Currently for my project regarding variation and similarities I have decided to look at the topic of abstractions through things such as saturation, pattern and texture. I have chosen this topic because I am exploring how the textures, patterns and saturation within certain landscapes reflects how the environment in that area looks, this led me to look at photographers Aaron Siskind and SiegFried Hansen, both people who have looked at using the textures and patterns of areas to reflect the political stance of urban areas within cities. Personally photographer Aaron Siskind has proved to be of particular inspiration for me due to how he uses over and under exposed imagery to create piece which stray away from portraiture and instead focus on aesthetic objects to reflect who the people are and their views. Here are some examples from a previous shoot reflecting the more agricultural side of island life:
My main ideas that had risen from this are repetition found in nature and the bleakness that can accompany it. Because of this I have focused predominantly in monochrome filters as a means of highlighting this abstraction without the colour distracting the viewer from the overall composition. For me the houses and the fields which surrounded it provided most of the landscapes needed because of its wide range of plants, wildlife and man-made structures. Regarding my future plans I intend to explore other environments such as urban life and harbors, this is because both will contain completely different things which I could abstract and isolate from the environment such as reflections and glass structures, things that would not be typically seen in farmland areas. When taking the images I found a higher aperture really worked well in highlight shades and forms, which as a result produces a ghost like effect on to the plants and land, presenting the viewer with a new interpretation of what they would usually see.
For this shoot I wanted to focus my attention around the textures and patterns found within the abstraction and isolation of photographing a single plant. Having previously looked at the works of Karl Blossfeldt I became inspired through the simplicity of his style but effectiveness regarding the plants hidden beauty from their structure and aestheticism. What I wanted to capture in this shoot was how patterns and textures can be found wherever you go in Jersey whilst looking at the wildlife, and that one such instance, in this case plants, can’t be viewed by the everyday eye but instead needs to be viewed from a closer and unusual perspective in order to properly see how the plants truly looks. I wanted to achieve an aesthetic looks like Blossfeldt’s, using a monochrome filter that exaggerates the shades of the plant, contrasting it from the surrounding environment. Some of his work can be seen below:
Once I had looked at some of his work I decided to go onto make a mind-map for my shoot. By doing this I hope to make my shoot a lot more easy for me to complete, this is because by using a mind-map it would allow me to more effectively identify what I should photograph when in the are, stopping me from taking images that would maybe distance myself from my aims. Here are some examples of my ideas regarding the new shoot:
Once I had completed my mind-map I decided to go ahead with the shoot, my main focus for the area are around the coastal areas of Jersey which have the biggest variety of plants to photograph. Using my mind-map as my primary source of inspiration I decided to take 100-200 images regarding textures and patterns. Here are my results:
Once I had completed the shoot I decided to go onto select ten images I thought best reflected the overall intention of the shoot. By doing this it would allow for me to whittle the results down to only five which could then be used to analysed in more detail and find the photo that best overall represented the entire shoot and my thought process. Here are the selection of ten images that I thought both visually and contextuall reflected the shoot:
After I had chosen the ten images I thought were most effective I then moved onto selecting the pieces that I thought summed up the shoot well. To do this I will be analysing the five that I found to be both visually and contextually appealing to me and the viewers, this would include looking at the visual, technical and conceptual aspects of the piece in order to select the image that best sums up the overall shoot. Here are my decisions:
I chose this image because I loved the textured pattern created by the branches of the tree growing out, for me this resembled a spider web where a general formation can be seen from what the branches have created, however there is a randomness overall as each branch has no sense of direction. I found that the thickness of certain branches brought together the overall piece, this is because of how they provide a sense of aestheticism within due to smaller black lines dart out of the sides of think thicker pieces. For me this is particularly effective from how the backdrop is white and so creates silhouettes of the outreaching branches, really abstracting the tree and highlighting the patterns created from it. Overall I found this image related well to the topic of patterns and textures due to it presenting the top of the trees through a perspective not usually regarded. providing the viewer with an insight into the patterns branches make across the landscape.
