Structure
structure
ˈstrʌktʃə/
noun
ˈstrʌktʃə/
noun
- 1.
the arrangement of and relations between the parts or elements of something complex.
"the two sentences have equivalent structures" - 2.
a building or other object constructed from several parts.
"the station is a magnificent structure and should not be demolished"
Visual Interpretation
Using Pinterest, I looked at images that connected to 'Structure' and other things that I thought of when I thought of structure such as family's structure, social structure as well as man made and natural structure.
The Radical Eye: Modernist Photography from The Sir Elton John Collection
The Radical Eye is a Modernist Photography exhibition from the Sir Elton John Collection, showing at the Tate Modern. It focuses on the classic modernist period of the 1920s-50s, often referred to the 'coming of age' period of photography. This is the first time over the past twenty five years where a group of Man Ray portraits are brought together with portraits by Matisse, Picasso and Breton. Additionally, it displays 150 rare vintage prints by iconic figures such as Brassai, Imogen Cunningham, Andre Kertesz, Dorothea Lange, Tina Modotti and Aleksandr Rodchenko. Thus displaying the work of artists who at the time were transforming the use of photography via experimentation and innovations and ultimately have had an extensive impact on artists over time, still today, by altering their perception of photography
The Radical Eye: The beginning of modernism. Artists in the modernist period explored what the camera could do that the human eye alone could not, and how this could be harnesses to present a new modern perspective on the world.
Man Ray's pairing of positive and negative images alludes to the technical process of the image's creation. The title, 'Black and White', 1926, also refers to the elements in the composition: the face of a woman and a West African ceremonial mask carved from ebony. This formula juxtaposition alludes to culture associations of 'black' and 'white'.
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The first image is titled 'Ide collar', dated back from 1922 photographed by Paul Outerbridge. Within the composition a collar from a shirt can be found on top of a black and white checkered background. The main focal point within the image is the collar, this is due to its twisted angle and 3D effect, additionally it contrasts with the background of the image as it is a block colour with no patterns again making it a stand out feature within the image. The second image is 'Boy on bike' 1922, by Ralph Steiner. The attention has been drawn to the boy due to the wide scale making it easier to focus on the smaller individual. Furthermore, the shadow of the boy and the bike add mystery to the photo, making it more of a focal point as the viewer may question the subject. Shadows are often a representation of something dark (as used in foreshadowing), foreboding, or evil. The location of this image is Brooklyn bridge, this has been chosen as it connects the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. The shadow acts as the mystery within harmony. The last of the three images has been manipulated as the image has been converted into a negative, this flips the photo and also swaps the colours making the black features white and the white features black. Symmetry has been used within the image, not as it is often used (to portray beauty) but to examine how the colours within the picture are purely a deception and that the shapes within it are and should be the main focus when looking at it.
Portraits: Modernist portraiture harnessed photography's capacity to render an accurate likeness in clear, sharp focus and detail. But at the same time, artists and sitters pushed the conventions of portraiture with innovations in pose, composition and cropping.
Each person within the photographs has a different pose. For example Dali attempts to hill the corner, Duke Ellington sits casually in a structured environment, Noel Coward tries to fit in with environment, Joe Louis shows the scale and size of the room with his posture, Gypsy Rose Lee is relaxed leaning on the wall and Spencer Tracey has casually been put into a small environment.
Portraits and bodies: Experimental approaches to shooting, cropping and framing could transform the human body into something unfamiliar. Photographers started to focus on individual parts of the body their unconventional crops drawing attention to shape and form, accentuating curves and angles.
The first of these two images is called 'Glass Tears' another photograph by Man Ray, but in 1932. The photo is close up and dull lit, linking to the mood of the subject. She is looking up and drops of tears appear on her face although they are frozen in place as if you dropped water on sheets of glass. Glass tears, has come to be known as one of Man Rays, most iconic images. This work was taken when Man Ray was splitting up with his partner, fellow artist and photographer, Lee Miller. This changes my interpretation of the image as it reflects the artists feelings after the splitting. Maybe the pain will be there forever as the tears are frozen in place, suggesting they'll never leave. Or perhaps the term 'glass' tears suggest how painful his tears are much like shards of glass. The second image is 'A forgotten model' by George Lynes in 1937, the models body expressions suggest he is sad upset and distraught due to an earlier on scenario. The composition of the photograph leads the viewers eye as the man is in the foreground contrasting with the busy background. The walls frame him bringing our attention to him.
Experiments: This was not a period of discovery but of rediscovery. Artists were rewriting the preceding century's rules of photographic technique, harnessing 'mistakes' such as distortions and double exposures, or physically manipulating the printed image, cutting, marking and recombining photographs.
The first image is called Humanly Impossible, by Herbert Bayer from 1932. The main focal point drawing my attention is the manipulated armpit as it doesn't show a real inside, it is clearly fake and unnatural. Additionally, his facial expression also draws my attention as you can see the astonished look upon his face. His eyes connect the two together as they are very wide and looked glassed over as well as the pupil directly looking at his armpit. I think the the process Bayer used to create this effect was airbrush printing and painting. The second image is Edward Weston's Nude from 1936. Many different shapes can be spotted in the image such as oblongs, ovals, triangles combined with both curvy and straight edges. Weston has used lighting and contrast in this photograph in the image as the lighting is dark, especially in the background, bringing more attention to the subject, contrasts with light foreground.
Documents: During the 1930's, photographers refund the formula for what we now know as social documentary. The development of new technology - particularly the portable camera and roll film - allowed photographers to capture spontaneous moments unfolding in the everyday world.
The photograph on the left is 'Migrant mother' photographed by Dorothea Lange in 1936. Lange took five exposures, each time moving closer to the migrant mother, and this enabled her to crop the image in a very precise way, the resulting image is very well framed and looks almost like its a set up.
The composition of the migrant mother is very similar to a traditional photograph of a mother and her child/baby. This is because, it shows a single mothers relationship with her children. She is the only ones who face can fully be seen and the only one with a noticeable expression. It relates further to other photographs as the children rap around the mother showing thats they see her as a woman of protection and trust. This allows us the see the harsh living that the subject had to endure making the image as whole seem more important. Similarly, the black and white colours give a harsher more realistic story to the photo. I feel as if the photograph is not set up, as the expressions look realistic and painful, but I also feel as if there is some manipulation to the scenario. The photo wasn't taken instantly but the scene had not been created. |
The first of these two images is titled 'Floyd Burroughs' by Walker Evans in 1936. Walker Evans was part of a group of photographers that were commissioned by the FSA, the Farm Security Administration, to document the plight of very poor and impoverished workers during the depression in the US. The main focal point drawing my attention in this photograph is the subjects eyes. They are not only piercing but also show pain and anger. The squinting of the eyes can indicate evaluation, perhaps considering that something told to them is not true (or at least not fully so). Squinting can also indicate uncertainty perhaps this was the expression to the photographer as if the subject was unsure what the meaning and reason behind the photo was. The photographer used composition and contrast to direct our gaze as the background is dark and blurred to make it a more irrelevant section of the photo, contrasting with the foreground which is lighter and more defined.
The second image is called 'Greta Garbo' by Ilse Bing in 1932. The photographer has positioned their viewpoint to create the main focal point on the right and not in the centre. Additionally, his images makes a comment on the American Dream as the environment shows the rough and harsh conditions, but underneath there being Greta Garbo who has over come the hard ship of working in a Jam factory and had become a famous award winning actress. The image almost evaluates how it is easy for you to achieve and american dream if you peel back the harsh living (if you work hard). On the other hand the image could also be evaluating how corrupt of an idea the american dream really is, as how its a facade many people used to create their life around.
