:

“a collection of historical documents or records providing information about a place, institution, or group of people”

The repetition of the word ‘history’ and ‘historic’ elaborates the vast relation to family, architecture and other aspects of society which has been developed over the many years of archival information which is stored at the Societe Jersiaise. Archive has been very relevant towards my project, my key theme ‘family’ has encouraged me to find features which relate to my life changing experience when moving house.

How will these skills be useful to you in a creative / non- creative workplace? 

I feel very much so that I have developed various skills in the creative workplace by the extraction, exploration and editorial processes of images and text presented by the Archive. Gareth and Karen have given me allot of support in the beginning weeks of this process, which then slowly got handed over to me. I was given tasks to do independently, allowing me to feel good about the outcomes I was achieving. Doing simple jobs like printing and filling also made me feel apart of their work force. Developing images in Photoshop, re-sizing and editing gained me skills with the editorial processes which are vital when depicting a certain hypothesis within an image.As well as developing creative skills, I feel I have developed major ‘soft skills’ in the workplace, which would be vital in any work-related area. I feel allot more confident with handling images and media, and genuinely confident to chat and talk to Gareth and Karen. I felt having a good relationship between the two of them incised me to communicate with them better. I felt the privileges of having a responsibility in the workplace made me feel motivated towards my goals of my project, and I became willing to succeed in Archival research and handling of materials. Punctually, turning up to a job encourages you to be more independent, and I felt as this process came along I gained more and more enthusiasm towards my want to succeed as a willing and passionate intern, as I saw the goals I wanted to achieve.

Would you recommend the Archisle contemporary photography programme to other people? Why? 

I would defiantly recommend this programme to anybody who is passionate about archival research and history. I feel it’s an amazing experience which I have gained so many important skills from. Gareth and Karen have been amazing role models in the work place, and they’ve inspired me to “make a mark” on history, encouraging me to think outside the box with my project relating my documentations to real life circumstances. I would of never felt confident working in a creative or non-creatove media without the help and commitment they have done for me, as their provision and time for my contribution has never been so beneficial. I am so grateful for the time and effort they have done for me, and they skills I have gained will help me incredibly in years to come when I pursue a career in any field of work.

Upload shoot, process and select best 3 images 

Show experimentation with images using Lightroom / Photoshop appropriate to your intentions. 

Evaluate and present images on the blog

Try and think of an essay question (hypothesis) as a starting point for further investigation. 

Incorporate your answers to the questions above and any other notes from the exhibition text and gallery talk with Gareth Syvret (curator of the show). 

Include direct quotes from sources using Harvard System of Referencing. 

Illustrate your essay with images of artists work from the exhibition. Make sure you include name, title of work, year of production, dimensions, collections (if known). 

Link to shared folder from images included in the exhibition:

Upon visiting the exhibition, answer the following questions:

Look at all the images on the walls. Now find a set of images that you like / don’t like and write short descriptions. 

My first set of images which I favoured very highly where the works of Jem Southam’s “Red Mudstone, Sidmouth” (1995 – 1997) as I really enjoyed viewing the vibrant colours and diptych effect.

Ironically, I didn’t like Peter Finnemore’s interpretation of Southam’s images, as I felt they didn’t appeal to my style of photography. Finnemore’s works in the exhibition entitled ‘Koan Exercises, 2004’ Performance based photography is Finnemore’s speciality, and in my opinion , I don’t favour it to normal documentary-based photography as its too materialistic and stylised.

The second image  that I favour highly is Martin Toft’s   from the series ‘Atlantus’.

Using exhibition text, note down artist name, title of work(s),  his / her nominated colleague and consider the following:

Artist name:

Title of work (series): 

Nominated colleague: 

Title of work (series): 

What are the connections, influences, relationships between your chosen pairing of artists? Look also broader into the common themes, subject-matte, form, aesthetics, visual language, methodologies among your chosen artists and across others featured in the show. 

Have a closer look at the phonebooks and newspapers on show at the exhibition. This will provide a much deeper understanding of their work. 

Link to definition: 

In advance of our visit, read the Exhibition text below and make notes. Think of at least three questions that you want to find answers to on your visit and write them down. Bring text and notes with you. 

During our research on photo stories and documentation , we looked upon the various ways to document photography in a new, palpable way. Visiting The Jersey Arts Center in early December, we got the chance  to view the exhibition ‘Quintessence’. Quintessence is a group exhibition celebrating the first five years of Archisle: The Jersey Contemporary Photography Program.