What I really liked about this photograph was the use of motion blur to capture the lillies and the reflection of the water. By capturing the brightly coloured lillies against a mainly dark surface of water I found that it created an unusual texture as by incorporating both on a sunny day it removed the impression of water, instead replacing it with a mirror of what overlooks the pond. The motion blur for me also added a sense of movement within the piece due to how it distorts the water surface replacing it with a pattern of blues and blacks blended together making it look almost like a convas. Overall I found that this piece went well with the topic of textures and patterns due to how the blur smoothened the waters surface whilst using the lillies as patches of vibrant circles to highlight what is reality.
For me I selected this image because of how the forms created by the wood come up from the ground as if they were an alien species, these little wooden formations jot up from the group and spread out as they lead further back in land. This pattern they create for me really provided a great contrast due to the variety of different colours which can be seen defining the shapes through things such as grass, moss and water. I found that the black border which surrounded the piece really added to the overall effect due to ow it almost boxes in how the image is represented, making the viewer question what is beyond the patterned field of wooden spires. Overall I found this piece represented the topic well due to the odd spire like structures dotting out of the ground in random patterns, for me this was a good representation of natures patterns and how they can range from normal to unnatural.
The reason I selected this image was because of the use of repitition present throughout the photo. I found this image to be effective due to how it portrays a common pattern often seen in nature through many of the same plants seen side by side often next to walkways, and so capturing it using a composition that boxes this symmetrical and repetative pattern in really abstracts it from its surrounding environment as it gives the viewer a more upfront and personal confrontation to a common pattern seen in your everyday life. Overall I found that the piece is effective in presenting viewers with an everyday view into the patterns and textures you can find almost anywhere you are.
Like one of the images above what I liked about it was the use of motion blur to create a textured pattern between both the water and lillies. I really liked the random pattern created by the lillies onto of the water which reflects the lillies below the surface, by doing this the water creates the imapression of two layers of lillies on top of each other. I didn’t however find this photo to be overall that effective due to how the lillies for me take up too much of the surface leaving little for the waters surface to be portrayed properly. Overall however I found it did relate to the topic of textures and patterns due to how the double layer of lillies represented the repetition found in nature.
After my shoot and analysing five of the images it allowed me to come to a conclusion regarding the best outcome from the entire shoot. Here is my final decision for the photograph that best sums up my aims from the shoot:
Final Image:
When looking over this image I found that it put across a great sense of aestheticism with the blacks of the waters surface and the blues complimenting the vibrant lillies which are dotted around the photograph. I really liked the underlying lillies below the surface as I thought they added some depth to the overall image with the reflection of the trees overcasting the lillies added to the contrast of the image. In regard to the topic title of textures and patterns I found that the photo related well to the title due to how the pattern of the lillies dotted around the surface with the surface of the water becoming blurred from motion which as a result added texture to the surrounding area.
Before going ahead with the next shoot I decided that I would plan what I would want to focus on within the shoot. To do this I had previously looked at the photographer Karl Blossfeldt, a photographer who took a more abstract approach to photography looking at contrast within the structures of plants as his main method of depicting the presentation of them in a more abstract way, doing so through pattern and texture. By using him as my main source of inspiration towards the shoot I would like to produce a response which can also link into my topic of textures and patterns. An idea for the shoot is to photograph colorful or monochrome image in an abstract way regarding areas of Jersey which present me with a huge variation of plants that can reflect that area of the island. To do this I have produced a map which highlights the areas of Jersey which would allow me to take imagery in the style of my chosen photographer through what is present there. Here are some of the locations that I could potentially go to when in the process of the shoot:
When looking over the map I decided that the reservoir located on the East of the island would provide me with the wider range of plants due to there being a broader variety of types that can be located along the shore and further into the trees. When taking the images I would have to become more up close to the subject due to wanting to capture the symmetry present in their every day designs. The North of the island however provides me with more sea based plants such as sea-weed and other plants, something completely different to the plants that could be found elsewhere. Here are the locations within the mood-board that I wish to capture in my shoot:
The aspect that I wanted to explore the most is based around the structure of the plants themselves, looking at their hidden beauty not seen to the everyday eye due to their aestheticism being hidden to those who walk past. I want here to combine both aestheticism and texture and patterns together through these natural formations as I think they provide a great contrast to my previous shoot which looked at the large forms of textures and patterns in everyday lives surrounding the coast.
