Daily Archives: February 20, 2018

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Planning, Research

Introduction to Exam (Freedom and/or Limitations) – Starting Points

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On my return to school after half-term, we swiftly moved onto looking at the exam criteria and how we can build and generate ideas relating to the exam theme of Freedom and/or Limitations. The first task I completed in order to aid my development of ideas for I may wish to carry out for the exam, I gathered with a couple of other members of my class to create a brainstorm which outlined different keywords surrounding the concept of freedom/limitations. During the lesson we collectively came up with several; ideas in which we could possibly explore over the next few months. Considering freedom and limitation is such a broad criteria, it was relatively simple to come up with many ideas but also quite a challenge because it was difficult to transfer out ideas into how we would produce a series of photographic work surrounding it.

After out group task and then discussing our ideas a class afterwards, I decided to create an online mind map of what we had started thinking of. Below is the image if the online version of my mind map. I created this on a program called WordItOut which allowed me to insert specific works into the software and afterwards, it would generate a colourful and creative bundle of words of different sizes and colours to replicate the look of a mind map. This was a quick task I thought would benefit me as it allowed me to re-write what I had already written in the group task and it is presented in a creative way. This task was intended to allow me to pick a handful of keywords from the long list already created and create a more detailed mind map outlining the key words in more detail where I talk about what I could explore in each idea.

Freedom and limitation is very broad and so I have decided to quickly group together several keywords from each binary opposition. In my more detailed mind map I will divide the page into freedom and limitations and talk about a few possibilities for each. I am still unsure on what I actually want to explore for my project because it is so early on in the process but these tasks are intended to allow me opportunities to weigh up my most preferred options and discard the ideas I dislike to allow me the chance to understand more so what it is I want to carry out for my exam project.

As well a using my own knowledge of what freedom and limitations mean to me already, I will also utilise the exam booklet which I have been handed and this covers different starting points students cab use when they are exploring the subject of Photography. This mentions different artists and their works at which we can look at for inspiration as well as introduction to what freedom and limitation can entail and the history of art and visual communication in relation to freedom and limitation.

Below is a Word Docuemnt version of a more detailed look at different  possibilities for what I could explore in my project. However these are pony starting ideas and it was an opportunity for me to quickly get my thoughts down about each category. When I progress further into the exam work, I will be required to think more carefully about what exactly it is I want to work on. The concept of looking at fashion as a means of freedom is something I am most attracted to and this was the first potential idea I thought of when the exam criteria was revealed because of my own passion for fashion and expressing myself through clothes, following trends and being unique in my own physical look. I already have an envision of what the final product could look like but still need to plan and research until the point at which I have several thoughts for different paths I can take.

Planning, Research

FREEDOM AND/OR LIMITATIONS

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Initially we got into groups and discussed the different subtopics or categories we could think of that linked to our exam title ‘Freedom and/or Limitations’. whilst creating a mind map of our initial ideas we discussed what kind of photographs we could make through these ideas. Different areas we came up with that i could focus on during the exam period could be: the limitations of varying cultures and religions, the knew freedom of technology, creativity and the growth of what is considered to be artwork, the freedom and limitations of expression over time, travel and how it can limit you but also make you free, the different that money can make how an individuals freedom or how a lack of money can becoming limiting. One of the main ideas which came to mind when considering freedom and limitations was politics and the political restrictions which are evident in our society and past 100 years and how laws, debates, protest, political freedom can be conveyed through photography.

Looking deeper into the theme of freedom and limitations i have research artists which show how artistic freedom has changed over decades and also look at the freedom and limitations shown through different materials and mediums.

Archibald MacLeish, an American poet wrote that ‘Freedom is the right to choose.’ This is considered to follow the political context and states that if you have the right to choice then you are experiencing freedom. This was then translated to artist where they began to be inspired and wanted to show freedom of choice through what they painted and what would be considered artwork. Fauvism was the first twentieth century movement in modern art. For Fauves such as André Derain and Henri Matisse freedom was the right to paint in whatever colours they chose. The paintings of the Fauves were characterized by seemingly wild brush work and strident colors, while their subject matter had a high degree of simplification and abstraction.

André Derain – The Houses of Parliament (1905-1906)

Fauvism can be seen as an extreme development of Van Gogh’s Post-Impressionism.  Van Gogh work included landscapes, still lifes, portraits which were characterised by bold colours and dramatic, impulsive and expressive brushwork that contributed to the foundations of modern art. He was seen as a romantic artist, who chose to take artwork into his own form. The expressive brushstrokes that he used combined with a compleatly unique and unseen of vision of the world became one of the biggest inspirations of the twentieth century for artists to engage in the freedom of choice to paint/create artwork which was like no other.

Vincent Van Gogh – The Starry Night (june 1889)

Piet Mondrian, was a dutch painter and Theoretician who has become regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century. As one of the pioneers of abstract art similar to van gogh, he changed the artistic direction and expanded on the limitations of art forms.  He increased the abstract style on the tweentieth century and focused on geometric shapes and elements to his artwork. His expression of artwork further exercised the amount of artistical freedom one could have. His use of the three primary colours, primary values and primary directions of horizontal and vertical created a ‘universal beauty’. He was known to encounter experiments in cubism where cubists explored the choice to depict form and space.

