Visiting Art centres around St Helier, we got a good insight into some artists and their creative pieces.

Jersey Arts Centre –

Marc Medland’s ‘10 projects’ exhibition:

1. Leonard and Doreen’s Trip into Trouble
2. The Good Neighbour Plan
3. No More Gas
4. K.O.T
5. Super Birds
6. Seven Deadly Sins
7. Baptistery/Launderette
8. Bringing the Outside In
9. Pop Ups
10. Rooftop Crawlers

‘The invented parallel worlds are set in extreme situations and are represented using short film, animation, collage, architectural drawing and physical models.’ – Jersey Arts. Visiting this exhibition, the work on display was creatively eccentric in its appearance, with a retro yet modern aesthetic, the use of graphic design, story telling through ai generated imagery and unique individual production in all the projects, I Enjoyed his work and found it quite impressive.

CCA Galleries –

Visiting the CCA Galleries next, we looked around the current exhibition created by photographer, Glen Perotte, who captured his 15 day summit up mount Kenya’s botanical beauty. As the Gallery states “this new series of photographs Perotte explores the flora of Mount Kenya, Africa’s second highest mountain after Kilimanjaro and a uniquely special place. Mount Kenya is god’s mountain, a locus for the spiritual life of many of the ethnic tribes in the area who believe god came down from the sky to live on its peak amongst the clouds. The focus for Perotte is the astonishing plant life that manages to take root in this volcanic and harsh landscape of thin air and rocky terrain, sometimes by banding together and at other times finding a small niche to settle in alone. Strange, yet wonderfully captivating, these botanical wonders exhibit adaptations honed over millennia to survive the harsh mountain environment.

Glen Perotte is an international photographer who has worked in New York, London and is now based in Jersey. Perotte has shown at the Barbican London, The Association of Photographers Gallery and the Royal Photographic Society, Bristol. Glen returns to CCA Galleries International for his third solo exhibition with an exciting body of new work.”

Amongst the other parts of the gallery, we looked at some international work from other featured artists on display.

ArtHouse Jersey at Court House –

Dancing Together: A ballad – by Kaarina Kaikkonen is the current exhibition at court house. Featuring a vast collection of donated clothes, it tells a moving story of the story’s behind the pieces of clothing, donated by our islands local people.

As ArtHouse Jersey states:

”Dancing Together: A Ballad is an indoor reimagining of Kaarina Kaikkonen’s large-scale public sculpture, Dancing Together, which was created in the outside in the public realm in St Helier in the summer of 2024. It incorporated over 700 shirts donated by people in Jersey during the summer and many of those who donated a short also shared a meaningful memory or story connected to the shirt.

For this overall project Kaarina Kaikkonen has created two distinct works that bring together the different stories of people and their shirts – ordinary, sad, courageous, joyful, humorous – that reflect the people of Jersey. In the more intimate space of ArtHouse Jersey at Capital House, visitors are invited to get up close to these very personal sentiments, each garment holding a world of its own memory, offering Islanders the chance to truly connect with the many moving human stories that held the original Charing Cross public artwork together. Dancing Together and Dancing Together: A Ballad, both created especially for Jersey, are the latest works in a series of shirt installations that Kaarina Kaikkonen has created inside galleries, museums and outdoor settings across the world over the past thirty years, from Shanghai to Madrid, Santiago, Chile to Rome and across Finland and Scandinavia. Each work responds to the particular architectures, histories and natural elements of its location, recycling materials to create an artwork that speaks to a sense of a collective ‘body’, of time suspended and a poetic reflection of memory, loss and our shared experience as humans and the different environments in which we live. Discussing her work, artist Kaarina Kaikkonen has said, ‘I want to use materials that have had a previous life. Then I change it and give it a new life, a new form of art. To make beauty from the ordinary.’ This reinvention of Dancing Together into a new life, also featuring a specially created score by acclaimed Finnish composer Päivi Takala, opens the question of what is possible through reimagining, reusing – and how from otherwise forgotten or discarded materials, can come an extraordinary, moving, gallery experience.”

