AS Critical and Contextual Studies Final Piece.
The Elements.
Each image represents a different element through the pose and the coloured clothing the model is dressed in, and also through the chosen way I decided to weather/manipulate each print.
Fire- fierce pose, red/orange block coloured outfit and distressed by burning the print.
Water- Serene pose, blue outfit and re photographed with water droplets.
Earth- Strong pose, brown outfit, rep photographed smeared with mud.
Wind- Soft pose, White outfit and re photographed with white material over it to slightly block the image representing the way wind is invisible.
The last 2 images, are more examples of my 'fire' experiments as I feel they came out really well and I also liked the effects of these 2 with the combination of the burning and the poses.
AS Critical and Contextual Studies
Alongside my foundation diploma I did last year I undertook AS critical and contextual studies; here are some images which were part of my developments for the exam final piece. The concept was exploring weathering and the elements.
Water.
Claustrophobia.
Claustrophobia.
Images documenting the exhibition piece and how the dual projections are meant to be viewed. This was very important to the piece as I needed the viewing experience to mirror the feelings of the model and becoming a part of the final vision (As stated in the ‘Artist Statement’ below).
(Also these shots were taken just while i was testing it, so thats why the exhibition area looks shitty, it looked great at the exhibition though i promise!!)
Claustrophobia.
My Final Major Project final dual projection piece.
ARTIST STATEMENT
The feelings of awkwardness and discomfort often spur from the things in which we do not understand, fearing the unknown. Embracing this, my work aims to evoke these feelings during the viewing experience through the themes of androgyny and claustrophobia. The idea of an androgynous person subverts traditional gender stereotypes linking to the fear of difference; with my model appearing almost alien through the masking of their identity and the hiding of gender specific features, (Inspiration- The Man Who Fell To Earth, directed by Nicolas Roeg and Vanessa Beecroft) exploring contorted body imagery as they experience discomfort through the entrapment in a claustrophobic space. The claustrophobic element is key in the concept and in the viewing experience; the models entrapment represents the closed minded attitudes of hegemonic society in their views towards anything outside cultural norms. Whereas through a mixture of methodology, using traditional photography (Inspiration- Juergen Teller) and modern technology to create a dual projection piece (Inspiration- Jane and Louise Wilson), creates a personal and interactive viewing space for the viewer as they are forced to experience the projections in an enclosed space; the feelings created are raw and genuine as the original feelings of the model are emitted into the viewer. In addition to this the use of traditional film photography adds to the experience creating an almost 'ugly' aesthetic to the projections through the rough and juddery appearance.
Videos
Here are a selection of videos I created as developments working towards my final video projection piece. The first one is a self portrait, which was not really about the concept, but more about playing with video editing. Whereas the others represent developments looking at narrative in video and working with the concept of being androgynous and working with a blank canvas theme.
I had several realisations from these experiments as I wasn't happy with the aesthetics of the pieces in portraying my concept which led me to my final piece, which I was very pleased with.
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Crying.
The start of my FMP I decided to continue following the theme of trying to redefine the familiar, and I wanted to do this by conveying uncomfortable imagery within fashion photography, contrasting to the glamorous, cinematic images of contemporary fashion photography.
What I attempted to do here was take Polaroid images of my sister while I made her cry, these were successful in a way, but I didn't get the hysterical effect I desired, but the subtlety is quite nice. I decided to take them on Polaroid as it subverts the cinematic images discussed above, but I feel the crying in the imagery became even more subtle through using the Polaroid's as they distort detail. I also took some digital images, but those and the original Polaroid's I don't seem to have on my mac and are on my computer back home. I will be posting them after I have gone home for christmas as I think my digital edits are very interesting giving a completely different effect.
I explored the idea of a stop motion, creating a video out of the Polaroid's as I intended to end up with my final outcome being a video piece. Here I was able to explore timings and narrative. I feel that the video creates the aesthetic that it is documenting a model casting gone wrong as she gets upset and is rejected.
What I attempted to do here was take Polaroid images of my sister while I made her cry, these were successful in a way, but I didn't get the hysterical effect I desired, but the subtlety is quite nice. I decided to take them on Polaroid as it subverts the cinematic images discussed above, but I feel the crying in the imagery became even more subtle through using the Polaroid's as they distort detail. I also took some digital images, but those and the original Polaroid's I don't seem to have on my mac and are on my computer back home. I will be posting them after I have gone home for christmas as I think my digital edits are very interesting giving a completely different effect.
I explored the idea of a stop motion, creating a video out of the Polaroid's as I intended to end up with my final outcome being a video piece. Here I was able to explore timings and narrative. I feel that the video creates the aesthetic that it is documenting a model casting gone wrong as she gets upset and is rejected.
Floating.
An initial development in working towards my idea of 'The Floating Catwalk' Inspired by Nick Knight.
Redefining the Familiar: The Catwalk.
I am posting this work although I do not like it, as I feel it leads of from the London Night shoot I did, but also because the concept behind the images and the overall outcome has lead me onto revelations of how I would do it differently to develop. The possibilities it has opened up for me, including the element of video are really exciting. I would discuss my ideas on here, but I find them to precious and would not want them to be stolen, but hopefully will be tackling such a project soon.
The idea behind this was to redefine 'the catwalk', here representing the reverse gaze; the gaze discussed by theorist Laura Mulvey. Usually the models are being gazed at, but here they are gazing back. Also my attempt at redefining the catwalk was by taking away the audience, taking the images in the studio and having my models dressed in clashing patterns going against how a designers collection would usually look, with the clothes all matching and working together.
From this I found out how hard it is to get the shot you are after working with multiple models, but also how I can avoid this, but still using lots of models. To develop I would like to move on location and incorporate the element of video, as discussed above.
The idea behind this was to redefine 'the catwalk', here representing the reverse gaze; the gaze discussed by theorist Laura Mulvey. Usually the models are being gazed at, but here they are gazing back. Also my attempt at redefining the catwalk was by taking away the audience, taking the images in the studio and having my models dressed in clashing patterns going against how a designers collection would usually look, with the clothes all matching and working together.
From this I found out how hard it is to get the shot you are after working with multiple models, but also how I can avoid this, but still using lots of models. To develop I would like to move on location and incorporate the element of video, as discussed above.
These 2 represent different edits, inspired by a magazine spread I saw in an Elle.
Above and Below: remind me of a Dolce and Gabbana style advertisement.
Working in such a small studio with a large amount of models was hard, and lighting them was even harder. From these images I did not achieve the desired lighting or compositions.
Other selected images from 'The Falmouth Project'
Other random ones I liked from the day of shooting.
The Falmouth Project
When I was applying to universities one of my choices was Falmouth University, in which to obtain an interview I had to present them with a project on the town I live in, requiring half the images to be portraits. I got an interview off of these images, but I already had my LCF offer so withdrew my application and didn't attend.
The pictures feature: the town mayor, boarded up buildings, wetherspoons regulars, overgrown houses, gypsies, graffiti, teen mums and an overview of the town at night. The photograph's describe a narrative: 'A Day In The Life Of Andover'. The mayor represents the superficial exterior of the town, whereas the images after depict the reality/how I really view the town I live in, but to end with the overview of the town to bring it back to a softer note as if to say "it's not that bad really" and to show there is some beauty in everything bad.
Shoes.
Collaboration with Helen Kirkum, the artist of the abstract shoe mural which I used as my inspiration and as my backdrop for the shoot. Helen is now studying footwear and show design at Norhampton University and is also modelling in the images.
Some further experimentation with pattern cutting into the images responding to the patterns in the backdrop.
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