Essay question: How has Vogue changed and influenced the development of fashion and social identities?
Opening quote:“Sensitive people faced with the prospect of a camera portrait put on a face they think is one they would like to show the world. Very often what lies behind the façade is rare and more wonderful than the subject knows and dares to believe.” Penn, I. (1986). Irving Penn’s Cranium Architecture
Introduction : Discuss how fashion impacts us as individuals and our social identities, how it can be used as a tool for self expression, I aim to explore how Vogue fashion photographers Guy Bourdin, Irving Penn and Global Editorial Director of Vogue, Anna Wintour, impact the fashion industry and how they help people use fashion to explore and present who they really are, without caring about the judgement of others.
Pg 1:Historical context of Vogue and how its changes the fashion industry and who helped impact that, e.g. Anna Wintour.
Pg 2: Analyse Anna Wintour
Pg 3: Analyse Irving Penn
Pg 4: Analyse Guy Bourdin
Conclusion: Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between Bourdin, Penn and Wintour and that of your own work that you have produced.
The book Mongrelism by Jono Rotman displays portraits of people within the gang, focusing in on their clothing and tattoos, along with photos of correlating objects, scenery and towns. Showing the identity of the gang members in hope to make viewers more vigilant to their traditional beliefs and values. Rotman’s desire for completing this project lead from his interest in power and its representation in society. His approach to image-making was to carry out the sessions without any styling or direction from Rotman, this way each sitter had control over his representation. All of the portraits were shot with a large-format camera, against a dark background with available light. This photobook received the Images Vevey Book Award. The layout of the book is described by a reviewer as having a ‘simple clean design, aimed at keeping our full attention on its content.’
The book cover is a red, linen material with an emboss of a traditional adaptation of a self-portrait whakairo carved by Little Man Rogue, filled with gold leaf. The name and book author is also embossed with gold leafing on the spine.
The first half of the book shows the photos Rotman took on his project, including portraits of mob members, landscapes of the areas they are from and object images of things members of the mob uses. The paper used for this half is glossed, thick photograph paper, with one photo on each page along with their names and the county of New Zealand they are based.
The second part of the book includes texts, and a series of documented conversations between Rotman and various members, during his tour. These pages are a newspaper like texture, with each interview in a chapter format. My favourite aspect of these pages is that Rotman censored with red blocks what seems to be personal or disturbing information, I like this as it shows the respect that he has for these members and it shows the relationships he has formed during the project.
DAY 1: Essay: Complete essay, incl illustrations, referencing and bibliography + publish on blog (essay also needs to be added and presented at the end of your photobook)
DAY 2: Photoshoots/ recordings: Begin editing images or recordings for your photobook / film + produce blog posts showing selection process and experimentation of images. Use a combination of print screens + annotation. Write an evaluation about what went well and what you need to do next to develop your shoots and project.
DAY 3 Photobook/ film: Begin photobook design/ edit film + produce blogpost showing design process and evaluate. Use a combination of print screens + annotation.
Prints: Begin to consider final prints and produce blog post showing presentation ideas and create mock-up in Photoshop and virtual gallery.
Blogposts: Finish and publish any missing blog posts as per Planner and your tracking sheet.
ESSAY Publish final essay as a separate blog post with illustrations of key works by artists and your own images analysed in your text, as well as a bibliography listing all literary sources used. Also incorporate essay in the back of your book using layout in text columns and include illustrations and bibliography.
PHOTOBOOK Make sure you have a made a blog post that charts your design decisions, including prints screens of layout with annotation and write an ongoing evaluation. If you complete it; final book design must be checked and signed off by teacher.
For more help and guidance editing, process and evaluation go to blog post below.
BLURB – ORDER BOOK Inside Lightroom upload book design to BLURB, log onto your account on their website, pay and order the book.
Consider spending a few extra pounds on choosing better paper, such as Premium Lustre in check-out, change colour on end paper or choose different cloth/ linen if needed.
FILM Make sure you have a made a blog post that charts your editing process, including prints screens with annotation and write an evaluation. If you complete it; final film must be checked and signed off by teacher.
For more help and guidance on editing, process and evaluation go to blog post below.
Export final film as mp4 file and upload to Youtube / Microsoft Streams and embed on Blog. Follow these steps:
In Premier: Click on Sequence > Render IN/OUT
File > Export > Media
Export Settings: Format H.264
Output Name: use title of your film and save to V:Data drive
Click Export at bottom
Using Microsoft Stream: Open up Office 365
Go to All Apps and select Stream
Create > Upload Video
Browse to upload your exported film from V:Data drive
Write a short description, choose thumbnail and publish
My Content > Videos > embed film into Blog post with evaluation.
In Youtube: Set up an account at home (www.youtube.com)
Click Create (top right corner) > Upload video
Select file > your exported film from V:Data drive
Write a short description and choose thumbnail
Once uploaded, embed film into Blog post with evaluation.
BLOGPOSTS All blog posts in relation to the above must be published, including any other posts missing from previous work modules since the beginning of A2 academic year, including Zines which must be printed & bound, and NFT film and digital image, including a statement, uploaded to both blog and folders here ready for the exhibition:
FINAL PRINTS Select your final prints (5-7) from photobook/ film and make a blog post showing ideas about how to present them.
In photoshop produce a mock display (create new document size A1: 594 x 841mm) using different image sizes, for example: A3 x 2, A4 x 2, A5 x 3
PREPARE AND SAVE IMAGES FOR PRINTING:
Add your images to the print folder here…M:\Departments\Photography\Students\Image Transfer\Printing Yr 13 IDENTITY
Complete any unfinished work from last term if you have time, For example: select images for print form Zine and NFT projects.
File Handling and printing...
Remember when EXPORTING from Lightroom you must adjust the file size to 1000 pixels on the Short edge for “blog-friendly” images (JPEGS)
BUT…for editing and printing when EXPORTING from Lightroom you must adjust the file size to Short edge for “high resolution” images (JPEGS) like this…
A5 Short Edge = 14.8 cm
A4 Short Edge = 21.0 cm
A3 Short Edge =29.7 cm
This will ensure you have the correct ASPECT RATIO
Ensure you label and save your file in you M :Drive and then copy across to the PRINT FOLDER / IMAGE TRANSFER
For a combination of images, or square format images you use the ADOBE PHOTOSHOP > NEW DOCUMENT + PRINT PRESETS on to help arrange images on the correct size page (A3, A4, A5)
You can do this using Photoshop, Set up the page sizes as templates and import images into each template, then you can see for themselves how well they fit… but remember to add an extra 6mm for bleed (3mm on each side of the page) to the original templates. i.e. A4 = 297mm x 210 but the template size for this would be 303mm x 216mm.
Making a Virtual Gallery in Photoshop
Download an empty gallery file…then insert your images and palce them on the walls. Adjust the persepctive, size and shape using CTRL T (free transform) You can also add things like a drop shadow to make the image look more realistic…
For my first shoot I went to speak to my Grandmother who keeps good records of out family history. I looked at the images and chose the ones which are important to where I come from and my family. I then scanned in and cropped the images so they are ready to edit.
Using these images I can now create a timeline using the dates of images I have also scanned in.