“The sound of Colour” Town church –

On our final art piece visit, we went across the road to Town Church to see ArtHouse Jerseys second exhibition, ‘The sound of Colour – arrivals’. Visually retelling the history of Jersey through Sound and beautiful visuals, this was a very immersive art piece I found very well made and inspirational. From ArtHouse Jersey “ArtHouse Jersey’s The Sound of Colour: Arrivals, is a new projection mapping project to be presented at St Helier Town Church from Friday 8 to Saturday 23 November. Featuring visuals by international artist Akhila Krishnan and a soundscape by the Jersey electroacoustic composer Sarah Keirle-Dos Santos the piece is co-authored and produced by Natasha Dettman for ArtHouse Jersey. It follows the success of the first edition of The Sound of Colour: Origins (2021) which also completely transformed the iconic venue of St Helier Town Church with projection and soundscapes.

Arrivals explores the emergence of language in Jersey; from the distant whisperings of the Magdalenian people of the late Stone Age, the Iron Age Celts of Gaul, the Romans, the Franks, the Normans, to the appearance of our native language Jèrriais. Bringing light into the darkening month of November, Arrivals considers how our language and culture has been woven into existence and shaped over thousands of years of settlement of this Island by different peoples and cultures. We finally land in present day Jersey, where the sounds of modern English, French, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian, Swahili, Filipino and many more languages can be heard. The immersive soundscape created by Sarah Keirle-Dos Santos features the voices of many Islanders speaking some of the languages which would at various times have been spoken widely and some which may have made a brief appearance in Jersey.”

Mind Map of Ideas

Mood Board ( Observe )

Mood Board ( Seek )

Mood Board ( challenge )

Genres I want to include:

• environmental photography
• documentary photography
• portrait photography
• street photography

Artist Studies : Environmental photographers

Arnold Newman

Who is Arnold Newman?

Arnold Abner Newman was an American photographer, noted for his “environmental portraits” of artists and politicians. He was also known for his carefully composed abstract still life images. In 2006, he was inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum.

What inspired Arnold Newman?

Arnold Newman was partially influenced by Flemish Painters. Flemish Painters focus on many different kinds of genres whether its still life paintings, environmental paintings or even portraits there are so many genres of art within this field of painting.

Who inspired Arnold Newman?

Along side Flemish painters He also mentioned that the work of the Cubists, including Picasso, influenced the way he structures a photograph. Picasso was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and stage designer considered one of the greatest and most influential artists of the 20th century. Picasso is credited, along with Georges Braque, with the creation of Cubism.

Moodboard of Arnold Newman’s photography

Personal Opinion

What I like about Arnold Newman’s work is that he uses people within their natural environment therefore he captures people to their full capacity as people often feel the most comfortable in their own personal environment. Although they do know they are being photographed many of the images still turn out very natural as if the camera wasn’t there.

Arnold uses quite a lot of natural lighting in his images, whether they are taken outside or close to windows letting in the natural sunlight and lighting in from the outside. Although all of his images are manipulated and changed to black and white the natural lighting within each image is still very clear and noticeable.

All of Arnold Newman’s photographs have a warm light feel to them even whilst all the images are black and white you can still see the warm, soft lighting within the photographs.

Arnold Newman uses a wide range of different perspectives, shapes and points of view within his images, some are up close and very detailed while others show a bigger picture with less of a focal point.

Artist study two – Street photographers/documentary

Henri Cartier Bresson

Who is Henri cartier Bresson?

Henri Cartier-Bresson was a French artist and humanist photographer considered a master of candid photography, and an early user of 35mm film. He pioneered the genre of street photography, and viewed photography as capturing a decisive moment. Cartier-Bresson was one of the founding members of Magnum Photos in 1947.

Who inspired Henri Cartier Bresson?

Cartier-Bresson’s photographic vision was shaped by a blend of artistic, philosophical, and documentary influences, ranging from Surrealism and Pictorialism to painting and the revolutionary spirit of the 20th century. His unique style, which emphasized capturing the essence of life’s fleeting moments, was an amalgamation of these diverse inspirations.

some of the types of people who inspired him:

• The Pictorialists (Artistic Photography Movement)
• Garry Winogrand and Walker Evans
• The Surrealists
• Robert Capa
• Paul Strand and Edward Weston
• The Concept of “The Decisive Moment”
• Painting and Drawing

What was Henri Cartier Bresson’s most famous piece?

