In 1975 there was an exhibition of New Topographic inspired work – it was titled “New Topographics: Photographs of a Man-Altered Landscape” and was considered a point of turning in photography by many historians. The exhibitions consisted of the Bechers, Robert Adams, Lewis Baltz, Joe Deal, Frank Gohlke, Nicholas Nixon, John Schott, Stephen Shore, and Henry Wessel. The photographs revolved around typical typology themes such as abandoned buildings. What was appealing about this exhibition was how unusual they were compared to the traditional approach of photographing landscapes. The new topographic photographers were less concerned with displaying nature as an ideal haven and they prioritised showing how many has changed the landscape, possibly for the worse. The exhibition also brought around a change in the teachings of photography because all of the photographers involved were associated with academia as either students or professors, which was strange at the time as photography was not widely taught in schools. Stephen Shore’s photographs in the exhibition also showed a shift from the old belief that fine art and photography should be in black and white. Ultimately, the exhibition helped the idea of photography as fine art to gain traction. The exhibition was originally held in the George Eastman House but in 2010 was re-staged at the University of Arizona in which they chose over 100 photos from the original exhibition to include. The influence left behind from the photographers involved on photographers can be clearly seen in the photographs. Each photographer in the New Topographics exhibition was represented by 10 prints, all of which was in black and white except for Stephen Shore’s work. When introducing the exhibition, Jenkins (the curator) defined the common denominator of the show as “a problem of style: stylistic anonymity”, meaning an absence of style. The idea was that all of the photographs were stripped of artistic frills. For more detailed look at what the work of the New Topographic’s consisted of, please see my post on the Bechers.
Mobile Homes by Robert Adams
Pier 24 by Stephen Shore
The work of the New Topographic’s appeals to me because the work that I have been doing on ‘Variance and Similarity’ involves me photographing building faces in a documentary style similar to the work of Topographics, such as the Bechers. I believe that the strong and bold photographs that they have produced in an attempt to show how there is beauty in the ugly have a strong influence over the work that I have produced as I have been photographing buildings which are not conventionally attractive, as well as photographs of steel covered in rust, which is another typically ugly subject. The resulting photographs are abstract compositions that reflect the documentative and cold-cut style of the New Topographic work. I am also presenting some of my final pieces as a typology grid, which is a feature strongly associated with the Becher’s. The typology grid appeals to me because it provides a great way to compare and contrast between photographs as well as showing trends between them in a way that is simplistic but effective.
The work of Huang Qingjun’s “Family Stuff” photographed families and their possessions outside their homes in poor regions of china to give an insight into their lives, and tell a story about their lives from their belongings. Qingjun’s work explores families lives in detail by showing all they have, which can build a story in the viewers eye. Qingjun uses colour in his photos which helps to create an interesting image by giving colour to the subjects possessions, which helps to easily identify them. This projects fit into the theme of ‘Variance and Similarities’ because It looks at how each individual with the same level of poverty looks different, and has different belongs even though all the subjects are below the poverty line.
To respond to Huang Qingjun I visited Millbrook car boot and took images of the different stalls, people and the things they were selling. The intended effect was to tell a story about the people from their belongings which I believe I have achieved successfully in my images. The outcome of my images is visually similar to that of Qingjun’s as the images showed a subject and their belongings.
Contact Sheet
Edits/Typologies
As these images are all similar, and yet different I feel it suits the photos to be displayed in a typologies grid. This allows the images to be compared to each other closely, whilst also seeing the differences that are clearly between them.
