John Locke suggests that an individual’s personal identity extends only as far as their own consciousness. There is a key connection between consciousness and memory. The self is a thinking intelligent being, that has reason and evaluation. He proposes the idea that in order to be a self, one must be a thinking being and due to consciousness always being intertwined with thinking therefore one only can extend itself to consciousness. The consciousness which Locke is referring to is parallel to memory. ‘If one cannot remember some experience, then one did not have that experience.’ Therefore, Locke thinks memory is a necessary condition of personal identity. Forgetfulness is when we lose sight of our past selves, which Locke then doubts whether we are the same thinking thing.
‘Human life is embedded in time: we remember the past, we plan for the future and we live in the present. We swim in an ever-rolling stream.’
Greek philosopher Seneca’s idea, `If we do not live now, then when?’
In today’s modern world we are urged to live in the moment yet we are still constantly drawn back to the past which has influence over us still. Therefore the question remains of what we regard the value of memory to be. Not all memories are as clear as others, we have distinct memories and then we have hazy distant memories, so which memories are more powerful or instrumental? How do we categorise such abstract concepts?
‘The public wandered slowly past this human sea of individual fates and forgotten lives…’
‘What qualities do you find in the photograph, and what does the medium mean to you?’
‘In my view you can equate the photograph with a dead body, just like an item of used clothing; it has the memory of something, and it is an object where the person behind it has disappeared.’
‘…always represents the memory of a reality.’
‘Someone once said that you die twice: when you die the first time and when somebody finds a photo of you and no longer remembers who it shows.’
‘You have talked about your interest in preserving ‘the little memory’. Can you explain what you mean by that?’
‘I mean that everyone is unique, because everyone thinks differently and remembers differently. We consist of all these experiences and memories, it is this ‘little memory’ that makes us different from others.’
‘I believe in the importance of every single human being, but even the most important ones disappear quite quickly, especially their little memory. What is most important is most fragile.’
‘You’ve said you want to touch people, even to make them weep. It’s rare for an artist today to use these big words and to try to stir the emotions. What do you think is the role of art today?’
‘I want to move people and to ask them questions about evil and good, about disappearance after death and so on. But they are questions to which I have no answers.’[1]
[1] KATALOG- Journal of photography & video- SPRING 1999
For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.
Julian Germain created a series of photographs over a period of eight years of an elderly gentleman, Charles Snelling, living in Portsmouth. Germain met Charles Snelling in April 1992. He has been described as a simple and gentle man, who loved colour therefore surrounded himself by colour. Although Germain does not focus on photographing people who have died or have had a personal connection with, but he creates meaningful photographs which reflect the man’s life. The images express his personality and emotions, they demonstrate the simplicity and beauty of his life. I especially like the portrait made of him on the beach eating an ice cream because it just shows ordinary aspects of his life. Another photograph I think it really effective within the project is the image of Snelling about to have breakfast, I think it works well because it is a daily routine most people partake in. Scrapbooks have been included into the project in order for the reader to gain a sense and understanding of Snelling’s life before Germain began photographing him. The style of the scrapbook is very cinematic and they have authenticity that cannot be captured in the modern photographs. Germain’s photographs have a shallow depth of field which are rich and artfully composed. I think a great deal of the images produced in the project are able to be related to, most audiences can understand and feel connected to what Germain is trying to show. The book is straight and honest, there is no hidden message or underlying agenda. It is simply a portrait of an elderly man’s life. The beautiful title of the book quotes the American natural philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson. Germain narrates Snelling’s organised life, from his daily routines, solving cross word puzzles and listening to music.
‘Without ever trying or intending to, he showed me that the most important things in life cost nothing at all. He was my antidote to modern living.’
‘The important things in life, as Julian Germain shows, are free. One just has to be willing to embrace them.’
For my first shoot I want to begin by photographing my grandmother. My grandfather was married to my grandmother for fifteen years, they had eight children together and remained very close friends after their divorce. When my grandfather died my grandmother found it very difficult to deal with, they were very close and she knows him as a husband and best friend. I think through photographing my grandmother I can grasp an understanding of an aspect of my grandfather’s life. I also want to interview her in order to figure out my grandfather’s life further and ask some more in depth questions which I haven’t had the option to ask before. I think this particular shoot is really important as it allows me to photograph someone invisible through another person.
