I managed to produce some images of staff members in the shop while I was working over the weekend, more specifically, get images of the supervisor, and two of the long-term staff members that were comfortable with being in the images. I ended up taking around 46 images of the people and the shop, which were narrowed down to 17 good quality images that would suit my photobook.

I decided that in this photoshoot, I would highlight the Vienna Bakery orange that I would like to be a theme throughout the photobook. Apart from this, not much had to be done to the images

As part of my personal study, one of my researched artists was Shaun Kardinal. His work with the embroidery really intrigued me, leading me to make one of my own. One I had chosen the image that I wished to use I printed it out on A4 glossy photo paper to give it a nice finish. As all of the colours in the image are very plain tones I chose to use red thread. I also chose to stitch in a circle as the building in question has lost of straight lines and corner meaning there would be a contrast. I placed the circle of stitching in the middle to make it a focal point for the viewer and to draw them in so that they can then look further into it to see the detail in great depth. I am very happy with how this piece turned out and as a part of my final prints I am going to either, back it onto red and black card to tie in the red, or frame it in black to make it more put together.

final outcome:

I went back to the bakery to get more images, more specifically to get images of some of the staff members, and ended up with around 160 images. After going through and picking which were the best ones for my project I had 55 images.

Most of these images didn’t need much editing, just increasing or decreasing the exposure a little bit. In a lot of them, there isn’t much difference between the before and after pictures:

I decided to use photos and letters that my family have kept from the past to better explore this theme of nostalgia – how my life has moved on and changes since then and my feelings around it.

I intend to use these images on their own working into them with thread or other materials and as photomontage material.

For my personal study I intend on exploring the challenges and rewards of being a dedicated athlete during teenage years. As i have grown up around athletics, thinking of the different stages of mine and my friends athletics journey gives me my own sense of nostalgia. To explore this I will be creating a documentary revolving around Jersey Spartan A.C and my friend Jamie Oldham, who in island games, national championships, English schools championships and the youth commonwealth games in 2023 also becoming jerseys fastest 100 and 200 meter runner breaking both island records at the same competition. Over the last few years i have trained and competed with Jamie and witnessed his challenges as well as his successes and i believe his story and insight of physical and mental health in the world of athletics will be interesting to hear for people of all age groups.

My creative inspiration will be “I am bolt” and jeen-yuhs: a Kanye trilogy. I am using these as i believe the production of them is top tier especially when it comes to the narrative and the use of editing to convey the narrative .

my first shoot will be an interview in which I ask Jamie question about his personal life and his athletics his career allowing the viewers to gain a more personal connection with him, my second photoshoot will be shots of him training at the track to show more exciting action shots finally i will be filming his morning routine to get an incite on his daily life.

How does Troy Paiva use the themes of isolation and loneliness in his work?

“I love the surreal feeling of wandering through an abandoned subdivision, alone, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night”

Troy Paiva, lightpaintingphotography.com

In this is quote from Troy Paiva he is talking about when he was making images for his book, Night Vision where he was in the Texas desert exploring ghost towns, abandoned buildings off-limits areas and decommissioned bases. When Paiva makes his photographs, he makes them at night or in the dark. He then creates his images using a technique, known as “painting with light” using different coloured lights and gels that makes Paiva’s photographs look authentic and unique. I choose Paiva as the artist I am studying because his images of ruined and abandoned places is what I want to explore in my personal study.

Night photography is a game of light or, more accurately, the lack of light. Because of this, you’ll need to adjust your camera settings to capture as much light as possible. This means shooting in manual mode and understanding the Exposure Triangle, the relationship between aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. However when the first night photo was taken they didn’t have all these fancy settings they had to use different methods to make a successful photograph. The first night photograph was made in January 1839 by Louis-Jacques-Mande-Daguerre inventor of the daguerreotype photographic method. The picture he took was of the moon through a telescope which ended up blurred however he is know in history as the fist man to a make a picture at night. The daguerreotype method is a direct-positive process, creating a highly detailed image on a sheet of copper plated with a thin coat of silver without the use of a negative. The process required great care. The silver-plated copper plate had first to be cleaned and polished until the surface looked like a mirror. The negative of this method is that each plate was unique and there for you cannot produce a copy of the picture. A positive of this method is that images produced by this method are crystal clear and could process highly detailed objects. The daguerreotype method is a good photographic method for capturing highly detailed objects, however you can only produce one exposure per plate, so therefore, if you want the same picture of the same object you will have to make another exposure of the object, making the photographic process time consuming, polishing a copper sheet to a mirror finish, and expensive too. Troy Paiva’s images could be linked with the ideology, subject-matter and aesthetics of Romanticism in the way that he makes images of man-made ruins at night of abandoned cars and other derelict industrial structures. Some of the poets from Romanticism, such as Sam Taylor-Coleridge and Lord Byron wrote in their poems about ancient ruins in in the natural landscape. “where ruining ivies propped the ruins steep” (A Fragment by Taylor-Coleridge 1816) “Man marks the earth with ruin his control Stops with the shore” (Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage Lord Byron 1812) In Paiva’s images the ancient ruins that Taylor-Coleridge and Byron wrote about becomes contemporary ruins of rusted cars that he lights up with different colours. Paiva explains he uses the colours because he can create a desired tone or mood that can change the appearance and perception of the subject – transforming it from eerie scrap to fine art. “my head exploded with the creative potential of combined light painting with moonlit time exposures ” (Night Vision The Art of Urban Exploration Troy Paiva page 11 published 2008 ) “I experimented with controlling the mood and atmosphere using colour intensity and chiaroscuro always in the pursuit of heightening the otherworldly nature of the setting” (Night Vision The Art of Urban Exploration Troy Paiva page 11 published 2008 ) Troy in these quotes talks about how light painting gave him a lot of creative ideas to explore and experiment with I am sure he experimented with different lights and colours and to truly get the best possible photograph he could get, I have found that He finds beauty in something forgotten, overlooked and abandoned and see it as a challenge to try and make it look like “fine art”. In short, Paiva could be described as a modern Romantic.

