Fourth Year, Christmas Assessment

Christmas Assessment starts on Monday, and I've spent the past week or so hanging my works and sorting out smaller finishing touches.  Some pictures of my final set up;

5 x 4" negative scanned, edited and printed digitally to 24 x 30 inches on Photorag Paper;

 Triptych, images printed to 5 x 4" mounted onto aluminium dibond;

 Supporting materials;

 Negative scanned, printed digitally to 5 x 4" onto Hahnemuhle Photorag paper and framed;

I'm very pleased with what I am showing, and spent a lot of time revisiting the order of the images, and the four finals that I chose to show.  I really like the images mounted onto the aluminium dibond, as they appear to 'float' from the wall, with a nice shadow surrounding to naturally frame them.  I got the dibond images printed by a german company, but I don't think the actual print does the images justice, so I am getting a test print done over the Christmas holidays from the company I use in Edinburgh.  I used them to print the large image, and am very pleased with it!

I'm looking forward to feedback, and seeing what the tutors think and have to say about it all.

Untitled

Found this today.

Fourth Year, Week 10

I've been working on my slides for the slide show we have to present to the marking panel before assessment, and found it really useful to clarify what my final works will be.

Three final images, which will be printed to 5 x 4", mounted onto aluminium di-bond, and presented as a triptych.

This image will be printed to 24 x 30" on Photo Rag paper.  In comparison to the above images, it is a lot more cluttered, and so when printed large it has a lot more of an impact.

Finalising things for Christmas assessment has made me think towards my degree show and what it potentially may look like.  At the moment, I'm thinking of having a few very large, high impact images, and a series of smaller, more intimate works, but am not entirely sure yet.  My prints should be here next week, and I am looking forward to seeing what they will look like when they are all presented together!

Over the Christmas holiday I will be taking more photos, and will continue this into next semester.  I'm hoping to spend a lot of time considering the photos as individual images, as a part of a series, and their relation to each other.  This is what informs the viewer of the ideas so I'm hoping to get it totally sorted!  This semester I've spent a lot more time sorting out my photoshop, scanning, and getting the actual image quality up to standard so I'm hoping this will make a nice change.

Fourth Year, Week 9

The past few weeks have been quite slow.  I'm starting to finalise things for Christmas assessment, so been doing a lot of thinking and milling things over, rather than actually making and doing things.  I made a frame last week, which I'm really pleased with, although I am going to make another one, with a larger mount, as right now I think it's too similar to the width of the photograph;

I have also ordered three 5x4" images mounted onto aluminium di-bond, which should be here in about two weeks.  I'm really excited to see them!

Been looking at Gareth McConnells work.  He uses a large format camera to take his photographs...

His 'Meditations' series is by far my favourite;

"According to whether we are in the same place or separated one from the other, I know you twice.  There are two of you.
   When you are away, you are nevertheless present for me.  This presence is multiform: it consists of countless images, passages, meanings, things known, landmarks, yet the whole remains marked by your presence, in that it is diffuse.  It is as if your person becomes a place, your contours horizons.  I live in you then like living in a country.  You are everywhere.  Yet in that country I can never meet you face to face.
   Partir est mourir un peu.  I was very young when I first heard this sentence quoted and it expressed a truth I already knew.  I remember it now because it experience of living in you as if you were a country, the only country in the world where I can never conceivably meet you face to face, this is a little like the experience of living with the memory of the dead.  What I did not know when I was very young was that nothing can take the past away: the past grows gradually around one, like a placenta for dying.
   In the country which is you I know your gestures, the intonations of your voice, the shape of every part of your body.  You are not physically less real there, but you are less free.
   What changes when you are there before my eyes is that you become unpredictable.  What you are about to do is unknown to me.  I follow you.  You act.  And with what you do, I fall in love again."