I decided to make a short video, in order to introduce my project. It is just some film footage that I have developed to be the same tonal range as my prints and book, and also added the title. I wanted to create this as something extra to allow the explanation of the key narrative. This small introduction is sped up shots of the sky edited together in order to create a simulation of the title itself. Below is a youtube link in order to show the video itself. It is a mixture of three short clips of the sky cut together, all edited to be inverted into black and white. you are able to here the sounds surrounding myself, and the pathetic engrossing darkness following of the skyline with the tittle forming. This is meant to be an introduction of the creation story, forming the godly power and making the project seem worthy to watch or look into. Overall I think this video is just an intro to my project as a whole, I too edited some of the clips to be backwards and one of which to have engraved small circle, this done in order to form an ideological representation of the presence of god. Overall I think this video is an interesting interpretation of a scenario that was beautiful, and yet too is very in keeping within images and project as a whole.
Overall I believe my book was developed successfully. I managed to get a complete narrative concept and also an editing construct throughout the book as a whole. Below is the final link and pdf to view the finality of my book. Ascension as a concept links well within each and every aspect being finished within this project. I believe the Power that the words had is a command, yet still has the ability to almost show a sense of connection within the power itself. The objectivity and narrative throughout has been consistent and has a clear relation to that of variation and similarity. The progression throughout this project has is been my most successful, it has allowed my ideas to grow and become more specific, yet still creating a personalised project I have ever achieved and I belive this is very fitting within the brief and forming together everything needed to be accomplished.
3.how successfully you fulfilled the EXAM brief and realised your intentions: I believe through the progression of my project, I have been able to fulfil the title of this project more and more. when I thought of variation and similarity I thought of fine art and media, and how they are represented in the everyday. However, throughout the selection process, Variation and similarity is not only expressed throughout the same consistent editing process, but also the different connects of the narrative of life which everyone experiences, but the effect of religion and how this causes and individuality to the project and has the connotations for variation. I did not want to create a project which was so directly supported to the words and so enabled no conceptual construct and undertone of meaning. So allowing this detrimental physicality of life physically and emotionally to flow throughout, showing the first aspect of birth and leading to death has such a connection of repeating differences within everyones daily lives and importance.
links and inspiration between your final images and exam theme including artists references: I belive my links throughout each of my final evaluations have been fulfilled. My inspiration was evident throughout this project, there has a clear influence from the artists I chose, especially getting towards the latter half of my project. This is the use of narrative and similar editing through the black and white tones throughout. My artists book was Their photographs capture the commonplace such as water stains on asphalt, dust clouds and rays of light, and transform these into mesmerising frames – elusive fragments that evoke an imaginary creature, a milky way, a phosphorescent silhouette…Presented together, their combined voices lead us on a journey into unexplored territory, somewhere between the everyday and paranormal, between night and day. Amongst enveloping darkness, lightness is revealed, dazzling and miraculously caught by discerning eyes. I thought these unique magical and spiritual elements could really express life death and spirituality not in a way to cause destruction and concern but fragments of our shared identity.
analysis of final prints/presentation in terms of composition, lighting, meaning, concept, symbolism etc: My final print which are seen in this blog post all have a clear connections throughout, focusing on the same theme see examples. The progression of my shoot I believe has been monumental, I belive the additionally narrative of religion has really allowed me to expand on conceptual thought of life and death and how you can focus on darker subjects matters yet still perpetuate a meaning of beauty and purpose. The sheer size of my points and due to their tonal quality I believe this is what makes theme the most successful. I believe much like my prints I will print out my book in a large size, once more to get this huge iconicity and impact and visual overload when seen. Linking my project prints with the book is the introduction video, and something which I believe really links in conceptually the title and a brief endeavour as to what this project has to offer.
