Peter Devito has become known for his work surrounding the issue of skin conditions recently on social media where his images have gone viral. Currently studying at the the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City he has developed this project which has gained attention from bloggers and magazines. H became interested in photography in 2013 on a pre college program but still works in mix media including illustration. He uses his work to convey his perspective on the world, evoking deep thought in his pieces. He suffered from acne growing up and saw how self image involving skin conditions had affected many peoples mental health around him. By taking intimate, close up and unedited images of himself and other young people in similar positions, along with empowering and sometimes sarcastic humorous slogans he aims to turn the stigma around perfect skin on its head. He posts the art work on social media hoping to target the area where people can often feel most pressures to areas ‘flawless’.

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https://i-d.vice.com/en_uk/article/zm8vme/the-photographer-shining-a-spotlight-on-people-with-skin-conditions

“After posting my unretouched acne images on social media, I received numerous messages from people with albinism, vitiligo, freckles and birthmarks asking me to make work that they could relate to,” he says. “I wanted to expand what I’ve been working on and give people with other skin conditions a platform to tell their stories as well. I hope this project will empower people and help normalise skin conditions.”

Peter Devito

When taking the project further he aimed to show that there was more to the subjects than their skin condition and they would not stand to be defined by them. Accompanying each portrait petter displayed a hand written note from each person about their experience living with a skin condition. One reads “My birthmark does not make me ugly,”

“Doing this project, I’ve learnt that things can only define you if you let them,” Peter continues. “I hope that doing this project will make people realise that we need more models with diverse skin. The more models people see with different complexions, the more normal skin conditions will become.”

Peter Devito

Link to Peter Devito’s website and portfolio

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Photo Analysis: The above image is a macro of someones skin, with plastic lettering in the centre. This photo was probably taken in a studio with bright controlled lighting to illuminate the skin evenly and help the camera focus and capture the small details. The lighting has been controlled to look as natural as possible to fit with the aesthetic and aim of the image. A macro lens was most likely used to capture the fine details in the skin almost making it larger than life. The photo is predominantly a pink shade varying in light and dark tones, this makes it a very simple image to look at. The texture shapes and patterns in the photo are created through the skin ‘imperfections’ which are spread over the whole frame in a random and natural arrangement. The main focus of the text has been arranged in the centre of the image, it is the first thing we see and it is important that we read and understand the statement whilst viewing the whole image. The photograph has been cropped so that their is nothing else in the frame distracting us, for example and other body parts of background elements. This image was posted to Peter DeVito’s Instagram along with the majority of his work context of this image is, he explains that the photo if a autoimmune disease called psoriasis. Psoriasis is a common skin condition which speeds up the life cycle of skin cells, it is a chronic disease which can come can go over time showing red dry patches. Following the image is an account by the girl in the photograph, it explains her struggle being insecure about her skin from a young a age and how she has grown to embrace her her imperfections. The lettering in the image “I wear it like diamonds” suggests that instead of looking at the Psoriasis and seeing something ugly it that should be hidden and covered up she instead pretends it something stereotypically beautiful like glitter or diamonds. This could also link to the idea that diamonds last forever similarly to the disease there is no way of getting rid of them completely. Diamonds are one of the strongest known materials, this could link to the mentality of the model in this photograph who has been through a lot to get to acceptance. This photo as a whole is meant to portray something that would have previously been seen as a fault as a more beautiful and normal thing that shouldn’t be hidden. By sharing this photo Peter aims to create awareness about skin conditions in hope that people with the will feel less inlined to perfect them and hide them from the world.

I feel that it was necessary to create a book as a final outcome because I think as the topic that I chose is quite abstract in its nature, it needs to have some depth and quality to the images when looking at them as a whole to understand the project. But also by creating a book I feel that it helps the viewer to engage more with the images, as they are able to take their time looking at each image and take on its meaning, rather to when they are displayed on a wall, I feel that the images become very felt and don’t have much depth in comparison to a photobook.

I really wanted the book to convey a sense of simplicity but at the same time the images to be really powerful and to make the viewer stop and really take in what they are looking at. And make them stop in their everyday life to see the beauty that is around them if they take the change to stop and look.