- John Berger, 'And our Faces, my Heart, brief as Photos'

Fourth Year, Week 7

This week was recorded tutorial week, where we are asked to submit a small amount of writing on our work.  I hope this helps people understand what I am trying to achieve, as I still haven't thought of a good way to explain it to people in a nutshell;

 “A beautiful subject can be the object of rueful feelings, because it has aged or decayed or no longer exists. All photographs are Momento Mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person (or thing’s) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to times relentless melt.” - Susan Sontag

This year I am focusing on the ideas of death; loss; the past, present and future; the passage of time; and the dead amongst the living, through photographing within my family home. This stemmed from my dissertation research, where I am focusing on ‘Camera Lucida’ by Barthes.

I am shooting 5x4” large format black and white negatives, and am finding my technical skills with this are developing strongly, providing me with a few potential final images. I am also shooting 5x4” Direct Positive paper, inserted into the camera back, exposed, then removed for development. This produces a completely unique image, which cannot be recreated many times like a conventional negative. The piece of paper that is inserted into the camera is the piece of paper that the viewer is presented with as the image. Interesting ideas lie behind this approach, and it is something I plan to continue with.

The presentation of my images is something I am currently considering. I am unsure whether or not to adopt a very traditional approach, or devise one that has the potential to inform viewers of more ideas behind the work. To experiment with this, I have been painting liquid light onto textiles collected from my Grandmothers house, which I find acts as a good way to portray the domestic ideas lying behind the work, although I am concerned that visually it will become overwhelming for the viewer, and that it becomes a bit too ‘cute’ and ‘homely’. I have had limited access to the Flextight Scanner this semester, as it needs repaired. A soon as possible, I plan to get my negatives scanned and experiment with ways in which I can present them more traditionally, for example, by framing them. The scale of the images and the order in which they are placed will play a big role in how they and received by viewers, and this is something I am currently considering very carefully.

How the images are printed will have a strong influence on how the viewer receives them, which is something I am currently exploring. In previous years, I have printed onto Hahnemuhle Photo Rag paper, a paper with a very high cotton content, which creates very very rich darks, and an excellent tonal range. I am planning to get sample images printed in Hahnemuhle, in various sizes, to see what works best. I am also considering other methods of printing, such as 'C-type' prints.

I have been looking at various photographers exploring family, relationships, the home, the family within the home, loss, and death; Sally Mann, Richard Billingham, Thomas Ruff, Marjolaine Ryley, Diane Arbus, Christian Boltanski and Nobuyoshi Araki. Photographers I have looked at in previous years include Walker Evans, Nan Goldin, Colin Gray, Larry Sultan, William Eggleston, Andres Serrano, Francesca Woodman, and Joanna Kane.

After my tutorial with my tutor this week I've decided to continue looking into digital printing, over liquid light, as I think everything was getting a bit too cute, and want the images to be images in their own right, rather than 'things' printed onto textiles.

I've spent most of this week scanning and editing my images on photoshop, as the scanner got fixed.  Here are some images I am very pleased with;

Fourth Year, Week 5

So this week started off with a group tutorial which I found really helpful.  I mentioned that I was considering how to present my works, more traditionally, or thinking of more imaginative ways, and someone in the group suggested fabric... So I have spent the week playing around with liquid light!  First onto paper, then onto fabric (white cotton), at the moment these are just contact prints, but I will be enlarging larger images once I get the hang of it!  It's reading week at the moment (writing this a little late...) and so I have been collecting some fabrics, bed linens, table cloths, napkins, hankies, etc., that were taken from my grans house to print onto when I get back in the studio!  Also considering scale - not sure if I want these big or small yet...  Personally, I prefer the actual photographs smaller, but I'm still not sure about the emulsion pictures.

The image on the right was my first attempt, painting the liquid light straight on onto acrylic painting paper from the bottle.  I didn't watch the wash timing very closely, hence why the emulsion is all crackled around the edges - it started to lift off when I removed it from the wash.  The image on the left is the same emulsion on the same paper, diluted 1 part emulsion to 2 parts water.  Apparently meant to give a more even coating, but I suspect this is only if you buy really swank water colour paper!

