Background Research
After having a tutorial with Steve, my ideas for my final piece completely changed.
instead of experimenting with different forms of sculpture, I have chosen to relook at photography.
In connection with my previous photos of Chris, I am going to travel around Birmingham finding social places in which I find constricting.
In connection with my previous photos of Chris, I am going to travel around Birmingham finding social places in which I find constricting.
Steve recommended a book to me: ‘Vitamin Ph’. Within this book, some photographs from artist Tacita Dean, gave me the inspiration to explore the idea of using a type of staged photography. The settings in these photographs are a perfect representation of isolated areas in which I could portray in my own images. Another example of this is a selection of photos from Alex Slade. The only difference in my work is that I will involve a model to enhance the expression I am trying to give.
Tactia Dean
Alex Slade
Progression
The idea was to use either a form of tape or my previous "square" to restrain my model.
This is how I got on.
I used black tape to mark out a “space”. This didn’t work out as I imagined, I wanted to create photographs that imposed more of a statement. I began to think of a way that I could confine my volunteer without using a physical object.
To do this I travelled around Birmingham to find areas in which people would perceive as isolated. I thought photographing Andrew within these spaces would give the impression of entrapment, without having to envisage a sculpture that I have created; as in my previous work.
I also thought that photographing Andrew with his back towards the audiance, would enhance this illusion; as
my audiance would begin to wonder, why he is not facing towards the camera.
I wondered how I could portray these photographs in a way that showcased my previous ideas into one.
With the photographs that I took, I began to experiment with different ways in which I could present them. my first idea was to create some form of tryptic.
I really liked the photos I took within the Custard Factory, so I began with these.
I played around with the contrast, brightness and colour variations on Photoshop to create a more "grungy" look, to fit in with the location.
In this idea, I took my favourit photographs, I had the photo in the middle to give the impression to follow him, and the two either side to represent to diverse "paths", as in to provoke the question of where Andrew was walking.
Yet the idea of simply mirroring the two images either side, is a bit to obvious and un natural.
I began to experiment in other ways in which I could poortray Andrew walking somwere.
I went back to the Custard Factory to reshoot.
I did this by placing him on different parts of the bridge, featured in the previous photo.
I really liked the idea of following Andrew.
Yet I didnt think a tryptic was the right way to present my work.
After looking through my images, it hit me, the most perfect way to present these was to have them printed life size.
Yet because of funds and the space available for my assesment, I have had to produce a final piece which hopefully will briefly show what I would do, if I was to have the money and space to do what I really wanted.
I have produced a series of images which I have displayed in A3. Using photoshop I have converted the images to black and white and changed the brightness/contrast to enhance the feeling of un-ease among the audience.
I have done this to connect my images to previous work, and ideas of making my audiance feel exploited etc.
So If I was to have a gallery I would enlarge these photographs to a life size scale. I would then place them strategically in an open area. This would force my audience to “follow” the photographs. Producing these photographs in a larger format would make my audience feel isolated within their surroundings, thus returning to my previous work ideas and creating a paradox of trapping my audience instead of the subject within the photo.