Another idea could be the use of a high aperture, by doing this like in my previous shoots it would allow me to further remove the subject photographed from the actual backdrop possibly making a more unusual and weird result. From here I really wanted to draw people away from the way plants are usually seen, using a sense of aestheticism and how their shadows cast on the land could provide other forms of abstraction that I could compare to using pattern and texture.
Finally for my last idea I could use editing software such as Adobe Photoshop to edit the saturation of the plants into a different colour, by doing this it would allow me to produce more abstract images due to the contrasting colours being seemingly otherworldly and impossible to find. This could also work with their shadows which I could edit in the software to increase the contrast and produce a set of images where the shadows are emphasized.
In 1881 Blossfeldt began his studies as an apprentice at the Art Ironworks and Foundry in Mägdesprung, Germany, where he studied sculpture and iron casting. He then moved to Berlin to study at the School of the Museum of Decorative Arts (Kunstgewerbemuseum). In 1890 Blossfeldt received a scholarship to study in Rome under Moritz Meurer, a decorative artist and professor of ornament and design. Along with several other assistants, Blossfeldt created and photographed casts of botanical specimens in and around Rome. He continued to work with Meurer through 1896 and traveled beyond Italy to North Africa and Greece to collect specimens. Beginning in 1898 Blossfeldt taught design at the School of the Museum of Decorative Arts (Kunstgewerbeschule), and in 1930 he became professor emeritus. There he established a plant photography archive that he used to teach his students about design and patterns found in nature.
Blossfeldt had no formal training as a photographer and used homemade cameras that he outfitted with lenses capable of magnifying his subjects up to 30 times their natural size. The use of magnification resulted in images of extreme detail and clarity. With the precision of a botanist, Blossfeldt photographed the natural world for scientific and pedagogical purposes and inadvertently became a modern artist. His work was considered the forerunner to Neue Sachlichkeit photography, which favoured sharply focused documentarian images. In 1926, when Blossfeldt was already in his 60s, his work was exhibited to the public for the first time at Berlin’s avant-garde Galerie Nierendorf.The works exhibited there were published in the book Urformen der Kunst (1928; Art Forms in Nature [2003]). The first of his three photo books (the other two were Wundergarten der Natur, 1932; and Wunder in der Natur, 1942, the last published posthumously), it was enormously successful and remains one of the most-significant photo books of the 20th century.
I was particularly inspired by how the textures and patterns created by these natural forms really highlighted minute details that could not usually be seen by the everyday eye. Some examples of his work can be seen below:
After looking at Blossfeldt’s work I decided to go onto analyse one of his images, here I would be looking at technical, visual and conceptual aspects of the photo. By doing this it would allow me to have a better understanding of how he goes about composing his imagery, and the composition he uses to do so. The image I have chosen to analyse is called Hordeum distichum and is part of his fine art series looking at textures and patterns within the structures of plants:
Visual: Visually the piece is extremely aesthetic, using contrast and a symmetrical appearance to highlight the various shadows and depth of the plant. By capturing the plant up close on a macro scale it essentially brings together the whole photo as it fills in a space that otherwise would be blank with symmetrical lines, using a high contrast to highlight the identity of the plant which seemingly unfolds from itself using predominantly darker shades to fill up any space which would contain negative space. The image itself has been taken on a closer level so that the viewer can become more personal with the plant, as seeing it up close presents the viewer with a perspective that might not have been traditionally provided for them. Because of this the photograph seems to make the plant into something completely different to its original appearance, as by singling one bud head out it casts a light onto it that maybe is not accessible when viewing them en mass.