Another image with the emulsion straight form the bottle onto the paper, washed for the correct amount of time.  I think I will need to use a more absorbent paper (water colour paper) rather than acrylic to get a more even coating

....And following on from a reasonable success on paper, I applied it to cotton! Two coats, with the cotton mounted onto boards.  I'm really pleased with how these turned out, although the emulsion is slight fogged as you can see from the grey tone.  I'm ordering some brand new stuff (the stuff I'm using right now is very very old) so hopefully that will allow for very brilliant whites.

This week I am slowly drowning in applications and dissertation, so it will be nice to get back to the studio making things again next week!  I will be enlarging to 10 x 8" on cotton... when I've got that sorted, I'll start making some more final pieces (hopefully within two or three weeks)

Fourth Year, Week Three

Time is flying by!  Can't believe its the end of week 3 already.  Been working in the dark rooms a lot this week, as the Flextight neg scanner is broken and wont be fixed for another few weeks.  Some pictures of what I've been upto over the past week;

A collection of all my contact prints.  I really like the top row of images, although am going to reshoot the second in from the right with a smaller aperture, as it has a really soft focus, and the film is fogged.

Over view of prints, 10 x 8" and 16 x 20"

 Contact prints mounted into a black mask to allow for a large border.  I really like these!

10 x 8" prints, top two are on Ilford Multigrade Deluxe RC Paper, bottom two are Ilford Warm Tone FB paper.  In the photo you cant see much difference, but when seeing them in real life they look like different photographs.

 16 x 20" images on Kentmere RC Pearl paper;

And a general overview of my studio wall.  Images on here include works my Marjolaine Ryley, Thomas Ruff, Richard Billingham, Sally Mann, and a few quotes from Nobuyoshi Araki.

I hope the images give you an idea as to what I'm actually doing, as right now, I cant think of a way that describes it very well!  Off home this week end to shoot some more Ilford HP5+ negs, and some Harman Direct positive paper images.

Fourth Year, Week 2

A few images I've been working with over the past two weeks.  All images are scanned using a flextight negative scanner, with minimal editing in photoshop;

I really like this image, although I'm going to reshoot with a smaller aperture as the depth of field is really irritating!

Ilford HP5+ ISO 400, Developed in Kodak D76 @ 21oC for 8 minutes.

"A beautiful photograph can the object of rueful feelings, because it has aged or no longer exists.  All photographs are Momento Mori.  To take a photograph is to participate in another person (or thing's) mortality, vulnerability, mutability.  Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to times relentless melt."

Susan Sontag, 'On Photography'

Honours Dissertation, 'Working Title'

So I thought I should maybe update and let people know what my dissertation will be based on/ about/ exploring... etc., as I plan for it to directly feed into the reasons of choosing photography as a medium for my studio practice.  The current title is a working title, so I may change it to alter where my research/ interests take me, but I hope it provides you with an insight as to (roughly) what I will be researching/ thinking/ writing about over the next few months;

"Life/ Death; the paradigm is reduced to a simple click, the one separating the initial pose from the final print." - Camera Lucida, Roland Barthes.
An exploration into the similarities between the practices of (film) portrait photography and the processes surrounding death and the loss of loved ones.

Sketchbook Notes - Summer 2012

A scan from my sketch book;

Notes taken from "Secure the Shadow; Death and Photography in America" by Jay Ruby.  Click on image to enlarge.

I think I'll be focusing on the idea of lost family relatives amongst the living family, and the symbols people use to represent them, but I am not entirely sure yet.

I am itching to get back to college and get into my studio space!

Summer Reading - Quotes

A few quotes from some reading I've been doing over the past few weeks.  Been thinking about what I might want to do for fourth year - I have an idea although its still in its early stages so I'll be keeping it quiet until I'm more decided on a few things!  I've taken some photographs, but am now waiting for the sun to come out so I can take some more...

