CONCLUSION

To conclude, I found that the blog was a useful revision tool. It provided a way to keep a record of my education, something I could go back to and reference. I found the modules helped to open up new ways of thinking and perceiving, giving insight to the attention to detail and importance of presentation. Regular gallery visits allowed me to absorb the differing presentation in a variety of spaces and how the spaces can dictate the presentation of the images. I also believe that it is an essential part of good practice to regularly inform yourself of current work and finding what’s popular and what interests me personally.

I believe that this module has already impacted on the development of my most recent work. It is pleasing to see that my perception is becoming more informed and I can make justified assumptions of the purposes behind presentation and apply them in my own work.

PHOTOGRAPHY & THE PRINTED PAGE

I wanted to illustrate my conceptual development using my most recent projects as examples. From the gallery trips and visits and research I have explored, my concepts have become stronger and more communicated through my method of delivery and attention to presentation. I’m trying to consider alternative approaches that think a little ‘outside the box’.

My initial idea was to produce a photographic documentary. Prior to the project, I had been aware of issues related to the British economy and the ‘credit crunch’. However, it wasn’t until this year that I realised the severity of the current economic climate. Being a student, I have experienced the downfall of the financial capacity first hand, making this topic very appropriate for me to address in my work.

Initially, my visual intentions were to produce a black and white project. Taking influence from the likes of William Klein, an iconic documentary photographer who is known for his unique approaches. I planned to shoot and process 35mm film, a medium often associated with the genre of documentary. The images would all share a similar method of composition and framing giving them a typological aesthetic. My subject matter was to be mundane and represent the repercussions of the current economy.

Following extensive visual and conceptual research, I became more informed. I found that a lot of the economic downfall originates from our obsession with consuming. My concept focuses on the idea of consumerism and the media and how both work hand in hand to fuel capitalism.  Visually, I explored how we are encouraged to invest our money in commodities. Photographing abstract colour compositions that encourage viewers to consider the inescapable bombardment of advertisement in the 21^st century. My framing would present simple shapes and striking colour often referencing repetition that symbolizes the brainwashing technique used to convince and encourage us how to live our lives and spend our money.

I would use these digital images in partnership with the black-and-white 35mm images to create a documentary that compares the hyper-real world with the real world. I decided I wanted to bring the concept to life so that the viewers experience became more physical. I decided to link the layout and presentation closely to the concept by producing a catalogue inspired book. I wanted to visually explain these current issues in a format that could be associated with the narrative of the book. Viewers will familiarize catalogues with the idea of the shopping experience. I chose an appropriate colour scheme that linked to the colours of consumerism. I believed that by using these layout and design elements, my images would present more meaning.

Overall, I wanted to create a book that had some unique qualities to it that would make it a more modern documentary photo book. My initial idea developed from a conformity to the legacy of black and white documentary to a contemporary series of colour and monochrome imagery addressing a current issue.

VICES & VIRTUES

I wanted to illustrate my conceptual development using my most recent projects as examples. From the gallery trips and visits and research I have explored, my concepts have become stronger and more communicated through my method of delivery and attention to presentation. I’m trying to consider alternative approaches that think a little ‘outside the box’.

Having found surprising statistics regarding an issue I never realised was so prominent, I decided to address it photographically. My response was based on the theme of identity fraud as I  wanted to use the brief to address a current issue that needed to be brought to the British publics attention. To do this I had to find the right balance between both the brief and my theme and I felt I was successful in doing so. The final images I produced were passport photo sized images presenting a distorted photo of an individual. I focused on particular elements that help to define ‘vice’ and ‘virtue’ to influence my response and I decided that the vice component of criminal activities linked well with the virtue component of conformity. The images are intended to communicate the fraudulence of another individual’s identity through the blurred face of the subject. This presents juxtaposition, as distortion would never be associated with passport photos due to the strict requirements. I felt by hiding the models identity through motion blur would be a good way to portray the corruption and theft of someone's identity which links to immoral conduct and criminal activities. Meanwhile I have communicated the idea of conformity through the framing of my images that conforms to the passport requirements I sourced from GOV.UK. The idea of owning a passport is in compliance to laws which is an act of ethical morality as you are conforming with the rules of society.

My decision to crop the photos as passport images has been informed by the ‘Portraits’ series by Thomas Ruff. However, I developed the idea in a different way. My theme is based around Identity Fraud and in industry would be intended to bring an issue to the publics attention. Therefore, I aimed to build a strong, physical concept all round and continue to evidence this through my presentation. I planned to print my images in the same way that a photo booth would print the passport images. This is where my presentation will differ from Ruff’s as he exhibited his images at a deadpan scale as he shot the images on large format which was a suitable format for his concept.

Overall the images portray the idea of the individual of virtue being cheated by the individual of vice. “One way of organising the vices is as the corruption of the virtues” is a quote I felt described my response to the brief most accurately.

VISUAL COMMUNICATION COLLABORATION

I collaborated with a first year student from visual communication. He created a printed textile of a design he produced using Adobe Photoshop.  As part of his self directed project he produced an ep of digital dance music in the techno genre. He made the artwork for the ep and the alias of his music production ‘Calabi’. I was involved in photographing the textile, collating some background knowledge of the sort of artwork that was current in this music genre and took infspiration from them. I wanted the images to be distinguishable to present an accurate reflection of the music. My approach was quite abstract, framing parts of the textile to create new forms of artwork from the original design. This enabled him to show the extent of his experimentation and allow another artist employ their interpretation of the artwork. I felt the collaboration made me conscious of communication skills and I enjoyed his artwork and recycling this to create new images. 

THE CARAVAN GALLERY

I first became aware of The Caravan Gallery during research I was undertaking in the college library. Their work is known to present a survey of images taking a critical look at contemporary lifestyle and landscape. The images are by no means ‘picturesque’, but this is to initiate more of a conceptual meaning suggested through the collective series. Unfortunately, my first encounter with this book and their work came subsequent to the photographic process I undertook. Although my awareness about the work of the Caravan Gallery came after I had already shot all my images for the book, I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to see the gallery in it’s Liverpool exhibition. I felt it would still be beneficial to consider their approaches towards consumerism as I was making considerations towards the presentation and layout of my book. I felt that the environment in which they exhibited their work added another element to the reality of their concept. The idea to exhibit in a caravan made the viewing experience much more physical and I understood and interpreted more about the images because of the environment. I started to consider how I could reflect this experience through the printed page.