Tue: Essay Plan Make a plan that lists what you are going to write about in each paragraph – essay structure
Essay question: How does Troy Paiva use the themes of isolation and loneliness in his work.
Opening quote “I love the surreal feeling of wandering through an abandoned subdivision, alone, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night”
Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?
Pg 1 (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. (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.)
Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
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 points 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
Essay Plan Make a plan that lists what you are going to write about in each paragraph – essay structure
Essay question: How does photography act as an important form of communication of both true and untrue subjects?
Opening quote‘A photograph passes for incontrovertible proof that a given thing happened. The picture may distort; but there is always a presumption that something exists, or did exist, which is like what’s in the picture.’ (On Photography by Susan Sontag, p3)
Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area of study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?
I will be discussing the importance of photography both in cultivating the mindset of the viewer toward the subject and in communicating a message visually. I will be analysing the work of W Eugene Smith, Robert Capa, Dorothea Lange. This is because their work all serves a function to tell a story – whether this is a true or untrue story.
Pg 1 (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.
The first images were portraits; staged and set up by the photographer in a studio. photography equipment was big and clunky and inconvenient; was easier to stage images than capture in-the-moment shots. Ever since photography began, photographers have lied; use of sky overlays on old landscapes/ Trotsky’s erasure from images where he stood close to Lenin etc. to communicate a person’s story through images is to make it accessible for someone who lives an entirely different life on the other side of the planet; very important in times where travel was expensive and uncommon (W. Eugene Smith) . They also help us understand history and what life used to be like; by making different choices, photographers can ultimately alter history itself.
Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
W. Eugene Smith uses his work to document the lives of people he personally finds interesting. He uses the structure of shots (e.g. establishing shot, person at work etc.) that works to entirely showcase every aspect of the person’s work and home life, thus communicating what he personally finds interesting. this is important in a world with little technology/travel etc.
Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Robert Capa’s image is highly debated as to whether it was staged or not. some may argue this is an unprofessional trait in a war photographer, but it demonstrates his integrity and ability to stay true to his own vision. arguably only seen in this example however
Dorothea Lange’s Mother and baby of family on the road is important because instead of the later, more staged version taken after, the first, more despairing image is used by Lange. this then becomes the Farm Security Administration’s representation of the Great Depression; the importance of this image echoes down the ages and shows how our view of documented history is almost entirely dependent upon the images we have to show for it.
Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
I want to explore my experience being “homeless” at 17, as this was a period where I experienced a drastic change to my entire way of life, and when I feel I developed a lot as a person and learned to cope with these changes as a result. This period matters a lot to me and I feel that expressing this in my own work could help me process the rest of the situation that I haven’t yet dealt with. I wish to develop this project through photographs I took both while homeless and through staged recreations in a photobook.
My own experience of being homeless felt more freeing than anything, as I wasn’t tied down by people or other commitments, which I honestly look back on with nostalgia, although the conditions, and some incidents, were awful. After speaking with people who’ve had a similar situation, it seems to be a usual feeling that people experience in the first few weeks, before the reality settles in. I don’t particularly have a focus on certain moments or places in mind, but I want to create a rough narrative following what I did and where I went to find someplace to stay. Whilst I want to discuss the freedom I felt with the whole situation, I also want to go into the risks and complications of living on the streets in somewhere like the UK. I spent a short while of my time homeless living in the back of a friend’s run-down old land rover in one of the most dangerous council estates in the area, where I’d sometimes wake up to sirens, glass breaking, fights, and on one occasion I woke up to a man staring at me through the windows. These sorts of things often made it harder to sleep at night, as the land rover was my only relatively safe place to stay, and it wasn’t fixed enough to move.
Two photographers I could look at for this projects are Theo Gosselin and Jim Goldberg. Gosselin explores the sense of freedom and adventure that a lot of young people need to experience, through his own travelling in a campervan – his use of a more vintage look in his image is what’s so attractive about his work to me. Goldberg, looking at his photobook ‘Raised by Wolves,’ focuses on American children raised in extremely poor conditions, and what they suffer through just to survive. This raw, unforgiving portrayal of a situation that was far worse than anything I’d experienced is what draws me to his work, which could be something I aspire to recreate in my personal study. I could also blend the two styles together, creating nostalgic, idealised images that almost euphemise the horrors of having no shelter, whilst also highlighting the freedom that comes with no commitments.
I could also research homelessness statistics around the world and the UK, or maybe just for each city or town that I was in.
Potential Essay Questions:
How do photographers such as Jim Goldberg, Mike Brodie, and Theo Gosselin represent young people in their work?
How do photographers such as Jim Goldberg, Mike Brodie, and Theo Gosselin represent different communities in their work?
Can photography be used to truly capture an experience?
Intertextual Referencing:
…the point that Brodie makes when he states ‘I was born in Mesa, Arizona.’ (Brodie 2012)…
Structure:
Essay question:
Opening quote
Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?
Pg 1 (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.
Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer (Jim Goldberg) in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer (Mike Brodie) in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
Bibliography: List all relevant sources used
Bibliography:
Brodie, M. (2012), A Period of Juvenile Prosperity. Santa Fe: Twin Palms Publishers
Goldberg, J. (2016), Raised by Wolves: Bootleg.
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 points 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
Open a new Word document > SAVE AS: Essay draft
Copy essay question into Essay title: Hypothesis > if you don’t have one yet, make one!
Copy your Statement of Intent from previous blogpost.
Identify 2 quotes from your literary sources using Harvard System of Referencing.
Use one quote as an opening quote:Choose a quote from either one of your photographers or critics. It has to be something that relates to your investigation.
Begin to write a paragraph (250-500 words) answering the following questions below.
You got 45 mins to write and upload to the blog!
Think about an opening that will draw your reader in e.g. you can use an opening quote that sets the scene. Or think more philosophically about the nature of photography and and feeble relationship with reality.
You should include in your introduction an outline of your intention of your study, e.g.
What are you going to investigate?
How does this area/ work interest you?
What are you trying to prove/challenge, argument/ counter-argument?
Whose work (artists/photographers) are you analysing and why?
What historical or theoretical context is the work situated within?
What links are there with your previous studies?
What have you explored or experimented with so far in your photography project?
How will your work develop.
What camera skills, techniques or digital processes have you used, or going to experiment with?
What is the relationship between photography and memory, or loss of memory?
‘Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire.’ – Susan Sontag from On Photography, 1971
My essay is going to be focusing on the theme of memory, both looking into my own memories from childhood as well as artists who have dedicated work to the topic, such as Joel Sternfeld and Annette Khun. I believe that memory is a very important part of being human since a lot of the time it is what helps to make us who we are today, as well as helping us to not repeat mistakes which, in turn, allows us to learn from them. Following along the theme of memory, I also plan to incorporate the idea of memory loss, such as being unable to recall events from when you were younger or simply forgetting things that get pushed to the back of your mind. A lot of the time these memories can be held onto through photographs which capture the moment, however when you lose these photos it can be upsetting due to the fear of the memory being forgotten. For this reason, memory and photography tend to go hand in hand and is something I look forward to exploring.
