SUMMER WORK
GALLERY VISIT 1
The Photographers Gallery : Gregory Crewdson
This is the first UK exhibition of 'Cathedral of the pines', consisting of 31 images and it marks the first time the Photographers gallery has marked three whole rooms for one artist. Gregory Crewdson is an American photographer born in New York in 1962 who photographs tableaux of American neighbourhoods and homes. The series was produced from 2013 to 2014 and explores the relationship between the suburban uncanny environment and human interactions, the images are staged by the artist. He says that they are 'his most personal' and they are captured in a dystopian landscape. The composition of the images engages with the viewer.
"I am fundamentally interested in the uncanny, which is almost by definition like trying to find an unexpected mystery in everyday life," says Crewdson. "It's important to me that the setting for my pictures feels familiar. The settings, the props, the costumes, the subjects, they are supposed to feel ordinary, but then I use light and colour and mood and atmosphere to charge it in some way."
LIGHTING WORKSHOP
For this task we experimented with the usage of different lightings and the effects this has on the portraiture image. In order to portray this, I photographed people in a number of different lightings, from natural to harsh studio artificial lights.
Prior to the assigned class work of photographing people in different lightings I wanted to experiment with the impact of lighting on objects and shadowing.
Here I have attempted making my photographs more interesting with the use of artificial lighting, different angles and a variety of applied forces on the paper. Unlike my previous response, I have played with the use of hard lighting.
THE PORTRAIT
Marcus Lyon (1985), shot a series called Somos Brazil. Somos Brazil stands for 'we are Brazil'. The project launched in Sao Paulo in Brazil and featured heavily in the Brazilian media with over 220 million viewers from broadcasting on TV. The series depicts the social diversity present in Brazilian culture as the artist photographed diverse street corners over a six month period. Moreover, the artist initiated DNA tests to allow each participant to find out where they were from.
The photographer took this series as it links directly to his own personal life and identity. One day, his two Brazilian children told him: “Daddy, we’re Brazilian.” Despite having a very clear connection to England and being born in the UK, his children like other Brazilians identity themselves through their South American heritage. In all three compositions the artist uses a white backdrop, this is effective in drawing attention to the details and colours of the subjects. The first and third photographs may have been taken using flash to accentuate this. The first photo features a Northern native American, his make up and costume clearly portray his culture. The man photographed is holding on to his countries tradition. In comparison, the second image consists of a business women who appears to be in her work attire. Her posture compares with the first man's as she seems far more casual. Like all of Lyon's 'We are Brazil' the subject engages with the viewer through directly looking into the camera. Finally, the last image captures a minor and her mother, their vibrant clothing is very eye catching and draws the viewer in. The image, like the rest of this series is not candid and is definitely staged like the work of Gregory Crewdson's is.
Evaluation
I feel that these images are strong in the sense that most of the people that I photographed are posing, expressing their personalities and expressing something about themselves. Furthermore, I managed to capture a wide range of ages. Although the white background worked in drawing the attention to only the subject it wasn't in good condition as you can see the crumples; this makes the images look less professional. I also would have liked to have captured more of an ethnic mix, this is to do with the area I took the images in. Therefore, to improve them I would go to a more diverse part of London and I would use a white wall instead of a piece of card.
CATHERINE CHRISTOFIS
Catherine Christofis takes photographs of the environment. She bases her work in the rural area of Borough Green, Kent, United Kingdom. She has been working with photography since 2013. Her images focus on minor details in this series 'A406'.
"I am fascinated by nature breaking through the man made world. The plants I photograph are often seen as a nuisance and ugly. I want to change that" -Catherine Christofis
These contact sheets document the various images I took in aim of imitating the artists images. I took many because the lighting that day made it more challenging to take successful photographs. In many of them, I used the MF setting which allowed me to focus on the subject and soften the background. This is a technique that Catherine Christofis uses in her work.
|
RESPONSE
Within the images I have selected, I have tried to present a variety of sceneries. In the first image I didn't zoom at all to show the structure of the building in comparison with the small development of nature. In the third photo I used the MF setting to focus on the selected branch, I think the contrast this creates is effective.
JOHN LONDEI
British photographer, his work is censored mainly around commercial photography and portraiture. His 'Shutting up shop' photo book features a series of images taken of independent shops that are in decline. The series was captured over fifteen years and pays a tribute to an era that has evaporated. The series began in the 1970's when Londei came across an old pharmacy in Leather Lane, London. This shop payed a significant role in influencing the artist because of its multifarious function, as more than just a shop, people came their for advice. All three images have been taken using a wide lens, this enables the photograph to feature a wide amount of the surroundings and each photograph of the series was taken on a 10 x 8 plate camera, using film. Furthermore, the shop owners are present in all the images which gives a sense of ownership and context behind the shop. As these three images portray, each shop is very different.