The second image is called 'Greta Garbo' by Ilse Bing in 1932. The photographer has positioned their viewpoint to create the main focal point on the right and not in the centre. Additionally, his images makes a comment on the American Dream as the environment shows the rough and harsh conditions, but underneath there being Greta Garbo who has over come the hard ship of working in a Jam factory and had become a famous award winning actress. The image almost evaluates how it is easy for you to achieve and american dream if you peel back the harsh living (if you work hard). On the other hand the image could also be evaluating how corrupt of an idea the american dream really is, as how its a facade many people used to create their life around.
Objects, perspectives and abstractions: This final room shows the still life genre re-imagined by photographers who used the technical capabilities of the camera to reveal the beauty of everyday things. Objects captured at unconventional angles or extreme close-up become strange and even unrecognisable.
The first image is titled Magnolia Blossom, photographed in 1925 by Imogen Cunningham. Within the composition of this photograph a close up image of an open magnolia flower can be found. The main focal point of the image is the pollen and the fallen petal in the foreground acting as a drawbridge to the centre. The second image is named Wall Street by Paul Strand, in 1915. The photographer has positioned their viewpoint from a distance and above the area they have captured. Strand has used light, shadows and angles to capture the essence of a modern city by photographing the silhouettes which then creates shadows suggesting people are unknown in a large busy city. The final photograph is 'Photographic construction' by Funke in 1923. The photographer has positioned the direction of light from the left side of the camera to produce the shadowing effect. Furthermore, the image has been manipulated, this can be shown via the out of focus area's compared to the high contrasts making more details.
Myoung Ho Lee
Myoung Ho Lee is a South Korean photographer his images block out the immediate background behind the tree he has decided to focus on yet also allows the viewer to have an idea of the rest of the landscape behind the focal point. This allows the viewer to see all of the intricate detailing of tree as the stark white background makes the rest of the image more clear and defined. His large canvases are placed within the scenery with large cranes and further edited to make the backdrops look like they’re floating. His photography links to structure as the tree's display one type of natural structure. They also present the idea of the different heights and widths that nature can produce and that no type of natural structure can be the same. The composition of all of the photographs is the central tree making it the focal point.
Due to first images focal point having stand out colours of red and pink there many connotations. Red is the colour of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a very emotionally intense colour. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. So swell as the image portraying structure in a natural approach, it also symbolise's the structure of the human body physically and mentally. Pink is delicate colour that represents soft, nice, playful, cute, femininity, and tenderness. Depicting the daintiness and of structure and how with ease structure can be torn apart. These two factors juxtapose each other immensely, but all in all show the many layers that structure takes to be created and how it cannot be viewed as the surface image. The rest of the image is empty with very simplistic detailing. The few objects within the background are those one expects to see so the viewer is automatically drawn to the centre piece of the image because there is little else to look at. The short and skinny trunk of the tree also alludes to the many forces that hold up structure and how they all work hand in hand, and if one branch falls they all fall as they are all significant yet not particularly strong. The second image is the anomaly within the other three images, as the photo has been taken in portrait, as well as this it is the only photography with features in the background and not just a simplistic scenic view. The rounded hedges within the tree represent the notions of totality, wholeness and perfection as circles are seen as never ending. The tree being in the centre of the image alludes to timelessness of nature and how the natural construction can be so strong. There is a common theme of green within the photograph, this colour has large connotations with renewal and nature. Further leading to the strength and structure from the environments natural structures.
Due to first images focal point having stand out colours of red and pink there many connotations. Red is the colour of fire and blood, so it is associated with energy, strength, power, determination as well as passion, desire, and love. Red is a very emotionally intense colour. It enhances human metabolism, increases respiration rate, and raises blood pressure. So swell as the image portraying structure in a natural approach, it also symbolise's the structure of the human body physically and mentally. Pink is delicate colour that represents soft, nice, playful, cute, femininity, and tenderness. Depicting the daintiness and of structure and how with ease structure can be torn apart. These two factors juxtapose each other immensely, but all in all show the many layers that structure takes to be created and how it cannot be viewed as the surface image. The rest of the image is empty with very simplistic detailing. The few objects within the background are those one expects to see so the viewer is automatically drawn to the centre piece of the image because there is little else to look at. The short and skinny trunk of the tree also alludes to the many forces that hold up structure and how they all work hand in hand, and if one branch falls they all fall as they are all significant yet not particularly strong. The second image is the anomaly within the other three images, as the photo has been taken in portrait, as well as this it is the only photography with features in the background and not just a simplistic scenic view. The rounded hedges within the tree represent the notions of totality, wholeness and perfection as circles are seen as never ending. The tree being in the centre of the image alludes to timelessness of nature and how the natural construction can be so strong. There is a common theme of green within the photograph, this colour has large connotations with renewal and nature. Further leading to the strength and structure from the environments natural structures.
To resemble some of Myoung Ho Lee's work, I went to a near by woods with a plain white A3 piece of card and used this to replace his large canvases. I took some photos cutting out the rest of the surroundings within the scenery so that the plant, tree or twig I was photographing so that there was less context and the central part of the image was not masked by other surrounding features, and I also took other photographs that included the back ground of the central feature in the photograph as this allowed the image to have more context and enabled the viewer of the image to understand what scenario the photograph was taken within as well as the location of the image. As if all of the photo's background had been covered it may seem that the images were taken outside of the natural environment they had grown within.I feel as if this process was effective as it gave a visual representation of the different types of structural shapes nature can create whilst also allowing the imagination to think of how some of these plants are created as not all of the context of each plant was given. Yet the process could have been improved with larger canvasses filling larger spaces such as entire tree's (much like Myoung Ho Lee), as this would isolate and make larger natural structures more of a focus within the images.
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I have chosen one photograph that only shows the main focus of the image with a contrasting blank white man made background, as it allows the image to stand out and be examined in more depth as there is less to focus on. As well as, the other image included the background and context to the natural structure, allowing the viewer to make sense of the scenery outside of the photograph. Additionally I edited these images in photoshop, so that some features became clearer and more stark.
On the left image I felt that the original photograph without any editing looked slightly banal and mundane, due the lack of colours. The image seemed to be somewhat washed out. Yet I could see that parts of the image included different shades and textures that needed to be enhanced. To intensify the colours I adjusted the images brightness and contrast as well as its vibrance. This allowed the purple hues of the ivy leaves to come through against the mossy green bark and bright white. Additionally it brought out the other more hidden colours as the background was made to look whiter and brighter so other colours shone out more. On the right image, the editing process was very similar apart from some extra yet minor additions. As the image included the entire white canvass and more I felt it was needed for the white card to be in the centre of the image, so I cropped and straightened the photograph into a shape that allowed this to happen. Furthermore I also edited the image by making the light input less than the output, this produced a foggy effect onto the photograph, that I had previously noted from Myoung Ho Lee's work.
On the left image I felt that the original photograph without any editing looked slightly banal and mundane, due the lack of colours. The image seemed to be somewhat washed out. Yet I could see that parts of the image included different shades and textures that needed to be enhanced. To intensify the colours I adjusted the images brightness and contrast as well as its vibrance. This allowed the purple hues of the ivy leaves to come through against the mossy green bark and bright white. Additionally it brought out the other more hidden colours as the background was made to look whiter and brighter so other colours shone out more. On the right image, the editing process was very similar apart from some extra yet minor additions. As the image included the entire white canvass and more I felt it was needed for the white card to be in the centre of the image, so I cropped and straightened the photograph into a shape that allowed this to happen. Furthermore I also edited the image by making the light input less than the output, this produced a foggy effect onto the photograph, that I had previously noted from Myoung Ho Lee's work.