Philosophical Refence
Over time, the subject of memory has become an interesting topic of discussion, especially in philosophy, often getting us to look back on memory and even questioning how much we can actually trust it. When looking into the theme of memory in philosophy, we can link it to the theory of innatism which is presented to us by Plato who says that we are born with innate knowledge even if we are unaware of it and can come to realise these innate ideas later through reason.
‘We do not learn, and that what we call learning is only a process of recollection.’– Plato
On the other hand, the opposing theory, presented by Locke, claims that when we are born our minds are like a ‘tabula rasa’ or ‘blank slate’, effectively saying that our minds are empty, and we have no innate knowledge. These theories link to memory as being born with knowledge would be the same as being born with memories, similarly to how some people claim to remember their past lives albeit we have no method to actually know if the claim is accurate, once again linking back to how we cannot trust our memories completely as they sometimes trick us.
Another philosophical theory that ties into the theme of memory is Descartes ‘cogito ergo sum’ or better known as ‘i think therefore i am’. This theory came about after Descartes decided to rebuild his knowledge through his method of doubt, effectively questioning everything until he discovered that the only thing he could rely on was the fact that he was a thinking thing, meaning he knows he exists. This theory has ties to memory through his waves of doubt, firstly Descartes doubted his senses believing them to not be trustworthy due to them deceiving him before through experiences such as hallucinations or illusions. Secondly, Descartes claims that it is impossible to tell if you are dreaming or not as some dreams are so realistic you cannot tell the difference between them and reality. Memory connects to this as our memory can be untrustworthy at times, for example dementia or simply forgetting things, our memory will never be 100 percent trustworthy and even if we do forget something, without a reminder like a photograph we will likely not remember it again.
Portrait of Rene Descartes 1596-1650
Joel Sternfeld
Joel Sternfeld was born on June 30th in 1944 and is an American fine-art photographer. He is best known for his large-format colour pictures of contemporary American life and identity. His work contributed to the establishment of colour photography as a respected artistic medium. He earned a BA from Dartmouth College and began taking colour photographs in 1970 after learning the colour theory of Johannes Itten and Josef Albers. He currently teaches at Sarah Lawrence College, where he holds the Noble Foundation Chair in Art and Cultural History. Sternfeld documents people and places with unexpected excitement, despair, tenderness, and hope. Ever since the 1987 publication of his landmark “American Prospects,” Sternfeld’s work has interwoven the conceptual and political, while being steeped in history, landscape theory and his passion for the passage of the seasons.
Sternfeld’s book that I have been focusing on is ‘On This Site’ which showcases a collection of photographs that depict tragedies that have taken place within America as well as short descriptions to inform the viewer of what had once happened. They show the current day locations of incidents, such as the location of Martin Luther King’s assassination or the Cuyahoga River which was set on fire after having chemicals dumped into it.
‘I went to Central Park to find the place behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art where Jennifer Levin had been killed. It was bewildering to find a scene so beautiful … to see the same sunlight pour down indifferently on the earth.’ – Joel Sternfeld
‘It occurred to me that I held something within: a list of places that I cannot forget because of the tragedies that identify them, and I began to wonder if each of us has such a list. I set out to photograph sites that were marked during my lifetime.’ – Joel Sternfeld
Sternfeld makes it clear that his photographs are so that we remember the loss and tragedy occurring in each location he photographs, however he also notices the beauty in what is often seen as ominous or unpleasant, ‘a scene so beautiful’. I agree that it is important to remember these events since without being able to look back at them, we would never be able to grow or change and would likely only end up repeating them. I also agree that looking back to such events can be beautiful in a way as it symbolizes change, which is a positive thing most of the time.
Joel Sternfeld
This image is taken of the stone wall inn, where the patrons of the gay bar were arrested and beaten which caused the village to rebel, creating what is now known as the stonewall rebellion. This photo denotes that there was a change, due to the neon sign in the window which links to a more modern design. In the photo we are able to see a lot of red ambient lighting, which is often use to either represent danger, warmth or love. In this case, we are able to see that it represents love due to the heart bouquet in the window. Another thing we are able to tell from the image, is that the bar is still up and running due to the more modern appearance it has taken. This tells us that even with the tragedy that occurred here, the bar has survived the attack and is currently thriving.
What I would like to recreate in my own images is the lighting since the colour tends to showcase the emotion taking place within the image which is useful, especially when there are no people to showcase it through body language.
Jörg Colberg
Jörg M. Colberg is a is a German writer, educator and photographer, born on the 15th of February 1968. He currently is living in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA. Colberg is the creator of the fine-art photography blog ‘Conscientious’ which offers daily profiles of photographers, in-depth interviews, exhibition and book reviews, as well as general articles about photography and related issues. In addition to working on Conscientious, Colberg has also written articles for international magazines, such as Singapore and Spain, while also writing the introduction to Hellen van Meene’s 2009 monograph “Tout va disparaître”.
The main reason why I have selected Colberg as a reference in my essay is specifically due to a certain post he made on his blog in May 2012 named ‘Photography and memory’. In his post, Colberg evaluates the differences and similarities between photography and memory, ultimately concluding that while memories and photographs are different by definition, our desire to hold onto a specific moment is what conjoins the two.
‘Memories define identity, and photographs help us have a more active role in that process.’ – Jörg M. Colberg
I believe that Colbergs evaluation is well thought through with the evidence he gathered through definitions and other sources backing his claim. While photographs and memory may be separate, they still go hand in hand with each other since we are able to reminisce on past memories through the help of photographs. I hope to showcase this through my project, showing that sentimental items such as photographs, objects or locations can help to reinstate old memories.
Annette Khun
Annette Khun is one of the many others to write an essay in the book ‘The Photography Reader’ which is a collection of twentieth century writings on photography, each essay looking into different aspects of photography. Khun’s essay is chapter 36, named ‘Remembrance, the child I never was’. The essay is focused on a photograph of Khun as a little girl, she explains how photographs are like evidence of memories since we may often forget small details that we will remember through photographs.
Khun explains that memories can be so easily changed, for example if we forget something, our brain often tends to replace what we have forgotten in order to make sense of the memory. Without having photographs or another kind of evidence (writing, journals, etc), we would be none the wiser that the memories we believe to be real may actually be false. Photographs act as a way to preserve these memories and events so that even if we do forget a detail, it isn’t erased from time completely.