Provision store
'My father was a 'pukka' grocer' This composition features two shop owners, amongst the backdrop of the large quantity of supplies that the business own. The setup of the shop therefore creates a sense of chaos, perhaps as a result of running such a shop. Set in Lincolnshire Wolds in the market town of Louth. These sort of provision stores are arguable being replaced by the internet hence the documentation of it. The stories of the shops in this series are told through anecdotes and interviews with the artist himself. In 2004, he revisited to see if they were still open.
|
Cork shop, 1980
'After two days I cried my eyes out' The shop featured in this composition is rare to find in an urban space. It is called 'Beal & Co' and has been opened since 1883, in Brighton. It sells items such as life belts and bottle mats. The man featured in the shop isn't the owner but the shop owner Doris stated that 'he was as good as the owner really'. Londei chose to photograph this store because it was the country's last cork shop. Unlike some of his work, this image features the exterior of the shop but the window enables the viewer to peer inside.
|
Bric-a-Brac, 1979
'Mine is the sort of business that seems to attract the criminal type' The backdrop of this image shows various sports and pastimes for sale. The shop keeper Sidney Gould put the shop on the market due to the criminal nature of the environment where the shop is located, on Uxbridge Road, West London. The way in which the composition and framing are shows the indefinite sentimental love the shop runner has for his store. For instance, he is in the midst of the cluster and his facial expression engenders contentment.
|
R E S P O N SE
To respond to this task I walked around Muswell Hill photographing all the independent shops that gave me permission. In most of the images I aimed to include the shop owners but not always.
In the images above I have captured two workers only the photograph to the left was taken in a chain shop. The purpose to this was to show the contrast between their shops and dress code.
Although I think the contents of these images is substantial, the colouring and light balance isn't. This is because I didn't manage my camera settings properly.
PRACTICAL BRIEF
For my practical brief I want to explore different areas around London, looking particularly at the stratification of the classes and the improvement of areas. To do this I will explore different areas and draw comparisons by the images I have taken. Below is a brainstorm of my initial thoughts. I will refer back to this diagram when I am stuck on ideas and need inspiration.
THE BRIEF
What is the 'Decisive Moment'?
The decisive moment is a term coined by Magnum signed Henri Cartier-Bresson. It refers to the capturing of real life moments in street photography, specifically the spontaneous nature of moments in time. Many individuals consider this the most important aspect of photography, as a result this is why Cartier-Bresson has influenced thousands of photographers since the 20th century. Such as, Joel Meyerowitz and Lorenzo Melani. This is quote by Henri Cartier-Bresson: 'To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event'.
The decisive moment is a term coined by Magnum signed Henri Cartier-Bresson. It refers to the capturing of real life moments in street photography, specifically the spontaneous nature of moments in time. Many individuals consider this the most important aspect of photography, as a result this is why Cartier-Bresson has influenced thousands of photographers since the 20th century. Such as, Joel Meyerowitz and Lorenzo Melani. This is quote by Henri Cartier-Bresson: 'To me, photography is the simultaneous recognition, in a fraction of a second, of the significance of an event'.
I am going to try and incorporate this technique into my own images, throughout my practical response. Moreover, I will refer back to the brainstorm I created at the start of my project. I hope this improves the outcome of my work.
First observation-Ithica
Whilst I was on holiday in Greece, I wanted to document the different cultural aspects of the people. I found it interesting how there were a lot of old dependants. Also, the difference in class and traditions varied slightly from each Island: Kefalonia to Ithica. Like other documentary photographers, I wanted the scenery to impact the images.
Second observation-Brick Lane
After looking at the work of street photographers like Joel Meyorowitz and Cartier-Bresson in my curatorship task I decided to experiment with the 'decisive moment' in my images. I chose to photograph Brick Lane because of the variety of markets present there on a Sunday and the ethical diversity present in the area.
The Decisive Moment
In the images above I have taken a collection of candid, street photographs. My aim was to capture the atmosphere of the area in my images without any staging. I think the fact that the subjects were unaware of the photos being taken makes them more effective.
As I was also looking for the ethnic mix in East London, I decided to focus on the food present on a sunday in the market. The decisive moment presents the atmosphere of an environment which was my aim in this response.The food hall in the centre of the area attracts people from different ethnicities, so that they can serve their food to the rest of the population, a significant part of their culture. Moreover, I also photographed the consumerism of clothing. I think this was successful because of the mirrors, corners and reflections I managed to corporate in my compositions.
Consumerism
They are not merely markers of the economic activity, they are also places which reflect the social and cultural needs, hopes, coherence, stability and change in a community. These are places where people exchange goods, money, conversation, ideas. I found that reflections and mirroring were particularly good for a consumerist interpretation of the theme.
EVALUTATION
Overall I am quite pleased with the outcome of the photographs from this observation, due to the strong composition of some. However, I'm not sure if they all show a decisive moment. For my next set of observations I will choose my location more carefully and then I will wait for the moment I want. This response has shown me that reflections and corners are all good places to do so.
