My thought is to try and make something that imitates the “visit Jersey” adverts, the reason that I am going to do this is that I already have a large selection of images that are of Jersey land marks and ‘Quintessentially’ Jersey things. Therefore I will find a landscape of a castle or something that is clearly from Jersey and then overlay somethings like Cows and surfers.
The cow and the landscape are my images and the other two are taken from the Jersey tourism, my plan is to use the landscape as the background and then cut the cow out and put it on the right of the image. I will also cut out the surfer and put him is the small puddle at the landscape. Finally I will use the magic wand tool and get rid of the background of the logo.
Frida Kahlo de Rivera born Magdalena Carmen Frida Kahlo y Calderon; 6 July 1907 – 13 July ) was a Mexican artist who painted many portraits, self-portraits and works inspired by the nature and artefacts of Mexico. Inspired by the country’s popular culture, she employed a naïve folk art style to explore questions of identity, post colonialism, gender, class and race in Mexican society. Her paintings often had strong autobiographical elements and mixed realism with fantasy. In addition to belonging to the post-revolutionary Mexicayotl movement, which sought to define a Mexican identity, Kahlo has been described as a surrealist or magical realist.
My Response
Within my response I wanted to incorporate her idea of portraying the taboo topics within society and beauty standards. People expect to look like models and Instagram posers so they go to extreme lengths to achieve this programmed look.
In my shoot I used a younger model due to the standards being passed down to even younger generations than before. I then incorporated Frida’ natural look he had. Through some research I found that during the Roman Empire Era, facial hair on women was a sign of intelligence and nobility. In a way, Frida reflected these traits whilst going against her modern day standards.
Final Images
Analysis
VISUAL
Within these images I wanted my main focus to be my model but not have a plain background. Within Kahlo’s paintings shes depicted infront of either shrubbery or a earthy coloured background. So, i put my model in front of a field to capture the nature as well as the model.
TECHNICAL
In order to create my blurred background, I firstly set my cameras depth of field so that it only focused on my model, then once i began processing the image my background wasn’t blurred enough so I used the Photoshop blurring tool so that only my model was in focus. As far as lighting goes, I only used natural light.
These are my outcomes and responses as well as edits to Annegret Soltau and Jakob Kolding.
Annegret Soltau
This shows the contact sheet of the photoshoot from my responses to Annegret Soltau. I started by wrapping the string around my head as well as another persons head and took pictures from various angles. Next I chose two images that I thought were best and printed them out to work into.
Contact Sheet of Photoshoot
Below shows two of my printed out responses with the string worked and sewn into them just as Annegret Soltau does.
My First Response with the String Worked intoMy Second Response with the String Worked into
Final Responses in Black and White
I have placed my final responses into black and white as this is how Annegret Soltau presents most of her work as well so I thought it would create a more accurate response to her.
Final ResponseFinal Response 2
Jakob Kolding
My Own Edit
This is a trial montage that I created with inspiration from Jakob Kolding, by drawing on and creating separate elements to create an image. This one which I have created I have done quite subtly compared to my other photo-montage in response to Annegret Soltau. For this photograph above I have taken small parts out of a woman’s magazine and stuck it in replacement of some of the things in the shop for example I changed the words on the crossword or the prices on the till, I also went back and drew on some of what he had in his shop himself on paper and placed this onto the photograph.
Photo montages are images created by manipulating pictures in a way where images may be overlapping or rearranged. If done by hand it will probably involve cutting and sticking, however photo montages can also be done through certain computer soft wares,like Photoshop.
History of photo montages
Historically, photo montages were used as a way to express people’s views on politics. Photo montages were used in 1915 in protests against World War 1, then it became a popular technique for surrealist artists who are artists who make art that shows the thoughts of the unconscious mind. Their work is usually very imaginative and creative. For this reason, photo montages became popular within them as it allows them to create pieces that are based on their imagination.
Annegret Soltau is a German visual artist. Her work marks a fundamental reference point in the art of the 1970s and 1980s. Photomontages of her own body and face sewn over or collaged with black thread are the most well-known works done by her.
As if a spider web, I sewn my own self-portrait. The grey silk thread is a kind of mask, the face overlaid with a delicate tension. I take contours and lines on my face and I support them, some put the new strings caesura. – Annegret Soltau
Some of her work consists of lines in which she has sewn into the picture herself to create interesting abstract lines, and others she has taken multiple pictures, cutting or ripping out certain parts and then sewing them together.