Troy Paiva started light painting photography in 1989 he likes to consider himself as a urban explorer. His light painting photography is a by-product of his passion for investigating the ruins of lost America and his photographs have been displayed in countless countries, in galleries, museums and magazines. When Paiva makes his image he likes to “paint with light” he goes around in dark clothes with a coloured light shinning it on objects. Paiva adjusts the exposure on the camera so he has enough time to walk around the area shinning the light on the objects he wants to shine ‘paint in’ with colour. In Paiva’s book Night Vision: The Art of Urban Exploration, the subject of the book is abandoned cars and derelict industrial buildings. Paiva went to California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah and finally Texas to make all the photos for his photobook. The book is recording industrial decline in the American West and the way the images are made is in a documentary style, however Paiva “paints with light” in creates unique images of these overlooked sites. Paiva is not the only light painting photographer and he is not the most famous one, however his work is unique and he definitely has his own style of painting with light. In the book he says ‘We have inherited a semi-toxic world of old military equipment and abandoned shopping malls’ (Manaugh 2008: 7) Manaugh in this quote is talking about the abandoned parts of America that have been forgotten and left to rot. What Manaugh is saying that Paiva gets enjoyment out of exploring and discovering urban places that have been abandoned for many years. How does Troy Paiva use the themes of isolation and loneliness in his work, when he takes his photographs? There’s no one in sight, vast landscapes in the middle of nowhere, abandoned or run-down buildings all these relate to loneliness because there’s no one in his images. The abandoned cars and old factory buildings are isolated from society. He like the silence and exploring these places because he likes the sense of being an adventurer. In my own images that I have made in response to Paiva, I have not used the painted with light technique, but have made images at night trying to capture abandoned buildings and explore a feeling of isolation and loneliness.

Matt Emmett is a photographer whos goal it is to rediscover the forgotten worlds all around us. He won the first historic photographer of the year award in 2017. Emmett’s photographs are not made in the night, however they do create the feelings of loneliness and isolation. he also makes images of abandoned buildings and places that are isolated from modern society. Emmett’s images explore a sense of isolation and loneliness by using different photographic techniques, such as the tunnel method by composing images with walls on both side of the image which could be considered to be a claustrophobic effect like a narrow hallway. Matt Emmett started his abandoned photography carreer in 2012 at the National Gas Turbine Establishment, a testing facility for military jets until it was closed in 2001 and demolished in 2013. However, this trip inspired the start of his very successful carrier causing him to travel across the world. One of his favourite photos is the cistern, a subterranean space used for the storage of drinking water below a busy part of London. Since the area was pitch black he had to adjust his camera on a long exposure and then walked around the area lighting it up with a torch. This approach to image-making sound similar to what Paiva does, however Emmett did not use different coloured lights. Emmett has said in a interview “that our historic built environment should be valued more, it is sometimes demolished or rebuilt with nothing saved or preserved from its before state” (reference it using Harvard system) This sounds a little bit like Romanticism, talking about historical and environment should be valued and not forgotten.

illustration: Emmett’s cistern in London described above,

In conclusion theses two artists both make photographs of abandoned buildings and try shine light on forgotten and overlooked ruins in the urban landscape. They have successfully made art out of things and places that most people consider useless or not important. Both have there own unique style and aesthetics and although their images appear similar, there are many differences too. I would say Troy is more of a photographer working within the aesthetics of Romanticism art movement, by using different coloured lights at night. Emmett does have the same sort of Romanticism style, however his approach is more surreal. His images are really good in creating a mysterious feeling within them. Troy Paiva explores the themes of isolation and loneliness by making photos without people in them and he takes the photo in the “middle of nowhere” which are connected to the two themes of isolation and loneliness. Matt Emmett does exactly the same thing by having no one in his photographs and doing it in the middle of nowhere, however Emmett does not use the technique of ‘painting with light’. Paiva’s images get the feeling of isolation and loneliness better than Emmett does and even though both artist are similar they do have there own style and different ways of doing things. With my photo I did well trying to get the same feel as both artist whilst trying to do something original however I think some of my photographers are quite generic but overall they still are good photographs.

Bibliography:

Manaugh, G. (2008).’Desert Iliad’ in Night Vision: The Art of Urban Exploration. San Francisco: Chronicle Books LLC.

List interview with Paiva

Anything you have used to read about Romanticism

I wanted more photos of my family here in Jersey as my original aim was to capture portraits of family members. My family in Jersey is very limited, so I took pictures of my Aunt and Uncle. My Aunt is from my dad’s side of the family, showing some more of my Portuguese heritage.

SELECTION PROCESS

RATING CODE:

RED – Bad quality images

YELLOW – Average images

GREEN – Good images

BLUE – Best outcomes which I can use for the photobook

EDITING PROCESS

After the process of selecting the images, I edited my best outcomes. I made these black and white to fit with the rest of my book, creating standardisation across the series of images.

PHOTOSHOOT OUTCOMES

This was a successful photoshoot which produced outcomes for which I can use in my photobook to bulk up the Jersey-side of the book.

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In what ways do alterations in Jessa Fairbrother’s work make the visible what is invisible?