“Photographs thus are not just manufactured memories, they are also expressions of our desire to hold on to something.” (Colberg, J, May 28, 2012)
This extract from the thoughts of Jörg Colberg highlights the topics in which I will discuss in this essay; questioning also how Carole Benitah in particular, explores these past memories in attempt to gain a wider knowledge of her own identity. This investigation of identity through archival images resonates with myself, as within this personal study I wish to revisit past memories of the senior generation in my family, in attempt to argue that these depictions often do not recount the whole truth of the past and are in fact a method of regaining control of our identity. Carolle Benitah is an archetype for reshaping the past through the manipulation and reworking of archival materials, due to her emotional attachment to the images and people within them. Furthermore, I am also choosing to look at Benitah’s work in detail as a result of her multi-media methods she undertakes, in order to create her contemporary commentary of the idealistic family in contrast with reality, using stitching, gold leaf, ink drawings and beading to achieve this. This utilisation of multi-media by Benitah can be linked with my previous work throughout the course, such as my use of maps in digital collages for an identity project and recent experimentations with embroidery. I intend to respond to this unique style again by producing reworked images of my family, that centre around my maternal grandparents and the life they have built – a life that have been both archived and recently captured. The style in which these new photographs will be created, will be mostly staged tableau pieces, with some candid images also. I will achieve this also by using multiple media, similar to Benitah, such as stitching as well as digital collage.
Forms of family photography have always been a prominent element in photography’s history; from formal portraits taken in the 19th century, to the blurry snapshots of everyday domestic life we are far more used to nowadays, these images are a way of identifying the stories of ourselves and lineages. It is known that some of the first products of photographic technology were depictions of human life, with the invention of the Daguerreotype in 1839 being a popular way to document loved ones, as a more efficient substitution for realistic paintings. This method of capturing a moment in time became more accessible, as well as affordable, as the 19th century progressed. With inventions such as the portable film camera being introduced in 1888 by George Eastman, and even a camera for children coined the ‘Brownie Camera’. Sold for one dollar in 1900, people were able to produce their own archival material specific to their family. As well as the technology, the manner in which these photographs were taken evolved, with family portraits moving from formal, staged pieces to candid images that often-celebrated notable events. All of which made with the intent to communicate the familial bond they wished to display “Through photographs, each family constructs a portrait chronicle of itself – a portable kit of images that bears witness to its connectedness.” (Sontag 1977: 8). The way in which Benitah utilises this supposed commonplace form of photography in the present day, in order to create new meanings and significance to these snapshots, can be said to be influenced by movements such as modernism in the 20th century. This is due to Tate gallery’s description of the movement that stated that during this time “artists around the world used new imagery, materials and techniques to create artworks that they felt better reflected the realities and hopes of modern societies” (Tate). Benitah displays this within her work by using the medium of embroidery and materials such as beads, in order to transform the narrative that had been created by both the photographer and society’s expectations of what a ‘perfect’ family looks like. In turn, producing a piece that more accurately depicts the reality of Benitah’s family. Furthermore, some of Modernisms key defining traits were artists experimentation with form, technique, and process, which Benitah demonstrates by the variation in the way she uses such methods of alteration; from simply covering the faces with thread or beads, to erasing identities in the images completely. In addition, this particular use of multi-media to reform false depictions, can also be linked to the movement Dadaism, which operated under the time period and characteristics of Modernism. Dadaism was a movement established as a result of the First World War and the atrocities associated with it, producing work of that was usually satirical in essence. However, the aim of this movement was “to destroy traditional values in art and to create a new art to replace the old.” (Tate), which closely relates to the intent of Benitah’s work, if viewing the art in question as the constructed memories of her past. Moreover, when looking at Dada artists such as Raoul Hausmann (MT; include an illustration of his work) in comparison to Benitah, it is easy to draw similarities between their work; for instance, the physical parallels such as the concealment of identity through collage, as well as the way in which they approach their work in an emotional manner, that evokes anger towards the subject, shown by the harshness of the cuts and punctures.
la chute (the fall) – Photo Souvenirs – Carolle Benitah (2009)
This reworked image created by Benitah in 2009, displays a black and white scene, which originally appeared to be a mother standing with her two children. However, now the image showcases one of the children cut out and placed outside the photograph, with a red, silk thread connecting her hand to a large mass of stitching on the mother’s hand. Here, the dark tones of the original archival photograph heavily contrasts with the vastness of the cut-out sections, only leaving empty white space behind. Furthermore, elements of juxtaposition are only increased by Bentiah’s signature use of bold, red embroidery. This piece was named ‘La Chute’ by Benitah translated to ‘The Fall’ and is featured in Benitah’s photobook and series Photo Souvenirs, published in 2016. This photobook presents a retelling of her past through archival photographs, in chronological order, starting with her as a child and ending with her as an adult, with a child of her own. Benitah has stated that with this series “I decided to explore the memory of childhood through my family photographs, because it allows me to understand who I am and to define my identity today.” (Benitah, 2017). From this, it can be said that this particular piece is aiming to deal with a familial struggle, that was never portrayed through this original construction of so-called perfection, meaning that the child cut from the photograph is in fact Benitah herself. The issues Benitah is presenting here may be an expression of the child’s disconnection from her mother, possibly due to being replaced as favourite, by a younger sibling, or simply the pains of growing up and out of childhood bliss. Although, through Benitah’s alterations further depth is added to the piece with her embroidery, in which the red stitch here may represent the feeling of still being tethered to the pain through the connections of family. In addition, this could mean that this long stich connecting mother and daughter represents bloodlines, showing the connection between the two similar to a family tree. The element of embroidery here itself is significant due to the fact that the medium is associated with femininity as well as the stereotypical roles of a housewife, in particular repairing things. Consequently, this use of stitching into the archival photograph could possibly be a means of fixing a broken relationship, or even fixing the perspective that nothing was broken at all. Moreover, Benitah herself has claimed that “It’s like an exorcism. I pierce the paper until I have no more evil.” (reference source) when referring to her use of embroidery. This means that this skill is used by Benitah as a form of therapy, as well as a means of finally being able to project the truth.