Annegret Soltau Untitled
In this image, it is obvious that Soltau has used multiple people to create this unique piece. She has taken two pictures of people, cut the pictures up into sections and sewn them together so the image was mismatched. The thread keeping the image together creates a unique effect , something which simply gluing or taping it on could never achieve. I like the way she also ripped the original picture, and then went and sewed it back together, and the way she used two different people, one significantly older than the other, creating a comparison between the two. She also keeps the background plain, so we concentrate on the sewn together model.
This exhibition in Saint Helier shows how Clara Rae the Australian artist that uses photography to explore ideas of performance and gesture to interrogate and subvert dominant modes of representation, responds to the older photographer Claude Cahun a Jewish-French photographer
This self portrait of Rae shows how she is in a very uncomfortable position, lying on a large stone with her back and head falling behind and her hips on the edge of the stone. this portrait makes the watcher questioning her position and the meaning of it.
This portrait shows how Rae is clinging her self between holes in what seems to be a building, she uses her body to show weird but unique positions that are very questionable.
Cahun uses different faces in a every portrait, in this photo she is representing a doll wearing a shirt saying “i’m still in training don’t kiss me” makes the viewer question what exactly does she mean.
Clare specifically came to jersey to respond to Claude’s questionable work, both Clare and Claude use black and white self portraits in their work. Claude has acquired cult status among artists dealing with issues of gender, identity and self-representation, she is very known for her radical self-portraits she produced, in collaboration with her female partner Marcel Moore.
The exhibition reflects a dialogue between two performative photographic practices created some 70 years apart. in two separate yet open rooms.
Photo montage is the result of making a composite photograph by cutting, gluing, rearranging and overlapping two or more photographs into a new image. Sometimes the resulting composite image is photographed so the final image appears to be a photographic print. This method can also be done through image editing software.
History
Historically, photo montage has been used to make political statements and gained popularity in the early 20th Century. It was first used as a technique by the Dadaists in 1915 in their protest against the first World War. It was later adopted by the surrealists who exploited the possibilities photo montage offered by using free association to bring together different images, to reflect the workings of the unconscious mind. Photo montage was also used by various pop artists in the mid 20th Century. Pop art was a reaction to abstract expressionism and was similar to DADA. Many pop art images and constructions tackled popular consumerism, advertising, branding and marketing techniques. Pop art also explored political concerns such as war and gender roles.
Photomontage is often used as a means of expressing political dissent.
It was first used as a technique by the dadaists in 1915 in their protests against the First World War. It was later adopted by the surrealists who exploited the possibilities photomontage offered by using free association to bring together widely disparate images, to reflect the workings of the unconscious mind.
In 1923 the Russian constructivist Aleksander Rodchenko began experimenting with photomontage as a way of creating striking socially engaged imagery concerned with the placement and movement of objects in space.
Other key exponents of the medium are John Heartfield, the German artist who reconstructed images from the media to protest against Germany’s Fascist regime and Peter Kennard; whose photomontages explored issues such as economic inequality, police brutality and the nuclear arms race between the 1970s and the 1990s.
Mood Board
Examples of Early – Late 20th Century Photo-montage
It is the process and the result of making a composite photograph by cutting, gluing, rearranging and overlapping two or more photographs into a new image. Sometimes the resulting composite image is photographed so that a final image may appear as a seamless photographic print. Photo-montage is often used as a means of expressing political dissent.It was first used as a technique by the dadaists in 1915 in their protests against the First World War. It was later adopted by the surrealists who exploited the possibilities photo-montage offered by using free association to bring together widely disparate images, to reflect the workings of the unconscious mind. In 1923 the Russian constructionist Aleksander Rodchenko began experimenting with photo-montage as a way of creating striking socially engaged imagery concerned with the placement and movement of objects in space.Other key exponents of the medium are ,John Heartfield the German artist who reconstructed images from the media to protest against Germany’s Fascist regime and Peter Kennard; whose photo-montages explored issues such as economic inequality, police brutality and the nuclear arms race between the 1970s and the 1990s.
WHO – this is a recreation of Arnis Balčus’ work, using my own model in order to take form of the little boy
WHAT – the main objective of this photo shoot is to recreate and understand how Balčus creates his work and the symbolism which he chooses to include and adapting the environment and resources I have in order to recreate the photo in a similar way.
