Monthly Archives: February 2019

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Experimenting

Photo shoot one – editing

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To start experimenting with my images, I chose to crop out the mirror and replace it with a different image. To do this I used the magnetic lasso feature to crop out the shape of the mirror. I then moved this shape over to the image I wished to use instead. I changed the opacity so I could see both the space and new image, once I had the new image in the shape I wanted I moved it over to the original whole image. I then used shading tool to make the image look more like it was originally taken like that.

 

To experiment further, I used some filters on the mirror image to make it stand out more.

After conducting this photo shoot I could develop this idea further by looking at the work of Robert Smithson.

 

 

Developing, Research

Moodboard/Inspiration – buildings and collages

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Work Of Jim Kazan –
“My images are digitally manipulated composites built from photographs I find online. The technique I use could be considered “hyper-collage”. I cobble together pieces from photos I find interesting and feed them into Photoshop. Through a palimpsest-like layering process of adding and subtracting, I gradually blend the various parts together. I am basically manipulating and assembling a disparate array of multiple photographic elements (sometimes more than 50) to produce a single homogenized image. I do not use a camera at any stage in the process. ” SOURCE
Work Of Lewis Bush –
” Metropole is an attempt to emulate my experience of feeling increasingly alienated from the city I grew up in. I’ve spent most of my life in London and when I was first becoming interested in photography I would spend hours wandering through the city, photographing it, in the process also becoming much better acquainted with its present and its past. Today I see much of what I love about the city being swept away by a huge glut of demolition and construction taking place under the guises of ‘development’ and ‘regeneration’, but which in my eyes are actually more a form of degeneration which is stripping away the essential character of London and forcing Londoners out of the city.  ” SOURCE
Work of Merve Ozaslan –
” My work shows the relationship between nature and humanity. I seek vintage photographs and combine them to natural ones, it explains how we are all part of the same environment. There is something magical that takes place in the present or the past, reinterpreting like if it were something new. Visual collages of stories that are narrated in the mind of the spectator. This shows us that photographs, like each of us, are part of a natural universe, taking on the theme of urbanization and mechanization of human beings, where colors and emotions are sometimes paralyzed from the clichés of city life. ” SOURCE
Work of Christopher Scott Richey –
Creating unusual contrasts and juxtapositions, his work blends a variety of decades. Each image is a mélange of materials: black-and-white photography, printed wallpaper, scraps of letters, vintage stamps, excerpts from textbooks, and picture postcards outlined with rough brushstrokes of neon paint. These pieces create a visually stimulating analysis of time and memory merging on the page. Unique titles, often taken from one aspect of the image, give us a glimpse into the focus of each piece, sending the viewer on a visual game of hide-and-seek. SOURCE
Work Of Michael Wolf –
“I’ve lived in Hong Kong for 22 years, but I still feel like an outsider. Its back alleys have become my natural habitat as a photographer. I can spend 12 hours a day wandering the narrow walkways behind busy restaurants, housing estates and shops. They can be daunting – filled with broken furniture, electronic castoffs, cockroaches and garbage bags full of food that rots and smells. I’m still surprised by the strange things I come across – and I love that. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. “ SOURCE
Contextual Studies, Research

JOHN BALDESSARI

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“I will not make anymore boring art”

http://www.baldessari.org/

John Baldessari is renowned as a leading Californian Conceptual artist. Painting was important to his early work: when he emerged, in the early 1960s, he was working in a gestural style. But by the end of the decade he had begun to introduce text and pre-existing images, often doing so to create riddles that highlighted some of the unspoken assumptions of contemporary painting – as he once said, “I think when I’m doing art, I’m questioning how to do it.” And in the 1970s he abandoned painting altogether and made in a diverse range of media, though his interests generally centered on the photographic image. Conceptual art has shaped his interest in exploring how photographic images communicate, yet his work has little of the austerity usually associated with that style; instead he works with light humor, and with materials and motifs that also reflect the influence of Pop art. Baldessari has also been a famously influential teacher. His ideas, and his relaxed and innovative approach to teaching, have made an important impact on many, most notably the so-called Pictures Generation, whose blend of Pop and Conceptual art was prominent in the 1980s.