Third observation- Reflections and Mirroring
From my third observation I noticed that reflections were particularly effective for a consumerist interpretation of the theme of street photography. So I searched for artists that use this technique. Saul Leiter, Vivian Mayer and Lee Friedlander all do this however Friedlander's work appealed the most to me. He loved the play of images superimposing each other using shop windows or sunlight to create shadows.
SAUL LEITER
Saul Leiter (December 3, 1923 – November 26, 2013) was an American photographer and painter whose early work in the 1940s and 1950s was an important contribution to what came to be recognized as the New York school of photography. Despite his father wanting him to become a Rabbi, he began art and photography at the age of 23. His work is in the collections of many prestigious public and private collection and he has pioneered the use of colour in photography for the 20th century. Leiter is an outstanding figure of post war photography.
the fact that the figures in the photograph are in their natural environment and are not posing for the photo. This adds a raw touch. The focal technique Leiter uses in this piece is reflection, this has been successful and I like the fact it has made the bus look blurry. This image consists of shadowing and the main tool used to manipulate the viewer is
|
It looks like this picture has been taken with the camera leaning on a car, this is effective because it enables a variety of focus in the composition. For example, the foreground is slightly unfocused and the background is in focus. This contrast makes it look sharper. Leiter uses the technique of keeping the faces of his models anonymous which can be seen in this piece
|
This image consists of shadowing and the main tool used to manipulate the viewer is the ere of absence that Leiter has formed through the darkness. This creates surrealism. Saul Leiter has captured this image using a 35mm film camera which makes the piece look more pastel. His images are much like Robert Frank and shapes and textures play a huge part in the composition.
|
LEE FRIEDLANDER
Lee Friedlander, born in 1934, began photographing the American social landscape in 1948. With an ability to organize a vast amount of visual information in dynamic compositions, Friedlander has made humorous and poignant images among the chaos of city life, dense landscape and countless other subjects. Friedlander is also recognized for a group of self-portraits he began in the 1960s, reproduced in Self Portrait, an exploration that he turned to again in the late 1990s, and published in a monograph by Fraenkel Gallery in 2000.
This image incorporates lots of shop and restaurant logos. Effectively capturing the consumerism culture of New York. This is an example of Friedlander using reflections to show what is around the camera. He captures more than one perspective Furthermore, the scene merges portraiture and the landscape around it.
|
Captured in 1963, New York. Friedlander shoots the moment of two people on their opposing journeys. As always, the daylight creates brightness and highlights what is going on in the image. Meanwhile, the glass window enables the vague outline of other silhouettes to be seen, as well as giving the viewer a glimpse of the high street.
|
Belonging to the series 'Self Portrait' this vintage image was taken in 1960 and like all the other photos in the collection, features the artist himself through the shadow. The wide lens angle effectively enables the urban aspects of the city to be viewed by the audience. Shadowing is emphasises through the use of high contrast which works well
|
FIRST RESONSE
For my first response to Lee Friedlander's street images, I photographed my local area during some extreme weather. I thought this would dramatise the impact that the reflections and mirroring creates.
SECOND RESPONSE
To improve my photographs I decided to take photographs in Leicester Square, which is more central and busy. Like Lee Friedlander achieves in his work, I aimed to capture reflections and shadows in my street photography. Therefore the photographs become far more obscure and abstract. I also tried to manipulate the imposing architecture in my photos. I got this idea from another photographer Arnold Newman who quoted: "The surroundings had to add to the composition and the understanding of the person. No matter who the subject was, it had to be an interesting photograph. Just to simply do a portrait of a famous person doesn't mean a thing" about his images.
To refine my work and make it mirror Friedlande's more precisely I edited the levels, curves and contrast of my photos in photoshop. Prior to this I then edited all my photographs into black and white. Therefore the focal point of my images (shadowing and reflection) becomes more predominant because of the increased contrasting and the simplistic choice of colouring. Below are the edits that I feel are the most successful:
THIRD RESPONSE
Unlike my first observation response for my brief, I wanted to focus more carefully on one aspect or theme, so i chose consumerism. Instead of looking at markets I chose to focus on more renowned shopping areas like Oxford Street and Regent Street. I incorporated reflections in my photographs to in many cases, present the consumer and the contents of the shop. I also searched for colour when capturing my images, because I felt the colouring in my previous response weren't appealing and thus weakened the strength of the images |
Black and white edits:
To refine my work and make it mirror Friedlander's more precisely I edited the levels, curves and contrast of my photos in photoshop. Prior to this I then edited all my photographs into black and white. Therefore the focal point of my images (shadowing and reflection) becomes more predominant because of the increased contrasting and the simplistic choice of colouring. Below are the edits that I feel are the most successful:
I feel that my third attempt to Lee Friedlander's work works well because the compositions are strong in capturing consumerism.