The Archisle Program, hosted by the Société Jersiaise Photo Archive promotes contemporary photography through an ongoing program of exhibitions, education and commissions. Archisle connects photographic archives, contemporary practice and experiences of island cultures and geographies through the development of a forum for creative discourse between Jersey and international artists. Quintessence selects works commissioned for the new Archisle Contemporary Collection at the Société Jersiaise Photographic Archive since 2011 to celebrate, critique, contrast and discuss what has been achieved over the first five years of the project. Our teacher, Martin Toft is one of the thirteen artists representing his works in the Quintssense exhibition, exploring his project ‘Atlantis’. Other artists include the likes of:

Martin Par/ Tony Ray-Jones / Jem Southam / Michelle Sank / David Goldblatt / Yury Toroptsov / Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths / Tom Pope / Peter Finnemore / Mark Le Ruez / John Gibbons

Alongside photographs which have been produced in Jersey, Artists such as  Jem Southam one of Britain’s leading landscape photographers and David Goldblatt, the seminal documentarist of apartheid era South Africa, have been influenced by the work produced by the archive. Gareth Syvret, the Archive’s leading curator, has singled out Jem Southam as his nominee, prior to studying him since he was a student.

I asked a few questions to Curator, Gareth Syvret about the exhibition:

What did you find was the main themes which run through the show Quintessence? 

Has Quintessence changed your perception of Jersey and its cultural diversity? What have you learned from this exhibition? 

When curating this exhibition, how did you narrow down which images to select? Was it clear what you wanted to present in the show? 

Link to Exhibition text: https://hautlieucreative.co.uk/photo16a2/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/12/Quintessence-Programme.pdf

Link to Media Release: https://hautlieucreative.co.uk/photo16a2/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/12/Quintessence_Media_Release_Jersey.pdf

Link to Task Sheet: https://hautlieucreative.co.uk/photo16a2/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/12/Quintessence-task_sheet.docx

Here is a video I made using iMovie of the beginning stages of the demolition process of our new house in 2009. This was the first beginning stage of the whole re-development which has been happening since late 2015.

From this video, I hoped to show time through the two angles I captured. This all-in-all was a pledge to alleviate the theme of development which is a re-occuring theme I’d like to run throughout my project.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDNoudjyufI

My most favoured article, where I got most of my inspiration from was: “Showing Haiti on Its Own Terms” –  Young photographers reveal pride and beauty in a land where struggle is the norm.

“So many people work in the Iron Market. I was happy it was rebuilt after the earthquake.” – ANGELAURE SAINT LOUIS”

The Article follows up on Angelaure’s experience of the Earthquake and provides a brief biography to deep deep into the more personal side to the tragic event. I feel this aspect is a great way for the recipient to empathise with the picture stories, as well as being to relate well to it themselves.

“I love my roots, and I take a lot of photos that represent what my roots are.” – PHILOMÉNE JOSEPH

“Side by side we have shared a lot of beautiful moments through photography. We have had no regrets.”
DARRY ENDY DULCINÉ

I feel this way of documentation is a great way to tackle change. The loves of people weren’t beaten by the burdens of the natural disaster, but inspired to let people know through images how much of a change we can make for the future. The suggestion that the people of Haiti are stronger than the natural forces comes clear through the quotes from these young photographers, then again, allowing the receiver to empathise with the situations they’re going through. However, the non-cliché approach to committing with change is a nice break from seeing scared and terrorised people, all in all, making it an impacting picture story.

Here is a link to the full online article: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2015/12/haiti-photos-by-haitians-text

Here is a link to Martin Toft’s Project ‘Atlantus’ http://www.archisle.org.je/atlantus/

The text written in my picture story will be written from a third person perspective. This will entitle me to  dictate the measure of change which has been taking place within my personal study: moving house. I want this text to be submerged around my pictures as I feel this will clearly clarify the subsidization of where my pictures fall regarding transitions of time. I almost want my text to be used as an under layer for the reader to establish my pictures more as a narrative than an article. With the supporting use of headings, titles and subtitles, I can support these notions throughout different areas I wish to discuss, ensuring the reader will understand clearly what I wish to establish.

I’ve decided to call this specific draft ‘Escape to the Shore’ as I feel it is a punchy way of incorporating my theme of moving by the sea. I had inspiration from the television program,  ‘Escape to the Country’, as in this sense, it means exactly the same.

To create the document in Photoshop  – New document, selecting ‘International paper’,  size A3 and with RGB colour.

The first step is to place the images in Photoshop , putting them onto the page. Applying all of the images into a line and re-sizing them all to the same size for some of the image. Placing another image in the is larger which will be the establishing shot and tilt the image so that it is slanted. Then to place a shape into the picture story –  elliptical marquee tool will make circle shapes that you can place into the picture story, you can use the paint bucket to change the colours of the shape. Polygon lasso tool will give you a triangular shape and rectangular marquee tool with give a rectangle shape. Then, place another image into Photoshop that can be placed into the background of the image, using blending modes to blend the image into the background so that it sits behind all of the other images. Adding a layer mask allows you to choose either black and white: black foreground, white black ground, then you can erase back and keep the the parts of the real images that you want to keep. In addition, changing the opacity of some of the layers will make the images more clear that you want, once you have used the blending modes as some of the images may be covered.