Mood Board, Definition and Introduction

To create photos inspired by the Anthropocene an open mind is needed, so that you can capture the environment from a different point of view than normal- seeing just how damaging human impact on the world is.

The Anthropocene, a term coined by biologist Eugene Stoermer in the 1980s and popularized by chemist Paul Crutzen in 2000, emphasizes how human actions shape the environment in all its physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. Photography inspired by the Anthropocene captures both natural and urban landscapes, the natural landscapes typically including human waste or destroyed scenery. The urban landscapes include both abandoned areas as well as busy areas to show how humans interact with what they have created and the ways they changed the environment to do so.

During this project, I will try to show the reality of our world, capturing the Anthropocene in my shots. I want my photos to be very emotive yet also interesting, combining different techniques to do this. I am inspired by several different photographers, some whose work has a deeper meaning and some who plainly show our impact on our surroundings.

A exact typology is a sole photograph or more commonly a bulk of photographic work, that shares a extreme level of consistency. This consistency is mostly found inside the subjects, surroundings, photographic process, and performance or direction of the subject.

Typology was created by the German artists Bernd and Hilla Becher, who began working together in 1959 and married in 1961.

Hilla Becher was a German theoretical photographer. Becher was well known for her industrial photographs, or typologies, with long-time collaborator and husband, Bernd Becher.

Gursky, born 15th January 1955 in East Germany, is a visual artist focused on presenting deadpan and hyper focused images with no favour to either foreground or background.

Beginning his studies under Bernd and Hilla Becher in the early 1980s at the Düsseldorf Kunstakademie, Gursky was influenced heavily by their work. He was also influenced by the New Topographics movement happening in America around this time. His recent works are of the digitally manipulated kind – with multiple images being taken and repeated across the canvas to create a whole image.

His work has been exhibited in many collections across the world, most notable being the MoMA in New York, the Tate Modern in London and the Centre Pompidou in Paris. He also holds the record for the highest price paid at auction for a single photographic work.

Edward Burtynsky is a Canadian photographer and artist who often takes photographs of grandiose industrial landscapes. His works portrays locations from around the world that represent the increasing growth of industrialization and its influence on nature and the human existence.

Burtynsky uses a field camera with a large format. He takes his photos from a high vantage points like helicopters, small jets, soaring platforms

Axel Braun

Axel Braun collects case studies on contentious infrastructure projects in order to trace humanity’s development as a geological force. His studies focus on human-altered landscapes as by-products of discourses and processes that describe the techno sphere as it brings forth the Anthropocene.

I have done research on his work and have decided it is very similar to what I would like to achieve/ recreate for this project.

To recreate this i could go to certain reservoirs around Jersey, specifically Val De Le Mar in St Ouens:

This image contrasts with urban and nature, to the left with electric towers and also man made slanted walls to the side of the river. Then to the right juxtaposing with the river and headline of trees, there is mist which creates a more urban/ dark feeling.

This image is demonstrating the style in Anthropocene i was aiming to focus on, Land erosion, I like the effect it gives off with the trees almost being under the water but you can still see them. The rocks on the right that look as if they are resembling ‘stepping stones’ it adds how there is still some sort of man made structures and that humans are always usually apart of the picture in some way.

This image interests me the most as it fits in with the topic quite well whilst also being able to photograph nature. This is something I look to include in my photoshoot.

Mandy Barker is an award winning British photographic artist whose work involving marine plastic debris has received global recognition. Her work has been exhibited, published and collected worldwide.

with this photo she was doing it for protest of the 2014 world cup, how she did it she got a sheet of black velvet and put one of the washed up balls in the middle of it and took a photo then in photo shop layered them all on top each other

all of Mandy bakers photos are created with stuff she finds on the beach and then she edits it to make nice patterns and i think its to show look how much plastic and waste is in our oceans.

The Anthropocene is a proposed geological epoch dating from the commencement of significant human impact on Earth’s geology and ecosystems, including, but not limited to, anthropogenic climate change. Jersey exports 12,000 tons of ash a year to the Uk for it to be made in to construction material.

Edward Burtynsky is a famous photographer known for his pictures of the impact of human industry. the picture above this is one of his photos its showing people scraping a cargo ship you can smoke polluting the environment and fire in the background and that’s also polluting the planet.

the origins of the word Anthropocene is derived from the Greek words anthropo for “man,” and cene for “new,” coined and made popular by biologist Eugene Stormer and chemist Paul Crutzen in 2000

who, what, where, when, how, why

who: I want my photos to include some people, interacting with the environment around them- showing how our impact has effected the scenery I will be photographing. However, I will also take some photos without any people to create a deserted look in them, portraying the idea of abandonment, how they have used the environment for their own gain and now left it to slowly deal with the damage.

what: I will want to photograph construction sites with people working on it, abandoned buildings, natural places with waste, and also big buildings in town (to create images inspired by Stephanie Yung).

where: I will go around St. Helier to capture the urban landscapes in our town, capturing busy areas in interesting ways. I will also go to more rural places where I can capture the impact of humans on the environment.

when: I will take most of my pictures at the weekend as that is when town will be busiest and I will be able to capture people interacting with the world around them in natural ways. I will take most of my pictures during the day however some pictures could be taken near the end of the day, capturing buildings in a different way that is not so commonly seen as normally.

how: I will use a tripod (especially when going out at night) to take the low exposure and slow shutter speed photos. I will also use techniques like exposure bracketing to create images inspired by the artist Stephanie Yung.

why: I believe all of these destinations will be a good way of presenting the Anthropocene through my work, and the impact humans have on the world.

WHO IS MANDY BARKER?

Mandy Barker is an award winning British photographic artist whose work involving marine plastic debris has received global recognition. Her work has been exhibited, published and collected worldwide.

WHAT IS HER PHOTOGRAPHY TRYING TO EMPHASIZE?

Her work is trying to emphasize how humanity is negatively impacting the Earth. She creates artistic work that shows real life tragedies of what is happening around us.

WHAT IS BARKERS PROJECTS TRYING TO DO WITH THE AUDIENCE?

While her photographs are aesthetically pleasing to look at they hold a deeper meaning she is hoping to reach with the audience. She realised in her previous project when she took a picture on sight on the beach the audience didn’t engage enough she hoped, due to this she created a more colourful and bright image using vibrant plastics on a black velvet sheet. This seemed to engage with the audience more since it look more appealing. Due to Barkers project being so big she asked her viewers to help her collect plastics they find, she received many messages with people complying with her task.

MOODBOARD:

‘The objects shown are unwashed and unaltered, as found on the shore. Forms and shapes are reminiscent of sea creatures, but these are man-made from plastic, the very material that proves fatal to the animals and organisms themselves. As they gradually begin to break down, they are likely, ultimately, to be ingested as microplastic particles.’

– INDEFINITE: Mandy Barker website