While out at the Dolmens I brought with me a disposable camera as an extra piece of equipment to take my photographs on. Using this camera meant that I would not be able to see the outcome of the photographs until I got them developed which was tricky for me as I had one chance with each photograph as I couldn’t delete any and try again.
Over the course of the photoshoot as I used my regular camera I took photographs on the disposable one to have my photographs with a different effect and look.
Some photographs I found that did not work on the digital camera worked better and became useful outcomes on the physical photographs which I will go onto attempt to use in my photo-book, I found some photographs did not work at all which I will not continue to attempt to use however these outcomes from the shooting on the disposable camera were more successful than I first thought they were going to be as I could not see the photographs until they were printed. I plan to make some of them digital copies to use.
The invisible hands exhibition is placed in the Jersey Arts Centre and is a collaborative project between artist Alicja Rogalska and The Morning Boat in order to showcase life as a migrant worker. The aim of the exhibition is to bring light onto the poor conditions for migrant workers on the island for the little that they gain back, the topic is one that is not spoken about often in the island however is something that plays a huge part in the identity of it.
The Agri-Care prize was created during the process of talking to the migrant workers, as they were interviewed they created clay potatoes as a representation for them, potatoes being one of jersey biggest profit gains in farming, while working they decided on how they would pick out a winner for the most authentic clay potato.
Their interviews were filmed without showing their faces and a short film was played, projected on the wall at the exhibition, the lack of faces allowed the workers to remain anonymous, allowing them to speak freely about their work and links back to the title, ‘Invisible Hands’.
The photographs shown and displayed in the exhibition were documented and taken by the workers themselves, this is adding a personal touch to the photographs, though may not all be high quality it is a real, personal and first hand representation of what life is like working for these people.
This exhibition represents and allows the public and other locals to come in and see the side of the farming and agricultural industry in Jersey that they may not normally be known too or shown.
A sentence: Exploring the occupation of folklore tales of a small collective place
A paragraph: My phonebook will look to explore the occupation of local myths and folklore tales in Jersey, Channel Islands, ones that play and important part in the islands history as well as tourism. Using tableaux photography I will be exploring the boundaries between fact and fiction, using the factual locations with stage, fictional actions.
Design: Consider the following
Format, size, orientation: I am choosing to go with a standard A4 20x25cm portrait orientation, I have chosen portrait as I want the allowance to be able to create impactful double page spreads and portrait orientation works best for this I feel. The standard size means I can keep it not overly large and abnormal, as the context isn’t too normal this allows the book to create a sense of reality and normality juxtaposing its contents.
Binding and Cover: I am choosing to use a hardback cover using an image wrap. I feel I can create a larger impact by having a full bleed double page image wrap rather than smaller images or a plain cover. With regards to binding I will have a saddle stitch, hidden by the cover, the simplicity I feel will help to not distract from the narrative
Sequencing: I am planning to move from one narrative to another, to do this I plan to use a starting image and keep a steady sequence going of mixing double page spreads and individual smaller photographs.
Title: I am looking to make my title something surrounding fantasy, I am thinking of using “A Flight of Imagination” – a different way of talking about fantasy in a way which I feel is more mysterious and intreeging.
Sugar Paper Theories is Jack Latham’s second major project in response to a notorious unsolved double murder investigation in Iceland.
This video interview with Jack Latham helps to explain the circumstances of the case and the photobook that resulted from the work he made in Iceland:
How might fear and suspicion, a sense of isolation, an unforgiving climate, concerns about cultural changes and deep seated folklore traditions, help to create a situation where innocent people are arrested, questioned, charged and convicted of crimes they did not commit?
What might have caused those convicted to confess to these crimes? What is Memory Distrust Syndrome and how do people become a victim of it?
How do we use photographs to help us remember?
How reliable are our memories? How reliable are photographs as a form of evidence?
Narrative:
Sugar Paper Theories tells and documents the various places and people that feature in various accounts of what happened forty years ago when two men went missing in southwest Iceland. The narrative is told using various new photographs of the places produced by Latham himself as well as archival material of photographs as well as information sheets e.g. newspapers, the narrative is told with each disappearance separately and moving from one conspiracy about each to the other. Using police files he immersed himself into all aspects of the case including key protagonists and sites from the investigation as well as conspiracy theories, forensic science to the notion of Memory Distrust Syndrome, Latham’s project examines issues of evidence and truth, certainty and uncertainty, especially with regard to memory and the medium of photography.