Experimentation
Fourth observation- Colombia Road flower market
For my fourth observation I visited Colombia road market in East London and looked at the selling of produce. The market is open on Sunday's selling good value plants. I found the mix off social class enthralling, both in the barrow sellers who are generally known for chanting things such as "everythin' for a fiver" and the controversy of the location of the market and the individual consumers wealth. Due to Colombia market being situated in th
THE LOCATION
In addition to capturing the flower market, I also wanted to photograph the location surrounding it. My intention in doing so was to document the mixture of social classes to give some context to the original images. Tom Hunter also documented the deprivation and wealth in Hackney.
Artist link-Rob Cartwright
After I went to Colombia Market, I found a photographer who had the same intentions. Rob Cartwright took these images alongside a set of images of Brick Lane as part of his 2011/2012 'photo a day challenge'. Comparing his colouring and composition with my own is interesting in terms of self evaluation and improving my images. We both photographed the same man, however in his image the man seems more engaged. As my contact sheets display, I did get numerous images of this dominant member of the market. Although consequently, due to confusion with my cameras ISO and shutter priority settings, many of my images turned out blurred or over exposed.
The image to the left consists of a consumer grasping his item, prior to that there are also several faces in the frame. This is remarkable different to the rest of the pieces in this collection. Each image focuses on movement, carrying the item either to sell or take home. Cartwright seems to have taken his image on a digital camera which means the artist can caption the precision of a moment easier.
Artist and me
Evaluating the artist, Cartwright's, I noticed that our works shared some similarities. In particular, these two images of the consumers holding their purchased items:
The artists image has successfully emphasised the focal point by using the AF setting on his camera, leading to a blurred background and the women and the flowers being the only aspect in focus. Moreover, it is very clear that the item has been bought because of the way she is grasping onto the item and she is not wearing clothes that suggest she is a flower seller.
|
Comparatively, the photo I took has been taken with the MF camera setting applied. This means that the background isn't blurred however in this scenario I think this is effective because there aren't people in the background. Instead the umbrellas shielding the stalls of flowers is captured, adding more atmosphere to the image. However, I feel the image would be better had the flowers been focused on more carefully.
|
EDITS
In Photoshop, I used both the environmental images of Hackney, where the flower market is located with the portrait images of the sellers. I chose one of the images that consisted of the most vibrant colours. This was so when fading the opacity of it, in order to see the other layer, it would still show. I also experimented by using the lasso tool in Photoshop with another photograph from Colombia Market, this time I made the flowers high contrast whilst the shop owner remained in colour. I did this to portray the importance of the sellers in the markets.
Fifth observation-Colour in Berlin
For my fifth observation to documentary photography, I photographed the people in Berlin. My aim was to capture the diversity of people in the different towns and cities as well as presenting the environment too. I focused on the expressions present in Berlin through the street art.
ARTIST LINK- Friedrich Seidenstucker
Friedrich Seidenstücker (1882–1966) is noted for his atmospheric photographs of everyday life in Berlin during the Weimar Republic. Seidenstücker's interests in the 1920's-1930's is mainly of minor details, mainly of Berlin post War.. He was the first photographer to be thoroughly devoted in urban instances as opposed to the city. Seidenstücker trained and then worked as a sculptor until 1930.
In this composition Seidenstücker seems to capture the essence of the moment that is taking place, thus applying the technique created by Henri Cartier-Bresson; the Decisive moment. Friedrich Seidenstücker photographed durable images of Germany at work and then in the depression. These images and others such as 'Known to Wertheim' (1935) were used in the National Socialist publications, later in the decade. The piece looks like it has been captured using a film camera, which creates a timeless, vintage effect. |
Leaping the Puddle, Berlin, 1925
Sixth observation- Canada Goose protest
After photographing a protest in Berlin, I also wanted to document a protest in London. Photographing social issues is something my curatorship task artists have done, like Cartier-Bresson and Lorenzo Melati. I thought this was also relevant as for my third observation to my personal brief I focused on 'consumerism' and big companies advertising/marketing. The images document the affects consumerism of certain items has environmentally and subsequently socially.
The protest gathered lots of animal right activists, who were against the mistreatment of animals to create the designer brand.
GALLERY VISIT 2: The C/O- Danny Lyons
MESSAGE TO THE FUTURE
“My greatest strength has been empathy with others different from myself.”
Danny Lyon
Danny Lyon
DANNY LYON
Danny Lyon is an American photographer and film maker. He was born in 1942 on the 16th March. His notable work includes: The Bike riders, The Destruction of Lower Manhattan, Conversations With The Dead, I Like To Eat Right On The Dirt, Like A Thief's Dream. The exhibition was called 'message to the future' and the images documented scenes of Afro-American protestors and police brutality and racial discrimination. These images were taken in 1963. The exhibition is curated by Julian Cox and organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.
