Secrets, Codes and Conventions
Throughout history artists have implemented secret messages in their artworks; whether it's suspected to be in Leonardo Da Vinci's 'The Last Supper' or Victor Vasnetsov's 'Knights at the Crossroads' artists have hidden these secret messages underneath the main message to express controversial political or social desires or personal thoughts and ideas.
Codes can be hidden messages in the piece of art or a custom of behaviour that is followed by people. The idea of hidden messages inside art has been explored in the previous paragraph but the idea of capturing behavioural customs hasn't. Multiple artists have attempted to capture the codes of behaviour like Paul M Smith or Martin Parr and capturing them in the middle of their customs.
Similarly to codes of behaviour are conventions in behaviour. However, conventions can also be disturbed and therefore explore the unconventional in art. Surrealists like Salvador Dali or Rene Magritte explored breaking the conventions in the subject of the art while cubists like Pablo Picasso or Georges Braque interfered with the perception of the image. On the other hand some artists perturbed the audience by interfering with traditional aesthetics and creating realistic portrayals like Lucien Freud or Francis Bacon and through this broke conventions. Even though these are all fine artists, their work has inspired multiple photographers and can be used to influence my photography. On the other hand many photographers have attempted to explore conventions to their limits or exclude some conventions of photography and art in place of others.
Codes can be hidden messages in the piece of art or a custom of behaviour that is followed by people. The idea of hidden messages inside art has been explored in the previous paragraph but the idea of capturing behavioural customs hasn't. Multiple artists have attempted to capture the codes of behaviour like Paul M Smith or Martin Parr and capturing them in the middle of their customs.
Similarly to codes of behaviour are conventions in behaviour. However, conventions can also be disturbed and therefore explore the unconventional in art. Surrealists like Salvador Dali or Rene Magritte explored breaking the conventions in the subject of the art while cubists like Pablo Picasso or Georges Braque interfered with the perception of the image. On the other hand some artists perturbed the audience by interfering with traditional aesthetics and creating realistic portrayals like Lucien Freud or Francis Bacon and through this broke conventions. Even though these are all fine artists, their work has inspired multiple photographers and can be used to influence my photography. On the other hand many photographers have attempted to explore conventions to their limits or exclude some conventions of photography and art in place of others.
The Conversation
For this task we had to layer multiple images on top of each other of one person doing multiple activities that would normally be fulfilled by a group of people. We were inspired by the work of Paul M Smith in the early 1990s where he explored the codes of behaviour in a team photo and photos of a night out but also explored the conventions of them and broke them by removing the spontaneity of the image.
The Group Shot - Codes of behaviours
Paul M Smith
Paul Smith used the 'multiple' in three different projects "Artist Rifles", "Make My Night" and finally "Robbie Williams" all three of these explored the topic of masculinity and what it means to be a man. However, "Robbie Williams" was a comemercial piece and so did not really inspire me as there was little meaning behind the images. In his first major work "Artist Rifles" Smith was inspired by his own family's background in the military. Smith grew up around Salisbury Plains a military testing ground and both him and his siblings went into the army after sixteen. However, the images recreate how he and his brothers used to play fight in the woods. By being each of the characters in the image he recreates these childhood memories that |
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helped fantasise and desensitise the war and fighting for him and his brothers. Paul Smith also attempted to capture the dehumanisation of soldiers in the army that affected him, as he became known as Smith 900 to differentiate him from others of the same surname. He captures this dehumanisation from the army by only using himself as the model for the characters in the scene representing the de-individualisation of soldiers.
After the success of "Artist Rifles" Paul M Smith wanted to explore the masculinity in the lad's night out with "Make My Night". Like before Smith uses himself to be the everyman and reflect the lack of individuality and herd behaviour exhibited by lads on a night out. It was inspired again by his experience of the army where he would often get completely drunk with a group from the army to cure his boredom from being positioned in Germany. He was inspired by the snapshot movement that had become popular at the time especially Richard Billingham's work. The snapshot movement aimed to capture the realism and intimacy of life by capturing a snapshot of the mundane, normal life. This inspired Smith to not worry about the lighting and the quality of the print as it would take away from the atmosphere that Smith was attempting to create. In an attempt to further capture the realism of the scenes he asked his friends to send him embarrassing images of them while they had been drunk. He noticed the amount of sensuality that men showed while they were drunk. He also noticed how people had different reactions to the camera while some shirked away from the camera, and so were half out of the screen in an attempt to avoid it, others leaped to the centre focus of the image such as the cucumber.