Artist and Me
The inspiration I took from Myoung Ho Lee, is the autumnal leaves that have a slight decomposing effect against a stark white background, as I think the comparison creates bolder aspects of the leaves that would otherwise be insignificant. Yet, I didn't allow the foreground in to the image, this was because the paper I used was of a smaller scale and so the background consisted of very similar aspects that were included within the image. Furthermore, I photographed a close up and zoomed section of the tree as I thought if I focused on a intricate detail of a tree as it would allow a more extensive details that would not be identifiable if it had been taken from a further distance.
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Sanna Kannisto
Sanna Kannisto is a Finnish artist born in 1974, she explores the theories and concepts with which humans approach nature in art and science. In so doing, she uses both the methods of representation in art as well as the methods of the natural sciences. Plants and animals are studied, staged, and then photographed in 'field studios.' As soon as the object is removed from its natural habitat, our attention is directed toward specific characteristics and movements. The white backdrop of the 'field studio' further amplifies this effect, as it intensifies foreign colours and shapes.
The first image correlates to structure in both a manmade and natural sense. Kannisto has manipulated the natural plant by placing the flowers into the studio in a chandelier like shape, hanging from the top. Chandeliers are a symbol of light, yet also represent beauty. So, this manmade structure holds both elegance and necessity. The fallen petals portray how both manmade and natural structure can be destroyed.Yet the vivid green leaves juxtapose the destruction of the photograph as it is often a symbol for growth and replenishment. |
The second image, again has been manipulated into a different order and shape within the studio. The flowers have been hung upon the top of the portable studio, to resemble bunting. The structure of this image alludes to structure being formed via small amounts of strength from many different sources. In this case each stem is a sign of structure as it is holding it all together as one long vine. The two bold and eye-catching colours in this image are green and purple. The colour green is commonly seen as the color of life, renewal, nature, and energy. These attributes often relate with structure as it connects to the strength that is associated with meanings of growth. Green is also traditionally associated with money, ambition, greed and jealousy although this does not directly link to the photograph it doeslink to structure. The structure of a capitalist society is built on challenging other competitors. Yet, purple combines the calm stability of blue and the fierce energy of red. Purple also represents meanings of wealth and mystery, connecting to the other connections with green.
When recreating Kannisto's work, we were given some flowers, leaves, holly branches and flowers to photograph. We recreated her field studio with a white backdrop and floor as well as a stand for our natural objects. The first stage, was to position the objects around each stand. Trying to make intricate and interesting shapes whilst also combining contrasting colours. Once the set up stage of the process was complete, I moved onto photographing the plants. I tried both landscape and portrait images, and felt that portrait photos were more effective as it allowed the entirety of the stand and greenery to be within the image. I used both auto and manual focus. Auto focus so that the images would all be clearly in focus and manual focus so that I could allow certain details into the photograph that may not have been possible on auto focus. Also whilst photographing these images I tried to make the objects the focal point of the photograph, making them the centre of the composition and also not allowing any other figures or colours into the photograph, to distract from the plants. |
Within this series of photographs, I felt that no singular image had enough content within. Because of this I decided to edit my images so that key area's and pieces within different photos could merge into one. The image above has aspects of three different images within it so that the photo doesn't seem one dimensional and has more meaning. I chose three different shades, sizes and age/health of leaves and in a chronological order placed them along the stem of the original photograph. To do this I chose three separated pictures, I used one of them as the photograph and for the other two I selected parts of the image that I felt worked with the rest of photograph by using the quick selection tool on photoshop and copy and pasting this onto the background image. To allow the additions to merge with the background photograph I resized and placed them into the most natural position. Furthermore, I subtly adjusted the brightness and contrast for all three images so that it sat well as a whole. This was particularly necessary for the back image as it allowed me to make the white background, bolder and brighter. This then made the plants the only focal point of the image.
I think that the final result went well as it symbolises the different stages within growth and structure and visibly portrays how time can affect structure. Additionally, the clean white backdrop for image allows the focus to be on the intricate details of the plants. Yet the image could be improved as there are few popping colours that catch key attention, especially as this is very possible with flowers ect. as well as the image feeling a bit too empty and synthetic for a natural photo.
I think that the final result went well as it symbolises the different stages within growth and structure and visibly portrays how time can affect structure. Additionally, the clean white backdrop for image allows the focus to be on the intricate details of the plants. Yet the image could be improved as there are few popping colours that catch key attention, especially as this is very possible with flowers ect. as well as the image feeling a bit too empty and synthetic for a natural photo.
Brutalist Structure - Simon Phipps
The term Brutalism was derived from the French ‘Béton brut’, or raw concrete, was a term coined for the futurist architecture being created by Le Corbusier and others like him. From this label the term Brutalism was created as a way to classify this style of architecture.The expression became associated with a movement emerging in postwar British architectural offices. The architecture itself is characterized by the large size of the buildings and the use of raw unfinished concrete. Brutalist buildings also make use of geometric forms in a way to attempt to communicate the buildings function and what the rooms behind the slabs of concrete are used for
The photography by Simon Phipps provides a unique perspective and portrays Brutalist architecture in a sensitive, realistic and distinctive manner. Phipps has spent the last 15 years photographing and documenting Brutalist and buildings in the UK, creating a survey of photographic images that demonstrate the breadth of this contentious architectural style. Phipps' second image out of the three use of shadows adds another layer to the images as they enhance the sharp lines of the brutalist structure. Additionally his chosen building has many sides and curves but each side is created with a pointed twist. They directly relate to structure as buildings are structures, but specifically the brutalist structures are very bold and stand out as a powerful, and the harsh architecture contrast with the with the green area in the background. Displaying how man made and synthetic structure often is.
The photography by Simon Phipps provides a unique perspective and portrays Brutalist architecture in a sensitive, realistic and distinctive manner. Phipps has spent the last 15 years photographing and documenting Brutalist and buildings in the UK, creating a survey of photographic images that demonstrate the breadth of this contentious architectural style. Phipps' second image out of the three use of shadows adds another layer to the images as they enhance the sharp lines of the brutalist structure. Additionally his chosen building has many sides and curves but each side is created with a pointed twist. They directly relate to structure as buildings are structures, but specifically the brutalist structures are very bold and stand out as a powerful, and the harsh architecture contrast with the with the green area in the background. Displaying how man made and synthetic structure often is.
Trellick Tower
I went to two locations to photograph brutalist buildings, the first was Trellick Tower. The tower is a 31-storey block of flats and a grade II* listed building. It was designed in the Brutalist style by architect Ernő Goldfinger, after a commission from the Greater London Council in 1966, the main aim for the building was for it to be a new innovative structure for social housing with a community within the block and nessicities to be around the corner such as a laundrette. Yet this was not the final result. Due to many of Golfingers idea's not being adopted the building was open access and rough sleepers and drug crime took up residence in its corridors. By the late 1970s Trellick Tower was a scene of crime including rape and the assault of a child, and anti-social behaviour, and many tenants resisted a transfer there.
Whilst photographing images of the building, I felt it was necessary to display the height of the building. I achieved this in the first photograph as I only captured the bold, yet fading sign to the top of the building and additionally allowed the sky to fill the top of the photograph.The image additionally exhibits the unusual shape of the building, with odd concrete additions and irregular windows. Furthermore, these images relate to structure because of the obvious construction of the building but additionally because of the history around the building and how the aim of the flats was to change social structure and allow an easier life for those in social housing. Yet the structure of the building is collapsing both literally and metaphorically. The aim for the council flats was never fulfilled and many features have been broken or demolished. I decided not to edit this photograph into a black and white because I felt that the fading red of the sign, displayed the demolishing structure within the tower, and the bright blue sky worked well as a juxtaposition against the daunting block of flats.
