An Introduction To My Initial Thoughts Of This Personal Investigation
Photography is a vast subject that interlinks many different aspects of life. I want to explore photography and its relations to the study of sociology. The thought that a single photograph can create such a large effect upon people so far removed from the photographer is fascinating, and I want to explore the real effects that photography has upon our society- Its ability to subvert norms and values and create real change. Photography has been used as a political device, and before photography, art. The way that one photograph is able to transgress its purpose as an art form and become a piece of propaganda intrigues me. The threshold concepts of which I believe this applies most directly to are concepts #7 - Photographs are not fixed in meaning; context is everything, and #9- Photographs are not neutral; they are susceptible to the abuse of power. Threshold concept #7 demonstrates how easily a photograph can be misinterpreted or manipulated. Without context, there is no knowing of the true meaning of the photograph, and so they become an object of debate rather than facts, and this may become dangerous when things blow up out of proportion. Threshold #9 states this perfectly, and this is what I truly want to explore; just how easily can the meaning of a photograph change for the worse when put in the wrong hands? Through this topic I also want to explore censorship, and the vast history of photographs being criminalised in a sense, due to their nature of unleashing the truth. There are many examples of this throughout history, and even examples from the present, although current censorship mostly exists through the internet; this way, a vast network of 'unlawful' images can be seized and controlled.
Protests And Marches
Gallery
The Climate Emergency Campaign was initiated by Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teenager . Thunberg at the age of 15, embarked on a school strike protest in order to sit outside of the Swedish parliament. This simple act was later recognised by her peers, who in turn began to join her plight. Together, they organised a movement entitled Fridays For Future which has since spread across the globe, with school students all over the world joining in these strikes.
On the 20th of September 2019, I joined in the strike with a few of my peers. We held a sign saying "Stop All Emissions Now", and and marched through central London alongside hundreds of others. I decided to document this through photography, mainly focusing on the slogans people were presenting and the messages they were putting forward. Although the protest was focused on global issues, there was a sense of growing unrest directed towards the leadership of our country. This was apparent through the angry verbalisations that were being chanted, with the chant "f*** Boris" being a predominant voice.
The point of this protest, especially its direction towards youth, is to amplify that children are the future; the ones who will be living through the effects of this neglect of our earth. It also enables young voices to be heard. Commonly, young people feel disempowered in the face of all the destruction going on in the world. Greta Thunberg has given voice and action to young people who were previously unheard and inactive. Thunberg has empowered a generation.
On the 20th of September 2019, I joined in the strike with a few of my peers. We held a sign saying "Stop All Emissions Now", and and marched through central London alongside hundreds of others. I decided to document this through photography, mainly focusing on the slogans people were presenting and the messages they were putting forward. Although the protest was focused on global issues, there was a sense of growing unrest directed towards the leadership of our country. This was apparent through the angry verbalisations that were being chanted, with the chant "f*** Boris" being a predominant voice.
The point of this protest, especially its direction towards youth, is to amplify that children are the future; the ones who will be living through the effects of this neglect of our earth. It also enables young voices to be heard. Commonly, young people feel disempowered in the face of all the destruction going on in the world. Greta Thunberg has given voice and action to young people who were previously unheard and inactive. Thunberg has empowered a generation.
These are some images that I took at the march, of which I thought were particularly effective. This is due to the clarity of the slogans, which were my focal point. Slogans are an integral part of politics; each party and candidate for prime minister have their own slogans, which appeal to the public and popularise the candidates. They are also a powerful part of political change- a way of getting ones message heard.
The reason behind displaying this message is because all emissions, such as carbon emissions, are the main contributors to the gradual rise in temperature which is currently destroying our planet.
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In order to reuse these photos for a good cause,I attempted to make a collage using photoshop. In order to do this, I selected many of the photos I had previously taken, mostly the ones with a good slogan on the placards and the ones of people displaying power. I then, in photoshop, began cutting out different parts of the images, the main and most important aspects, which i felt needed to go on the poster. I copied and pasted these onto the blank background, using different parts from different pictures until the page was completely filled.
I then decided to cop the slogan of my original placard that I held on the march, which reads "stop all emissions now". |
My inspiration for this poster were these 'Extinction Rebellion' posters. These get handed out at climate change marches, and the symbol used, the hourglass in a circle shape, can be found tagged all over London.
Posters are so prevalent within society. They are everywhere, on every billboard and street corner. They are an amazing way of spreading a message, and are often made organically . |
Another great poster inspiration are Rave posters. In September 2019, the Saatchi gallery put on an exhibition entitled "Sweet Harmony".
It captured the rave scene of the 80s and 90s, in amazingly raw images. It integrated photos by several photographers- Tom Hunter, Vinca Petersen, Ted Polhemus, Dave Swindells and Mattko, amongst others. Within the 80s and 90s rave scene, posters had an integral part to play. They were a way of getting the word out; if you had the poster you had been to the rave. They were handed out on a mass scale, made by individuals that organised the raves. The art used on these posters, psychedelic and futuristic, is defining of the period. Its intriguing to see how these kinds of posters depicting this type of art became so prominent within the period, and how it became a slight influence of pop culture, despite its underground roots. |
Paul Graham
In this day and age, the simple act of taking a picture has never been easier. It has become so widely accessible, because of the integration of the camera into our everyday lives, through the smart phone. A photograph can be made by just the press of a button, no matter your skill set, and at no extra costs. It is also present and fleeting- digital cameras allow the photographer to view their picture immediately, and this strips away the element of anticipation and excitement. Photography is, in turn a lot more difficult, because within a single second we experience so much, so many fleeting moments and opportunities that pass unknowingly, until they are replaced in the next second by another. Photography is about knowing which moment is the right one to choose. This concept is flawed, however, because there is no right and wrong, no definitive answer to determine every single “right” moment.
As Graham states, the value of a photograph is not determined by its subject matter, or its category, it’s genre; he encourages us to ignore all the technicalities and rather focus on photographing anything and everything, and let this be your guide. Let it come to you. Fitting into a certain framework, a paradigm, is not a correct or necessary starting point. It is not intrinsic to the value of your photographs.
Graham alludes to us simply taking photos of things that make us happy, give us pleasure. Things that we see that in the moment, are wonderful and delightful and rather than fit into a certain genre, just things that seem as though they would make a nice photograph. As he puts it, many famous photographers didn’t start out with a specific type of photography that they felt the need to constantly conform with.
He states "the more pre-planned it is, the less room for surprise". He implores us to simply create without knowing what the outcome may be, what the images mean, how they fit neatly into different boxes. I like the idea that "the work often says more than the artist knows". Its important that art is subjective- its meaning differs from person to person.
What makes photography beautiful is its ability to be worth while when nothing else seems to matter. Its the act of taking photographs , that brings the photographer joy, that really makes the art beautiful.
As Graham states, the value of a photograph is not determined by its subject matter, or its category, it’s genre; he encourages us to ignore all the technicalities and rather focus on photographing anything and everything, and let this be your guide. Let it come to you. Fitting into a certain framework, a paradigm, is not a correct or necessary starting point. It is not intrinsic to the value of your photographs.
Graham alludes to us simply taking photos of things that make us happy, give us pleasure. Things that we see that in the moment, are wonderful and delightful and rather than fit into a certain genre, just things that seem as though they would make a nice photograph. As he puts it, many famous photographers didn’t start out with a specific type of photography that they felt the need to constantly conform with.
He states "the more pre-planned it is, the less room for surprise". He implores us to simply create without knowing what the outcome may be, what the images mean, how they fit neatly into different boxes. I like the idea that "the work often says more than the artist knows". Its important that art is subjective- its meaning differs from person to person.
What makes photography beautiful is its ability to be worth while when nothing else seems to matter. Its the act of taking photographs , that brings the photographer joy, that really makes the art beautiful.
Alec Soth
Alec Soth came into photography through fine art. Living in Minnesota, in the middle of America, his work became focused on displaying America in this way, not from the veiw point of someone from a large city like New York, an area which has been documented many times over and over. His body of work, Sleeping by the Mississippi documents the faded mythology of America. The Mississippi was, in his words, the freeway of its time. His work is somewhat about the social life along the river, but on the most part its about mythology and longing. Sleeping by the Mississippi was the first body of work that he felt like other people should see.
He ended up working in darkrooms after university, but realised he would come to despise any job he had. He then got a job working in a museum, and saved up money to take a leave of absence in order to travel along the Mississippi and make this body of work. The contemporary printing techniques allowed him to self publish his own work. He published 25 copies of Sleeping by the Mississippi.