‘Photographs are evidence…a photograph can be material for interpretation.’ – Annette Khun
Conclusion
In conclusion, Joel Sternfeld, Jörg Colberg and Annette Khun all link photography to memory the same way. They all believe that while photography and memory are sperate on the whole, they are undoubtedly connected. When producing a photo, we unknowingly capture a memory that we can look back on for years to come and when later thinking of a memory, the photograph we have taken will help by acting as a form of evidence for the event that occurred.
My photographic project will be focused on the theme of memory, specifically my own. I plan to do this by showcasing certain memorable events in my life whether that be through old photos of me or objects/ locations, my idea is to increase the fullness of the pages leading up till the end of the project to symbolize the fact that we forget many memories of our youth and retain more when they are recent.
what are the differences between Eugène Atget and Ezra Stoller?
Opening quote: ‘To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed‘ Susan Sontag (1971), On Photography
Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?
‘To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed‘ Susan Sontag (1971), On Photography
For my personal study I want to follow the theme of architecture through nostalgia with different buildings from old to modern. Through this I want to show the evolution of architecture and how is has changed from what I used to see when I was younger to what I see now becoming more and more modern. Within this I may photography different houses or buildings that have been damaged due to the storm to develop my study as well as the environmental side of building in Jersey and whether or not our heritage is keeping its legacy or if it is slowly disappearing being a main reason to keep my images untouched. ‘Photographs, which fiddle with the scale of the world, themselves get reduced, blown up, cropped, retouched, doctored, tricked out.‘ Susan Sontag (1971), On Photography. Previously I have studied Anthropocene which I feel may fit into my personal study slightly as I photographed some buildings during that topic as well as used it as a way of awareness about the environment and how the use of plastic has rapidly increased. Not only has plastic increased but also wasted materials which some have come from building sites. I have chosen this topic because not only do I enjoy exploring different architectures, but because I find that there are so many hidden buildings that aren’t seen very often around Jersey which should be shown, and I want to explore this further with some being edited etc but also some being left to showcase the architecture itself. To develop my project I am going to visit the different parts of the island to find building that have been here for a while to newer builds or ones that have been done up to show modern building that are becoming more and more common. Once I have collect all of my images I am going to present them in a photobook so that you can clearly see all of my images. To begin my study I am going to photograph older building all over the island to showcase what architecture Jersey has. Most of my image are going to be taken in landscape in order to include the whole building in the image, however, some may be in portraiture if I think that will look better. I think that my images will look best in day light so that I can capture the detail in the buildings exterior, and that all of my images will be outside as I am focusing on the exterior of buildings rather then the interior. My images won’t be staged as I will photograph the buildings how they are without adapting them at all to show the raw architecture in Jersey. Some of my images may be presented by accompany text to tell the viewer why I have photographed the building as well as having my essay at the end of my book, however, most of my images will be presented on their own so that the viewer can use their imagination and can explore their own thoughts on them. I will use a linear sequence approach to display my images to tell a story from old buildings to new ones which will allow the viewer to see the change that is happening over time. Once I have my images I may collage some of them with different materials to tell something about the building rather than using text as it allows the viewer to have there own interpretation on the building whilst having a hint to guide them. I will leave most of my images plain so that the building is the main focus and the viewer doesn’t get distracted from me editing it etc. I will use Lightroom classic to adjust the images slightly to make them clearer or to set the mood of the image, i.e., some of my images may be in black and white. I think that this will make my images stand out and tell a story which hopefully the viewer will understand whilst still being able to have their own thoughts about what I have captured. I aim for my personal study to represent the theme of nostalgia from how the building have developed from building that have been on the island for a very long time or even listed buildings to buildings that are more for the looks or being very modern which are becoming more popular these days. Whilst photography has been developing architecture has too, almost alongside it and that is what I aim to show.
Think about an opening that will draw your reader in e.g. you can use an opening quote that sets the scene. Or think more philosophically about the nature of photography and its feeble relationship with reality.
You should include in your introduction an outline of your intention of your study, e.g.
What are you going to investigate?
How does this area/ work interest you?
What are you trying to prove/challenge, argument/ counter-argument?
Whose work (artists/photographers) are you analysing and why?
What historical or theoretical context is the work situated within?
What links are there with your previous studies?
What have you explored or experimented with so far in your photography project?
How will your work develop.
What camera skills, techniques or digital processes have you used, or going to experiment with?
Pg 1 (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.
Within Photography, its relationship with architecture is immense. It is said that they are both on the verge of art and a service. I think that this is very clear in more modern buildings that we see these days as they are almost more about how they look as opposed to how they function, they are there to please the human eye and catch your attention as you drive or walk past. In architecture one of the main isms is functionalism. It focuses on the emphasis of the shape, size, materials and its aesthetic etc. This inspires many architects to this day, from recreating shapes, particular features, materials used, and techniques, etc. Functionalism in architecture is all about what the pieces provided us with whether is it natural light, a cosy, safe place that you live in, or something that provided you with a space to sleep. Whilst it will be different for everyone architecture is a massive part of all of our lives even though we may not all realise it, not only does it effect how we live but also how we act alongside our emotions. Another ism that is very involved in architecture is culturalism. Culturalism has a big effect on architecture and has for a many many years. Lots of places all around the world are well known for pieces of architecture like Big Ben in London, the rock houses in Turkey or the Taj Mahal in India. They are all influenced by the culture of the location and how each style of living is very different to each other. I think that they all ‘fit in’ as such with their country/city etc and if we were to swap them they would become out of place and almost lose their meaning and value as different cultures worship different things following into architecture. ‘Architecture belongs to culture, not to civilization’ Alvar Aalto. I think that this is a very influential part to architecture and is what make the buildings etc so special to some people and makes them gain a deep value that so many of us treasure. Finally, the last ism that I am going to talk about is surrealism. Surrealism wants us to get us to think about what the architecture is representing, and its purpose of being created. Whilst in photography surrealism now means a dreamy like photography containing things that feel unreal or representing unconscious ideas it didn’t always mean that. It is thought to be ordinary sights that sparked the appearance of surrealism. Within architecture it shows that buildings can be much more that bricks layered on top of one another. They have a much deeper meaning that many of us do not perceive, and is often only revealed when we have some sort of relationship with the architecture its self. Overall, I think that architecture has become a very influential aspect to photography. Not only has it made us photograph more but also architecture has gone from a backdrop in images to the main focal point or the protagonist. Visa versa, photography has changed how we perceive buildings etc in images and has adapted how we design future pieces, filling our minds with ideas.
Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses. who influenced him and who he influenced
Eugene Atget was a French pioneer in documenting photography. He began making images in the 1880’s and did so to provide artists, painters and architects with studies. Many of his images are based on capturing the streets in Paris before they began to disappear into modernisation which gained admiration from big artists such as Man Ray, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. Similarly, I feel deeply influenced by his motivation for his work as I wish to do the same with Jersey for my study, even thought it is much more modern than Paris was back in 1920. I also feel that Atget photographed to hold memories of living in Paris in his early twenties as he knew change was just over the horizon. ‘A good photograph is like a good hound dog, dumb, but eloquent.’ Eugene Atget. Whilst I don’t think Jersey’s architecture will develop much more rapidly in the next few years, I do believe that it eventually will and capturing it now will produce valuable memories for years to come. Atget was a very influential photographer. He played a large part in the founding of surrealism in photography and his work was inspirational and seen as a forerunner of Surrealism in the 1920’s. Surrealists found his work of empty streets in Paris deeply suggestive leading to the founding of the ism. Eugene’s work made a tremendous and sudden impact on the world of photography and ended up influencing many future photographers including me.
Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses. who influenced him and who he influenced
Whilst Ezra Stoller was also a documentary photographer however, he captured completely different buildings. He photographed the newer more modern buildings that had began popping up in developed countries. Stoller was American and had lots of opportunities to capture these developed buildings. As Jersey is not only less developed but also much smaller I have tried my best to capture the newer buildings that are appearing more and more after every building site. I have tried to convey the theme of focusing on the structure of the buildings, and how they please the human eye as well as how influential they are. Stoller has a keen eye for composition meaning that his images turn out to be very pleasing. I think that this means his images are very striking and engage the viewer into the image immediately. In Strollers work I feel that it shows that more developed structures appear more approachable and convey a more inviting effect. I think that I have been able to achieve this effect in my work in my more modern images, however, my more older images provide a more nostalgic feeling as they have been here for longer and are built in a very different way, maybe using older techniques etc.
mini fact file about both artists to introduce
Atget is about taking image to remember how Paris was and that he knew it was going to change
Stoller is about more modern approach and taking images to please the human eye more functional formalisation
both avoid humans in images
the human element, we are very influenced by architecture want to capture memories of it etc
structures of it, how the mood of the buildings is conveyed
especially stoller his images are almost sterile must be perfect all about the building very clean look almost staged in a way
new topographic, Gabriele Basilico
New Topographics arose in 1975 and is where photographers capture contemporary, urban or suburban landscapes. The movements was a reaction to the increasingly suburbanised world and landscapes around them. People involved were trying to keep the world more natural and used photography to get their message across as opposed to words in the hope that they were more powerful. I think that this also contributes in my personal study as it shows that the world is changing not only in architecture but many other things. As this is one of my aims to show, I think it plays a big part. Another style I aim to show is the Bauhaus style. This style hold the characteristics of simplicity and functionality with the use of authentic materials whilst mass producing. Throughout my personal study I haven’t focused as such on this style but it may show through in some images. A photographer who focused on this style was Gabriele Basilico. Basilico was an Italian photographer who focused on the representation of the city. His photography was later used as a way of documenting the effects of war on the Lebanese capital of Beirut. Within this, he captured many apartment blocks/ complexes either that appear to have been newly built after the war or ones that were damaged and are falling to pieces. I think that his work is very effective in the architecture photography world and they hold great detail that many people may miss at first.
Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced (final chance to answer question.)
Eugene Atget and Ezra Stoller both created intriguing images within architecture photography leading to inspire me deeply. Whilst they photograph the the same area of photography, their images are very different but both hold great detail. Whilst one is trying to photograph the old street of Paris to produce treasurable memories for many people, the other is providing us with humanly aesthetic images of a world that we are seeing become more apparent everyday. I think that together they show how much the world is developing and what is becoming the new normality. I think that both these artists link to my projects as they show how much architecture has gone from being suitable and efficient to more about pleasing the human eye. In my project I have tried to capture how architecture isn’t just buildings etc but it also effects how we live our lives massively. I think that it influences human activity hugely from how we act and our behaviour, to communication and well-being within the world. It is proven that a well ventilated, greener area can contribute to our mental health and how we feel on a daily basis. Not only can it influence our well-being but also our happiness, being in a gloomy, noisy, dull environment can make us less productive and encouraged. ‘We shape our buildings: thereafter they shape us‘ Sir Winston Churchill (1943) His speech to the meeting in the House of Lords. The way I see it, architecture is much more than just a building. It is more like a frame work for our lives that keep stability and gives us guidance.
Bright, S. (2010). Auto Focus: The Self-Portrait in Contemporary Photography. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.
‘sentence'(surname date of publication: page no)
i.e.,
In her text Bright writes, ‘informality in domestic self-portraiture has long been popular with amateur photographers.'(Bright 2010:24)
online article:
surname. initial publish date title of article who published it and where URL address (assessed todays date)
MON: 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.
Essay Plan: Make a plan that lists what you are going to write about in each paragraph – essay structure
Essay question:
How does Sam Harris and Yoshikatsu Fujii, express the notion of family and relationships in their work?
Opening quote
“To collect photographs is to collect the world” Susan Sontag (1971), On Photography
Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?
I am going to explore childhood through ‘nostalgia‘ which is a positive, wistful, or longing sentiment that one experiences when they are reminded of something from the past. I’m doing this theme because I used to look at my parents photo album a lot during my childhood and loved seeing the connection between my parents and how close they were with their friends and family, I would also wonder if my life would be the same as theirs if I was their age.
The artists that I will be analysing is Yoshikatsu Fujji and Sam Harris, the reason for this is because Yoshikatsu’s book ‘ Red strings’ includes the photos of his parents when they were still together during the time Fujji was a baby. The photos which Sam Harris used in his book ‘The middle of somewhere’ are snapshots which I wish to produce.
How does Sam Harris and Yoshikatsu Fujii, express the notion of family and relationships in their work?
How I will be responding to their
I wish to produce a photobook with both the photos of my parents opposite to the photos I have taken, I have already started taking photos on my disposable for 2 weeks however it wasn’t a lot so I will continue to take photos during the Christmas break. I’m going to develop my project by having my disposable and digital camera with me at all times.
How I wish to take the photographs is by taking snapshots I will be doing this by randomly taking photos, how I will make this happen is by sometimes giving the cameras to my friends or family, this is because the photos taken by my parents were snapshots and weren’t planned however I will also make some staged photos. The people that will be included in the photos are my friends, family and myself. The photos will be taken as a documentary in a familiar natural environment both inside and outside as my parents varied their photos from both, the style I’m going for is a vintage aesthetic. What I might include is one or two pictures of me when I was a child with my parents or siblings the reason for this is to compare the difference from there and now and how my parents and my life have evolved since then. Underneath each photo (both archive and recent photos) will have the dates so the viewers are aware of when the time period was.
Pg 1 (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.
Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
Bibliography: List all relevant sources used
In his text, Dickerson writes ‘Here, men and women, both steelworkers and their families reaped neither material nor psychic rewards for their hard labor’. (Dickerson 2008:137)
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:
Dickerson, D.C. (2008). ‘Black Braddock and its history’ in Latoya Ruby Frazier: The Notion of Family. New York: Aperture Foundation.
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
Opening Quote: “photographs really are experience capture, and the camera is the ideal arm of consciousness in its
Statement of intent:
I’m exploring an area of street/urban night photography around the streets of jersey, and the villages occupying the island. I’m capturing images of these area’s at night with illuminate lighting to create an aesthetic image with dim lighting and areas with some brighter lighting and experiment with mixing and layering the images using photoshop and lightroom, whilst capturing a lot of people in the images and characters. Its more nostalgic than important to me because from the age of 11-15 I was always out on my bike with friends doing anything we could find that was fun or find interesting, for example trying new things like skating, finding abandoned areas around jersey because there isn’t much else you can do in jersey. But what connects this nostalgia to a night theme is that most of this would happen during winter which had shorter afternoons, and a majority of my fond memories are with fuzzy lamp lighting during the dark, and I think a lot of people can see the areas I’m going to photograph as nostalgic because most people would be out in these areas as a kid, finding what to do or having fun. And I want to represent that in a clearer way with higher quality but also contrast it with some images with docile areas to show the balance jersey has between the packed areas and more docile areas. I’m going to be mainly going to areas which have a good amount of lighting during the night but also areas which have people in to capture them in a moment or in motion. I’m going to present these images in a photobook as I like the layout it has. I’m going to have more of a wider perspective of my images through framing areas from a far away but not too close, and I’m going to be looking for a lot of shapes of street lights, apartment areas, people who present an aesthetic. These images will include a lot of architecture and well light, street areas during the night, with natural and artificial lighting. I don’t want to use too much forced lighting or and over use of lighting otherwise this wouldn’t look or feel like the aesthetic I’m aiming for.
Essay Question: What does Rut Blees Luxemburg reveal in her work?
“My photographs show something which is abandoned yet somehow invisible”. Rut Blees Luxemburg
Introduction draft:
Night photography requires a lot more patients and placing of your camera. During the day there are infinite things to capture at every moment, but during the night everything slows down and areas you’ve never paid attention to start to appear under artificial lighting, allowing for more specific angles and shadows to appear, which form a more unique image than if it were under natural lighting. This is what Rut Blees Luxemburg explores in her work, in particularly the city of London where she has lived and made work throughout most of her career. In her long exposure, which in some cases last up to 10 minutes, she creates an aesthetic and skilfully made images. Furthermore, the feeling of a urban night photograph is interesting because the colours being used are very warm and outstanding. As she Blees Says, “I am not thinking about individual stories, but around the space as a site of ideas and immersion”, her work is created through what she comes across, and views her work space as a template for ideas which will come to her. she also brings her friend with her in case anything where to happen, but she explains that there is a beauty in night photography and the action of it allows for a different type of life to come out which you wouldn’t normally see during the day. In her book “my suicides” they reference in the beginning paragraph that, “they appear to identify that moment of communion where the search for subject if over.”, which refers to Blees’ work as revealing through the subject of the city, and how no other character or interference is made from the outside, rather a subject of the city. I agree with this statement because of how Blees does not include contextual images of characters like people in her images, and how she seems not to look for specific things to photograph, rather the things that she sees that is apart of the environment around her.
Luxemburg’s work relates closely to “the Sublime” in the aesthetic and how she perceives her world whilst capturing her images, where she connects to nature in a way where she is the observer of what happens during the night in London, this is supported by an interview made on her by Francis Marshall, where Blees states, “My second attempt to photograph London was in the early 2000s, and my mood had changed to ‘Liebeslied’”, which also initially attracted her to abandoned, broken areas of London . The context of the sublime is a philosophical view on the world in which there is a heightened awareness from the perspective of someone’s world view. This was introduced by Edmund Burk who overviewed the ideas of beauty, awareness, nature, and time in a book called ‘A philosophical enquiry into the origin of our ideas on the sublime and beautiful”, which was a big movement into the idea of romanticism. Blees’ work connect to this idea of mystery, abandonment, even sadness, where behind all of that is an outstanding image, she even describes in an interview, her images as “one that’s alluring, open, glowing even… yet also ambiguously wet, slippery and dark.” . Which sends you through an array of negative yet intense emotion, but it also allows you to depict it into the context of how you view the image and see a different perspective on her images to reveal something hidden in what she creates.
Blees’ work aims towards the connection between beauty behind the abandonment and run down of areas. Exploring the nights of London, it allows Blees to see the empty carnage of what was left throughout the day, and even throughout the centuries, she captures images of broken houses, cracked concrete floors, roads which fill with puddles, and beat down infrastructure, she can show a beauty behind it using angles and her camera, her work shows the process of having a second look. Susanne Kippenberger even says in her review of Blees, “Rut Blees Luxemburg finds beauty in the most mundane corners of the urban landscape”, showing Blees’ skill and relationship she has with this idea of “the Sublime”. Furthermore, Her images create a nostalgic feel to them whilst also presenting a bit of mystery in a way that captures a person attention and for them to think about the image whilst appreciating it. This theme even progresses in other artists work, for example, Troy Piava, who expresses a lot of connection between abandoned areas within nature during the night, where he says “I love the surreal feeling of wondering through an abandoned subdivision, alone, in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of the night. Your sense become heightened, and you feel the weight of time”. This type of work from a lot of photographers who explore this subject, find a lot of their work expressing a part of romanticism through the context of where they create their images and how they perceive image making.
Luxemburg’s My Suicides and other work relating to night urban photography uses a lot of contrast between lighting and uses a lot of warm colours to set the scene for the image, which create an affect of expressing emotion and meaning, closely linking to Romanticism which as a whole topic aims towards nature, intensely expressed emotion and connection, which can all become revealed behind an image and its context. This is a lot of what Blees does within her image making during the night which creates personal inspiration because of the quality of the images but also the meaningful context behind the creation of the image, and that it can be presented through interpretation, because many images are a specifically set scene. Whilst at the same time it can relate to others in a comforting way because of the crowded and rundown areas we interact with every day without taking notice because of its absence of beauty. For example in her book “My Suicides” it says, “The City becomes a hall of mirrors to reflext the duplicity or nobility of human nature”, which is relating to how the city mirrors humans innating ways of growing old and decaying. But moreover Blees states in an interview by Susanne Kippenberger, that the city is “full of endless possibilities”. Blees’ images present a sense of loneliness and decay, which contradicts how she creates a good image but allows for people to create their own interpretation of what the image means and represents, with a cue of the book title My Suicides, its as if her work is telling you something but makes you interpret in your own way with context of mysterious, run down, decayed areas , and the title of her books as a cue to how you should think about her images.