After the success of "Artist Rifles" Paul M Smith wanted to explore the masculinity in the lad's night out with "Make My Night". Like before Smith uses himself to be the everyman and reflect the lack of individuality and herd behaviour exhibited by lads on a night out. It was inspired again by his experience of the army where he would often get completely drunk with a group from the army to cure his boredom from being positioned in Germany. He was inspired by the snapshot movement that had become popular at the time especially Richard Billingham's work. The snapshot movement aimed to capture the realism and intimacy of life by capturing a snapshot of the mundane, normal life. This inspired Smith to not worry about the lighting and the quality of the print as it would take away from the atmosphere that Smith was attempting to create. In an attempt to further capture the realism of the scenes he asked his friends to send him embarrassing images of them while they had been drunk. He noticed the amount of sensuality that men showed while they were drunk. He also noticed how people had different reactions to the camera while some shirked away from the camera, and so were half out of the screen in an attempt to avoid it, others leaped to the centre focus of the image such as the cucumber.
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Andreas Gursky at The Hayward Gallery
The Andreas Gursky exhibition was the first major retrospective exhibition for Gursky's work in the UK. Gursky became famous for the post processing of his images. Where he took multiple images and overlaid them so that it is a flat image with no distortion. This was used to great effect in the piece "Paris, Montparnasse" helping create the sense that the apartment building goes on forever making the image dystopian. Furthermore as there is little else except for the building, combined with the sense of endlessness, makes the image claustrophobic even with the image being an extremely large print. The post processing can also be seen in "Rhein II" where he removed the buildings on the other side river and the dog walkers on the near side so as to heighten the image to create the modern river.
Throughout his career Gursky has commented on the effect that capitalism has had on society. This has been seen in "99 Cent", "Salerno" or "El ejido". In "99 Cent" Gursky comments on the overspending and opulence in today's society, however, this is also seen in "Amazon" but "99 Cent". It's message is only helped by the size of the prints that reflect the huge opulence in society. On the other hand "El Eijdo" captures the effect that capitalism has had on society with the massive expanse of greenhouses in the background seeming to go on endlessly while in the foreground plastic bags are strewn across the grass. In Gursky's newer pieces he has explored the rush of modern life with his pieces "Tokyo" and "Utah". He has done this by using a mixture of photographs from his phone and camera and stills and motion shots. By using his phone for |
some of the image he has been able to create this sense of modern life as the phone blurs the image as it cannot have a high enough shutter speed therefore creating the sense of motion. By mixing this with still shots he is able to create the sense that the world is in a constant rush even when still. This is particularly evident in "Tokyo" where some of the houses are blurred fro m the motion while some are entirely still.
Hidden from Normal View
For this task we had to go and capture the secret places that are hidden within cities such as alleys or mews. These 'hidden' places sometimes contain unusual forms and often provide inspiration for artists. So with that in mind we had to think about lighting and content of the images. I tried to dim the images by going out in the early morning and playing with the ISO and shutter speed to increase or decrease the light hitting the camera sensor. But I also sometimes used flash and completely got rid of the depth of the image by creating an unstable distribution of light. This unstable distribution of light occurs as the flash only reaches the foreground of the images so a depression is caused in the background while the foreground is illuminated this adds to the secrecy of the image as you can't see what is in the back of the alley.
I think that there was success in this set of images, however, this was due to the lighting and the effects that this created. I played around with the effects that changing the ISO and shutter speed had and in accordance with the effects that flash would have in each setting. Even though the images were taken at dawn to capture the light, which I thought would create the best atmosphere for the purpose of the images and the task. However, by decreasing the ISO I created more of an effect that was representative of dusk than dawn. Furthermore by using flash I created a depravity of light in the background and a greater emphasis on the foreground, reducing the physical space in the image and creating the sense that it is secluded from the area around it.
