Born 9 July 1937, David Hockney  is an English painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century. He studied at the Bradford College of Art (1953–57) and the Royal College of Art, London (1959–62), where he received a gold medal in the graduate competition.

Hockney’s Joiners

In the 1980’s, Hockney began to create ‘joiners’, now they are photocollages. When he first began to produce these he did them with Polaroid prints and later on he did them with 35mm, commercially processed prints. How he created joiners was by taking multiple and varying Polaroid shots or photolab-prints of just an individual subject. Then with these shots he would arrange them into what almost looks like a patchwork, to create on overall image. One of Hockney’s first ‘joiners’ was a photomontage of his own mother.

Examples of ‘joiners’

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Hockney was very interested in how 3-dimensional space can be portrayed in a 2-dimensional image. Joiners aimed to create an image that was able to show reality how we experience it (in fragments, not as a whole), and to show the passage of time.

Image analysis

In this image by Hockney you can clearly see the image is made up of over 100 different 2-dimensional quadrilaterals positioned in different angles and variations which all make up an image of Pearl Blossom Highway in California created in 1986. Hockney spent 3 weeks taking different shots of this certain part of the highway to create this image. The image displays a deserted road containing street signs and a few trees, with a heap of litter scattered around the beginning of the road. It shows good weather conditions that create a good effect contrasting between the blue sky and sandy roads. The images seems slightly distorted in a positive way by Hockney creating all objects and features not appear normal. The image nearly looks as if its is a painting, making it much more interesting and draws the eyes of viewers.

‘The aim of the centre is to introduce the Aspiring Geopark project and encourage people to explore Jersey and discover its stories along the way. The Island has been shaped by tide and time over millions of years. Jersey’s exceptional geology and important cultural heritage form the outstanding surroundings we enjoy every day.’ 

Millie Butel

Millie Butel is Jersey Heritage’s Landscape Engagement & Geopark Development Curator and she explained that Geoparks celebrate the links between people and the Earth. The Visitor Centre shows people why Jersey’s outstanding landscapes and seascapes could make the Island a candidate for future designation. She mentioned ‘Jersey is more than just the rock it is made of – our Island is an incredible combination of natural, built and intangible heritage. A Geopark can tell the whole story and, if Jersey is successful in achieving a designation, it will be a statement of commitment to protect the Island we all love and to promote the landscapes, seascapes and heritage that are important to Islanders. 

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Link to Jersey Geology Trail..

http://jerseygeologytrail.net/Sites_of_Special_Interest.shtml

Ralph Nicholls

Sites of special interest-

South Hill – Green Island – Anne Port – La Solitude – La Tête des Hougues – L’Islet – Les Hurets – Les Rouaux – Giffard Bay – Sorel Point – L’Île Agois – Le Pinacle – Le Petit Étacquerel – Le Grand Étacquerel – Le Pulec – Mont Huelin Quarry – St Ouen’s Peat beds – Portelet Bay – Belcroute Bay

Global geopark – http://www.unesco.org/new/en/natural-sciences/environment/earth-sciences/unesco-global-geoparks/

• Born on 9th July 1937, in Bradford, United Kingdom.
• An English painter, draftsman, printmaker, stage designer and photographer.
• Considered to be one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century due to his pop art movement in the 1960s.
• Experimented with the photographic art style of Joiners which his famous “Pearl Blossom Highway” artwork originated from.

Examples of his work –

Analysis –

I chose this joiner created by David Hockney to be the photo of his which I think is his most successful because I like the way he has brought in different perspectives from the variety of photos which he has decided to use. This can be clearly seen through the way that the photo seems to be guiding you down the street and this is due to the way the buildings follow downwards along with the cars, which are moving in the direction which can help bring this photo to life because the use of the joiner effect can make them look as if they are in motion. I also like the use of colour within the photo because it gives the photo a timeless, yet worn look as the green/grey/yellow tones make the photo look worn and as if it holds a lot of history and stories within it, which I really like as it makes it unique and works well with the 2 trees in the middle of the photograph as they don’t look out of place and the way the joiner has been put together gives them enough structure to look realistic.