Jack Latham ‘Sugar Paper Theories’
Deconstruction:
Book in Hand: The book is 310 x 230mm and is a soft cover to the touch, a very distinct smell sets itself in the book as the front and back cover are both the material of sugar card and the papers inside consist of sugar paper creating a distinct smell
Paper and ink: Sugar Paper Theories uses various types of paper from sugar paper, held in the title, and a thick matt photo paper, which holds a lot of the colour and archival material depicting specific places or people, the sugar paper on the other hand holds black and white photographs speak across the page into slightly unclear images. It also contains smaller matt pages that are thin they are almost transparent which holds some of the informations as well as the cut down sugar paper inserts.
Format, size and orientation: The book is portrait 310 x 230mm in a rectangular shape, overall there are 46 colour photographs, 37 black and white photographs, 8 illustrations, 9 press cuttings.
Binding: It is a soft cover book with a saddle stitch holding together, there is an image wrap across the front and back cover of a drawing of a potential theory from the case. The spine has a fabric cover over that bleeds around a cm onto the front and back. Bound in the same style as the police case files that Latham
Jack Latham ‘Sugar Paper Theories’
Jack Latham ‘Sugar Paper Theories’
Cover: The cover itself is a thick sugar paper, a yellow tinted colour with a hand drawn image spread across of one of the potential theories in felt tip and biro. Could be from a local citizen rather than a legal investigation theory from the connotations of drawn on sugar paper using green felt tips.
Title: The title of the Photobook is inspired by Latham’s findings while out in Iceland, he found a timeline of events mapped out of sugar paper of a conspiracy theorists desk which eventually inspired the title and cover of the book.
Structure and architecture / Editing and Sequencing: The sequencing alludes to the dubious interrogation technique employed by the police, where they asked questions out of chronological order. Latham uses inserted different sized papers to introduce the elements of police files and evidence, another structure element is the French fold found in the book Latham uses so the reader cannot see the ‘full picture’ developing a sense of ambiguity around what it is or maybe what is going on.
Design and layout: Sugar paper theories leaves near to no blank pages, landscape photographs are often presented on half the portrait pages rather than across the double page and those which are presented larger are folded over with a French Fold.
Images and text: There is no introduction text from Latham however text is used heavily in Sugar Paper Theories, using evidence notes and police files on the inserts, it adds context to some photographs as well as making everything more confusing by showing what was said and found as it was, is, a puzzling case anyway, text is also linked with the photographs to landmark them, names of places and peoples and linking them to the different conspiracy’s≥
After doing some research into the legends and the myths of fairies in Jersey I set out on my photoshoot to some of the dolmens in the north of the island for this photoshoot. I went on a clear sky day around mid afternoon to catch the natural lighting at the high point of the island. Using three models I created images based around the ideas of the fairies protecting the natural land, using props and angles to generate a desired effect. I also took out with me a disposable camera to take some of my photographs on to generate a different style and effect in my work which will mean I have physical first unedited prints of some of my photographs.
After going out on the shoot I uploaded all of my photographs into Lightroom to narrow down the images that I would be using and experimenting with to hopefully generate some final outcomes. I began experimenting with colours and vibrancy in these images. My aim was to create a different effect compared to my previous shoots, with these photographs I was to create something hyperreal and mysterious, to create this I over-saturated and edited the colouring of the photographs to create theses vivid blues and pinks. To create and effect I had my male model in regular, modern clothing and my female models in more traditional fairy clothing; flower headbands, flowing skirts and dresses as well as taking the step to cover their hands in makeup highlighter to create a sparking shimmer effect when unclose in the photographs. I made the decisions to do this in order to create and overall outcome in my photographs of something that was linking the modern island with these mythical fairies and stories.
I feel that my photoshoot has been successful overall as I have been able to produce some successful photographs I will be experimenting with more into the future towards the final Photobook production, I feel that they juxtapose the photographs I have previously taken and this is something that I wanted to do and capture in this photoshoot.
Fairies is a legend and stories that inhibits all of the Channel Islands, looking specifically into Jersey’s history with mythical fairies I have found that it to be one of the favoured and known legends of the islands being habited by fairies. The islands fairies are strongly associated with prehistoric sights, MacCulloch, art historian and academic, notes it was best believed that the fairies inhibited the island before the people who are here now and ‘that the cromlechs were erected by them for dwelling places’.
It has been said that people who interfered with the ancient monuments would be punished by the fairies, it was considered extremely unlucky to meddle with the ancient stones because of the ‘wrath of the spirits’ who inhabited these places. It has been known that in areas of the parish of St Johns fairies have blinded people who have disturbed the lands around them.