Henri Cartier Bresson’s most famous piece was the Place de l’Europe, Behind Gare Saint Lazare (1932)

Image Description:

Cartier-Bresson’s impulsive masterpiece picturing a man suspended in mid-air as he hops over a large puddle creates a sense of anticipation as he captures the dynamic movement of an unaware participant in the decisive moment: the instant before his heel hits the water.

Henri Cartier Bresson Moodboard

Henri Cartier Bresson famous Quotes

• “The decisive moment is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as the precise organization of forms which give that event its proper expression.”
• “Your first 10,000 photographs are your worst.”
• “I do not photograph nature, I photograph life.”
• “There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment.”

Personal Opinion

Henri Cartier Bresson’s work is really intriguing, I love how he captures very pure moments in time which show a story from a first look within the image but which also have a deeper meaning and story to each and every image.

The decisive moment definition – is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event as well as of a precise organisation of forms which give that event its proper expression.

He inspires me as I am a very creative person who enjoys creating deeper meanings and stories behind images which may look so simple however they create such a inspiring story behind them.

Artist study three – portrait photography

Oliver Doran

who is Oliver Doran?

Oliver Doran is an internationally renowned portrait, editorial, and commercial photographer. Known for his ability to capture spontaneous, heartfelt moments with genuine emotions, his work has attracted clients from all over the world. After expanding his portfolio in the Middle East and returning to Jersey in 2020, Oliver now blends his global experience with a focus on capturing life’s most precious milestones.

What kind of photos does oliver doran take?

Oliver Doran takes a wide range of different portrait images of people in various different angles, he has taken portrait images for magazine covers, family shoots for memories and various other styles of portraits for many different occasions.

website quote – “At Oliver Doran Studios, we craft stunning, timeless, and iconic visual stories that rival the elegance of high-end magazine covers—capturing your true essence in every shot.”

Who and what has Oliver Doran worked with?

Based in Jersey, Oliver travels internationally for both private and commercial commissions. His work has taken him to cities like London, Paris, Malaga, and Dubai, where he collaborates with luxury brands such as Cartier and Dior. He’s also worked with major publications like GQ, Esquire, and Cosmopolitan, and photographed celebrities including Robert De Niro, Lewis Hamilton, and Colin Firth.

Here are all the brands and companies he has worked with:

Oliver Doran moodboard

Mood board Analysis:

For my mood board, I decided to incorporate photos where women look strong and powerful, but also where women are showing their emotions, exploring different types of relationships and friendships. I also wanted to include female emotion and how emotion is a cast aside and stereotypical topic around women and how the word ‘Feminist‘ has a particular stigma surrounding it. Creating these moodboards has helped me to generate ideas with what type of work I would like to produce and what message I would like to convey.

I chose images that are all different.

Black and White.

Happy and Sad.

Feminine and Masculine.

Edited and Non Edited.

Staged and Candid.

Group and Single.

Head- Shot and Full Body Shot.

This mood board helped me to decide on the fact I would like to focus on girlhood. Particularly older teenagers at the age of 17-19 and the struggles of moving from adolescence to adulthood and the hardships young women face. I like this topic as it is a current topic which is faced globally and I feel It is a topic which I will enjoy expressing my opinion on and It is an important topic which needs embracing by young people especially.

Feminists.

The stigma around feminism I would like to explore is of negative stereotypes of feminists the idea that feminists are all lesbians, man-hating, antifamily, selfish, radical, unusually angry, assertive, ugly, bra-burning, and humourless.

This moodboard represents some of the types of poses I would like to encorporate in my photoshoots and final work.

Women’s Suffrage

Women’s suffrage is the right of women to vote in elections. Several instances occurred in recent centuries where women were selectively given, then stripped of, the right to vote. Finally in 1918, Parliament passed an act granting the vote to women over the age of 30 who were householders, the wives of householders, occupiers of property with an annual rent of £5, and graduates of British universities. About 8.4 million women gained the vote. The Nineteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granted women the right to vote. This right—known as women’s suffrage—was ratified on August 18, 1920: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of gender.