Technical: The photo itself has been taken in black and white, using a black sheet of paper as a backdrop which highlights the structure of the plant, adding a sinister and symmetrical feel to the entire piece. Blossfeldt has made sure to capture only the head of the bud so that it may be presented in a overall symmetrical manner which leaves the end result more aesthetic for the viewers, as using an increased contrast making the different shades pop due to it greatly exaggerating the change in shade so that things like black are emphasized. When taking the image the shutter speed would have been relatively normal due to Blossfeldt not needing to capture any moving object due to the photo being taken in studio conditions, which as a result gives off a beautiful result which perfectly presents the head of the plant in a way not previously done before. Texture and pattern making up the majority of the piece as the photograph breaks up the plant so that it becomes more abstract, creating shapes that could not be previously seen due to a greater scope needed to see it.
Conceptual: Conceptually Blossfeldt can be seen taking this image in reference to fine arts, using a simple but effective camera angle and subject to produce a piece that is extremely aesthetic to the eye, emphasizing the shades so that they perfectly contrast each other and define the overall result of the photograph. The piece plays part in a series of photographs of bud which at the time were taken so that his students could use them to produce biology based work that could be used in class, however his passion for this kind of photograph led him to create more of the typographic styled method.
After looking over the works of John Baldessari I became inspired to create my own response regarding the colours used within his graphics used. I really liked his used of block colouring to create abstract effects within pre-taken images of people and landscapes, blocking out faces and aspects of the environment as a means of censorship. As a result of this it produces collages of different materials which contrast one another allowing for a aesthetically pleasing result. To create the intended results I would have to use software such as Adobe Photoshop to cut and paste in colour in the areas wanted, the photos I will be using are images I have previously taken in shoots regarding the topic of variation and similarity. Here are some examples of Baldessari’s work which I will be drawing inspiration from:
Once I had chosen some of the works which I would be using as a reference to create off I decided to go ahead and proceed to cut areas out which I thought would look more effective with varying ranges of colour. Using Adobe Photoshop I used the snipping tool to cut out and replace the different areas of each image with block colouring, looking back at Baldessari’s work as a reference to my structure of creating related works. Here is the process of me creating each image:
Step 1: Select the lasso tool located on the top left hand side of the tool bar and make sure the freehand option is chosen.
Step 2: Once you have selected the lasso tool draw out the desired shape of the area you intend to make a block colour out of, when doing it make sure to connect the end and the start point so that it does not ruin the layout.
Step 3: After highlighting the wanted area make sure to go on to chose the paintbrush tool next, located just under the lasso tool. Using the colour boxes select a colour that contrasts the piece well and paint it within the lassoed area, making sure to deselect the highlighted are once completed.
When I finished experiment with various designs I then chose four images that I best reflected the intended outcome of the process and inspiration towards John Baldessari’s work. These are the images I selected as the best outcomes of the experimentation:
For this image I used red circles each with a varying opacity, by doing this it would create the impression of different depths of fields, with the more out of focused being the more faded shapes. When creating it I wanted to make sure there was still a natural feel to the piece, so limited the amount of shapes depending on the focus of the area so that they would not overpower and fill the entire piece.
Here I wanted to capture a reflection of a shape within a muddy puddle. To do this I had to crop out the parts of the shape which touched the mud, this seemed a bit to complicated for a Baldessari’s work, however I liked the final outcome of how the lighter blue completely contrasted that of the surrounding black mud of the image.
When editing this piece I tried to block colour only the bushes and trees that were the most outstanding to the environment, allowing me to roughly cut out the area and replace it all with colour that contrasted but complimented each other so that it would not become eye sore. When placing the block colours I made sure not to have them grouped together so much as by clustering them together it would reduce the effect of the simplicity I wanted to put across, instead abstracting the photo too much.
