I took 20 pictures of different doors, capturing them from the same face- on angle. I will edit them and make them black and white, as well as crop them to frame all the doors the same.

The Exhibition shows a series of portraits taken using inspiration from a range of photographers including Henry Mullins, Julia Margaret Cameron and more. The images vary in style but all revolve around the theme of identity; primarily that of hidden or disguised identity.

Typology

All of these images were taken of one single model each taken the same way with the only change being the colour of the gel used on the lighting. The cameras positioned remained unchanged and the lighting position unmoved. I felt that a simple technique like this can be used to demonstrate the differences of people’s feelings. The model shows a neutral expression but their emotion can be described through the colour of the light behind them. For example the red can show anger and heat; whereas the blue can show tranquillity and calm.

Environmental Portraits

This series of environmental portraits were taken of the Master Gunner at Elizabeth Castle. When editing, I turned all of the images into monochrome photos to create the effect of the images being old. I felt that due to the character being that from a historical period, I wanted to compliment that within the images. They also show a disguised identity, one commonly used in theatre. The model merely conducts this role for Jersey Heritage and has a completely different life outside of the costume. As a performer myself, I wanted to use these images as a way of showing the freedom from normal everyday life that theatre and performance can provide; in this case a transportation to the past away from modern day issues. I personally feel that I could have expressed this thought process better if I combined these images with some of the same model in her everyday life and not in costume.

Diamond Cameos

This triptych presentation of monochrome diamond cameos was inspired by the works of Henry Mullins, a photographer that lived and worked in Jersey during the 19th Century. Again, these images are monochrome due to the historical context of both the period in which this presentation style was used and some of the images have their own historical background. The two outer cameos both use photos of the Master Gunner at Elizabeth Castle; however, the central arrangement uses photos taken within the photography studio as an initial experiment after researching Mullins’ work. I chose the four images as they show a great use of chiaroscuro lighting that makes me believe that the model has something to hide. With three of the photos showing the model with a neutral expression the fourth stands out simply because there is a small smile. This took my interest and made think that through the arrangement, at the bottom of everyone there is a little bit of happiness or emotion that doesn’t always arise to the surface. By positioning this one contradicting image at below the others I believe that I have strongly communicated this.

I decided to combine the three diamond cameos for two reasons. The first being that they simply are all diamond cameos and so should be arranged together. However, the second reason is that I believe the contrast between dramatic chiaroscuro lighting created in an internal area (the studio) contrasts to the more naturally lit environmental portraits taken out at Elizabeth Castle in full view of the general public. The idea that something so simple was created in one room hidden from the outside world alongside an entirely costumed and extravagant photoshoot taking place where anyone could be watching again shows how some people fear being in the public eye whereas other thrive from it. Another aspect of human life that defines us.

Self-Portraits

The theme of hiding and having a hidden identity is thoroughly expressed in these images. By creating shadow and obscured selfies, I could easily portray any range of emotions or actions and maintain an element of secrecy from the camera. The shadow selfies both seem to look like the model is depressed or upset over something. However, how many emotions can be expressed in a shadow. A shadow is dark, most commonly black, and to accentuate the shape has a much lighter background. These two images show an overall dull and dingy atmosphere which makes a viewer believe that the model is expressing these negative emotions. This is what I wanted to show; the idea that people assume that what they see is correct but perhaps the model tired, relaxing on their phone, reading, or even asleep. Essentially the viewer just does not know but assumes that the image shows a dark message because of the way the colouration and brightness of it.

The obscured selfies were an experiment using a piece of coloured gel that was held in front of my face. After the first few photos, I soon realised that the light reflected off of the gel rather than obviously projecting through it, therefore completely masking areas of my face and disallowing the camera to read my facial expressions and my internal emotions. The combination of a single coloured image alongside three monochrome photographs shows that there is light in the darkest points whilst also showing that even with good light and full colour, it is impossible to clearly read a person. Even with a perfect view, the viewer would still be unable to understand what I was feeling as the model in this image. I feel that this obvious imagery of hidden identity clearly shows this theme in the final piece.

