Since my personal investigation involves manipulating my own archival images, I have decided to scan the photographs and print them so the originals would be kept the same as they are irreplaceable. Although many of the photographs had already been printed out, I also found several CDs storing images of places I used to live and go on holiday. I had never seen the images from the CDs, which caused a realisation that memory does fade away in time. I could not remember the moments these photos were captured, the memories were only restored through looking at these images. Like Carolle Benitah I had to “excavate” through albums, boxes and CDs in order to carry out the process of “order, classification, scanning and printing”.

Below I have planned the different techniques I intend to carry out on my childhood archival images during the Christmas holidays. The only photo-shoots I need to conduct is when I capture self portraits in the style of John Stezaker’s Mask series and Antonio Mora’s dream like portraits. Even these photos need alterations through collages and multi exposure.

Photo-manipulation one: Carolle Benitah

For my first photo-manipulation I plan to use coloured thread and scissors in order to alter my childhood photos to investigate how moving to different country’s has influenced my current identity. I will try to recreate the visual aspects portrayed in her work by including needlework and artistic techniques, whether that may be drawing, painting or cutting. Through these techniques, I want to demonstrate my feelings towards my childhood from my current perspective. I want to portray how grateful I am to have lived in various countries. It has allowed me to gain cultural knowledge, new experiences and memories. By manipulating my archival images, I want to demonstrate how memories slowly fade away in the passage of time. Revisiting my childhood images will help me to recall the moments in which the photographs were taken. The red illustrations will be symbolic of me leaving behind my traces in each country.

Photo-manipulation two: Annegret Soltau

For my second photo-manipulation I would like my archival images to be sewn over or collaged with black thread. I intend to recreate the abstract quality of her work and the geometric patterns which joins features of her face. The thread will help me portray the idea of identity and will act as a metaphor for the instability in my life. I intend to use thread to showcase that movement doesn’t necessarily mean freedom. It’s restricting in the way that you feel out of place, a sense of not feeling like you belong at “home”.

Photo-shoot three: John Stezaker

For my third photo-shoot I intend to create collages by hiding the facial features of black and white portraits with archival images depicting countries I have lived in and their most iconic scenery and architecture. These archive images will overlap my face in order to convey how living in different countries has ultimately shaped my current identity. In the editing process, I will turn the portraits of myself and my parents into black and white while keeping the archival images in colour to replicate his work.

Photo-shoot four: Antonio Mora

For my fourth photo-shoot I will respond to Antonio Mora’s photography work by creating digital collages on photoshop. This will enable me to merge portraits with landscapes and architecture from archival photographs. In order to replicate his style I will capture head shots so in the manipulation process I can focus on altering the area around the head.