Red Star over Russia: A revolution in Visual Culture from 1905-1955
Colourfields
For this task we had to go at night and capture flowers using flash. By using the flash we created a greater emphasis on the subject in the foreground as the background became completely black due to the imbalance of light created by the flash. This creates views that are unnatural due to the lighting that allows the field to increase and decrease, so quickly, and turn into black and obscurity. This is therefore breaking the convention of using flash in photography but also creates a sense of secrecy in the image and makes the viewer wonder what is beyond the image, as the black creates a sense of continuity and incessancy, while the dark creates a feeling of the unknown in the image and therefore secrecy.
I think that this series of images had a lot of success in replicating the work of the artist, Grant Simon Rodgers, due to the highlight in the background quickly fading to dark quite quickly. However, in the second image this wasn't true as there was too much noise and so there was too much in the foreground taking away from the simplicity of the image that makes Rodgers image so pleasing. This also applies to the first image where the fence is visible this partially works but it does takeaway from the unknown in the image and wonder about what is in the dark beyond the field as the fence cuts off the image. I think that I was restricted by the lack of fields in my area as this meant that I had to be very careful so as to capture only fields.
Monochrome: Painting in Black and White
Gl;tCh
For this task we had to use audacity to data bend images on audacity or Textedit. There is an in depth tutorial on how to data bend to the right, however, you have to remember to change the files to a RAW format before you import them to audacity. The other way to databend images is through textedit where you delete or copy and paste large chunks of text below the beginning to corrupt the images.
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ATTEMPTS
This series had mixed success depending on the platform. On audacity I was able to create interesting glitches changing the colour and texture of the image while on TextEdit I only seemed to be able to create static in the image, which blocked the image. The last three were particularly successful changing the colour and texture of large chunks of the image or shifting parts of the body to other areas of the image. Furthermore Audacity allowed you to have more control of the databends that you do as you could choose the effects that you wanted to use and as it was a more manageable size in appearance you would know here the edits would occur.
Hidden Beauty
Annotate, screen grab and processes, introduce intentions of the task, link to photographers, www and ebi
For this task we were inspired by Irving Penn's work on photographing mundane objects and the amount of variation in them even though they are used by everyone. From this inspiration we were to collect and capture other people's rubbish. Capturing people's forgotten items, their rubbish, and make them into pieces of interest.
I think that this was quite successful as I found some interesting objects, even if they lacked consistency in a theme. I was able to play around with the saturation to create more texture in the image or change the colour so as to fit the theme better. This can be seen in the sock where I turned down the saturation slightly as before it had been too bright and alive and so by reducing the saturation I create an atmosphere for the image that was more fitting of the subject and represented the decay of it. While with the drug
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packet I turned it to black and white and then increased the contrast and the saturation so that the image had more detail but also represented the task better of rubbish as it darkened the image so that it isn't entirely clear what the packet had in it. On the other hand with the ticket I only turned it black and white as I felt that as it had already been crushed together there was enough to indicate that it was rubbish and unwanted.
Irving Penn's Cigarettes
Compromises
For this task we were inspired by Mariah Robertson's work with old photographic paper and chemicals. However, we used a much more manageable paper size, instead of the large sheets that Robertson used, and exposed and developed an image onto the photographic paper before pouring chemicals onto it to compromise the image and therefore breaking the convention of reusing spoilt items.
Initially the prints were a success, however, the bleach was overused and it's effectiveness unexpected and so many of the images became bare and plain. Another issue was my inability to find out which chemicals created which colours this led to the images becoming mundane again. However, the third image was a success the bleach was used sparingly so as to not eradicate the whole. The use of multiple shades and colours along with patterns gave the image an individuality that I had not previously been able to create. Furthermore as the shape of the paper was unconventional it offered the image another level of individuality.
Mariah Robertson's Chemical Reactions
Mariah Robertson is a renowned contemporary abstract photographer who is famous for her prints of photographic paper exposed and painted them with old chemicals to create abstract shapes and patterns on them. Robertson has an obsession with pushing the boundaries of photography exploring how art is viewed but also presented. Robertson is renowned for her extremely large prints which will take up |
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whole rooms or cutting off the parts that are rougher but came out better and presenting them. She was inspired by the Victorian hobbyist photographers who continuously experimented with chemicals in an attempt to create better quality, easier to develop and quicker photographs or colour. However, it is the unknown, experimentation and chance that continually interests her and makes her want to continue.