‘This is my story of severance’- an opening quote by Jessa Fairbrother for her book “Conversations with My Mother.”

The essence of photography lies in its ability to capture precise details and faithfully represent the reality perceived by humans, setting it apart from traditional methods such as drawing and painting. Yet, it is crucial to acknowledge the profound impact of art within the realm of photography. Throughout history, various forms of art, including poetry, acting, music, and photography, have consistently moved people. This exploration seeks to delve into the reasons behind the compelling nature of art, its capacity to inspire extraordinary outcomes, and the inherent meaning and thought embedded in creative expressions.

While photographs are often considered as objective records of reality, this investigation recognizes the transformative power of art. It sheds light on seemingly ordinary works that possess a subtle element capable of elevating them to a level of profound significance. The focus here is on understanding how alterations to images can significantly influence the overall message conveyed by a photograph.

The exploration further aims to evaluate the success of Jessa Fairbrother’s photographic outcomes, particularly in her project “Conversations with My Mother.” By employing unconventional methods such as thread, ink, burning, and other “destructive” techniques, Fairbrother manages to enhance the depth and meaning of her photographs. This study delves into the experimental nature of her work, questioning why and how these unconventional methods contribute to the success of her artistic expressions. “Conversations with My Mother” becomes a focal point, aligning with the genre of the researcher’s personal study. The project encompasses qualities that resonate with the exploration, such as the profound exploration of her mother’s life intertwined with her own, the visual representation of the connection between them, and the physical engagement with the art through alterations, mirroring the essence of the broader investigation.

Pictorialism, Surrealism and Symbolism

Early examples of pictorialism:

Pictorialism emerged as a significant photography movement in the late 19th century, peaking in the early 20th century. The technical process of photography, involving film development and darkroom printing, originated in the early 19th century, gaining popularity for traditional photographic prints around 1838-1840. As photography evolved, debates arose among photographers, painters, and others about the scientific and artistic aspects of the medium. English painter William John Newton suggested in 1853 that artistic results could be achieved by keeping images slightly out of focus, while others saw photography as a visual record of a chemistry experiment. Photography historian Naomi Rosenblum noted the dual character of the medium, capable of producing both art and documentation.

Amidst these debates, the late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the rise of Pictorialism, a movement characterized by its aim to elevate photography to fine art. Pictorialists manipulated photographs through techniques like soft focus, light and shadow manipulation, and alternative printing processes to create images resembling paintings or etchings. This movement blurred the boundaries between photography and traditional art forms, fostering a more inclusive approach to visual art. While Pictorialism waned in popularity, its emphasis on subjective interpretation and creative expression paved the way for subsequent photographic movements, including Modernism. Pictorialist photographs often lacked sharp focus, featuring visible brush strokes or surface manipulations to project emotional intent.

 “I could play with light and shadow, creating a new reality with the same elements of the visible world.” said Ray, in this quote he unfolds the process of his techniques as well as encourages us to think more creatively when it comes to ordinary objects, as even the simplest of elements can be turned into something extraordinary through the use of light, in a darkroom.

Surrealism, on the other hand, emerged as an artistic movement characterized by an interest in the irrational, dreamlike, and subconscious. Led by André Breton, Surrealism aimed to reconcile the contradictory conditions of dream and reality into an absolute reality or surrealist. This movement significantly impacted various artistic disciplines, including photography. Key figures in Surrealist photography, such as Man Ray, Claude Cahun, and Salvador Dalí, contributed to the exploration and expression of the mind beyond conscious reality. Man Ray, associated with Surrealism, experimented with solarization and photograms, creating dreamlike and abstract images. Surrealism encompassed literature, visual arts, film, and photography, spreading globally from the 1920s onwards. They embraced techniques such as multiple exposures, photomontage, and distortion to create visually and psychologically charged images. Surrealism’s impact on photography helped widen the possibilities of the medium, encouraging photographers to explore the subjective, and the imaginative. The movement’s legacy is still seen in the ongoing exploration of unconventional and dream-inspired visual narratives in contemporary photography. 

In Surrealist Manifesto, Breton defined surrealism as: “pure psychic automatism, by which one proposes to express, either verbally, in writing, or by any other manner, the real functioning of thought.”

However, the Surrealist movement was not officially proven until after October 1924, when the Surrealist Manifesto released by French poet and critic André Breton, became successful in claiming the term for his group over a rival group led by Yvan Goll, who had published his own surrealist manifesto two weeks prior. The most important centre of the movement was in Paris, France. From the 1920s onward, the movement spread around the globe, affecting the visual arts, literature, film, and music of many countries and languages. 

Symbolism in photography entails utilizing visual elements to convey metaphorical or symbolic meanings that extend beyond the explicit representation. Photographers employ symbols to elicit emotions, communicate ideas, or narrate stories that transcend the superficial aspects of the image. This approach fosters a deeper and more subjective interpretation of the photograph by the viewer. A great example, one of the most iconic symbolic photographs is the Migrant Mother, photographed by Dorthea Lange.
Naomi Rosenblum comments ” The images were transformed into photographic works of art when they were exhibited under auspices of the Museum of Modern Art”.

The origins of photographic symbolism can be traced back to the broader Symbolist movement that emerged in the late 19th century. Symbolism, as an encompassing artistic and literary movement, sought to communicate abstract and emotional ideas through symbolic imagery. Within the realm of photography, Symbolism evolved into a potent tool for photographers to move beyond mere representation and delve into more profound and subjective themes. Early photographers, including Julia Margaret Cameron, incorporated symbolic elements in their work, drawing inspiration from literary and mythological themes. During the same period, photographers active in the Pictorialism movement also embraced Symbolism as a means of elevating photography to the status of an art form. Despite fluctuations in popularity, Symbolism continued to manifest in the works of individual photographers and experienced a resurgence in the latter half of the 20th century and beyond.