My main inspiration for the style and genre of my book was Rinko Kawauchi’s book Illuminance which has been the inspiration of the whole of the project. Her book is very simplistic in its nature and each images flows really well into the next one which really helps to make the project link together, due to the atheistic of each image and the colour texture and composition of the image.
Which is something that I wanted to be able to work into my book. Which is why I didn’t separate the book by element as that would get very boring. The narrative within my book is individuality, beauty and simplicity of each element and how different each one is but yet how each one is connected and dependent on the other to survive.

For the the front cover I wanted a image that would draw the view into the book, but wasn’t too busy so it would ruin the aesthetic of the rest of the book. I really like the cover that I chose, I think as the cool tones of the blue is calming and links my idea of the taking the image to stop and look at the tiny details, as the viewer has to stop and turn over the back to see the duck swimming across the page to see where the ripples in the water are coming from. I chose to have a big white title in the middle of the page as I think that this juxtaposes the blue and makes a bright and bold front cover which is calming at the same times as being able to draw in the viewer.

Most of my images are very colourful and the book as a whole is very contrasting in its colours, I wanted the viewer to be drawn in by the use of pastel colours. But I also wanted some images to juxtapose each other which why some but not many of the images are in black and white I also felt that is changed the sequence and flow of the book to help the viewer look at the images in a different light. I also felt that but some of the images in black and white helped to bring out the detail of them.

In the book there are different sections for each element but I wanted to make sure that each image had a connection to the image before and after it as this was a notable feature in Rinko’s work that I really liked also because I felt that it would help the viewer to understand the project more, and also create a sense of rhythm and structure for the book. However I didn’t want all of the image to be grouped together but element as I thought that this would become very boring and repetitive for the viewer.

Below is an example of connections that I made between the images. One is an image is an unusual perspective of the bark of a tree, I but this image in the book as I feel that it is a visual representative of the idea that I wanted to get across of the beauty in everyday things. The other image is a close up of the side of a boast with the light reflection off the water onto the side of the boat. I decided put these two images together due to the texture and colours in the images and the lines in the boat and the lines in the bark.

Overall I think that this project has gone very as I have created a book that makes the viewer reflect on the way that they view the world and will hopefully make them some and look at the beauty that is around them which they are missing in their everyday lives. But I have also created a book that takes an in-depth look not only into the physical elements but the spiritual parts of the elements and the feelings that they convey.

For my final display I somehow want to display 24 of my final images as postcard sized prints, displayed somewhat how postcards would be by either a retailer or in a home. The reason I want to do this is because of how I’ve used postcards, archival and my own visual material in order to create my final pieces. And therefore I wanted to turn these back into new postcards that look at the idea of links between Jersey and the rest of the world through trade links, corporate activities, consumerism, tourism and employment; whilst executing this with a chaotic aesthetic as I intended from the beginning of this project. When searching for ways in which postcards are displayed I came across three different ways of doing this.

One being a metal postcard stand which you tend to find in souvenir retailers all over the world, these can either be strung up to a wall or on a rotating attachment. I think that these are a great way to display postcards, however the downside of this is that some postcard cover up those behind them, meaning that some may not be seen. Also with these stands they are very expensive and or would be very hard to get my hands on or make myself, so this may not be the best option for my final display, although it was good to consider.

The second method of displaying postcards is a more accessible way of me being able to arrange my postcard sized prints. It is something which I could construct fairly easily with small pieces of thin plywood. I think that also having rows and columns of the prints works for a successful composition/layout of images, it means that I could arrange the postcards in order to create contrast and clashes between certain prints. However the issues with this method of display are firstly that the stand its-self, to fit all of my 24 prints, would have to be quite bulky and would also be a problem where portrait prints may slightly cover landscape ones.

The third (and most fitting) option of display is some form of stringing up the postcards with pegs. This could be done nicely with a board of wood which is big enough to fit all of the postcard prints (most likely in rows/columns) of 6×4 or vice versa. This would be the most ideal way of displaying my final 24 postcard prints as it will ensure that I can space out each print without any issues of overlapping or covering up. It will also show a good narrative of my work and tell a story of how connected Jersey is with the rest of the world through trade connections which is the concept behind my whole project.

So after looking at all of these display options, it is clear to me that the most appropriate option for this would be the third, by stringing up each of the postcard prints in rows.

First idea:

For my first idea i wanted to produce a large scale image showing my typology’s of products showing the consumerism. I wanted to print off the image at a large scale so I want to print the image too A1 size. The reason for it being at a large scale is to show that these products that are usually quite small and often overlooked will become visible and will be put as the the main focus. The image bellow is the order of the image I want the layout to be and also i want the images to be in colour to show the detail of the illustrations.

