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Analysis, Final presentation

Final Outcome 3

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Untitled-1

For this outcome, I have made a diptych of two images I made during the St Malo trip with Tom Pope. The top image is a graffiti-styled chalk drawing of an unhappy looking flower which I came across during our groups ‘drifting’ experiment. The bottom image is a chalk-drawing of the phrase ‘DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER’ – a reference to George Orwell’s dystopia novel 1984 . In the creation of this image, I used my study of symbolism, as presented in my manifesto and on a separate research blog

Top Image

The top image is a very satirical, clever and subversive image which uses symbolism in order to deliver its message. The depiction of a sad flower is interesting because the connotations of pain, sadness and hate are being connected to the theme of a flower, which is traditionally symbolized with beauty, delicacy and happiness. I find that this juxtaposition is therefore subversive and deeply contradictory of what is excepted. A deeper interpretation of this image is the concept of forced conformity and labeling by society. The fact that a symbolization of something labeled by society as positive could in fact have a negative connection, forces the viewer to question how accurate and meaningful conformity actually is on a practical sense.

I like how there is a certain intensity to this image. The bold, dark colour tones that is present, which I then emphasized by editing the image to black and white, helps to make the image more powerful and meaningful, as it adds a sense of sinister tone and edginess to it. This powerful visual display help the image to stand out more, and its mysterious nature is of interest to the viewer, inviting them in to question the purpose and meaning of such image

Bottom Image

This image is my depiction of the iconic slogan  ‘DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER’ from George Orwell’s dystopia novel 1984 by the novel protagonist Winston Smith in protest to the tyrinnical dictatorship of ‘Big Brother’. I created this slogan by writing it out in chalk on the streets of St Malo. This photograph relates to the theme of challenge.

The reference to this slogan is significant because it is symbolic of a protest against society and establishment. The term ‘DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER’, I view as representative of the general idea of protest and challenge. The fact that this term is fictional gives it a versatile use that can be applied generally to any situation. This protest that I have made is not therefore a specific protest but instead a general criticism of society that is adaptable to the viewers own perspective. I decided to crop out a large amount of the pavement so that the writing was as clear and direct and possible.

Images Together

I find that these two images work very well together because they both relate to the idea of being subversive and subtly challenging society through the use of symbolism. They also are both form of graffiti, which directly establish a relationship between them. As a final outcome, I find that this works very well because it sends a strong, but indirect message that requires a certain degree of interpretation from the viewer. Visually the two images work well together because they are both mysterious, bold images with display a sense of sinister tone. I decided to make the two images into a diptych because I found that this was visually more effective then display either or both of the outcomes as individual images.

Analysis, Final presentation

Final Outcome 2

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In this short 60 second video, I got my friend to video me dribbling a tennis ball with a hand-held camera. This idea came very spontaneously to me and I had no particular objective or meaning behind it. The idea came about simply because I had my tennis ball with me and I dropped it, causing me to kick the ball before I picked it up again, which then gave me the idea to start dribbling it. I had no time-frame in which to complete the performance and it lasted as long as I felt was necessary.

Piecing it together

The free-flowing movement of the camera is important because it establishes a sense of rawness to the video, giving it a feel that is very natural, easy-going and unspoiled. The good quality of the actual film still means that aesthetically the film still pieces together well. My performance is also very simplistic throughout and I make no attempt to attempt any skill that is highly complicated, instead making what I am doing very easy to emulate, so that it is easy for most viewers to appreciate and understand.

Meaning

This video reflects the theme of chance because of the fact that it is a spontaneous event that occurred completely by accident. It was an experiment that I attempted without any idea of how well or successful it would turn out. I find this style of filming/photographing to be very interesting because the outcome is always uncertain, it could either go very well or very badly. This in itself adds to the excitement of the piece

The simplistic manner that the video was formed presents an element of challenge. By filming a successful performance without any of these sophisticated methods I am therefore questioning the need of traditionally accepted methods of creating film, such as editing, using a tripod and planning the shoot in advance. The style of the filming is therefore a subtle protest against these methods  