One of her particularly intriguing projects is “Conversations with my mother.” In discussing this project, Fairbrother revealed that it not only explores her relationship with her mother but also addresses her inability to conceive, thereby altering the anticipated maternal role she had hoped to shape — rendering her “Neither daughter nor mother.” The project commenced with a joint photographic endeavour with her mother, involving the exchange of a disposable camera through the mail, documenting their lives from their respective viewpoints. However, Jessa’s discovery of her infertility, followed by her mother’s diagnosis of cancer, dramatically shifted the narrative. Becoming her mother’s caregiver, Fairbrother left her existing life to be with her during her final moments. The resulting photographs include portraits of her mother, as well as self-portraits adorned with her mother’s wig after her passing. Some images within the project are deliberately destroyed, symbolizing the internal destruction she experienced.

 This destruction is not only seen through the photographs themselves but through her own words: “I cried in sorrow at the abrupt suspension of future narratives: for the mother I would not hold again and for the child who would never hold me.”. This loss effected her and this book is a representation of that.

Shifting back to ideas of Pictorialism, and Symbolism as well as Surrealism, these are the main genres her body of work revolves around, each photograph has aspects related to the subject, like the subject of infertility or subject of her losing her mother. These sometimes little sometimes big elements of Symbolism give the photograph more depth and emotional connection between the viewer and the photograph. Regarding the technical aspects behind her photographs, they are quite pictorial, they are positions, or stages in a way to create a visually pleasing photograph, which is then tampered with. The experimentation and physical alterations to the images especially labels her work as all the above, it is visually pleasing, it is taken for artistic purposes, it has symbolism through the alterations, and it is surreal through the literal yet sometimes harder to find metaphors. “I burned, buried and embellished photographs of us. I performed my grief and began to stitch.”, the metaphors behind the alterations are explained though that quote, that each photograph carries grief that is imbedded through the processes.

Fairbrother employed various techniques in this project, with each contributing to the visual and emotional impact of the images. For instance, using tissue and carefully burning each layer adds an intriguing dimension to the photographs, enhancing their visual appeal and conveying deeper meaning. Another captivating series involves stitched portraits of her mother and herself, each featuring a similar swirly pattern but with distinct colour variations. The stitching raises questions about the symbolic significance of colour, pattern placement, and the overall representation of the images. The layout of the project within the book is diverse, but it takes a distinctive turn with the montaged page. This spread across two pages features a collage of 14 images, predominantly focusing on nature — her mother’s garden. However, interspersed are images that appear older, potentially from her or her mother’s childhood, culminating in the central image of a pregnancy test. The combination of these pictures weaves a narrative, with each element holding importance. The pregnancy test, for instance, may symbolize her infertility, while the other images capture moments from both her life and her mother’s. Jessa Fairbrother’s project “Conversations with my mother” stands as a poignant exploration of personal struggles, mother-daughter relationships, and the intricate layers of human experience, showcased through the lens of photography and artistic expression.

When I discuss her work, I can’t help but envision a photograph that my mind comes back to, these ones being the two portraits, one being of her mother and the other of Jessica herself. When displayed next to each other they hold more meaning than separate, this is due to the link between them as well as the photographs. What differentiates them from any other portraits, is Jessica’s signature style of embroidering into them. She contrasts the portrait with stitched abstract shapes, changing the colours of the thread according to each portrait. These raise questions for the viewer, but especially, why? Why this patter, thread, colour? To me I like to think that the colour choice is not so random but symbolises something greater. I think it shows how she felt about her mother a lot, by stitching more colours together but for her only sticking to grey. To me it represents her as a person, showing her mother in a spotlight, showing she meant to her more than herself, or displaying her mother through connotations of how her soul felt, vibrant, kind, lively. This stitching itself uncovers the meaning embraided with it, although we can’t see her mother like she does, we can see her through her eyes, and that’s why it holds such poignant significance.  It is the symbolism behind the images is what I want to imbed into my own work I want to be able to display the emotions behind each photograph through manual and digital alterations. 

Overall, any photograph is produced due to an emotional experience, change or affect a subject has on the photographer. Photographs are a work of art, which needs to be celebrated, however the most successful ones are the ones that question us, and to me that is one of the most important qualities, because to question is to be intrigued, to be curious and confused. But, also to want to know the truth hidden behind a photograph, in another words “To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed.” – said Susan Sontag in the book On Photography. It means to have a relation with the subject, for the subject to have an impact on a photographer. Photographs revoke feelings in us, so any successful photograph should do so. Without feelings created the photograph will not hold less significance to the viewer. Now it is important how the photographer displays these feelings through their work, in Jessica’s Fairbrother’s case, it’s through her manipulations and alterations, specific stitching, burning, collaging and physical changes she can do on a printed photograph she displays emotions. In another words she makes the visible what is invisible.  

Bibliography

Introduction to Early Photography

How to Understand and Use Symbolism in Photography

https://www.britannica.com/technology/Pictorialism

https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/surrealism-photography

Home

Home

Conversations with my mother

https://jessafairbrother.com/projects/conversations-with-my-mother/embed/#?secret=h7iFQwzFC9#?secret=SXKRnYziFt

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/jessa-fairbrother-conversations-with-my-mother

https://www.tate.org.uk/research/tate-papers/33/severance-jessa-fairbrother-conversations-my-mother

Essay question: To what extent are photographs an accurate portrayal of memories and the past?