“I could never figure out why photography and art had separate histories.”

Developing

Artist References – Group Work – Making connections between Photography and Fine Art

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Stuart Pearson Wright

Wright plans a move away from portraiture, yet his projected subjects remain bound up with the enigma of his own identity and origins.

“People say I make my subjects look sad or old. I suppose I do instinctively either bring out of them, or project on to them, something rather melancholy.”

Wright explores identity of other people out of his own isolation. His obsession with portraiture formed out of never meeting his father, he was born as the result of artificial insemination.

Seydou Kaita

https://www.all-about-photo.com/photographers/photographer/125/seydou-keita

https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/artist/seydou-keita

‘Serving elite and middle-class patrons, his images often highlight the idealized or imagined socio-economic status of his sitters through the inclusion of props: cosmopolitan clothing and accessories, radios, telephones, bicycles, and sometimes his own car. To formalize the outdoor setting, Keïta regularly employed richly patterned backdrops that add movement and visual energy to his images and used a low vantage point and angular composition to highlight his clients’ confident facial expressions and relaxed postures. ‘

Rachel Whiteread

Rachel Whiteread, ‘100 Spaces’, Tate Britain, August 2017

https://www.theartstory.org/artist-whiteread-rachel.htm

https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/rachel-whiteread

‘One of Britain’s leading contemporary artists, Whiteread uses industrial materials such as plaster, concrete, resin, rubber and metal to cast everyday objects and architectural space. Her evocative sculptures range from the intimate to the monumental. ‘

Mike Disfarmer

(1884–1959) Portrait photographer from Arkansas in America, he captures harsh realism is rural parts of the country for 40 year. He lived a reclusive lifestyle only making human contact when taking hid photos. After leaving his family farm and changing his name to Disfarm as a form of rebellion he taught him self how to take and develop photos even building his own studio. He would charge 25-50 cent for a penny portrait which people from the community would buy as tokens to give to family and friends. He photographs, individuals sometimes groups generally with a natural expression not posing or overly smiling. The overall collection creates a sense of identity for the time, rural location and people who occupied it.

Uncategorized

wealth and media

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Being in jersey for a project which is very concentrated around natural beauty and finding a elements of visceral within the world is highly beneficial, however, I did belive it would too be interesting if I were to look more in depth at the word ‘opulence’ and what this demand to the people of jersey. In my previous posts I spoke much about ‘opulence’ being about what we consider to be wealth, the feeling or looking rich which brings us joy. And it is known jersey is one of, if not they biggest financial islands within the world, with billions invested into it, The very structure of jersey is the wealth which keeps everything turning, and because of this, I belive it would be beneficial to discuss if this wealth is peoples most important aspect to them, living in jersey. Although not everyone in jersey is wealthy, A large majority are, or a very few are incredibly rich with assists. Because of this the expenses of jersey is much more costly, but in tern, this is still a contributing factor as why jersey is such a pivotal essence of importance. However not only is his wealth within money a huge factor to jerseys success and why many people living here would view it as opulent, but also many belive jersey is and can be considered paradise, it is only an island 9-5 but it has many beaches vast and long, with beautiful bays, and award winning views. Its hospitality is enormous, and much of the reason jersey itself used to be considered an island wholey for tourism. However because this wealth of money is now the biggest factor of why I am to again these images I thought, it would be interesting to loOk at the issues of wealth from a mediated point of view, considering different philosophies and angles, in order for me to gain more knowledge as to why and how I could develop my work to see a new angle of jersey, that perhaps tells the truth even more so than my current shoots. Media: I believe throughout this project my knowledge on media could only but benefit my work as a whole. I belive if I were to expand my project more into fashion and fine art, possible focusing more on the beauty of people, I could once again add in the discussion of the male gaze and the female gaze. This also links into my project in the reflection of personal identity then to comes down to the relation for beauty, so using self portraits. I could use my perspective from being female in order to produce such a look which questions a gender perfomativity, and use elements such as the twin mechanises to form elements of schophilia, and create an elements that people might want to look at.

