Here is my photo-shoot in which I planned to record the 171 postcards which I bought with the intention of using in this project (Plan on previous post) I believe that this shoot was successful as I closely followed my photo-shoot plan and was lucky enough to have a good source of natural sunlight on the day which I did the shoot. These postcards show the connections between Jersey as the rest of the world which I intend to explore with this project and therefore I thought they were very appropriate to use in photo montages and collages. The dated aesthetic running through the majority of these postcards is firstly something which I believe successfully shows the history of development due to modern systems around the world. And secondly I believe these visual qualities will make for an unusual and interesting outcome.
I Am planning on photographing 171 postcards which I have bought with the intention of using in this project. I believe that these postcards show the connections between Jersey as the rest of the world which I intend to explore with this project and therefore I thought they were very appropriate to use in photo montages and collages. The dated aesthetic running through the majority of these postcards is firstly something which I believe will successfully show the history of development due to modern systems around the world. And secondly I believe these visual qualities will make for an unusual and interesting outcome.
Here is how I am going to approach the photo shoot…
Brief: photograph sourced postcards with the intention of use in chaotic photomontage/collages
Subjects: 171 vintage sources postcards
Location: Home, dark room or outdoors depending on the weather
Light source: Lightbox and camera flash if the weather is bad, Natural outdoor lighting on a white canvas if the weather is good
Exposure: Slightly over-exposed, so that when edited together with other imagery light tones can be emphasized and edited with easily
After exploring my initial ideas for this exam project I have come to the decision that I will produce photographs surrounding the theme of chaotic imagery. I plan to do this by creating photo-montages, collages and edits in response to the artists and photographers which I have and will research. I am going to relate this 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. I will 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.
These issues of overpopulation and capitalism are something which closely links Jersey with the rest of the world, through trade, immigration, politics and culture. I plan 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 will be executed by the use of archival and found imagery mixed with my own purposed photographs through means of collage and montage.
Here are some of my best images from my shoot at Jersey zoo, from these I found that they were appropriate to remove the main subject of each photograph (such as butterflies and flowers) and impose them upon white backgrounds, which would make it much easier for me to incorporate them into my editing process. Below is each of those images followed by the cut out version of it.
The main thing which I have got out of this shoot and my favourite images is a range of natural beauty from patterns and colours to shaped and forms which I can use in my photo montage process. The butterflies specifically are a common occurrence in the photo montage work from artists which I researched to begin the project.
I also then made an edit from one of the images which i took in this shoot. It is a completely experimental edit in which I created a wallpaper-like pattern from one of the butterfly images, I just wanted to include it in this post in order to show the possibilities of what can be done with simple editing of these images…
This blog post shows my photo-shoot in which I planned to visit Jersey zoo to photograph the butterflies in the new enclosure. This is because through my research I found that butterflies were a commonly feature element of the artwork which I was looking at such as Peter Blake, Dexter Navy, Damien Hirst and Dan Baldwin. Although I was unsure of why butterflies were used in this work I believe that they are an example of nature’s beauty and when added to a piece their prints and patterns give for a very aesthetically pleasing effect, so therefore I wanted to incorporate this in my work. Whilst on my photo-shoot I made the most of the location and photographed some of the other animals which I may also use in some of my photo-montages. I believe that this shoot was successful and has lead to plenty of images which I am sure I will use in my work for this project.
Based on my initial ideas and research of artists. I have decided that I will visit Jersey Zoo (Durrel) in order to photograph some of the animals and plants with the intention of having imagery of natural pattern, colour and form which I can use when creating photomontages. Also I would like to have the new butterfly enclosure as the main focus of my photo shoot since this would be a definite source of natural pattern, colour and form as I suggested as a focus; also when doing my initial research I noticed that butterflies were frequently used as part of the work I was looking at and worked really nicely in a chaotic aesthetic.
How will I approach this shoot?
Brief: photograph natural primary source imagery to work with in my photomontages
Camera settings: average to low exposure 400-200 ISO etc…
Location: Jersey zoo (Durrel)
Subjects: Animals (Particularly butterflies and birds) and Plantlife
Lighting: Natural lighting outdoors, camera flash in more shaded/enclosed areas
Postmodernism was a movement in cultural theory and practice in response of modernism theory and practice, this took place in the mid to late twentieth century. The reaction was against the ideas and values of modernism (Modernism being a style or movement in the arts that aims to depart significantly from classical and traditional forms.) Movements that have come within postmodernism art include: Conceptual art, installation art, digital art, performance art, Intermedia and Multi-media art.
Here are some examples of photographic, sculptural, installation and design work from the postmodernism movement…
Andy Warhol’s Marilyn MonroeBarbara Kruger’s Believe Anything
Baldwin is best known for his chaotic and dramatic multi-media paintings, which show both beautiful and jarring imagery all compiled into one. Baldwin received his BA in Communication Media and Illustration from Kent Institute of Art and Design in Maidstone. He graduated with honors in 1995. As well as his best known iconic paintings, Baldwin has also produced other work such as book covers, album covers and ceramic work. I first became familiar with the work of Dan Baldwin when I saw his work exhibited in the Jersey CCA galleries. My initial thoughts about his work were that the chaotic nature caused me as a viewer to be able to notice different elements and aspects each time I looked at one of his pieces, which for me was a great characteristic of the work as it made it very interesting to view. This chaotic nature of the work is executed as I mentioned before using a multi-media process in which he combines screen-printing techniques, household paint, found objects, and spray paint, and other creative materials.
Below are some examples of the work which I have spoken about…
Sir Peter Blake was born on the 25th of June 1932. He is an English pop artist who has created an immense amount of iconic British artwork. Of this work he is best known for co-creating the cover artwork for the Beatles’ album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. His other best known works include the cover of the Band Aid single “Do They Know It’s Christmas?”, and the Live Aid concert poster. Peter Blake also designed the 2012 Brit Award which is designed by a different artist every year. As one of the best known British pop artists, Peter Blake is considered to be a prominent figure in the pop art movement as a whole. His paintings show his great interest in images from popular culture which he incorporates into his collages. His artwork has been so important for British culture, so much so that In 2002 he was knighted for his services to art. His chaotic aesthetic is something which I believe relates very closely to the work which I am intending to produce for this project, and therefore believe that to refer to Peter Blake is relevant.
Below are some examples of Blake’s work which I have spoken about…
Below I have embedded a 16 minute video which I believe to be very interesting, in which artist Damien Hirst visits Peter Blake’s studio. This video is an easy watch and I believe is shows Blake’s work process and work space and also allows you to have a second opinion and voice on what is discussed from Hirst.
Rauschenberg was an American painter and graphic artist whose early works were a significant element of the pop art movement. He explores political and social issues by incorporating imagery surrounding these issues in multimedia collages. His aesthetic and visual style of producing work is one that I particularly have a large interest in, and have taken inspiration from hence trying to reflect this in my own artwork before. This interest is partly also to do with the exploration of social issues within artwork which is something I like to subtly incorporate into my work.
As you can see, Rauschenberg’s artwork is also closely linked with my initial ideas and he definitely explores aesthetic chaos and layering. When looking at his work it takes a long time to see everything and every time you look at his work you notice a different aspect or element of the piece.