“These photographs taken forty years ago and which I do not remember the time of the shooting…awakened in me a fear of something familiar and totally unknown…”

-Carolle Bénitah from Photos Souvenirs (2017)

Since being invented in the mid-19th century, photography has served the world as the main way of collecting visual memories. Whether to capture personal or worldwide events, its development has been an important process for everyone. In this essay, I would like to explore how much accuracy photographs hold, when compared to the past. The quote above, taken from Carolle Bénitah’s project Photos Souvenirs, is a perfect portrayal of how photos act as memories. The contrast between the two phrases ‘something familiar and totally unknown‘, shows how Bénitah felt a sense of nostalgia when looking at the archives, however the feeling was mixed with something else entirely: a feeling of foreignness. Bénitah had a difficult childhood: growing up in a traditional, Moroccan household caused there to be a strict expectation of her: to grow up and become a traditionally flawless woman. I believe this quote perfectly summarises Bénitah’s project, since she manipulates these seemingly precise family snapshots to truly match the reality of her harsh past. The utilisation of multi- media methods (specifically embroidery using a red thread as seen in Photos Souvenirs) allowed Bénitah to present her actual memories in the staged photographs of her childhood over 40 years later, altering the innocent look that the snapshots have. Her work links in well with the question I want to investigate, since it is made up of her looking at these supposedly familiar pictures and then later correcting the mistakes by hand.

As most photographers know, photography is not a neutral observer but a reflection of the photographer’s perspective, suggesting photographs aren’t the past but perhaps more accurately a past, or how one person perceived the moment. The amateur visual of Bénitah’s family archives suggest the photographs were simply taken with the intention of creating a memory, perhaps captured by a parent or other close family member. This implies that the photographs are from the point of view from a single individual, reflecting their emotions in that moment and not of the people in the image. Carolle Bénitah is my chosen artist since she summarises the experience of looking at archives perfectly through her work. I believe that every individual has this experience when viewing archives from their own life, the feeling of familiarity being just as present as the feeling of strangeness.

In this photograph, Bénitah is about six years old and holding hands with her smiling brother, but an army of cockroaches surrounds the children, and their hands are bound together in a ball of red wool. Bénitah doesn’t express her true thoughts that went behind the manipulation of each photograph, leaving a lot of them up to the interpretation of the viewer. However, it is clear that Bénitah embroidered the images to show the truth behind them, indicating how their smiles were simply a pose for the picture. The red wool could be a representation of love, the love she had for her brother which is what made them so close. Or it could be a portrayal of violence or even blood, perhaps suggesting that they were simply close due to being family (the idea of being connected by blood) or even perhaps to support each other during hard times. Moreover, a line in The Photography Reader states “meanings and memories may change with time” (Kuhn 2003:397), which creates the idea that time is a significant factor when considering my question: perhaps the photograph was an accurate portrayal of a memory at some point in time, however time changed it in a manner that causes it to now appear untruthful. Sometimes, a child’s happy memory can be completely altered as the child grows up and matures, the person realising that the situation wasn’t as positive as their young- self thought. Returning to Bénitah’s piece, however, I believe she is trying to show her anger at the lies told by the seemingly innocent, happy photograph- suggesting that in reality her childhood can’t be truthfully shown through these family snapshots. It is very interesting how Bénitah softens these harsh emotions by creating beautiful embroidery with her needle, the thread changing their meaning entirely.

My grandparents were a happy couple, the archives I discovered show this truthfully. In my work, I used the thread to act as a foreshadowing of the pain caused by my grandmother’s death. Perhaps these photographs are an accurate portrayal of my grandparent’s past. However, I think it is important to consider how nowadays these photos cause sadness, justifying the idea of how memories can change with time, possibly making them seem untruthful. Like I mentioned in my introduction, photographs sometimes show a past, not specifically the past. The photographs above capture a past, before time moved on and my grandmother passed, now holding an entirely different meaning.

The daguerreotype was created by Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (1787-1851), and was the first process that enabled family snapshots to be taken. The daguerreotype is a direct-positive process, creating a highly detailed image on a sheet of copper plated with a thin coat of silver without the use of a negative. This very specific process caused it to be expensive business, meaning that only the upper class had their images taken. The photographs were posed and it took several minutes to capture one. Returning to my question, this shows how even the very first photographs aren’t an accurate representation of the past. Nowadays, editing is the main thing that people believe effects the credibility of a photograph, but even such early developments of the camera, before the manipulation of images was even thought of, prove to not be reality. Not only was a photograph such as the daguerreotype staged, capturing a person in a very unnatural position, with exquisite clothes and powder covering every imperfection, showing absolutely no indication of the individual’s character; they were also something that was only available for the rich. This once again promotes the idea of a past vs. the past, since the lower class weren’t photographed in the slightest until much later. Such photographs merely provided evidence for the existence of a person, without providing a recording of a memory. Susan Sontag writes in ‘On Photography‘: “to collect photographs is to collect the world” (Sontag 1977:3), each photograph you view contributes to your mental image of our world and its history, but even if we viewed every picture ever taken, we wouldn’t have an accurate view of the world, due to many different factors.

Among the colourful characters immortalized in the colourless daguerreotype medium are (clockwise from upper left): writer Henry Thoreau, Seneca leader Blacksnake, Navy Commodore Matthew Perry, mental health crusader Dorothea Dix, showmen P.T. Barnum and Tom Thumb, and actress Charlotte Cushman. 