Whilst photographing images of the building, I felt it was necessary to display the height of the building. I achieved this in the first photograph as I only captured the bold, yet fading sign to the top of the building and additionally allowed the sky to fill the top of the photograph.The image additionally exhibits the unusual shape of the building, with odd concrete additions and irregular windows. Furthermore, these images relate to structure because of the obvious construction of the building but additionally because of the history around the building and how the aim of the flats was to change social structure and allow an easier life for those in social housing. Yet the structure of the building is collapsing both literally and metaphorically. The aim for the council flats was never fulfilled and many features have been broken or demolished. I decided not to edit this photograph into a black and white because I felt that the fading red of the sign, displayed the demolishing structure within the tower, and the bright blue sky worked well as a juxtaposition against the daunting block of flats.
A key feature of Trellick Tower is the odd infrastructure. To enter the building, you go through the main entrance (the photograph above) and into a lift that will take you to your chosen floor. Then you will go through the bridge, show in the image on the right hand side. This is the peculiar shape of the building, yet you can only see it from certain angles. This again connects to structure in two ways as it correlates to the literal structure of the building but also, the social structure behind it as the main concept for the flats was for it to be a community and a new life for those whom have lived in bad council estates yet many of them has been separated via the floor that they had been given to live. Creating more of a secluded apartment.
To edit these images I changed the images to black and white as I think that the blue sky could potentially disrupt the effect that the buildings portray, due to the rigid straight lines of the brutalist buildings, the images have harsh connotations and the light blue sky could spoil this. As well as this, the black and white effect makes the image seem more literal and so the viewer of the photograph looks deeper into the image. To edit the images I used photoshop. Once I had made the images black and white, I ajudsted the brightness and contrast of the images as well as the exposure. So that the images were not to light or dark to grasp what has been taken but also to show the harsh detailing within the images.
Alexandra Estate
The next location I visited was Alexandra road estate, this is a housing estate in the London Borough of Camden. The design of the estate creates a tunnel like effect with the flats sitting on the platform in a descending and diagonal shape. To create interesting images I took photographs from the floor of the estate so that my images portrayed the slanting architecture of the building. I additionally noticed that there was a lot of symmetry in the construction, I mirrored this in my photography as I thought it was a key aspect of the building. Not only does Alexandra road estate have an individual structure in terms of the way it has been built the structure of social classes within the area also grabbed my attention. Although the building for many was government housing, this was also that was available for people to purchase as ex council houses. So there was a structure and variety of the classes.
I chose these two images in particular as they display the symmetry and patterns within the buildings construction. I thought that this was effective as patterns often show a lot of care and design efforts into the product, yet this was juxtaposed by the unthought out materials used for the development as sections of the estate had fallen apart. To extend this I edited both of these images in black and white as I thought that it added more grittiness to the photos. Yet, I also aligned the images so symmetrical aspects and mirroring was easily identified.
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Screen printing - Thomas Danthony
Thomas Danthony is a french artist based in London. Often narrative, Thomas's work is characterized by a clever use of light, bold compositions and a dose of mystery. His works follows many locations, such as Trellick Tower where he simplifies the locations by creating large spans of the buildings into block colours and making the only colours within the images monotone. This creates a very oversimplified effect and defines the structures within the buildings as the colours contrast each other.
The technique used below is called screen printing. The effect changes area's of different colours into a singular block colour giving a slightly animated effect. The method for this technique is quite simple. Using the polygonal lasso tool on photoshop, you select the area that you would like to average the colour of (the are needs to start and finish at the same point and cannot be open). Next, you open the filter tab, go to blur and finally select average. This will then make the area selected the average colour within the space. Continue this four steps until non of the original photo's colours are visible. The area can be as large or small as one chooses depending how accurate you would like the final result.
My first response was from a photograph of Trellick Tower, taken in the green area below the estate. I couldn't decided what I thought looked better, the graffiti wall screen printed or not, therefore I have posted both images. I am please with the result as it does allow the viewer to understand the structure of the building, yet due to the blocks chosen being quite large I feel as if some intricate and significant details are now missing from image due to the blur tool.
My first response was from a photograph of Trellick Tower, taken in the green area below the estate. I couldn't decided what I thought looked better, the graffiti wall screen printed or not, therefore I have posted both images. I am please with the result as it does allow the viewer to understand the structure of the building, yet due to the blocks chosen being quite large I feel as if some intricate and significant details are now missing from image due to the blur tool.
Due to my slight dislike of the first few images I produced, I decided to retry with a separate image again of Trellick Tower. This image has been taken outside of the buildings entrance from a low angel shot. Whilst editing my second response I spent a lot more time only combining the same intricate details. I think this image is more effective due to multiple reasons. Firstly, I feel as if this image suits this style of photography more because there is a lot of opportunity for block colours to be included as well as the smaller details such as shadowing allow the 3D effect of the buildings structure. The image also has a variety of colours, in two separate manners. The building itself has a lot of grey/brown/nude tones within it, yet they are all slightly different. Furthermore, colours such as blue and red are also within the image creating a pop of colour that catches the eye of the viewer. Additionally, as a whole this image once edited is a lot more put together and neat. There are no visible colours of the original photograph, so the edited version looks very animated and structurally put together.
Artist and Me
I created many responses to Thomas Danthony simplification of Brutalists buildings, in the first I covered the large blocks and tried to make the photograph as simplistic as possible whilst still being able to identify the building. Yet I did still allow the colours within the images unlike Danthony as I felt that it allowed the viewer to recognise the realistic nature of the buildings. In the second response of the front of Trellick Tower I decided to be a lot more intricate than Danthony as I felt the addition of shadows within the simplification of colours was effective as it allowed the dimensions of the the building to be recognised. I felt my final response of the front of Trellick Tower was effective as although the image had been simplified the simplification was not to noticeable and at fast glance it may not be noticeable.
Whitechapel Gallery Visit
Terrains of the body:
The first collection I went to in Whitechapel Gallery was terrains of the body. The artists in this display aim their cameras at the female body to express identity, communicate individual and collective experiences and give life to the imagination. The works are drawn from the collection of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, the only international museum dedicated to art made by women.
Moving between photographs ability to document and tell stories, these works by seventeen artists from five continents present women as observer and protagonists.In a photograph from her personal epic The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, Nan Goldin, captures uneasy portraits of young people, posed between childhood and the self-consciousness of adolescence, Anna Gaskell works with young girls to play out scenarios in dreamlike worlds in her photographs , while in her film Erosers school girls recount in turn the story of the accident that killed the artists mother. Many works extend the scope of the 1970's feminist art, including performance and video. The Hero by Marina Abrramovie, pays tribute to her father who fought as a Yugoslavia partisan in WW2. Given the history of the female body as a political and cultural battle ground, photographs of the fragmented or marked female figure bear a deep and emotional charge. This is a key feature of the exhibition.
The first collection I went to in Whitechapel Gallery was terrains of the body. The artists in this display aim their cameras at the female body to express identity, communicate individual and collective experiences and give life to the imagination. The works are drawn from the collection of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, DC, the only international museum dedicated to art made by women.
Moving between photographs ability to document and tell stories, these works by seventeen artists from five continents present women as observer and protagonists.In a photograph from her personal epic The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, Nan Goldin, captures uneasy portraits of young people, posed between childhood and the self-consciousness of adolescence, Anna Gaskell works with young girls to play out scenarios in dreamlike worlds in her photographs , while in her film Erosers school girls recount in turn the story of the accident that killed the artists mother. Many works extend the scope of the 1970's feminist art, including performance and video. The Hero by Marina Abrramovie, pays tribute to her father who fought as a Yugoslavia partisan in WW2. Given the history of the female body as a political and cultural battle ground, photographs of the fragmented or marked female figure bear a deep and emotional charge. This is a key feature of the exhibition.