Shoot two:
For my second shoot I want to begin to photograph objects which remind me of my grandfather. For example, letters, pottery, frames, flowers, foods, smells and special moments I shared with him. I think through photographing these items I can reconstruct my grandfather’s life. I want to cover my grandfather’s entire life, his childhood, his marriage, he jobs, his children and his grandchildren. I have found Abril’s work incredibly inspiring and influential. She managed to capture the invisible perfectly, Abril included lots of images of objects in order to tell the story. For example, she included medication and significant items like scales.
Shoot three:
For my third shoot, I am going to look through all of the archival images I have of my grandfather and family so I can include it in the book. A major flaw in my previous project was that I relied heavily on this style of image, however, I think it is important to have these photographs in the book as they represent my grandfather’s life. Laia Abril used archival images in her work The Epilogue it clearly worked extremely well and supported her other photographs.
Yury Totoptsov’s journey in search of a father he never knew was led by an invisible path in order to photograph the invisible. With a relentless pursuit Toroptsov traveled to Eastern Siberia in order to tell us a unique but complex story. Toroptsov was from a rural community in Russia and was born in 1974. He left in 1998 to study in New York at the School for Social Research. His work has been featured in personal and group exhibitions in Paris and Moscow. Toroptsov’s project is very similar to Abril’s because both have tried to photograph the invisible. They have also attempted to capture someone’s story, life and personality, both are emotional narratives which approach difficult subjects many people struggle with.
Archisle International Photographer in Residence 2014: Yury Toroptsov
In 2014 Yury Toroptsov was the Archisle International Photographer in Residence. He worked on a new commission of work in Jersey from April to September of the year. The project explores Toroptsov’s personal view of Jersey, it is a narrative of his experience on the island and his interpretation of his visions. The entire concept was instrumented by a video of the Jersey Battle of Flowers 1937. Toroptsov intended to explore the mystery of the island as well as experience its uniqueness and beauty. Again this project also introduces the idea of invisibility.
The Epilogue focuses on the tragic story of the Robinson family. It tells the journey and aftermath of losing their beloved 26 year old daughter to bulimia. Laia Abril reconstructed Cammy’s life exploring her story through, letters, archival images, objects and memories. It highlights the victims of eating disorders and the suffering the family experienced. Abril demonstrated the difficulties many young girls face with their weight and how they perceive themselves. Abril deals with the hurt and grief that effects the family. The guilt they feel over their loss and the frustration of the limited control they dealt with. The project shows the mixture of emotions and the act of remembering a cherished one. Abril captures the invisible beautifully, with care and insight into the raw emotions the family fight everyday. Almost four years ago, Abril began a long-term project on eating disorders, with the First Chapter ‘A Bad day’. In 2012, she released her second addition to her eating disorder project, ‘Thinspiration’.
Abril is a documentary photographer and journalist from Barcelona. Her work has been published in many famous medias for example, The Sunday Times Magazine, Burn and Esquire. Her projects have been exhibited in Italy, London and New York. She is a member of the editorial team at Colors Magazine. However, more recently was a finalist at the Burn Emerging Fund 2012 and nominated to the Magnum Foundation.
I chose to research Abril’s project, The Epilogue, because it gave me an example of how you can photograph the invisible. This particular concept is very hard to actually put into practice and this is exactly what I struggled with for my previous project. Therefore, through studying and reading into how Abril managed to show Cammy’s life and reconstruct her world through her family’s memories thoughts and feelings, as well as, objects, letters, newspaper clippings and archive images. Part of the reason why The Epilogue has such an influence over me is because it manages to intertwine two mediums- images and words. It has them complementing each other, photographs have the ability to convey anything, it is completely your own interpretation, whereas, words are more limited as they can only express so many things. I also like that the book is absent of cliches, it does the narrative justice and allows the viewer to be emotionally awakened by the sadness. The book manages to get the readers emotionally invested and become attached through the powerful images and texts. It also reflects an interesting way of symbolising and representing memories, each photograph or item in the book has some significance in the young girl’s life. Abril has only included the vitally important aspects which needed to be shown in the book.
The goal of a personal study is to investigate, explore and challenge a particular area of interest. My personal study will need to reflect my opinions, ideas and creativity. It needs to include a written essay of 1000-3000 words and a photographic body of work of 250-500 photographs, plus, a number of final outcomes. From evaluating my previous project, I think I need to focus more on experimentation for this personal study in order to show my creativity. I also want to include letters, archive images and drawings from my grandfather’s life.