This photo documents the consequences prison can have on a family. It uses photojournalism which records a story. He builds the visual and personal narrative through his camera lens. Likewise, his series of the Southern Civil Right's movement uses the same principal. Here, the use of reflection effectively enables us to see the prisoners expression as well as his family. Danny Lyon has taken the image at a slanted viewpoint, perhaps to show the disarray and dysfunction prison has caused their family unit. This image belongs to the book: 'Conversation with the dead', the book clearly illustrates the photographers empathy for others.
|
"Photographers show character through how people look and the bikers were a perfect subject because they were what they looked like." Lyon wanted to photograph things his parents would have hated such as danger and adventure, hence his fascination with bikers. This series was shot in the 1960s and features celebrities like James Dean and Marlow Brando. The most crucial formal element used in this composition is movement, and the ability to capture this.
|
Seventh observation-
For this observation I observed the consumerism and social class aspects of my practical brief mind map. I went to photograph various different cafe's, launderettes and shops across Haringey and Camden. In this response I aim to unpick the term 'gentrification'. Gentrification means to improve an area in order to acquire middle classed tastes.
F I R S T R E S P O N S E
S E V E N S I S T E R S
G R E E N L A N E S
In this image I photographed the subject at hips level, this is a technique used by Mark Cohen (from my curatorship). This enabled me to photograph the subject up close.
S O U T H O F T O T T E N H A M
S E C O N D R E S P O N S E
Highgate Village is a small residential area in the North of London and the borough of Camden. It is made up of gastropubs, tea rooms,18th century buildings and green open spaces. It is also well known for it's cemetery where many famous people are buried, such as Karl Marx. I found it interesting photographic the mainly independent shops and cafes in this area and noticed a large difference between here and towards Tottenham. Not just with shops, but also the people which arguably is what determines a place.
H I G H A T E V I L L A G E
EDITS
I have presented my work in high contrast as well as in colour to present them in a new way. With the black and white edit I have achieved by using Photoshop, my photographs resemble artists I researched in my curatorship task, such as Mark Cohen and Henri Cartier-Bresson. Also, the Danny Lyon's C/O gallery I visited was in black and white.
E V A L U A T I O N
I found that this series of image was far more successful than my first observation for street photography. Although, the composition in the images taken outdoors wasn't too effective sometimes and the pictures that used reflection looking into cafes looked better.
W H A T ' S N E X T ?
So far I have looked at the consumptions of goods in our Westernised society and the wide variety of people this attracts. I have also attempted to document the different cultural features of other countries in Europe, using street photography and looking at many areas and the aspects that classify and define whether an area is affluent or not. The aim of my photographs is to show the outstanding diversity, wit
Next I will:
Next I will:
- Research the demographic trends of an area before going out to photograph
- Continue to use the 'Decisive moment'
- Look at ethnicity (using the internet)
- Photograph individuals more closely
- Focus on framing
- Crop the selected images so that the focal point is clear
- Capture gentrification by going to areas that are changing
- Look at social class some more
- Concentrate closely on intricate details
- Look a religious institutions like Tom Hunter
R E S E A R C H
Before going out to take images that unpick ethnicity and the improving of an area, I wanted to gain a better understanding of the trends within the area thus I went on Haringey's website and analysed the statistics from the table. However, they are outdated so the accuracy of the data isn't guaranteed but they gave me a general idea.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_community_of_London
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_London
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/20/income-inequality-mapped-londons-boroughs-dominate-league-table/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnic_groups_in_London
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/20/income-inequality-mapped-londons-boroughs-dominate-league-table/
Eighth observation- Gentrification
I wanted to go back to Green Lanes in Haringey because it is a very ethnically mixed area and it is also becoming more and more gentrified. For example, among the High Road where there are many independent shops often mainly attracting local residents and the certain ethnic groups they are directed at, there are also lots of 'destination' shops and cafes that seem to attract customers from a larger radius of people, often working professionals. A lot of these shops sell organic produce and use items such as violins for decoration, that acquire middle class taste. I researched some of these places on Google and found: The Haringey local store, Music and Beans and Blend Cafe. As well as looking at the shops I also want to document the different groups of people I encountered as a result of the gentrification.
Ethnicity:
Street Portraits:
Gentrification:
EVALUATION
I feel that this observation was successful because I managed to achieve my aims of observing the gentrification of Haringey, Green Lanes. On top of this, I also managed to document cultural aspects that make up the area.
EXPERIMENTATION
To refine my work by using abstraction, I experimented using Photoshop. I knew I wanted to blur out the faces of the subjects I have photographed for my gentrification observation. I then had the idea to create a censored effect, this reflects the demolishment of an individuals identity, both in society and in photography - when looking at the bigger issues. For example, class and other socially constructed concepts. In my next response I will focus on capturing my subjects in environments that represent their identities, to contrast with this development.
STEPS ON PHOTOSHOP
I created this effect by using the lasso tool electronically and selected the area I wanted to distort.
ARTIST LINK
Looking back at my curatorship, I found that Tom Hunter's work linked well with my next development. As a result I researched into the particular project in more depth, 'Trading Places':
TOM HUNTER-TRADING PLACES
Born in 1965 in Dorset, Tom Hunter is an artist using photography and film, living and working in East London. He is Professor of Photography at the London College of Communications, University of the Arts, London, Honorary Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society and has an Honorary Doctorate from the University of East London. This series explores the diversity present in Bethnal Green and Hackney, East London in the consumer industry. The images are not just focused on the exterior appearance of the shops but the shop owners.
