Before December 10th- 10 rolls of film
December 10th-7th January- Project coursework
January: 10 rolls
February: 10 rolls
March: 10 rolls
April: 10 rolls
May: Hand in
June: Degree program
Budget
50 cameras: 1.50 each- £75
50 rolls of film: 3.99 for photos- £199
Initial price: £274
Some more reading, linked to below:
SO, book: Photography, a critical intro, Liz Wells.
-> the idea that the world we live in uses images in a different way. This is partly because it is different to how it was before- modernisation. "in the western world, it is as individuals that people experience themselves, independently from family etc. In the 20th century, consumer economy has moved from a focus on work ethic/self discipline, to a libidinous gratification which encourages us to identify our pleasures in order to define them."
This has meant a change in the way we photograph ourselves, ie- the SELFIE.
Just typing selfie online comes up with a huge number of blogs and articles which love or hate selfies. Some people say that selfies are a way of "addressing confidence and image issues" and that they are a "way of allowing particularity young people to participate with the world" (http://healthland.time.com/2013/09/06/why-selfies-matter/) while some see selfies as part of a "shallow, self centered me me me culture", and that it is "all young people aspire to", and that they are "narcissistic junk" (http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/brian-reade-the-selfie-sums-2813772)
I bring the selfie in here because, primarily the photos people take are selfies. Some are not- people pose, perhaps having asked an onlooker or a one of the friend/family have volunteered. But most are not, most are unashamed selfies. I suppose this reflects on the more modern culture of self and identity, of needing to be photographed somewhere to have "been" there, to need to be IN a photograph to conform and produce an identity, even if you have no idea where the identity is going. It links into the modern culture (I'm sure if i tried the same thing 50 years ago, I would get completely different results, if any at all) and into how we experience or create reality. The writer goes onto to suggest that photos are now about "challenging and conforming identity", and "portraying the individual as they wish to be seen."
The book writer goes onto to write more about the public/private image, about how photos are now "malleable, more disposable", not "Precious one-offs", while at the same time photos are a medium has increased hugely, as a way to document and record. These two opposing themes link pretty well with my work- about how we give photos away thoughtlessly, and yet tirelessly produce them.
It also talks about users and readers of photography, which is important. Users are the takers, the people who are the "private" viewers of the photo, or in the photo, who understand the relationships between the objects/people, who know context, memoirs and meaning. This is something I was struck by when viewing the photos- I felt intrusive on these often personal moments, I didnt know who these people were, I was an outsider- and yet they were inviting me in. There are also "readers" of photos, which are the ones in the "public" reading the photos, who don't know the context and have to tease the meaning out. This was me when viewing these photos, and I could tell they meant something, I could guess at what they meant, but I had no idea if I was right.
All this is really interesting! I have two rolls of film waiting to be developed, so no more news on photography yet. BUT news on gallery!
I went to a gallery in Brighton, the Brighton University Gallery, which had a very strange exhibition by Svankmajer. The exhibition was a variety of mediums, and lots of themes, most of them surreal- there was a animation/real film of Alice in wonderland, teddy bears with penis's, and my fave bit, a warped natural science bit where he had built fantastical creatures out of bits of other animals.
In terms of the gallery, it was just a pretty cool mix of mediums, so you had glass cases, puppet theaters, films going on, noises, pictures and sculptures. I liked how it was shown- there were different areas to go and sit, which was nice, to soak everything in. I liked that there was a lot fo humor in the work too, which made it not so boring to look at it- it was exciting. I liked that all the work was subversive and made you look twice- it loos like a normal natural history museum, but it's not, its a fantastical beast gallery- pretty cool! This was my favorite one underneath, it's a stuffed hedgehog chopped in half, like a scientific analysis, but inside is a crystal- subverting what is expected and making it hyper-real, as well as commenting on fantasy/reality, and how everything in the natural world is connected.
I liked I guess this shows that multimedia, or when there is LOTS to look at, that's when it is exciting. This leads me onto thinking about my own work. I have several ideas which I might do of my own work:
1) I was thinking about maybe putting ALL the photos up on the wall, and having them in a sort of explosion shape- on the ceiling, the wall, the floor (hoping to have a corner for this) Like a waterfall of images, maybe coming out of a camera itself. This might represent the explosion of images we deal with daily, and how putting them all together, we have a "family portrait" of Brighton.
2) Photo diary- so having the photos in a book, like a photo gallery. This might also access the idea of a "family portrait" of Brighton, but all the people in it have no connection except that they picked up the camera- sort of creates connections but doesn't; these weak tie networks link to the internet also. Also comments on public/private- people from the public took private photos in the public, gave them to me (a public viewer) which I might display in a private fashion for the public?
3) A photo tent; I wanted the photos to surround people also- was thinking a photo tent/room where the walls, ceiling and floor are all covered in photos. I didn't really have any reason for this, but I could say that it could be the how we are completely surrounded by photos, and we use them to say "we're here" to everyone else; but everyone does the same. As you have to go in a room, it would also be commenting on private/public photos- "private" are the ones we hang inside; yet I am hanging public photos in a "private" place and inviting people in- suggests a converge of public/private, user and reader.
That's it for now. Might have more ideas as reading continues.
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