Here is my final print presentation. I decided not to do the additional 18 window mount as I thought already with the 8 a1 presentations and also the short video and clear visual overload form the book, it would come together and be too much and loose the specifically of the narrative that I already have. I think this final outline of this presentation is successful. here it is below:
As spoken about previously, I wanted this presentation to have strength, and almost create a stimulation of the amount of strength god has. This power recognised within the sheer size and then imitated by the impact of the dark tonal colours is effective. Conceptually my favourite piece is the piece of the eyes, this is due to the division of both the black and the white seen throughout, also this combining division of tonal essences is mimicked through the two surrounding outsides of the trees within the foregrounding The echoes of different compositions throughout differing from more square lines to circular water motion. Much like my video the image of the waves is almost a a reversal of movement in order to create denotations to the sky. I chose this paradigm purposely to links every single one of my final presentations and to successful finish
Overall I believe my images alongside my narrative have used such a dramatic growth in order to enable a more personalised emotional connection and also to capture wanderings create a hauntingly beautiful dialogue. I took more and more shoots used to capture their everyday in an impulsive and almost obsessional way, documenting life from their doorsteps to far afield. The physiological factors present death as a common and less feared but an act of something much more spiritual, I belive my own personal connections allow a snese of bonding within this project and the reader, and how the sheer beauty within the inverted colours allow a successful finished project.
These are three of my first draft page spreads for my book design. I have decided to pick a landscape book for this project as I feel that it is what best fits my images and will help my get the best result as all my images are landscape. I then started my book design by picking one initial image on the first page and then started pairing photos together by keeping in mind things such as shapes, colours and objects. I also plan to incorporate some double page spreads where the left page is blank and only the right page has a photo to create a break within the structure of the book which will insure that the design does not become cluttered and not too much of a continuous pattern.
When compared to the work of Saul Leiter, there can be signs of influence in my response. The subject matter of both images is similar just mine is modern and his is from the 50s. This image does a great job at showing development throughout time. Leiters image is slightly darker than mine With much less noise within the image. Mine shows two rows of a variety of yellow coloured taxis. Whereas, Leiters image shows a gentleman and a yellow and green Taxi behind. The main reason i liked this image is because of they way they all have the same exact taxi sign on the roof Yet they are on different variations of cars, This makes them similar yet varied. Lieters image has a high contrast with a slightly lowered brightness, Where as my image is overall fairly light due to the different times they were shit at.
My planned photoshoot for St Helier did not go to plan due to the Jersey Boat Show taking place at the time. This affected my ability to shoot certain places and areas. Therefore I moved to Gorey and shot there as well to get some extra imagery. I spent 3 hours walking around town and also Gorey village looking for circles and exploring them through photography.
Below is the contact sheet of that afternoon;
This shoot was completely ground based, no drone today however I did take the drone up with my dad the day before and I will upload this in a separate post.
Infra, Richard Mosse’s first book, offers a radical rethinking of how to depict a conflict as complex as the ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mosse depicts the rich topography, inscribed with the traces of conflicting interests, as well as rebel groups at war with the Congolese national army (itself a patchwork of recently integrated warlords and their militias). For centuries, the Congo has repeatedly compelled and defied the Western ideology. Mosse brings to this subject the use of a type of color infrared film called Kodak Aerochrome. Originally developed for military reconnaissance and now discontinued, it registers an invisible spectrum of infrared light, rendering the green landscape in vivid hues of lavender, crimson, and hot pink. The results offer a fevered inflation of traditional reportage, underlining the growing tension between art, fiction, and photojournalism. Mosse’s work highlights the ineffable nature of current events in today’s Congo. Infra’s photographic dialogue begins as an intoxicating meditation on a broken genre, but ends as a haunting elegy for a vividly beautiful land touched by unspeakable tragedy.
Mosse’s photo-book ‘Infra’ was one I found very eye catching and appealing to me. I became instantly interested in his story and his images were compelling and told the story of his time in the Congo without using a single word. My book however is not following the same approach, my book aims to make people see the world in a different way and maybe be more observant of the world around them and circles are a shape that you can see everywhere, but nobody really takes notice. That is one similarity this book has with my idea, that nobody takes notice of the conflicts etc in countries we find ‘insignificant’ to us.