Image 1-
Similarly to John Londei, the subjects engage in direct address, this creates a sense of ownership from the business runner making the composition powerful and creating a sense of intimacy, between the viewer and the subject. Hunter uses reflection to engage in the wider world, for example in the far left of the picture. This expands from the frame itself. Likewise, the use of harsh lighting in the cafe intensifies the piece. A common pattern in Hunter's images is to show the businesses interactions with the consumer/customer, in this photo we can see the customer eating but their level of satisfaction is not known due to the cropping or the original framing of the photograph. This may be a deliberate effect of the artist.
Image 2-
'Trading places' was captured in 2008 and is an exploration of Tom Hunter's home town. It depicts the diversity of everyday life in the capital. Like 'Holly street residents' this series was taken to prove stereotypes of the area wrong.This image is staged carefully, as the business owner is in the centre of the foreground sitting down. Moreover, his costume is the brightest part of the image. He could either be a car dealer or a mechanic, either way the fact Tom Hunter has included him in his 11 part series on trade shows that his business and industries like his meet the needs of many consumers in East London.
Similarly to John Londei, the subjects engage in direct address, this creates a sense of ownership from the business runner making the composition powerful and creating a sense of intimacy, between the viewer and the subject. Hunter uses reflection to engage in the wider world, for example in the far left of the picture. This expands from the frame itself. Likewise, the use of harsh lighting in the cafe intensifies the piece. A common pattern in Hunter's images is to show the businesses interactions with the consumer/customer, in this photo we can see the customer eating but their level of satisfaction is not known due to the cropping or the original framing of the photograph. This may be a deliberate effect of the artist.
Image 2-
'Trading places' was captured in 2008 and is an exploration of Tom Hunter's home town. It depicts the diversity of everyday life in the capital. Like 'Holly street residents' this series was taken to prove stereotypes of the area wrong.This image is staged carefully, as the business owner is in the centre of the foreground sitting down. Moreover, his costume is the brightest part of the image. He could either be a car dealer or a mechanic, either way the fact Tom Hunter has included him in his 11 part series on trade shows that his business and industries like his meet the needs of many consumers in East London.
Ninth observation-Shopkeepers in Muswell Hill
For my ninth response to my personal brief, I browsed the local shops in Muswell Hill, asking the staff if I could photograph. Thus I was able to create similar work to Tom Hunter. Within my images I tried to cover a wide range of consumer industries, from independently run corner shops to bars.
Tenth observation: Shopkeepers in Green Lanes
I then went back to Green Lanes for the third time to capture the increasingly affluent locations shopkeepers. Showing them in their environment creates a contrast with my previous response. This is because of the change in the industry sector, for instance many of the shops are kebab shops because of the high proportions of many ethnic groups. In these images, the photographs are staged because I told the subject what to do.
After taking my images, I realised that Martin Parr took similar photographs in 2011. He uses a similar style, by simply shooting the shop runners in their shop.
Martin Parr is one of the most influential photographers from after the second world war, in Britain. He documents various cultural aspects of Britain. In this project he depicts the consumerist nature of urban life. His images of ordinary things are simplistic yet effective and each image has a story behind it. 'With photography, I like to create fiction out of reality, I try and do this by taking society's natural prejudice and giving this a twist' Martin Parr
ARTIST AND ME
My image to the left resembles Martin Parr's work because both images consist of two shop owners as opposed to one. Furthermore, both images capture the workers in uniform which through taking my images I have learned works more efficiently because it establishes their role clearly. They are all also behind the counter. But, the shop Martin Parr photographed has more interesting details. Next time I go out to take photographs I will look for details that may improve my work.
Gallery visit 3: V&A, Searching for ghosts
Situated in the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green, which houses a remarkable collection of childhood represented objects from the 16th century to the present day. The exhibition provides a glimpse into the lived experiences of several generations of east Londoners. Unearthing stories of home and photographically bring bringing the past to life. It explores social housing from the demolished tower block on the Holly Street Estate in Hackney to the red brick of the Boundary estate built in 1898. Homes reveal a lot about the person who inhabits them, which offers an intimate portrait of peoples domestic lives. This exhibition explores the traces of the previous home owners of the past. The fabric of the building documents the layered changes of occupancy, taste and the passage of time.