Quatre soeurs, (Four sisters) – Jamais je ne t’oublierai – Carolle Benitah (2018-2020)
This reworked photograph also produced by Benitah more recently, showcases an originally black and white scene containing at first glance three sisters in the frame. However, when referring to the name of this piece ‘Quatre soeurs’ translated to ‘Four sisters’, it becomes just about possible to notice the legs of another girl hiding in the back of the image. With this particular photograph, Benitah has made the choice to cut out the heads of these girls, replacing this empty space with the material of gold leaf and blending it into the background. This method of reworking archival images is a relatively new one for Benitah, although a large contrast is still created through the juxtaposition between the darker tones in the grass, of the black and white image, and the extravagance of the reflective gold. This piece is one of many taken from Benitah’s photobook and series ‘Jamais je ne t’oublierai’, which can be translated to ‘I will never forget you’, published in 2019. In this series, Benitah has used not only her own archival materials, but also photographs she has collected at flea markets, analysing the happiness and joy constructed for these images. With this, Benitah has stated her intent in creating this photobook, claiming “I am rebuilding the memory of my family that I missed” (Benitah, 2019). From this it can be said that this piece is aiming to confront issues of neglect or mistreatment of the hidden sister, by either parents or siblings. It is clear that this child is not valued as highly as other siblings by the photographer, who most likely is a parent, as her position in the frame is not equal to those around her and is overshadowed by the sister standing in front of her. It is not clear however, if this photograph specifically is a piece of archival material from Benitah’s personal collection or a piece she rescued from a flea market. Benitah’s decision to use gold leaf with this project, instead of her signature red stitch, is significant in the way that the photographs featured in this series, which she purchased for a low price “change status by a simple gesture: the application of gold leaf on the photograph” (Benitah, 2019). In addition to this, Benitah also uses this this new material as a tool to allow the audience a retrospective experience, as a result of the new properties gold leaf provides “The golden flat surface operates both as an obliteration and a shiny surface on which our own faces are reflected” (Benitah, 2019). This piece of work is similar to the previous image analysed in the way that both are dealing with a struggle for love and attention from a youthful perspective inside a family. In addition, the relationship between sisters is emphasised in both images with at least one receiving a higher standard of appreciation than another, from what it appears. Furthermore, their physical similarities are also prominent due to both original images being taken on black and white film, meaning they are dated and may reference issues that have now been solved for Benitah or at least something she has able to have come to terms with through this work. Although, the differences between the two are also substantial from their use of different mediums alone, with the red stitching representing elements of pain whilst the gold leaf represents a sense of self-reflection. This may be a result of Benitah’s personal growth and healing through her progression in this style of work, and the relief it has brought her.
Overall, it is clear that Benitah uses the alterations of archival photographs as a method in better understanding her own personal identity, as well as using it as a form of self-expression. This is evident throughout many series she has produced, using both her own and others family memories to construct a new narrative, that demolishes the ideals of a perfect family and the notion that we must present this façade to the world through family portraiture. Here Benitah has been able to come to terms with the truth of her past as well as react to the lies that were told through these photographs, on behalf of her childhood self. My work that I will produce for my personal study, will resemble many of the elements seen in Benitah’s. One of which being the retelling of the truth, through alterations made to archived family images of my own. The aim in developing these pieces, will be to highlight how the production of these past images were often a way of holding onto the supposed perfection of the past, which never existed. However, I will also be using new photographs of my own to reject the notion that photographs must be made for this reason, therefore reinforcing Susan Sontag’s statement on how photography is used to produce memories “A way of certifying experience, taking photographs is also a way of refusing it” (Sontag 1977: 9). This means my new photographs will attempt to counteract the untold truths in the archived images.
Literary Sources
Sontag. S (1971), On Photography. London: Penguin Books
How can the medium of photography interrogate the notion of adopted hypermasculinity by individuals who are part of a sporting community, specifically rugby?
Statement of Intent
My projects central focus will be around the complex idea of identity. I want to explore this theme through emotional and aesthetically consistent imagery and videography. I am going to hone in on something close to me to explore the idea of identity. I want to examine the sport of rugby. I have been playing rugby for Jerseys rugby team for a number of years and have been playing the sport since a young child which will give my project the aspect of an insider documentation. I want to explore how a team conducts themselves as a whole and the notion of finding identity within a team.
Jersey Reds mini rugby coaching Sunday session
Picture: MIKE KENEALY
However the main focal point of my project will hone in on one person to explore their identity. In this way I want to focus on the idea of identity in terms of ideologies of masculinity and also the idea of escapism. I believe this is important to explore; growing up rugby has always been a sport that carries with it many stereotypical notions. I believe rugby carries pride, patriotism, brotherhood and endurance within it. It was always a measure of toughness and strength. Two elements that are held in high value. However, these notions can loose their value when seen from the wrong perspective. Often these ideas associated with rugby can mutate into very toxic pressures placed on individual players. Hypermasculinity can have quite a negative effect when talking about identity. With my project I want to explore a rugby player who resembles the stereotypical Viking-like nature of rugby players and strip the ideological walls down and explore a real identity not just the face value aspect of ones identity. I have already began collecting images that represent begin to explore this idea.
Essay Plan
Opening Quote – “The whole point of photographing people is that you are not intervening in their lives, only visiting them. The photographer is a supertourist, an extension of the anthropologist.” – Diane Arbus
Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Documentary photography centred around exploring the theme of identity. Which artists will you be analysing and why? Doug Dubois, his narrative style and inspiration around documentary photography and capturing the emotionof a subject. Tom Jenkins for his technical ability regarding sports photography. How will you be responding to their work and essay question? Through the medium of photography. Specifically a photobook, in which a narrative response is presented through the use of an essay and sequential imagery.
Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
Bibliography: List all relevant sources used
Essay Draft
Identity/ʌɪˈdɛntɪti/noun 1.the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. It is often stated that one does not have a true identity and that identity is something constructed by an individuals experiences. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment”. My study will be exploring convoluted themes surrounding the idea of identity. These themes will be developed through the medium of photography and more specifically through the operation and style of insider documentary photography. Growing up as a young male in South Africa, I was taught lessons many young men are taught. A lot of these lessons where taught through a sport that has been a been a part of my weekly life since a young age. Weather it was running around barefoot on the dry, frost covered pitch at the local rugby club on a South African winters evening, or gathering in numbers with friends over a braai to watch a big fixture on the summer weekends, rugby has always been a part of who I am and a segment of my identity. rugby has always been a sport that carries with it many stereotypical notions. I believe rugby carries pride, patriotism, brotherhood and endurance within it. It was always a measure of toughness and strength. Two elements that are held in high value. However, these notions can loose their value when seen from the wrong perspective. Often these ideas associated with rugby can mutate into very toxic pressures placed on individual players. Hypermasculinity can have quite a negative effect when talking about identity. These pressures are ones that I have felt growing up under a traditionalist, rugby loving roof. The idea that big boys don’t cry is something that has been planted in mine and many of my peers heads growing up. These discourses are what I want to explore when undertaking this study, overall proving they have a major affect on a young mans identity and how they present themselves amongst a community. I have chosen to analyse the work of Doug Dubois along with the efforts of Jeff Wall to gain inspiration and footing for this project. I have chosen these artists due to his narrative focused approach to photography as well as the straight aesthetic and ability to capture a subjects exact emotion in his work as well as analysing the importance of pictorialism and its role in challenging discourses. I have also chosen to look at a sports photographer by the name of Tom Jenkins. This is because of his technical ability to capture sports as well as his ability to challenge stereotypical ideologies associated with rugby and being able to capture a more beautiful side of the sport.
Historical and Theoretical Contexts The premise of my hypothesis will require an understanding of the theoretical and historical contexts associated with the medium of photography. Realism is a photographic and artistic movement that emerged in the photographic world in the 1910s. This movement was a break-away from pictorialism which focused on the establishing photography as an art form rather than a way of documentation. Pictorialism focused on migrating away from commercialism and making photography a handmade process overall aspiring to achieve an aesthetic which made photographs look like art pieces. Unlike pictorialism, realism was associated with making imagery that looked the same as what the photographer saw in the viewfinder of the camera. Realism took on an emphasis on geometric framing and a focus on shape and form taking on an almost abstract aesthetic which was noticeable in two of the pioneers of photographic realism, Paul Strand and Jaromir Funke. These two images give insight into how realism was introduced into the medium of photography.