Three Strands
Manipulation of Colour
For this strand I was inspired by the work of Richard Mosse who used an infrared film to change the vivid greens of the Congo to pink and purple hues. By following the war in the congo he inverted the connotations it held by bringing it all into a bubblegum pink. This relates to Secrets, codes and conventions as it breaks the conventions of colour and how it can create different effects through the palette used.
RICHARD MOSSE
Congo where 5.4 million people had died since 1988. However, no one ever speaks about this and so in reflection of Aerochrome's previous spying days he wanted to capture this society and war that no one ever talks about and is hidden. Capturing the unseen conflict in Congo with this film that was used to capture the hidden.
Mosse went to the rebel forces and attempted to capture them, however, they were extremely hard to capture due to their isolation from the rest of society and their unwillingness to cooperate with Mosse. This made Mosse want to capture them as they were the impossible image. When he was finally able to photograph them a deep insecurity was apparent as they avoided the camera or looked into it aggressively while striking macho poses.
Mosse's use of Kodak Aerochrome highly contrast the macho behaviour of the rebels and seriousness of the situation while reflecting the hidden nature of the rebels but also the hidden nature of the war itself from the rest of the world. The western media barely reports on the Congolese war but by using this he was able to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in the Congo.
Mosse went to the rebel forces and attempted to capture them, however, they were extremely hard to capture due to their isolation from the rest of society and their unwillingness to cooperate with Mosse. This made Mosse want to capture them as they were the impossible image. When he was finally able to photograph them a deep insecurity was apparent as they avoided the camera or looked into it aggressively while striking macho poses.
Mosse's use of Kodak Aerochrome highly contrast the macho behaviour of the rebels and seriousness of the situation while reflecting the hidden nature of the rebels but also the hidden nature of the war itself from the rest of the world. The western media barely reports on the Congolese war but by using this he was able to raise awareness of the humanitarian crisis in the Congo.
I think that it was quite successful this strand as I was able to alter the vivid greens to vivid pinks. However, in the middle images there were some hues of green that I couldn't alter due to how light they were. Furthermore I feel that the overall finish of the images is worse than if I had used the Kodak Aerochrome film, however, sadly the Aerochrome has been discontinued for nearly a decade and so it was not possible to get some to use. However, if I wanted to I think that with my method I think that I could've created a film similar to the enclave of Richard Mosse.
Surrealism
For this strand I was inspired by the surrealists artists, who I felt perfectly represented the codes and conventions part of the topic. As their intention was to break the conventions and codes of art. Artists such as Salvador Dali, Georgio de Chirico or René Magritte. Who played with perspective, content and meaning so as to alter the meaning of the paintings and art as a whole. By exploring these channels they were able to explore the boundaries of art and what was possible while still being referred to art, such as René Magritte's famous "The Treachery of Images".
Analysis: Context, intentions and technique
RENÉ MAGRITTE
René Magritte creates surrealist images through disturbing conventional thoughts about perception or behaviour. He often creates images whose subjects are hallucinogenic in nature, which could be seen in a mirage or dream. Often his paintings became self-reflective and explore human nature.
Magritte used a simple, artistic style that did not take the focus away from the content of the paintings like other french surrealists or Pablo Picasso. This meant that the audience focuses entirely on the image's meaning and reflect upon themselves. This simple style contradicts the meaning behind the image and lends itself to a paradox. His biographer explained it as "the sort of awe felt in an eclipse."
Dissatisfaction is a theme throughout Magritte's work and he often tries to provoke it. This can be seen in "The Lovers" (below left) where the desire and affection of the two lovers is ruined by the cloth that is stopping them from showing this affection and instead causing dissatisfaction for them and the audience as the natural peace is disturbed. Magritte's desire for causing dissatisfaction can also be seen in "Son of Man" (above) where he causes the audience dissatisfaction as they want to know who the plainly dressed everyman is beneath the apple. However, it also causes dissatisfaction for the man as his vision is blocked reminding the audience of that scenario for them when they cannot see what is happening but want to. Magritte explains this when he says "It’s something that happens constantly. Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see." This unknown is also in the title son of man which leaves the subject of the painting, again, obscure as he is the son of a man but it is unknown to everyone.