In my own work, I will consider different point of views, just like David Hockney has done, when creating joiners to add a level of individuality towards my own joiners of L’Etacq and other SSI in Jersey. I will also experiment on photoshop with different filters and how these are able to transform a picture successfully.

What is a Geopark and what does it include?

A Geopark falls under UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) which is recognised globally over 169 Geoparks that wants to build peace through internal co-operations in education, sciences and culture.

A UNESCO Global Geopark includes a number of geological heritage sites which are of special importance, rarity, beauty, etc and these features represent a regions geological history and the events/process which formed it to be as it is seen now which consists of important, natural and historic heritage sites. These Geoparks are able to help everyone celebrate the links between people and the earth and in the future, Jersey hopes to become a Geopark as well, due to the unique heritage which would award this.

Jerseys Geopark

As Jersey is aspiring to become a Geopark there is a local island Geopark centre which can be visited as it introduces Jerseys heritage and explains how it has influenced the island which we live on today, this is supported from the help of Geopark ambassadors such as Ralph Nichols, here is a booklet which provides more information about this. There are many aspects in Jersey which have influenced our islands life and these are: minerals of Jersey, shale formation, volcanic, granites, offshore reefs, sea levels and climate change, etc.

Sites of special interest in Jersey

In Jersey, the sites of special interest are different to what you would find in the UK and other channel islands due to the unique geological range which have create regional and international significance and attracted a lot of global attraction. A part of this can be Jerseys Geology trail.

In support of Jerseys sites of special interest(SSI’s), the states of Jersey has designated 22 of the most important outcrops as SSI’s and this helps to protect and preserve them in the future for public enjoyment and research purposes. There’s a booklet which offers an introduction to Jerseys geological SSI’s so that they are able to gain some recognition to residents/tourists/scientists about their importance.

Activities which showcase Jerseys island heritage

There are a range of activities in Jersey which provide a deeper and more involved opportunity/understanding into the island heritage and these are through a range of sites to walk around, cycle routes, diving, surfing, climbing, visiting heritage sites, etc.

Emily Allchurch is a British artist born 1974 in Jersey Channel Islands who is known for using digital photography and lightbox art to create new works based on masterpieces of world art.

Her images above relate to ‘My rock’ as they are similar to jerseys landscape, which makes my images more meaningful and in depth. ‘My rock’ links in with her images because for my images i will follow her editing for some of my outcomes.

Styles of work

She uses photography and digital collage to reconstruct Old Master paintings and prints to create contemporary narratives. She starts off point with an intensive encounter with a city or place, absorbing impression. Hundreds of photographs are selected and meticulously spliced together to create a seamless new ‘fictional’ space. Each piece of her artwork re-presents this journey, fitted into a single scene. The resulting photographic collages include history and culture, and deal with the passage of time and the changes to a landscape.

Analysis

This image is a representation of a 2D photograph but her use of editing the light, shadowing and contrast has perceived it to be 3D, it has been edited to bring more attention to the eyes. She has added texture in her final image for a more professional look adding to the scale of colours and contrast and tone.

She has sharpened up the image for a more stern representation to viewers, and made the main focus of the photo clearer then in the background slightly unfocusing it so it puts more attention onto the larger building at front.

A Geopark tells the whole story of an area, right from the very beginning.

We spoke to Jersey Geologist Ralph Nicholls and Museum curator Millie Butel at the Jersey Museum.

The Aspiring Jersey Island Geopark Visitor Centre tells the story of Jersey’s geological heritage, with the aim of encouraging Islanders and visitors to explore Jersey and see first-hand how geology has shaped the Island we know today.

Millie Butel, Jersey Heritage’s Landscape Engagement & Geopark Development Curator, explained that Geoparks celebrate the links between people and the Earth. The Visitor Centre will show people why Jersey’s outstanding landscapes and seascapes could make the Island a candidate for future designation. 