Double Exposures

On both sides of this wall there is a window mount presenting two images that have been doubly exposed. Both images were created digitally in photoshop. The first being completely in monochrome was inspired by an image created by Claude Cahun, a French photographic artist that emigrated to Jersey before the Second World War and resided here until her death in 1954. Both of the photographs layered into this double exposure show the model once again using a neutral expression. Despite this, I believe the viewer to be able to see two different sides to the model. I feel that the translucent image shows similar expressions to that of Leonardo Da Vinci’s ‘Mona-Lisa’. Having the slight smile to it compared to the bass image having nothing almost expresses that the model projects the view of being grumpy or upset to the viewer but we are allowed to see the internal feelings by this simple smile projected on the surface.

This double exposure uses one of the images from my typology piece underneath one of the final images of my mirrored portraits. This unnatural chiaroscuro lit image over a very naturalistic headshot creates this unusual mix that I still struggle to find a sense of identity; and I suppose that is why it is so appealing, it is a mystery. I feel that mixing these two very different images creates a sense of ambiguity in it’s hidden story. I feel that it might imitate how someone looks back on their actions or assesses the way they look. The unusual overcasting photograph removes any naturalism within the piece and almost makes it quite mystical. But like I said, this outcome is very open to interpretation and I struggle to assess how well it conveys my intention of showing a hidden identity.

Mirror Portraits

Taken using a mirror, these images show a harshly backlit model’s reflection in an ornate mirror. The diptych created on the right shows initial images that were taken during this experiment and the image on the left is a mosaic created using photoshop software. As I just mentioned, this was an experiment and I did not plan to have these images appear as they do. But I chose to print and mount these as they create a dark and brooding feeling when viewed. I feel that they express pain and struggle within a mirror. The use of a mirror also conceives the idea that it is hidden in a mirrored world or universe; when we would we see a chilled and natural figure normally. The discolouration of the face alienates the model from the natural world as well by removing any sense of nature and again shows the idea of pain and anguish.

The mosaic uses the image on the right of the diptych and expresses the same feelings as that. However, by turning it into a mosaic, the pattern creates the effect that the feelings expressed by the singular image are now projected everywhere and there is no escape from this alternate side of yourself. This print presents a new side to the theme of this exhibition and reveals what was hidden and now brings it into the light.

Overall Evaluation

I feel that my portrait project as whole was a success and I was able to clearly convey the idea of hidden identity in a very stylistic way. I still believe that some images could have been better presented but when all of my final prints are collected together the general outcome is very successful. My favourite images were created in the studio when I had access to different lighting and could easily experiment with the themes of identity but I feel that I would have enjoyed more vocational photoshoots. I produced more final outcomes from the studio shoots but I enjoyed photographing the environmental portraits. If I was to conduct this project again I think I would do less editing after shoots and only perfect the finer details of exposure and contrast within the images. I would definitely like to continue with creating diamond cameos and exploring the outcomes that I could create by simply using the rules that Henry Mullins used in the 19th Century.

Link to the Virtual Gallery – tour and same details as provided on this blogpost are there as well: https://www.artsteps.com/view/6470632829728b7ee5adeb21?currentUser

Comparison with Henry Mullins

The first two images are examples of Henry Mullins’ diamond cameos from his work in the 18th Century. These very traditional images show the very basic outcomes of photography when it was first beginning to take shape. My interpretations based on these diamond cameos show a triptych using both studio and environmental portraits. I mimicked the monochrome style to an extent but maintained the clarity of the modern images. My central cameo follows Mullins works exactly with the top image being deadpan, the middle two each facing outwards and the bottom having a bit of freedom. The only difference of this arrangement to Mullins’ is that the image quality is better and the black and white is more distinct and uses chiaroscuro lighting which adds to the overall effectiveness of the image. The two arrangements of environmental portraits show an interesting array of images of the Master Gunner at Elizabeth Castle. The positioning of each photograph follows the same rules as Mullins’ cameos but the monochrome images show more of a story or have more of a background to them. Mullins’ images in my opinion don’t show a sense of a story to me simply because photography was a new invention and they are very simple studio portraits. Despite the depth of these images however, I feel that my favourite cameo is my central arrangements of studio portraits

Comparison with Claude Cahun

Technically speaking, the obvious links between the image created by Claude Cahun and my response to it are the formation of the image and the colour palette. Claude Cahun’s image was almost forced to be monochrome due to the limits of the technology that she had access to, I decided that a monochrome colour palette not only appeals more to me but establishes this idea of the subject of the image more important than the vivid colours. Both images were created by combining two photographs in post production, in Cahun’s case this was by manually blending two negatives over one another to create her final outcome. I simply use photoshop and was able to create a tidier and clearer image.