Richard Mosse (born in Kilkenny, Ireland, 1980) holds an MFA in photography from Yale University School of Art, and additional degrees from Goldsmiths, London; King’s College London, and the London Consortium. His work has been widely exhibited internationally, including at the Palais de Tokyo and the Tate Modern. In 2011, Mosse was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, with a supplemental stipend from the Leon Levy Foundation. Mosse is represented by Jack Shainman Gallery.
For this shoot, I wanted to concentrate on capturing light and darkness within architecture. This included taking my images in the day time on a sunny day with strong rays of sun light. Shadows were a bold factor in this shoot which helped me to create a sense of darkness in my images. I was inspired by a few photographers to create this shoot, which I discuss further down in this blog post.
Huang Qingjun, a Japanese photographer born in 1971 in Daqing, convinced families in china with very little to move all of their belongings outside and be photographed with them. The project called “Family Stuff”, which spanned over 10 years, shows Chinese families with all their belonging. I like this project because I feel it tells a story about each family just from their belongings and how much they have, and I feel I can incorporate this into my work.
The “family stuff” project spanned over many years. and the main dates of the project follow. December 2007, “Family Stuff” works exhibition in 798 Photo Gallery, Beijing, China. 2009 and 2010, “Family Stuff” works exhibition in PHOTO Exhibition, Paris March 2012, “Family Stuff” works exhibition in AIPAD New York, USA. November 2012, “Family Stuff” works exhibition in Conceptual Renewal-A Brief History of Chinese Contemporary Photographic Art, Beijing, China September 2013，“Family Stuff” works exhibition in Photoquai Photography Biennial, Paris September 2013, “Family Stuff” works 10 years anniversary exhibition in 798 Photo Gallery, Beijing China
The reason I want to use Huang Qingjun as my inspiration is because I find his images interesting. This is because I feel that they tell a story within the photo. I wish to recreate a similarly styled set of images, showing a person and their belongings to try and tell a story in a still image.
To do this I will visit car boots. I feel that car boots are the best place to try and recreate this story as I can Photography people with their belongings. Normally in car boots people are selling their unwanted belongings and can tell a past story rather than their current story which Huang Qingjun’s project showed.
This image shows a family outside with their belongings with the house in the back ground. The image has been taken with a wide depth of field as all of the image is in focus. The photo appears to have been taken on a dim day outside so the photo would have had to be taken with an ISO of about 800. It creates a sense of loneliness as the image is taken in a desert with very little possessions in the photo. This creates a minimalist image and shows this families wealth, whilst also telling a story and creating questions such as why they’re in this rural and deserted area.
This post covers my second final outcome of the ‘Variation and Similarity’ exam project.
As I intended to do I have produced my A3 print display display which overall I am very satisfied with, I am happy with the fact that following my plan for this display, I have managed to produce exactly what I was planning to. The layout which I planned to use worked really nicely once put upon the foam board, and allowing for a slight overhang of 2 prints which is a nice visual touch. As I said when selecting which photo-montages to use for these prints, it would be a good idea to choose those which contain intricate details since when they are enlarged they will become more visible; something which has effectively worked and went to plan. In my original project specification I stated that I would produce photographs surrounding the theme of chaotic imagery. I planned to do this by creating photo-montages, collages and edits in response to the artists and photographers and movements that I have researched. I said I would relate the work to the issues of overpopulation and capitalism which have and still continue to play a big part in the overpowered development of the world. And that I would photograph all kinds of things relating to this theme as rather than limiting myself to one specific subject matter this will not allow me to produce pieces with chaos as the main part. I also went on to state that these issues of overpopulation and capitalism are something which closely links Jersey with the rest of the world, through trade, immigration, politics and culture, planning to explore this link and how it has developed over time, looking at the past and how it has become the present. And then how the future may look in terms of these issues. This would be executed by the use of archival and found imagery mixed with my own purposed photographs through means of collage and montage. And overall in terms of how I believe this final display has come out I would say that I am confident in the fact that I’ve closely followed my specification and plans in order to produce something which reflects this to a full extent, along with my postcard display.