In conclusion Blees’ work presents a lot of mystery within her run-down images, whilst also showing how well she can transform abandoned dirty areas into a well-made composition of images. Although her work revolves around the same theme, each of her projects are presented in a way where you interpret her images differently with the same theme. By using the title My Suicides for example she prompts the audience to what to expect in her images, in this case lonely and abandoned areas with wider a point of view. I believe Blees’ practice in urban night photography is a way for her to show the template for the world we live in, in her case it is specifically London. She purposefully presents a view of stepping back in what you are looking at, and the world we live in today. Her images during the night shows the less chaotic context people live in day by day, and she presents a beauty within the images, as if she does if for the awareness for people and a way for restoration of an area to see it in a different light. The choice of contrast between warm and cold lighting whilst conveying mystery presents a deeper connection to the world around us because it makes you question your surroundings and take a closer look at areas you might not ever appreciate. This is an important factor in this area of work because there are limited things to photography and when you find an area or place it has a lot of history and context withheld in it, but is also a way of expressing emotion because colours can be much brighter and appreciated in these images especially when you link it to the context. Blees’ work personally relates to nostalgia in my context because memories are very vivid and in my case dark because a lot of the my more memorable experiences would be during the night around areas like this.
Toledano, P. (2015), When I was six. Stockport: Dewi Lewis Publishing.
In his text, Toledano writes, ‘if I was alone, no-one else could disappear.’ (Toledano 2015:6)
Essay question:
How have Justine Kurland and Petra Collins explored youth and femininity in their work?
Essay plan:
Make a plan that lists what you are going to write about in each paragraph – essay structure
Essay question:
How have Justine Kurland and Petra Collins explored youth and femininity in their work?
Opening quote:
“At once child and adult, innocent and sexual, protected and vulnerable, threatened and threat, in the shadows and spot-lit, girlhood occurs as a kind of ongoing moment between two reactive states.” Claire Marie Healy (2023), ‘Girlhood’
Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?
Pg 1 (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.
Pictorialism/stage photography
Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Justine Kurland + staged images of youth and femininity linked to childhood memories
Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Petra Collins + staged images of youth and femininity
Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
Bibliography: List all relevant sources used
Bate, David (2016)‘Pictorial Turn’in Art Photography. London: Tate Galleries.
Kurland, J. (2020) ‘Girl Pictures’. New York: Aperture.
Quotation and Referencing:
Use Harvard System of Referencing…see PowerPoint: Harvard system of referencing for further details on how to use it.
DRAFT
How have Justine Kurland and Petra Collins explored youth and femininity in their work?
“At once child and adult, innocent and sexual, protected and vulnerable, threatened and threat, in the shadows and spot-lit, girlhood occurs as a kind of ongoing moment between two reactive states.” – Claire Marie Healy (2023), ‘Girlhood’
Youth is a time of discovery and self-exploration, marked with a sense of vulnerability and curiosity; whereas femininity encompasses concepts associated with being female, linking emotions and experiences that are unique to women. Despite them being two very different concepts, each helps define the other as every girl grows into a woman. As a result, there has always been a fascination with the teenage years of girls, especially in the 21st century after the rise of social media and the ever-growing list of societal pressures, but the way teenage girls act, dress, speak, or react is still regularly questioned. Two photographers who have explored this in their work are Justine Kurland and Petra Collins, through their images they invite viewers to reflect on their own experiences and perceptions of girlhood while challenging societal norms and expressing their thoughts about the complexities of growing up as a girl.
In an article with ArtForum, Justine Kurland spoke about her inspirations, “I’m always thinking about painting: nineteenth-century English picturesque landscapes and the utopian ideal, genre paintings, and also Julia Margaret Cameron’s photographs. I started going to museums at an early age, but my imagery is equally influenced by illustrations from the fairy tales I read as a child.” – Meghan Dailey (2000), ‘1000 words: Justine Kurland’. Kurland credits a lot of her innovation to Neo-romanticism, an art movement that originated in the 20th century as a reaction against the dominant trends of modernism, it seeks to capture a sense of nostalgia, longing, and idealism; it draws inspiration from the romantic movement of the 19th century which emphasised emotion, individualism, and a connection to nature. Kurland’s photography often features young women in dreamlike and natural settings, her images evoke a sense of exploration and innocence. She uses natural light and soft colours which adds to the romantic and nostalgic atmosphere of her photographs. Whereas Petra Collins’s photographs depict young women in intimate moments, she incorporates elements of surrealism, creating dreamlike qualities that align with the Neo-romantic aesthetic.
Born in New York in 1969, Justine Kurland is a renowned contemporary photographer who is known for her captivating images that explore the themes of youth and femininity. Kurland’s images often depict girls and young women in natural surroundings such as forests, fields, and abandoned urban areas. She seeks to capture the moments of freedom, curiosity, and self-discovery of the girls while still holding onto the innocence of youth in hopes of challenging traditional gender roles and societal expectations placed on young girls. Part of her art is the expression of strength and resilience in her subjects, she portrays them as active agents rather than passive objects. Utilising unconventional situations, Kurland offers a unique perspective on the experiences of young individuals as they navigate their surroundings and identities. Her famous book “Girl Pictures” address the complexities and contradictions of growing up in a society that simultaneously idealises and restricts girls, she highlights different themes of rebellion, vulnerability, and friendship throughout the series of images. The photobook follows American runaway girls as they explore their newfound freedom; the images are visually striking and can allude to a dreamlike aesthetic. Natural light and careful composition are all taken into consideration as a way of creating a powerful visual narrative that invites viewers to reflect on their own experiences of youth and femininity. All the images were taken between 1997 and 2002 yet they feel timeless, Justine got young girls to pose as runaways under highway underpasses or next to neglected lakes, she named them her “standing army”. In an interview with AnOther, Kurland described why she felt it was so important for her to create these images, “– you can create a world for yourself, one that’s bearable to live in. I built on and corrected some of the tropes surrounding the representation of teenagers; these pictures were not solicitous renditions of hypersexualised children.” – Belle Hutton (2020), ‘Girl Pictures: The Story Behind Justine Kurland’s Teenage Runaways Series’
“Boy Torture Love” from “Girl Pictures” (Aperture, 2020), Justine Kurland
Another photographer whose work delves into the realms of youth and femininity is Petra Collins, born in 1992. Her images and concepts offer a unique perspective on the challenges and experiences faced by young women in today’s society. Collins focuses more on identity, body image, and sexuality while capturing moments that challenge conventional beauty standards. She heavily critiques the ‘male gaze’ and objectification of women and instead uses her work to reclaim agency over female representation. The images question and challenge the norms that have arose from social media, advertising, and fashion along with encouraging viewers to question their own preconceived notions. Through tackling the societal issues, she also incorporates the themes of mental health and vulnerability, her images often depict young girls in moments of weakness, resilience, but also self-discovery as she aims to create a space for reflection. The visually captivating and thought-provoking images that Collins creates are infused with a sense of nostalgia; she incorporates elements of fashion, surrealism, and pop culture while using lighting and colour to enhance the emotional impact of her work. My favourite collection from the Canadian photographer is “The teenage gaze”, it includes intimate portraits shot from 2010-2015 of teenage life from a creative adolescent perspective, it is a stereotype free view of young girls which portrays the raw and unfiltered spirit of girlhood. The expression of her art is built on moments of joy, vulnerability, confusion, and rebellion in a transformative phase of life. Collins spoke about her inspirations in an interview with Vogue, “My goal is just to create images that generate a conversation about things that aren’t spoken about. I want to change the ways young girls look at themselves and the way women at large are looked at…. So, when I was 15, and started working, it was a time when I was going through puberty, and beginning to discover my sexuality and photography and film were a means of working that out.” – Gabriella Karefa-Johnson (2014), ‘Petra Collins on Her New Photography Show “Discharge,” Teenagedom, and the Female Gaze’.