He has almost conquered the middle territory- by not dwelling in a big city, there are limitations in terms of the subjects he had on hand. Contrastingly, this is what sets him apart from the other artists- Its hard to photograph the same place as 8000 or so other photographers in the big cities, and so living somewhere so secluded and drastically different in terms of culture provides a fresh perspective, and the need to find interest in different aspects of life. Similarly, living where he did meant that art reached Soth in different forms, the most predominant being the photo book. Art galleries and such were not as accessible to him, and this is where his true appreciation of the photobook started.
One of the great things about photography is that it gets better with time.
One piece of advice Soth gives us is that there is no route, no path. Chart your own path. It's unwise to be overly driven by financial reward. Have patience.
He ended up working in darkrooms after university, but realised he would come to despise any job he had. He then got a job working in a museum, and saved up money to take a leave of absence in order to travel along the Mississippi and make this body of work. The contemporary printing techniques allowed him to self publish his own work. He published 25 copies of Sleeping by the Mississippi.
He has almost conquered the middle territory- by not dwelling in a big city, there are limitations in terms of the subjects he had on hand. Contrastingly, this is what sets him apart from the other artists- Its hard to photograph the same place as 8000 or so other photographers in the big cities, and so living somewhere so secluded and drastically different in terms of culture provides a fresh perspective, and the need to find interest in different aspects of life. Similarly, living where he did meant that art reached Soth in different forms, the most predominant being the photo book. Art galleries and such were not as accessible to him, and this is where his true appreciation of the photobook started.
One of the great things about photography is that it gets better with time.
One piece of advice Soth gives us is that there is no route, no path. Chart your own path. It's unwise to be overly driven by financial reward. Have patience.
Response To Alec Soth
I took these photos in response to Alec Soth, as I believe it symbolises the faded mythology of England. The St. Georges flag, once flown high so we could recognise English troops, is now associated with football games and churches. I personally have never taken pride in this flag, and I don't particularly know anyone that does. I think these images reflect this; its faded nature, the way it has no autonomy against the wind.
Social Solidarity Vs Political Action
Currently, the UK, like the rest of the world, is in a state of lockdown. The NHS are in a metaphorical war with covid-19. Doctors and nurses are being described as "Frontline" workers, in a similar mode to how you would describe soldiers in battle. To show our appreciation and support, the UK collectively is clapping outside of our homes or out of windows, every Thursday night at 8PM. People have also began putting rainbows in favour of the NHS in their windows, showing soldarity. However, the issue that some doctors are taking with this is that, rather than actively helping the NHS by boosting funding and getting more PPE ( an issue which is currently risking lives of those on the front line), the government are simply belittling their efforts by subordinating real change with meagre clapping. The movement as a whole was started with good intentions, but over time has been politicised. Whether or not someone claps is seen as showing your political standpoint- there is an element of neighbourly shaming for those who aren't clapping.
For these reasons, some doctors have spoken out about it , and I believe it's an interesting debate.
Throughout lockdown, I have decided to take pictures of all the rainbows I see on my daily exercise.
For these reasons, some doctors have spoken out about it , and I believe it's an interesting debate.
Throughout lockdown, I have decided to take pictures of all the rainbows I see on my daily exercise.
I dislike the notion of clapping for the NHS. It may seem like a trivial thing to do, however it is deeply political and highlights large issues within society.The government would rather we maintain image and false displays of solidarity, than bring about any real support and action. This kind of treatment, in normal times allows society to stagnate. In these dire times, it may be risking the lives of thousands.
Joel Meyerowitz
Joel Meyerowitz claims that a challenge that every photographer faces, and has to overcome is that of what to include and what to exclude from this 35mm (in most cases) frame. This is integral to the art as it determines the meaning and potential of the photograph. His affinity for the Leica camera is derivative of its veiw-finder, which resides at the side of the camera rather than the middle, in turn allowing the photographer to see both the world inside the frame, and the context. He explains how a single lens reflex essentially blinds you, it makes you one-eyed. It is important to remember that what happens outside the frame has an effect on the subjects within.
When he thinks about his photographs, he "understands that his interest all along has not been identifying the singular thing, it has been photographing the relationship between things unspoken". This is a different perspective to photography, as it gives it a more meaningful purpose. The context changes the image from simply being a straight copy of the object in front of you, to being something more profound; a depiction of an unspoken connection between two seemingly separate things in time, connections that may not yet have been made. The fragility of these connections is what makes his photographs so human. He believes there are many great photographers who only work in the object reality frame of reference, and his ability to work outside of this is what sets him apart.
When he thinks about his photographs, he "understands that his interest all along has not been identifying the singular thing, it has been photographing the relationship between things unspoken". This is a different perspective to photography, as it gives it a more meaningful purpose. The context changes the image from simply being a straight copy of the object in front of you, to being something more profound; a depiction of an unspoken connection between two seemingly separate things in time, connections that may not yet have been made. The fragility of these connections is what makes his photographs so human. He believes there are many great photographers who only work in the object reality frame of reference, and his ability to work outside of this is what sets him apart.
Unease
I wanted to take a series of images that conveyed my sense of unease. As spring comes along, the world is not waking up from its winter hibernation, rather it is slipping back into it. The playgrounds are closed and the streets deserted, and its almost as if life doesn't exist outside of my own self. This feeling comes from the new rules, which dictate that we live our lives inside our own homes. The social solidarity is evident- there are no signs of deviance, no rule-breaking.
I like this set of images, because they weren't thought out. I have simply been taking my camera with me at all times, in order to document the emptiness of the world.
However, the images which show my sister don't really fit with the theme. They are too lively.
I like how these images contain some spring imagery, such as the cherry blossom.
London at this point in time, is extremely deserted, with playgrounds locked off to children and shops blank with their shutters down. The atmosphere is reminiscent of a post apocalyptic film. There is an eerie lack of human contact. When you run into another person, there is a panicked scramble as you both immediately adhere to the new social norms that dictate you stay two metres apart.
I like this set of images, because they weren't thought out. I have simply been taking my camera with me at all times, in order to document the emptiness of the world.
However, the images which show my sister don't really fit with the theme. They are too lively.
I like how these images contain some spring imagery, such as the cherry blossom.
London at this point in time, is extremely deserted, with playgrounds locked off to children and shops blank with their shutters down. The atmosphere is reminiscent of a post apocalyptic film. There is an eerie lack of human contact. When you run into another person, there is a panicked scramble as you both immediately adhere to the new social norms that dictate you stay two metres apart.
I tried to capture a sense of alienation,
Shop Policy
I decided to also document the ways in which shops were responding to the coronavirus. The new policies dictate you stand at least 2 metres away from another person, wear a mask, which is not compulsory, and try to touch as little as you can. The visual representations of these rules can be found in the signs and the markers on floors.
This acts as evidence to reinforce the fact that signs are integral to our understanding of the world, and therefor, in order to achieve social solidarity and change.
These images illustrate pathetic fallacy, as the weather suits the tone and atmosphere generally felt within society.
I think it is interesting the way that these signs have indexical meanings based purely upon the current times. These signs are solely contingent upon the current state of the world; never before would we have been asked to stand specifically two metres apart, or have shops change their policies for months on end. These challenging times have changed the way in which we interpret things, and the importance that we place upon different aspects of our life now than before. For example the disappearance of hand sanitiser form shelves shortly after the pandemic hit, and the large queues outside of shops indicate a certain collective panic, one that hasn't really pervaded post-modern society previously. Post-modernity sees society as increasingly fragmented and this sense of community is almost non-existent due to the diversity of different cultures with different norms and values. This set of images in particular show a sense of solidarity, community, a shared set of new norms that are now applied to these extenuating circumstances.
This acts as evidence to reinforce the fact that signs are integral to our understanding of the world, and therefor, in order to achieve social solidarity and change.
These images illustrate pathetic fallacy, as the weather suits the tone and atmosphere generally felt within society.
I think it is interesting the way that these signs have indexical meanings based purely upon the current times. These signs are solely contingent upon the current state of the world; never before would we have been asked to stand specifically two metres apart, or have shops change their policies for months on end. These challenging times have changed the way in which we interpret things, and the importance that we place upon different aspects of our life now than before. For example the disappearance of hand sanitiser form shelves shortly after the pandemic hit, and the large queues outside of shops indicate a certain collective panic, one that hasn't really pervaded post-modern society previously. Post-modernity sees society as increasingly fragmented and this sense of community is almost non-existent due to the diversity of different cultures with different norms and values. This set of images in particular show a sense of solidarity, community, a shared set of new norms that are now applied to these extenuating circumstances.
Cycling
One thing immediately recognisable as you walk around London at these times is the slow rise in different modes of transport used. Bikes have taken over the roads as more people try and avoid public transport, and the sight is promising. Linking this back to previous forms of activism, could this define our future? After the threat of Covid clears away, will this activity continue?