Reproductive Rights

Reproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health that vary amongst countries around the world.  The World Health Organisation  defines reproductive rights as follows:

1. Rights to reproductive and sexual health include the right to life, liberty and the security of the person.

2. The right to health care and information.

3. The right to non-discrimination in the allocation of resources to health services and in their availability and accessibility.

Being able to make decisions about how to express our sexuality, including our sexual orientation and gender identity, as well as about our bodies, our personal relationships, the form and shape of one’s family and the destination of one’s life path, among other things, is essential to our bodily autonomy and dignity. However, across the world, millions of people, particularly members of marginalized and stigmatized communities and those living in poverty, are prevented from making free and informed decisions about their bodies. In many countries this happens because governments try to dictate how people form intimate relationships, or express desire, as well as whether and when to have children. This affects women, girls and LGBTI people in particular, but it’s not just about individuals, it impacts whole communities.

Sexual and reproductive rights – Amnesty International

HOW ARE WOMEN’S RIGHTS BEING VIOLATED?

Today, gender bias continues to create huge barriers for many women. Ongoing struggles include ensuring equal economic opportunities, educational equity, and an end to gender-based violence.

But across the globe many women and girls still face discrimination on the basis of sex and gender. Gender inequality underpins many problems which disproportionately affect women and girls, such as domestic and sexual violence, lower pay, lack of access to education, and inadequate HealthCare.

Examples of gender discrimination include but are not limited to: Mis gendering or mispronouncing (purposefully using the wrong gender identity or pronouns to address someone) Having limited access to all-gender restrooms. Disfavouring someone based on gender.

NAME IDEA- THE FEMALE GAZE. – I like the idea of this name for my personal and independent study name as it juxtaposes THE MALE GAZE and shows how actually the power is in the women’s favour and that they are in fact control, and control the gave that is put upon them.

The female ‘gaze’ creates the perspective of being “in” rather than overlooking the character’s experiences, allowing the audience to understand the character’s inner thoughts, feelings, and emotions.

The idea of the ‘female’ gaze is that the female gaze embraces the spectator, character, and the directors of these works and sets out to represent women as people who are capable of the same things men are.

Todd Hido

Todd Hido creates photographs at blue hour of urban locations to create an eerie atmosphere. These photographs could be described as uncanny in their approach to an urban landscape. ‘Liminal spaces’ are transition zones or the space ‘in-between’ of two points associated with uncertainty and discomfort. The phrase liminal space refers to the physical, physiological, and psychological transition zones which has become associated with uncomfortably empty photographs of urban locations. Todd Hido’s photographs embodies these feelings of the space between and the loneliness that comes with it.

Todd Hido creates photographs that are “eerie, mysterious, somewhat disconcerting”¹ as “they feel as though they have been directly pulled from the recesses of your own memory²“. By seeming like something out of a memory they create a personal connection and therefore seem more real and immersive. He takes these photographs during “long, solitary drives³“, meaning the feelings of loneliness are authentic which becomes clear in the frame. This uncomfortable atmosphere is created in a number of ways such as the lighting and isolating subjects: buildings are shown standing alone, single windows are lit and no people are shown in frame making the photographer the only person around. In terms of lighting this photograph was taken outside in the winter during blue hour to create a natural appearance with a blue hue making it seem cold and distant, conveying “loneliness⁴” and “isolation⁵“. This cold tone is contrasted with the light emitting from inside the building which is diffused by fog making the light soft and warm in contrast. This makes it seem like the viewer is missing out like a by-stander creating feelings of “abandonment⁶“. The use of fog also gives this image a greater sense of depth and the uneasy atmosphere. The house at the front is in focus while everything further back is much more difficult to make out or see. This draws the attention to the centre of the frame. There isn’t much contrast across the image with the whites that are blue and the darks being affected by the fog. The lack of people in the frame helps to creates a liminal space but also makes the building “an empty shell⁷“. This means that the viewer can relate by applying their “own memories⁸” and “create a narrative⁹” that resonates with themselves. Alternatively the use of an upkept house shows evidence of people being there recently and lights on implies people present at the time but being unable to spot the people creates this isolated and uneasy atmosphere. He has created “despair”¹⁰ in an “otherwise ordinary scene¹¹“.