Edgar Degas (19 July 1834 – 27 September 1917) was a French artist famous for his paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings. He is especially identified with the subject of dance; more than half of his works depict dancers. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism, although he rejected the term, preferring to be called a realist.

More detailed mindmap exploring ideas:

 

 

Planning

Introduction into Freedom and Limitations

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In preparation for our final exam, we were made aware of the exam question or starting point. This year ours was ‘Freedom and Limitations.’ Firstly we made a mind-map of our ideas in groups of two, these ideas were developed in a class discussion and we picked out ideas, which we felt that personally we could develop and explore. We identified we could use the two contrasting words as binary, investigating the meaning of both words and how these differ. However, we also realise we could focus on one of the two words, which is what I would like to do. Either focus on the theme of freedom or limitations. As of now, I am gravitating towards the word ‘Limitations.’ These are my ideas for both words.

Freedom- The power or right to act, speak or think as one wants.

Limitations- a limiting rule or circumstance; a restriction.

Some of them appeal to me than others as I know what I like and are more successful at photographing. I recognise I like to work with a story more than a theme or concept, therefore some of my ideas are developing a story around a person or society. I would like to discuss some of my ideas to expand them and make them more clear.

Explanation of key ideas:

Mental Health or Disability:

Mental health is becoming increasing more common, which could be due to more people experiencing the symptoms and being diagnosed or that we now can detect mental health issues much more accurately with our new and consistently improving knowledge. However, with a mental health disorder you get the label, which comes with it. This is a stigma of mental health, which are societies attitudes towards  individuals with mental disorders. This is because this group of people are labelled abnormal and are treated differently in society. This leaves the individual feeling shut out from the world as they are not associated as ‘normal.’ This could lead to serious implications when it comes to the individual leading a ‘normal’ life.

This is similar to disability, however this is something we can normally see. Again, people with a disability are perceived in a different way in society. They are expected to not achieve as much as ‘normal’ people and can therefore underachieve as a result of a lack of effect to press these people to the best of there abilities. People with disabilities often don’t get asked if they have dreams or goals because society assumes they will not achieve this as do not have a normal functioning body or mind. This limits them in life to do things they want to do.

Both of these ideas show that their free will, which is the power of acting without the constraint. Instead, they are limited by their disorder or disability but also limited by society and ignorance. This supports the debate of determinism which  proposes that all behavior and actions are caused by preceding factors and is thus predictable. What I mean by this is, once the individual is diagnosed with having a disability or mental illness, their life is perceived differently.

Prisoners/prison cells:

When an individual is imprisoned for their immoral actions, they are then limited to the confined space of a cell. This limits their freedom of life choices and opportunities. Once a person has again been labelled as a criminal and therefore this will stay with them throughout their lives. This might limit them, especially when it comes to their careers and finding a job, as they will still be viewed as a criminal 10 years, 20 years down the line. The labeling does not go away. Within the prison itself, the prisoners are limited to the daily routine and are not allowed to make choices about what they want to do and when.

Image result for prison photography

These 3 ideas are my main suggestions for my exam project. Further research and discussion will filter them to give me my final idea, which I will then advance with more research, analysis and experimentation. These ideas are revolved around labeling and limitations, however, I am not sure which one of these projects I will chose to progress.

Experimenting, Recording

Provoke | Yutaka Takanashi, Takuma Nakahira and Daido Moriyama.

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Changing perceptions and breaking boundaries |  Japanese Photography

provoke

WHAT : Provoke was a Japanese magazine which rejected glossy commercial imagery and the style of documentary photography. The Provoke era refers to its influence on photography made in post-war Japan

WHY : challenge the idea that photography has its own language, independent of words.Following the decimation and rebuilding of Japanese society after the Second World War, photography played an important part in a new self-definition of Japanese visual style, set apart from Western influences.

Provoke was a magazine with only three issues in the late 1960s, but its influence continued into the 1970s and 80s. It set itself apart from the photojournalistic style of the day, looking for a more subjective voice and validation of the person behind the camera. The images are often grainy and disorderly, reflecting the social and political upheavals taking place across the nation. It also constrasted with the glossy imagery of commercial magazines.

Takuma Nakahira and Yutaka Takanashi were founding members of the Provoke group. Daido Moriyama joined a little later, bringing with him his early influences of Cartier-Bresson, but with a desire to be a witness with more self-expressive intent.

HOW : The photographers featured here attempted for a short period to challenge the rules and conventions of photography in the context of massive social upheaval. They asked important questions of photography, testing its power and influence. Their youthful experiments became massively influential for subsequent generations of photographers.

The main subject of this project is Provoke (Purovōku), an experimental magazine founded by photographers Yutaka Takanashi and Takuma Nakahira, critic Koji Taki, and writer Takahiko Okada in 1968. The magazine’s subtitle read as: shisō no tame no chōhatsuteki shiryō (Provocative documents for the sake of thought).