WHEN – the image was taken during mid day as I figured this would be a similar time of day judging by the original image and the direct sunlight in it
WHERE -the image was taken in an old communal garage space which resembles the location a lot in the image I am trying to recreate.
WHY – to understand the most suitable ways in which to photograph people, organize photo-shoots and comprehend the symbolism which has been used by the original artist
HOW – I used my regular DSLR camera for this photo shoot, all natural lighting.
FINAL IMAGE –
IMAGE I WAS RECREATINGRECREATED IMAGE
VISUAL ANALYSIS OF IMAGES –
VISUAL –
The image overall has a very gloomy and depressing mood around it. The depiction of a small child (recreated by a model which is also quite child like), looking at the empty beer bottle is synonymous with the prevailing alcohol abuse problem in Eastern Europe. The environment, which is worn and old, also suggests poverty and shortage of necessities for the child, almost using the beer bottles as toys. The child portrays sadness and loneliness. To put a modern twist on my own imagery, the glass bottle has been replaced with a speaker, as this is representative of the technology reliant youth of today. The weathered and old garages in the back of the image nicely contrast the main subject in the foreground by disturbing the repeating pattern. In order to have some similarities with the original image, the model is wearing a bright blue jacket, which immediately draws in the viewers eye to the center of the image. Both images can be split up with the rule of thirds, where the subject is situated in the middle of the image. The upwards facing power play between the camera and the model makes her seem a lot taller than reality, giving some power to the subject. The neutral expression of the model also creates a theme of confusion and mystery in the image as the viewer is not clear on what the subject is feeling. The direction in which the subject is looking at, leads also the viewers eyes down to the ground where the speaker is (situated in the bottom left third of the image). The overall color scheme of the image is dull and neutral, being mostly made up of subtle blues and grays.
TECHNICAL –
This photo was taken during late morning, on a cloudy overcast day. I especially chose this day due to the fact that this is what resembled most in the photo I was trying to recreate. I set the white balance of my camera to the “cloudy” setting in order to achieve well balanced images. As it was a cloudy, yet still bright day, I turned down the ISO of my camera down to 200 to avoid the image being overexposed. As this was a very staged image, and the subject was standing still, I chose to use a tripod to make sure the image is crisp without any motion blur, due to this I kept my aperture mid way at 1/125 as I wasn’t concerned with the camera moving. I had a very clear idea of the positioning of the model and the prop therefore I first angled my camera and refereed to the original image for guidance. After a couple of shots, I was confident in the final image therefore contact sheets for this photo shoot weren’t necessary.
CONCEPTUAL –
The main objective of this photo shoot was to make sure that what I was recreating conveyed similar visual elements as the original image, using a model of a small stature and an environment which is very similar as the original. Of course as I am not the original photographer, not in the same environment, I have had to adapt and make do with the resources I have resulting in the differences seen in the image. I wanted to convey a different social issue which affects us here in Jersey, relating to our environment and society, with the presence of the speaker on the ground. Representing how technology dependent the youth is, looking to it for guidance, happiness and companionship. This effecting social skills and the way in which children grow up and interact with one another.
CONTEXTUAL –
At the end of the 1980s all the countries of eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union enjoyed relatively high levels of human development and social welfare. Extensive social investments during the period of communist rule meant that literacy was almost universal, and well above other countries with comparable levels of per capita income, and life expectancy averaged 68 years. Unemployment was unheard of and – at least officially –poverty did not exist. Few commentators could have foreseen that the process of transition towards market economies and democratic governments would have been so tumultuous and accompanied by such high costs in terms of individual well-being, particularly among the countries of the new Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The collapse of economic output in many of these countries following independence, along with hyperinflation that wiped out individual savings, resulted in a dramatic drop in living standards for the majority of people and the emergence of poverty as a major issue within the region. Increasing poverty leading people to alcoholism and the use of it in daily life.
Nearly all the top 15 biggest drinking nations are in Central or Eastern Europe. Poverty and the harsh climate, particularly in Russia, play a part, as does the tradition of drinking. “Where it’s extremely cold it’s not uncommon for people to drink all day long,” said Val Smith, president of International Wine and Spirits, which provided the data on per-capita alcohol consumption.
And particularly in agrarian regions; farmers often produce their own home brews from anything ranging from potatoes to sugar beets, making alcohol very accessible and very cheap, said Smith. This also makes per capita consumption hard to measure, with official figures sometimes well below actual consumption rates.
