Here are some of my initial ideas on the exam title of ‘Journeys and Pathways’.
I want to keep this topic on one level so that it all relates to Jersey, this is because I was born here and I’ve lived here over 5 years now, therefore I know the island well, however I don’t know that much about what it used to be like, there are many things which my Jersey relatives would remember and reminisce about which I (being a teenager in the 2000s) would have no idea about. So I want to explore the evolution of Jersey and the journey it has been through over the years, and maybe even talk to some Jersey born people who’ve lived here their entire life, and get their opinions on what’s changed over the years.
I think my main areas of exploration on this topic are going to be related to: the evolution of Jersey streets and architecture over time, street photography=art on Jersey streets and the expectations vs reality of what Jersey can look like to outsiders vs how it actually is.
-urban architecture/design
-street photography
-art into the streets
-drawing & painting over photographs
-buildings/landscapes in jersey, over time
-murals, introduction of art into the streets
-expectations vs reality on how Jersey can be seen by outsiders vs how it actually is.
Beginning with the evolution of Jersey streets over time, I’ve been coming up with some ideas on how I would be presenting this research, other than just having two photos beside each-other as this seems uninteresting to me. I would like to join the two (the old and the new) together somehow. My current idea is to search and find for archival photos of the old Jersey streets and then go into the exact same spot (if i can) and retake the new photo. This would show the development of the streets but wouldn’t really connect them. Therefore I thought I would incorporate a bit of art into it as-well and trace over the new retake photo, using clear plastic paper and a white pen to clearly show all the new additions and the modernity of what has changed but also linking both eras into one piece.
Moving onto the topic of art on Jersey streets. I personally feel like the streets are lacking some murals/street art, of course there are some very impressive ones which I like seeing when I’m out and about, but in my opinion they aren’t enough compared to some places in London/Amsterdam where there is so much art and creativity going on the streets, I feel like the look of Jersey can very much be dominated by the fact it is known for being a ‘tax haven’ and a financial industry area. So sticking with my initial idea of painting and drawing over some street photography photos in Jersey, I would like to experiment and ‘play around’ with how Jersey could’ve/still can turn out if the island would have taken a more creative approach instead of a standard finance/business look.
For my final idea, I really want to explore the expectations of Jersey as a supposedly well-off, tax haven island, with lovely beaches and complete safety vs what it actually is like to live here now + what it was like in the past, and see the realities of things. Such as some disturbing past and recent crimes and why the island is regarded as being ‘full of secrets’. For this specific idea of comparing the expectation vs the reality, I looked at the work of Alice Wielinga, an artist which I will be doing a case study and response to in the near future as a part of my project.
This is a brief mood-board from some of my initial ideas about street photography, which I made before looking into other ideas.
For my shoot I will be in the French alps, I plan to find high points on mountains that have large views with clear skies. I plan to take mostly photos with my digital camera and then exaggerating the colours in Photoshop afterwards then making it black and white but I will be taking my film camera with black and white film and I will be trying to use colour filters to get the result I want. However, where as Adams could look at his images straight after as he was using a field camera if I try and take the images in black and white on my film camera I will not be able to instantly see how my images have turned out.
The main similarity between both images is that they are capturing the same subject, bunkers which where used during the war, which informs us that the two images share the same contextual factors (How the bunkers have been neglected and isolated since the war). Needless to say the way they have gone about capturing the subject is very different to one another, which showcases their artistic style and preference. This is clearly shown as Andrew’s work is presented in color, which makes the bunker more appealing. An affordance of having the image in color is that it allows the environment to clearly be showcased allowing us to understand how the bunker seems to be in the middle of nowhere and how the time (night time) at which it was taken allows the setting to portray the contextual factor of bunker isolation. Where as Virilio’s work is in black and white which creates an eerie tone towards the image and showcases isolation in a more visual way. An affordance of having the image black and white allows a high tonal contrast, making all the lines, texture showcase how the bunker has been worn and torn during it’s time of isolation. Another similarity is that both images use a narrow depth of field, the subject of the images is the main focus point and the backgrounds a slightly out of focus, allowing viewers attention to be solely focused on the bunkers which showcases the images purpose. This is reinforced as the background of both images are plain making our eyes focus on the bunkers. Both images showcase the formal elements of shape, texture, line and form, which are all presented through the bunkers and the position of them in the frame. Technically speaking the two artists have used similar camera settings to capture their subject. They both have used a quick shutter speed, as there is no intended blur visible in the images. As mentioned before they both have a narrow depth of field, and have similar focus point. The ISO of both is likely to be similar (low) as there is no noise being presented within the images. Another similarity is that both photographs have used artificial lighting as the subject is located outside. However, Andrew’s work has the bunker more lit up compared to Virilio work which could suggest that he used a form of artificial lighting to capture his image. In addition, as it is night time in Andrew’s work there is less light in the background compared to Virilio’s image which seems to be taken during the day, allowing the sun to light up the whole image. Another way the two images are similar is that they share the same conceptual factors. This is they both wanted to showcase the aftermath of the war and how we are left with the bunkers which is constantly reminding us of what occured in the war. Moreover, both images nicely link into the project of the Journey of Jersey through the Second World War. In my opinion I prefer Andrew’s work, due to the way he lit up the front of the bunker, leaving the background dark as it illuminates the idea that the bunkers have been isolated. Needless to say, I do really like the way Virilio showcases the isolation of the Bunkers.