These images relate both to the role as a female in society, whilst also showing the different roles females have within in society due to social structure. I specifically chose these three photographs from the gallery as they show the differences of the female role in different cultures. The first image examines the sexualisation of women in rap music videos. African American women are portrayed in a rather unfair and negative way. Degrading African American women has historic roots that we are still seeing played out today. The image above examines this as the male wraps his arms around the girl as if he owns her as if she is property. Yet there seems to be know affection shown in the image as none of the people within the photograph are looking at others. Additionally, the men in the image are looking into the camera whilst the women seem to be shying away from the lens. This effect makes the men more of a focal point even though the women is in the centre.
The second image, is placed within a different culture whom have different norms and values to the first image. Although the subject could be said to be sexualised due to her lying on a bed. She is fully clothed. A key feature within the image is the hair of the model. Long hair often symbolises wealth and power, this connects to many of the other features within the photo such as the well put together room and expensive looking clothing the subject is wearing. A feature in the image I thought was interesting was the mirror. The mirror allows us to see the tripod the photographer has used to take the image. This allows the viewer to potentially see how set up some images may be. Perhaps linking to perfection in the media.
The final image uses white as a key colour within the photograph. The horse, flag and female are all white and this may connect to white feminism, this is women whom focus on the struggles of well-off white women while failing to address the distinct forms of oppression faced by women of colour and women lacking other privileges. The horse symbolises a lot within the photograph. One way it can be viewed is how white women are placed 'on a high horse' and have a easier life style than others. As well as this the horse is visibly very expensive and powerful, this can be depicted as caucasian women having more opportunity with reaching goals as they have less deprivation than those of colour and can learn due to there money. Finally, the flag seems to celebrate the unfair advantage white people often have compared to people of colour, as it works in the subject whom is a white females advantage. Showing that many people often only care about a situation if it closely effects themselves. On the other hand, this can be depicted in a very different way, the female is in a similar stance to a man in war zone. If taken this way the image can be seen as women being able to compete and be equal to the opposite sex.
Assemble, Brick field with Granby Workshop :
The next gallery was titled assemble. The collective assemble (founded in 2010) works across architecture, design and art. For this new commission they have created a display of industrial ceramic production and handmade objects developed with Granby Workshop as a part of their community-led rebuilding of a Liverpool neigbourhood neighbourhood.Bricks are one of the city basics structural components. A brick house is assembled from these portable hand-sized units. Extracted as soil from the ground, the clay is dried, crushed, pressed, cut, often fired and then laid to give form to walls, buildings and pavements. From the raw material to the way cities are constructed and imagined, assemble is interested in the process of 'making-learning'.
Brickfield reveals how places are made by people and how change can be bought about through self organisation and collective action.
The second image, is placed within a different culture whom have different norms and values to the first image. Although the subject could be said to be sexualised due to her lying on a bed. She is fully clothed. A key feature within the image is the hair of the model. Long hair often symbolises wealth and power, this connects to many of the other features within the photo such as the well put together room and expensive looking clothing the subject is wearing. A feature in the image I thought was interesting was the mirror. The mirror allows us to see the tripod the photographer has used to take the image. This allows the viewer to potentially see how set up some images may be. Perhaps linking to perfection in the media.
The final image uses white as a key colour within the photograph. The horse, flag and female are all white and this may connect to white feminism, this is women whom focus on the struggles of well-off white women while failing to address the distinct forms of oppression faced by women of colour and women lacking other privileges. The horse symbolises a lot within the photograph. One way it can be viewed is how white women are placed 'on a high horse' and have a easier life style than others. As well as this the horse is visibly very expensive and powerful, this can be depicted as caucasian women having more opportunity with reaching goals as they have less deprivation than those of colour and can learn due to there money. Finally, the flag seems to celebrate the unfair advantage white people often have compared to people of colour, as it works in the subject whom is a white females advantage. Showing that many people often only care about a situation if it closely effects themselves. On the other hand, this can be depicted in a very different way, the female is in a similar stance to a man in war zone. If taken this way the image can be seen as women being able to compete and be equal to the opposite sex.
Assemble, Brick field with Granby Workshop :
The next gallery was titled assemble. The collective assemble (founded in 2010) works across architecture, design and art. For this new commission they have created a display of industrial ceramic production and handmade objects developed with Granby Workshop as a part of their community-led rebuilding of a Liverpool neigbourhood neighbourhood.Bricks are one of the city basics structural components. A brick house is assembled from these portable hand-sized units. Extracted as soil from the ground, the clay is dried, crushed, pressed, cut, often fired and then laid to give form to walls, buildings and pavements. From the raw material to the way cities are constructed and imagined, assemble is interested in the process of 'making-learning'.
Brickfield reveals how places are made by people and how change can be bought about through self organisation and collective action.
This exhibition directly relates to structure as it examines the internal features of a building, and how the layout and design off the architecture keeps the structures of buildings stable. The sculptures in the exhibition examine the more rustic side of buildings and the simple patterns and shapes that go into creating a building. They also allow the viewer the see the small and intricate details that can go into a large sky scraper or building.
Structure of the Body - Gunther von Hagens
Gunther von Hagens is a German anatomist who invented the technique for preserving biological tissue specimens called plastination. His sculptures present the internal organs of the body as if a open body was in front of the viewer, and displays the structure of the body depicting how it works and flows together as one.
The human body is the entire structure of a human being. Another part of structure is the structure of the body. I decided to combine both internal and external features of the body into one image. To do this I photographed a skeleton model at different angles and focused on specific area's, additionally I photographed a model of the organs within the human body. Once this was complete, I asked the subject of the images to stand and pose in a similar structure to the the previous models. This was so I could place them onto one another and allow the two images to merge into one.
The human body is the entire structure of a human being. Another part of structure is the structure of the body. I decided to combine both internal and external features of the body into one image. To do this I photographed a skeleton model at different angles and focused on specific area's, additionally I photographed a model of the organs within the human body. Once this was complete, I asked the subject of the images to stand and pose in a similar structure to the the previous models. This was so I could place them onto one another and allow the two images to merge into one.
To produce these images I used two different methods. For the first and the third image I layered the images ontop of each other so that they matched together with the features combining. Next, I used the rubber tool on Photoshop to blend the images together, this additionally allowed the end of the combination to blur into the features of the subject. I also chose a low hardness of my brush so that the contrast was not too strong and out of place. The transition was then gradual. To create the second image I cut out the skull of the skeleton and placed it on top of the original image, I then edited the shape of the skull so that it fit onto the subjects face and was in proportion to her features. Once this was complete I changed the opacity of the skull so that some of the models features could peek through the skeleton. Allowing a comparison of the internal and external features of her face. To finalise the image I removed some of the layer from the skull around the eyes, on her hair line and underneath her neck, as I felt the eyes were bolder and more effective if visible, and the final effect would be more realistic if the skull was a similar shape to her face.
Strand 1:
Dita Pepe
Dita Pepe is a Czech photographer known for her self-portrait staged photography. She takes photos of herself as part of other men's, women's and families' lives. Her photography links to structure, as it examines the components creating a family and how in different cultures and communities a family and home consists of different aspects. She places herself into families and imagines how different the structure of her life and how her life style would be different if she was born into a different community. In each photograph she would change her age, class, culture and sometimes sexuality. Submerging herself into the culture it is near impossible to recognise that she isn't actually part of each family.
First Response: For my first response I decided to take photographs of three contrastingly different households, to examine the differences in each family structure. I took some images of my grandad whom lives alone, one of my aunty and cousin and one of my friends family, as they fit the classic house hold of a wife, husband and child.
The first set of images relates to the structure of the family as my grandad lives alone his family structure is himself. The images capture where he lives and the life style he leads. The first image is him at his front door, this creates an entrance into his home. The small fragments of the inside of his house that is seen allows the viewer to see and imagine his lifestyle. The other image relates ever more to structure as above the subject is his past house hold whom have grown up and created a family structure themselves.