Hiroshi Sugimoto

I compiled a few of Hiroshi Sugimoto’s photographs that I thought used similar imagery to the types of outcome I wanted to achieve. These photographs are from 2 different projects, one where candles were captured directly to create strips of white among a black background while the other used natural occurring light he found within architecture and then blurred them.

Hiroshi Sugimoto “dissolves the lines between time, memory, and history¹²” in his photographs. This is a common theme among all of his work and particularly this image. By taking this photograph out of focus lines have literally been dissolved. Additionally the minimalist layout of the church creates a space that could easily be from many points in history or your own memory. While minimalism is commonly associated with modern architecture and aesthetics, the protestant church has been white and void of decoration to separate itself from Catholicism. Its minimalism was a direct response to the pompous teachings of Catholicism started by Martin Luther in the 1500s. The large cross is bright white compared to the rest of the image which draws attention instantly and introduces the theme of religion. Religion, especially old religions such as Christianity, is heavily associated with its past and ties throughout history – the bible is literally a historic text. The cross is also centralised with every line leading the eye towards the centre. The floor is split into isles which is illuminated by the light and makes the path to the cross and subsequent religion look inviting and easily do-able. The image was purposefully made blurred as the artists wanted the architectural feats to shine past small details as a reflection of modernisation of architecture stripping away details from previous ages of architecture. An old catholic cathedral would have a typical gothic appearance with stain glass windows, golden detailing and a large extravagant structure. If this photograph was taken as a commentary on modernity instead, then the modern church room being bare and basic is reflective of the current trend across all sections of modern architecture: Minimalist, uncreative white squares. Additionally this image is black and white, again “stripping away¹³” another layer of “superfluous decoration¹⁴“. By using the basic location as a backdrop all the focus can be set on the contrast between light and dark and the cross (representing its religion) without distraction – the whole reason Protestantism was created. The emptiness of the room also creates an unwelcoming and cool atmosphere which contrasts with the imagery of the cross and its welcoming light. This could represent both the personal connection people build with their religion but also the loneliness that comes with religious teaching and practices.

Raymond Meeks

Raymond Meeks is an American photographer who creates narratives through his books. These photographs show a few people in the woods as they traverse the wilderness. I like how their identities are obscured and the photographs are overall dark and atmospheric. He uses light and dark to create this moody atmosphere which also can show the danger associated with the woods.

Raymond Meeks takes photographs that are “considerations of sensitive observations¹⁵“. He took these photographs while observing the youth cliff jumping after school and put together the collection after dedicating 2 full years. This photograph was taken in black and white with film meaning each single photograph would have required more thought and commitment than digital. The brightest point, the white sky, is obscured by trees. Even with the obscuring, it is significantly brighter than the surrounding rock and people. This is to show the aspirational aspect behind where the people are going, symbolising their futures as young people growing up. This was made with natural lighting where the large rock is dark creating shadow. There is a difference in texture also as the trees are smooth compared to the rough rock surface. The people create a line leading towards the bright light from the darker rocks showing the path they’re taking which also links to underlying themes of religion as Raymond Meeks “was raised Catholic¹⁶” and compares the ritual of cliff jumping in the woods to “altars¹⁷” from church. Religion carries many connotations such as the positive community as well as fears due to its ties with consequence, sin and death. While this image is not of the symbolic jump itself it documents the lead up by following a small community on their path to the altars. “He has chosen not to photograph the faces¹⁸” which serves two purposes. The first is to make them seem like faceless followers while the second is so that their identity is stripped away so that the focus is on their actions as opposed to the people behind them. He is photographing “traces and residue¹⁹” instead of the “thing itself²⁰” which leads to strangely dreamlike and “whimsy²¹” images contrasted with the tension of “the unknown²²” creating a haunting atmosphere fitting for following people through the woods. One theme present among many of Raymond Meeks projects is “the construct of home²³” and the essence of a landscape. Feelings of home are “centred on memory²⁴” which makes it personal and therefore creates an emotional connection between the image and the viewer. This image has homely features not defined by its walls but the sense of familial connections between people and familiar backdrop of a generic forest. “the way in which a landscape can shape an individual²⁵” is present in the literal shape these people have had to take to overcome the hill but also how the youth culture of the area has influenced this culture of cliff jumping through the woods.