The idea for the model was created by Tom Hunter, who I felt inspired by when writing my curatorship task. The model maker is James Mackinnon and it is based on Lamas court and Cedar court, two of the four tower blocks belonging to Holly Street Estate, before it's demolishment, which began in 1993 and was completed in 2001. During 1998-2001 residents were photographed by Tom Hunter and recorded talking about the estate, which some people had lived in for 20 years. The project created by Hunter captures the sense of community and livelihood that the estate was home to. The demolishment took place to make people feel safer because of the staggering crime rates. Although residents deemed it an 'ok' place to live in the 1970's, by the late 1980's it became a 'sink' estate. Tom Hunter says that the concept of a council flat being a home is a 'utopia' and the isolation of Holly Street estate symbolises a 'dystopia', serving as a reminder of the failure of social policy. The exhibition focuses on the regeneration and loss of
My response to 'Holly Street residents'
Britain's socialist utopian of social housing and their convenience in the context of post-war housing shortages has effectively provided many people with a home. However, the demolishment of these high rise and densely populated homes has led to the lose of livelihood for too many. In 2017 the Grenfell tower fire led to 71 deaths and countless injuries. The extent of the fire was accelerated by the cheap material used on the buildings exterior: cladding. The demolishment of social housing, the high crime rates and the accidents that occur due to safety hazards is an increasing issue, particularly in London. Therefore I plan to document a couple of these high rise buildings using techniques that other architecture photographers use, in particular, Allen Klosowski.
Elephant & Castle
I was inspired by Tom Hunter's model of a council estate, thus I went out and took photographs of this large, brutalist structure. I chose this location in South London because of the £3billion regeneration plans.
Kings Cross Brutalist council estate
I also photographed a well kept council estate near Kings Cross. It was interesting to photograph this location as it felt a lot safer due to higher security such as locked gates. The material of the building seemed more steady and the exterior was more ascetically pleasing. The contrast between this estate and estates like Grenfell tower and Boundary estate.
Trellick tower
Trellick tower is a thirty one story building located in Kensal Rise in the borough of Chelsea. It was built by Enro Goldfinger with the intention for it to be a new a new innovative structure for social housing with a community. The structure was built in 1966 and completed in 1972. It is a very tall, imposing structure with its dimensions being 98 metres long. It also has a unique structure which i thought would be interesting to capture. It has a very urban ere to it and the residents homes are captivated into the images through their personalised balconies and the graffiti present on the building.
In the photos above my main intention was to focus on the dramatic height of the building, I achieved this through the use of different perspectives. For example, in the photo to the left I wasn't close to the building and in the other two I was near the building looking up.
EXPEREMINATION
To create these images i edited my photos into high contrast in Photoshop, this was to make the images appear more raw and gritty. Using the coloured pen tool in Photoshop I tried to outline the significant shapes to emphasise the structure of the buildings. To ensure precision I had to take much care in drawing the lines neatly. I did this so that the coloured outlines extenuated the height of the buildings, which are home to many lives. Therefore the destruction of such structures can have life changing impacts. I used primary colours that have connotations with the United Kingdom's three most popular political parties: Labour, Tories and the Liberal Democrats as they all have different perspectives and opinions on the concept of social housing.
ARTIST LINK - RUT BLEES LUXEMBURG
German photographer, her technique is usually to take pictures at night, she is interested in landscapes including estates and other urban areas, she often experiments with different shutter speeds in her photos to create long streams of light. She creates immersive and vertiginous. Through her work she investigates and explores how the city scape both reflects and affects human condition, her distinctive style creates really abstract quirky photographs. I feel like this is very relevant to the exhibition I went to, and the response I carried out.
This piece captures the Heygate Estate, situated in Elephant and Castle, South London. The photograph is called 'Towering Inferno' and is Luexemburg's most famous image. Heygate estate was built in the 1970's so is relatively modern. The estate is famous for the social problems the 3000 residents experienced through living here due to a range of physical problems including increasingly poor security and low energy efficiency, eventually the residents of the estate got what they wanted, it was demolished in 2008 and all the people were rehoused. The estate is now fully secured. This image contains a lot of meaning, the warm artificial colouring provokes mystery and danger. The lights being on in different windows perhaps represents the fact that the people living there were very unhappy and wanted to burn down the estate as they hated it with such a passion.
|
Towering Inferno
|
Eleventh observation: In the evening
Lorenzo Meloni's images, which I analysed in my written task, depict the atmosphere of Yemen at nighttime. As a result, I thought it would be interesting to capture Green Lanes in the evening. There is a more tranquil atmosphere than in the day and I found that using the technique of capturing the inside of shops looks interesting in the evening, when they are lit up. The images I have annotated in response to the exhibition I visited also inspired me to take evening images.
EXPERIMENTATION
I was pleased with this photo because I think it met my success criteria of presenting Haringey at night time. But I thought I'd experiment by exaggerating this. Firstly, I simply altered the colour balance in Photoshop but then I decided to create a GIF that shows all the different colour balances together with an interval of 0.1 seconds.
|
EVALUATION
My intention was to emphasise the neon lights in the original image by portraying my work in GIF form. However, I am not completely pleased with the outcome of this edit so I will not continue with this style of work.
Twelfth observation-Focusing on minor details
In light of my final piece, in which I plan to create a piece of work that expresses the area I have photographed, I felt there was a gap in the photos I have that focus on minor details. Consequently, I captured images of minor aspects of the high road, both outdoors and the exterior of cafes and shops that I feel represent the area.