What artist movements can I include? What photographers should I include? Extra notes:
Laia Abril
Yury Toroptsov
Philosophical articles
Julian Germain
Books- The photography reader, Basic Critical Theory for Photographers
Final pieces- photo book, possibly a video, prints
To what extent has Martin Parr incorporated the concept of ‘islandness’ in his work and in doing so how has he influenced the likes of those who nominated him.
‘Islandness’ is a shared sense that transcends the traditions of local island cultures. The concept is reinforced by being surrounded by bodies of water which illicit feelings of closeness to the natural environment. It is a metaphysical consciousness derived from experiences of isolation. ‘Islandness’ is a term which can be interpreted in a multiple of varied ways, for example, each photographer in this project has created their own perception of the idea. Ultimately, it links communities together forming a mini society and network.
This unique collection of artists have produced their individual portfolios of work which have explored the complexity and rarity of the term. I especially want to highlight the connections between certain photographers which have gained influence and passion from one another.
My own experiences of ‘islandness’ have been grounded in the morals and values of Jersey, Channel Islands. The idea combines vulnerability and resilience. I think it is significant when considering the theme of Jersey and how you can represent the island and create art from it. Naturally, my research began into the Archisle where I could explore the talents of Martin Parr and the work he produced of the island. The Societe Jersiaise Photographic Archive introduced in 2011, The Jersey Contemporary Photography Programme. The main goal of the scheme was to promote contemporary photography through a continuation of exhibitions and education links. The island itself has attracted millions of tourists and fellow artists as it is known for its natural beauty. The island’s identity evokes a sense of pride and enthusiasm for the project.
‘Island arts engage with the land and the sea and the community. They address the large questions of existence, but they do it within a context of shore-bounded particularity.’- Peter Hay
Focusing more on my intention, Martin Parr was commissioned in 2013 by the Archisle to photograph Liberation Day in Jersey. It is significant that of such a high esteemed photographer, Parr decided to indeed take notice of our small island and beautifully captured the light and importance of the day. In my opinion, Parr’s distinct style represented the happiness and joy of the day. However, his work also included the more solace and memorial moments of the day’s proceedings. With the world constantly being flooded with media, Parr offers a sanctuary of his unique perception of the world. His work tends to be exaggerated, the colours tend to be garish and the angles are normally strange. However, amongst the humour, Parr produces entertaining and insightful images which translate to our way of life. We can almost recognise ourselves in his art work, especially with the theme of ‘islandness’. When looking at Parr’s work and considering my hypothesis I think Parr’s photographs capture this concept exceptionally well (even if this had not been initially intended). This ‘feeling’ has been photographed in the light of Liberation Day, it exemplifies this particular meaningful and important day carefully and accessibly. I think it represents the islanders resistance and perseverance even at the most difficult and tragic of times.
GB. Jersey. Liberation Day. 2013.
GB. Jersey. Liberation Day Supper at Trinity Parish Hall. 2013.
With regards to the links between the photographers in the project, Martin Parr is an influential and inspiring artist who’s work has been and is an in depth observation of our personal identities and values we hold in society. The work he produces is innovative, intriguing and contemporary, strongly reflecting the way we act and our inner natures.
In conclusion, ‘islandness’ is much more than a concept, it is a feeling, an emotion, a community. Therefore, it has the potential to be photographed and interpreted in many different ways. The term has layers, which each artist in the project has stripped away and identified their own version of what ‘islandness’ is. Quintessence is a benchmark of the five years of the Archisle Programme. It is a success of contemporary photography and shows the work of native islanders and welcomed visitors. The project enables inspired artists to shed light on the shifting society of today and produce art for public enjoyment.
Three questions that you want to find answers to on your visit:
Q1. How did the term ‘islandness’ come about? Is it significant in today’s society? Does it isolate us as a community, or, reunite in as a family?
Q2. How influential and successfull do you consider the archive to be?
Q3. Do you think the JEP is a successful media for documentary photography?
The first thoughts about the exhibition that enters your head when you walk in:
The images that I initially liked when looking at the exhibition:
Al Gore Was Here:
The first image that I thought was really interesting was produced by Finn Larsen. This particular photograph was taken in Greenland, Illulissat Icefjord. This image stood out as one of the most captivating photographs in the exhibition, I think it is very beautiful and is most definitely one of my favourites. I really like the textures of the rock in the foreground it contrasts with the wooden bench creating a rustic look. I also really like the simplicity of the sky, it adds to the feel of the lonely and forgotten feel you get from the photograph. The composition of the photograph is perfect, having the bench in the middle of the image makes it the main focal point. This specific photographer has really captured what I would like to translate in my previous project and potentially my personal study.