Next came the ‘box brownie’, George Eastman’s revolutionary handheld invention. He claimed any one could afford it and simple to use, to the point were even children could master it. Sure enough, this development marked the start of amateur photography, an era where home portraits captured everyday family life. This added a sense of authenticity to the photographs and caused them to be a much more accurate portrayal of memories. I believe this was a time when photographs were most realistic, as not much thought went into the photographs, causing them to be natural and not staged.

“To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed”

– S. Sontag- On Photography: In Plato’s Cave (1977)

This is a key quote from Sontag’s book since it puts into perspective the way taking a photograph works. Without realising, every person ever to take a photo captured it in a way they see it, perhaps not showing it how it truly appears in reality. People have the habit of beautifying anything they capture with a lens, as society looks only for the beauty in the world. This quote highlights the idea that when taking a photograph, the person holding the camera takes the thing for themselves, arranging it to their liking. When considering this in relation to the question, it is important to note that a photograph is simply an interpretation of the world, and therefore it can’t be a completely accurate portrayal of the world in the past. “The photograph is a prop… it sets the scene for recollection” (Kuhn 2003:397) suggests photographs are a re-enactment of a time in history, and therefore have been altered in many ways. Once again considering Bénitah’s quote “These photographs taken forty years ago and which I do not remember the time of the shooting…awakened in me a fear of something familiar and totally unknown…”, we can see how the photographs have become old- fashioned and therefore not accurate when setting the scene, just as a prop might no longer be useful in a remade film. With time, photographs become more and more useful for some and less and less useful for others, which makes me truly contemplate just how accurate of a portrayal they are.

“Just like memories, photographs are created with intent“

-J. Colberg- Photography and Memory (May 28, 2012)

Another quote that gives us insight on the matter is one by Colberg. In his essay he examines the relationship between memories and photographs. It has already been justified why photographs aren’t a completely accurate portrayal of memories. However, this quote makes you consider the idea that the memories themselves are an interpretation of reality. After all, it is common for people to remember events different, for some to view them as positive and others as negative. So perhaps, photographs are a correct portrayal of memories, when considering that the memory for the photographer links up with the image.

In conclusion, a photograph can’t be used as an accurate portrayal of the reality of the past. However, perhaps even our own memories aren’t an accurate representation of the past, since both are created with some sort of intent. Photographs are part of a puzzle, and only once each piece is connected will they be an accurate portrayal of memories, which is simply not possible as not every moment from every perspective is photographed. Intent and interpretation cannot be avoided, therefore a true picture of the past cannot be created. Furthermore, the meanings behind photographs alter with time, the seemingly timeless moment captured continuing to change. Nowadays, there are even more ways of manipulating photos, and I don’t believe we will ever know how to identify a truthful image. Bénitah’s project is a way of her correcting her past, and making the archives show how she truly felt. She claims the family snapshots to be lies that avoided showing the reality of her childhood. She shows us how the individual behind the lens is the one in charge of the outcome, of how the given moment will be viewed in the years after. Photographs are absolutely a portrayal of the past, but they are only an accurate portrayal of a past, of a memory, of a moment from one person’s point of view. Photography is the most accurate way of recording history, but it can’t be assumed to be completely truthful.

Plan:

Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why (Carolle Benitah)? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?

Paragraph 2 (250 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses. Carolle Benitah (photo analysis, mention how CB doesn’t describe her images a lot)- compare with my own image (archive that I sewed).

Paragraph 3 (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. (its invention, family snapshots- rich and poor)- Photography- a critical introduction

Pg 4 (500 words): Analyse quote: (Link to Benitah) (refer to opening quote)

Pg 5 (500 words): Analyse quote: (Link to Benitah)

Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced– answer question (talk about both sides)

Contextual Studies:

Benitah. C (2016), Photos Souvenirs. Bonn: Kehrer Heidelberg Berlin

http://jmcolberg.com/weblog/extended/archives/photography_and_memory/

http://jmcolberg.com/weblog/extended/archives/photography_and_memory_part_2/

https://www.lensculture.com/articles/carolle-benitah-photos-souvenirs

https://www.carolle-benitah.com/copie-de-07-installations-photo-sou

https://lecube-art.com/artiste/carolle-benitah/?lang=en

https://hautlieucreative.co.uk/photo21al/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2021/01/Roland-Barthes_Camera-Lucida_extracts.pdf

https://hautlieucreative.co.uk/photo21al/wp-content/uploads/sites/41/2023/02/Stephen-Bull_Phototherapy_family-albums.pdf

Williams, V. (2013). ‘Who’s Looking at the Family, Now’ in Family Politics, Issue 20. Brighton: Photoworks.

Further Help:

Academic Sources

• 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 .
• Begin to read essay, texts and interviews with your chosen artists as well as commentary from critics, historians and others.
• 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
• Write down page number, author, year, title, publisher, place of publication so you can list source in a bibliography

Bibliography

List all the sources that you have identified above as literary sources. Where there are two or more works by one author in the same year distinguish them as 1988a, 1988b etc. Arrange literature in alphabetical order by author, or where no author is named, by the name of the museum or other organisation which produced the text. Apart from listing literature you must also list all other sources in alphabetical order e.g. websites/online sources, Youtube/ DVD/TV.

Quotation and Referencing:

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

What should you reference?

• Anything that is based on a piece of information or idea that is not entirely your own.
• That includes, direct quotes, paraphrasing or summarising of an idea, theory or concept, definitions, images, tables, graphs, maps or anything else obtained from a source

How should you reference?

Use Harvard System of Referencing…see Powerpoint: harvard system of referencing for further details on how to use it.

(around 23 minutes of recording all together, only transcribed the main/ most relevant sections)

Transcription

Me: Dziadek, jeździliście dużo razem, czy tak bardziej w domu, jak spędzaliście czas? Lubiłeś wyjść, wiesz, na spacery? 