She said: ‘Jersey is more than just the rock it is made of – our Island is an incredible combination of natural, built and intangible heritage. A Geopark can tell the whole story and, if Jersey is successful in achieving a designation, it will be a statement of commitment to protect the Island we all love and to promote the landscapes, seascapes and heritage that are important to Islanders. 

MINERALS OF JERSEY

Minerals are made from elements like silicon, oxygen, aluminium, iron and other metals. They are the fundamental building blocks of all rocks. As magma (molten rock) cools, minerals such as quartz and feldspar form crystals. The longer the cooling process takes, the larger the crystals. Minerals can also be carried through rocks by water, forming crystals as the water evaporates.

JERSEY SHALE FORMATION

The shales are the oldest rocks in the Island. You can see them in the west, across the centre and in the south of Jersey. They were formed by mud, silt and sand brought together on the sea floor about 600 million years ago. These sediments were transformed into rock by being pushed together, hardened and folded.

JERSEY VOLCANICS

Volcanic lavas and ashes can be seen along the north and northeast coasts of the Island. These andesites and rhyolites formed as a result of volcanic eruptions occurring 580 million years ago.

JERSEY GRANITES

Jersey is famous for its granites, which have been favoured as a building material for thousands of years. These major intrusive or ‘plutonic’ rocks were formed between 580 and 480 million years ago by molten rock cooling and solidifying between the Earth’s surface. They are only visible once the overlying rocks have been eroded away. The dark rocks known as gabbros are the oldest, and are rich in iron and magnesium. The true granites, visible along the northwest and southwest coasts, are lighter in colour, and consist of three main minerals: quartz, feldspar and mica. On the southeast coast, where granites have broken through the Earth’s surface into older gabbros, a mixed rock called diorite has formed.

ROZEL CONGLOMERATE

Formation Conglomerate can be seen along the northeast of the Island and is made up of beds of pebbles which have been cemented together. They were formed around 400 million years ago and are the youngest hard rock formation in Jersey. Conglomerate is also known as ‘pudding stone’ because the rock formation is made up of lots of pebbles, probably from eroded and worn mountains. Streams with fast flowing water carried the pebbles and sand down valleys and left them behind before they cemented together.

Geoparks are outstanding places around the world that celebrate the links between people and the Earth. A Geopark tells the whole story of an area, right from the very beginning. Jersey, which has been shaped by tide and time, has this designation because of the Island’s exceptional geology, unique heritage, amazing landscapes and special seascapes. The UNESCO Global Geoparks celebrate the links between people and the Earth. Jersey hopes to be recognised as a unique place by being awarded Geopark status.

Every Geopark is unique, there are 169 UNESCO Global Geoparks in 44 countries around the world. A UNESCO Global Geopark comprises a number of geological heritage sites of special scientific importance, rarity or beauty. These features are representative of a region’s geological history and the events and processes that formed it. It must also include important natural, historic, cultural tangible and intangible heritage sites.

The Island of Jersey has a geology that is significantly different to that of the United Kingdom and even from that of the other Channel Islands. Many of the island’s geological sites are of regional and international significance and some have attracted global attention. 

In recognition of this, the States of Jersey has designated 22 of the island’s most important outcrops as Sites of Special Interest (SSIs) so that they may be protected from development and preserved for future public enjoyment and research purposes.

On our trip to Le Etacq, i photographed around 300 images.

Edits

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Photoshoot evaluation

my images turned out well but they lack in variation, a lot my images are close ups of the rock shapes but not as many of the landscape. I believe due to the overcast that day, some of my images lack in texture and depth due to a very flat lighting, to improve this, I would go out on a sunnier day and capture more of a shadow.

For my L’Etacq Geopark trip I managed to photograph around 150-200 images to use to create multiple edits and then further develop into creating a ‘joiner’. I chose around 20 photos which I wanted to edit on Lightroom. Below are some of my best Lightroom edits:

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Overall, I am happy with the way my edits came out after exporting. I really like the effects of the black and white because it has great contrast towards the earth like colours being brown, green and a slight orange. Also, the coloured images look really good through the way the sky reflects on the brown rocks and green land.