​Photographer Daido Moriyama, the photographer most often associated with the publication, did not join the magazine until the second issue. Provoke lasted only three issues with a small print run, but was tremendously influential.

Provoke argued that the photographer can capture what cannot be expressed in words, presenting photographs as “documents” for others to read.  In Japanese, the visual style of the photographs in Provoke has been described as: ‘are-bure-boke‘, which translates as ‘grainy/rough, blurry, out-of-focus‘. On 31 March 1970 the Provoke collective published the book Mazu tashikarashisa no sekai o suterō: Shashin to gengo no shisō (First, Throw Out Verisimilitude – Thoughts on photography and language). It was to the be the last publication of this short lived but influential group. Each of the participants went on to establish their own individual visions in their subsequent careers.

Contextual history

>> Daido Moriyama wants you to WATCH THIS <<

 

“Photography was too explanatory, too narrational for me. […] It was natural for me to join Provoke. […] They said they were photographing atmosphere. But I was very precise and careful. […] But my work changed after I saw how they worked. I saw that I could not control everything. I understood that photography is only a fragment. I used to be a photographer who interprets things via language. And then Provoke changed me.”

— Yakuta Takanashi

“The ambitious mission of Provoke to create a new photographic language that could transcend the limitations of the written word was declared with the launch of the magazine’s first issue. The year was 1968 and Japan, like America, was undergoing sweeping changes in its social structure. A questioning of traditional social conventions and a loss of confidence in existing political powers was happening in many creative disciplines across Japan and formed the foundation that fuelled Provoke’s mission. Unified under a manifesto that advocated conceptualism over realism, Provoke‘s photographers and writers moved beyond issues of what to photograph, and sought to uncover and question the essential nature of photography itself. The visual results flouted the precision of earlier documentary modes in favour of a less focused imagery that allowed for chance and the unknown to reveal itself in the photographic process.”
— Russet Lederman, 2012

Other photographs by Provoke Group members:

Subsequent publications by each of the Provoke members were equally challenging in their subject matter and visual style. Most famous of these are the books ‘Farewell to Photography’ by Daido Moriyama, ‘For a Language to Come’ by Takuma Nakihara and ‘Towards the City’ by Yutaka Takanashi.

Your response to PROVOKE

  • Look carefully at the photographs published in the various issues of Provoke. How would you describe them? Write a list of words that might be used to capture the visual qualities, subjects and impact of these photographs on the viewer.
  • What does the word Provoke suggest to you? What is provocative about these photographs? Why do you think this was chosen as the title of the publication?
  • Reflect on your own feelings about the society in which you live and the state of photography. What kinds of images and ways of making photographs seem appropriate to you for documenting these feelings and attitudes? Where would you go to make these pictures? Given Moriyama’s use of a consumer compact camera (rather than an expensive, professional rangefinder or SLR) would it matter to you what equipment you used?
  • In order to explain the approach they were taking to photography in Provoke, the participants published a short manifesto. There is a long history of artists, especially in the twentieth century, banding together and writing manifestos. Imagine you decided to collaborate with classmates and/or friends to create an artistic collective. What would you write in your manifesto?
  • Daido Moriyama has said: “[My] photos are often out of focus, rough, streaky, warped, etc. But if you think about it, a normal human being will in one day perceive an infinite number of images, and some of them are focused upon, others are barely seen out of the corner of one’s eye.” What do you think he means? Watch the film Daido Moriyama: In Pictures and make some notes. How would you summarise his attitude to photography?
  • It is often more difficult to make ‘wrong‘ photographs than it is to follow the ‘rules’ or conventions of photography. Attempt to make a series of images which respond as instinctively to the world as possible. Consider the following questions:
    • ​Will you use a film or digital camera? Will your camera be an SLR/DSLR, a compact camera, a disposable camera or a camera phone?
    • Will you photograph in colour or black and white?
    • Will you always look through the viewfinder?
    • Will you always compose your image carefully?
    • Will you always keep the camera level with the horizon?
    • Will you always focus on your subject?
    • Will your subjects conform to one or more genres of photography?
    • Will you always photograph from your full height?
    • Will you always carefully select your subjects?
  • Whilst you are making photographs, ask yourself the questions: “What is photography?”, “Who becomes a photographer?” and “What is seeing?”…remember, you have access to texts and publications that ask the same questions
  • Once you have made a significant number of photographs, consider how you will edit, print, sequence and display them. You could continue to experiment at this stage by, for example, printing your images on unusual materials and/or using a scanner or photocopier to print/alter your photographs.
  • You might decide to create your own photobook or magazine (like Provoke). You could also choose to collaborate with classmates. Again, don’t be afraid to question the ‘rules’ about how photographs are generally displayed. Consider issues such as repetition, scale, materials, layering, orientation etc.
  • Daido Moriyama reportedly told the publisher of his groundbreaking book ‘Farewell to Photography’ to arrange the pictures in whatever way he liked. You could give a classmate a selection of your images and ask them to make their own sequence for a display or publication of some sort, thus delegating the responsibility of the final display to someone else.
  • Bend and break the rules, conventions, limitations of what you know about photography…and find a sense of freedom whilst provoking a response from the viewer(s).

Good Luck!