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Due to COVID-19 my original topic: Component 2 has been delayed therefore we are now studying a new topic called "Make Do and Mend", a topic which is all about overcoming challenges. The meaning behind the title links closely to the present pandemic going on and many other world wide problems people have had to face. Make Do and Mend is all about working with what you already have and using every last bit of it which is similar to the rationing of food and the other everyday-items shortage the UK has had to subdue before. Currently, the direct impact COVID and Component 2 (being postponed) is having on me is mainly through the usage of good cameras previously supplied by the school, and the quality of the photographs I am taking due to having to take them on my phone now.
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Adapt and survive. Make do and mend.
- Alastair Reynolds
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Overall I am quite pleased with all three of my short stop motions as they all seem to have a sort of story/plot even though I was just experimenting at first. In the future, if I decide to refine or even create more stop motions similar, I'd like to make the films last at least 20 seconds because at the moment they all last at most 10-11 seconds... for this I'd have to have much more patience than I already do because even shooting 70-80 frames doesn't last long. I believe, for a 20-25 second film I'd have to shoot at least 150 frames... also depending on fps.
Hannah Höch
Hoch 1889-1978 was a Dada artist who loved working with collage mostly. As wacky and surreal her photos may be, she often based them heavily around politics and the socially constructed roles of women. She usually found the pieces to her collages in popular magazines and newspapers at the time, sometimes even waste found in bins! Hoch was actually one of the first to make photomontages, images consisted of two or more photographs merged together through cutting and sticking.
This is one of Hoch's collages that captivated me the most due to the very particular usage of the scraps of paper and what's on them. By knowing that Hoch often likes to incorporate political matters into her work, I instantly started to think of what this could be telling her audience, apart from the fact its a collage of a woman and a statue. I believe this piece is specifically based around how society sees women as objects to look at... rather than people, hence the mix with the statue (a display piece). There's also a possibility of this photo going deeper than how society sees women, the carved stone could further imply maybe the beauty standards around the time where a perfect body was ideal it could have been carved out.
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My response didn't quite focus on the political side of her work, more the visual side. Here I have produced four collages I have made with a limited amount of pictures I found in my room. I based my responses on the colourfulness of Hoch's and the surreal-ness, where I have cut out parts of faces and put a cup through a table.
The photo I am most proud of would probably be the car with cut out windows (bottom right) because I found that after cutting the windows out and adding one block of colour behind them, it took away a lot of depth which is confusing to the eye as the rest of the image is regular. My worst photo, however, would be the door (bottom left) because I wasn't sure from the start as to what I was going to do with the door frame so I improvised however, it seems to me that, unlike the car windows, the red block of colour has taken too much depth and detail away that it is almost completely red and no real collage.
Next time I will be sure to plan the collages in advance and remember not to cut out massive squares because smaller details seems to look better.
The photo I am most proud of would probably be the car with cut out windows (bottom right) because I found that after cutting the windows out and adding one block of colour behind them, it took away a lot of depth which is confusing to the eye as the rest of the image is regular. My worst photo, however, would be the door (bottom left) because I wasn't sure from the start as to what I was going to do with the door frame so I improvised however, it seems to me that, unlike the car windows, the red block of colour has taken too much depth and detail away that it is almost completely red and no real collage.
Next time I will be sure to plan the collages in advance and remember not to cut out massive squares because smaller details seems to look better.
Marcel Duchamp's Readymade
Since the tubes of paint used by the artist are manufactured and ready-made products, we must conclude that all the paintings in the world are 'ready-mades aided'.
- Marcel Duchamp
As you can see above, The Mona Lisa is an artwork that often gets altered, edited and even re-made completely. This is due to one artist, Marcel Duchamp, that started it all. However before I explain how and why he did it... shouldn't the question be why the Mona Lisa?
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Da Vinci's painting consists of a female model with a peculiar smile. At the time there were rumours circulating as to who the model was and her relation to Da Vinci. The painting rapidly gained value over the years and eventually someone stole it. However, just two years later it was returned and is now protected better than some presidents...
