Final Evaluation

Strengths
I think that the main strength within this work was the movie. It clearly showed what my intentions were. I believe that my movie was effective in that it could be used on TV as a campaign against racism. I think that I created the style and content I wished to achieve.


Weaknesses
I believe that the weakness in my work as a whole was the number of photographs I managed to take.


Improvements
An improvement I would make if I had the time would be to take more photographs. I say this because I think it would have helped the movie I made be more interesting and help get my message across.


What I have learnt
Throughout this project I learnt:

• How to use iMove and make photographs 'snap to beat' - where the photograpsh would flash in time with the song
• How to use Blogger
• How to change file types
• How to manage a blog effectively
• How to manage and allocate my time appropriately.

Why I chose Racism as my genre
I chose Racism as my genre for contemporary photography as it is universally applicable and is of interest to every one.

Artist Statement

PHOTOGRAPHY NOW

Artist Statement                                                                                         Maddy Tonks

 Contemporary photography is about making work that has real meaning and value. I chose to base my theme on racism because of its universal nature, in that it can apply to anyone anywhere. Racism is a hugely topical theme and very relevant to today. I chose to focus particularly on how certain Islamic ways of dressing attain undesirable and racist labels. I chose to do before and after pictures show how most of us differently when someone dresses in a hijab or a male headdress. My intention was to show that, even if only subconsciously, most of us judge people by what people wear and make assumptions based on no evidence.

I used the Narrabundah College designated studio to take my photographs. I used a black back-drop located in the studio to ensure the focus was on the face of my models and not what’s behind it. I chose to use the school digital camera as it is the only one used in the studio and the output for these photographs is meant to be digital so I figured it to be easier than film. I chose to use Photoshop CS5 and Bridge (Camera Raw) to edit my photographs. First off I edited each photograph as one, making sure I had the same amount of shadow and colour in each one. I then went into Photoshop to edit small marks on the photographs. I used Photoshop to also put the final product together.

I chose my models to be white Caucasians to show that no matter who is wearing Islamic dress, they attain insulting labels. I also chose to have both males and females to show that these labels are not gender restricted.

I would have taken more than three photographs but I realised that if I had more the focus of the photographs would not be correct. By having only three, the photographs were more attention grabbing than if I had more as the text would not stand out.

For my choice of digital output I decided to create a movie to display my photographs (created using iMovie). I chose this because I could show the two separate images that combined to join the final product as well as showing each final product as well. It worked out really well in the end, because it showed clearly the before and after photographs and gave the work a higher impact. I chose Escape by Mt Eden Dubstep to set the mood. This particular song has strong downbeats to which I set the photos. I had the introduction, then a quote to give an idea what the movie was about. I found the quotes to be a very powerful tool as they made clear what the movie and my work is about. Then the before photos would flash at every beat, then the after photos would start to flash randomly. I made the transition subtle so that people would hopefully realise themselves that the people have changed what they’re wearing. After the single photos stopped flashing the beat changed so I put in two quotes, which were then followed by the final photographs and the words ‘did it change your perception?’ Through this text I hope that people will start to think things like: ‘did I look at them differently?’, ‘did it change my perception?’, ‘why did I look at them differently?’. And I hope that through this I raise awareness of the false labels that the people who dress this way receive.  I’m very happy with the final movie and I can imagine it being shown on TV to raise awareness about racism.

Overall I am pleased with this project. I think it addresses a common contemporary issue and fully expresses my views on racism and would be an effective anti-racism campaign. I find this project to be successful because it has real value and meaning.

Final Movie

I used Escape by Mt Eden Dubstep as the soundtrack to the movie to set the mood.
This video was created on iMovie for Mac.

If you are unable to view the video click here for the youtube version :)

Update

So now I have printed my three photographs on photographic paper and mounted them on foam-core. Only thing I have to do now is write my artist statement/rationale which will be up soon.

Ive put together the photographs like I described in my project plan. 
Here are the final products:

Ive printed these photos on A3 photographic paper.

While printing them I realized I do not have many photographs. I still have about a week so I'll try very hard to find models willing to be in a photograph. For some reason I haven't found many people who want to participate. I seems that no one wants to be dressed in Hijaabs. In a way, this comes into my project theme. These ways of dressing have attained labels that people do not find appealing, so much that people don't wear them even for a photograph for a school project.

Original Photos

My Photographs: 

These are the photos I have chosen for my project from the series I took in the studio. 