The affect that the rise in cyclists has had across the globe is vast. There has been an increase in air quality, partially due to the closure of many factories during this time. This website shows the statistics surrounding air quality all around the world, and how drastically the levels of nitrogen and PM2 .5 in the air have decreased. Nitrogen is able to penetrate deep into ones body, and in some cases, exposure to it can cause strokes and heart attacks.
Due to the ways in which we've altered our behaviour to suit the new social climate, I believe that more can be done in order to prevent global warming rising back up in the months after this crisis depletes. Cyclists should be encouraged, and there should be more done to prevent road accidents; more bike lanes is a good way to start. We are already seeing encouragement from the government, and it's important that as a population, we take responsibility for our prior actions and change our patterns of behaviour, to help save the planet.
I made a series of images documenting the unusual amount of activity in central London.
The affect that the rise in cyclists has had across the globe is vast. There has been an increase in air quality, partially due to the closure of many factories during this time. This website shows the statistics surrounding air quality all around the world, and how drastically the levels of nitrogen and PM2 .5 in the air have decreased. Nitrogen is able to penetrate deep into ones body, and in some cases, exposure to it can cause strokes and heart attacks.
Due to the ways in which we've altered our behaviour to suit the new social climate, I believe that more can be done in order to prevent global warming rising back up in the months after this crisis depletes. Cyclists should be encouraged, and there should be more done to prevent road accidents; more bike lanes is a good way to start. We are already seeing encouragement from the government, and it's important that as a population, we take responsibility for our prior actions and change our patterns of behaviour, to help save the planet.
I made a series of images documenting the unusual amount of activity in central London.
Unease: Pt 2
Photos from this collection
In an attempt to continue documenting the atmosphere around us, I cycled up to central London. However, despite the closures of shops, it was fairly busy, bursting full of cyclists, pedestrians, people picnicking. This dramatically changed my focal point. I decided to try and bring back colour and life, and particularly small glimpses of human affection.
These images focus on relationships, and the way people were able to show a sense of closeness in a period through which we were unable to do so normally.
In an attempt to continue documenting the atmosphere around us, I cycled up to central London. However, despite the closures of shops, it was fairly busy, bursting full of cyclists, pedestrians, people picnicking. This dramatically changed my focal point. I decided to try and bring back colour and life, and particularly small glimpses of human affection.
These images focus on relationships, and the way people were able to show a sense of closeness in a period through which we were unable to do so normally.
These images best convey my meaning.
Although considering the position that the country was in when these images were taken, these photographs contain human affection, and support, rather than depicting isolation. The photo on the bottom left is of an elderly person being helped by a younger woman with their shopping. From context, we can infer that this younger person may be related to the elderly woman, and is staying with her over lockdown to help her do the things that have been made impossible to do. Actions like this require sacrifice and extra care to keep one another safe. That is the punctum of this image.
Black Lives Matter
The Black Lives Matter movement was initiated in 2013, after the acquittal of Trayvon Martin's murderer. It is a political movement that fights against the systematic racism and oppression that faces black communities and black lives, inflicted by the state. This movement has become extremely prevalent after the murder of an innocent black man, George Floyd, by a police officer in Minneapolis. His death has acted as a catalyst, sparking protests across all 50 states in America, and across the world.
Ethics of protest photography
Photographing protests may have many ethical implications, due to the nature of photographs as evidence. In Beirut, for example, photographs of protestors and film are being used to wrongly incriminate people. Technology used by the FBI in America is now able to identify people using the tops of their ears. It is important to be careful when publishing images like this, and so I have experimented with covering up faces in my photographs using a red tape.
Posters
In order to avoid going against the laws on fly-posting, I decided it was best to photograph my poster against the backdrop of a wall. I wanted to mimic someone posting up a flyer, and photograph that.
However, this felt extremely performative. My project deals with issue that are relevant right now, and in the face of this, performative activism is not a dialogue I want to perpetuate.
Banksy puts forward an interesting argument against the current rules on graffiti, which I believe applies here. The government dictate that the general public view graffiti as dangerous, and connote it to the decline of society. However they only say this because they are unable to profit off of this kind of art. The billboards and advertisements that surround us are socially acceptable because they are profitable. They benefit the million pound companies, and in turn benefit the government.
In light of this new perspective, the idea of going against the law seems more appealing. The streets belong to the people.
However, this felt extremely performative. My project deals with issue that are relevant right now, and in the face of this, performative activism is not a dialogue I want to perpetuate.
Banksy puts forward an interesting argument against the current rules on graffiti, which I believe applies here. The government dictate that the general public view graffiti as dangerous, and connote it to the decline of society. However they only say this because they are unable to profit off of this kind of art. The billboards and advertisements that surround us are socially acceptable because they are profitable. They benefit the million pound companies, and in turn benefit the government.
In light of this new perspective, the idea of going against the law seems more appealing. The streets belong to the people.
This photograph is important due to the context. Within the image, you can see the Cenotaph in the background, with the words "The glorious dead". The police are protecting and surrounding this structure from protestors, as it is of great cultural significance- it is where all members of the parliament, and the queen come to pay tribute to the fallen soldiers on remembrance day. The juxtaposition between the words "lives" and "dead" is interesting, as it highlights the difference between what the protesters are fighting for and what the police are more invested in protecting. This Garry Winogrand photograph, on the bottom left, is from a different decade but portrays a scene not dissimilar to my own photograph above it. The difference between the two is the tension between the police and the people. |
These are the photos that I have chosen to define my photography style, and the ones that I am going to try and base my future images on. More than defining my photographic style, I believe it defines the tumultuous times we are living through; the pandemic, and similarly the equally important matter of racism.
I think that photographs such as these have always been important throughout history- they are used as a source, a way to document such atrocities. This is integral in this day and age. We are living through history in the making, and the situation requires an urgent reaction to change.
The acknowledgement of the pandemic, while being important, has been overshadowed by the anger that has lead to people across the globe taking to the streets in protest.
The use of black and white in these photos is specifically done. I chose this format because it amplifies the powerful atmosphere; I feel as though pictures in colour somewhat deduct from the rawness depicted in the photos. However, I have read before that the use of black and white imagery, particularly when documenting prolonged societal tensions, is incorrect as it actually pushes the issues out of the present, and in the mind of the viewer, presents them as past issues. This is a harmful concept, especially in terms of the Black Lives Matter movement, which deals with racial prejudice derivative of colonisation and slavery and spanning hundreds of years up until the present.
I think that photographs such as these have always been important throughout history- they are used as a source, a way to document such atrocities. This is integral in this day and age. We are living through history in the making, and the situation requires an urgent reaction to change.
The acknowledgement of the pandemic, while being important, has been overshadowed by the anger that has lead to people across the globe taking to the streets in protest.
The use of black and white in these photos is specifically done. I chose this format because it amplifies the powerful atmosphere; I feel as though pictures in colour somewhat deduct from the rawness depicted in the photos. However, I have read before that the use of black and white imagery, particularly when documenting prolonged societal tensions, is incorrect as it actually pushes the issues out of the present, and in the mind of the viewer, presents them as past issues. This is a harmful concept, especially in terms of the Black Lives Matter movement, which deals with racial prejudice derivative of colonisation and slavery and spanning hundreds of years up until the present.
Open
These images were taken just as shops started opening. The purpose of this photoshoot was to capture the impact of policy on real lives. I think there is a real sense of apprehensive relief. It is too early to tell the outcome of the looser restrictions, but it seems to be hopeful.
I wanted to capture the brightness of the day, which correlated well with the general atmosphere, and the colour appearing as we get to fully enjoy spring.
I wanted to capture the brightness of the day, which correlated well with the general atmosphere, and the colour appearing as we get to fully enjoy spring.
I chose these four images because they best convey the feeling of the general public in these times. In each image, you are unable to fully see anyones face, and this adds a feeling of separation between people, both physically but emotionally. This represents the effects of a lack of social contact on the way we are able to perceive emotion, and also the lack of support over the lockdown. I think it is important that people are facing away from one another, because this reflects the apprehension felt by many, and the fear of potentially entering another lockdown.
These images would be better if I had approached people and even interviewed them a bit. I think that in the current climate this is a hard goal to achieve, but hopefully in the future this will be a reasonable ask.
Anna Fox
The Barbican exhibition, entitled Masculinities: liberation through photography, opens up a conversation that is overdue; it allows the photographers to have a platform to discuss and investigate the connotations that we have with masculinity. Fox's contribution, a pink, sickeningly sweet, almost claustrophobic set of images makes you feel the need to turn away and move on at first. On closer inspection, however, the intimate pieces of the insides of her mothers cupboards are contrasted with the gruelling words of her father. This body of work was first produced to challenge the notion of the documentary photographer being an outsider, by implementing the idea of the photographs being "close to home".