Second Idea:

For my second idea I wanted to use the same typology images as they are being highlighted but this time i wanted to separate the images more so there would be more focus on each individual product this time. To achieve this i was going to cut window mounts onto two boards splitting each board into 9 a5 images. For these images I wanted to Produce them in Black and white as this time i wanted to look at their tonal qualities.

This font is bold and clear, I sampled it in a skin tone shade taken from there background image because this corresponds with running theme throughout the magazine of neutrals, browns and pinks. I tested having the font in the foreground (over the image) or in the mid ground (appearing to be behind the model). I achieved this by changing the layer opacity and erasing the parts of the word covering the models hair. This image is already distorted and unconventional with the folds and corners of the paper showing, acting ads a new frame inside the border on the magazine page.

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I continued to work with the same warped text over a different image, this one is more lightly distorted and has the printed page boarder cropped out making a more minimal and classic look to the cover. I made the text white and layered it offset with a coloured version of the text to look like a shadow, I made this shadow n the nude colour along with a black version which looked more bold but didn’t fit in with the interior of the magazine.

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I continued to experiment with different texts, now over a black and white image. I tried black with a white shadow, and multiple layers of different nude shades stacked on top of one another as well as simple white

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I used a font similar to what vogue and other big fashion and beauty magazines use, this is usually linked to a classy up market and professional style. I then warped the text similarly to the last text edit to give it a distorted look similar to the style and editing of the images inside. I also want to continues the style of the text on the cover throughout the magazine pages. I tried this style on top of this image because I like the faded colours and the way the text matched, the smudged foundation over he image created a blank canvas. I thought the black text was too heavy and the white blended in too much with the background. To solve this i added a subtle drop shadow behind the white text so it could be read better

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Next I tried a text outline to give a more subtle look rather than the bold text. I experimented with this style in various ways adding nude colour layers and small drop shadows to help it stand out from the pale image.

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How you want your book to look and feel:

Paper and ink: I will be using standard 80# paper and coloured ink for my photobook, I think that the coloured ink is important for the images because it helps provide a clear distinction between high and low tide, it also helps the vibrancy for the water.

Format, size and orientation: The photobook will be a square, 7in x 7in.

Binding: I am going to use a soft cover for my photobook because I want to create a feeling of movement throughout.

Title: I have chosen the literal title, ‘Tidal Movements’

Design and layout: I am planning to use a variety of image sizes throughout my photo book. The majority of the photobook pages will have single images, however, I am wanting to have some breaks to make it visually more interesting, therefore some pages will have grids of four images, or I will have some pages with two images to a page. I am also planning to have a double-page spread of a panorama. I am not planning to have any foldouts or inserts.

Editing and sequencing: I have chosen images that I feel flow throughout the photo book, the images I have chosen I feel create movement and therefore suggest a flow throughout the photo book.

Images and text: The text that I am using within my book is to show where the photographs have been taken, and whether the image is showing the low or high tide.

Along with the final outcome of the magazine I want to print a range off different edits which I can mount and display giving an overview of the project outcomes. For these two hand edited and re scanned images I want to simply frame them with a black window mount. I will use an A3 piece of black card and cut an A4 sized hole in the centre with a bevel cutter. I have chosen to do this so the editing and fine details stand out on their own, I also this the black boarder will help the slightly faded images look less washed out.

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I want to do some more hand editing with these close up images, for the magazine I used photoshop to create a layered collage effect. I want to re create this in an A3 size using foam board as a backing. I am printing the background rectangular photos as A3 and the 4 square photos as slightly smaller than A5 allowing for a gap around the images for the background to show through. I will cut all the images so there is no white and back them on foam board o make them stand off the page, I will then Stick the 4 images onto the background image. Bellow i have made a mock up of what this might look like. The foam board will show slightly around each image helping to frame it. I will do this for both sets of images and once they are done I will review if they should be left as singles pieces or put together on another sheet of foam board.

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Finally for these portrait images which I have printed as A4, I want to back then as a duo on white foam board. I think they are powerful images with complimentary colouring and look good next to one another. They are minimal but with the detailing on the faces I don’t want to distract by framing them with too many other images. The white foam board will match the white lines on the faces and some elements of the clothing whilst still showing up the grey faded background.

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