Although the war crisis led to new realms of autonomy for women on the home front, women also became targets of propaganda that emphasized women’s sexual and domestic roles in ways that limited their sense of agency during the war years. Through different and, often, contradictory avenues of propaganda women were presented as victims, domestic beings, and as threats. Wartime propaganda portrayed women as sexually vulnerable victims in danger of the hyper-sexual desires of the enemy. This cannot however be said the same for all women in propaganda as in some cases they were shown as strong or taking on man’s roles such as Rosie the Riveter.
The examples below show and discuss the representations of women I feel should be questioned and are wrong and it all shows how women were used as an object in the wartime propaganda.
Women Seen As Domestic Figures:
More so than at any previous time in the US history women were breaking out of their traditional gendered roles by participating in the labour force, join the military, wartime propaganda helped to limit them to the classic roles of mothers, faithful girlfriends who contributed to the war effort solely through domestic means.
Unlike the infamous ‘Rosie the Riveter’ posters generated during the war, much of propaganda posters became tools to emphasize the significance of women’s war effort in the domestic realm. The trope of the mother-daughter duo illustrated in posters such as ‘Even a little can help a lot -NOW’ and ‘We’ll have lots to eat this winter, won’t we Mother?” emphasize the significance of women both as domestic beings canning foods and pasting stamps and as mothers reproducing children who will become assets to society. This branch of propaganda maintains traditional femininity and domesticity, thus suggesting that when men return home from the war they will be returning to a normal life where women raise children and tend to the house while men earn money.
Mother and Daughter pasting stamps into booklets as part of the war effort
Women as Victims:
One way in which women’s sexual and domestic roles became defined by propaganda was through propaganda designed to encourage enlistment and the purchase of war bonds by depicting the outcome on the home-front if the US were to lose. The main theme that the propaganda campaign chose to focus on was the effects of the war on women. The majority of this propaganda portrayed women in one of two ways. First, and more frequently, women were depicted as young, innocent victims of sexual violence inflicted by hyper-sexual enemy soldiers. The other way in which women were illustrated was as helpless mothers clinging to their children as enemy violence threatens to annihilate them and their homes. Both of these depictions reduce women’s agency as passive participants in the war effort and illustrate them solely as vulnerable victims of enemy violence.
Not only does the war bonds campaign provoke fears about mother and, thus, family vulnerability in the face of the enemy, but it also emphasizes the susceptibility of young American women to the hypersexual desires of enemy men. Once again, the narrative of American men needing to defend and preserve the honor and morality of American women is used to benefit the war effort.
Poster of a terrified mother clinging to child as a bomber flies overhead
Women As A Threat:
In contrast to posters of women as the weak, vulnerable victims of sexual desires, an entire campaign designed to fight venereal diseases (VD’s) recast women’s sexuality as a threat to soldiers the nuclear family, and, thus, the nation. This poster campaign often illustrated women as “bad girls”—dangerous and “loose,” in contrast with other campaigns depicting the “good girl” image of smiley mothers and housewives. The venereal disease propaganda is particularly gendered both in who appears on posters and who the targeted audience is.
The fact that women are demonized based on their sexual behaviors illustrates the larger societal need to control women’s morality and sexuality. Instead of being liberating, women gaining more autonomy over their bodies became a threat to the fundamental values of the American nuclear family. Women who were sexually active did not fulfill their traditional gender role and became outcasts who were looked down upon for having ‘loose’ morality.
Poster of a woman who supposedly has a venereal disease trying to entice an American soldier
Guerrilla Girls is an anonymous group of feminist, female artists devoted to fighting sexism and racism within the art world. The group formed in New York City in 1985 with the mission of bringing gender and racial inequality into focus within the greater arts community. The group employs culture jamming in the form of posters, books, billboards and public appearances to expose discrimination and corruption. To remain anonymous, member don gorilla masks and use pseudonyms that refer to deceased female artists. According to GG1 identities are concealed because issues matter more than individual identities.
Many feminist artists in the 1970’s dared to imagine that female artists could produce authentically and radically different art, undoing the prevailing visual paradigm. Shaped by the 1970’s women’s movement, the Guerrilla Girls resolved to devise new strategies. Most noticeably, they realized that 1970s-era tools such as pickets and marches proved ineffective.
Throughout their existence, the Guerrilla Girls have gained the most attention for their bold protest art. Their projects (mostly posters at first) express observations, concerns, and ideals regarding numerous social topics. Their art has always been fact-driven and informed by the group’s unique approach to data collection.
Guerrilla Girls Poster
The Guerrilla Girls are drawing attention to and trying to rid of sexism as well as racism, I can relate what the Guerrilla girls do and their message to my work by looking at the links that I am aiming to show the changes or the no changes in the way women are portrayed and put forward in some of the era’s where the male gaze was very prominent.
I can also relate the Guerrilla Girls to the ideas of Cindy Sherman as her photography aims to force the audience to reconsider common stereotypes and cultural assumptions, among the latter political sarire, caricature, the graphic novel, pulp fiction, stand-up comedy (some of her characters are indeed uncomfortably “funny”).
Both the Guerrilla Girls and Cindy Sherman show that they are against the objectification of women and the idea of the male gaze. I feel I can gain inspiration and ideas from them as I look to move the project forward and look more closely at the time periods I am recreating the adverts from to understand where women stood at that time to then reflect on how they are being presented in those ads.
One of the figures who Inaugurated modernism to the history of the art is the renowned French Painter Édouard Manet. As one of his most celebrated paintings Olympia shook the society and made a huge impact on the upcoming generations of artists. The highly controversial composition was painted in 1853 and exposed to the public 2 years later. It represents a nude woman in a leisure pose with a servant bringing flowers. The daring look of a shameless woman caused quite a stir and the public considered the painting indecent since it displayed a sex worker in her boudoir. In relation with that is the fact that the very name Olympia was associated with sex workers in 1860’s Paris.
Manet’s Olympia has been used during the 1970’s as an important reference in the context of the male gaze proposed by the feminist movement. Especially the Black feminists argued that Manet did not include the figure of the maid for the artistic convention, but to create an ideological binary between black and white, good and bad, clean and dirty.
Peter Blake’s work reflects his fascination with all popular culture, and the beauty to be found in everyday objects and surroundings. Many of his works feature found printed materials such as photographs, comic strips or advertising texts, combined with bold geometric patterns and the use of primary colours. The works perfectly capture the ethos of the sixties, but are also contemporary. There is also a strain of sentimentality and nostalgia running throughout his work, with particular focus towards childhood innocence and reminiscence. Blake is renowned for his connection with the music industry, having produced iconic album covers for the Beatles, Paul Weller, The Who, and Oasis.
Analysis
This self-portrait by the then 29-year-old Blake became an instant pop art classic. Having clinched the 1961 junior John Moores painting prize, it was featured in the Sunday Times’ first colour supplement and in Ken Russell’s documentary Pop Goes the Easel.
It’s an ironic riff on Thomas Gainsborough’s The Blue Boy, its blue silk outfit replaced by denim, a fabric rich in social history. Blake’s 501s were a coveted rarity at the time, though Elvis (as depicted on the magazine Blake carries) had by then abandoned work wear in favour of tasseled satin.
The titular badges are not limited to sew-on patches celebrating American culture. Everything here is a prop recalling the symbolic attributes of portraiture. But, as stand-ins for identity, it’s all as paper thin as the magazine he’s holding.
Balding and sad-eyed, Blake seems prematurely aged. His suburban plot is both a far cry from the great plains of the American dream and Gainsborough’s 18th-century landscapes. In fact, the other art-historical shadow here is Watteau’s superlatively lonely clown, Pierrot.