Paul Strand
Jaromir Funke
Pauls image on the left contains harsh natural light to create the intense shadows bordering each of the subjects. He used a narrow aperture to create a deep depth which is supported by the leading lines running parallel through the image. His image has been infused with sharp highlights and deep blacks to accentuate the shadows and the images tonal range. His image also includes repetition, this is seen through all the duplicating steps. This image also has a sinister essence with the baby’s face emerged in a shadow it almost juxtaposes that an innocent being could be portrayed as having an evil soul. Jaromir Funke’s image contains abstract light experimentation that plays tricks on the mind. He uses a harsh fluorescent looking light to draw out shadows and create the images contrasting tones. The image contains a lot of sharp geometrical features which frame certain streams of light and let through others. His image is slightly under exposed to add depth to the shadows. A high ISO has been used to add sensitivity to the film which has created a slight grain and given the image texture. The space in the image is quite populated with little negative space. He has also shot the shapes at an angle instead of straight on which gives a unique perspective to how the shadows elope and given the image more depth. In order to further analyse how this realism can be used through a documentative eye and begin developing a narratology viewpoint in order to answer my hypothesis I looked at the work of Jeff Wall.
Jeff Wall
Jeff Wall is best known for constructing and photographing elaborate mise-en-scènes, which he displays in wall-mounted light boxes as large-scale colour images. He takes his cues from the neorealism of Italian cinema, working with nonprofessional actors to stage scenes of everyday life. The above is Jeff Wall’s image titled, ‘Passer-by’ (1996). It is a street photography image where Jeff has captured a naturally occurring event. An event that he has encountered almost by accident that portrays a scene and can be interpreted beyond the frame by using intuition. This encapsulates one of Wall’s strong views of what makes an intriguing and meaningful image.
Quote from David Company’s So Present, so invisible
The image is of a sidewalk in what seems like an urban American suburb. Framed in the centre of the image is a tree, and on either side of the tree we see two men. The man in the foreground is wearing denim jeans and a denim jacket, we cannot see his face as he is looking over his shoulder at the other man while continuing to walk. The other man in the background is running towards a stop sign in the distance in the opposite to the man in the foreground. Overall the image has an overwhelming feeling with a low exposure and abundance of shadows the image has a sober emotion throughout. The image has a wide tonal range with the man in the foreground being well lit, along with an illuminated white wall which possesses the images highlights. In the background where the man is running is very dark and underexposed giving the images its pure black’s and therefore this wide tonal range. This tonal range connotes a sense of innocence for the well exposed man in the foreground who can be seen looking over his shoulder into what can seem like a world of darkness he is leaving behind. The man in the background is presented as a more corrupt character in the scene as he can be seen to run towards the theoretical ‘ dark side’. This lighting looks as if it has been achieved using an artificial source of lighting during the night time to achieve the vast contrast between the foreground and background. The lighting casts long shadows from the subjects and the tree in the centre of the image. These shadows aid in making the image significantly more dramatic as it adds more to the dark, ominous aesthetic while introducing a sense of depth. These shadows also connote to the theme of innocence and corruption, almost insinuating the man in the foreground is leaving his dark side behind him. The lighting also adds a shiny highlight to the leaves of the tree in the middle of the image. This gives it a glistening texture adding to the innocence of the foreground, while the background remains without light and therefore keeps a grainy texture adding to the theme of corruption. Analysing the method Jeff used to create this theme of corruption in his image can be recognised as a fundamental ingredient to the way in which I will be studying the tenets of identity in a way where discourses of masculinity can corrupt and battle a young rugby player’s sense of themselves. Returning to the notion of Jeff’s use of an aesthetic created by photographic methods, I think this method of casting shadows shouldn’t be overlooked. It can bring more meaning to how photography is interpreted. The development of modern photography has preached a certain aesthetic to be correct, I think Jeff’s work challenges this. Having these drooping shadows can be undesirable by the modern photographer seeking to achieve this ‘correct’ aesthetic with a lot of photographers using fill-lighting to cancel out shadows in the background. Jeff challenged this view and believe in a balance between aesthetics and narrative. He used the shadows to add to the narrative of this image.
Quote from David Company’s So Present, so invisibleQuote from David Company’s So Present, so invisible
Jeff used a narrow aperture to achieve the depth of field in the image and get everything in focus which allows him to tell relay the narrative of innocence and corruption between the foreground and background. Shooting with a closed aperture also aids in underexposing the image and making it appear darker. The way the image is framed where the tree separates the two men and the man who represents corruption is hiding behind the tree almost representing hiding from his true identity. Jeff Wall’s perspective of photography and the importance to investigate pictorialism and how imagery can create art. He talks about how photography is like poetry where all elements of a photos narrative and aesthetic qualities evoke emotion and relay purpose like a poem does. This aligns with the above Quotes from David Company’s So Present, so invisible where Jeff discusses the relationship between the vernacular and the pictorial and how there is no one way to create art. I believe that the strongest pictorial images originate from a documentation of accidental circumstances that outline a subject. I believe art can be interpreted in all images that relay a narrative and also the importance of imagery in accurately documenting in an artistic fashion. I therefore wholly agree with Jeff’s view on photography. Another photographer who explores narrative through documentary photography is Doug Dubois.
Doug Dubois
Doug DuBois (born 1960) is an American photographer living in Syracuse, New York.
Most of DuBois’s photographs are portraits, and he is best known for his intimate family shots. He is part of a group of contemporary American photographers, including Philip Lorca diCorcia, Laurie Simmons, Cindy Sherman and Tina Barney, who have depicted domestic spaces predicting transformations of family life in a “tide wave of individualism and late capitalist aspirations”.
During Doug’s tertiary education studying a Bachelor of Arts, his father experienced a near fatal accident and spent several years recuperating at home. Dubois noted the process as a “Kind of emotional protection”. His mother was the primary caregiver of his father and during this time Doug experienced the decent of his mother into a deep depression resulting in subsequent decay of his parents marriage as well as the maturation of his siblings. Family portraits formed the basis for a group of works around his family that would continue for twenty-four years and eventually be published by Aperture as a picture book titled All the Days and Nights. DuBois’ concern for his family, both himself and others, was also evident in a later set of photographs, “Avella”, which presented life in the mining town Avella, where his father grew up. Themes of economic turmoil and provincial life are also central to a recent series of photographs by DuBois, published under the title My Last Day at Seventeen. This is the project I want will be taking inspiration from for my study. This is because Doug is able to unveil the true identity of the subjects in this project. He does this by capturing the scene in which they live and their personal styles that give us great personal insight into the subjects he shoots. His work forces the viewer to interrogate the subject by his use of central framing and and neutrally arranged compositions. His images are usually taken with a 4 x 5 large format camera which allow his to capture great amounts of crisp detail while laying down a blanket of warm hues used to accentuate gestural echoes, emotion, plays of light and texture.