The title L.H.O.O.Q. was chosen to mock artists. Saying the title in a French accent reveals a rather rude phrase addressed to the woman in the painting. Duchamp added this title, along with a beard and moustache for people who call themselves artists, to possibly reflect on themselves and question: what is real art? L.H.O.O.Q. is a readymade because Duchamp was able to just reuse a premade work of art and reinterpret to piece into what he wanted instead. Duchamp managed to completely change change society's view on art. After reworking one of the most famous pieces of work ever made, The Mona Lisa, he opened people's eyes to all the possibilities of reusing readymade art. |
Kensuke Koike
Here is a collection of the artist, Kensuke Koike's work. I do believe that throughout the make do and mend project, Koike has to be one of my favourite producers of these abstract collages.
Koike is a Japanese artist currently working in Italy, he works in the genre of collage similar to Hoch using photographs found at flea markets and experiments with them in everyway possible through cutting and sliding parts of the images around with both organic but mostly geometrically cut lines.
Koike is a Japanese artist currently working in Italy, he works in the genre of collage similar to Hoch using photographs found at flea markets and experiments with them in everyway possible through cutting and sliding parts of the images around with both organic but mostly geometrically cut lines.
This is one of my favourite collages of Koike's due to the perfectly fitted pieces consisting of shifted facial features. The near seamless parts mesmerize me as it almost looks as though the image has just been photoshopped. One specific aspect of this, along with the rest of his work, that is the most eye catching to me would be the irregularity in lighting and highlights across the face for example... it seems as though the nose especially has been placed in a strategic way to form a contrast between the normally shaded bits and the subtle yet effective light half of the nose
Sharon Walters
Here is also a collection of the photographer, Sharon Walter's work. She is a London based photographer celebrating black women through her distinctive collages incorporating both people and vibrant backgrounds.
Walter's work mainly consists of portraits however the abnormality also blends into the genre of collage. It would appear that she tends to only work with ripped up paper although, it seems to me that, in some of her photographs, she does also combine either real or artificial flowers and other plants too.
In my opinion, I very much enjoy looking through her work however, unlike the thoughts on my hoch response, I do prefer the collages where big areas are cut out such as the bottom left or the top middle photo.
Walter's work mainly consists of portraits however the abnormality also blends into the genre of collage. It would appear that she tends to only work with ripped up paper although, it seems to me that, in some of her photographs, she does also combine either real or artificial flowers and other plants too.
In my opinion, I very much enjoy looking through her work however, unlike the thoughts on my hoch response, I do prefer the collages where big areas are cut out such as the bottom left or the top middle photo.
Experimenting with Appropriation and Readymade Art
Life is like a collage. Its individual pieces are arranged to create harmony. Appreciate the artwork of your life.
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Being told that I needed to appropriate a readymade piece of art was perfectly fine with me because I had already thought out and planned how I was going to do this. To begin with, I printed off one of Johannes Vermeer's artworks, Girl with a Pearl Earring, and my favourite Kensuke Koike collage. Secondly, I layered the collage on top of the girl and gently stuck them together so that when I separated them the paper wouldn't rip. I then traced the cube outline from Koike's work (so that the same lines would print onto the girl) and separated the pictures. Afterwards, I cut the cube shape into smaller parts and began to play with them, re arranging them until I was satisfied with the level of abstraction. I then finally stuck them into place...
I specifically chose Vermeer's artwork because it has many similarities with Duchamp's readymade work and Koike's portrait work and I wanted to merge the two styles I had researched. |
Whilst I was experimenting, I also came across the opportunity to film a short stop motion with the parts of the cube! However, although I am happy with this outcome, I would have preferred the lighting to be less direct as you can see the shine on the paper which I find irritating. In future, I will be sure to use more indirect light.
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Black in White America
Here I have, again, used readymade photographs, originally produced by the photographer Leonard Freed as a part of his collection: Black in White America. Out of the wide range of photographs, the Jazzman and the group of children stood out to me the most because I feel as though the more people in the photograph, the more opportunities I have to mess around with aspects. Body parts and faces are the main features I can play around with, hence why I attempted to shorten the childrens legs and swap their faces around. The photograph of the Jazzman, on the other hand, only consisted of him and his instrument however after watching a few videos on other collage artists, I was inspired to take a different route through appropriating the image. This led me to slicing up the photo into strips and rearranging them to form 2 of the same image and then 4... you can see the process in the slideshow and I was extremely pleased with the outcome however, as the pieces of paper got smaller, squares started going everywhere so I did infact lose parts of the photo which is why I had to crop the result.