"Death is the sculptor of the ravishing landscape, the terrible mother, the damp creator of life, by whim we are all one day devoured." - Sally Mann

"A beautiful subject can be the object of rueful feelings, because it has aged or decayed or no longer exists.  All photographs are Momento Mori.  To take a photo is to participate in another persons (or things) mortality, vulnerability, mutability.  Precisely by slicing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to times relentless melt." - Susan Sontag

"The descent toward death is an unconscious flight from pain and want.  It is an eternal struggle against suffering and repression." - Neil Leach

"When we get to the root of this life, behind the drama of the passage into existence, we find nothing besides life conjoined to death." - Neil Leach

"What remains, what continues to speak in spite of everything, are residual odours, unreal dilated shapes, barely intuitable presences of missing bodies." - Michela Bracciali

"What strikes me is that after death, the subject undergoes a terrible and irreversible mutation that transforms him into an object.  Memories, thoughts, suggestions, certainties and fears are, in fact, fatally destined to oblivion.  What remains are merely things." - Michela Bracciali

"The world of the living breaks against the silence of the dead and, as Elie Wiesel said, it is to them that the past belongs." - Michela Bracciali

Third Year Fine Art Assessment Set-up

Went in to college today to finalise my space for semester two assessment. I'm quite looking forward to, but equally am quite anxious, about this semesters feedback! I think I've learnt and changed a lot over the past year, and seem to be getting a lot of positive feedback about my light boxes, so I am hoping the tutors agree!

Quite sad that third year is now coming to an end - it's definitely been the hardest year so far, I've learnt a lot, and as cheesy as it sounds, things are finally starting to look up. I'm hoping this continues into fourth year! I've been thinking about possible degree show topics over the Easter holidays, and once I've had my feed back for this semester I'll be diving straight back into work!

...And here is the text that I'm submitting along side my work;

I started this year photographing those who surrounded my Grandmother in times running up to her death in her house as a way of looking at the idea of immortality. All the subjects of the photographs knew her, remembered her, and were related to her, and so she lived on in them. As the house was gradually cleared, this hinted to the viewer that these were not just straight forward family photographs – there were gaps in book shelves and no coats in the cloak room. All photographs were taken on my 5x4 large format camera, to capture lots of detail, for example, the texture of the carpet and wall paper. All these smaller details are what made my Grans house unique, so to capture them was important.

After a trip to the Venice Biennale, I became aware of the potential for light as a medium, and how this could be used to communicate ideas about life and death. Some say that light is a way of communicating with the afterlife. Based on this idea, the use of light in my work was centred around hinting towards a presence that the viewer is aware of, but cant quite 'put their finger on'. One cannot describe light, but is always aware of it, it fills the room, and so in turn, the presence of my Gran also fills the room. This is better understood when the viewer is aware that the light has traveled through the images I took in first semester (in the form of transparencies) that lie on top of the light boxes.

The light boxes contain LED light panels, which took a while to design. The boxes I originally started with contained a light bulb, and were almost 20cm in height, but the finalised design is only 5cm in height. The light panels create an all over surface illumination, rather than 'hot spots'. The use of a framed box suggests that one is looking into another world when viewing the light boxes, and so enhancing the idea that light connects the living with the afterlife. They are hung using picture frame hangers, in the same way one might hang family photographs in their home; this references the family photograph which is central to the work, and allows viewers to relate to the work.

As another way of exploring familial practices in relation to photography, I used slide projections. In this work I have very much played with the aesthetics of the projector, ensuring that the projector, and its stand, are as much a part of the work as the slide show is. The carousel projector contains an 80 slot carousel, and only photographs of my Father and two Uncles. All images of my grandparents have been removed, and spaces left in the carousel respectively. There is nothing held in the empty slots in the carousel, and so a very large beam of light is projected onto the photograph. This enhances the idea of light connecting with the afterlife, whilst also hinting that people are missing from the family.