Influences

Dadism – I used the influence Dadaism by making my performance spontaneous, free-flowing and as un-structured as possible. By not restricting the direction of my performance it allows my work to be more creative and imaginative, using what I have and my current inspirations in order to construct the performance. The lack of direction links to Dadism because the disorder is a protest against structure and formality. Another aspect of Dadism that I will follow is  to be as subversive as possible. Dada movement artist were famous for their unusual and strange artwork and this eccentric style is a pattern that I will follow

Comedy – I will make my performance comical through the subversive manner that will go about my performance. I will deliberately run into the direction of the general pubic in order to test the way that they will react, hopefully creating a sense of confusion without causing any lasting panic or effect. Subtly within comedy is key for this type of performance, I want comedy to occur without it ruing or undermining the entertainment of the performance. I will take influence from French comedian Remy Gillard, who is famous for his satirical video whereby he tests the publics reaction to strange and unordinary events.

 

 

Analysis, Evaluation, Final presentation

Final Outcome 1

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jack

For this outcome I have created a triptych of a series of images involving my cousin Jack. The three images I have chosen are all very varied in their style, meaning and visual effect. The intention of this piece was to explore the three different aspects of what we have covered in this 6 week module being chance, challenge and change; the aspect of chance through the blurred out of focus image on the left, the theme of challenge through the center image through the subversive statement, and the theme of change on the right through the overemphasized change in mood. Visually I find that this tipritytch works well because the images help to convey a narrative. I am proud of this final outcome because it is evident of the different skills, techniques, concepts and ideas that i have studied in the last 6 weeks. It is a very subversive statement, thats mysterious nature forces the viewer to question its purpose and meaning.

Left Image

This image is blurred and out of focus. Originally I dismissed this image as weak and ineffective. However after some consideration I changed my mind and decided to include it as part of my final outcome. The image is completely accidental, and not a traditional photo in terms of view and composition. However such a style is effective to include in a story board of images because it establishes a balance between the other two images, normal (middle), emphasised (right), and in this one spontaneous. It also highlights the random nature a photography, and that you don’t have to compose an image perfectly to be meaningful and effective. From the basis of this image, I launched my idea of representing the piece as a symbol of ‘chance, change and challenge’

Middle Image

This image depicts the mid-section of Jack’s body. He is holding up a sign entitled ‘I am exercising my right to free speech’. This is meant as a subversive statement, that challenges the viewer to question if they themselves fully appreciate such an important right. This statement is effective because through the statement, Jack himself is quite literally using this right. I decided to include this in the triptych because of the use of symbolism involved. The statement is ambiguous because it does not directly convey any particular point, and different meanings can be interpreted from it. I included this photo in the centre of the triptych because it has a good balance between the calmness of the left image and the madness of the image on the right.

Right Image

For the final image of the triptych, I decided to include a completely over the top image of Jack making a dramatic facial expression. This image is directly linked to my work on surrealism because visually, it goes against what is considered normal and formal. There is a certain intensity about this image, which is not neccesarily serious, but definitely full of energy. Linking to the Dadist movement, I find something very farcical about this image. The compete lack of structure and form makes it very chaotic. This image is the most visually powerful of the three, and gives the overall outcome an explosion of life and attitude.

Analysis, Research

Analysing Performance: Remy Gaillard

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In this performance, Gaillard dresses up as a member of the French National Volleyball team. As soon as the French team line up for the national anthem, Gaillard sneaks his way form the crowd, into the French line up. This performacne is an extremely hilarious and satirical video in which Gaillard attempts to make mockery of the intense, serious nature of the situation. The contrast between the focus of the players and Gaillard michevous, exagarated personality is very conflicting and interesting to compare. For example, during the national anthem, the French Teamm remain silent, whereas their ‘newest member’ Gaillard sings loudly and passionately.

In this performance much of the comedy arises from the atmosphere of confusion and absurdity created by Gaillard. He establishes a sense of complete chaos in which many players either seem unaware or simply perplexed by his sudden appearance. What is very interesting concerning the performance is the amount of time it took for Gaillard to be noticed and removed from the court. This in turn drew me to consider the idea of how people in society react to subversion. It was clear that when Gaillard went to shake the hands of his oppenant, that some people seemed surprised by this new players appearance who had not appeared earlier on, however they did seem to openly challenge this. This is an idea which I find fascinating about performace/performacne photography, the fact that an artist/performer is about to get away with acting subversly directly unchallenged, simply because people do not know how to respond to such an unusual form of behaviour.