The second family I photographed, are a family of two. A mother and son. This is probably the most least common structure within the three as there is an only child and a single mother. This structure is a representation on modern family and evaluates the way societies structure has differed overtime.
These two images portray the classical family of a husband, wife and child. The structure of the family is easily identified. Additionally, from the background images of the home you can establish they are a middle class and left wing family.
The first image, shows the relationship between the parents within the family whilst the second displays the family as a whole, not just by including the daughter but also by, including more of the living space and other significant features within the family such as their pet dog. |
Artist and Me
Much like Dita Pepe I photographed the subjects / families within their homes as I felt it allowed the viewer of the image to get a more personal look into each home. The inside or outside of ones home can tell a lot about an individual as it is easy to make a estimate about their past and present life style through books, art and photographs as well as their social class background. On the other hand, I thought that the images would be more effective if the subjects are were caught in their natural positions and environments and were not staged or posed to give a realistic take on their lifestyles, to show the hierarchy within the family and show true raw emotions.
Strand 2: Class Structure
Martin Parr
Martin Parr is a British documentary photographer. He is known for his photographic projects that take document the social classes of England, and more broadly the wealth of the Western world. His photography connects to the structure of society and the differences of social classes within England. He photographs the different leisure activities that the different classes engage in, including both genders and all ages. The only change being social class. Often he enhances the colours of his images, exaggerating and enhancing the actives completed by the individual.
First Response: For my first response of Martin Parr, I visited Hampstead Heath as it is a wealthy area, I thought that I would be able to take photographs that showed the upper class in a natural situation. I feel these images could have been a lot better if the subjects knew they were being photographed and the images weren't covert, as the images were either blurry or not fully focused and detailed on the subjects face. Yet I felt it was necessary to catch individuals in their natural environment. Additionally, these images seclude social classes and divided them implying there is no cross over within the structure of their lives.
First Response: For my first response of Martin Parr, I visited Hampstead Heath as it is a wealthy area, I thought that I would be able to take photographs that showed the upper class in a natural situation. I feel these images could have been a lot better if the subjects knew they were being photographed and the images weren't covert, as the images were either blurry or not fully focused and detailed on the subjects face. Yet I felt it was necessary to catch individuals in their natural environment. Additionally, these images seclude social classes and divided them implying there is no cross over within the structure of their lives.
I developed this further by going to a more affluent area, Knightsbridge. I took photographs of people with their knowledge yet asked them to carry on with their day to day routines so the images were not posed. Yet this did change some of the facial expressions of the subjects.
Matt Stuart
Matt Stuart is a British street photographer, Stuart's book of street photography, All That Life Can Afford includes photographs made in London from 2002 to 2015. His photographs capture natural expressions and most often the subject is not aware they are bing photographed. Whilst looking at his images I recognised that he edits his photos with a high saturation and and additionally a high contrast. This effect allows the images to pop out further and draws attention to details that without the editing may have been ignored. An example of this is the McDonalds chip carton on the floor in the second image. Although it can be portrayed as a minor addition to the photograph it does represent the type of diet within the area and the cleanliness of the area. Giving a potential background and story to the subject.
James Pearson Howes
These photographs are from a series of images shot in Kingsland Road, they document the day to day life of people who work and live there. James Pearson said in an interview '... it’s a place where so many different cultures seem to live together in some sort of harmony. Having a strong mix of cultures within a country can only help its creativity I think.' This is portrayed within the three images below as the subjects of each image have different ethnicities. The last photograph successfully captures the subjects way of life and it creates a narrative making you want to question the scenario. The background is busy with colourful posters stuck to the windows of the shop, thick bold print in red and graffiti on the white walls. The child in the foreground is looking up, his mouth open, seems surprised or intrigued by whats going on in front of him. The man could be his father or his brother or a relative maybe but the uncertainty engages the viewer further. The man is carrying a child on a bike, drinking juice. This represents a certain image. You wouldn't see a child being carried this way in a more privileged, wealthy family as it's not the safest way. The women in the background doesn't look at the camera, she seems like she is engaged in a conversation, and potentially doesn't know that she is within the image. The bright colours in the background of the photo, the woman's clothing, the mans bright hair all capture a sense of busy movement or social life on the road as it has a mixture of African, White, Turkish, Jewish, Indian people which adds to the diversity of the area.
Second Response: I felt that my first images created a divide between the social classes, so I thought of a place many different classes went. The tube station, this created a generic background for each individual so the only change within each photograph was the subject. A lot could be examined through each different person because of the way they were sitting, the clothing and what they were doing whilst on the tube.
I selected these four individuals as they all have very different features, moods and looks. In the first photo the majority of the subjects body is within the frame of the image. Her body language and smile allows the viewer the understand how she is comfortable in her location easily absorbs her surroundings. The second image creates a different picture, because the subject is looking straight into the lens of the camera. This effect makes the image more serious, this is amplified by his face lacking emotion, perhaps he is less comfortable knowing he is being photographed or feels uncomfortable by the people around him. Within the third image the woman makeup is a key feature within the image. This is because the colours within her face are very bright and unnatural; the bright pink lipstick and blusher creates a very feminie ora around her and also paints her as a very maternal individual. The fourth and final image is the only photograph that is taken from a side profile. From the outfit of the subject it is clear he is a business man of some sort and he is on the tube as a way to commute to work. This type of individual was very common on the tube and I found it significant that this type of individual was white and male.
Strand 3: Structure of Buildings
Michael Wolf
Michael Wolf is a German artist and photographer whom lives and works in Hong Kong and Paris. His work focuses on the life in big cities. He photographs are of sky scrapers in such cities, which he then photoshops to repeat again and again, to display the hectic and busyness of city life. His images directly to structure as he photographs the structure of buildings, yet they also grasp the structure of city life, and how although perceived chaotic there is a lot of order and pattern within them, much like the buildings in the images he produces.
First response: I photographed some of the window frames and windows of my school, to practice the editing process and understand the angles needed for the final outcomes.
I felt that these images didn't work very well with the editing process, as some of the buildings naturally have a repeating pattern within them, and those that didn't did not have many features that were eyecatching enough to make it the centre of the image. Nevertheless, I decided to try and produce a image out of the constructions within my school environment.
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Second Response: I visited Elephant and castle, and photographed some of the colourful glass buildings within the area as well as some more brutalist architecture.
In Elephant and Castle I photographed buildings from the most straight on angle I possibly could, this proved to be quite difficult as the buildings were often very high and when I was taking photos of them I was too near to get a straight on image. Yet I did take a few images that worked for the editing process.
To edit the images to reproduce the repetition like Michael Wolf I cropped the photo so only the glass windows and architecture was in the image and none of the sky or surrounding objects such as trees. Next, I copy and pasted the cropped images onto a new blank sheet and placed it onto the sheet four times so all of the images connected as they all had the same base, I flipped the images and rotated them on photoshop where necessary so the four separate images merged together as one. The final outcome of this editing process creates and almost bulging effect within the middle of the image and additionally alludes to a rounded building. The image also shows no end or beginning to the building. |
Strand 4: Protests
Thaddeus Pope
Thaddeus Pope has done many projects within photography. This particular project was based on a protest about British invasion in Iraq in 2003, the protest did not stop the invasion yet many powerful photographs were taken from the protest that allowed those who did not attend the march to understand the feelings many people felt against the invasion.
The images are particularly significant and empowering due to the black and white filter across them, this gives a raw feeling to the images and allows the expressions of the many subjects to heavily influence the viewer, as the lack of colours meant there was little distraction within the photographs. The first two images are photographs of the protesters them selves, I feel that they are empowering and powerful as the two main features within the images are the short and snappy banners in addition to the emotion on the protesters. They show the passion they have for their protest and how significant the invasion may be on their lives. The second image in particular, examines the many different, ages, ethnicities and genders that got involved within the protest. The last image is a juxtaposition of this as it photographs the police officers from a low angel, the low angel portrays the hierarchy between the protesters and the police offers, examining the power the police have within the protest.