Uncategorized

Variation and Similarities initial ideas

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After going through the exam paper and gaining understanding of what variation and similarities can mean i have generated a few ideas i could pursue to show ‘variation and similarities’.

  • Front doors – Front doors are the entrance to peoples homes which would explain a lot about the house and the type of person who lives in the house.
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  • Bag belongings – The belongings of peoples bags will show what they carry around, without knowing a person a lot can be told about the kind of person they are.
  • Car boot sale – A car boot sale is a large collection of peoples belongings, by visiting one you can photograph each stall which can tell you about a person through the belongings they have brought to sell
  • Wardrobes – A wardrobe holds peoples cloths and other belongings, which can be used to tell what kind of person they are, as people are judged by their appearance often.
  • Key sets- Key sets hold keys and key rings that people have collected, and use. They show what kind of person they are as the have many different keys to doors and key rings, which can tell a story about a person as they are always with them.
Analysis, Contextual Studies, Developing

PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT FINAL CONCEPT, finding beauty of imperfections

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I belive as this is my last photography project, I need to start creating photography out of my comfort zone, and images which evoke a true feeling and follow a successful narrative thought. I started to think about all the three concepts I have so far being: fine art, media and family. I have come to the conclusion that this could come under beauty in life, despite pain and suffering. I will do this project from my own personal persona of the world. I belive not only does this project become my first directly connected photography to my own emotions, but it becomes a reflective narrative of my own life. This creates a narrative and meaning to my work. I myself belive there is definitely more good in the world than not. I belive everyone should be grateful in their life, as we are surrounded by so much beauty constantly. Despite all the struggles, disappointments and pains throughout our time, there will always be a positive outcome or ending. Or however hard anything might seem, it is never permeant, and to still keep faith and see the positive aspects within the world. I believe that This way of living contributes to the concepts of buddhism, and a change in mindset of what the world is like. I will use a combination of my daily life, where I go, what I see and experience, and form these beautiful pieces with this positive mindset at hand, as I do belive it is possible to find beauty anywhere I go.

Much of the work that I have in mind to me that speaks positivity and a freeness of life, is work which is abstract, emotive, has bright vivid colour, strong happiness, lighting and finally has a movement to the piece. All of these aspects creating a happier image. The state of seeing happiness and beauty is a state of mind and consciousness that you have the power to control. The state to which your attitude  creates a whole new perception of what is actually in front of you. With the weather getting better, lighter and people being friendly and more united, this to my mind is the perfect time to study a project about my one positive relationships with others. As I will do this project from my own views of how I see beauty in the world, I will possible include myself in some images, in order to show a bonding of myself with the atmosphere, emotions and persona that I too share with the landscapes and objects. My feeling and self should be shown within the imagery and it should be a combination of my own self love, reflected within the work.

An artists work that I belive really inspired me was laura el tantawy, I will study her ideas and inspiration in my next blog post, but for now I see her work has a beauty , softness and elegance. Her images to my mind connote a reflection of peace at mind. And I believe even taking such beautiful images, will benefit my own self, and my thoughts and views of the world. Focusing on the good instead of the bad in the world, should be an ideal way which people should live. Through taking beautiful images and letting my emotions be vulnerably visible in these images, will only benefit myself, and become happier and more peaceful at mind. I believe throughout this project my images will gradually get happier and more positive, as I grow more apart of my project. This piece of art is a relation of family as its close combination with my own emotions and the close relationships with how people should have a close bond with themselves like family. Mental health problems that they view the world, it just as important as the close net relationships we have with others. The media always concentrates the way we think and should feel about ourself, this effect on our mental health, changes an creates prejudice in the way we see ourselves, the world around us and others.

I believe this project will have some undertones and connotations to mental health, This being due to how we view subject matters as a society, and people being very based off of our own thoughts. If we are depressed or anxious it becomes more fogged and harder to view the world in a positive way. My images will be a combination of landscapes, observations but focused on in a more abstract manner. I too believe positive is reflected within light, so lighting will be a large part of this shoot. Luminance and brightness, seen within artificial and real light is abstract. Perhaps I too will look into artists who just study and look at light and abstract work. Additional aspect which I belive I too believe have a large importance to what I am trying to achieve within my own work. People colour, nature Similarity people Dreamscapes, abstract imagery.

