Laia Abril

Laia Abril (born 1986) Abril was born in 1986 in Barcelona, Spain, is a Catalan artist whose work relates to bio-politics, grief and women’s rights. She won the PhotoBook festival in Kassel and the PhotoEspaña Best Book Award. Her books include The Epilogue (2014), which documents the indirect victims of eating disorders; and a long-term project as seen down below.

A History of Misogyny

1. Chapter Two: On Rape
   • Project
   • Book
   • Exhibitions (7)
   • Press (16)
2. Chapter One: On Abortion
   • Project
   • Book
   • Exhibitions (14)
   • Press (12)
3. Genesis Chapter: On Mass Hysteria
   • Project
   • Book
   • Exhibition
   • Press (7)
4. Menstruation Myths
   • Project
   • Book
   • Exhibitions (3)
   • Press (5)
5. Feminicides
   • Project
   • Press (2)

On Eating Disorders

1. On Diet Culture
   • Project
   • Press
2. The Epilogue
   • Project
   • Book
   • Press (4)
3. Thinspiration
   • Project
   • Book

On Sexuality

1. Lobismuller
   • Project
   • Book
   • Exhibition
   • Press (7)
2. Femme Love
   • Project
   • Press

&

1. Harm Reduction
   • Project
2. On Healing: Silent Song
   • Project
   • Press (3)
3. Suyay
   • Project
   • Exhibition
   • Press (4)
4. The Haunted Island

Here are some of her images.

Laia Abril’s Misogyny is a powerful exploration that confronts the enduring issue of gender-based violence and the horrific things women go through. Abril goes into the nature of misogyny, shedding light on its harmful impact on women and how it can affect them. However she is trying to challenge this misogynistic attitude and shape individual lives. Abril’s approach is deeply personal, as she captures not only the physical harm and deception of violence but also the psychological scars left by the hate.

Her work engages with silence that some women have to do, such as a domestic abuse relationship that which is not shown in the media but is present in the lives of women. Abril’s photography often uses symbolism and conveys an message, always. For example the silencing of a women’s voices in patriarchal systems. The intimacy of her portraits and the message she tries to convey emphasizes the complexity of misogyny.

By confronting the world with harsh truth that no one wnats tp hear, Abril wnats us to look at gender inequality, abortion and all the probelms we a swomen face etc…

Through Misogyny, Abril uses photography as a tool for artistic expression but also as a means of social activism, using the camera to bring silenced voices and hidden stories to light. Her work therefore tells us so much about women’s life.

My favourite image

This is my favourite image because its an image that you could argue shows a women “suffering in silence”. She looks drained and almost as if she is going though a rough time. This image is in black and white which apposes that she is going through some sort of barging or depression as its a dull colour and that’s what you would relate these colours with. She is clearly a feminist and has a very strong opinion on what and how women suffer. Women Suffer In Silence! which is the sad truth of reality. I love how she is one of the only women who will speak upon it and isn’t shy about the horrors. Abril is a strong independent women who isn’t scared to speak on the harsh truth.

Her books

Laia Abril is a powerful voice in contemporary photography, using her work to explore complex social issues, particularly those affecting women. Through her books she attaches themselves too so many issues such as rape, abortion etc. Abril goes into themes of trauma, gender inequality, and the unseen struggles women face. Her intimate yet unapologetic approach to storytelling has a profound impact, encouraging a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of women today. Abril’s ability to blend personal narratives with broader social commentary makes her work not only a visual experience but a call for empathy and change, empowering women to reclaim their stories and challenge societal norms.

Women today continue to face deep-rooted challenges, such as misogyny. This remains widespread, everyday in discrimination, verbal abuse, and gender violence. Many women still struggle against social expectations and stereotypes (norms) that dictate how they should look, act, and live. Despite progress in gender equality, issues like sexual harassment, assault, and rape continue to haunt women, leaving emotional, physical, and psychological trauma. In many places, women are still denied equal rights in education, work, and politics, and their voices are often silenced, such as Afghanistan – the Taliban. The pressure to meet beauty standards, combined with the constant threat of violence, creates an environment of fear and low self-esteem.