The subtely of this performance I believe works very well. Gaillard’s objective is not to draw attention to himself as such, but instead it is to try to blend into a situation that he does not fit into. This means therefore that Gaillard is conducting his performacne from an ‘outsider’ perspective. An element of comedy that irises from the fact Gaillard has thrusted himself into a ridiculous and in many cases inappropriate situation. It is exciting to watch and there is a constant anticipation for Gallard to be caught out. This idea relates very effectively to the idea of chance, because the crowds reaction is completely uncertain and the length of the performances depends directly on factors outside of Gaillards control.

This performance has inspired me to explore the concept of an ‘outsider’ in performacne. By acting subversly in situations that you have no connections to, makes the performance even more exciting and on edge, because their is no way of interpreting how strangers will react. Also there is something more risky about it, due to the facto hat acting subservy in public is prehaps uncomfortable and more difficult than it would be to act subservy in front of people you know well. Such a performacne enables the performer to view the situation objectively. I felt that this was the case during our trip to St Malo, because we had no prior experience of then place, and we were  complete outsiders, forced to react and adapt (change) to the various situations that we were presented with.

Analysis

Tom Pope

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Revolution
Revolution

I found this image on Tom Pope’s website and it was captioned ” 12 revolutions 12 estimated minutes 12 liters of gloss black paint” it interested me because I think it has a deeper meaning to it. This photograph was taken during a performance which seems to have been pre planned due to it being in an enclosed space which doesn’t look pubic. I think the photograph shows Tom using up liters of black paint by painting a circle over and over again for 12 minutes. Tom likes the use of repetition in his work and audience participation even if it’s just observation which we can see in this photograph. The fact that Tom’s back is facing the camera and the performance isn’t being done in an area which is appealing to the eye re- enforces the idea that Tom’s work is about the performance rather than the photo itself. After thinking about why Tom chose to paint a circle it occurred to me that clocks have 12 numbers on them which would fit in with his pattern of 12. The definition of revolution is ” a forcible up throw of a government or social order in favor of a new system”.  However when I googled the 12 revolutions nothing came up. In my interpenetration of the photograph circles usually represent a continuous cycle usually in the 12 hours a day reinforced by the repetition of going over the circle again and again and revolution being a key to breaking this cycle.

Analysis, Research

Analysing Dynamo’s Performance: Walking on Water

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In this performance, Dynamo is filmed walking down the steps of the river Thames, and without trying to direct any attention to himself, begins to walk on water. This performance by Dynamo is a good example of surrealism in Dynamo’s artistic mindset. The idea of walking on water, as claimed Jesus did in the bible is seen as a legendary symbolization related to achieving a miraculous feat, something considered to be physically impossible. The way in which Dynamo casually walks on the water as it was no big deal, is connected to Dadism in art because there is a sense that, despite being as impressive as it is, there is no real meaning or point to it. Dynamo, in this example is taking this concept to the extreme by relating it to such an unusual and extraordinary situation. Dynamo is also in this performance, using the influence of subversion. This is because he is creating an extraordinary illusion, which questions human rationality and social boundaries. On a deeper level, this means that Dynamo is pushing the audience to question there own view of reality and social expectations.

The reaction of the crowd in this piece is very interesting, there is a mixture of responses, ranging from shock, denial, awe, fascination and wonder. Regardless of the type of reaction, the fact that such and event has caused a conscious reaction from an audience is testament to Dynamo’s ability to stop people in their tracks, forced to  process the outstanding nature of his masterful illusions. Literally speaking, Dynamo by stepping on the Thames had broken the trespassing law. When the police boat comes to detain him, a sense of comedy is created through the ridiculous situation of a policeman arresting a man for breaking the law, seemingly unaffected by  fact that a man is walking on water!  This, somewhat intended by Dynamo, is a direct challenge and protest against society, because through is majestic achievement which is representative of possibility and hope, Dynamo has subsequently characterized himself as a champion of the people, who is being brutally suppressed by the limitations of authority.