Mr Hocart who once broke up the ancient stones of La Roque Qui Sonne at L’Ancresse for building material was said to have been cursed. As soon as his house was complete a fire broke out killing the servants. Parts of the stone were sent to Britain for sale and the ships which carried them sunk. The story of Hocart is noted in 19th century guide books, with various gruesome misfortunes befalling him.
For this photoshoot I plan to use a tableaux effect, placing people in costume that similar to representing that of a fairy and creating the illusion of these torments: taunting and blinding, to suggest the stories and the myths, as well as having some tableaux photographs of just the fairies in the woods and in and amongst the island for effect and to add to the ideas of the occupation it has on the island.
Looking into my key words of myths, legends and stories surrounding the idea of occupation I came across Anna Gaskell, a contemporary American artists known for exploring themes such as Lewis Caroll’s Alice in Wonderland (1865). Using photography, video, and drawing, Gaskell creates ominous images of women that nod to familiar or historic narratives. Born on October 22nd, 1969 Gaskell would create mostly self-portraits in the style to that of Cindy Sherman, from this she developed to taking photographs of young girls in odd or ambiguous scenes as seen in her series Wonder (1996-97). Gaskell is famous for her dream-like narrative photographs which make reference to children’s games, literature and psychology.
Gaskell’s film influences range from the Noir to French New Wave and Horror. In a series entitled Hide (1998), she sets up a narrative using the sinister Brothers’ Grimm story The Magic Donkey, which is about a young women who disguises herself under pelts to hide from a marriage proposal from her own father. The series evokes a sense of terror through the scenery of a gothic mansion and contrast of light and dark in a dimly lit space.
Gaskell explains, “Trying to combine fiction, fact and my own personal mishmash of life into something new is how I make my work”, this gives me ideas and influence of how she is a good artist for me to look into and have influence and inspiration from with the ideas of taking a starting point of fiction, using the fact and not only that but my own influence I feel is something very important that I could use as I have the influence of my own personal experiences of being told the sorties and living in and around the island.
I have chosen to look at Gaskell as one of my artists as I enjoy and am finding a lot of inspiration in the way she takes her photographs and presents them with the lighting and the costumes and effects that her photographs using the lighting but also the double characters I feel is a really interesting take in some of her work. In my own work I plan on producing photoshoots in the style of tableaux photography, staging the photographs and having the models in costume and makeup.
Analysis of Anna Gaskell’s work:Wonder & Override
Gaskell’s work is produced and influenced off the back of the idea of isolating dramatic moments from larger plots such as Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, which is visible in the two series: Wonder (1996-97) and Override (1997). Gaskell’s style of ‘narrative photography” the images are planned and staged; the scenes presented are ‘artificial’ in that it exists only to be photographed. Gaskell’s process can be mentioned as similar to filming however there is an important difference; Gaskell’s photographs are not tied together by a linear thread, it is staged and created to be as though all of the events take place simultaneously, in an ever-present. In untitled #9 of the wonder series, a wet bar of soap has been dragged along a wooden floor; in untitled #17 it appears again, forced into a girls mouth with no explanation of how or why. This suspension of time and causality leads to a sense of ambiguity that she uses to evoke a vivid and dream like world.
Below I have a photograph from the wonder series, it shows two girls in the frame one lent over and holding onto the other and holding her nose. Gaskell’s girls do not represent individuals, but act out the contradictions and desires of a single psyche, Gaskell uses a pair of twins for Alice for the identicalness. While their unity is subset by their identical clothing and looks, the mysterious and often cruel rituals they act out upon each other may be metaphors for disorientation and mental illness. In wonder and override, the character collectively evoked is Alice, perhaps lost in the Wonderland of her own mind, unable to determine whether the bizarre things happening to her are real or the result of her imagination.
In the photograph below we can see both of the twins in the costume of Alice, one holding onto the nose sat above the other, the photograph is taken or has been cropped quite close up into the characters, it is creating a sense of intimacy to be that close to the subjects of the photographs but the cropping also cuts out the surroundings of the girls, it removes the context of what is happening around them and leaves the onlooker to be able to use the story of Alice in Wonderland that they know to create ideas of what is happening in this photograph alongside the other photographs. The lighting of the photograph creates an eery aura of the photograph the dark shadows on the girls I feel creates a dramatic effect that I want to try to incorporate into my own work when I start to develop the tableaux images in my personal investigation. The almost chiaroscuro lighting creates that dramatic effect on the girl in the top of the photograph.