Franklyn Rodgers
Franklyn Rodgers is a
'The Elders' was originally a photograph from a collection of images based around races, mostly asian couples, and I decided to work with this particular photo because right from the start it stood out.
As people were looking around the selection of photographs, I noticed these loud red glasses and instantly knew they had to remain in the photograph as I appropriated it through cutting and glueing. I believe what the photographer may have tried to imply was the heavy contrast between the older generation, and the younger generation. Therefore, if I were to take these away from the picture I think that the photograph overall would lose the majority of its vibrance which would also go with how eye catching it it to the audience.
Sticking to Make Do and Mend project, I decided to throw away as little as I could yet try to still change subtle parts of the image, therefore leading me to experiment with the marks or the persons face...
Before my final judgement as to cut through wrinkles and scars, I did also play around with cutting out triangles on his forehead however soon came to the realisation I was cutting away too much, leading me to start over and finish with this piece.
As people were looking around the selection of photographs, I noticed these loud red glasses and instantly knew they had to remain in the photograph as I appropriated it through cutting and glueing. I believe what the photographer may have tried to imply was the heavy contrast between the older generation, and the younger generation. Therefore, if I were to take these away from the picture I think that the photograph overall would lose the majority of its vibrance which would also go with how eye catching it it to the audience.
Sticking to Make Do and Mend project, I decided to throw away as little as I could yet try to still change subtle parts of the image, therefore leading me to experiment with the marks or the persons face...
Before my final judgement as to cut through wrinkles and scars, I did also play around with cutting out triangles on his forehead however soon came to the realisation I was cutting away too much, leading me to start over and finish with this piece.
More Experimenting
Using the magazines and leftover photographs provided, I continued practicing my knife and composition skills. I began to experiment with more photographs of people so I could see how taking away different aspects of their body would affect the overall look of the pictures. Although I wasn't completely satisfied with these results, I uploaded them anyway to document my mistakes so I can work from them. In future I will try to focus less on lines that are already visible and just cut away where I feel is right.
Threshold concepts
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#1 Artists often play with our expectations of what a photograph should look like as they, along with society, tend to assume that every photograph and artwork either focuses on a subject, which is a person, or a landscape view. I believe views on photography as a whole is strongly based on many of the art styles from centuries a long time ago, whereas todays art styles are much more abstract and openminded which may be more difficult for people to acknowledge.
#3 Without noticing we do, in fact, use photography in our everyday lives. From simply just taking selfies on a phone to really digging deep and using the formal elements of photography - we find ourselves looking in the mirror daily, not realising this is in some ways a self portrait involving light, reflections, shadows and more! |
Final Outcome
Behind Bars
Interacting with the prisoners was quite emotional for me as I felt that most were victims of an unfair economic and social class system.
- Arthur Tress (American photographer)
Here we are in yet another lockdown, so it feels fitting that we move our 'Make do & Mend' project forward, focusing on a new aspect 'Behind Bars'. The similarities between lockdown and prison are vast: our movement is controlled by the authorities, we're not able to see family and the overwhelming loneliness of it all has a huge impact on our mental health.
As a part of this topic we will be focusing on and exploring prison photography, looking at a range of photographers who give an insight into what it's like 'behind bars'. Prison is known to have a severely detrimental effect on a person's mental health, especially juvenile ones, so to help rehabilitate the young inmates and turn their life around in preparation for their release, some photographers open up workshops. It can also give them a way to channel their anger and frustration.
It's a very effective method, however, there is much to consider when setting up these workshops and thorough risk assessments would have to be done. Is there a risk of violence from the participating inmates? Is there a risk of vandalism or breakage to the camera equipment?
Another obstacle to the success of these sessions is the attitude of the participating inmates, with many of them feeling that there is "nothing to photograph". A viewpoint that couldn't be further from the truth...
As a part of this topic we will be focusing on and exploring prison photography, looking at a range of photographers who give an insight into what it's like 'behind bars'. Prison is known to have a severely detrimental effect on a person's mental health, especially juvenile ones, so to help rehabilitate the young inmates and turn their life around in preparation for their release, some photographers open up workshops. It can also give them a way to channel their anger and frustration.