The above image is part of Doug’s collection; “My Last Day at Seventeen”. This collection was published in 2015 and was a project to highlight themes of economic turmoil and provincial life as well as the idea of teenagers coming of age in these conditions. “Doug DuBois was first introduced to a group of teenagers from the Russell Heights housing estate while he was an artist-in-residence at the Sirius Arts Centre in Cobh, on the southwest coast of Ireland. He was fascinated by the insular neighbourhood, in which “everyone seems to be someone’s cousin, former girlfriend, or spouse.” Little can happen there that isn’t seen, discussed, distorted beyond all reason, and fiercely defended against any disapprobation from the outside. DuBois gained entry when Kevin and Eirn (two participants of a workshop he taught) took him to a local hangout spot, opening his eyes to a world of not-quite-adults struggling — publicly and privately — through the last days of their childhood. Over the course of five years, DuBois returned to Russell Heights. People came and left, relationships formed and dissolved, and babies were born. Combining portraits, spontaneous encounters, and collaborative performances, the images in My Last Day at Seventeen exist in a delicate balance between documentary and fiction. A powerful follow-up to DuBois’ acclaimed first book, All the Days and Nights, this volume provides an incisive examination of the uncertainties of growing up in Ireland today, while highlighting the unique relationship sustained between artist and subject” .
The image features a natural lighting scheme which brings authenticity to the idea of capturing the true nature of the location as well as the subject. This allows the image to be consistently exposed with no artistic efforts to create a darker mood but rather to capture detail from the scene. The image has a warm hue which accentuates a homely mood and the orange hair and warm skin of the Irish teenager. This hue helps achieve a smooth glow over the whole image.
Doug uses a narrow aperture to ensure both the Irish boy as well as the whole kitchen is in focus, this allows the viewer to see the coffee cups and the curtains and the syrup which gives insight into the subject and the themes of economic turmoil and provincial life.
The subject is positioned slightly left of centre frame, this allows focus to be placed equally on the subject and the scene around him to place focus on the aesthetic of provincial housing. It also gives the image a unique shape.
The subject is seen to have his head resting on his hand with his facial expressions signalling he is unimpressed or bored. This presents ideas of the turmoil’s associated with growing up in an impoverished neighbourhood as an Irish teenager that Dubois was trying to capture. This emotion that Doug captures is not a tableaux encounter, meaning the image is not ‘staged’ for the most part. This complex, yet natural conversation between the photographer, the subject and the viewer is how the narrative of the subjects experiences and identity is captured. This relates back to the theories of Jeff Wall. Jeff states that “pictorial problems emerge from the accidental encounter that reveals the subject”. This approach of documentary photography will be the direction my personal investigation will follow in order to answer my hypothesis.
1. Research a photo-book. The book I’m choosing to study is “Help” by Daniel Butt. The story he’s trying to tell is about his experience with drugs and how it affected him. Most likely to raise awareness and show history with drugs and how differently it can influence people. He includes loads of different types of photographs, such as self portraits in black and white, and still life images in colour of pills.
2. Who is the photographer? the photographer is Daniel butt, a former student. i think he decided to make his book to raise awareness to the effects that drugs can have on a young individual and how they can change your life and make you a completely different person. he shows how using drugs affected him has a teenager and how he had to deal with stopping and the depression/ other mental illness’s he had to deal with from using them and relying on them. i think he wanted to reach everyone as the audience, as anyone can start consuming them and relying on them especially teenagers and he wanted to share his own experience. it can spread a message to other people who are dealing with the same situation or even someone whos never done drugs to show them the effects it can have.
3. Deconstruct the narrative, concept and design.
the book is consisted of a hard copy cover , mostly all black which creates a sad and dark atmosphere/mood about the book before you even open it which I think was done on intention.
Paper and ink:. He uses a mix of different papers and includes a letter in his book which creates a different texture however most of his pages are glossy. He uses both black and white images and colour this creates a nice contrast in his book when looking through it.
Format, size and orientation: His book includes a lot of self portraiture however a few images of objects such as pills are used too. His book is slightly bigger than a square format and his images are all different shapes and sizes which contrast with each other.
His book is a hard copy book, with an image wrap and its slightly smaller than an a4 sized book.
Cover: his front cover includes a letter press with a single word which makes you intrigued and the rest of the book is all black.
Title: relevant and intriguing title as it fits the mood of the book and makes you wan to know what its about.
Narrative: the story he’s trying to tell is about using drugs. he presented his own experience with how drugs affected him through this book and shows how they can affect you during your teenager years.
Structure and architecture: he develops his narrative through self portraits that show his emotions and they contrast with the images of colourful photos of pills meanwhile his images are black and white which shows how they affected him
Design and layout: most of his is images are on single page however some do include a double spread and he uses a letter in one of his pages.
Editing and sequencing: he includes a lot of juxtaposition of photographs as one page is a photo of him in black and white and the other page shows a colourful pill which contrast together, eventually as you look through on the final page there’s a letter saying he got prescribed on medication which shows how his journey with drugs ended.
Research and identify 3-5 literary sources from a variety of media such as books, journal/magazines, internet, YouTube/video that relates to your personal study and artists references.
It’s important that you show evidence of reading and draw upon different pints of view – not only your own.
Take notes when you’re reading…key words, concepts, passages. Photojournalism, environment
Write down page number, author, year, title, publisher, place of publication so you can list source in a bibliography
Why should you reference?
To add academic support for your work
To support or disprove your argument
To show evidence of reading
To help readers locate your sources
To show respect for other people’s work
To avoid plagiarism
To achieve higher marks
2. Essay Question
How can photography capture and record an environment, and accurately depict its atmosphere?
How can photography capture and explore an environment, and accurately record it’s atmosphere to a viewer?
3. Essay Plan
Essay question:
Opening quote
Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?
Pg 1 (500 words): Historical/ theoretical context within art, photography and visual culture relevant to your area of study. Make links to art movements/ isms and some of the methods employed by critics and historian.
Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
Bibliography: List all relevant sources used
4. Essay Introduction
Open a new Word document > SAVE AS: Essay draft
Copy essay question into Essay title: Hypothesis > if you don’t have one yet, make one! How can photography capture and explore an environment, and accurately record it’s atmosphere to a viewer?
Copy your essay introduction (from Essay Plan) which will give you a framework to build upon and also copy your Statement of Intent.
STATE OF INTENT My idea is to make a photobook in which I explore the area Bouley Bay, overall I want to capture the activity, views, and close ups of key feature such as rocks, shells, heritage, the hill climb, and the bay. I could also look into the history of the bay and the Jersey Folklore, involving the Black Dog.
It is important to me as I grew up in that area, and have many memories of it. And I hope to capture it in the same way in which remember it. I wish to develop my project by exploring the bay and collecting lots of objects to photograph in a studio, and also to take long exposure, aerial, and underwater of the bay, as I have been inspired by many photographers, such as, Martin J Patterson (@ mjplandscapes on Instagram), Jaun Munoz (@ drjuanmdc on Instagram), and David Aguilar (@ davidaguilar_photo). Using these images I can look into topics such as, beach pollution, environment and beach life. Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz and Barron Bixler have studied environments, so it would be interesting to analyse them and their work.Identify 2 quotes from sources identified in an earlier task using Harvard System of Referencing.