By projecting images onto a printed photograph, the viewer is challenged to think of the reasoning behind the work. The dried flowers in this image hint that something isn't quite right, and it is not until the viewer comes across an empty slot in the carousel that they understand this work is about familial loss. By placing the large photograph that is hung at the same eye level as the [photographs] subject and the viewer, the viewer is challenged to look at the work, emphasising how hard mourning and loss is to escape from. Hanging the work lower than eye level makes the work too easy to look away from and disengage with.

Hypothetically, both works would be presented in a room with dimmed lighting, to allow as much focus as possible on the light, and for the projections to be as vibrant as possible. The light would fill the room, hinting towards a presence (the dead/ my Grandmother) that viewers can experience. Viewers would not be presented with the above information, I have presented it purely for marking purposes. The viewer should realise in their own time that the works are about loss with in the family.

Exhibitions

Went to some exhibitions at the Fruit Market Gallery, The Ingleby Gallery and the RSA in Edinburgh today. Anna Barriball's work at the Fruit Market was by far my favourite, and easily the best exhibition I've ever seen there. I loved her found photograph works... makes me think I should maybe start doing something with my ever growing collection of found photos

The above image has to be my favourite from all the works I saw today.

Light boxes

Been finishing off my light boxes and preparing my space for assessment this week. I'll be showing 5 boxes (3 of which light up) and a projection work. Will photograph my space when I do all the finishing touches... but here are some pictures of my light boxes as they are right now. There will be 5 in total, I just have to get one more picture printed and mounted into its box, and get wire ties to tidy all the wiring up, then I'll be done. The three boxes that light up have laser engraved text into the images. All texts were taken from my summer project, where I documented every visit to my Gran in hospital and her empty house.

"Some other people joined me when I was in the visitors' room. They were telling me how their Mother was dying and had been there for 4 months. They told me to pray to god and then Granny will get better. I did not find their advice terribly helpful. Granny will never be getting home, she will almost certainly not be getting better, and telling me a load of shite about religion will not save her from that.";

"There was a scab on her lip and her mouth was just hanging open, her head tilted back. We each held her hand and she sort of responded. Her hand was so soft and warm; it seemed so strange.";

"She was just babbling nonsense again, and then went into her handbag to look for things, but then I thought she was falling asleep. Her eyes rolled back, her mouth hung open, and she shook. Mum says she was probably having a small fit.";

Sorry about the poor quality images, they're very hard to photograph!

Third Year, Semester Two, Week 9

Laser engraving onto Inkjet Fujifilm photographs. They're a bit bigger that the light boxes, hence the large vignette. Going to get some smaller prints made and also laser cut them, play around with text, fonts, etc, as I really like these!

Third Year, Semester Two, Week 9

A little bit of what I've been upto over the past few days; looking at layering text over text, or text over image. Been using the laser cutter to engrave into different materials, which has been fun!

Laser cutting into glass, which is only visible when the light catches it.

5x4 Ilford HP5+ contact print behind laser cut glass

Also been looking at my light boxes and wether or not they would work best in my slide projector piece, or as a separate work all together. I want the images to appear to be a very regular sight, just pictures of people 'family snaps', but its not until the viewer gets closer that they realise things are missing from the images (books from the book shelves, coats in the cloak room, etc). How they are presented below mimics how the family photographs are presented up the stairs in my Grans house. I'm also going to make some shelves and look at presenting them like that but right now I'm very undecided about the presentation.

Layering laser engraved paper over the light boxes. I really like the nice glow you get from the text, and think it makes people focus on the light, which is what I'm aiming for!

All texts are excerpts from my diary I kept of every visit to my Gran in hospital, her death, funeral, and beginning to clear her home. The house will be sold at lunch time tomorrow, so I made a final visit over the week end to take my final pictures in the series of her home.