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.
Photomontage is the combination of two or more photographs, or pieces of them, to form a single image. The technique came to prominence as a Dadaist form of political protest during the First World War and was later adopted by Surrealist and Pop artists. Photomontage is often used as a means of expressing political ideas and upset. 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 widely disparate images, to reflect the workings of the unconscious mind.
Alexander Rodchenko
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 artists 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.
John Heartfield
John Stezaker
John Stezaker is a contemporary British Conceptual artist best known for his collages of found images taken from postcards, film stills, and commercial photographs. Stezaker’s work resembles early-serrealist and Dada collages made by artists like Kurt Schwitters and Hannah Hoch. In his collage series “Marriage”, juxtaposed portraits of classic films stars create newly formed but disjointed characters.
Some of John’s images – including those from his “Marriage” collection
After editing and printing my images from my still life and Hamptonne shoots, I created handmade experiments as well as some on photoshop.
Handmade Experiments
Experimenting with using negative / positive space – using offcuts and white paper for backgrounds, adding cutouts.
Experimenting with splicing, and juxtaposing images
Photoshop Experiments
Adding two layers of same image
Editing
Flipping and turning black and white
Resizing top layer
Experimenting with object images – creating shape, shadow and framing with double exposure.
Cutting out circles and placing another image underneath
Inspiration
Cutting out shape of object using lasso tool, adding Hamptonne image underneath.
Using Lasso tool and splicing image – adding another underneath
Using marquee tool to add a portrait onto an object image
Adding portrait onto another image
Experimenting with placement of a second image on another
Splicing inspired by Walker Evans
Final edit
Another Walker Evans inspired edit – this time turning one image black and white – use of different layers and selective editing.
Final Edit
GIFS
To make my gifs, I made a layer for each image, and made frames for each layer. I adjusted the delay for each image and changed the window to forever, then saved the GIF for web.
One of my contact sheets – using the P and X tools to pick my best and worst images and to filter them.
Best Images
After selecting my best images, I edited them in Lightroom classic.
Adding contrast, decreasing exposure, adding vibrance and grain as well as adding vignette.
Adding contrast and vibrance, cropping and decreasing offset
Adding vibrance, warming filter and adding contrast
Adding highlights, blacks and adding exposure and slight grain.
Adding warmth, increasing temperature and grain – decreasing exposure
Adding warmth and highlights
My vanitas images
My images are influenced by the photographer Paulette Tavormina. Paulette Tavormina is a an american still life photographer who lives and works in the city of New York. She spends lots of her time in the city’s rich markets, searching for the beautiful florals that add delicate character to her still life photographs. Paulette is heavily inspired by 17th century Still life painters: Giovanna Garzoni, Francisco de Zurbaran, and Adriaen Coorte. She particularly takes inspiration from Zurbaran’s use of mysterious and dramatic light, Coorte’s unique placement of objects, and Garzoni’s clever compositions and rich colour palette.
I categorised my images using the star system – 1 star for no, 5 stars for yes and 3 stars for maybe.
Basic Edits
BeforeEditsAfterbeforeEditingafterBeforeAfter
Further Experimentation
I decided to place a stained church glass design in the eye socket of the skull to represent the link between death and the church.
For this image i wanted to include an image from my environmental photography shoot, i decided to make a collage of different images from different object shoots and merge them together into this Vantas style still life montage.