Videos, Throughout this project I want to make around 5 videos, showing a visible demonstration of my life, a direct observational of what I see, perhaps featuring myself.The fact of featuring myself is to be done to show and exposure my own insecurities and exposure my emotions to everyone, as this exposure of a real presentation of myself, should be compared to the world around me.  But mostly to show the journey of what I can see and perhaps a literal narrative and final outcome of why I belive this holds importance and beauty. These videos will be short, delicate and focus on small detail usually ignored. I believe I could even add music over some, which evokes a more meditative medium of peace to them, and music which I belive evokes happiness. I really ant this project to be a positive reinforcement of my own thinking, how I feel about myself, and also a sentiment for how people should think and view the world from a positive clean slate.

Beauty of imperfections, is not only a pivotal part of the world which we live in, but it is also learning to love yourself. It is so important to accept you are not perfect, and despite what you or many will think, no one is perfect. It is the people who are able to see their imperfections and still love themselves despite of this who are the most beautiful. Being vulnerable and possible showing myself in ways I don’t such as with no makeup, not dressed up and stripped down to a natural form, trying to show that despite this , it it still okay, I am still me and this should be accepted. with the current high social regard of the media and beauty standards perhaps me doing this is a pivotal point of importance to my work. my vulnerability of my body and my emotions within this project, is what will make it successful and bring it to the next level. My images being along side aspects of the world I view as beautiful literally pulls myself as part of my narrative, and highlights my own importance and a bonding with my project. Images of still life, landscapes close ups, myself, just beauty which is surrounding me, I will too edit and combine images to create more abstract imagery. I believe Finding beauty within the imperfections of life is such a infacturating concept, and such an important part to being happy. To know of all the bad and see through it, To view mortality as something worth living for and not taking life for granted, Rather than death waiting for us. I believe to view and create something beauty from nothing is such a hugely great and important aspect, and perhaps  my own imagery, will enable people to see the beauty they too live in but just haven’t noticed or seen yet. My project is the growth and decay in life, and finding the beauty within the bad and good. and my own personal exploration of my beyond, being and how i should and can view the world as something which is just beautiful and should be seen this way. I will look into some philosophies about how to capture the world in this light, and more asian methods of seeing beauty.

I do belive this project connects with the title similarity and variation, this is due to the first off the connection with fine art, family and media which I previously discussed are a few of the primary starting points for the project. Secondly variation and similarity discusses a-lot about DNA and what makes us who we are and our reality and how it is interesting as we as people are so similar yet so different. This being different in our views of the world our appearances, and are ability to seek happiness. I believe showing the individuality of myself and how I see the world is a pivotal point in this project. This is what really will successfully connect my project to the finished title.

Planning, Recording

SPECIFICATION: VARIATION / SIMILARITY IN NATURE

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My main focus of this project will be based around the natural world and the variations and similarities within the landscapes and places around me. I will be looking at weather types and patterns, i.e. sunny, cloudy, rainy, windy, and also zooming in close on the environment and looking at the wide variety of leafs, trees, insects and other products of nature. Alongside looking at how diverse and varying the natural world can be, I will also explore how all kinds of nature can be linked back together through the idea of sublime beauty, fragility, and untouched by man. The aim of my investigation will be to highlight the beauty and delicacy of nature and how heterogeneous and interesting it can be. I will be photographing in places I pass through frequently, so I can create a link to my daily life and surroundings. I will also explore parts of the nature-rich island of Jersey that I never usually go to e.g. the coastline to enable that I get a variety of photographs and subject topics. I will experiment arranging my photos of a similar nature in a grid format, like Bernd and Hilla Becher to demonstrate knowledge of typologies.