This piece has inspired me to in the direction my own performances to be more expressive and try to create situations which are out of the ordinary, instead of something which is relatively average and excepted. The influence of surrealism, had made me interested to study the aesthetic nature of my pieces. It is all good and well having a concept, and deeper dead, but these concepts will never be properly expressed or have an effect on the audience, if they are not visually poweful.

Analysis, Research

Surrealism: A New Form of Reality

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Surrealism is a different form of reality and is heavily influenced by dreams. This is the world that we create in our heads, often when sleeping things that we have no control over and often don’t make any sense but by the end of it we still gain something, whether that being we gain a moral or more of an understanding of something but sometimes we take nothing from them. Surrealism is the unconscious mind and a different world almost. This movement was created in Paris 1924.

I like the idea of surrealism because I am able to explore my dreams and express them in a creative format as well as creating something so out of the ordinary that not a lot of people would often think about. Everyone’s dreams are unique to them, we will never ever have the exact same dream as another person. I like the idea of being able to express this and show people what my dreams are like or even some crazy ideas of what a dream might look like. I think I am going to explore this as one of my ideas as it does really interest me and I love to find out about dreams that people have had as well as sharing my own.
There are many surrealist photographer including Man Ray, Maurice Tabard, Hans Bellmer, Dora Maar, Eric Johansson, Christopher McKenney and Stephen Criscolo etc. One of these photographers that I particularly like is Christopher McKenney as I find a lot of his work very interesting and the way it has been shot and edited looks very professional. ChristopherMcKenney ChristopherMcKenney2I really like these two images because of the way you can see parts of the person’s body behind the sheet but you never see their full body or who they are. It is almost as it that person isn’t really there, just like in some dreams when one minute your stood next to a specific person and a second later they have disappeared. This to me is very dream-like and I really enjoy looking at this. I think it would have been tricky to edit this image as they would have had to take a photograph firstly of the background of the image and then got the subject to sit on the chair so he took take the second image and in editing use the eraser tool to get rid of the rest of the body which the photographer didn’t want to see in his image.

http://www.christophermckenney.com/100surrealisticphotosivemade

On Mckenney’s website he has a set of 100 surrealism photographs which I find very interesting to scroll through. He tents to go for the same pattern with someone not completely being in the frame, a part of them is always rubbed out as if in a dream world. I really like this work and find that you can be very creative with this style and are able to explore new things.

There is also a hugely iconic surrealist photographer, John Baldessari, born in 1931 and is still alive today. In the 70s Baldessari decided to BURN all of his work and stated ‘I will not make anymore boring art’. After which he created a new form of the digital photography world and put dots in front of all the people’s faces that he photographed. This, to me, is a way of making the person unidentifiable so that no one knows who he is photographing and why he has photographed them in that specific way. I like this as it is interesting and I find that sometimes in dreams you can never really make out what a certain person looks like or who they are and this is a great way of visualizing that and bringing your dreams to life.

Analysis

TOM POPE

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When we went to meet Tom Pope for the first time, we visited the Societe Jersiaise to watch and listen to a couple of presentations given by Tom and Gareth who also works at the archive. Tom presented his videos to us and explained the reasoning’s behind them and how he got where he is today which started from the RCA college in London. He wanted to inspire us as young amateur photographers to try and make us produce something that we weren’t use to. He took us outside and paired us up to shoot some videos to start to get  a feel of what it is he does.

He gave us an orange between our pair and the idea was for one of us to throw the orange up in the air and let the other partner taking photographs as the orange is landing on the camera. This idea related to Tom Pope’s work when he threw apples at the camera were the trigger release was to try and make the apple take the picture instead of him, this was guess work but came out as interesting photographs, especially with the public reaction. He threw 60 apples and ended up with only 6 images, but I like how the guy in the background is just watching him, it completes the picture.

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Orange throwing

This activity was very strange to me at first but as the time went on, it was actually really enjoyable and made me realize that I should have more fun with my photography. Tom Pope was very laid back and really did inspire me and as the day went on and he tried more activities with us I got more intrigued. We also went n groups and had to all think of an action to do and capture, for example I chose spin and we had to photography ourselves spinning, and capture a technically bad photograph but a contextually good photograph.

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