How do Latoya Ruby Frazier and Alessandra Sanguinetti express the notion of family history and relationships in their work?
In what way have Latoya Ruby Frazier and Alessandra Sanguinetti explored childhood memories through their work as a method of understanding identity and self-expression?
In what way have Latoya Ruby Frazier and Alessandra Sanguinetti explored the notion of family history and childhood memories as a method of understanding identity and self-expression?
Essay draft
Essay question:
Opening quote: “Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire.” Sontag, S (1977), On Photography. London: Penguin Books
Introduction (250-500 words):
Photographs are a way of documenting and capturing moments in time to preserve them. This quote by Susan Sontag highlights, how although this definition is true, photographs cannot always capture the whole truth. Capturing special moments with photography to look back on allows us to gift ourselves a nostalgic feeling. So, in my project, when revisiting elements of my childhood and family, I will thus be creating a nostalgic feeling for myself. Although I cannot recreate these special memories, I can show aspects of what my childhood was like as well as expressing certain emotions through my work.
My project is focussing on my childhood and upbringing, while also acknowledging my heritage. I want to do this as I believe this will communicate a sense of self and allow me to explore and piece together aspects of my ancestry unfamiliar to me. By taking inspiration from previous projects (home, identity, etc) I will be taking portraits of family and photographs of significant objects, as well as occasional landscapes. My personal study will explore my dual nationality, portraying both my English and Madeiran heritage from each of my parents.
I will be comparing the works of artistsLatoya Ruby Frazier and Alessandra Sanguinetti. During my research, I found that I liked their styles of photography. They both capture inspiring photographs of their family, creating a combination of both classic and environmental portraits. Latoya Ruby Frazier’s work is typically in black and white which I arguably find more incising and meaningful. By stripping a photograph of its colour, it allows the viewer to gaze more deeply into it and its potential meanings and story being presented. She also captures occasional objects and landscapes in her work which are significant to her and her story. Whereas Alessandra Sanguinetti’s work is predominantly in colour, expressing life and emotion through her photographs. Both artists create a mixture of both documentary and staged images. I wish to compare these artists throughout this essay while addressing themes of identity and self-expression. By studying these artists, I can explore how childhood memories influence these themes and allow myself to explore this throughout my personal study project.
Pg 1 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Latoya Ruby Frazier– link to childhood memories through her work as a method of understanding identity and self-expression.
elements of pictorialism or realism in the work?
what are their influences?
what photographic traditions and conventions are being applied in their work?
Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
Alessandra Sanguinetti – link to childhood memories through her work as a method of understanding identity and self-expression.
Pg 3(500 words):
Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
I created a collection of photographs while in Madeira over the Christmas holidays, capturing familiar landscapes from trips when I was younger, like family homes for example. I also captured few pictures of family, street photography, environmental portraits, etc in a documentary-type style. I conduct some more photoshoots upon returning to Jersey; trying to capture the family I have on island.
By creating a photobook for my project, it allows me to establish a storyline throughout the series of images and show the progression of my life between these to places significant to me. This will create the story of my identity, showing my family, to capture the essence of having my dual heritage.
Bibliography
Döblin, A (2003), August Sander: Face of Our Time. Munich: Schirmer Art Books.
Sontag, S (1977), On Photography. London: Penguin Books
In-text reference example:
…this is the point that Döblin makes when he writes, ‘death has carried out a massive retouching operation’. (Döblin 2003: 9)
MON: 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 points 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.
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?
Tue: Essay Plan Make a plan that lists what you are going to write about in each paragraph – essay structure
Essay question: What is the relationship between photography and memory, or loss of memory?
Opening quote
Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?
Pg 1 (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.
Contextual/ philosophical: what is the relationship between photography and memory – draw on your philosophy studies.
Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
example 1: memento mori
Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
example 2: Joel Sternfeld – choose one image from his project On this Site
Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
Bibliography: List all relevant sources used
Draft info
Essay question:
How do artists Joel Sternfeld and showcase the themes of memory and loss in their work?
What is the relationship between photography and memory, or loss of memory? (show examples of photographers who has explored that by choosing one image from each artist)
Bibliography:
Sternfeld, J (1996), On this site. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.
Brougher, K, Grundberg, A and Tucker, A.W. (2003), American Prospects; Joel Sternfeld. Gotingngen: Steidl Publishers.
Kuhn, ‘A. Remembrance: The Child I Never Was’ in Wells L. (ed) (2003) The Photography Reader. London: Routledge
What is the relationship between photography and memory, or loss of memory?
‘Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire.’ Susan Sontag from On Photography, 1971
Intro: My essay is going to be focusing on the theme of memory, both looking into my own memories from childhood as well as artists who have dedicated work to the topic, such as Joel Sternfeld and Annette Khun. I believe that memory is a very important part of being human since a lot of the time it is what helps to make us who we are today, as well as helping us to not repeat mistakes which, in turn, allows us to learn from them. Following along the theme of memory, I also plan to incorporate the idea of memory loss, such as being unable to recall events from when you were younger or simply forgetting things that get pushed to the back of your mind. A lot of the time these memories can be held onto through photographs which capture the moment, however when you lose these photos it can be upsetting due to the fear of the memory being forgotten. For this reason, memory and photography tend to go hand in hand and is something I look forward to exploring.
Para 1 philosophy reference:
Over time, the subject of memory has become an interesting topic of discussion, especially in philosophy, often getting us to look back on memory and even questioning how much we can actually trust it. When looking into the theme of memory in philosophy, we can link it to the theory of innatism which is presented to us by Plato who says that we are born with innate knowledge even if we are unaware of it and can come to realise these innate ideas later through reason.