Response:
The images are particularly significant and empowering due to the black and white filter across them, this gives a raw feeling to the images and allows the expressions of the many subjects to heavily influence the viewer, as the lack of colours meant there was little distraction within the photographs. The first two images are photographs of the protesters them selves, I feel that they are empowering and powerful as the two main features within the images are the short and snappy banners in addition to the emotion on the protesters. They show the passion they have for their protest and how significant the invasion may be on their lives. The second image in particular, examines the many different, ages, ethnicities and genders that got involved within the protest. The last image is a juxtaposition of this as it photographs the police officers from a low angel, the low angel portrays the hierarchy between the protesters and the police offers, examining the power the police have within the protest.
Response:
On the 21st on January 2017, shortly after his inauguration thousands protested all over the world against Donald Trump and many of his policies. Large amounts of the protest were based around feminism but many other causes were also taken into account including racism. I went London's Trafalgar Square and photographed many of the protesters. The first two images from the protest, examine how colourful and creative the march was. Many of the banners and signs held by the protestors, included bright colours and bold language including 'Pussies against patriarchy' and 'viva la vulva'. This created an atmosphere within the march that allowed humour, joy and creativity. The first image of an enlarged and exaggerated version of Trump, establishes the negative view all of the protestors have upon him. He is enlarged and his skin colour is bright orange, painting him as the 'joke' of a president. The second image again presents a very similar outlook on the president, and gives power to the women within the image, empowerment. The image therefore coincides with the protest, as it gives the females within the photo the voice that they are marching for and the only significant pieces within the image are the three subjects and there banners. Nobody else within the large crowd of people are significant. |
These images all had little editing besides minor changes in the saturation. This was because I felt the only changes the images needed were vibrant colours. This protest photo's I had taken from this protest were very different from those of Pope's. His images captured the passion behind the protesters and the anger within them whilst protesting. Yet, whilst I was at the march, there was more joy within the march as it felt very communal. There was less tension within the protests and more joy that so many people were coming together protest against one individual Donald Trump rather than a law or change is policies.
Chosen Strand:
Structure of lives
I chose to develop this strand as I felt it was interesting topic. Within in London alone many people structure their lives very differently due to many factors such as age, disability, gender, class, nationality, ethnicity, sexuality and consumption. I felt that Ethnicity was one of the largest factors in creating a identity and therefore the immigrant have a different structure within their lives and often have a changed way of life once they move, especially if some of the norms and values within the country are different.
First Development - Portobello Market
I photographed Portobello Market as I think it represented all of the different cultures within one area. There were boutique stalls selling vintage magazines and records as well as foods from all over the world, this relates to structure as it shows how the different ethnic groups and how migration has changed and developed the structure of an area. As many different cultures had been represented along a single strech of land.
Second Development - China Town
Next, I visited and photographed China Town in The City of Westminster. At the start of the 20th century, the Chinese population of London was concentrated in that area, setting up businesses which catered to the Chinese sailors who frequented in Docklands. The area began to become known through fabricated stories of the slum like living that was then legal within the area, rather than the Chinese restaurants and supermarkets in the Chinatown I photographed. After WW2 however, the growing popularity of Chinese cuisine and an growth of immigrants from Hong Kong led to an increasing number of Chinese restaurants being opened. I photographed this area as it clearly represented the change that immigration can have on a country swell as showing the vast contrast between different cultures norms and values within society. Whilst I was there I recognised two main features of the area. The shops were either traditionally Chinese and had been developed and created of someone of a Chinese origin, or they were chain brands that had developed themselves to fit in with the area and attract the social group living within the area.
Third Development - Southall
Next, I thought to photograph an area that has also developed due to immigration of a particular culture. Southall has a high population of Indian immigrants and so the area has changed because of the people within it. Such as the shops and restaurants suiting to the traditional Indian way of life. Whilst within Southall I recognised key features that related to indian culture, such as indian film. I included these in my enlargements as they represented specifics within the culture of the majority of the population in that area. Other factors, such as the supermarket selling large quantities of indian cuisine such as something simple like basmati rice, I found intriguing as these were the things that had been sold in masses. Implying that the ingredients for meals were often the same, and perhaps indian cuisine were a lot of what the residents of the area ate as there were little food shops or restaurants selling otherwise.
Southall is a suburban district of west London. It is primarily a South Asian residential district, sometimes known as 'Little India', as the population is 47.8% Asian. On the Broadway I noticed a theme in the stretch of shops. There were many traditionally indian female clothing stores selling garments such as sari's, supermarkets selling predominately indian spices and ingredients, additionally there were a few stands selling mango's and others selling cooked sweetcorn. The area was busy but not hectic but this may have been because it was a sunny Saturday, in school half term.
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Todd Selby
Todd Selby is a documentary photographer. Todd's photography is featured on his website TheSelby.com and often portrays the homes of prominent indie musicians, artists, designers, and actors. The purpose of The Selby is to capture interesting people in their creative spaces, and document the different ways they live their lives. I think that his relates to structure as it would be interesting to capture the different ways that different ages, ethnicity's, religions, classes and genders structure their lives. My idea is to follow them around for a day and documents their daily tasks, whilst establishing why they live like they do.
These images create a very personal and deep understanding of a single individual. Just from the three images chosen out of the collection it is clear that the subject within the first image owns or works in a vineyard. Moreover, the images look like a collection as each photograph has been edited in the same way, creating a assembly of photos rather than separate images. The first image is effective as the background only includes two contrasting colours drawing more attention to the subject, whilst also exhibiting the work the individual performs. A key feature of him due to his facial expression is his wrinkles along his forehead, as they display age and therefore potentially a metaphor for the ageing of the wine he may produce. His clothing also displays how his lifestyle is not particularly glamorous. As a whole this photography looks very realistic, and although the subject knows he is being photographed the image does not looked staged. Finally, I found that with many of Selby's images they all have an underlying key feature within each photo. In this collection, the key feature being grapes as you can see the plants growing behind the man in the first photo, the grapes in the second and the product he creates out of his resource in the third.
These images create a very personal and deep understanding of a single individual. Just from the three images chosen out of the collection it is clear that the subject within the first image owns or works in a vineyard. Moreover, the images look like a collection as each photograph has been edited in the same way, creating a assembly of photos rather than separate images. The first image is effective as the background only includes two contrasting colours drawing more attention to the subject, whilst also exhibiting the work the individual performs. A key feature of him due to his facial expression is his wrinkles along his forehead, as they display age and therefore potentially a metaphor for the ageing of the wine he may produce. His clothing also displays how his lifestyle is not particularly glamorous. As a whole this photography looks very realistic, and although the subject knows he is being photographed the image does not looked staged. Finally, I found that with many of Selby's images they all have an underlying key feature within each photo. In this collection, the key feature being grapes as you can see the plants growing behind the man in the first photo, the grapes in the second and the product he creates out of his resource in the third.
Fourth Development - Immigration
Another link to structure of lives other than how immigrants can change a place is how and an immigrant has changed there life through migration. I thought of ways to capture this and I thought that the best way to photograph the change was to take images of the inside of peoples houses as it is there most personal space that connects most to them.
The first set of images are of the inside of a 89 year old polish immigrants home. She's lives in Highgate's Jacksons Lane in the same house for around 50 years, with a large change in the structure of her life within the home as her children have grown up and moved out and her husband has passed away.