Finally I selected this image because I like the roughly cut out mesh wire which it replaced with a contrasted yellow which compliments the black which makes up the majority of the photo. By also adding the white rectangle I found that it brakes the piece up and instead stops the yellow from becoming too minimal and the black becoming too overpowering.
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 Picture Generations, whose blend of Pop and Conceptual art was prominent in the 1980s.
Baldessari first began to move away from gestural painting when he started to work with materials from billboard posters. It prompted him to analyze how these very popular, public means of communication functioned, and it could be argued that his work ever since has done the same. He invariably works with pre-existing images, often arranging them in such a way as to suggest a narrative, yet the various means he employs to distort them – from cropping the images, to collaging them with unrelated images, to blocking out faces and objects with colored dots – all force us to ask how and what the image is communicating.A crucial development in Baldessari’s work was the introduction of text to his paintings. It marked, for him, the realization that images and texts behave in similar ways – both using codes to convey their messages. Text began to disappear from his work in the early 1970s, and since then he has generally relied on collage, but his work has continued to operate with the same understanding of the coded character of images.
Typically, he collages together apparently unrelated categories of image or motif, yet the result is to force us to recognize that those images often communicate similar messages.On a visit to the Metropolitan Museum in New York in 1965, Baldessari was struck by the use of unpainted plaster to fill in missing shards of Greek vases. This prompted his interest in how images are effected by having portions removed or blotted out, and he has continued to explore this ever since. Often, the result of his alterations to photographs is to render them generic, suggesting to us that rather than capturing a special moment, or unusual event, photographs often communicate very standardized messages. Here are some examples of his works:
After looking over some of his work I decided to create a response to the project he worked on called Throwing Three Balls in the Air to Get a Straight Line. This project attracted me because of how bizarre and unique it was, using the formation of randomized ball positions in the air to create ‘art’. I then proceeded to make a response to this by throwing various balls in the air and attempting to capture them mid-flight, using only the backdrop as the main form of contrast in the photo. I would also experiment with shutter speed where I would try to capture other moving subjects, here were my results:
Once I had completed this task I decided to pick out the three images that I thought best reflected what I wanted to experiment with, here were the results:
I really liked the idea of capturing a subject mid movement as it allowed for a new stance of photography I had not previously explored. In future shoots I could look at things like birds mid-flight or people and shadows, this would open up opportunities for further abstraction of the environment photographed as by incorporating moving things it could bring the image into life.
A GIF (Graphical Interchange Format) is an image format invented in 1987 by Steve Wilhite, a US software writer who was looking for a way to animate images in the smallest file size. In short, GIFs are a series of images or soundless video that will loop continuously and doesn’t require anyone to press play. This repetition makes GIFs feel immediately familiar, like the beat of a song.
I then wanted to go one step further and develop my own GIF use the software Adobe Photoshop. Before doing this I would have to photograph one specific objects and variations of the objects shape and size, the object I decided on were water bottles. I chose bottles because of their common use in the everyday world and how easily they can be obtained, I then gathered together the classes bottles and proceeded to photograph them in the same position as the first, giving off the impression of the bottle changing as the frames moved. For one of the animations I wanted to add shapes moving around the screen to see whether it would effect the overall outcome and create a more aesthetic result. When I came out with the final result I made sure to put each frame at 0.2 seconds so that the animation seemed more fluid, these were my results:
Once I had made the GIFs I found that they related to the topic of variation and similarities through their constant transitioning between different styles of bottle. By doing this in future posts it would allow me to experiment with variations of some of the things photographed such as reflections and rock formations but taken in a topographic way where all subjects are taken in the centre of the image so that their transitions in the animation are smoother.