For the topic of ‘Observe, Seek, Challenge’, I started by creating a mind map of the different definitions and synonyms of these three words to explain what they meant together. After this, I began compiling just a few of the various themes that are explored within photography through observation, seeking and challenging the world around us.

By creating this mind map, this will begin to help me come up with ideas, stemming from the different themes that I have explored, for my personal study. By looking at what inspires other artists and photographers and doing a brief research on their work, for example Liz Barber, as this may give me an initial idea to expand on or interpret in my own way.

Now, I can begin to explore these various concepts and come up with motives of my own for my personal study.

Started by designing and drawing out a mood board, with explaining what each term, ‘Observe, Seek and Challenge’ meant. Then got stuck on ideas, so started to draw different icons around the title such as, hearts, lighting bolts, flowers, waves, genders, even square roots, to try give me ideas.

This ended up helping as now I have an idea that I want to do which involves waves and surfing or something alone the 5 mile road which involves a surfer with his board and next to this bungalow.

My next idea involves two basketball players, one being very tall whilst the other isn’t so tall and give a documentary photoshoot of how they get ready pre-games or how they play in-game.

Another idea is to showcase the difficulties and challenges between male and female basketball and why they can’t play in the same league. Also, how different athletes get ready before the game and play during the game.

Sam Taylor-Johnson spoke about how ‘Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at.’ This is showing and explaining the ‘Male gaze’ arguing that it has an indirect influence, forcing women to unconsciously ‘self-police’, their own behaviour.

Finally, I have an idea which I will go forward with, which involves using my friend who is very into basketball and plays it everyday with maximum intensity. But, he gets injured a lot, so I am basing my idea for observe, seek and challenge around him and showing where he trains (Langford/Beaulieu), where he started (millennium park), who he plays with, the coach, his injurie signs like, scars, stitches, cast, crutches.

Here I am creating a list of things that I found interesting doing, and other studies I enjoyed doing:

Still Life And Formalism

Still life is a work of art that shows inanimate objects from the natural or man-made world. This typically including fruit and flowers and objects contrasting with others textures, such as bowls and glassware.​ For this project I looked at famous paintings to get an idea of what my photos should look like. I also analysed photographers like Paulette Tavormina, who created 17th century inspired still life photography. She lives and works in the chaotic city of New York, yet manages to capture stillness in her work. I also looked at a a series of photos by Mat Collishaw’s called ‘Last Meal on Death Row’. Here are some of there photos and my responses below:

Formalism is where where The Design, Composition and Lighting are dominant over Subject Matter. I think this contrasted nicely with the still life project as when taking photos using these ideas in mind, it creates a widely different result to the still life photos. Walker evens and his series on Beauties of the common tool was a famous piece of work that he published in 1955 and tries to capture the good, clear, ‘undesigned’ forms. This linked very closely to the ideologies of formalism, with is simple backgrounds and repetitive composition throughout the series. I also analysed photos from Darren Harvey-Regan, who was directly inspired by Walker evens, but had modern technology to improve the outcome. Below are some photos and my responses:

Environmental Portraits

An environmental portrait is a portrait executed in the subject’s usual environment, such as in their home or workplace, and typically illuminates the subject’s life and surroundings. Arnold Newman was the main inspiration for my photoshoots, he is known for his ability to thoughtfully capture the personalities of his subjects through their expressions and surroundings. While commonplace today, this technique was not widely used in the 1930s when Newman was learning his craft, pathing the new era of portrait photography. He would designing floor plans, equipment, schedules, and possible poses before the actual shoot even took place. Here are some of his Images and my responses to the overall topic:

My response

Studio Lighting and Headshots

Here I was getting to grips with the some common lighting methods, and some slightly more obscure ones. The main types of studio lighting consist of flash and continuous lighting, but they way you organise the lighting can create a massive impact on the final outcome. One lighting technique is called Rembrandt lighting, where a small triangle is cast under one of the eyes. Butterfly lighting is the next one and it shins a light directly towards the models face, above the camera. It creates a shadow under the nose and cheek bone that resembles a butterfly. Another one I looked at was Chiaruscuro (Italian for light dark), its a dramatic contrast between light and dark in the image. Here are my photos where I tried to replicate these lighting techniques in the studio:

A headshot photo is where the portrait photo is cropped somewhere in the middle torso – so that the focus is on your face. Bruce Gilden and his faces series was where he went very up and close to the subjects faces, capturing and amplifying all the imperfections lack of symmetry of people, making each person very different to each other as we are all individuals. Often times he subjects looked ‘Ugly’, causing a lot of criticism. Here are some of his photos:

I then explored different ways to edit headshots, using diamond cameo, photo-montage and multi-exposure:

Identity – masculinity vs femininity

This topic is all about capturing the inside of a subject, not the outside (e.g. there hair, eye colour, what clothes they re wearing). I tried to capture who they actually are, there identity. However, since this is a very broad topic, with many things I could explore, so I decided to focus on the binary opposites of masculinity vs femininity. I analysed 2 photographers, Cindy Sherman’s work is the multitude of identity stereotypes (like femininity) that have arisen throughout both the history of art and the history of advertising, cinema, and media. Sherman reveals and dismantles these stereotypes. her Untitled Film Project shows how females who play roles in moves are simply there for male pleasure. Claude Cahun was another photographer who defied conventional ideals of beauty and femininity with her shaven head and male attire, Claude Cahun is a perfect example of someone who pushed the boundaries of gender roles in a stereotypical society. Here are some photos from them:

Here are some of my photos that I took, which is my response to the topic of masculinity and femininity:

Landscape – Romanticism and the sublime, and New topographies

A Landscape photograph is one where it is aligned with the horizon line. The photo is wider than it is tall, to capture the vastness of a natural setting. Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) is an artistic and intellectual movement, characterized by its emphasis on emotion and individualism as well as glorification of the past and nature. The Sublime defines art as that which alludes to an immeasurable greatness beyond comprehension. Ansel Adams often had both these features in his images. He is probably the most well known and important landscape photographer of the 20th century. He created many techniques (e.g. the zone system) to help create his vast and breath-taking images of national parks in California. Here are 2 photos by him:

Here are some of my photos that I got inspired by Adams to take:

The New Topographics represented a radical shift by redefining the subject of landscape photography as the built (as opposed to the natural) environment. As environmentalism took hold of the public conscience in the 1970s, The old landscape photography from people like Ansel Adams, which where heroic and displaced the power of nature, where rejected in favour of how human activity connects with the natural world, rather than separating it. Robert Adams was took very deadpan images of buildings contracting the natural world. Here are some of his photos:

My photos:

Anthropocene

anthropocene is defined as the current geological age, viewed as the period during which human activity has been the dominant influence on climate and the environment. Edward Burtynsky, born in 1955, is renowned for his continued investigation of the ‘indelible human signature’ of the planet, caused by are excessive destruction of the natural landscape, for resources, land, energy, dump sights and more. Here are some photos from Edward Burtynsky and my response to his ideology’s:

My photos:

Stephanie Jung

Stephanie Jung works as a freelance photographer, based in Germany. Her Photos are often multiple merged images, each slightly offset from each other. Stephanie Jung does this to create a sense of movement, matched with the busy environment. Here are some of her photos and my responses:

My photos:

Street photography – Henri Cartier-Bresson

Henri Cartier Bresson harnessed the idea of the decisive moment, which is, with little planning, waiting for a moment which is interesting to capture. His photos set in motion a transformative wave that resonated throughout the photographic community. Here Are some photos from him:

I created a page spread of a trip to St.Malo I went on. I took some street photos before hand, then put them in InDesign to edit them and create a page spread of my trip.

Observe

What is the definition of observe?

To notice or perceive something and register it as being significant.

Synonyms:

Notice, see, discover, detect, examine

Seek

What is the definition of seek?

To attempt to find something.

Synonyms:

Explore, follow, investigate, pursue

Challenge

What is the definition of challenge?

A call to prove or justify something, or participating in a competitive situation or fight to decide who is superior in terms of ability or strength.

Synonyms:

Stand against, opposition, dispute, provocation

Mindmap:

For this mind map, I read an old exam essay for inspiration, and took words and terms from that essay that I thought linked when thinking about the words ‘observe, seek, challenge’. I used these to help think about ideas that I could use for my new personal study. I decided to chose to do girlhood for my personal study as I have loads of ideas I could use to expand people’s knowledge of every day lives of girls nowadays.

My mood board of ideas:

My ideas:

For this topic, I am aiming to produce photos which represent ideas around girlhood, feminism and gender roles. I will include photos from my own childhood, and how I have grown up as a girl. I want to include aspects of stereotypical themes around females, this may include wearing pink, using make-up, perfume, having long hair, having long nails, dressed in dresses, skirts, and heels, being sensitive, and engaging in activities that are traditionally associated with femininity, such as talking about relationships. But I would also like to challenge these ideas and produce photos around unfeminine stereotypical aspects; for example, showing dominance, having short hair, wearing plain coloured clothes and not involving themselves in any beauty activities like makeup.

Mind-Map

Here is a mind-map which I produced with 2 of my classmates. In the green and blue is the a breakdown of the words Observe, Seek and Challenge and what they mean to us. In the pink and orange is ideas for our personal studies. We covered a range of ideas from personal interests to the exploration of history and natural forms such as the human body and landscapes.

Mood-Boards

Natural Forms (Human Body + Nature)

History + Ideologies

Personal Interests

This mood-board is based on Architecture as it is my passion.

Abstract

Introduction (250 words): Reflect on the origin of photography and describe in your own words the difference between the two photographic processes, Daguerreotype and Calotype. Consider how they could be viewed as either a mirror or a window of the world according to John Szarkowski’s thesis. Choose one quote from Szarkowski’s text and comment if you agree or disagree.

Read John Szarkowski’s introduction and review by Jed Pearl- and select 3 quotes form each that is relevant to your essay

• –“Is it a mirror reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world”.

Select two images, one that represent a mirror and another that represents a window as examples to use in your essay.

Use some of the key words that you listed above to describe what the mirrors and windows suggest.

My Top 3 Quotes:

1. “The photograph is seen either as a mirror- a romantic expression of the photographers sensibility as it projects itself onto the things and sights of this world; or as a window- through which the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality”

Paragraph 1 (250 words): Choose an image that in your view is a mirror and analyse how it is a subjective expression and staged approach to image-making. Choose one quote from Szarkowski’s thesis and another from Jed Pearl’s review which either supports of opposes Szarkowski’s original point of view. Make sure you comment to advance argumentation in providing a critical perspective.

Paragraph 2 (250 words): Choose an image that in your view is a window and analyse how it is an objective expression rooted in a sense of realism. Choose one quote from Szarkowski’s thesis and another from Jed Pearl’s review and follow similar procedure as above ie. two opposing points of view and commentary to provide a critical perspective.

Conclusion (250 words): Refer back to the essay question and write a conclusion where you summarise Szarkowski’s theory and Pearl’s review of his thesis. Describe differences and similarities between the two images above and their opposing concepts of objectivity and subjectivity, realism and romanticism, factual and fiction, public and private.

Mirrors Photograph Idea.

Windows Photograph Idea.

What are the differences between photographs that are WINDOWS and MIRRORS.

Windows include perspectives and ‘show the world as it is’. They invite the person looking to view an outside experience. They also capture life from a distance and promote curiosity and wonder about ‘the outside’.

Mirrors incorporate a reflection which may show a persons mood, feelings and personality. It also portrays specific moments and experiences which reflects a persons identity or story through a mirror image.

Window photographs open up the world for exploration, while mirror photographs invite personal reflection and connection.

John Szarkowski

My favourite quote –“Is it a mirror reflecting a portrait of the artist who made it, or a window, through which one might better know the world”. This is saying that mirrors reflect the society we are in and can reflect a lot about us and how we do things. “Mirrors” are photographs through which a photographer is trying to tell us how he feels about himself. The study of texts that reflect their own identities, experiences and motivations. They also provide insight into the identities, experiences and motivations of others.

“A mirror – a romantic expression of the photographers sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of this world; or as a window- through which the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality” – JOHN SZARKOSKI

The Mirror and Window Analogy.

“MIRRORS AND WINDOWS has been organised around Szarkowski’s thesis that such personal visions take one of two forms. In metaphorical terms, the photograph is seen either as a mirror – a romantic expression of the photographer’s sensibility as it projects itself on the things and sights of this world; or as a window – through which the exterior world is explored in all its presence and reality.”

Mirror Synonyms:

Looking glass, reflector, reflecting, surface, glass, reflect, repeat, match, reproduce, imitate, simulate, reiterate, follow, copy ,mimic ,echo, parallel, correspond to.

Key Words Associated with Mirrors-

Tableaux, subjective, romanticism, fiction, staged, personal, reflective, internal, manipulated.

Window Synonym:

Casement, opening, aperture.

Key Words Associated with Windows-

Documentary, objective, realism, candid, public, external, truthful, straight, optical, views.

Binary Oppositions.

Mirrors- Windows

Subject- object

Inside- outside

Studio- Street

Photo Analysis.

Mirror Image:

Mijanou and friends from Beverly Hills High School spending their Senior Beach Day at Will Rogers State Beach in Los Angeles. Mijanou won the title of “best physique” at Beverly Hills High.

Lauren Greenfield photographs acclaimed chroniclers of youth culture. These photographs reveal insight into the daily lives and rituals of women. Her photos range from extreme to more genuine photographs. She photographs girls of all ages from pre-schoolers to post-grads, with a multitude of different jobs. The thing I admire most about Lauren Greenfield’s work, is her exploration of the peer pressure, exploitation and sexualisation which women experience, and how it may effect their emotions of self-worth.

This photo demonstrates a girl who is not especially rich, but her friends are. The girl is dealing with the pressures of the world, and struggling with keeping up with it all. However, due to her beauty, she is able to enter the popular, higher class group of people. However, she believes in substance over beauty and did not want to be included only for her looks and instead for her personality. This creates a mirror in the image as the main character in the photograph is seeking more than what the eye can see. This photo is a mirror as…

1. Two people are looking at each other like a reflection. There is 2 cars next to each other and 3 people in each car.

2. It is also a mirror metaphorically as It is reflecting the girls place and feelings in the group as she is unfocused and shows the lifestyle of Los Angeles an how young people grow up quickly under the influence of Hollywood.

Window Image:

Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C.

Diane Arbus was an American photographer best known for her intimate black-and-white portraits.

This image of young Colin Wood, a skinny boy is stood in Central Park holding a toy grenade in his hand. is seen as ‘iconic’ as it shows the tension between childhood fun and violence, this photo is highly celebrated due to its historical attributes. This photo is a window into the boys life and also a window from childhood innocence and silliness, into adult danger, death and aggravation through war. America’s historic transition from isolationism of the 1950s to the turmoil that would emerge in the late 1960s and 1970s is portrayed in this image.

An iconic image that embodies the awkward tension between childhood tomfoolery and primal violence, this has become one of the most celebrated photographs in the history of the medium. America’s historic transition from the complacent isolationism of the 1950s to the socio-political turmoil that would emerge in the late 1960s and 1970s seems to seethe beneath the surface of this image, underscoring Arbus’ prescience and intuitive understanding of her time.

Main Mindmap

Observe

What observe means..

“To notice or perceive (something) and register it as being significant.”

three short sentences

1. Watch the world unfold quietly around you, every detail revealing a story.
2. Observation is the key to understanding the beauty hidden in everyday moments.
3. Sometimes, silence is the best way to truly see what’s happening around you.

Moodboard

Seek

What seek means..

“Seek is the attempt or desire to obtain or achieve something.”

three short sentences

1. To seek is to embrace the unknown with curiosity and courage.
2. In every question lies the spark of discovery, waiting to be found.
3. Seek not just answers, but the wisdom in the journey itself.

Challenge

What challenge means..

“A challenge is something new and difficult which requires great effort and determination.”

three short sentences

1. Every challenge is an opportunity to grow stronger and wiser.
2. The hardest paths often lead to the most rewarding destinations.
3. Embrace the challenge, for it shapes you into the person you’re meant to be.