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Loosely inspired by the works of Anna Fox I decided to go out on a photo walk to take a set of images reflecting to my word of stories. I went with my mum to take some images and the area around me is quite suburban and mundane and I felt that our conversation was quite fitting so I decided to pair every photograph with what she was saying as a took it. The external monologue that is produced through these images is quite intriguing because we didn’t fight we didn’t come up with this idea until we got back and had to remember every single thing that she had said however because of the kind of psychological link between photographs and places and words it was quite easy to do that especially since she said stuff more or less directly relating to the images. I also think that whilst it’s not the most interesting set of images it still is things that caught my eye such as shadows and reflections. I think that these kind of small moments in time tell a story but the context in which they were taken in, inwhich the photographer took them having that interlinked adds another depth which kind of transcends the actual image and brings you into the present in which I took these photographs.
I decided to write each quote out and use the scanner to combine text and image. Whilst scanning, I decided to distort each image and text slightly by moving them as they were scanning. This gave them a slightly wavy and disorientated look, and I like the effect of my hand being visible as it adds to create a more interesting composition.
In order to improve this experiment, I would cut out the images and text and compose them on maybe a differently coloured background such as white.
In order to improve this experiment, I would cut out the images and text and compose them on maybe a differently coloured background such as white.
Expired Film
In order to further develop my understanding of photographing on film, I wanted to shoot some pictures that were staged. My idea was extremely vague. I took inspiration from fashion magazines, and perfume adverts, using the textures of the clothes to highlight the movement of the wind.
I also took inspiration from the Masculinities exhibition I mentioned previously, which attempted to dismantle and reconstruct our notions of hegemonic masculinity, through, for example, subverting the typically masculine roles. One of my favourite images from the exhibition was from Adi Nes, a gay Israeli photographer. I read this article, which describes the relation between cultural identity and the formation of a toxic masculinity. The pervasive stereotype of Jewish men as physically inferior throughout the ages resulted in a need to establish a more powerful masculine identity, and this is further perpetuated by the mandatory conscription into the IDF. Adi Nes states “I was also very proud to serve in the IDF. I saw myself as a queer, weak, sensitive Mizrahi boy from the periphery, different from everyone else. But very quickly, already during basic training, I felt that I was part of this great power. The IDF uniform worked like a magic cloak. I was part of an ultra-masculine unit – we were completely devoted to one, and one to all. The long distance and time away from home and the intensive stay with my friends made me feel that they were my new family, the military ethos binding us together. I felt we were one.” He later went on to subvert this notion of hegemonic masculinity proposed by the military setting, staging images of soldiers posed in the liminal space between fighting, death and normality. He does this through the use of vulnerable positions and sensitivity between the subjects, and the homosexual implications, such as the use of makeup to give the impression of a wound (below). These images shine a light on an interesting aspect of masculinity, created out of harmful stereotypes and encouraged by the ethos of the country.
I also took inspiration from the Masculinities exhibition I mentioned previously, which attempted to dismantle and reconstruct our notions of hegemonic masculinity, through, for example, subverting the typically masculine roles. One of my favourite images from the exhibition was from Adi Nes, a gay Israeli photographer. I read this article, which describes the relation between cultural identity and the formation of a toxic masculinity. The pervasive stereotype of Jewish men as physically inferior throughout the ages resulted in a need to establish a more powerful masculine identity, and this is further perpetuated by the mandatory conscription into the IDF. Adi Nes states “I was also very proud to serve in the IDF. I saw myself as a queer, weak, sensitive Mizrahi boy from the periphery, different from everyone else. But very quickly, already during basic training, I felt that I was part of this great power. The IDF uniform worked like a magic cloak. I was part of an ultra-masculine unit – we were completely devoted to one, and one to all. The long distance and time away from home and the intensive stay with my friends made me feel that they were my new family, the military ethos binding us together. I felt we were one.” He later went on to subvert this notion of hegemonic masculinity proposed by the military setting, staging images of soldiers posed in the liminal space between fighting, death and normality. He does this through the use of vulnerable positions and sensitivity between the subjects, and the homosexual implications, such as the use of makeup to give the impression of a wound (below). These images shine a light on an interesting aspect of masculinity, created out of harmful stereotypes and encouraged by the ethos of the country.
In my own experiences of British masculinity, the predominant form is the hegemonic masculinity typical of a patriarchal society. The behaviours associated with this are assertiveness, invulnerability, and suppressing ones emotions, essentially subverting all aspects of femininity. Many of the boys I went to school with conformed to this identity, and anything else resulted in a fair deal of harassment and bullying. Now that we are all quite a bit older, this still exists, however it is more internal, a subconscious choice rather than a conscious one. They have internalised these traits so much that they may be almost impossible to unlearn. However, this is mainly a group mentality; they change and let go of these strict emotional regulations when they are amongst girls.
This set of images was a slight attempt to display this notion of letting go. Usually, they are uncomfortable being photographed, but in this setting, with only girls around, they overcame this, even going so far as to let me paint their nails for the images.
This set of images was a slight attempt to display this notion of letting go. Usually, they are uncomfortable being photographed, but in this setting, with only girls around, they overcame this, even going so far as to let me paint their nails for the images.
I really like this set of images, as I think they are mostly quite successful. I think they are quite a superficial attempt to explore masculinity, however this is a result of a lack of willing participants and resources. I think that photography has the power to perpetuate harmful behaviour, but also can be used to subvert and explore different subjects, offering alternatives to a proposed paradigm.
I also experimented with words and images, printing out images onto pages of 'The Duchess Of Malfi' and cutting out sections, overlaying these onto other printed pages.
I also experimented with words and images, printing out images onto pages of 'The Duchess Of Malfi' and cutting out sections, overlaying these onto other printed pages.
Youth
In light of the pandemic, I wanted to understand the full effect of social policies on real life. As a young person myself, I understand the way that we have been placed at a disadvantage in terms of our school life and social lives, and the way missing almost a year of normality has set us back in many ways. I wanted to get my peers opinions on this, and compare it to my own understanding. I asked some of my peers to comment on this.
H: Being in lockdown has definitely matured me more, and taught me a lot about myself as having so much time alone has given me space away from others. I have been able to understand who I am on my own as an individual.
Y: Having so much time away from school has made going back more daunting, and has added a lot of pressure.
R: Being in lockdown did really effect my school work and I lost a lot of motivation, which also began to impact upon my social life as I didn't have the energy to keep in contact with my friends. I started to feel more anxious about socialising as it had been so long without any interaction with my friends.
A: In terms of school I feel a lot less motivated, I also think that this whole situation has highlighted the problems within the school system. It has also made me realise how grateful I am for my family.
J: Lockdown has caused me to feel as if I have to be constantly productive. This mentality has caused me a lot of stress as i felt guilty every time I wasn't working or exercising. Although this means I got a lot done, the fact I had no time to socialise and give mysellf a break for an extended period of time wasn't very good for my mental health.
I wanted to use images that evoked a sense of normality and youth, because I feel as though a lot of this has been ripped away from us. I think that being in a constant state of uncertainty has forced us to mature a lot faster. Furthermore, we have missed out on valuable opportunities for development. Going off to university next year is a daunting concept, one which many of us are shying away from. Linking back to my original concept, I wanted to use images that weren't provided with the same context they were made in, but instead with conflicting messages.
H: Being in lockdown has definitely matured me more, and taught me a lot about myself as having so much time alone has given me space away from others. I have been able to understand who I am on my own as an individual.
Y: Having so much time away from school has made going back more daunting, and has added a lot of pressure.
R: Being in lockdown did really effect my school work and I lost a lot of motivation, which also began to impact upon my social life as I didn't have the energy to keep in contact with my friends. I started to feel more anxious about socialising as it had been so long without any interaction with my friends.
A: In terms of school I feel a lot less motivated, I also think that this whole situation has highlighted the problems within the school system. It has also made me realise how grateful I am for my family.
J: Lockdown has caused me to feel as if I have to be constantly productive. This mentality has caused me a lot of stress as i felt guilty every time I wasn't working or exercising. Although this means I got a lot done, the fact I had no time to socialise and give mysellf a break for an extended period of time wasn't very good for my mental health.
I wanted to use images that evoked a sense of normality and youth, because I feel as though a lot of this has been ripped away from us. I think that being in a constant state of uncertainty has forced us to mature a lot faster. Furthermore, we have missed out on valuable opportunities for development. Going off to university next year is a daunting concept, one which many of us are shying away from. Linking back to my original concept, I wanted to use images that weren't provided with the same context they were made in, but instead with conflicting messages.