For this shoot I wanted to explore the use of natural forms in abstract and unusual ways using a monochrome filter to do so. Here I would walk around on specific area photographing the subjects in a highly contrasted light, which once edited would differ visually to what I originally saw. The photographer who I wanted to use as a reference of photography for this was Aaron Siskind, someone who specialised in abstract photography within streets as a means of creating a political view. What I especially looked at in his works were how he used only monochrome filter to create this images, choosing to take an angle upon the object that completely warps it compared to its original state. Here are some examples of his works:
From here I wanted to go on to produce a mind-map, by doing this it would allow me to focus on the things I intend to photograph when on the shoot, preventing me from capturing subjects that would have no relation to what I was doing at all. Not only would this make me more efficient, but also make the results of my shoot overall more effective. Here are some of my ideas for the future shoot:
Once I had finished with my ideas I decided it was time to move onto the shoot itself. For the shoot I would be exploring the North of the Island as I found that was the area of Jersey that had the highest ratio of agriculture and natural landscapes. Using the mind-map as my reference I decided footpaths would be my main go to. Here are the results of the shoot:
Once I had finished the shoot I then decided to whittle all the images down to a selection of only ten. By doing this not only would it make it easier for me to decide on an image that best reflects the overall idea of the shoot, but also the one that both technically and visually is best. Here are my choices for the ten best images:
After I had selected the ten images I found most effective I then decided to once again whittle the selection down to now only fives images. In doing this it would allow me to analyse each image in more depth than the rest, looking at why the image was chosen, the technical aspects of it and its overall relation to the entire topic, whilst making it easier to pick the final image. Here are my choices:
I selected this image because I loved the contrast between the wall and the surrounding ivy which grows upon it. For me by photographing a slither or concrete contrasted by the ivy it produces an abstract effect where two different environments merge into one, warping the images as you make your way to the centre of it. Composition wise I found the use of the darker ivy as a border to be effective as it slowly joins with the lighter shades of the brick, making use of any negative space which could have been there whilst producing an aesthetically pleasing result. I found that the use of a higher contrast was particularly effective here as it really highlights the hidden feature within the moss and bricks, creating more depth whilst also stopping parts of the piece from becoming too eye-sore for viewers.
For this image the reason I chose it was because of the great use of a depth of field. By only focusing on one part of the mesh wire I found that it produced an abstract effect that messes with the mind regarding where the focus come into play. The detail of the actual focused wire that separates itself from the rest of the image for me creates a huge aesthetic feel, as the fluid transition from focus to out of focus really compliments each other, especially through the use of shades such as greys and blacks. Regarding the composition I really like how it is not centred in the middle, but rather the top left, this really gives a sense of depth within the piece as the background becomes blurred and the then is up to the viewer to interpret what could be surrounding the fence.
What I loved about this image was how the varying shades of the horse create an aesthetic abstract effect where each shades merges into the next. I largely chose this image because of how the composition portrays the side of the horse, with the whites coming down from the left and the rest of the piece being surrounded by black hairs which provide the photography with a natural border. What sold the image for me was how the use of a high contrast really brings out the definition within the side of the horse and the form of the body, this in a way isolate the actual horse from its side as it takes the viewer a few moments to actually figure out what the image is of, with only hints giving it away.
For this image I was drawn towards once again the depth of field within the landscape. By focusing on only one layer of the bushes it creates a feel or vastness within the photo as it highlights the sharpened ends of the branches whilst softening the rest of the area. This contrast for me really brings a sense of aestheticism over the whole image, as by using only a monochrome filter it leaves the image devoid of any distractions to rather allow us to look at the formation of the natural subjects within. The composition of the focused areas is also a major reason why I selected it, this is because of how there is a larger area of focused bush on the left which grows smaller as you progress, stopping the blurred backdrop from becoming more overpowering than it actually is.