René Magritte creates surrealist images through disturbing conventional thoughts about perception or behaviour. He often creates images whose subjects are hallucinogenic in nature, which could be seen in a mirage or dream. Often his paintings became self-reflective and explore human nature.
Magritte used a simple, artistic style that did not take the focus away from the content of the paintings like other french surrealists or Pablo Picasso. This meant that the audience focuses entirely on the image's meaning and reflect upon themselves. This simple style contradicts the meaning behind the image and lends itself to a paradox. His biographer explained it as "the sort of awe felt in an eclipse."
Dissatisfaction is a theme throughout Magritte's work and he often tries to provoke it. This can be seen in "The Lovers" (below left) where the desire and affection of the two lovers is ruined by the cloth that is stopping them from showing this affection and instead causing dissatisfaction for them and the audience as the natural peace is disturbed. Magritte's desire for causing dissatisfaction can also be seen in "Son of Man" (above) where he causes the audience dissatisfaction as they want to know who the plainly dressed everyman is beneath the apple. However, it also causes dissatisfaction for the man as his vision is blocked reminding the audience of that scenario for them when they cannot see what is happening but want to. Magritte explains this when he says "It’s something that happens constantly. Everything we see hides another thing, we always want to see what is hidden by what we see." This unknown is also in the title son of man which leaves the subject of the painting, again, obscure as he is the son of a man but it is unknown to everyone.
I think that this strand was quite successful as I was able to distort the conventions of portraiture continuing on Magritte's motive of faces throughout his work. Even if I used similar techniques throughout the editing I created different effects with them. I think that by isolating the nose in the portraits everything else becomes abstract and a pattern while the nose becomes an abstract object that epitomises the person. Again by centring on the face of people I was able to distort the features that people are defined by and are the first looked at parts of the body for both sexes. Thus by distorting them I distorted the people's whole character and personality.
Shadows
For this strand I was inspired by the artist Patrick Caulfield and his work with shadows and light in scenarios. I wanted to explore how I could manipulate light and shadows so as to break the conventions of light and perspective of them. Caulfield offered me the perfect opportunity as by giving light to the shadows you break the convention of them being dark and by making them opaque individual objects you also break the convention of them being transparent, temporary objects.
Patrick Caulfield
Patrick Caulfield makes the image minimal by making each strand of light opaque in the image so that there is fewer layers and tones in the painting. He wanted to simplify the image and has done so throughout his career but through different methods. By making each strand of light a different colour contrasting the one next to it. Through this he can also control the focus of the audience through the contrast of one piece of light to another.
Caulfield's use of layers has helped him achieve the minimalism he desired as he could make parts of the image 2d while others are brought forward. By changing the amount of dimensions throughout the image Caulfield is able to distort the perspective of the audience and alter how minimalist the image is.
Patrick Caulfield makes the image minimal by making each strand of light opaque in the image so that there is fewer layers and tones in the painting. He wanted to simplify the image and has done so throughout his career but through different methods. By making each strand of light a different colour contrasting the one next to it. Through this he can also control the focus of the audience through the contrast of one piece of light to another.
Caulfield's use of layers has helped him achieve the minimalism he desired as he could make parts of the image 2d while others are brought forward. By changing the amount of dimensions throughout the image Caulfield is able to distort the perspective of the audience and alter how minimalist the image is.
How did your understanding of Caulfield inform what you photographed?
Why this image, screen grab your process
I used this image as it offered me the most amount of shadows to change. This gave me the best opportunity for my interpretation of Caulfield's work and breaking these conventions the most. However, it became impossible to capture the shadows with a straight line so often they become roughly done, however, this does offer the image a cartoonish nature that compliments the subversion of conventions as it is the subversion of realism. As I transform the image from a real photograph, documenting a moment in life it now becomes a cartoon fantasy land of pastel blues and pinks in contrast to the greys of the actual image. I think that I was successful in my aims but the final product lacked some finesse and quality.
First Development - Shadows
For this development instead of changing all the shadows and different strands of light to differing opaque colours, defining each strand of light with a separate colour from a palette. However, with this strand I wanted to force shadows by staging it. Therefore by staging this I could achieve the shadows and shapes that I wanted but also use different angles as I was able to use more than just one source of light, due to using multiple bike lights instead of purely relying on the sun for shadows. However, this forced nature meant that there was a greater reliance on composition and the placement of objects than before where I relied on the sunlight and so generally couldn't force the composition.