I took inspiration from Nan Goldin's images, using the same 'snap-shot' style to convey a sense of freeness and candidness.
Nan Goldin's images are often dynamic and striking, and her subjects eccentric and attention-grabbing. Her most well-known collection of images, entitled 'The Ballad Of Sexual Dependency' has been exhibited in the form of slideshow's early on and later transformed into a book. The slideshows were played with an ever-changing soundtrack, and I believe the pictures differed each time. Goldin describes this body of work as the diary she lets people read. It consists of a multitude of snapshots depicting scenes of love and loss, with the AID's epidemic hitting her group strongly.
This New Yorker article provides a deeply interesting perspective into Nan Goldin's work, and how she differs from other photographers of the time such as Diane Arbus.
This article describes Arbus as having almost n us and them complex- her subjects are outsiders, peripheral to her ordinary life. She photographs them solely because of this outsider status and separates herself from them through the stiff nature and composition of her images. Goldin, on the other hand photographs her own community and the people who she is surrounded by, the culture that she conforms with. Her pictures are taking inside houses which they live in, and there is clearly a sense of comforts and belonging within her images. She photographs for a different purpose than Arbus- to document her life as a visual diary.
Nan Goldin's images are often dynamic and striking, and her subjects eccentric and attention-grabbing. Her most well-known collection of images, entitled 'The Ballad Of Sexual Dependency' has been exhibited in the form of slideshow's early on and later transformed into a book. The slideshows were played with an ever-changing soundtrack, and I believe the pictures differed each time. Goldin describes this body of work as the diary she lets people read. It consists of a multitude of snapshots depicting scenes of love and loss, with the AID's epidemic hitting her group strongly.
This New Yorker article provides a deeply interesting perspective into Nan Goldin's work, and how she differs from other photographers of the time such as Diane Arbus.
This article describes Arbus as having almost n us and them complex- her subjects are outsiders, peripheral to her ordinary life. She photographs them solely because of this outsider status and separates herself from them through the stiff nature and composition of her images. Goldin, on the other hand photographs her own community and the people who she is surrounded by, the culture that she conforms with. Her pictures are taking inside houses which they live in, and there is clearly a sense of comforts and belonging within her images. She photographs for a different purpose than Arbus- to document her life as a visual diary.
Making a slideshow: I wanted to use my friends voices as the background sound for this slideshow, projecting my images onto a wall with them standing in front of it, and talking from a script.
The background music was created by Cole Pemberton.
I like the overall effect of this video, however I believe that if I had more time and money the outcome would have looked better. I don't like the transition of the images and the projector was quite small and the room wasn't dark enough for the full effect. If I were to do this a second time I would do this at night, preferably in an empty space such as the studio at school.
I like the overall effect of this video, however I believe that if I had more time and money the outcome would have looked better. I don't like the transition of the images and the projector was quite small and the room wasn't dark enough for the full effect. If I were to do this a second time I would do this at night, preferably in an empty space such as the studio at school.
Film
These are some of the images that I projected in the above video. I took these on film in
Film photographs
I chose the focal point of theses images to be artificial light. I have never really explored the way that this shows up on film and really wanted to explore this, mainly because normal images taken in the light of the day capture a lot more, and are a more complete view of the world through the viewfinder. When taking images at night of artificial lights, you are only able to capture what is purposely lit up. The lights act as a frame, taking away the photographers conscious choice to keep something in the frame or exclude something.
More film photographs
Jim Goldberg: Raised by Wolves
Jim Goldberg's film Raised By Wolves is a culmination of mixed media
Photography Theory
Semiotics
Semiotics is the study of symbols and how they can be interpreted within social context and without. Denotation refers to what we can see within the image, the straightforward, simplistic, superficial parts of the image, which need no explanation. By contrast, connotation refers to the hidden messages, or the ideologies that we can relate to the symbols within the image.
Denotation |
Connotation |
Denotation is the direct things that you can see in the image, without having to know anything about the photograph. It is the focal subjects of the image, whether that be human or object, or the refraction of light.
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Connotation is the relationship between the subjects of the photograph and reality; what they may mean if we were to see the scene in the street and try to figure out what was going on. For example; two people holding hands may be the denotation, but from this we can infer that there is a type of relationship between the two people by the intimacy they are sharing. If it is a young person and an old person we may think parent and child, two people of similar ages may be husband and wife, girlfriend and boyfriend. It is the meaning behind the symbols shown within a scene.
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Denotations: A white woman and a black man, dressed in smart clothes, holding chimpanzees which have been dressed up in clothes. In a busy crowded area, with many people around them.
Connotations: During the civil rights period, where racism and segregation were the norm in America. The racial slur of referring to black people as monkeys seems to be the background of this image. We can connote from the social context, that this mixed couple holding monkeys dressed up like children has racist connotations. |
The denotations of this photograph: I can see a boy, with his shirt half off, wearing two chain necklaces, and one fingernail is painted black.
The connotations of this photograph: A boy wearing nail polish may be about gender norms, the chains imply a sense of manliness, and are usually related to American gang culture, which contrasts with the way in which we perceive nail varnish to be worn. The half off shirt implies a warm day; it also has connotations of being comfortable in ones own skin, and is also something very central to boys. It is socially unacceptable for a girl to do the same. |
Roland Barthes Camera Lucida
The Studium and the Punctum
The idea of the Studium derives from a general kind of existence of the image, as something that is just there. Not the thing that draws you in, more just the general knowledge that you can describe about an image, without any context. The indexical factors that exist within the image, which allows you to spectate, to to establish, and to animate the photograph in front of you. The name studium exists in Latin. It does not mean to study, rather, "application to a thing, taste for someone, a kind of general, enthusiastic commitment of course, but without special acuity".
The idea of Punctum is the thing, whatever it may be, that reaches out from the image and punches you. It is subjective to everyone, and also from image to image, may not exist. The punctum may be a detail of some sort; something only half visible, or something that relays a personal connection to the viewer of the image. The punctums relation to your own self means, as Barthes states, it is, " In a certain fashion, to give myself up".
The Studium of this image is that I know it is an abandoned horse riding stable, one I have visited myself, a few times in my youth. The graffiti is new, as is the decaying appearance. This brings no concern to me, as this place was not central to my life; these are mere facts, not my Punctum. The half opened draws are probably from a group of teens exploring, and are the crosses that cover the room next to it.
The idea of the Studium derives from a general kind of existence of the image, as something that is just there. Not the thing that draws you in, more just the general knowledge that you can describe about an image, without any context. The indexical factors that exist within the image, which allows you to spectate, to to establish, and to animate the photograph in front of you. The name studium exists in Latin. It does not mean to study, rather, "application to a thing, taste for someone, a kind of general, enthusiastic commitment of course, but without special acuity".
The idea of Punctum is the thing, whatever it may be, that reaches out from the image and punches you. It is subjective to everyone, and also from image to image, may not exist. The punctum may be a detail of some sort; something only half visible, or something that relays a personal connection to the viewer of the image. The punctums relation to your own self means, as Barthes states, it is, " In a certain fashion, to give myself up".
The Studium of this image is that I know it is an abandoned horse riding stable, one I have visited myself, a few times in my youth. The graffiti is new, as is the decaying appearance. This brings no concern to me, as this place was not central to my life; these are mere facts, not my Punctum. The half opened draws are probably from a group of teens exploring, and are the crosses that cover the room next to it.
The Studium of this image is that I know it is an abandoned horse riding stable, one I have visited myself, a few times in my youth. The graffiti is new, as is the decaying appearance. This brings no concern to me, as this place was not central to my life; these are mere facts, not my Punctum. The half opened draws are probably from a group of teens exploring, and are the crosses that cover the room next to it.
If I were not the photographer, I would not know that the room next door, of which is barely in the image, has been painted purple, with crosses covering the walls, and a singular armchair in the middle of the room.
This draws me in, but it is in fact, the open can of baked beans that is my Punctum. The wire attached is supposed to heat them up, and it has been used recently. This infers that I was maybe not alone when I took this image.
If I were not the photographer, I would not know that the room next door, of which is barely in the image, has been painted purple, with crosses covering the walls, and a singular armchair in the middle of the room.
This draws me in, but it is in fact, the open can of baked beans that is my Punctum. The wire attached is supposed to heat them up, and it has been used recently. This infers that I was maybe not alone when I took this image.