Finally I selected this image because I loved how the overlapping twigs presented themselves as a sort of abstract mess, with there being no actual order to how or where they are coming from. I also really liked how the shadows between the twigs were really contrasted opposed to the lighter shades of the wood which consisted mostly of lighter areas. This was complimented through once again a use of depth of field which blurs some of the layers of twigs out, by doing this for me I found it to be more effective due to how its stopped any eye-sore from occurring for the viewers, prevented us from not being sure where to draw our eyes to.
Once I had analysed and selected the five images I thought were most effective regarding their technical, visual and relevance to the overall topic I then proceeded to chose my best photo:
FINAL IMAGE:
The reason I chose this as my final image was because of the composition, contrast and definition that was present inside this photo. What drew this to me the most was how the piece was perfectly focused with some use of depth of field, whilst using a variety of different shades present on the horses side to create an abstract effect that mimics the natural environment around it. In relation to the entire topic of variation and similarity I found that this image reflected well the differing aspects regarding the textures and patterns which can be found within the different landscapes of Jersey, where the North could consist of more natural ones like this, whereas the South could maybe be more concrete and urban. As well as this the image for me presents me with a new perspective regarding how textures and patterns can also be found in living things found in these particular landscapes rather than just the way you personally view the landscape as well.
Before commencing with my shoot I thought it would be appropriate to come up with ideas regarding what I would want to base my shoot around. I had previously looked at the works of Aaron Siskind and his use of portraying the surrounding area in abstract ways, defined by patterns and textures which present deteriorating areas in a new aesthetic light. Using him as my major inspiration for the shoot I decided to focus on a slightly built up area which would be surrounded by different landscapes and environments. To do this I would have to look at a map and decide upon areas that I thought I could use this style of photography to properly reflect my opinion and viewpoint regarding how that area portrayed. Here are a few locations that I could possibly explore on the shoot below:
The areas I chose I found to have the biggest variety of aspects within the landscape, consisting of urban and natural viewpoints which would allow me to explore opposing opinions in abstract ways which could be linked into each other. I tried to include areas within Jersey that were next to the sea, this was because I wanted to explore the use of reflects to create abstract patterns of different materials in the water such as the bricks on a pier. To do this I’m going to plan out a few ideas which I would be able to photograph regarding the topic of the variation of textures and surfaces, which once done can be used to link in with each other providing me results that would not seemed rushed but instead compliment each other and can be presented as a set. Here is a mood board of some of the textures and surfaces I wish to capture on the shoot:
One aspect of the shoot I wanted to explore is the formation of rocks, due to Jersey being an island it is completely surrounded by rocky beaches that consist of various types of rock. By using a monochrome filter I wish to highlight the detail and aestheticism of the structures, using a higher contrast to portray the light and dark more drastically than usual, exaggerating the features as a result. To accompany this I could take pictures of the reflect given off by the sea during a sunny or overcast day, this would provide me with a variety of different shades and results which could determine the mood of the entire image. By reflecting objects like walls on the sea it could further enhance the abstraction by including two different environments into one image, man-made and the natural landscape.
Another idea within the shoot could be the use of materials found in that area to display textures and a variety of surfaces. This would consist of surfaces such as walls and wood, I chose these because of the huge variation in shape and form that they come in making each surface unique to that specific area. What I also wanted to pick up from these surface textures was the use of symmetrical aestheticism which would present the viewer with the idea of something with intelligence designing the shape of form of the photographed subject.
For my last idea I found that focusing on everyday objects found in the area explored would be a great topic to pursue. This is because the objects found in the area can often be linked to the people living there, with ropes lying around maybe reflecting a beach side village or cigarettes and rubbish present inside town. This idea for me links best to the works of Aaron Siskind as he moved from portraiture to abstract due to finding that the objects found often best portrayed the people living there in a unique and unusual light, giving more meaning to the image as it then becomes down to the audiences interpretation instead.
