Chris Porsz is a street photographer who, during the late ’90s began his long term project, “Reunions”. He captured a series of images showing the culture and people of Britain during this time. his images included a range of individuals in different professions, groups of children of varying ages, couples, and different identities that were common at the time (from punk to goth). Porsz then brought this project to a conclusion, by, 30 years later, tracking down the subjects of his original photographs, and having them reenact the original images:
Porsz’s photography shows the contrast between the original image and the modern takes, as the differences between the (often young) original subjects and their now maturer selves, along with the changes to the environment over the years, helps to display the journey of the individuals through their lives, through the use of just 2 images. Porsz work is an example of the drastic change that can occur within the space of 3 decades, but his ability to recreate the images using the same subjects in the same positions helps to give a sense of continuity, showing that the subjects memories of the original image (and who they were at the time) is still with them, and remains a part of their identity regardless of the time passing.
Chris’ work has inspired me in creating my first photo-shoot, which will be centred around recreating archival images using the same subjects in the same positions. This links to the Journeys & Pathways theme of the project, as it will allow for the viewer to see the differences and similarities between the subjects and how they have changed over the period of time between the original image and now, and will help to draw together the 2 different periods of time, creating a loop where the subject is shown to be the same individual that they were when the original image was taken, while still displaying changes and differences that make them the person they are today. The images will show the journey of the individual through their life, from the person they were, to the person they now are.
I had to change some of my ideas as i would logistically be unable to do the shoots or was not comfortable with carrying out some ideas. Also after doing other shoots, some ideas appealed to me less and i found more of the path i wanted to take with this and how i wanted to go forward
This is the photograph I have chosen to edit and finalise for this recreation, I feel my model is posed the best in this photograph and the angle is the best and it looks like it has the best potential to be the best recreation of the original Ad. I feel it has good lighting that can be edited and adjusted to fit right and create a good image and there is enough of a background showing for me to turn the back blue.
Editing Process:
Editing 1
To begin with I began by editing the brightness and the contrast of the photograph, I adjusted both of them due to the style of the original ad being quite vibrant in its colours quite harsh which is why I adjusted the contrast and then as well the brightness as to be able to have the image as well lit.
Editing 2
Editing 3
For the next part I selected around my subject and around the frame so that only the background was included in the selection I then went and played around with the colour photo filters to find the right shade of blue to put as the background of the image. I left the table unselected as although it was very low down in comparison to the original AD I did not feel I would be cropping it out so left it clear to be kept in the photograph.
Final Outcome:
Below shows my final outcome from the photoshoot and the editing, I feel this photoshoot and recreation turned out well as it shows a different side of the advertising in fashions as it is a recreation of a different time when fashion was having different sides between two very different decades, overall I feel it has been a successful outcome.
The 1930’s is the interwar period – an era often overlooked in favour of the vibrancy of the roaring ’20s, the make-do-and-mend attitude of the 40’s and the subsequent grandiosity of Christian Dior’s New Look of 1947. The Wall Street Crash in 1929 started a fundamental change to how people lived their lives, with no money to spend companies started researching cheaper methods of manufacturing clothes and cheaper fabrics were being created to replace the decadent fabrics of the 20’s. There was a return to lay-like glamour in the 30’s. Dresses were designed to show off curves of women, they accentuated the waist but not in an extreme was like the corset wearing years of previous decades. There was a business like influence with two piece outfits being worn.
Plan:
For this recreation I will be taking a famous ad from the 1930’s to recreate, I am planning to do it in the studio to have a plain background for me to edit back into and deal with. I will have my model sit at a table and chair and recreate the pose of the original model. I will attempt to have a good recreation of clothes and stance of the of the original model.
Eight Recreation:
Vogue Cover Poster | US July 1939
Above shows the famous ad that I will be recreating from the 1930’s this specific ad was produced in 1939 photographed by Horst P. Horst, and features the fashion model Muriel Maxwell in an all-American color palette.
Contact Sheets of Outcomes
Above shows my contact sheet of outcomes from the photoshoot. I feel some of my images turned out quite successful, I had some issues with the height of the stool and the table in comparison to each other however I feel the images still worked well and have the potential to work and be edited to look like a good recreation.
Unedited Best Outcomes:
I feel these two photographs are my best outcomes from the photoshoot, I feel the first photograph has a good angle and positioning to see the subject in the frame however I feel the second has good lighting to be able to go through and edit the photograph and generate a good recreation, however I feel the angle for the second image doesn’t have as good and angle compared to the first.
Feminist art is art by artists created consciously in light of developments in feminist art theory in the early 1970’s. Though hard to pinpoint it’s thought Linda Nochlin’s essay Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists? first sparked debate when published in 1971, she explored the social and economic factors that had prevented talented women from achieving the same status as their male counterparts.
Building on that idea were parts of John Berger’s book Ways of Seeing in 1972, which, among other things, explored differences in representation of men and women, Berger concluded ‘Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at’, essentially saying Western art was replicating the unequal relationships already embedded in society.
The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago, 1974-79 (from the collection of Brooklyn Museum)
As what’s known occasionally as the first wave feminist art, women artist began to create work that dealt with the feminine experience, they began to explore vaginal imagery, menstrual blood, body art, conceptual films and using techniques previously dismissed as ‘women’s work’ such as embroidery.
One of the most Iconic works of this time is Judy Chicago’s The Dinner Party (shown above). The installation shows 39 place settings arranged along a triangular table for various mythical and historical women. The piece functioned as a symbolic history of women in western civilization. Below shows a test place setting that the artist created for author Virginia Woolf.
Virginia Woolf test plate for The Dinner Party by Judy Chicago
The progress made by previous generations of feminist artists as meant that many contemporary creatives working in the 21st century no longer feel the responsibility to identify as ‘women artists’ or openly address a women’s perspective in their work. Rather many artists produce work that is focused on their individual concerns as opposed to a general feminist message.
This can be seen in the work of artists like Tracy Emin or Cindy Sherman, whose self-portraits take on the role of iconic stereotypes and questions the male gaze. While Sherman doesn’t identify as a feminist artist herself, her practice grew from and is connected to the first and second generation of feminist artists.
My work I feel can take on some of these ideas especially relating to Cindy Sherman, ideas of not forceful feminism anymore however just slightly pointing out and bringing out photographs to get people to notice things and look at things differently in terms of feminism and females in relation to males. Cindy Sherman has been my biggest influence throughout the project for me personally as I try to generate ideas from looking at the way she works and generated images that allowed people to generate their own ideas.
after finalising ideas and refining them, this is my final inspirations, drawing from my artists and showing how I’m going to move forward and explore various ideas and ways of editing and displaying before coming out withy final images and presentation.
The aim of these edits was to replicate some of the famous propaganda which was used during the second world war, which had an impact on Jersey’s journey through this time period. I will also be experimenting with the images in the style of Kruger, and will also be creating some propaganda of my own which has taken inspiration from all the artists I have researched. These edits should show my ability to use photoshop to create, posters, where image and text are combined to create a powerful and meaningful final outcome. I want to experiment with colour, drop shadows, blur, pixilation and the use of moving images (GIF).
In my first edit I decided to replicate the ‘we can do it!’ propaganda which was used to motivate people to join the army and win the war. This edit is an example of tableaux photography as the image and text are used to tell a story and inform us on what we should be doing. In order to accomplish this edit, I started off by levelling the image for dramatic effect. I then used the quick selection tool to outline and cut out my model onto a separate layer, layer via cut. Then I created a new layer and moved it underneath the layer with my model on it, using the paint bucket tool I made the background a mustard yellow colour (like the original propaganda). I then wanted to showcase the pictures time frame, so I decided to add in my own noise, by going into filter and pixilate and experimenting with the different blurs to create the nose on my model. I then created a new layer and drew out the navy blue speech bubble to which the words will then be placed on. I then added the text using the text tool, the font was a standard bold and the colour is white. To make the bubble and text send out I added drop shadows to them, in the fx panel. I believe that this edit is very successful as it is a clear replication of the original image, moreover it shows my ability to critically make decisions and has shown further understanding of my photoshop skills.
In my next edit I decided to recreate the image with Lord Kitchener. This image was much harder to replicate as the steps involved where more complex, needless to say I managed to replicate it, but it is not as strong as the replication of the we can do it. To start off this edit I loaded up the image I wanted to use and levelled it for effect. I then cut out my model using the quick selection tool and layer via cut. I then deleted the background. In the original image the Lord seems like it is a drawing so I attempted to make my model a drawing. To do this I made the image black and white, and duplicated the layer by pressing ctrl +j. On the new layer I inverted my model, ctrl + I . Then I changed the blending mode to colour add, and added a Gaussian blur which made my model seem like he has been drawn. I then moved him to the middle of the page and made him smaller using the transformation tool, ctrl + t. I then simply added a background, a parcel paper colour, and added all the text, in the same colours as the original image, which created the final outcome. Although this edit is not as successful, I have been able to experiment with different tools and features of photoshop in order to create an outcome.
GIF:
A GIF is a lossless format for image files that supports both animated and static images.
In order to further explore the idea of replicating the more well known pieces of propaganda, I decided to make gif’s of my model’s moving into the famous stance. I made this decision as it almost modernises this idea of what propaganda is, and showcases how photography can be used to develop into using moving images. I wanted to keep both gifs simplistic and so I only levelled all of the images, and added in the text. I did not change the background colour or the blurs or the drawing. I made this decision as I wanted to emphasis how these posters still contain a lot of meaning even when you strip off some of the features, moreover it showcases the impact the images have on us in todays society. I am very pleased with how the two gifs turned out and believe they showcase the same meanings and showcase the journey of propaganda which influenced the journey of Jersey through WW2.
Images used to achieve this outcome:
Images used to achieve this outcome:
Barbara Kruger Inspired:
For my next two edits, I wanted to create propaganda which followed the style of Kruger’s work. One of the main elements of her work was the image was kept in black and white, and she would use boxes and the text to present colour, which meant the words had a more powerful meaning and impact. To achieve the edits below, I simply levelled them to adjust the dramatic effect. I then used the rectangular marquee tool to create the rectangles, which are filled with colour (this was done on different layers). I then adjusted the angle of the red boxes using the transformation tool, ctrl +t. I then added in the text using basic fonts and simplistic colours. Finally, I added drop shadows to make the boxes and words stand out. I think that these edits follow the style of Kruger accurately as they address something relevant in that times society, in this case it addresses joining the war. The top image in my eyes is the more successful one, as the image itself is successful due to the camera skills and settings. Moreover, I prefer the use of slanted words as it makes the poster more eye catching. Needless to say, they are both strong images as they have strong links with the artist, showcase my confidence in using different camera settings and show my ability to use the different tools in photoshop.
Comparison:
My Image
Kruger’s Image
In comparison, my final outcome holds a lot of similarities with Kruger’s work, but also showcase differences due to our own artistic style. One similarity is that we have both used men as out models and subjects, due to the target audience mainly being aimed at men, which allows the message to have more clarity and meaning. Moreover, both models are seen. covering their mouth, which showcases the idea that they should stay quiet, no questions and do exactly what the posters are telling them to do. Another similarity is that both images are presented in black and white, which allows the subject to more subtle and have the text stand out. As well as having the image show more tone throughout the piece. A major difference is that Kruger’s work presents more of a vintage vibe due to the noise which is being presented on the subject, which has been done through adjusting the ISO higher. Where as my image is more ‘modern’ as noise is not being created, however both effects work nicely to help convey meaning. Another difference is the text being used, Kruger’s text is talking about opening up about your sexuality, which was relevant at that time, but does not have strong links to WW2. I decided to create text which will convey meaning to the time period of WW2, where solider recruitment was high, which impacted Jersey’s journey through the second world war. Needless to say, my image took inspiration from Kruger’s colour scheme as I felt the colours worked to help draw attention to certain words, for emphasis, and overall worked well to help convey the representations being presented. Another key difference is the lighting, although we have both used artificial lighting, Kruger has used 1 point lighting to create a chiaroscuro effect. Where as, I used 2 point lighting to light up all of my models face, to create a wider depth of field, it also allows the whole face to be emphasised. As you can tell both images share a lot of similarities and the difference are due to our of photographic taste and preference.
Further Experimentations:
Then using the different techniques acquired from the remaking of propaganda and Kruger’s work I then used my creativity to caption and edit my images to create propaganda. When creating them I considered, font style, colour schemes, positioning of texts and how the image and text come together to create a meaning. The photographs themselves showcase photography techniques such as chiaroscuro which contrasts light and shadow, depth of field, formal elements and focus point. The images below clearly demonstrate these techniques. When editing all the images I started off by levelling them and adjusting the curves for dramatic effect. For the first image I then turned it black and white by adjusting the saturation slider, ctrl + U, and then added the text. The second image I made my image seem like a drawing by making it seem like the second piece of propaganda I created, by adjusting blending modes and adding a gaussian blur. The final image was kept in colour and had text added. In my opinion I like the way all of these edits have turned out, but critically speaking the image below is the most successful, as I believe the photograph (techniques and overall looks) and text work well together and produces the most powerful and persuading meaning, thus creating a successful piece of propaganda.
Displaying Idea:
As I was creating these edits, I knew that I wanted to use them as a final piece but I was not sure how. It wasn’t until I was scrolling through Pinterest when I sore some propaganda from WW2 being displayed on a pin board, which sparked my idea to display my propaganda on a pin board. I believe that this idea showcases contextual factors, as it was a way of actually displaying the propaganda during the second world war, which will showcase part of Jersey’s Journey through the second world war. Moreover, It is a nice way to display all of the outcomes, as it is ascetically pleasing and all the images work together to create an overall powerful effect, and remind people about the impact propaganda has on people’s lives during the second world war.
Below is an image displaying how I would arrange the images on a cork board. I used a background image off a cork board (taken from google) and placed it on a new document on photoshop. I then added all of my propaganda onto the page, adjusting their size (ctrl + t). I then randomly placed them around the board, with them overlapping one another, creating a messy but ascetically pleasing effect.
Evaluation:
To evaluate these edits, I believe that I have produced strong outcomes which showcase my ability to critically decide on images, my competence in using different photoshop tools and my exploration to different ideas to present these images. I have been able to clearly replicate some of the more ‘famous’ propaganda, which showcases my ability of tableaux photography. I then transformed these edits into GIFs, which shows my ability to further explore an idea and showcase a different form and style of presenting a set of images. I then successfully created my own work which have been inspired by Kruger. The images showcase my ability to take inspiration but add my own artistic style to create an overall successful image. Afterwards, I then created my own propaganda using the different techniques, given by the artists, and different photoshop tools in order to create powerful propaganda. Then looking at displaying my works allows me to see how all the images work well together and present a strong final image, which impacts viewers on how propaganda played a massive role in Jersey during the second world war, which reinforces to project itself. In my opinion these edits are some of strongest so far, making this idea worth while and the most successful.
Drew was inspired to create the series “Still Life /Australiana (2003-2009)” after visiting a museum in Germany that exhibited paintings of dead animals. When she returned to Australia and was surrounded by roadkill, she was immediately reminded of the paintings and began working on the series. “You sort of grow up with roadkill in Australia, and people—me included—try desperately to ignore it,” said Drew. “[Doing the series] seemed like a way to translate the situation of animals dying as a consequence of our dominance of the environment.”
“It became a way for the community to acknowledge death and to give some sort of importance to a life rather than just having it get run over by a car, get squashed, and then disregarded,” said Drew.
For my own purposes, i’m taking the idea of how roadkill is disregarding the circle of life. How people initially run over a clueless life then leave it on the side of the road. Drew’s whole idea is to capture her found roadkill in environments we’re more accustomed to rather than the animals norm. I solely just want to capture the animal in its ever-lasting last moments, focusing on their bodies reaction and the roots of their injuries.