Cahun’s outcome creates this idea of looking into oneself and instead of using a mirror created this superimposed creation to make this piece. They themselves are the subject of the image and the primary focus is on her face. There is no sense of personality about, no added jewellery or accessories that help a viewer understand the character that she is trying to show. Essentially, the image is fairly naked and bare. I did not like this aspect and so in mine, the subject various items of personal accessories like a necklace and earrings. The use of personal effects establishes a clear understanding of the subjects personality and although they are looking into themselves, they are still presenting who they are to an audience.

Comparison with Arnold Newman

Arnold Newman’s environmental portrait of Alfred Krupp, an armaments manufacturer in the Second World War, is an interesting composition that establishes the possibly menacing characteristics of he displays. Krupp was rumoured to have used slave labour to supply munitions to the Nazi and therefore will have been connected to evil and barbaric notions in the eyes of society. The image obviously shows him as a businessman and he most certainly is depicted as having a job to do. It is this idea that I utilised in my response to this piece. In my monochrome image of a 18th Century ‘Redcoat’ Infantryman, I have established this idea of a working man doing his duty to a higher power. In this case, the higher power is the Crown of England; but for Alfred Krupp, his higher power was the Third Reich.

Technical similarities within the piece are the establishing of a dramatic background associating with the subject. Mine being a dark, cloudy sky with a backdrop of the walls of Elizabeth Castle. In Newman’s creation, the background displays the factory that was controlled by Krupp. Both images have a gloomy mood that accompanies them and are framed so that the key focus of the image is the person depicted.

Here are all of the images that I have decided to print:

Window Mounts

I put these four images into a window mount but in the shape of a diamond cameo. I decided to keep the rectangular shapes of the images instead of cutting the traditional elliptical shapes of a diamond cameo. These four images come from selfie experiments and show my final outcomes of two shadow selfies and two obscured selfies. I positioned the two shadow selfies on the top and bottom with the two obscured images on the left and right – looking something like this:

These three images were presented in a window mount as a combined triptych showing all three of my final edits inspired by Henry Mullins’ diamond cameos. The two on the outside are environmental portraits of the Master Gunner at Elizabeth Castle. While the central image was an initial diamond cameo experiment in the photography studio.

These four images were put into individual window mounts and then combined onto the rear of a piece of mountboard (the white side) to create a window effect.

These two photos of the Master Gunner at Elizabeth Castle were presented as a diptych (shown below) in a window mount.

Individual Window Mounts

This double exposure image was mounted in a double window mount. It was created through photoshop and uses two images from two different photoshoots, both experiments.

The next three images were all presented separately but in the same way, on individual window mounts.

Foamboard Mounts

These six headshots were mounted individually onto foamboard and then arranged as a typology on a single piece of A1 mountboard. I had to position three in portrait and three in landscape to fit them all on but this allowed the final piece to be positioned both in portrait and landscape and still look correct (shown below)

These final two images were individually mounted onto foamboard and then presented in a diptych on a second piece of foamboard in the same positioning as above.

PLAN

With my photoshoot, I want to show how different aspects of lives can define a person but always hiding their identity. My initial thoughts were to always have something disguising my face; be it an image of my shadow or holding an object in front of my face – but I also want to show myself acting as someone else, either a character that is well-known to any audience or someone that is very obviously not me. I want to use the images that I produce to combat the stereotypes of masculinity and people’s assumptions of what it takes to be a man. Especially with my lifestyle having the stereotype of specific sexualities.

Here are the main three selfie techniques that I would use:

The Obscured Selfie

This technique is done by simply obstructing the cameras view of the subjects face. This can be done by simply holding an object in front of it or by using some kind of mist or dust for example.

The Shadow Selfie

This selfie is simply an image of a your shadow cast on the ground or a wall. But it can also be any kind of self-taken image use shadows.

The Disguised Selfie

This method shows the subject of the image disguised in someway – most commonly by using costumes or some kind of performance that doesn’t mimic the subjects true identity.

Photoshoot 1 – Sunday 14th May

On this day, I want to create a series of disguised selfies using the setting of Elizabeth Castle and the uniform of a gunner from the year 1781.

Photoshoot 2 – Tuesday 23rd May

With this photoshoot I want to take some images in the studio, attempting the obscured and the shadow selfie techniques. By using the flash-heads I want to cast shadows of myself onto a plain white backdrop.