Contextual Studies, Research

Video Art and Performance Art

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Yoko Ono: early video works in the 1960s

https://youtu.be/lYJ3dPwa2tI

During the first 11 years of her career, Ono moved among New York, Tokyo, and London, serving a pioneering role in the international development of Conceptual art, experimental film, and performance art. Her earliest works were often based on instructions that Ono communicated to viewers in verbal or written form. Though easily overlooked, the work radically questioned the division between art and the everyday by asking viewers to participate in its completion.

In the above video Cut Piece, Ono confronted issues of gender, class, and cultural identity by asking viewers to cut away pieces of her clothing as she sat quietly on stage.

Yoko Ono and John Lennon collaborated on a number of works, often in response to global politics and conflict. At the end of the decade, Ono’s collaborations with John Lennon, including Bed-In (1969) and the WAR IS OVER! if you want it (1969–) campaign, boldly communicated her commitment to promoting world peace.

“I think that conceptual art – it works in many ways. What I think it does the most is when it opens up things within people’s mind. And they will follow it and do something that is conceptual – but it would create reality in their life.”

Bruce Naumann: early video works

https://youtu.be/D6LppuVHlus

Bruce Nauman was one of the most prominent, influential, and versatile American artists to emerge in the 1960s.   For more than 50 years Naumann has worked in every conceivable artistic medium, dissolving established genres and inventing new ones in the process. “I’ve always had overlapping ways of going about my work,” Bruce Nauman once remarked. “I’ve never been able to stick to one thing.”His expanded notion of sculpture admits wax casts and neon signs, bodily contortions and immersive video environments. Using his body to explore the limits of everday situations, Nauman explored video as a theatrical stage and a surveillance device within an installation context, blending ideas from conceptualism, minimalism, performance art, and video art.

Some of Nauman’s earliest work was shaped by ideas that arose in the wake of Minimalism in the late 1960s. In particular, the way he treated the body – often his own, shown on video completing repetitive tasks – and the way he related the body to surrounding objects show the impact of Minimalism’s new ideas about the relationship between the viewer and the sculptural object. Ludwig Wittgenstein‘s ideas about language have been an important influence on his work, shaping his interest in the way words succeed or fail in referring to objects in the world.

Much of Nauman’s work reflects the disappearance of the old modernist belief in the ability of the artist to express his ideas clearly and powerfully. Art, for him, is a haphazard system of codes and signs, just like any other form of communication. Aside from informing his use of words, it has also encouraged him to use “readymade” objects – objects that, unlike paintings or traditional sculptures, already carry meanings and associations from their use in the world – and to make casts of objects ranging from the space underneath chairs to human body parts.

Andy Warhol

In 1963 he acquired his first motion picture camera, a hand held 16mm Bolex, and shortly after he claimed an ‘abandoning’ of painting. Disingenuous this claim might have been but his expansion into filmmaking was no passing jaunt. Between 1964 and 1968 the artist was particularly prolific, producing literally hundreds of films of varying length and style. Nearly 650 films were produced, including hundreds of silent Screen Tests, or portrait films, and dozens of full-length movies, in styles ranging from minimalist avant-garde to commercial “sexploitation.”

Warhol’s films have been highly regarded for their radical explorations beyond the frontiers of conventional cinema. One such film, Empire 1964, his eight-hour, static-shot of New York’s most recognisable skyscraper, is included in the exhibition at Tate Liverpool.

Warhol began to take an interest in the avant-garde film in 1963 when it was at the height of the mythic stage. He quickly made himself familiar with the latest works of Brakhage, Markopoulos, Anger, and especially Jack Smith, who had a direct influence on him. On one level at least Warhol turned his genius for parody and reduction against the American avant-garde film itself.

The first film that he seriously engaged himself in was a monumental inversion of the dream tradition within the avant-garde film. His Sleep (1962) was no trance film or mythic dream but six hours of a man sleeping.

Planning Response

I plan on taking inspiration from these videos by producing my own video recordings of the same task everyday. I will then edit these recoding together so the video dress the theme repetition. I think by doing this I will develop more ideas for my project and will inspire me to produce more video responses. By recoding a task I do everyday will produce the same shot in different variations i.e. different lighting, compositions.