4. Use one quote as an opening quote: Choose a quote from either one of your photographers or critics. It has to be something that relates to your investigation.
You say that you are “interested in the influence of place, and the shape of it around us, as we follow in the footsteps of those who came before.” Could you please elaborate on what this means to you as a photographer and how it influences you’re thinking when picture making?
1.
“This is about how I experience and encounter a place, and I feel that’s important to me when I’m taking photographs. I listen as much as look and am emotionally present when I photograph.”
In-text citation: (Isle, 2019)
Refrence: “I am interested in the influence of place, and the shape of it around us, as we follow in the footsteps of those who came before.” Jędrosz, H.K. (2019) Isle. Avaible at: https://www.isle-stories.co.uk/hanna-jedrosz (Accessed: 12 January 2022).
Foreworld – 9 Truth and landscape – 11 Beauty in photography – 21
2.
“With the help of a camera we can recognize and enjoy an unnamed New Mexican mesa or the Delaware Water Gap. Although we are not as naive as we once were about the accuracy of the pictures, we continue to value them initially as reminders of what is out there, of what is distinct from us.” page 14 beauty of photography
3.
“f64 is the smallest aperture available on most view camera lenses; by its use the depth of focus is maximized, and the most precise possible rendering of detail is achieved.” page 27
4.
“For a picture to be beautiful it does not have to be shocking, but it must in some significant respect be unlike what has preceded it (this is why an artist cannot afford to be ignorant of the tradition within his medium). p27
5.
“A photographer can describe a better world only by better seeing the world as it is in front of him.” p 26
5. Add sources to Bibliograpphy
6. Begin to write a paragraph (250-500 words) answering the following questions below.
Think about an opening that will draw your reader in e.g. you can use an opening quote that sets the scene. Or think more philosophically about the nature of photography and its feeble relationship with reality. You should include in your introduction an outline of your intention of your study e.g. What are you going to investigate. How does this area/ work interest you? What are you trying to prove/challenge, argument/ counter-argument? Whose work (artists/photographers) are you analysing and why? What historical or theoretical context is the work situated within. Include 1 or 2 quotes for or against. What links are there with your previous studies? What have you explored so far in your Coursework or how are you going to respond photographically? How did or will your work develop. What camera skills, techniques or digital processes (post-production) have or are you going to experiment with?
Essay Introduction Draft
How can photography capture and explore an environment, and accurately record it’s atmosphere to a viewer?
Introduction
“I am interested in the influence of place, and the shape of it around us, as we follow in the footsteps of those who came before.” (anna-Katrina Jędrosz, Isle, 2019).
Environmental documentary photographer Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz said this is how she experienced and encountered a place. She is an influential photographer to my project as I’m studying the environment surrounding Bouley Bay in Jersey. I plan to investigate different features, like Fort Leicester, the Islet, and boats, and other elements of the bay through different methods of photography, such as long exposure, aerial photography, and minimalistic close ups in a studio. This location is especially important to me as I grew up in that area, and regularly went to the beach in the summer. There are many memories that brings cheerfulness, for-instance meeting my friends at the pontoon in the bay, and many barbeques in the hot summer evening. I know this area extremely well and is relishing the opportunity to explore it from different perspectives and viewpoints. Using a selection of photos I have produced, I plan to prove that using photography you can accuracy depict an environment in detail. I plan to look at photographers Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz and Robert Adams as they document landscape environments well in in a clear way that captures the area in detail. I am using historical context of the bay from the Societe Jersiaise, because they have images and in-depth information on the history of the bay, which I can use in my project to juxtapose time. There are a few links to my pervious projects, such as the Anthropocene project, and how I linked it to water pollution by capturing images around Bouley Bay, which I used to create a photo manipulation from in Photoshop. I have also taken photos at Bouley Bay in other projects, for example, long exposure of the mini waterfall, and a slow shutter speed of waves crashing on the rocks near the L’Islet. For my current project I would like to develop long exposure photography of the bay, and it’s smaller features, also aerial photography to capture unique angles that showcases the bay that aren’t accessible to the average beachgoer. It would be displayed via a photobook that consists of images of the bay, the history of the bay and, images relating to the bay. All of the images that I will use in the photobook I will edit them in Photoshop, mainly using the camera-raw filter as it works extremely will since I only shot in RAW which, produces a .CR2 image. This helps me bring back shadows, highlights, and colour in post production as there is greater dynamic range. Compared to a JPEG file which uses compressed data as there is less information in the image file, so recovering and editing the images is more challenging. The processes I use the most in Photoshop are gradual and radial filters, spot healing brushes, and the clone stamp tool.
Historical/ theoretical context within art, photography, visual and popular culture
There are four main art movements and isms in photography and, they are, Pictorialism, Realism/Straight Photography , Modernism, and Post-Modernism. I plan to look at modernism, creating images inspired by Robert Adams and, Ansel Adams.
Firstly, pictorialism was most popular in the time period 1880-1920, and the goal of it was to make photographs look like art, and to make them look handmade. There were many methods of creating this effect. The main two ways were to rub Vaseline on the camera lens to blur parts of the picture. Scratch the negative, and use chemicals to create an interesting print, information from The Genius of Photography. (Archive, 2007). Alfred Stieglitz was later dubbed Hill “the father of pictorial photography” and featured his and Adamson’s photographs in his publications and at the Little Galleries of the Photo-Secession in 1906. (TheArtStory, 2018).
Realism and Straight photography was effective approximately around the time period 1915, and its purpose was to use the photographic medium and it’s ability to provide accurate and descriptive records of the visual world, information from The Genius of Photography. (Archive, 2007). Gustave Courbet was the first artist to self-consciously proclaim and practice the realist aesthetic. After his huge canvas The Studio (1854–55) was rejected by the Exposition Universelle of 1855. (Britannica, 2020).
MT: You need to redo the way you reference sources as it doesn’t make sense. Use Harvard system of referencing
Modernism is what relates to my project the most, and I what Robert Adams fits into, as he is most know for taking photos of the American West, which is the same objective that Ansel Adams had, who is considered the most important landscape photographer of the 20th century. (Britannica, 2020). MT: explain the difference between Ansel Adams and Robert Adams. They are both environmentalists and use photography as a tool to highlight areas of the natural world that they care about. However Ansel focuses his lens of nature beauty and produce romanticised images, compared to Robert who photograph the man-made world in the American West.
Modernism is characterised intellectually by a belief that science could save the world and that, through reason, a foundation of universal truths could be established. The common trend was to seek answers to fundamental questions about the nature of art and human experience. (The Genius of Photography, 2007)
Finally, Postmodernism is the newest art movement and ism, and it has been in placed since the second half of the 20th century. Postmodernism is relativism, and it is the belief that no society or culture is more important than any other. It explores power and the way economic and social forces exert that power by shaping the identities of individuals and entire cultures. (The Genius of Photography, 2007). There are many examples of post-modernistic art, however the most recognised founder of the Postmodernism movement is Jacques Lacan, who was a prominent French psychoanalyst and theorist. His ideas had a huge impact on critical theory in the twentieth century and were particularly influential on post-structuralist philosophy and the development of postmodernism. (Tate, 2017)
MT: provide an example of a postmodern work of art – within contemporary photography. For example, Jeff Wall
Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz.