The image looks candid and unmanipulated however the subjects would have been aware of his presence.

Rut Blees Luxemburg

Rut Blees Luxemburg photographs London’s streets. Her photographs create an ominous atmosphere which frame the city in an unsettling and mysterious way. Her photographs are abstractions utilising reflections and embody the feeling of liminal spaces.

Rut Blees Luxemburg takes photos around London where she lives. She takes the mundane and turns it into “her city²⁶” by photographing only the calm and still present at night which is a totally unique character to the city during the rush of the day. She also chooses what to avoid and what to include for example “You don’t see the surveillance cameras²⁷” as it doesn’t fit the narrative. Since she lives there her interest would lie less in the bigger picture of cityscapes and instead in the smaller, abstract parts. This photograph uses the natural light of a low sun which casts a yellow hue likely taken at golden hour. This light is used to set up dramatic shadows to emphasise the depth of the stairs and presence of footprints. The yellow makes the image warm and creates a uniform style across every image in the theme. The foreground is made up of shallow stairs which lead down towards the footprints and sea. Its out of focus making use of a shorter depth of field. It has a dark tone which has high contrast and creates an overall grungy aesthetic. There is slight tension and a part of a mystery set up with the question: Who left the footprints and what happened to them. The footprints are left on a wet platform at the bottom of the stairs which lead towards the body of water. When asked “Although taken in public spaces, your work rarely shows their inhabitants. Does the presence of people deter from the poetics of the space?²⁸” Rut Blees Luxemburg simply responded “yes.²⁹” This idea that she doesn’t take photographs of “individual stories³⁰” rather she lets her photographs “becomes a template³¹” for “the imagination³²” and act like a “portal³³” into a “reflective space³⁴” creating a void of human presence that is “uncanny³⁵” while also being relaxingly “mundane³⁶“.

Jose Conceptes

Jose Conceptes is a Spanish photographer who creates scenic images through the use of light and shadows. The large majority of his work is made up of architectural imagery however a few experimental projects were made which showcase horror and fears which I would like to experiment with.

Cindy Sherman

Cindy Sherman takes photographs exploring the portrayal of women in film and media. This was expressed in her project ‘Untitled Film Stills.’ These always show at least part of Cindy Sherman as she’s commenting on the objectification of women. Often the background is equally as important for example the washing up sink or a bookshelf. I believe her work challenged stereotypes from films in a creative and unique way. She observed films and their characters and setup her images as an observation of herself as a character.

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1. https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/todd-hido-an-enigmatic-point-of-view ↩︎
2. https://www.lensculture.com/articles/todd-hido-todd-hido-on-homes-at-night-and-illustrating-memories-in-photography ↩︎
3. https://www.widewalls.ch/artists/todd-hido ↩︎
4. https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/todd-hido-an-enigmatic-point-of-view ↩︎
5. https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/todd-hido-an-enigmatic-point-of-view ↩︎
6. https://metalmagazine.eu/en/post/todd-hido-an-enigmatic-point-of-view ↩︎
7. https://www.lensculture.com/articles/todd-hido-todd-hido-on-homes-at-night-and-illustrating-memories-in-photography ↩︎
8. https://www.lensculture.com/articles/todd-hido-todd-hido-on-homes-at-night-and-illustrating-memories-in-photography ↩︎
9. https://www.lensculture.com/articles/todd-hido-todd-hido-on-homes-at-night-and-illustrating-memories-in-photography ↩︎
10. https://www.widewalls.ch/artists/todd-hido ↩︎
11. https://www.widewalls.ch/artists/todd-hido ↩︎
12. https://fraenkelgallery.com/exhibitions/hiroshi-sugimoto-architecture-2 ↩︎
13. Hiroshi Sugimoto, Architecture 1997-2002 ↩︎
14. Hiroshi Sugimoto, Architecture 1997-2002 ↩︎
15. https://www.1854.photography/2021/09/raymond-meeks-somersault-photobook-2 ↩︎
16. https://www.lensculture.com/articles/raymond-meeks-halfstory-halflife ↩︎
17. https://www.lensculture.com/articles/raymond-meeks-halfstory-halflife ↩︎
18. https://www.henricartierbresson.org/en/expositions/raymond-meeks ↩︎
19. https://www.henricartierbresson.org/en/expositions/raymond-meeks ↩︎
20. https://www.1854.photography/2021/09/raymond-meeks-somersault-photobook-2 ↩︎
21. https://www.lensculture.com/articles/raymond-meeks-halfstory-halflife ↩︎
22. https://www.lensculture.com/articles/raymond-meeks-halfstory-halflife ↩︎
23. https://www.1854.photography/2021/09/raymond-meeks-somersault-photobook-2 ↩︎
24. https://www.shashasha.co/en/artist/raymond-meeks ↩︎
25. https://www.shashasha.co/en/artist/raymond-meeks ↩︎
26. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/interview-a-shot-in-the-dark-1287703.html ↩︎
27. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/interview-a-shot-in-the-dark-1287703.html ↩︎
28. https://photoworks.org.uk/interview-rut ↩︎
29. https://photoworks.org.uk/interview-rut ↩︎
30. https://photoworks.org.uk/interview-rut ↩︎
31. https://photoworks.org.uk/interview-rut ↩︎
32. https://photoworks.org.uk/interview-rut ↩︎
33. https://photoworks.org.uk/interview-rut ↩︎
34. https://photoworks.org.uk/interview-rut ↩︎
35. https://1000wordsmag.com/rut-blees-luxemburg/ ↩︎
36. https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/interview-a-shot-in-the-dark-1287703.html ↩︎

Photoshoot 1:

I want this photoshoot to be of houses like how Todd Hido takes his night time urban photographs. Similar to his approach, there will not be any people in these photographs and the houses will be quiet. The houses will be detached with at least one set of lights on. Ideally I will be taking these photographs through fog too so that the light will look soft and distant. I want to take these at blue hour. Since detached houses will likely be further out from town, they should also be quieter and the buildings are more unique and picturesque. To take these images I will be trying out different shutter speeds but I expect to need a low shutter speed to compensate for the dark.

Photoshoot 2:

This photoshoot will set up like Raymond Meeks by following a person/s however instead of the woods this one will be through a building and how they interact with the bannisters, doors etc. I would like to try 2 approaches to lighting. The first will make use of natural light when its still daytime around windows and the second will use artificial lights through doorways to create a leading path. I will be taking these images in an older house with deep stairs and a basement. These pictures will be used for the narrative as they’re less abstract and much easier to identify. An idea I’ve had was using a really low shutter speed so that the person was more of a trail but this is something I was going to experiment with.

Photoshoot 3/4:

These photoshoots will be abstractions of objects/locations that can be linked to fears such as a spiders web or the nails holding a carpet. While the subject is the focus of these images, the lighting is just as important. I aim to create dramatic shadows over the subjects with varying light sources. I will be taking these images both in focus and out of focus. The out of focus ones will still be enough to see the subject but like Hiroshi Sugimoto’s architecture wont be crisp. I will also take some in focus image incase I need them later for an experiment.

Goldin’s work documents her life and the lives of these people close to her in a tableaux, uncompromising manner, showcasing stories and intimate details of their lived experiences. Goldin explores the intimate emotions of the individual, in relationships, and in LGBTQ subcultures, where her beginning interest in photography was found in her loved ones who were drag queens, and she admired them for stepping outside of societal and gender norms. These photographs she took during this time and earlier were included in her first book which compromises fifteen years of work, ‘The Ballad of Sexual Dependency’. This book is a very personal depiction and documentation of her life from 1979 and 1986, and the photos hold a raw intensity which feels spontaneous. She stated about her way of capturing these moments; ‘I don’t select people in order to photograph them; I photograph directly from my life. These pictures come out of relationships, not observation.’ With her photographs, she is able to capture the world without glamorisation or glorification, and preserve the sense of peoples’ lives, to make those in the pictures stare back.

In Nan Goldin’s work around this time, her photos were dominantly taken inside and by night, they embodied a sort of ‘snapshot aesthetic’, where the subject matter is often presented without an apparent link within the images and instead rely on the juxtapositions and disjunctions of the individual photos. Goldin stated; ‘That series is stark. It’s all flash-lit. I honestly didn’t know about natural light then and how it affected the colour of the skin because I never went out in daylight.’

Within my personal study project I would like to explore two definite themes The first being Anthropocene, which is seen as a period in time. The period of the great acceleration, for example the rapid increase in climate change on our planet. This has a very significant impact, and I want to use anthropocene as a diss at humans. Using imagery to explore how it is our fault, and also as an urge for help, to get people to at least try to slow down its effects. I want to take images that observe how it is already too late and we cannot reverse what we have done but merely try to slow it down. One of my exemplar artists for this is Naomi White¹ and her observation and challenging of plastic bags, taking something so ordinary and dramatising it. My other theme will be Masculinity vs Femininity. I really enjoyed exploring this during class, and I think my personal study will be a good way to represent my passion for this theme. Photographers have a lot of things to untangle when attempting to take non-binary images. Your own bias perception of gender can be seen within the imagery you take, and I want to provide my ideology of how men have it easier than women. But I also want to portray some stereotypical views of teenage male anger vs teenage female anger and how they are released in two very different ways. One example artist for this theme is Claude Cahun ²known for her gender fluidity in her art. I have also looked at Danny Evans³ skateboarding images on Instagram when he did an exhibition over here.

The reason that these matter to me is because I think that the hardship of being a teenager is often overlooked. Parents don’t realise how much different it is to be a teenager in a jilted generation compared to their teenage atmosphere. Being a teenager in a generation which is so involved around technology has led to an anxious generation⁴. Growing up obsessed with looks, how many likes we have online and popularity obsession has led to every teenager now being so extra wary of how they move and what they do. There is no freedom anymore. Man is born free but everywhere is in chains.⁵ I want to observe how this creates a gang of copies, every teen similar to the next, but I want to challenge how they all have a deeper meaning, they all have their own personality somewhere hidden within them.

I will develop my project to portray this by looking at some inspiration that matchers my ideas. The first artist that I looked at was Jim Goldberg⁶, he uses street photography and many candid images with signage to portray how everything is so similar nowadays. By using warm tones and portraying things in a documentary style and objective matter he allows the viewer themselves to use nostalgia to connotate feelings, comparing their own teenage-hood and observing whether thier’s was better or not. The key image of his I looked at was one of a skateboard. ⁷ My reasoning for being so entangled with this image is that it represents teenage culture, I like how the skateboard has clearly been used and battered around, explaining how teenagers have a certain anger within them that they need to unleash. Another key artist I looked into was Tom Wood⁸. He mainly uses candid and unposed photography, his street photography is marked by the ability to capture raw, authentic expressions of people, often in public settings like streets, markets, or at social gatherings. Wood often captures environmental portraits, where the subject is shown in their natural surroundings, adding context and depth to the photograph. My favorite image of his was a landscape⁹, I loved how it explained your environment can massively impact how you live your life and what you turn out to be. I will use a documentary style of imagery to further develop my ideas, and also use tableaux, meaning a group of people all in one image, this will portray many different personalities’ and extract how different we all are exempt from the obsession of looks.

I intend to use some old photographs I have already taken to put in my book, and then I want to build on them by creating new images that have a similar sense and style to them. I already have some images that I really like from the Masculinity vs Femininity theme we did in lesson. I want to include a lot of landscape and environmental portraiture, I will do this by going to the edge of the island or places up high in town and just capturing the natural scenery around me. I also want to incorporate some candid photography by just taking photos when out with friends, catching authentic personality’s. One last image I want to create is one of a skateboard on a light box, which I can do at school.

1. https://www.naomiwhite.com/about ↩︎
2. https://www.jerseyheritage.org/history/claude-cahun-and-jersey/ ↩︎
3. https://www.gallery.je/features/skateboarders-by-danny-evans/ ↩︎
4. https://www.anxiousgeneration.com/ ↩︎
5. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2012/jul/15/rousseau-shows-us-way-break-chains ↩︎
6. https://jimgoldberg.com/ ↩︎
7. https://images.fotomat.io/prod/c0a2cfd4-9bee-4d2b-9993-3b3cf0741393/d1446ae8-d86e-4a0e-88f0-c52b45f2a00c.jpg?s=M ↩︎
8. https://tomwoodarchive.com/ ↩︎
9. https://www.lensculture.com/projects/5350-landscapes ↩︎