Grandad: No wiesz, jak Gosia była młoda, ja pracowałem dużo na tej stacji benzynowej to czasu nie było. Ale, kiedy mogliśmy to wychodziliśmy, do lasu i tak dalej. Kiedy bylem młodszy to parę razy pojechałem nad morze z kuplami- dlatego tyle mam zdjęć. A później jak bylem już z Krystyną  to też jeździłem, to było takie wszystkich marzenie, żeby pojechać nad morze. Dużo razem jeździliśmy. Po rodzinie też dużo jeździliśmy, do Gosi kuzynów. 

Me: A to, w którym roku się poznałeś z Babcią, dziadek? Bo tu był 1970 i mama się urodziła w 76, czyli co, szybko dosyć co nie? 

Grandad: Ja jak z wojska wyszedłem, to był 70 rok. To gdzieś w 72 się poznałem z Krystyną.  

Me: To, kiedy był ślub? 

Grandad: 31 sierpnia, w 72 

Me: Aha, to szybko, bardzo szybko 

Grandad: Ja wróciłem z tego wojska, te kumple, ten się ożenił, ten się ożenił. No wiesz, to pomyślałem to ja też się ożenię. To taka była decyzja. I trochę na złość temu tacie, że on tego nie akceptował. No i zdecydowaliśmy, że chcieliśmy mieć dziecko. Bo ja bardzo lubiłem dzieci. O i tez, jeździliśmy też dużo do rodziny Krystyny, w różnych miejscach w Polsce. Twoja mama zawsze wspominała, jak bawili się w takiej piaskownicy, zrobionej z takiej plastikowej wanny. No i tez w góry lubiliśmy pojechać, żeby coś pokazać albo coś zobaczyć. Ale to już jak był samochód.

Jak się rozmawia to przywraca pamięć. 

Me: A później jak mieszkaliście razem, to jakie obowiązki były w domu.  

Grandad: U nas to ja dużo gotowałem. Bo lubiłem gotować, no i umiałem. I tak z domu się nauczyłem. Ale takie sprzątanie to Krystyna była taką pedantką. Nawet czasami to mnie wykurzało. Te podłogi, mówiłem zostaw to jest fajna pogoda, ale podłogi musiały być szorowane. Zawsze u nas było czyściutko, i dla niej było najważniejsze- za nim gdzieś się poszło musiało być to wszystko wysprzątane, wyprane, wyprasowane. Ale tutaj nigdy tak nie było że ona była zostawiona z tym wszystkim, oczywiście jakieś naprawianie, to nie było do pomyślenia, żeby ona to robiła. Lubiliśmy sobie pomagać, jak chciało się gołąbków to zawsze mówiła ze ja robię najlepsze gołąbki. Ona za to, lubiła piec ciasta, zawsze pachniało w tym domu. Jeszcze do dzisiaj te kartki z przepisami są w tym zeszycie, autentyczne jej pismo. Trzymam to, niby to nie potrzebne, ale nie wyrzucam. Taka pamiątka. 

Me: To jak wspominasz, życie razem? 

Grandad: To było wszystko bardzo fajnie, no, ona tam pracowała w kuźni, a potem otworzyła z koleżanką sklep. Taki butik, takie różne rzeczy tam były. Jak miałem wolne to jeździłem jej do Poznania po towar. Coś atrakcyjnego trzeba było przywieść. Wszystko szybko było sprzedawane. Ale później wróciła do kuźni, no i wtedy zaczęła już coś z tym zdrowiem podupadać. Nawet na tych zdjęciach już jest taka zmieniona. Niby nic nie wiedział co jej jest. Była trochę w pracy, ale zachorowała.

Gosia miała ferie zimowe. Była 12 w nocy i Gosia już pożegnała się z mamą i spała. Krystyna myła się a ja oglądałem telewizje. Taki kryminalny program. Ona wróciła i się położyła, i powiedziała włącz to jeszcze. Leżymy i w pewnym momencie taki dziwny dźwięk zrobiła. Taki nie naturalny. Zapaliłem lampkę i popatrzyłem się na nią a ona miała oczy takie wywrócone. Ja od razu dałem jej poduszkę pod plecy i próbowałem jej pomóc oddychać, ale ona zaczęła już sinieć. Nie wiem, czy mnie słyszała czy nie. Pobiegłem zamknąć Gosi drzwi, żeby spała i złapałem telefon i poprosiłem o pogotowie. Pobiegłem i walę w drzwi sąsiadki i ona pyta co się dzieje. Za chwilę przyjechało pogotowie. Jeden mówi że nie czuje pulsu no i ją zabrali. Pobiegłem po sąsiadkę i powiedziałem że Krystynę zabrali i żeby została z Gosią. Zabrałem samochód do szpitala i zadzwoniłem do kolegi, doktora, i on mówi że zaraz jedzie tam też. Jeszcze 40 minut próbowali ją uratować, i ten mój kolega mówi że nic nie mogą zrobić. Poszedłem się z nią pożegnać jak tam leżała na tej sali, rozmawiałem z nią. Czułem się jakby ona jeszcze słyszała. Pojechałem po moją mamę i pojechaliśmy do Gosi. Gosia spała do rana. Nie wiedziałem jak jej powiedzieć. Posłem do niej, pamiętam jak to było dzisiaj. Powiedziałem że muszę jej coś powiedzieć i że mama miała taki atak. Pamiętam, jak Gosia uklęknęła na tym łóżku i tak mnie ściskała i mówiła ‘no i co, no i co’. Przytuliłem ją i powiedziałem ‘Gosiu no po prostu nie masz już mamy’. Jak ona zaczęła krzyczeć. 