Many of the objects and posters within her home show much of her past life as well as some intricate details about the way she structures her life. A large feature of her interior that I noticed was her sentimental value and how many things such as birthday card and photographs were stuck on her wall. |
Lewis Khan
Lewis Khan is a photographer and film maker in London. One section of his work is titled 'Wednesday Folk' I found this collection of images interesting as they heavily focus on an individuals life style and significant features whilst also documenting brief notes about the individual. On his website the words correlating with this particular man said; 'Came to London at 10, Newcastle, grandparents, Rural exploits, farm work. Muck out horses, chicken robbery, survival. Alsatians, pies, geese, Ex-wife, soulmate, perfect. She left, heart break, new guy.' The caption like writing by the photos intrigued me as they were more like lists of experiences and facts about the subject. The photos them self also grabbed my attention, especially the second image as it is an unusual body part to photograph, yet there is a clear rational behind it as he has a prominent tattoo in the area as well as potential scarring on his neck. Another aspect of Khans photography that I think is effective is the heavily blurred background, allowing the subject of the image to be the eye catching aspect of the photo.
Lewis Khan additionally, photographed an indivudal called George the images took us into the world of George, a man from South London who lived on the periphery of Khans teenage life as he played football on the streets, hung out and did his school kid thing. George was always there, sometimes joining in a kickabout other times not, always in the same shared space. George was an institution. Everyone from the neighborhood knew him. The series of images is a recognition of this relationship between Khan and George. Khan’s portraits are revealing, his photographs opening a window into the world of a man whose life has been lived on the fringes of the mainstream in one of the worlds main cities .Lewis Khan says that 'Georgetown is a view into the life of south London resident, George. During a period of my adolescence that saw playing football in the street as a daily ritual, George and myself often shared the same space. Frequently we would meet with a simple nod, more frequently a hello, and on occasion George would join in for a kick about. Georgetown is informed by six years of these impromptu and informal meetings in the street, usually the same one.'
Georgetown from lewis khan on Vimeo.
I think that the effect of a documentary gives a personal connection to the subject, George. Listening to him telling his own stories, in his own way, with his own mannarisms around his home allows the viewers to grasps more about his personal life. Additionally, the still images add context that is not within his speech. They short film goes through his day to day routine, showing aspects of his life such as him making a cup of coffee. Whilst also capturing his local area by filming George walk across many of his near by streets.
KayLynn Deveney
KayLynn Deveney is the author of The Day-to-Day Life of Albert Hastings which features 83 of her photographs, 77 handwritten captions by Albert Hastings and an assortment of Bert's poems, drawings and family photographs. Albert Hastings was eighty-five years old when the images were taken. She took notice of the small rituals and routines such as; gardening, laundry, grocery shopping all that made up Bert's life. A friendship slowly developed as KayLynn began photographing parts of Bert's day. The two developed a simple yet effective method of storytelling. I think that the simplistic explanations for the photos are effective for multiple reasons. The first being the wider knowledge of the photo's background. Although the captions are very brief they add extra knowledge they image cannot provide. Additionally, the images writing adds more sentimental value to the images as they are hand written by Albert explaining in his own words what he is doing.
Julien Germain
Julian Germain, became interested in photography at school. He went on to study it at Trent Polytechnic in Nottingham and the Royal College of Art in London. He has published several books, including 'The Face of the Century' in 1999. The three photographs below are from this collection.The project is chronologically ordered in order of age, from the oldest to the youngest. I think that these images are effective as it clearly evaluates the differences within age groups and shows the differences between genders, ethnicities and classes. The backgrounds for each subject is different yet they are unfocused, leading all the attention towards the person within the portrait. I further think that the images, work especially well as they subjects are looking straight on into the lens of the camera yet they are not portraying any specific emotions. Additionally, I like how with each image next to one an other features upon the face are aligned in a very similar position allowing the viewer to see the similarities within the different people.
Final Piece
For my final development of this project I decided to video Berrin S. Bates, a family friend whom immigrated from Turkey and has been living in London for 28 years. I felt it was a better idea to photograph and film somebody that I was personally closer to so that I could delve more into their personal life, whilst also knowing that as an individual she has many stories and has changed very much herself as she has moved to London. Whilst living in Turkey she was a strict muslim, who wore traditional clothing and followed a very different life style to what she does now. Yet, she is more than just and immigrant, she is a wife, mother, friend and artist.
I selected these three enlargements as I think they all represent different aspects of the subjects lifestyle. The left image is a photograph of her wall. It is a significant element of her life as includes both family and friends that are significant through out time with an addition of history as it shows different members of her life growing, such as her two daughters. The second image also shows both history and family as it is a past photograph of her parents, before she was born. This image examines the structure of not only her life. But additionally, the life of her family prior to her birth. The final image delves into her present personal life, as it examines her wardrobe and the unique structure in which she presents it. As well, as this I feel as if images inside of someones home allows a great depth into their personal life, allowing the images to further connect to her.
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Whilst filming the videos for my final piece I learnt different techniques. On the first day of filming I filmed portrait as I thought it would look better, yet I later realised that this wouldn't work in a video format and if I converted the videos the face was too zoomed in. I additionally made comments whilst the recording was taking place and this interrupted many of the comments the subject of the video made. This allowed me to get better angles on the third day of filming.
Within the editing process I muted some clips as I overlapped them with separate speech as I thought that long clips of focused speech may bore potential viewers.
From my first edit of the film, I discovered aspects of the project that I felt didn't flow well with the rest of the video and additionally feel that some clips of the subject speaking were too long and dragged out to much, potentially boring the viewer and loosing there attention. Furthermore, I thought of some other questions that could have been asked, such as the meeting of her husband whom encouraged her to migrate as well as potential persuasions she had to make to migrate as she was marrying a christian man whilst her family were traditionally muslim. These questions could have only been created after the previous questions were answered as they allowed a further insight to her life.
To make improvements I decided film and photograph more places within her home to add over some of her speech to further more personal aspects of her life without extending the video length to much that of it was too long and relating her speech to the clips as the other video had some film that didn't relate to the speech. As I felt if the video footage went on for too long, those watching may get bored of a very similar story being repeated.
To make improvements I decided film and photograph more places within her home to add over some of her speech to further more personal aspects of her life without extending the video length to much that of it was too long and relating her speech to the clips as the other video had some film that didn't relate to the speech. As I felt if the video footage went on for too long, those watching may get bored of a very similar story being repeated.
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Final Piece: The Life of Berrin Sarigollu Bates
To create my final piece I collected many clips within the subjects home, this included video footage of her explaining her migration, her primary socialisation and norms and values her family followed and how these differed from her own family that she entered as she emigrated from Turkey to the UK. Additionally, I filmed more clips of her talking about stories that enforce how different the two cultures are. Furthermore, I photographed still images as well as films of rooms or walls with traditional turkish paintings within her home whilst focusing and blurring the images, to allow the viewer to grasp a sense of her most personal space, her home.
To edit the I used many different techniques. For the introduction I decided to start the video with a title heading so that it is clear to the viewer what is being presented, I then overlapped speech into the title frame and muted other clips of her home, around her home, herself and her name whilst she gave a brief introduction of herself. I felt this was effective as it allowed many stories to be told about her within a short space of time. Such as her location of her home even though it wasn't mentioned, the visible footage allowed an indication of this. The next section of the video included a lot more direct speech, as the subjects simply talks to the camera. I felt this allowed a more personal feeling to the viewer as it was as if the subject was talking to the viewer. Yet for the rest of the video I edited in clips and overlapped that with speech as I felt that 6 minutes of direct of speech may potentially bore the viewer. I continued this method through out the video. Yet, towards the end of the video I connected the speech to the footage being seen. An example of this is through the subject talking about toad in hole batter and sausages so the images shown are batter being whisked and sausages being cooked. Finally, at the end of the film I finished the final story with direct speech to connect back the viewer and subject, and to end the film on a light note I placed a clip of the subject laughing with a fade to black, so that the film has a clear end and beginning that both have the similar aspect of black.