‘We do not learn, and that what we call learning is only a process of recollection.’– Plato
On the other hand, the opposing theory, presented by Locke, claims that when we are born our minds are like a ‘tabula rasa’ or ‘blank slate’, effectively saying that our minds are empty, and we have no innate knowledge. These theories link to memory as being born with knowledge would be the same as being born with memories, similarly to how some people claim to remember their past lives albeit we have no method to actually know if the claim is accurate, once again linking back to how we cannot trust our memories completely as they sometimes trick us.
Another philosophical theory that ties into the theme of memory is Descartes ‘cogito ergo sum’ or better known as ‘i think therefore i am’. This theory came about after Descartes decided to rebuild his knowledge through his method of doubt, effectively questioning everything until he discovered that the only thing he could rely on was the fact that he was a thinking thing, meaning he knows he exists. This theory has ties to memory through his waves of doubt, firstly Descartes doubted his senses believing them to not be trustworthy due to them deceiving him before through experiences such as hallucinations or illusions. Secondly, Descartes claims that it is impossible to tell if you are dreaming or not as some dreams are so realistic you cannot tell the difference between them and reality. Memory connects to this as our memory can be untrustworthy at times, for example dementia or simply forgetting things, our memory will never be 100 percent trustworthy and even if we do forget something, without a reminder like a photograph we will likely not remember it again.
Portrait of Rene Descartes 1596-1650
Para 2 Joel Sternfeld:
Joel Sternfeld was born on June 30th in 1944 and is an American fine-art photographer. He is best known for his large-format colour pictures of contemporary American life and identity. His work contributed to the establishment of colour photography as a respected artistic medium. He earned a BA from Dartmouth College and began taking colour photographs in 1970 after learning the colour theory of Johannes Itten and Josef Albers. He currently teaches at Sarah Lawrence College, where he holds the Noble Foundation Chair in Art and Cultural History. Sternfeld documents people and places with unexpected excitement, despair, tenderness, and hope. Ever since the 1987 publication of his landmark “American Prospects,” Sternfeld’s work has interwoven the conceptual and political, while being steeped in history, landscape theory and his passion for the passage of the seasons.
Sternfeld’s book that I have been focusing on is ‘On This Site’ which showcases a collection of photographs that depict tragedies that have taken place within America as well as short descriptions to inform the viewer of what had once happened. They show the current day locations of incidents, such as the location of Martin Luther King’s assassination or the Cuyahoga River which was set on fire after having chemicals dumped into it.
‘I went to Central Park to find the place behind the Metropolitan Museum of Art where Jennifer Levin had been killed. It was bewildering to find a scene so beautiful … to see the same sunlight pour down indifferently on the earth.’ – Joel Sternfeld
‘It occurred to me that I held something within: a list of places that I cannot forget because of the tragedies that identify them, and I began to wonder if each of us has such a list. I set out to photograph sites that were marked during my lifetime.’ – Joel Sternfeld
Sternfeld makes it clear that his photographs are so that we remember the loss and tragedy occurring in each location he photographs, however he also notices the beauty in what is often seen as ominous or unpleasant, ‘a scene so beautiful’. I agree that it is important to remember these events since without being able to look back at them, we would never be able to grow or change and would likely only end up repeating them. I also agree that looking back to such events can be beautiful in a way as it symbolizes change, which is a positive thing most of the time.
This image is taken of the stone wall inn, where the patrons of the gay bar were arrested and beaten which caused the village to rebel, creating what is now known as the stonewall rebellion. This photo denotes that there was a change, due to the neon sign in the window which links to a more modern design. In the photo we are able to see a lot of red ambient lighting, which is often use to either represent danger, warmth or love. In this case, we are able to see that it represents love due to the heart bouquet in the window. Another thing we are able to tell from the image, is that the bar is still up and running due to the more modern appearance it has taken. This tells us that even with the tragedy that occurred here, the bar has survived the attack and is currently thriving.
What I would like to recreate in my own images is the lighting since the colour tends to showcase the emotion taking place within the image which is useful, especially when there are no people to showcase it through body language.
Para 4 Jörg M. Colberg:
Jörg M. Colberg is a is a German writer, educator and photographer, born on the 15th of February 1968. He currently is living in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA. Colberg is the creator of the fine-art photography blog ‘Conscientious’ which offers daily profiles of photographers, in-depth interviews, exhibition and book reviews, as well as general articles about photography and related issues. In addition to working on Conscientious, Colberg has also written articles for international magazines, such as Singapore and Spain, while also writing the introduction to Hellen van Meene’s 2009 monograph “Tout va disparaître”.
The main reason why I have selected Colberg as a reference in my essay is specifically due to a certain post he made on his blog in May 2012 named ‘Photography and memory’. In his post, Colberg evaluates the differences and similarities between photography and memory, ultimately concluding that while memories and photographs are different by definition, our desire to hold onto a specific moment is what conjoins the two.
‘Memories define identity, and photographs help us have a more active role in that process.’ – Jörg M. Colberg
I believe that Colbergs evaluation is well thought through with the evidence he gathered through definitions and other sources backing his claim. While photographs and memory may be separate, they still go hand in hand with each other since we are able to reminisce on past memories through the help of photographs. I hope to showcase this through my project, showing that sentimental items such as photographs, objects or locations can help to reinstate old memories.
Para 5 Annette Khun:
Annette Khun is one of the many others to write an essay in the book ‘The Photography Reader’ which is a collection of twentieth century writings on photography, each essay looking into different aspects of photography. Khun’s essay is chapter 36, named ‘Remembrance, the child I never was’. The essay is focused on a photograph of Khun as a little girl, she explains how photographs are like evidence of memories since we may often forget small details that we will remember through photographs.
Khun explains that memories can be so easily changed, for example if we forget something, our brain often tends to replace what we have forgotten in order to make sense of the memory. Without having photographs or another kind of evidence (writing, journals, etc), we would be none the wiser that the memories we believe to be real may actually be false. Photographs act as a way to preserve these memories and events so that even if we do forget a detail, it isn’t erased from time completely.
‘Photographs are evidence…a photograph can be material for interpretation.’ – Annette Khun
Conclusion:
In conclusion, Joel Sternfeld, Jörg Colberg and Annette Khun all link photography to memory the same way. They all believe that while photography and memory are sperate on the whole, they are undoubtedly connected. When producing a photo, we unknowingly capture a memory that we can look back on for years to come and when later thinking of a memory, the photograph we have taken will help by acting as a form of evidence for the event that occurred.
My photographic project will be focused on the theme of memory, specifically my own. I plan to do this by showcasing certain memorable events in my life whether that be through old photos of me or objects/ locations, my idea is to increase the fullness of the pages leading up till the end of the project to symbolize the fact that we forget many memories of our youth and retain more when they are recent.