My Experiments

With the Selfies that I had created, after editing I found that I did not actually like some of the images I had created, most likely due to me preferring to be behind the camera rather than in front. But then I thought about image that I had taken for the previous portraiture projects and decided that I actually prefer those to show the idea of a hidden identity.

These images were not my favourite but I did like how they turned out. I then decided to choose four edits after this photoshoot that I would print and mount up. (Shown below)

The dictionary describes these two identities as qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of women or girls/men or boys; but what makes something masculine or feminine.

Throughout history, men and women have been defined by their anatomy and what they wear within society (ie. women wear dresses and blouses; men wear shirts and trousers). But from the late 19th century onwards, people have made radical decisions to contradict the status quo and express their freedom to wear what they like and appear ‘different’ and ‘weird’ compared to the traditional views of society. Artists have used this change to comment on society be it through self-expression or expressing ideas of friends and family.

Traditional Masculinity and Femininity

Since the beginning of human history, men and women have been the predominant genders and have had distinctive looks

The differences shown across history have almost blended in the last century so that people can no longer assume that someone is either male or female – men no longer have to fight in the army or just build and be strong / women no longer have to stand and look pretty or stay at home and clean.

Modern Day

In the modern era, people are told they can be whatever they choose; some people born male want to be female or vice-versa, some people can’t choose, and some decide that they prefer to have same sex relations which raises questions and queries of understanding people’s sexualities. These issues make society very diverse and colourful, however there are still people who follow traditional views and see this as a way to attack and discriminate these people – again raising concern for public safety and people’s rights to have there own freedom of choice.

For others, they find this mass freedom of choice confusing. There are so many different names for things that are very similar or people choose pronouns that they wish to be called like they/them/he/she. Many find this difficult to comprehend as the mass discrimination makes the victims feel insulted by those who innocently made a mistake and said the wrong pronoun or used the wrong name for something. This way of life divides and changes society in a mostly good way allowing people different freedoms but they can ruin friendships and dismantle families and can cause many issues but all of it has a solution somewhere.

How has Femininity Changed?

According to Chris Drew’s article; “femininity is considered a social construct that’s taught to girls at a young age through gender socialization.” He provides words that can be used to describe women that describe traditional patriarchal femininity; like: empathy, submissive, dependant, follower. Then he provides these 10 phrases.

• 1. You Are A Kind And Nurturing Person
• 2. Preoccupation With Physical Appearance
• 3. You Speak And Behave Softly
• 4. You Are Emotional
• 5. You Are Empathic To What Other People Feel
• 6. You Feel Sensitive And Powerless
• 7. You Feel Needy And Dependent
• 8. You Are Collaborative
• 9. You Are A Gossip
• 10. You Are Receptive And Passive

These traditional phrases show that Societies in the past treated women as humans with a lower status than men, and they were often framed as the ‘opposite’ to men. But women have challenged that more prominently in the last century starting with the work of the Suffragette’s in England at the end of the 1800s. Simply fighting for the right to vote saw many women imprisoned with some fatalities, but it took a war in another country for change to be implemented. Even today, there is still misogynism (much less than the past) but it is still there and highly expressed across the internet from the likes of Andrew Tate and Donald Trump.

But women performing the same roles within society wasn’t restricted to the here and now; for example, there are official reports of women fighting in the British army during the American War for Independence and the Napoleonic Wars dressed up as men, and more often than not fought stronger and harder than the men.

How has Masculinity Changed?

In the past, to be misogynistic and ‘butch’ was the stereotype of being a man. Typically a man should have honour, strength and humility – have a good job and be an upstanding member of society. Starting in the Stone Age, men would assert their dominance through 1v1 hand-to-hand combat then later on a man’s power came from the strength of their military and the number of wars and battles they won. Jobs like construction and war only allowed men to be a part of it, but in the modern day, women now work more equally.

Again things have changed greatly in the last century, the idea of masculinity still revolves a lot around bravery but being ‘brave’ is completely different now. To be ‘brave doesn’t necessarily mean to risk your life for your country or defeat a dictator. People can now rise up against typical society and go against the status quo. This is exactly what is going on with the LGBTQIA+ community. So many of these people are gathered under the stereotype of being feminine, gay men are seen to be strange and the complete opposite of masculine, and some like this. But there are so many that have the exact same qualities of traditional masculinity but their sexuality seems to have deemed them feminine in the eyes of society. It’s the same with women; for instance, lesbian couples it is assumed that they are no longer feminine. But I believe the strength and bravery is not shown visually within today’s society, it’s is presented through people’s actions, the Pride Parade held every year when everyone marches and parties around St Helier however they want alone shows massive courage as they allow the world to see them for who they truly are without fear of homophobia or ridicule.