I think that this was a large success I moved away from the cartoonish fantasy land of Patrick Caulfield to the harsh defined shadows of the real world. However, in saying that the shadows are never solid and are reflections of the real thing, never making them entirely real. So even though they are more realistic you never know what is actually there like in 'The Third Man' where Harry Lime continuously is a shadow who appears randomly throughout but can never be found until Calloway no longerbelieves he is real.
Second Development - China Town
For this strand I went to China Town to capture the red lights as they would lend themselves to a consistent colour scheme in the neon, even if there was a surprising number of blue neon lights which didn't detract from it as it creates a new colour scheme for the shoot. A colour scheme in a shoot is not necessarily important but it can lend the images a consistency and a string that holds them together. Furthermore the use of a colour scheme can utilise the symbolism that colour has such as with red contrasting the blue in symbolism but also combining to create a greater meaning to the images. Furthermore due to the high density of neon lights meant that it would be easy to find them and therefore photograph together making it easier to create compositions.
I think that this development was very successful due to the quality of the images, especially with the images of the casino in China Town. I think that the casinos due to all the neon lights were the most successful images as they layered and reflected over each other creating a sense of endlessness not dislike to the technique used by directors to create a sense of overwhelming claustrophobia and uneasiness for the audience and protagonist creating an experience for them, which is similar to a tunnel closing in on them. I think that this does reflect the atmosphere that Soho and China Town have due to the often dodgy characters and business which is done in the area at night. So the neon becomes more than just a physical property but also a representation of the area and the attitudes people have towards it. The only other image which made it into the edits was one of a massage and medicine parlour that was out of focus. I think this helps further the point about the attitudes that the area holds due to the other connotations that a massage holds there along with Chinese medicine's pseudo views. This is furthered by the image being out of focus, which creates a sense of mystery and secrecy about the establishment in the image. However, the image of the hotslots is by far the worst of the five edits. The image is at a slight angle, there is less detail in the image, however, it does help to give more depth and explain the image and give the others some environment and background.
3rd development - Street lights
For this development I wanted to return to my study on shadows but also combine it with a greater focus on light, a mixture between the previous development's foci. I was inspired by the recent transformations in the street that I lived on; recently they had replaced the Street lights with new ones that had a new design and were brighter. So I wanted to document this change as it provided a perfect opportunity to focus on both lights and shadows in one opportunity. This also gave me the opportunity to return to focus on the composition of the photograph as when this changed this would alter the contrast in the image therefore creating an entirely different ambience and meaning for the image.
I think that these images did not turn out well due to the fact that it is mostly just the streetlight's are too powerful in the image so they overpower anything else in the image and darken the rest of the image. In a few of the images the light was able to capture the near surroundings such as the branches, which often enveloped the lights. The other select relied on there being the green mesh and scaffolding around it, which meant that there was a lot more content in the image but still withheld so that it wasn't too noisy. Furthermore the barclays sign at the bottom of the image adds a contrast to the solely white lights in the other images. However, one recurring issue was that due to the lack of light I had to use a high ISO, which decreased the overall quality of the image.
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Fourth Development - Houses at night
During the streetlights development I noticed the amount of houses which had their lights on and front rooms visible. This reminded me of Nadav Kander's 'The Parade and Coastal Drive' where he went down a 2 mile long road called the Parade and took images of the residents going about their lives. This piece of work inspired me to go down the street I live on and a few connecting mews and attempt to capture their lives or snippets of them.
This development was not entirely successful as many of the houses either did not have lights on, were covered or frosted or nobody was in the houses. However, when I was able to go behind the houses in the mews the windows were a lot less covered compared to the front of people's houses.This allowed me to capture the people or objects inside, which created a greater depth to the image. Furthermore as it was on a mews behind the broadway the windows were set eclectically in the houses. This coupled with the contrast between the light in the windows and the darkness around them created an abstract photos where rectangles appear to be hanging in the abyss.