Thirteenth observation: Michli Andreas & Sons Wholesale fruit vegetable
In my last response I went back to Green Lanes to photograph minor details that make up the area. To expand my project further I decided to return to the area and document the small details that create the authenticity of the small, family business in the Salisbury hotel in the area. I also hope to engage with the shop owner, discovering what makes his/her shop so unique.
To refine my work from my previous responses which looked at shop keepers closely, I wanted to engage more precisely in this project. Therefore I asked the owner a series of questions and noted what he said. John Londei did this in his project: 'Shutting up shop'. I am fascinated by the imposition of the owners personal interests and family life. Below are the quotes he mentioned:
'I don't believe a food shop should just be a food shop, it has to be artistic like me, I love anything artistic'
'I've had the shop for 49 years'
'A place to visit in North London the English tourist board said- I was so surprised I didn't know'
-Andreas Michli
'I've had the shop for 49 years'
'A place to visit in North London the English tourist board said- I was so surprised I didn't know'
-Andreas Michli
BREAKDOWN OF DEVELOPMENTS
4. Colombia Road Market |
5. Culture of Berlin |
7. Consumerism and people: Haringey |
8. Consumerism in Highate |
9.Gentrification |
EVALUATION OF BREAKDOWNS
To start off my practical study I thought it would be appropriate to photograph the seaside culture, like Martin Parr from my curatorship task. Therefore, I photographed various seaside towns and beaches in two Greek islands. Next I decided to photograph Brick Lane, particularly aiming to capture the decisive moment of the markets and the consumerism as a result. Following from this, I went to Oxford Street, Covent Garden and my local area to create three responses to Saul Leiter and Lee Friedlander, who use reflections to portray the consumerism within Western societies. For my fourth development I researched markets in London and went to Borough Market, photographing the Colombia Market. As well as photographing the flower sellers, I also documented the controversial and evolving location of Hackney. In Berlin I took multiple images of people in the streets, aiming to capture the differentiation between British culture and Berlin culture. I then moved onto consumerism by looking at independent shops and cafes in Haringey and Highgate, this was successful because my focus was on one location precisely. After doing some research on the affluence of areas within my borough, Haringey, I found that Green Lanes which I had previously visited for my last response was improving. Using the internet again, I found many organic, trendy shops, thus I photographed them and the gentrification within the area. For my tenth observation to my practical I photographed shop keepers in Muswell hill and then again in Green Lanes. At this point, I had decided to focus my developments on the area of Green Lanes. As a result, I went back to the area four times, each time with a different success criteria. This enabled me to collect a large variety of photographs that represent the area. I have used the techniques that I have learnt from artists I have analysed throughout this project, for example, Lee Friedlander and Tom Hunter.
Preparation for final piece:
In preparation for my mock exam, in which I want to piece together the several images I have captured, that focus on the area. I will do this by making a photo book, I have experimented by editing the images together in Photoshop. This enabled me to preview the order and layout of the book. Prior to this, I selected each image using Adobe Bridge and Photoshopped them. To ensure the structure of the book flows I categorically divided all the photos on Green Lanes.
ARTIST INFLUENCE
I like the technique Tillmans uses when displaying his work, There is a sense of chaos displayed by the various sized prints and the pictures don't seem to follow a chronological order.
W O L F G A N G T I L L M A N SWolfgang Tillmans is a German photographer, born in 1968. He is the first photographer to have won the Tane 'Turner prize', not of British descent. From 1995 Tillmans lived and worked in London, he also visits Berlin frequently. In 2011 he participated in a charity volunteering, in Haiti with Christian aid to help with the aftermaths of an earthquake. His work is distinguished by the observation of his surroundings and nature. He is also a fashion photographer
|
T H A M E S & H U D S O N
I found the structure and layout of this book very effective and thus intend to incorporate the same techniques when creating my book. I find the use of different sizes images on each page has a huge impact on the presentation and perception on the viewer.
F I N A L P I E C E
For my final piece I have decided to present my images on the area of Green Lanes. I chose this area because it consists of so much diversity; with a real mix of people and industries, I feel assured that the format of my book will display this. To do so, I will edit my chosen images into different sizes like Tillmans does when he exhibits his work. Below are screen grabs of how I will present the book, some images are in full bleed and cover the whole page. These are mainly the staged images of shop keepers because I think they are the most powerful and striking photos I have taken for my practical portfolio. I have also incorporated quotes from some shop keepers. I feel assured that the images in my book incorporate all the skills I have learned through my practical study, as I've picked the photos that best portray this.
When creating my final piece, I found that sorting the images in a random order didn't create the outcome I was hoping for. As a result, I reconstructed the 38 page book by giving the book more of a developing structure. I started it with the traditional perceptions and characteristics that make the area distinguishable to outsiders. Then I placed my images of the developing yet traditional industries, followed by the up and coming aspects of the highroad and then at the end of the book are the photos that best portray the gentrification of the area. Above is a demonstration of the initial layout I trialled, below is the improved attempt. As you can see, the images all relate to one another in the screen print below.