IDENTITY POLITICS

IDENTITY POLITICS is a term that describes a political approach wherein people of a particular religion, race, social background, class or other identifying factor form exclusive socio-political alliances, moving away from broad-based, coalitional politics to support and follow political movements that share a particular identifying quality with them. Its aim is to support and centre the concerns, agendas, and projects of particular groups, in accord with specific social and political changes.

The political groups based on identity include the LGBTQIA+ Community; the Catholic Church; Black Lives Matter movement; Extinction Rebellion. These are world-wide institutions all fighting for different things – some fighting against each other but they all have their own values that they believe in completely and refuse to back down simply because someone doesn’t think the same way.

Different groups in Jersey alone are very vocal and prominent within society. Every year the island comes together at CI Pride with a massive parade and party – this continued through the pandemic virtually just showing the importance and power that this group have. After the death of George Floyd, the BLM movement rose immediately across the world and thousands banded together within the island taking a stand against racism, police brutality and attacking past slave owners and traders. The Red Rebels – a very quiet protest simply walked round town dressed and veiled in red to raise awareness of climate change and pollution. All of these groups I believe succeeded in what they wanted to achieve – and some still continue maybe a little quieter but they are still there.

CULTURE WARS

The name reveals all – culture wars are simply conflicts between different cultures within a society. One of the most conflicted countries in the world is the USA – so that’s where artist Greyson Perry took a road trip to explore the culture wars of America. Grayson Perry’s: Big American Road Trip

Perry’s findings through interviews with so many people across the USA is also discussed in Sheri Berman’s article Why identity politics benefits the right more than the left.

Culture Wars seem to be perceived as creating massive divides within society but according to an article published for The Guardian on 21 June 2020; a poll shows that 9 out of 10 Britons would be happy for their child to marry someone of another ethnic group and only 3% believe that a person should be white to be “truly British”. This opinion was mirrored in America after the murder of George Floyd, Donald Trump became more politically isolated and many of his supporters sided with the BLM movement. Statistics show that actions considered normal and just 40 years ago would never be tolerated today and many seem to have forgotten how these views have changed. The whole idea that the world is divided by these cultures is nothing more than an idea, in reality everyone is more united than ever – fighting against racism, pollution, homophobia.

Henry Mullins

Henry Mullins moved to Jersey in 1848 where he set up a photography studio in the Royal Square. As a photographer in the Victorian era, he took hundreds of portraits creating individual ‘Carter de Visites’ and diamond cameos. He aimed to photograph every person living in the island at the time, but as it was a very expensive process, only the most influential and rich inhabitants could afford a portrait.

Diamond Cameos

The diamond cameo was a widely used method of presenting a series of portraits in the Victorian era. Traditionally, the top image be a dead-pan image, the middle two would have the subject either in complete profile or at an angle facing outwards, and the bottom photo would show the model posing however they like. This method took my attention as it would allow me to present four of my final images as one grouping in a very simplistic manner.

Biography

Arnold Newman’s environmental portraits show famous people in their everyday settings or in fabricated settings that comment on who that person is. I wanted to capture this with some of my own experiments with environmental portraiture. It is interesting to see how simple monochrome images can tell so much of a story. The most interesting portrait taken by Newman in my opinion is of Alfred Krupp in 1963.

Alfred Krupp, Essen, Germany, 1963

Alfred Krupp was an armaments manufacturer in the Second World War. It is alleged that Krupp used slave labour to make weapons for the Nazis and he asked Newman to take his portrait in 1963. After discovering Newman’s jewish background, he tried to cancel this appointment but was later convinced to allow it to go ahead. Taken in one of his derelict factories in Essen, the dark and sinister lighting was used to make Krupp look as evil as possible. The portrait infuriated Alfred Krupp but Newman stated “As a Jew, it’s my own little moment of revenge.” This goes to show that the way someone appears within a portrait is constructed solely by the photographer. Newman used aspects of chiaroscuro and butterfly lighting to present Krupp as this evil factory boss that held people’s lives in the palm of his hands. I feel that if the image was in monochrome, it would not have the same impact as it does but it would create the idea of Krupp’s actions being past horrors. However, the use instead presents these actions as ongoing and ever-present.