How has stories and literature influenced the work of Anna Gaskell?
Traditionally, throughout the 20th century photography was centred around capturing the decisive moment, however, we have come to explore the notion of creating this ‘decisive moment’ artificially, constructing scenes made for only the purpose of photography. Tableaux photographs have been made from the beginning of the medium, although Staged photography emerged as its own known genre in the 1980’s; both ideas involve composing a scene much like a painting, creating elements of Pictorialism. Anna Gaskell creates ominous photographs of women, taking themes from literature and stories, generating a dream-like narrative in her work. I chose to look at Gaskell due to her staged and tableaux approaches and how she uses her influences to warp them into her own narratives and blurring the lines between fact and fiction. I am to review the extent to which stories and literature has influence her work using her imagery for Wonder (1996-97) influenced by Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, and Hide (1998) influenced by Brother’s Grimm tale The Magic Donkey. In my own work I intent to explore the stories of the myths and folklore based in my home of Jersey. Using Gaskell as my influence to explore the notions of the boundaries of a narrative from a literacy influence in the visual work and representations. I plan to explore these notions with the narrative of the legends, through tableaux and landscape the reality of these stories and their occupation of the island.
Historical Context:
The movement that took the medium of photography and reinvented it into an art form is known to be Pictorialism. Pictorialists wanted to make the photographs look like painting and drawings to penetrate the art work, this eventually would happen and go on to juxtapose the original purpose of photographs. In 1839 photography was first used in order to objectively present subjects scientifically, images were highly scientific, fixing the point on objects, and was not considered an art form; that is until pictorialism was presented. The shift from photography being used to produce purely scientific and representational images happened from the 1850s when advocates such as the English painter Willian John Newton suggested that photography could also be artistic. Although it can be traced back to these early ideas, the Pictorialist movement was most active during the 1880s and 1915, during its peak it had an international reach with centers in England, France and the USA. Pictorialists were the first to begin to try and class photography as an art form, by doing so they spoke about the artistic value of photography as well as a debate surrounding the manipulation of photographs and the social role that eventually holds.
Pictorialist photographers used a range of darkroom techniques that allow the photographers to express themselves creatively using it as a medium to tell stories.
Anna Gaskell:
Untitled #8 (Wonder)
Anna Gaskell is a contemporary American artist known for creating contemporary work exploring themes from literature and stories. Gaskell creates ominous images of women that nod to familiar or historic narratives, she explains her process of an attempt “to combine fiction, fact, and my own personal mishmash of life into something new is how I make my work.”, Gaskell is creating imagery by merging together reality, fiction and her own personal touches of the two warping and blurring the lines between the known stories and her own twist on them. Creating photographs that depict narratives from literature that may not be the original people know, Gaskell takes her influences and warps them into her own, stretching the boundaries of the narrative of the stories and literature that has influenced her work. Gaskell’s work dips into the notion of Pictorialism, using tableaux methods to generate her photographs. Gaskell’s photo series “Wonder” is influenced off Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, the work is produced off the back of the idea of isolating dramatic moments from the larger plots. The photographs are staged and planned in the style of ‘narrative photography’, the scenes are artificial, produced and only exist to be photographed.
“The process of manipulation starts as soon as we frame a person, a landscape, an object or a scene with our cameras.” (Bright and Van Erp. 2019:18)
“From Daguerre’s age to ours, photography has undergone a transformation, not only technologically but conceptually.”(Bright and Van Erp. 2019:18)
‘The daguerreotype had aspirations to both the realistic and the theatrical, as well as to the commercial. The ‘mirror’ can serve as a metaphor for reality, whereas the red velevt evokes theatre curtains, within which the beautiful drama would unfold’ (Bright and Van Evp, 2019; 17)
Bibliography: Bright, S. and Van Erp, H.(2019), Photography Decoded. London: Octopus Publishing House
I went out on a photoshoot to Devil’s Hole and set off around 4:30pm, I unfortunately timed my photoshoot badly and found it difficult once reaching the cliff edge as it had settled to be completely dark, unfortunately this fell badly in using the camera and trying to generate well lit and produced photographs.
I was able to gain a happy accident out of the photoshoot however with an image I did not know I had taken, a blurred photograph that I feel generates a lot of effect with placing the idea of mystery to the photoshoot and the story I was trying to replicate and be influenced by. I experimented with the photograph in both black and white and in colour, I personally prefer the colour photograph due to the dark blue hue being produced in the background as well as the shape given to the figure with the red, orange and yellow tones.