The first photographer I’ve decided to study is Hanna-Katrina Jędrosz. She is a photographer who does documentary work with places, people and the environment in focus. In 2017 she did a photo series on the Rummu quarry. It stands as a remnant of the cold war. She highlighted the recent trials of refurbishing the area into something more beneficial to the nearby society. (Academy, 2021). This links with my study on a geographical point, such as Bouley Bay. I can study how Jędrosz has captured the quarry in a way which makes the viewer see the historical value of the site, before it is destroyed. Jędrosz uses several photographs from different vantage points to represent the location. Doing so she creates unique and interesting angles that reflects the areas age and emotion. The shots consist of a variety of close ups of walls with iron rods in them, barbed wire fences vanishing into the horizon and, a low squatted building on a frozen lake. All of the images have been shot during winter, and what seems to be a single photoshoot. This gives the collection of images a general look, which is a cold atmosphere, however it would have been nice to see the location in different seasonal states, as it would have give the quarry a whole different look. Although, after research, this aproach of showing the area in different lighting, seasons and, moods goes against Jędrosz’s way of work as this question in an interview was asked, “What influenced your photography?”, and she replied, “The people and places I photograph have the biggest influence on my photography. I try not to impose too much, and to respond to what’s happening in front of me in a genuine way, to make photographs that are a documentation of an encounter.” (Academy, 2021). This is evidence that Jędrosz likes to capture the initial, untouched environment, and how she doesn’t want to manipulate the location, as it wouldn’t produce an authentic image. This would take some of the meaning away from the final image. These are my two favourite images from the Rummu Quarry photo collection.
The image on the left is my favourite image. It shows the area in a wider perspective, and Jędrosz has made an extremely powerful composition by including small hints of the side of the cliff, which creates depth to draw the eye into the middle of the image, where the building is located. The spacing between the building and the land is mostly consistent, which adds to create a visually appealing composition. The building having the same colours as the rocky cliffs around it means that the blue, frozen ice emphasis the focus on the building. The blue ice constructs a balance between the light blue, hazed sky, which makes the viewer notice the brown areas more, this is because blue and brown are the main two colours in this image. Overall, the vantage point Jędrosz has taken this image from and inspired me to use high pinot to take images from to get the aerial photo type look.
The photo on the right is extremely different to the other image. It doesn’t show the general area that is surrounded by miles of trees, instead it show the security measures in place and provides a more realistic representation of what it would of been like to work at the quarry when it was open during the rein of the Soviet Union. The meaning changes when you look into the historical context of the quarry. “The workers were drawn from the near by Rummu Prison” (Hanna-Katrina, 2010?). Knowing that prisoners use to work at the quarry creates links to the barbed wire fences, and the graffiti, which could have been done by the released prisoners or street artists.
Robert Adams
The second photographer I have decided to study is Robert Adams, as he is a photographer who has documented the extent and the limits of our damage to the American West, recording it in over fifty books of pictures, both reasons to despair and to hope. (Fraenkel Gallery, 2012) His work is very well known and he fits into the modernism art movement, as his photos embrace its social, political and aesthetic potential, experimenting with light, perspective and developing?, as well as new subjects and abstraction. (Tate, 2016). Adams study on the American West link to my project in the same way that Jędrosz’s work does. This is through the study of an environment within an area. After reading a small section in Robert Adams book, “Beauty in Photography”, Adams describes how an image is meaningful even if it isnt the best image in the world. “For a picture to be beautiful it does not have to be shocking, but it must in some significant respect be unlike what has preceded it (this is why an artist cannot afford to be ignorant of the tradition within his medium). This is quote is from Adams influential book Beauty in Photography (which provides a theory on his approach to landscape photography), and it means Adams feels that for an image to be good it must be different and unique compared to what other people have captured. These are two of his photographs that I picked from a wide range of Adams work in Western America.
These two images where both taken by Robert Adams. The image on the left shows temporary caravan housing which contrasts with the mountain in the background, as the rectangular lines on the caravans clash with the smooth nature lines from the mountains on the horizon. The bottom half of the image being congested creates a busy, active, loud atmosphere that creates a conflict in emotion with the tranquil, clam, peaceful mountains and clear sky. Despite the cameras not being as advanced, this image is very clear and contains lots of details.
The image on the right is a more zoomed in shot to create a deeper personal connection. This effect is achieved by focusing in on the drive way of the house. The image is slightly under exposed, which makes the highlights more noticeable, therefore making the car a focus point. Adams commonly makes the 50/50 split in the image rather than using the rule of thirds, but in both of these image it works out well.
Conclusion
In conclusion, both Jędrosz and Adams capture an environment in detail and, they accurately recreate the atmosphere as if the viewer was there. The main similarities between both photographers, is that they both include a wide variety of shots from the same location to provide more infomation about the place. For example, a wide angle view of the location, and a close up shot of objects in the environment. On the other hand the main difference is that Adams shoots in black and white, where as Jędrosz shoots in colour. MT explain what effect the difference between monochrome and colour has on landscape images.
Another difference is that Adams composition in his images seem more precise, compared to Jędrosz. The main reason I think this happened is because Adams has to setup a massive tripod and allow a lot of time to take the image (MT Adams uses a large-format camera which is much slower to operate and can only make one exposure at a time – research this in more detail)
, whereas Jędrosz uses a digital camera, so she can quickly and efficacy capture images. Both photographers capture different environments in their own style, and affectively showcase a whole geological location in just a few images.
MT, Overall I feel the essay has a lot of potential, but you have not done enough research, especially around Robert Adams. You need to discuss more details and bring in different points of view. There are many interviews with Adams and many reviews of his work. For Jędrosz you need to reflect on her work in relation to how contemporary photographers work within a documentary landscape tradition.
Read this article and incorporate into your analysis
I created a mindmap based on my initial ideas for my personal study. I started by finding some topics which interested me and then developed those ideas and started thinking about how I could turn these ideas into a shoot. I found this helped me to then go on and create a moodboard with artist references and helped me to clearly pick and find a theme that I was most interested in and had the more inspiration for.
Childhood
John Stezaker
John Stezaker was born in 1949 in Worcester, United Kingdom, and attended the Slade School of Art in London and graduated in the 1973. He is a contemporary British conceptual artist who is best known for his collages of found images taken from postcards, film stills, and commercial photographs. Stezaker’s work resembles early-Surrealist and re-examines the various relationships to the photographic image. Through his careful juxtapositions, Stezaker adapts the content and contexts of the original images to convey his own meanings. He adds meaning to his images by intertwines images of landscapes, famous portraits and layers them creating silhouttes and curves. He creates interesting and fascinating small-format collages that have qualities of Surrealism. Stezaker said “My ideal is to do very little to the images, maybe just one cut: the smallest change or the most minimal mutilation” as he feels what he does is destructive however also has meaning behind the actions. His works have been featured at many museums such as The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tate Modern in London, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and many more.