The Ethics of Photography
The studium:
From the title we know this photograph is taken in the Bronx, a fairly impoverished area of New York in 1970. It is a family portrait of sorts, the mother and the father are visibly shorter than the son; The Jewish giant, as he is referred to in the title. The parents expressions are that of concern maybe. Contextually, I know that the boy didn't have the best relationship with his father. I also know contextually that Eddie Carmel suffered from acromegaly, resulting from a tumour on his pituitary gland, which meant he wouldn't stop growing. He grew to be 8'9, and died two years after this photograph was taken. |
Susan Sontag on Diane Arbus
Susan Sontag is critical of Arbus: her colonialist views upon photography and how we take images expose a lot about her practice. Arbus took pictures with no responsibility for the individuals lives; she photographed the ostracised, with no awareness. She exploited their struggles. Sontag states “Photographing an appealing underworld... she has no intention of entering into the horror of those images as experienced by the inhabitants of those worlds”. She does not photograph for awareness, but for her own purposes- by contrast, Donna Ferrato, an activist photographer, photographs around the horrors of domestic violence, living with the victims she photographs, and exploring their reality. She has set up a women’s shelter, and donates to charities. Her work informs, and empathises; Arbus’ work instead comes from a place of privilege. Her physical attributes, and abilities mean that she holds the power in these images, and the way in which they portray the people in them. Her abuse of such power is the issue; she believes that simply because she has a camera, it releases her of any responsibility, as though these people aren't people, they were simply objects for her to play with. Sontag talks about how Arbus' work doesn't focus on the horrors which have been made a public outcry, like "Thalomide babies or napalm victims." These are subjects which have been presented to the public already; They know the tragedy, a different message has been put forward already. By contrast, the "freaks" she photographs had no public dialogue, no-one to defend the way in which they are portrayed. It also drew attention to disadvantaged groups, from the perspective of the safe, middle class viewer. They had no obligation to help, as that was not the focal point of the photographs.
Susan Sontag is critical of Arbus: her colonialist views upon photography and how we take images expose a lot about her practice. Arbus took pictures with no responsibility for the individuals lives; she photographed the ostracised, with no awareness. She exploited their struggles. Sontag states “Photographing an appealing underworld... she has no intention of entering into the horror of those images as experienced by the inhabitants of those worlds”. She does not photograph for awareness, but for her own purposes- by contrast, Donna Ferrato, an activist photographer, photographs around the horrors of domestic violence, living with the victims she photographs, and exploring their reality. She has set up a women’s shelter, and donates to charities. Her work informs, and empathises; Arbus’ work instead comes from a place of privilege. Her physical attributes, and abilities mean that she holds the power in these images, and the way in which they portray the people in them. Her abuse of such power is the issue; she believes that simply because she has a camera, it releases her of any responsibility, as though these people aren't people, they were simply objects for her to play with. Sontag talks about how Arbus' work doesn't focus on the horrors which have been made a public outcry, like "Thalomide babies or napalm victims." These are subjects which have been presented to the public already; They know the tragedy, a different message has been put forward already. By contrast, the "freaks" she photographs had no public dialogue, no-one to defend the way in which they are portrayed. It also drew attention to disadvantaged groups, from the perspective of the safe, middle class viewer. They had no obligation to help, as that was not the focal point of the photographs.
'Ways of Seeing'
John Berger is a marxist- his whole view is formed under this ideology.
John Berger holds the view that colour photography reinforces capitalism, and the consumer society that we live in. Advertisements use colour photography to produce this dream, an unachievable one, that is full of glamour. Glamour, he says, is a recently made up concept; prior to our capitalist society, there was no consumer based society. The ruling classes where able to flaunt their wealth via oil paintings, and this was seen as an unachievable status, especially as it was ascribed rather than achieved. However, as people started working in factories, a new class appeared, the middle class. They had an achieved status, of which they showed off using photography.
This idea of a more palatable dream is used in the colour photography of advertisements of the 1970's. These images advertise an alternative way of life, which we can achieve through consuming more. This status can theoretically be achieved by anyone, but is realistically only enjoyed by the few.
The oil paintings of the past and colour adverts of the present sell the same ideas, produced using similar devices of atmosphere and setting.
John Berger holds the view that colour photography reinforces capitalism, and the consumer society that we live in. Advertisements use colour photography to produce this dream, an unachievable one, that is full of glamour. Glamour, he says, is a recently made up concept; prior to our capitalist society, there was no consumer based society. The ruling classes where able to flaunt their wealth via oil paintings, and this was seen as an unachievable status, especially as it was ascribed rather than achieved. However, as people started working in factories, a new class appeared, the middle class. They had an achieved status, of which they showed off using photography.
This idea of a more palatable dream is used in the colour photography of advertisements of the 1970's. These images advertise an alternative way of life, which we can achieve through consuming more. This status can theoretically be achieved by anyone, but is realistically only enjoyed by the few.
The oil paintings of the past and colour adverts of the present sell the same ideas, produced using similar devices of atmosphere and setting.
Tavares Strachan
Tavares Strachan’s artistic practice activates the intersections of art, science, and politics, offering uniquely synthesized points of view on the cultural dynamics of scientific knowledge.
Recently, I went to see Tavares Stachan's exhibition "In Plain Sight" at the Miriam Goodman gallery. It consisted of three rooms: the first of which contained pages of a book covering the walls, that had been drawn over, convoluted with his own ideas on science and mythology. The second room contained collages, with images of significant historical figures and moments in time, such as atomic bombs, the queen. The final room was filled with busts of the heads of figures such as Nina Simone and Mary Seattle. Their faces where partially obscured by tribal masks from several areas in Africa and Papua New Guinea. This piece of work is entitled Distant Relatives. Unbeknownst to me at the time, these rooms contained a second element. After I had viewed the three rooms, I went and looked around the exhibition again. Whilst I was still in the second room, a woman had started singing. She was dressed in a yellow dress, parading the hallway singing a haunting song. At a point the singing stopped, and I realised she was staring my way; she beckoned me into the first room, and opened a door in the wall. The room behind the door was filled with a variety of exotic plants, and the singing women was talking incoherently. Whilst she spoke she watered the plants, and repeated phrases over and over. After a while she brought me and a few others into a second hidden room. This room was a bedroom, filled with antique books and jewellery; a bed, a dressing table and mirror, and a wardrobe. The woman started reading from a book, which followed Mathew Henson, a Black American polar explorer. The book described the people he encountered as esk****, which is now been defined as a slur,
The Encyclopedia of invisibility is a 2,400 page work that pays homage to forgotten figures throughout history.
I really like the idea of combining text and image, and political messages with photographs and sketches.
Idea: combine text and images by transferring printed images onto paper using acetone
Idea: combine text and images by transferring printed images onto paper using acetone
Transferring
Using acetone, I have transferred images that I have taken throughout this exploration onto a book I purchased from a charity shop. The book, entitled Northumberland, contains its own black and white images of the Northumberland landscape, and I like the contrast this creates with my own images mostly depicting youth culture and social tension.
I wanted to create my own piece of work combining text and images as I feel as though this changes the way in which we view images drastically. Text often acts to provide context for an image or to explain the photographers viewpoint, and so using appropriated text with a completely opposing context to the images I used seemed like an interesting contrast. Northumberland is a historic document of the place, and the images I used mostly were snapshots of my life experiencing London youth culture. These two focal points juxtapose on another, but the inscription on the inside is what I thought tied them together- It reads "In memory of places for love, from Hilda".
I wanted to create my own piece of work combining text and images as I feel as though this changes the way in which we view images drastically. Text often acts to provide context for an image or to explain the photographers viewpoint, and so using appropriated text with a completely opposing context to the images I used seemed like an interesting contrast. Northumberland is a historic document of the place, and the images I used mostly were snapshots of my life experiencing London youth culture. These two focal points juxtapose on another, but the inscription on the inside is what I thought tied them together- It reads "In memory of places for love, from Hilda".
Black and White film
I took these images on black and white film, and found that when they came out they were extremely blurry for the most part. When I take images out on the streets, I am often walking and don't stop to take the image, which on film often creates quite a nauseating effect. But at night this sometimes works to my advantage, and the three pictures below are instances where the blurry effect adds to the enclosed atmosphere. The top left image is reminiscent of being at a club or a rave, where the environment is almost claustrophobic and packed with people dancing. The long exposure effect of the bottom left image is quite abstract and mesmerising, as the pattern created by the light streaks is organic but alos quite geometric.
The Fashion Industry
I wanted to explore the fashion industry. When looking at the ways in which society is shaped by images, the fashion industry is a highly regarded perpetrator of manipulating the masses. It has ways of creating patterns of trends, influencing the way that we view clothes. It also has implications upon the environment, with fast fashion producing over 92 million tonnes of waste a year, and one pair of jeans using up 1800 gallons of water. Furthermore, the fast fashion industry is one of the most exploitative, using cheap labour in developing countries, where there is less of a focus on health and safety, and no necessary liveable wage.
Due to the media saturated post-modern society, a change has been made in the way we view fashion. Trends appear fast and die out quickly, because there is an emphasis on individuality and originality. The persistent influx of images from the media makes it hard to ignore this notion, and so fast fashion companies benefit from this by mass producing cheap clothes and making a large profit.
Due to the media saturated post-modern society, a change has been made in the way we view fashion. Trends appear fast and die out quickly, because there is an emphasis on individuality and originality. The persistent influx of images from the media makes it hard to ignore this notion, and so fast fashion companies benefit from this by mass producing cheap clothes and making a large profit.
Experimenting With Self Portraiture
With this set of pictures, I wanted to experiment with light, and so I used a lamp in my room to change the tine of the photographs.I wanted to see what the light would pick up on in different positions. A lot of the things it picked up on, such as the bridge of my nose, are things i would never purposely photograph. This aspect of chance was interesting, and it helped me to grasp the importance of lighting, especially on the way it is able to highlight some features better than others.
I like the dynamic quality of these images, which is produced by the lack of colour.
I like the dynamic quality of these images, which is produced by the lack of colour.
Photoshop
A lot of the fashion companies that I am influenced by and that are more present in my life are brands such as Palace, which is a skateboarding brand established in 2009. Their advertisements appeal to a certain demographic and subculture of young people, of whose lives are centred around risk and danger to an extent, and exploration. Many of the people I know who wear these brands have similar interests and partake in activities such as raving and skateboarding and listen to the same kind of music. I think it is interesting how this demographic is represented in the way Palace advertise their clothing. They appeal to a lifestyle which is promised to be achieved by purchasing their clothes, one that has the ability to gain them success amongst their peers. I took inspiration from this concept of targeting a specific audience, and I also like the style of casual images that they use. It is appropriate for the demographic they need, because it grasps the youth culture especially predominant in London. I wanted to attempt to use photoshop, and create some interesting compositions out of fairly mundane images. I prefer the composition of the image on the right, because the trees add more dimension to the image. |
I decided to keep the images faceless, to detract attention away from the model and rather, onto the clothes. The purpose of this was to have an image that distorted the subject, using photoshop to physically distort the body, subverting the ordinary uses of photoshop in mainstream media, where it is used to make the body look more physically appealing, particularly to a male audience. |
William Klein
William Klein was a pioneer of 20th century photography, who work in fashion and street photography helped achieve him widespread recognition. Vogue magazine employed him after viewing experiments with light and photography, wherein he played with light as the subject of the photographs. These abstractions formed the basis for a Vogue series which incorporate light surrounding a model.
Klein's most accomplished book is entitled 'New York', which is centred around his return to the city after settling in France. The success of the book derives from its raw portrayal of the city, and is narrated using the wry, black and white language of newspapers; the effect of this is almost a film-like experience. The playful, unconventional layout is experimental, and I really like the use of long exposure. I would like to experiment with this my self.
These images use the black and white to their advantage, as the bright white streak of light contrasts greatly with the background, and really highlights the model in the centre.
Klein's most accomplished book is entitled 'New York', which is centred around his return to the city after settling in France. The success of the book derives from its raw portrayal of the city, and is narrated using the wry, black and white language of newspapers; the effect of this is almost a film-like experience. The playful, unconventional layout is experimental, and I really like the use of long exposure. I would like to experiment with this my self.
These images use the black and white to their advantage, as the bright white streak of light contrasts greatly with the background, and really highlights the model in the centre.
My response
I liked this set of images, however I would improve it in many ways, as the outcomes were not what I wanted. Firstly, I would retake this with the model standing up, and I would make the background plain white, set the camera on a longer exposure so I could trace a better outline and not have the red light shining through.
Tyler Mitchell
When documenting the fashion industry, it is important to acknowledge the types of features they promote and `use to their advantage. The predominantly white institution blatantly chooses to exclude people of colour from their runways and magazines, and reinforce harmful and racist stereotypes through the categories they place their models into. Tyler Mitchell utilises fashion in order to perpetuate a contrasting narrative of the Black experience. "Photographing black people at leisure is radical"- Mitchell is attempting to create a "self contained utopia" , subverting the conventional stereotypes exacerbated by the media through the subject of leisure and freedom. In this interview, he references the artist Kerry James Marshall, who's rococo-style paintings depict "luxurious over-the-top scenes of black people enjoying life". The paintings are characteristically frivolous, and James Marshall states that he doesn't "do pictures in which the figures are abject in any way... traumatised in any way. Im trying to create a certain kind of normalcy... a sense of simple pleasure".
This sense of normalcy was an aspect that Mitchell himself also wanted to bring attention to .
Tyler Mitchell's work provides quite a fresh stance on fashion photography, in an industry where the ideal features are very euro-centric, and black models are often given less of a chance than their white counterparts. He was the first African-American to shoot a front cover for vogue, as well as being one of the youngest.
This sense of normalcy was an aspect that Mitchell himself also wanted to bring attention to .
Tyler Mitchell's work provides quite a fresh stance on fashion photography, in an industry where the ideal features are very euro-centric, and black models are often given less of a chance than their white counterparts. He was the first African-American to shoot a front cover for vogue, as well as being one of the youngest.
Self Portrait
Whilst quarantining alone in my room, I began to consume a lot more media than usual, and I saw this start to impact my mental health and the way I viewed my self. In a media saturated consumer society, the constant influx of images promoting a certain lifestyle means that the standards of beauty are constantly changing. Certain features go in and out of fashion, and the way that this affects me and many others, is that it distorts my self-view. I lose sight of what is real and what isn't, what to aspire towards and what interests me. I wanted to take a series of images documenting this feeling, where the person in the mirror was not immediately recognisable, and slightly distorted. The strangely familiar feeling of never knowing what parts of your body to hate or love, or which features to hide and what to emphasise. I think the distorted, blurry viewpoint of these images portray a sense of obscurity and confusion.
I think this set of images was quite successful, and I like the outcome, however I wish I could have executed this idea in a different setting. If I were to do this agin, I would have used a studio and a model rather than myself.
I think this set of images was quite successful, and I like the outcome, however I wish I could have executed this idea in a different setting. If I were to do this agin, I would have used a studio and a model rather than myself.
Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie
The danger of a single story: Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie's Ted Talk discusses the way in which the media pushes the ideas that people of different cultures are a monolithic group, that they all experience the same things. She discusses her American roommate's misconception of her, a Nigerian woman, as being "unable to use a stove" , and only listening to "tribal" music. Her roommate had created this idea of Adichie that conformed with what she was fed by the media about Africa as a continent, and was shocked to find out that "Nigeria happened to have English as its official language". The media provides its viewers with a one sided, sensationalised story in order to maintain readers and viewers, reporting on stories that will benefit them. Adichie discusses why this can be harmful, wrongly perpetuating a singular stance on a group where people have a diversity of experiences. I think that the media also frame things in a certain way to suit their own narrative, using photographs as a form of evidence and providing false context.
I decided to translate this idea of making a singular story in to a plurality of stories through collaborating with my peer whilst taking images around our area. We decided to each photograph what caught our attention, so rather than it being what one of us deemed worthy, we created a larger scale picture of the area we were photographing. This gives a wider perspective, and the images were quite contrasting.
We placed them together as diptychs, using the focal point of the images to see which to pair up, such as water or families. I think this creates an interesting contrast between the images, as the pictures I chose seem quite rural and Astrids seem quite urban.
I decided to translate this idea of making a singular story in to a plurality of stories through collaborating with my peer whilst taking images around our area. We decided to each photograph what caught our attention, so rather than it being what one of us deemed worthy, we created a larger scale picture of the area we were photographing. This gives a wider perspective, and the images were quite contrasting.
We placed them together as diptychs, using the focal point of the images to see which to pair up, such as water or families. I think this creates an interesting contrast between the images, as the pictures I chose seem quite rural and Astrids seem quite urban.
We attempted this experiment again, this time in Deptford, and there was less of a juxtaposition because we mainly explored the high street. I quite like the similarities between our photographs, as even though they aren't drastically different it still provides a wider perspective that what I could have provided on my own.
Susan Sontag: On Photography.