Beachy Head Boat Trip:
This is the second of my favourite images, I especially like the romance and personalities captured in this photograph. I think it is clever how the photographer has managed to capture most the faces in order to see all the different expressions and emotions of the people. I love how the image is in black and white I think it adds to the feel of the photograph. The composition in this photograph is also important and significant because of the focal point being in the centre of the image, with the surrounding subjects adding to the photograph further. Although, the couple are clearly a main focal point, I get drawn to the man standing at the back. I think he is really interesting in this photograph, possibly the way he is standing or his clothes and glasses but he makes the image have more depth. This image was taken by Tony Ray-Jones in 1967.
Liberation Day Supper:
GB. Jersey. Liberation Day Supper at Trinity Parish Hall. 2013.
This third image is taken in Jersey of a Liberation Day Supper at Trinity Parish Hall in 2013. It was taken by Martin Parr which you can instantly tell due to the distinct style of his photography. I think this photograph is brilliant, it captures the main theme of the day without complicating it. This photograph is part of a collection of images Parr took of the celebrations, others include; Liberation Day, Robes of the Jurats of the Royal Court of Jersey and Liberation Day.
After completing my family, community and faith project, I looked at the assessment criteria and highlighted key areas I can improve on in my next project as well as adding to this project through the year. I defiantly think there is much needed improvement in experimentation and record. I will aspire to be in the 16-20 section for my next project for each aspect of the marking. For my project to be a higher grade and more successful I think it needed photographs I had taken so that I could be more creative. I also think I needed to focus on my picture-story earlier on, so that I could experiment with different designs. Furthermore, I also need to create a newspaper design so that I have another final.
For my personal study I am going to carry on with the project I have done for my picture-story. I think I have only really explored a little of what memories are and how I can photograph them.
To be awarded a grade A* at GCE A level, a candidate must:
Achieve a grade A overall for the A level. This can also be described as achieving 80% of the total
uniform marks.
AND
Achieve 90% of the combined uniform mark total for the A2 units.
For example:
For a four-unit A level, a candidate must achieve at least 320 of the 400 total uniform marks
and 180 of the 200 combined uniform mark total for the A2 units.
For a six-unit A level, a candidate must achieve at least 480 of the 600 total uniform marks
and 270 of the 300 combined uniform mark total for the A2 units.
This is my final design for my picture-story, I have experimented with different styles. However, I have found this particular idea to work the best for my theme of memories. I wanted the photographs to look as one in a sense, so they appear as a fuzzy thought. I also wanted the writing to tie in with the images as though they are speaking the memories. Furthermore, the style of writing I have chosen is a type writing font which in my opinion works really well with the photographs. I have put photographs on top of each other and copied particular images. I have used different filters so that the images have a more powerful effect. The only image I have kept the same is the photograph in the bottom right hand corner because it represents my grandfather’s focus on his family. He was very much a family man and spent most his life devoted to supporting his children and grandchildren.
With regards to the text, I chose the particular font because of the olden style it had about it. I liked the idea of it being like a type writer because I wanted the picture-story to feel old and vintage therefore this worked perfectly. For the title I explored with a range of different ideas, I looked at quotes online about memories but found a great deal of them were very sad and focusing on losing someone. This isn’t the idea of my picture-story therefore I decided to go with a title I thought suited the entire piece. I added the ellipsis on at the end in order for the sentence to trail off like a thought, I didn’t want it to have an end.
When photographing these images I kept the burnt and broken sides of the pictures in because it made it look more authentic. Especially the image which I have not used any effects on, the edges stand out and represent a old and vintage look.
I think this picture-story is close to what I initially wanted to produce from this project. I think I needed to include more modern photographs, however, I struggled with the concept of photographing someone that was essentially invisible. I think for when I carry this project on into my personal study, I will be more creative and open to exploring ideas which perhaps are more difficult but will capture the concept of memories.
This is my second picture story design, it is extremely different from my first picture story. I wanted the second one to be more professional and clean cut, I also wanted to include important quotes from condolence letters which were personal to my family. Archival images were a major factor in my picture stories, I think this was an important element as I have hundreds of photographs from my grandfather’s life. I used Photo Shop in order to design this picture story, I had previously leveled the images as well as adjusting the brightness and contrast. I then began the design by playing around with a selection of images, adjusting the size and angle to fit with the other images. I also played around with where the photographs were placed and the writings.