Stezaker’s images
Ken Nwadiogbu
Ken Nwadiogbu is a visual artist who creates innovative conceptual drawings on various surfaces as he engages in multidisciplinary modes of storytelling. His interest in art, as well as his career began while earning his degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering despite the fact he had no formal training. His work was inspired by issues which related to him and those around him as he grew up, he began creating works that reflect his society with the hopes of making a change within his community. He calls his method of work contemporealism which is a fusion that is centered around hyper realism and contemporary art. Gender equality, African culture, and Black power are a few aspects of his current research and artistic practice. Nwadiogbu work constitutes a silhouette of a human, which he embeds an eye or parts of a face into his ultimate theme of creating consciousness to what represents our collective reality through art. Ken Nwadiogbu is constantly revitalising his practice by challenging modes of Black representation and he is constantly updating how he works by using new variants of photography to present his work for example NFT’s.
Jim Goldberg
Jim Goldbergs was born in 1953 and is an American artist and photographer whose work reflects long-term collaborations with those who face neglection, been ignored, or otherwise outside the mainstream populations. Goldberg is best known for his photography books and multi media exhibitions especially for his trio serious of photography books called Rich and Poor, Nursing Home and Raised by Wolves. Goldberg is part of an experimental documentary movement in photography, using a straightforward approach based on a fundamentally narrative understanding of photography. For my project I will be focusing on Goldbergs book ‘Raised by wolves’ which combines ten years of original photographs and text, home movie stills, snapshots, drawings and diary entries. He used this book to document the lives of runaway teenagers in San Francisco and Los Angeles. From 1985-1995, Goldberg was working on the streets of Los Angeles and San Francisco getting to know numerous homeless teens and building the relationships that would come to form the basis of Raised by Wolves.
Pictorialism is an international style and aesthetic movement that dominated photography during the later 19th and early 20th centuries. It was an approach to photography which emphasized beauty of subject matter, tonality, and composition rather than the documentation of reality and was an imitate of art.
Time period:
1880 – 1920
Key Characteristics:
From the 1880s and onwards photographers strived for photography to be art and resemble hand made art by trying to make pictures that resembled paintings e.g. manipulating images in the darkroom, scratching and marking their prints to imitate the texture of canvas, using soft focus, blurred and fuzzy imagery and using Vaseline on their lenses.
Artists associated –
Julia Margaret Cameron
Julia Margaret Cameron was a British photographer who is considered one of the most important portraitists of the 19th century. She is known for her soft-focus close-ups of famous Victorian men and for illustrative images depicting characters from mythology, Christianity, and literature. In her works in particular, her artistic influence was Pre Raphaelite, with far away looks, limp poses and soft lighting. Cameron’s photographs were unusual in their intimacy and she had a visual habit of created blur through both long exposures, where the subject moved and by leaving the lens intentionally out of focus.
Examples of Julia Margaret Cameron’s work
Sally Mann
Sally Mann is an American photographer, widely known for her large-format, black-and-white photographs, at first of her young children, then later of landscapes suggesting decay and death. Mann created a haunting series of photographs that tells a story about the one subject that affects us all, the loss of life. She created a project called ‘What Remains’ which was created in 2004 is a five part meditation on mortality and explores the ineffable divide between body and soul, life and death, spirit and earth. In ‘What remains’ Munn reflects on her own personal feelings towards death as she examines the boundaries o contempary photography.
Peter Henry Emerson
Peter Henry Emerson was born 13th May 1856 and died 12th May 1936, he was a British writer and photographer. His photographs are early examples of promoting straight photography in an art form. Emerson is known for taking photographs which displayed rural settings and for his disputes with the photographic establishment about the purpose and meaning of photography. Initially he was influenced by naturalistic French painting, he argued for “naturalistic” photography and took photographs in sharp focus to capture country life as clearly as possible. His first photo album was published in 1886 and was titled ‘Life and Landscape on the Norfolk Broads‘ and it consisted of 40 platinum prints that were inspired by these ideas. However after a while he became dissatisfied with rendering everything in sharp focus, as he didn’t like that the undiscriminating emphasis it gave to all objects was unlike the way the human eye saw the world. He then started experimenting with soft focus, but was unhappy with the result of this aswell. He was experiencing difficulty with accurately recreating the depth and atmosphere which he saw as necessary to capture nature with precision. Although he was getting frustrated with his photography he carried on to take many photographs of landscapes and rural life in the East Anglian fenlands and went onto publish seven further books of his photography through the next ten years.
Modernism
Modernism was a broad movement surrounding all the innovative isms of the first half of the 20th century. Although different modern-isms were often incompatible they all rejected the dominance of older movements such as Classicism and Naturalism in favour of new experimental ways of producing art.
Time period:
Early 1900s and continued until the early 1940s.
Key Characteristics:
It was a broad movement encompassing all the avant-garde isms of the first half of the 20th century. Early modernity is characterised by a belief that science could save the world and that a foundation of universal truths could be established. During the modernism photographers began to embrace its social, political and aesthetic potential by experimenting with light, perspective and developing, as well as new subjects and abstraction.
Surrealism
Surrealism was founded in Paris in 1924 by the poet ‘Andre Breton’ and continued Dadaism’ exploration of everything irrational and subversive in art. Surrealism was more explicitly preoccupied with spiritualism, Freudian psychoanalysis and Marxism. It aimed to create art which was ‘automatic’ which meant that it had emerged directly from the unconscious without being shaped by reason, morality or aesthetic judgements. The Surrealist also explored dream imagery an they were an important art movement within Modernism involving anything from paintings, sculpture, poetry, performance, film and photography.
Artists associated:
Rene Magritte
René François Ghislain Magritte was born on the 21st November 1898 and died on the 15th August 1967. In the 1920s, he began to paint in the surrealist style and became known for his witty images and his use of simple graphics and everyday objects, giving new meanings to familiar things. Often his images were depicting ordinary objects in an unusual context, his work is known for challenging observers’ preconditioned perceptions of reality. His imagery has influenced pop art, minimalist art, and conceptual art. Magrittes earliest paintings date back to 1915 which then sparked his career in surrealism. With his art becoming more and more popular he was able to pursue his art full-time and was celebrated in several international exhibitions.
Post Modernism
Difference between modernism vs post modernism
Post modernism was a reaction to modernism and was influenced by disenchantment brought on by the second world war. Postmodernism was the collective name given to the shattering of modernism. In photography this was the direct challenge to the ideal of fine art photography whose values were established on an anti-commercial stance.
Time Period:
Late 20th century
Key Characteristics:
Postmodernism makes references to things outside the art work, e.g. political, cultural, social, historical,psychological issues. Postmodern work are aware of and make reference to the previously hidden agendas of the art market and its relation to art museums, dealers and critics. Postmodern work often uses different approaches in the construction of the work such as collaboration, parody, recycling and reconfiguration. Postmodernism favours the context of a work including examining subject and the reception of the work by its audience.
Artist associated:
Jeff Wall
Jeff Wall was born in 1946 in Vancouver, Canada, where he still lives.Wall is a leading contemporary photographer whose work is concerned with ideas about the nature of images, representation, and memory. He has been producing carefully staged photos since the end of the 1970s.