Arron Siskind was born December 4th, 1903, New York, dying in February 8th, 1992, Providence, Rhode Island. Siskind became an influential teacher, editor and photographer who is best known for his innovations in abstract photography. Starting 1932, as an English teacher in New York City he became a member of the Photo League, participating in projects designed to document neighbourhood life during the Great Depression. Siskind’s project Dead End: The Bowery and Harlem Document shows his concern for pure design rather than the subjects themselves. Because of this in the late 1930s he stopped photographing people and instead moved onto architectural photography, seen present in his book Old Houses of Bucks County, a book which looked at natural phenomena and still life.
Siskind soon specialised in abstract work which he became best known for, where he expresses his own state of mind instead of recording the subject matter as it is. In the late 1940s textures and patterns became the core focus for him, looking at regular objects such as rope, sand and seaweed. Siskind’s inspiration came from Group f.64 who photographed the subject up close much like his own style, this led him onto photographing two-dimensional surfaces such as pavements, billboards and walls, especially the ones which had been decayed and worn out by the weather. This turned into his main theme that allowed for him to take photos of the ruins of Arch of Constantine in 1967, a piece that was not originally accepted by other photographers. However many artists liked this and Siskind’s was hung up alongside abstract expressionist paintings.
Most of his inspiration comes from various activities as a founding member of the Society of Photographic Education and as a co-editor of Choice, a literary and photography magazine. Overall his greatest inspiration was as a professor of photography at the Institute of Design of the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, a post he held from 1951 to 1971. His final works consist of a 30 year anthology of his photographs, Bucks County, Photographs of Early Architecture and Places. Here are some examples of his work below:After looking over some examples of his work I decided that I would analyse one of his images, by doing this it would allow for a greater insight into how these photos are created and what makes them so effective. When looking over the photos it would give me the ability to incorporate the style into my own works, making them more effective as a result. The image I chose for this is called San Luis Potosi 16, a photo of a rotting billboard with deteriorating paper:
Visual:
Visually the image is of a billboard that had been left to rot, and as a result has become this abstract piece in itself which hides the initial meaning meant to be put across by it. This is accompanied by the fact that the paper has been repeatedly stacked upon different posters underneath, because of this the writing seems to jump around the image rather than stick in one place. When looking at it I found that the different sizes of fonts really attracted my attention due to it breaking up the piece from becoming too generic and repetitive, allowing for your eyes to travel across it with ease rather than become eye-sore from a lack of contrast. Composition wise the use of placing the biggest text in the centre of the photo really creates the whole image, as it becomes the focal point for your initial glance and the source of it’s overall aestheticism.
Technical:
When looking over the image there is a use of high contrast, this is done so that there is a clear definition between the lights and dark present inside the piece, emphasising and changing the final outcome as a result. The photo has been taken using monochrome, this like the contrast increases the difference between the lights and dark whilst also honing in on specific details that may of not been previously picked up upon when looking at it in colour. A relatively normal exposure and shutter speed have been used as there is no sign of blur or one of he shades overpowering the other, instead capturing the billboard as it was seen at the time.
Conceptual:
The image itself is part of a series consisting of various billboards in and around cities, capturing their deterioration in an aesthetic and unusual way. When looking over the photo it is clear to me that it was taken at the peak of Siskind’s exploration and experimentation regarding various takes on the environment which makes us the surrounding area, using it to reflect what can be seen and expected rather than take portraits instead. By using a monochrome filter it brings out the aestheticism of the image, making it entirely possible to interpret the image purely on an aesthetic level. The reason for Siskind’s attraction to abstract takes on cities come from experimentation between photographing an object in an unusual way or photographing the people found in that area, after much time he decided upon using abstraction to express his opinion regarding his viewpoint of the surround place, making the viewer interpret his meaning through only visual appearance alone.
After looking over some examples of his work I decided that I would analyse one of his images, by doing this it would allow for a greater insight into how these photos are created and what makes them so effective. When looking over the photos it would give me the ability to incorporate the style into my own works, making them more effective as a result. The image I chose for this is called San Luis Potosi 16, a photo of a rotting billboard with deteriorating paper: