Statement of intent
Theme: Social Commentary
I’d like to capture the rebellious temperament of modern adolescents and incorporate a rejection of the governing law and societal standards as a whole. The project will show a depiction of the liberating and reckless nature the current youth has and the sense of immortality that they approach life with. I want to document the care-free and typically ‘corrupt’ lifestyle that society labels many young individuals as living. I’d aim for it to be relatable to all age groups (excluding that of children) as puberty and adolescence is a stage in life that all of humanity has gone through. It is often an age where experimentation with alcohol, sexuality and illicit substances is normalised and often encouraged through peer pressure and through a lack of understanding and experience.
In order to do this, I’m aiming to carry out still-life photography. Using a home-made studio, I will photograph the objects and substances that are often associated with (and used by) teenagers and young people who are in the process of experimentation. Objects such as alcohol, cigarettes, condoms etc. will represent the corruption of a child’s purity as they mature and try out new experiences. Additionally, I will incorporate a sense of documentary photography which will provide an accurate representation of the modern youth. The ideas behind some of my images may be staged but the actions of my subjects won’t be forced. For example, I would like to incorporate the use of coloured spray cans into some of my shoots as graffiti, vandalism and the spray paint used to create it is often associated with troubled youth and teenagers in general rather than adults. To capture the perfect image in this shoot, I will record on my camera, import the film into premiere and choose the stills that are the most effective.
Presenting the theme of REBELLION through a lack of respect and remorse for the law and the norms of society further allows me to incorporate a theme of liberation. I want to present the sense of release people feel from rebelling against what is socially acceptable. I want to present the exuberance of my subjects when the idea of restraint is removed.
Furthermore, I am going to look into the work of Ryan Mcginley and other photographers whose work incorporate this theme of youth and rebellion. Mcginley’s early work, in particular, shows documentation of his own youth and that of his friendship groups, including the likes of Dash Snow and other who spent their days over-indulging in physical pleasures, causing corruption and presenting their immodesty.
Additionally, I am taking a deadpan approach to the images of my subjects within this project. I will juxtapose these images with the photos from my still life shoot, creating a narrative between the typical use and abuse of these objects and the ordinary and regular aesthetic of the portraits. In between these pages, I plan to incorporate more wide-shot, documentary-style images to develop the narrative and present this theme of debauchery. A plan of the format can be seen below: [O= Object (still life), P= Portraits (deadpan), N= Narrative (wide-shot).]
My final outcome with this project is the production of photobook. I’d like to add some personal touches and an element of mixed media similar to that of both Mcginley and Jim Goldberg, the author of ‘Raised by wolves’.
Goldberg included the personal letters, conversation and stories of his subject within his photo-book. I was inspired by this and wanted to experiment by recording conversations my subject have had with one another or with myself (either in their hand writing or mine) as well as personal images we have of one another, which have not been taken in aim of this project, through Polaroid images for example.