 

 

 

  

These are the original photos I took in the studio at school. As you can see they are like before and after photos. I watch many many videos on youtube, and read many many articles on the internet on how to make Burkas and Hijabs and I hope that I made them as close as I could to the real thing.


Now all I have to do is write my artist statement and put the photos into the format shown below.

New Idea for layout

My new idea is to have a poster with a photo of a person in their normal disposition on the left, and on the right, they will be wearing a traditional Arabic (or another culture's) traditional headpiece known as a Hijab or Burka.

Hopefully this will show how we put labels on people who dress a certain way, both subconsciously and consciously. 

Only thing I have to do now is locate a headpiece.

I chose a headpiece rather than a full outfit because I feel that portraits are more powerful than full body shots.

JR: Photography's answer to Banksy?

TASK:

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http://www.lensculture.com/jr.html

Just another thing for you all to consider...

How do you view artists who use public spaces, sometimes somewhat less than legally, as a vehicle for conveying their message?

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Some examples of Banksy's work:

"JR is a young French photographer who has become a hero to many people who encounter his work. He doesn’t use his real name, because most of the work he does is illegal.

 

 

"JR makes provocative black-and-white photos, and enlarges them into very large billboard size prints. Then, with a friend or two, under cover of the night, he illegally pastes these photos onto large walls in very public urban spaces.

 

"His illegal work has been celebrated by several outlets of mainstream media, and he has been granted official, authorized exhibitions of his photographs in prominent places in Paris and Amsterdam in recent years. 

His illegal work has been celebrated by several outlets of mainstream media, and he has been granted official, authorized exhibitions of his photographs in prominent places in Paris and Amsterdam in recent years.

"This summer, JR was invited to show his work at the international photo festival in Arles, France, where he covered the walls of a large roofless warehouse with his images to the amazement and delight of thousands of photography lovers."

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 How do you view artists who use public spaces, sometimes somewhat less than legally, as a vehicle for conveying their message?

I believe that artists should be able to use any public space to get their message across. Their art is for the public afterall.

TASK:

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What is appropriation in art?

 

http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/a/appropriation.html

 

"Appropriation - To take possession of another's imagery (or sounds), often without permission, reusing it in a context which differs from its original context, most often in order to examine issues concerning originality or to reveal meaning not previously seen in the original. This is far more aggressive than allusion or quotation, it is not the same as plagiarism however. An image reused in collage is an example, but more complete are the photographs that Sherri Levine (American) made of photographs by earlier photographers."

 

Find some contemporary photography work that uses appropriation in some form.  Why do you think artists use appropriation in their work?  What statement do you think they are trying to make?

 

http://www.lensculture.com/curtin.html

The above artist has used images from the early 20th century to create sculputral, architectural forms.  Write a critique of the work, focusing on how the use of old photographs has influenced the way the work is interpreted.

 

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Julia Curtin:

 

"Resettlement focuses on the vernacular architecture, the transient, makeshift structures inhabited by the migratory victims of the 1930s Great Depression.

By sampling images from the Farm Security Administration catalogue, a vast collection of works by photographers (e.g. Walker Evans, Dorothea Lange) that became central in defining aspects of the Documentary genre, and images that are embedded in the history of photography, I have deconstructed and subsequently reconstructed these buildings to form a three dimensional model of the settlement depicted in the original image.

Through this process I attempt to open up a contemporary space for the interpretation of this work."

~ Julia Curtin

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Why do you think artists use appropriation in their work?  

I believe artists use appropriation in their work because of the controversy it attracts. As the saying goes, any publicity is good publicity. If an artist's work is being talked about, whether positively or negatively, their work is nevertheless out there and being looked at. 

Another reason would be to address originality and ownership of photographs. Or to find deeper meaning in other photographs.

What statement do you think they are trying to make? 

I think they are trying to say many things: 

That an image should be the property of the community rather than a sole person. 

That nothing is completely original anymore.

Laura Sackett: Liminal Portraits

TASK:

________________________________________________

http://www.lensculture.com/sackett.html

 

Sackett's series Liminal Portraits is an interesting investigation into the popularity of online social networking with teens. 

 

Think about your practical project for this session.  How could the social networking phenomenon influence your work?

 

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" Liminal Portraits, chronicles my investigation into the teenage world of social networks and iChatting. Adolescence is a particularly transitional time in life, a time when teens are experimenting with and forming their identity. And with today’s wired kids, they have the opportunity to create virtual identities – every time they log on to a computer. "

~ Laura Sackett

 

(taken from http://www.lensculture.com/sackett.html)

 

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Think about your practical project for this session.  How could the social networking phenomenon influence your work?

 

My work will be a lot about racism and appearances. Racist comments often occur in social networking sites, mostly facebook.

 

Also, I could use my facebook page to distribute my photographs to a larger audience then otherwise possible.

Chaotic Harmony- contemporary Korean photography

TASK:

_____________________________________________________

http://www.lensculture.com/chaotic_harmony.html

http://mfah.org/exhibition.asp?par1=1&par2=1&par3=610&par4=1&currentPage=1&lgc=4&par6=1

Use the above links to look at the photos in the Chaotic Harmony. Select a piece of work that appeals to you the most and write a critique on it in your blog. Use the questions provided in the tasks section of this site to assist you.
Provide a brief biography and a link to more of their work.

Further the research on your chosen photographer:

What has inspired their work?  What are the ideas portrayed within their work?  How have these ideas been conveyed visually?  How does the work make you feel about Korean culture?

Compare this photographer to the contemporary photographers of our western culture.  Are there differences in the ideas or concepts in the work?  If so, how is the work of the Korean photographer different?  Why do you think this is the case?

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Chosen Work:

This photo is titled Tour Bus, by Sungsoo Koo. From the series Magical Reality (2005-2006), 2005. Chromogenic photograph. Courtesy of the artist © Sungsoo Koo

For more photos by Sungsoo Koo click here 

Questions:

1. The photographer's use of the design elements and principles

Sungsoo Koo uses mainly repetition and symmetry in his photographs. Many of his works often contain contrasting blue and red colours to make them stand out. He also often uses the rule or thirds and other design principles.

2. The intended purpose of the work- why did the photographer create it?  When was it created?  How was it created?

The purpose of the work, it seems, was to show urbanization withink North Korea, and to use repition of patters and colours to give the photograph a sense of harmony and rythym. Also to show how subtley chaotic south Korean life is. 
Tour bus, is a Chromogenic photograph.

3.Your personal response to the work.  Do you find it appealing?  Why/why not? Does the work appeal to a particular audience?  How do you think the photographer has done this?

 I found it appealing because of the colours and the symmetry in the photo and throughout the rest of the series. The work appeals to a younger audience because of the subjects in the photos. I believe the photographer has done this by photographing things with lots of colour and vibrance. 

4.Does the work remind you of anything?  

No. Maybe this is why I found it so appealing.

5. Do you think it was a response to something in particular?  For example, a cultural issue, an icon, a particular social/political need or issue?

I think it was a response to the social issue of urbanisation in south Korea.

Changes to Project

I recently had a chat to my photography teacher, Nikki Van Buuren. She told me that I needed to develop my idea more, and that my theme might not be clear through my photographs.
So I thought about it and came up with this:

I will have two portraits of each person, a sort of before-and-after kind of thing. The first picture will show white Caucasians as they are, and in the second photo, they will be wearing a traditional arabic headpeice. Each photo will have the label: 'Did it change YOUR perception?'
The work as a whole will be titled perceptions.

It's purpose will be to show how people who dress certain ways attain labels that are often racist and innacurate.

Each pair of portraits will be printed separately.

Project Proposal

Ideas for photos:

The aim of my photographs is to show that we should not judge by appearances. For this reason I want to take a series of portraits. They will be simple colour photographs with different coloured backgrounds, to signify that together we are unique but equal.

Inspiration:

My inspiration for this series was the work of Roger Ballen. He photographed interesting and unusual faces which I found to be fascinating.

I was also inspired by a previous year 12's series of portraits.

And lastly, after reading Julie Morris' blog I came up with my final idea.

Techniques:

I will be exploring the use of a studio for my project. I will also be using a digital SLR camera. For digital editing I will primarily be using Photoshop programs such as Photoshop, Bridge and CameraRAW. 

List of Equipment: 
- My Camera: Sony Alpha 33
- Tripod
- Coloured Fabric (backdrop)
- Models (16). ages 15-19. Mixed sex and race. 


Layout:
- although i may not have time, this is how i would like to layout my photographs 

The colours I have chosen are: 
- Orange - to represent a multicultural society
- Purple  - the international homosexual colour
- Red - (and green) to balance out the other colours and to look aesthetically pleasing.
- Green

Exploration of project theme and technique

Project theme:
The overall theme for this project is: Photography NOW, aka Contemporary Photography. 


For my project I have chosen the contemporary theme/issue: The Importance of Appearances.
I want to explore how important appearances are to young adults in today's society. I want to show that appearances shouldn't matter, because after all, we are all equal.

Investigation of Web Output

A blog is an effective way of digitally maintaining thoughts and ideas, as well as getting feedback on them. However, to drive people to a blog, the site needs to have both content and context, and must be visually appealing.

For a blog to be appealing for viewers, they first must be drawn in by a catchy/interesting title or colourful pictures. A blog that contains purely text, will not be as effective as one with pictures.
According to many blog-help sites, if you wish to get viewers commenting on your page or taking interest in your blog, you must write interesting posts on a regular basis. You are more likely to receive comments if your posts are controversial, or about a contemporary issue. Controversy compels viewers to comment and give their opinion, therefore driving traffic to your blog.

Artist Research - Simon Norfolk

Simon Norfolk

Simon Norfolk was born in 1963 in Nigeria. He attended Oxford and Bristol universities and left with a degree of sociology and philosophy. 

Simon Norfolk " ...is studying war, and its effects on many things: the physical shape of our cities and natural environments, social memory, the psychology of societies, and more."

"He is examining genocide; imperialism; the interconnectedness of war, land and military space; and how wars are being fought at the same time with supercomputers, satellites, outdated weapons and equipment, people on the ground, intercepted communications, and manipulated and manipulating media."

Simon Norfolk: "What these "landscapes" have in common – their fundamental basis in war – is always downplayed in our society."

 

"All of the work that I’ve been doing over the last five years is about warfare and the way war makes the world we live in. War shapes and designs our society. The landscapes that I look at are created by warfare and conflict."

 

[above]. "Storage depot for the oil-fired power station at Jiyé/Jiyeh bombed in the first few days of the [Israel-Hezbollah] war and still on fire and still dumping oil into the sea 20 days later. Seen from the Sands Rock Resort, 1 Aug 2006."

 

[above] "Wrecked Ariana Afghan Airlines jets at Kabul Airport pushed into a mined area at the edge of the apron," from Afghanistan: Chronotopia

  

[above] From: Afganistan: Chronotopia

 [above] From: Shifting Landscapes

Simon Norfolk's photographs have immense clarity and detail, without the typical shock or trauma that you would expect from photographs of war.

MoCP

NOTE: while I was searching for information on Ashley Gilbertson, I came across MoCP, or the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Must look further into this as it may be helpful for my project.

Artist Research - Ashley Gilbertson

Ashley Gilbertson

Australian based photographer, Ashley Gilbertson, is best known for his photography work in the Iraq war. His education in photojournalism was shaped by Emmanuel Santos in Melbourne and Masao Endo in Japan. Gilbertson worked on socially driven photo essays ranging from drug addiction in Melbourne to war zones in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific.

 I take inspiration from Gilbertson's work because of how dedicated he is to his work. This commitment is shown through his photographs. He gets so close to the action and was often right in the middle of it. He risks life and limb to get the perfecte shot.  His photos show the raw conflict of war and the evil nature some humans posses.

Artist Research - Roger Ballen

 Roger Ballen 

Roger Ballen was born in New York, USA in 1950. Roger Ballen gained a degree in psychology, and then he completed a PhD in Mineral Economics and established himself as a geologist and mining consultant in Johannesburg, South Africa in 1982; this work steered him toward the fringe communities of South Africa and it was here, in the poorest rural villages, he began taking traditional documentary photographs.

I like his photographs because of the roughness of them. Each photograph tells a story which is at first not entirely apparent. These black and white photographs document the human faces of this vanishing world; their strangeness, marginalisation and underlying violence.

Artist Research - David LaChapelle

David LaChapelle

 Bio: Born 1963, March 11 in Connecticut, USA. He works in the fields of fashion, advertising, and fine art photography, and is noted for his surreal, unique and often humorous style. LaChapelle attended the North Carolina School of the Arts and School of Visual Arts in New York City. He was offered work by Andy Warhol, and has also worked for Rolling Stone, Vogue, GQ, Photo and Vanity Fair. 

The last two photographs are portraits of Cameron Diaz, and Lady Gaga. 
I find David LaChapelle's photographs so appealing because of their amazing colour, detail and quirky nature.