Było tak, Julciu… że twoja mama nie mogła sobie poradzić z tym. Przez lata nie mogła powiedzieć słowo ‘mama’. Niechciała nic wiedzieć jak to się stało. 

Translation

Me: Grandpa, did you travel a lot together, or did you spend more time at home? Did you like going out, you know, for walks?

Grandad: Well, you know, when Gosia was young, I worked a lot at the gas station, so there wasn’t much time. But when we could, we went out, to the forest and so on. When I was younger, I went to the sea a few times with friends – that’s why I have so many photos there. And later, when I was with Krystyna, we also travelled a lot; it was everyone’s dream to go to the sea. We travelled a lot together. We also visited Krystyna’s family a lot, her cousins.

Me: So, in which year did you meet Grandma, Grandpa? Because here it’s 1970, and mom was born in ’76, so it was quite quick, right?

Grandad: When I finished my military service, it was ’70. So, around ’71, I met Krystyna.

Me: When was the wedding?

Grandad: August 31, ’72.

Me: Oh, that was quick, very quick.

Grandad: I came back from the military, my buddies were getting married. You know, this one got married, this one got married. So, I thought, why not me? It was also a bit to annoy my father, who didn’t approve of our relationship. Anyway, we decided we wanted to have a child, I really liked kids. We also travelled a lot to Krystyna’s family in different parts of Poland. Your mom always remembers playing in a sandbox made from a plastic tub. And we also liked going to the mountains, showing or seeing something. But that was when we had a car. Talking about it brings back memories.

Me: And then, when you lived together, what were the household responsibilities?

Grandad: I did a lot of cooking at our place because I enjoyed it, and I knew how. I learned it at home. But as for cleaning, Krystyna was meticulous. Sometimes it irritated me. I’d say, leave it; the weather is nice, but the floors had to be scrubbed. It was always spotless at our place, and for her, before going anywhere, everything had to be cleaned, washed, and ironed. But it was never like she was left alone with all of it; of course, doing repairs were out of the question for her. We liked helping each other. If we wanted cabbage rolls, she always said I made the best so it was up to me to make them. She, on the other hand, liked baking cakes, and the house always smelled of it. Even today, those notes with recipes are in this one notebook, in her authentic handwriting. I keep it, it’s not really necessary, but I won’t throw it away. It’s a keepsake.

Me: How do you remember life together?

Grandad: It was all very nice. She worked in a forge, and then she opened a shop with a friend. A boutique with various things. When I had free time, I would drive to Poznań to get merchandise. Something attractive had to be received from bigger cities; everything sold quickly. But later, she returned to the forge, and that’s when her health began to decline. Even in these photos, she looks different. No one knew what was wrong. Gosia was on her winter break. It was midnight, and Gosia had already said goodbye to her Krystyna and was sleeping. Krystyna was showering, and I was watching TV, a crime show. She came back, lay down, and said, turn it on again. We lay there, and at some point, she made a strange sound, it was unnatural. I turned on a lamp and looked at her; her eyes were rolled back. I immediately put a pillow under her back and tried to help her breathe, but she started turning blue. I don’t know if she heard me or not. I ran to close Gosia’s door so she could sleep and grabbed the phone, asking for an ambulance. I ran and knocked on the neighbour’s door, telling her what was happening. The ambulance arrived shortly. One said she had no pulse, and they took her. I ran to the neighbour and told her they took Krystyna and to stay with Gosia. I took the car to the hospital and called a friend, a doctor, who said he would soon come. They tried to save her for 40 minutes, and my friend said they couldn’t do anything. I went to say goodbye to her as she lay on that bed, I talked to her. I felt as if she could still hear me. I went to my mom and drove to Gosia. Gosia slept until morning. I didn’t know how to tell her. I went to her; I remember it as if it were today. I told her I had to tell her something and that mom had an attack. I remember how Gosia knelt on that bed, squeezing me and saying, ‘and what, and what.’ I hugged her and said, ‘Gosia, you don’t have a mum anymore.’ She just started screaming.

It was like that, Julcia… your mum couldn’t cope with it. For years, she couldn’t say the word ‘mum.’ She didn’t even want to know how it happened.

Key Quotes

I picked out some key quotes as I would like to include them in my photobook. I think it will provide more insight for the viewer, being a more obvious indication of the story I want to tell. I think it’ll also be a powerful way of showing the past, creating a contrast between the photos, since they don’t show the complete true, and the quotes, key sentences presenting the reality of my grandad’s life.

“to było takie wszystkich marzenie, żeby pojechać nad morze”– “it was everyone’s dream to go to the sea”

“dużo razem jeździliśmy”– “we travelled a lot together”

“no i tez w góry lubiliśmy pojechać, żeby coś pokazać albo coś zobaczyć”– “and we also liked going to the mountains, showing or seeing something”

“jeszcze do dzisiaj te kartki z przepisami są w tym zeszycie, autentyczne jej pismo. Trzymam to, niby to nie potrzebne, ale nie wyrzucam. Taka pamiątka.”- “even today, those notes with recipes are in this one notebook, in her authentic handwriting. I keep it, it’s not really necessary, but I won’t throw it away. It’s a keepsake.”

“nawet na tych zdjęciach już jest taka zmieniona”- “even in these photos, she looks different”

“nie wiem, czy mnie słyszała czy nie”– “I don’t know if she heard me or not”

“rozmawiałem z nią. Czułem się jakby ona jeszcze słyszała”– “I talked to her. I felt as if she could still hear me”