My favorite image of Adams is “Face of Half Dome”. The reason for this is because it is a sharp image that has a large amount of detail within it.
Technical
This image was taken on film in black and white originally. He also used a very high f-stop meaning that the image is sharp throughout. He also used a deep dark red filter.
Visual
The monolith is the main focus of the photo but there are other things like the ledge on the bottom right section of the photo and in the bottom left of the photo has detail showing the snow and the tree.
Contextual
Adams went to the spot where the photo was taken, first when he was 14 and then 11 years later, he want back to take this photo. When taking the photo he had his camera on a large tripod and had to take it on a two day hike to get to the spot.
Conceptual
The concept that Adams was aiming for and the point that he was trying to make to the viewer was that the American national parks are something that has undergone some change and he wanted to preserve the image before they changed beyond the point of no return. He also wanted to show the views with a level or Romanticism meaning that he would exaggerate the beauty and the views that he saw the ways that he did this is using colour filters and using very high focal lengths.
I wanted to focus on Le Hocq beach as I lived nearby and I wanted to be able to take pictures throughout the day. I wanted to capture the journey in which the sun, clouds, water takes on a typical day in Winter. I was lucky to have enough that the weather was good and the sky was clear, but that did mean I had to ensure my pictures weren’t over exposed due the harshness of the sun, this was difficult. I started taking pictures at 1 pm and took pictures every hour until 7 pm. I held my camera for the post part but for several photos I put my camera on the wall. The picture below aren’t of every hour but are the best to represent the movement of the sun and change in brightness. I aimed to create a timeline for an afternoon at the beach, to show the true beauty of one of my favourite beaches in Jersey.
trees 2pm
trees 4pm
trees 5pm
trees 7pm
front 4pm
Analysis
Overall I found my first experiment to be reasonably successful. If I were to do it again I would have used a tripod and kept it in the same place for the duration of the shoot in order to have more emphasis on the change in just one particular part of the beach, but this is useful to know for my next photo shoot. I feel like my photos are pretty self explanatory, as they are just a timeline of Le Hocq beach, I used a medium to large lens for my photos as I wanted to focus in on specific parts of the beach but also capture the full atmosphere. I edited my photos in Photoshop by lowering the brightness, increasing contrast and lowering the exposure for the pictures I took earlier in the day. These pictures are personal to me as they are the view I having being seeing for the last 8 years, day in day out, so for me it’s nothing special in day light, but when the sun goes down it creates a different scene for me, something familiar yet exciting. I wanted to empathize how repetitive views don’t always have to be boring, the weather changes, the sun position changes, the sky is never the same, clouds are always moving, they change shape, the sun is always moving.
Boyle Family is a group of collaborative artists based in London. Mark Boyle and Joan Hills met in Harrogate, Yorkshire in 1957, Joan a single mother who had left her art and architecture studies to bring up her son and Mark was serving in the army. Within months they were collaborating, initially exhibiting their work under Boyle’s name until their work became widely known and they exhibited as Mark Boyle and Joan Hills. When their children, Sebastian born in 1962 and Georgia born in 1963, began to collaborate with them from the late 1970s onwards, the group became established as Boyle Family.
Boyle Family is best known for the earth studies: three-dimensional casts of the surface of the earth which record and document random sites with great accuracy. These works combine real material from the site (stones, dust, twigs etc) with paint and resins, preserving the form of the ground to make unique one-off pieces that suggest and offer new interpretations of the environment.
Their project ‘Journey to the Surface of the Earth’ was launched in 1968 – 69. After being blindfolded, they threw darts at a world map, in order to pinpoint 1,000 areas of the earth’s surface to duplicate. On travelling to a selected site, the Boyles would throw a T-square in the air to select a random area to replicate.
The Boyle Family
Visual:
In this image done by the Boyle Family you can clearly see what is the side of the road and part of the pavement next to it. At first glance there’s not much to the image, but with closer inspection you can see all kinds of details and history within the part of the floor they decided to take. You can see every individual texture on the surface, the cracks on the pavement and the light hitting the bumpy surface of the road.
Technical:
The lighting coming from the left side of this image seems a bit artificial, as if coming off of a street light since it’s only lighting up that part of the image and, from what I see, nothing else. As this image is actually a painting replicated from a photo that the Boyles took, it’s hard to asses the technical factors of it but what I can say is that, to take this image which they painted from, it looks like they might have used a long-lensed camera to get that close-up, focused effect in the image.