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NADAV KANDER - 'The Parade and Coastal Drive'
"The Parade is the name of a quiet coastal road in South East England. Stretching for approximately 2 miles, the 150 or so houses that line one side of the road all share uninterrupted views of the sea from the front, whilst from behind they are overshadowed by Dungeness, the oldest Nuclear Power Station in England." Nadav Kander wanted to capture the contrast between the calm of the sea in front of them with the invasion of the power plant behind them. However, he also wanted to capture the similarity and universal pattern of behaviour of people in the intimacy of the domestic scenario that "reveal so much about ourselves."
The attraction to photograph this street of houses that he returned to was due to the human obsession with watching |
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others going about their lives. He had been reminded of this due to the recent release of Big Brother. Furthermore he was attracted to the idea of looking in through the window that is meant for looking out of. Kander is exploring the human obsession with observing others perhaps comparing themselves with others or judging them in an attempt to boost their own
self-confidence.
self-confidence.
Fifth Development - The City at Night
After capturing the windows of people's personal homes I wanted to to take photos of where they work and capture the contrast between the two places that they mainly inhabit. The other reason why I did this was because there have been many environmental pushes for the City to turn off the lights after office hours. This has been in the news for a while and there has been a constant push for office buildings to change their policy. However, the offices have argued to leave them on as some people still work after hours such as cleaners, for security reasons and so airplanes can spot the skyscrapers. So as they leave the lights on at night I was able to go in and capture any signs of life or just capture the waste that these companies produce.
I think that this development was particularly successful as I used a new camera which had a greater number of sensors. This meant that the image quality was higher even when I increased the ISO much higher than I had been able to previously without compromising the quality of the image. This meant that I could more easily take photos in the dark, this allowed me to take crisper images that reflected the ambience of the
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Sixth Development - Dear Stranger
For this development I was inspired by the artist Shizuka Yokomizo and her project 'Dear Stranger'. In this fashion I sent letters to everyone on my street asking for them to stand in front of their front window, this is how the letter went:
Dear Stranger, I a Photography student from Fortismere working on a project which involves people I do not know. I would like to take a photograph of you standing in your front room from the street in the evening. A camera will be set outside the window on the street. If you do not mind being photographed, please stand in the room and look into the camera through the window for 10 minutes on __-__-__ (date and time). I will take your picture and then leave; we will remain strangers to each other. If you do not want to get involved, please simply draw your curtains to show your refusal. I really hope to see you from the window.
Dear Stranger, I a Photography student from Fortismere working on a project which involves people I do not know. I would like to take a photograph of you standing in your front room from the street in the evening. A camera will be set outside the window on the street. If you do not mind being photographed, please stand in the room and look into the camera through the window for 10 minutes on __-__-__ (date and time). I will take your picture and then leave; we will remain strangers to each other. If you do not want to get involved, please simply draw your curtains to show your refusal. I really hope to see you from the window.
I think that this was an extremely successful development. It was a peculiar development for me due to the interaction that you had with the strangers who came out of silent thanks. However, there was a turnout that was much larger than I expected, which helped me gain enough images for it to be a success. The variation in what people did was quite interesting; there was a lot of people who came out with a pet or loved one to show what reflected their personality or others who apologised for not turning up as they had not been at home at their allocated time. I think that the large turnout was due to the intrigue that people had in the project and it's peculiarity. In London there is a taboo about socialising to strangers that I guess is due to years of government propaganda of to not talk to strangers but also I guess people's desire for privacy in the city where everyone is squashed together and perhaps this is why people turned up because they were intrigued by this request from a stranger.
SHIZUKA YOKOMIZO - 'Dear Stranger'
Dear Stranger, I am an artist working on a photographic project which involves people I do not know…I would like to take a photograph of you standing in your front room from the street in the evening. A camera will be set outside the window on the street. If you do not mind being photographed, please stand in the room and look into the camera through the window for 10 minutes on __-__-__ (date and time)…I will take your picture and then leave…we will remain strangers to each other…If you do not want to get involved, please simply draw your curtains to show your refusal…I really hope to see you from the window. Shizuka Yokomizo attempted to capture people in their lives by going around London and trying to take photos of them in their lives. However, even if she did sometimes capture people it lacked a personal connection as they would not look your way and so did not recognise you as a stranger. So in an attempt to create that personal connection she sent out letters (above) to everyone, one street at a time,. Both still coexisted as strangers but in contrast to before there was a meeting point so Shizuka could capture them in the intimacy of their homes. |
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