Susan Sontag's On Photography is a didactic critique of photography as an art form, and in the essay "Melancholy objects" she explores how photography in itself is a surreal art form, which acts as a form of manipulation. She states that "Surrealism lies at the heart of the photographic enterprise: in the very creation of a duplicate world, of a reality in the second degree, narrower but more dramatic than the one perceived by natural vision.". She goes on to say that the more the photograph claims to be a direct copy of the perceivable world, the more authority it claims to have, and so by portraying the image as un-doctored as similar as possible to reality, we manipulate the viewer into believing that what they are seeing is the full story. And so, the more abstract and visibly surreal the art is, the closer to reality. Taking on this view I decided to create surreal photographs without doctoring them,
Long Exposure
Using a long exposure, I wanted to capture images that were almost false in nature, based on reality, but a visible abstraction. The city at night seemed like the perfect canvas for this. This visible manipulation is interesting because it uses the same process, but the shutter is slower, which enables more light to be captured. I really like the movement and flow of the pictures, however I wish I had used a tripod as the effect of the slower shutter captured more blurriness in places where there wasn't supposed to be any.
Camera Obscura
I wanted to create a set of images that had layers of abstraction, and were far removed from the indexical context that images are thought to be a part of. In order to achieve these layers without editing in post-production, I created a camera obscura in my room, using red paper to block out the windows and leaving a small hole through which the light shone through. The red paper created a warped sense of colour, casting everything in a purple glow. The inverted image upon my wall is a reflection of the outside world, but due to many factors, it was unclear and blurry. I experimented with changing the placement of the pinhole, and decided the best place was furthest away from the wall that I was projecting on to. The red paper didn't block out all the light fully, hence why it was blurred and unclear and due to the shape of the room the light needed to almost bend a corner to reach the wall it is on. I also changed the size of the pinhole using a separate piece of paper, which I half covered and uncovered the hole.
These images demonstrate the different placement of the pinhole, and how this effected the way the image was projected, the clarity and the position of the image.
To further abstract this, I took images of the reflections, and for one of the pictures I changed the perspective to make it the right way up. This means that the reflection of the outside world has been put through three photographic processes.
These images demonstrate the different placement of the pinhole, and how this effected the way the image was projected, the clarity and the position of the image.
To further abstract this, I took images of the reflections, and for one of the pictures I changed the perspective to make it the right way up. This means that the reflection of the outside world has been put through three photographic processes.
MVI_8387 from Kitty Quinton on Vimeo. |
This is a short film I made combining separate clips of the camera obscura image throughout the day. I sped the clips up in order to demonstrate the changes that were occurring. The beginning of clip on the left is of my adjustments to the pinhole lens, experimenting with how big and the positioning of the light. By uncovering and covering the pinhole, I was able to change the way the image was projected- by decreasing the size of the hole, the picture became clearer and less fuzzy. Increasing the hole allowed more light in and enabled a wider perspective.
I think this was a successful experiment due to the way that it demonstrated how an image can be distorted by natural processes, which was my aim. I wanted to physically manipulate the picture and this was achieved through the color and the blurriness. |
The Palms
My notes on the video:
This hour long piece combined live music with photography, each note accompanying the emotions evoked by the image. It was split into sections, each with a different theme such as love and chance. Soth and King used archived documentary images, and separated them from their context, imposing their own narratives through the use of sound.
Often, we look at text in conjunction with photography, and its ability to provide context and shape meanings, but sound has the same potential. Music is often used in film to convey emotions, and to alter the mood of a scene, add depth and atmosphere. For example, in horror films it is often common for the music to build when trying to convey suspense. The audience is expecting the climx of the music, and instead will be given a jump scare, for instance. Songs played in a minor key often signifies sadness and a major key, happiness. The combination of sound and image in this performance was interesting as it changed for each section. For example in the section Love, the music was audibly softer with light notes, which fit with the images of couples and signified more what the audience were supposed to be feeling.
I took notes on my immediate reactions to each part of the video, and the concepts used. In particular, the play on chance struck me with intrigue. I decided to base my response upon this aspect, focusing on altering physical images using substances such as bleach, creating a chance based outcome.
I dipped and poured bleach onto some old negatives I have, and this created an organic pattern which was different each time. If I had the right resources, I would have scanned these negatives into the computer, to see what effect the bleach had on the photographs. It would also be interesting to see which negatives I had used, as I am unsure of what pictures on on these and so this adds another layer of chance.
Often, we look at text in conjunction with photography, and its ability to provide context and shape meanings, but sound has the same potential. Music is often used in film to convey emotions, and to alter the mood of a scene, add depth and atmosphere. For example, in horror films it is often common for the music to build when trying to convey suspense. The audience is expecting the climx of the music, and instead will be given a jump scare, for instance. Songs played in a minor key often signifies sadness and a major key, happiness. The combination of sound and image in this performance was interesting as it changed for each section. For example in the section Love, the music was audibly softer with light notes, which fit with the images of couples and signified more what the audience were supposed to be feeling.
I took notes on my immediate reactions to each part of the video, and the concepts used. In particular, the play on chance struck me with intrigue. I decided to base my response upon this aspect, focusing on altering physical images using substances such as bleach, creating a chance based outcome.
I dipped and poured bleach onto some old negatives I have, and this created an organic pattern which was different each time. If I had the right resources, I would have scanned these negatives into the computer, to see what effect the bleach had on the photographs. It would also be interesting to see which negatives I had used, as I am unsure of what pictures on on these and so this adds another layer of chance.
Scanning the images in :
Moving Image
Whilst out in central London on a photoshoot, I was intrigued by the notion of filming a short period of time rather than photographing it. In terms of using photographs as a form of documentation or evidence, they are extremely limited in many ways, but one of these ways is that they only can record a second in time. Film on the other hand, provides a fuller picture. It has the ability to disprove what a picture may act to prove, by showing the moments prior to and just after.
I decided that rather than just showing some clips, I would attempt to capture this notion through taking stills from the clips, and placing them in order so it showed the whole picture rather than a simple moment.
I decided that rather than just showing some clips, I would attempt to capture this notion through taking stills from the clips, and placing them in order so it showed the whole picture rather than a simple moment.
One picture everyday
During the lockdown, I took inspiration form Nan Goldin and decided to make my own visual diary, taking a picture everyday or so. I used one roll of film and developed it once we were finally back at school, as I felt this was an appropriate time to declare the worst of the lockdown over. I think that being trapped in a monotonous routine everyday has stunted my personal happiness and growth, but through this visual diary, I was reminded that while we were kept inside, the outside world kept changing everyday. I was able to capture the seasons changing, the frost clearing and blossom appearing on the trees. In retrospect, this period of helped me to appreciate the small moments of joy a lot more; I had time to start new hobbies and read more books and enjoy time by myself rather than having to constantly surround myself with people to see and things to do. The hardest part, for me, was the fact that it was winter- during winter time I always feel a lot more down and am less enthusiastic, and having such a drastic change in my daily routine and no social contact made this a lot harder to deal with.
With this visual diary, I not only photographed things that struck me as interesting, but also scenes of happiness and joy. My favourite image is of the snow, as I remember being miserable in the park and then seeing families with young children delighted at the snow.
Due to the personal nature of these images, the meaning is not fixed, and these may mean something different to each individual person. To me they depict quite a low point, but are of the moments that made me happiest throughout this.
With this visual diary, I not only photographed things that struck me as interesting, but also scenes of happiness and joy. My favourite image is of the snow, as I remember being miserable in the park and then seeing families with young children delighted at the snow.
Due to the personal nature of these images, the meaning is not fixed, and these may mean something different to each individual person. To me they depict quite a low point, but are of the moments that made me happiest throughout this.
I paired some of these images together to depict motion, and a sense of things moving forward.
Double Exposures
Final Project
Whilst reading Sontag's On Photography, a critique of the "moral and aesthetic issues surrounding the art form" , I uncovered an almost parallel perspective to my own views and thoughts. Sontag states that "To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed. It means putting oneself into a certain relation to the world that feels like knowledge- and therefor, like power." This relates to my own research of Foucalt's ideas on the relationship between power and knowledge. Knowledge and power have the same intrinsic values- the same end goal of control.
I wanted to subvert this notion of power and control, by giving the audience autonomy, the ability to decide the meaning of my images, and placing their own narrative onto this.
An artist who has previously explored this notion is John Hilliard. His famous piece, entitled 'Cause Of Death' is four images of the same dead body, but framed so that there is a different potential cause of death in each one. The body has no distinguishable characteristics that point to either one, and so it is truly up to the audience to decide the cause of death. The use of text acts to undermine the audiences trust in the images; by insisting that this image actually shows a dead man, he is showing the
I wanted to subvert this notion of power and control, by giving the audience autonomy, the ability to decide the meaning of my images, and placing their own narrative onto this.
An artist who has previously explored this notion is John Hilliard. His famous piece, entitled 'Cause Of Death' is four images of the same dead body, but framed so that there is a different potential cause of death in each one. The body has no distinguishable characteristics that point to either one, and so it is truly up to the audience to decide the cause of death. The use of text acts to undermine the audiences trust in the images; by insisting that this image actually shows a dead man, he is showing the