It's a very effective method, however, there is much to consider when setting up these workshops and thorough risk assessments would have to be done. Is there a risk of violence from the participating inmates? Is there a risk of vandalism or breakage to the camera equipment?
Another obstacle to the success of these sessions is the attitude of the participating inmates, with many of them feeling that there is "nothing to photograph". A viewpoint that couldn't be further from the truth...
Klavdij Sluban
Photograph the nothingness.
This is a video of a particular photographer who began a workshop specifically for juvenile prisoners. Klavdij Sluban, a French photographer working mainly in prison settings, believed that letting young inmates, such as the ones in the video, explore photography during their sentences helped rehabilitate, channel emotions and even guide them onto a new path with a passion.
Thanks to the preparations Sluban made including providing cheap disposable cameras, instead of expensive fragile ones, the inmates were able to fully express themselves without any worries and throughout the video you can also see how their mindsets change from explaining how there's "nothing to photograph" to discovering all the beautiful angles of their surroundings and themselves, revealed in the developed disposables. |
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Sluban speaks about the inmates' similarities with understanding and I found it quite moving the way he offered his love for art as an exchange. He described jail as hidden and I felt like those inside were the ones forgotten about and, through his photography, Sluban was helping them be seen again. He referred to the inmates as students which felt more humane. The photos he took were all monochrome, forming a more raw, depressing aura than if they were in colour I felt. I was particularly affected by the photos of identical, worn shoes and suitcases. Leading me, and the prisoners too I'm sure, to believe they have lost their individuality.
Prison authorities may see art workshops as an outlet to frustration - a type of therapy, as well as new skill. Photography may also give an inmate an opportunity to look at the prison from a different view - a subject of art, rather than a jail.
Nicolo Degiorgis
Nicolo Degiorgis is a contemporary visual artist from Bolzano/ Bozen, Italy. Much like Sluban, Degiorgis taught photography to prison inmates and led workshops at the Bolzano/ Bozen Penal institution. By, again, working with the 'nothingness' of the surroundings, this allowed Degiorgis' students to test different perspectives around them as this is reflected in his 2017 book 'Prison Photography' where you can see the inmates attempting to escape the monotony of prison life.
Below is a collection of just some of Degiorgis' captivating photographs from his prison series. There was a wide range of genres featured in his work so I decided to match the genres up with the photos according to what I believed they were...
Treasure hunts
After being given a list to work with, I explored round my house and garden on a treasure hunt style checklist filled with specific instructions on how to take the photographs. These sets of instructions involved "a small object from a low angle" and "write help on the palm of your hand" etc.
List 1
Overall, I am very pleased with the outcome of this photo-shoot, especially the glass of water and the creased bedsheets. I believe they give off a simple yet bold look due to the plainness of the background therefore leaving only one object to focus on. Towards the end of the list I, unfortunately, began to find less unique ways of interpreting the instructions such as "take a photo of the back of someone's head" which is quite straight forward and "take a photo of the spine of a book". Eventually I gave in and just took the photos how they described them but I am not as happy with them as I am with the first five.
List 2
All Genre Experiment
In order to include as many genres as I could in one image such as portrait, abstract and fashion etc. I composed the four photographs above which consist of those genres, along with still life. I'm happy I managed to get the bubbles in the shot, however, I think I focused too hard on framing them therefore, unfortunately, the rest of the objects are off centre.
Virtual Trip
Using Google Earth, I chose a country meaningful to me and explored the streets in search of captivating photo opportunities, hidden in plain sight. Here you can see I travelled around the mountains and in the small town of Monchique, Portugal.
Experimenting with Ideas for my Final Piece
As I was figuring out what I wanted to work on for my final piece, I experimented with different types of collage including this idea where you match a random news headline with a page from a magazine. I wasn't very interested in this collage, hence why there is only two images, however I do still want to work with collage.
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Basil Kincaid
Experimenting with Collage
For my final piece I wanted to do a form of collage. As I experimented with the magazines given, I found I was really interested in cutting up models and mixing/ matching different people with different heads, torsos etc. This reminded me of the exhibition 'Exquisite Corpse' done by Jake and Dinos Chapman.