Sunday 19 December 2010

The Gatie Project

For this project, I started straight away. I took a picture of people sat on a bench inside the museum. Again, it wasn’t like Gatie’s work, but it was a start. I like the image because of its features. It is the opposite of Isoloneliness, but it was just a practice shot. It is of two people observing a picture of Jesus. The couple are evidently lovers as they are close together, and their body language indicates an emotional attachment, even though the viewer cannot see their faces.


After this, I took my camera into town to take some shots. The first two images that I took where at a bus stop. I took a picture of an office chair in the bus stop because I found it interesting that an object that doesn’t belong there, yet for some reason it is there. a few seconds later, a woman sits down on it. I liked the idea that the object that doesn’t belong, has been interacted with. I noticed many passer byes looking at the chair in amusement, but never sat on it. I edited the pictures to black and white because I didn’t have a SLR, to resemble the atmosphere that Getie creates. I would say that the element of loneliness isn’t present in these pictures because of the structure of the photograph. The unmissable sign in the background on the empty chair is visible, but it is faded on the other picture when the women is sat down. I quite like that effect as a relation to the chair, but this was purely coincidental as I did not notice this when taking the picture.



Another two images I took where of another bus stop. There were a sock stuffed with something, and was randomly placed at the bus stop. I don’t know if it was left there by accident or dumped there as rubbish. I managed to capture people walking away from the bus stop, but again, the seat was empty. I don’t think that the same emotions of loneliness that Gatie created is present in this picture.


This image of a woman sat at a bus stop in the rain was my best experiment, because of the reflections left on the wet floor. It creates a tension of mystery, complimented by the missing head of the person sat on the bench. I feel like this is my closest image to the styles of Gatie because the coldness in the image. The person seems to be looking on at the people in the background, but is difficult to tell because their head is covered. This image was in colour, but edited black and white. This made a significance in the energy of the picture. It had added elements of loneliness and isolation, yet not depressing. The perfect blend of Isoloneliness.



Overall I feel like this experiment has been important to me. I have learnt a little bit more about the details of creating an atmosphere. Mood in a photograph is one of the most important features of a photograph as it can invoke emotions in the viewer, allowing them to relate or understand what is happening in the picture. I can take this experiment and apply it into future projects.
THE GATIE BENCH PROJECT
With the inspiration of Adrian Gatie, I walked around town taking pictures of benches. Before I started this project, I had already taken a picture of a bench in Victoria Train Station. It was taken while I was waiting for a friend. The train station was empty while I was there, but I knew someone had been sat recently on the bench opposite me. There was an empty paper cup of coffee. I liked the idea of a presence, but the absence of a person. There is a coffee stain on the floor which could suggest that the person was in a hurry, yet the cup remains up right. It made me think about the person who was sat there. Why was they sat there? Where were they going? When I looked at the photograph on the computer, I noticed a light reflecting on the floor and the middle of the bench in shape of a human. It made me think of a ghost, or that person’s energy that was left by that person. I liked the idea of an imprint left by that person, a piece of that persons history that they left for those who look for it.


There aren’t any similarities about my image, compared to the works of Gatie, but I am happy with the outcome of my image. I think that I can use this as a starting point to the new project.

Wednesday 15 December 2010

MANCHESTER ART GALLERY

MANCHESTER ART GALLERY
Yesterday I went to the Manchester art gallery for inspiration as my artist research is becoming difficult, and I find that walking around a gallery is relaxing, as I can just look and not think. Its rare that I get a whole day to myself because of work and university, so I decided to make the most of it. I found a few interesting exhibitions that I was interested in.
Adrian Gatie
Gatie’s work involved a series of black and white photographs that showed people in the street. The natural poses of these people indicate that these photographs may be candid shots. One image ‘Market Street’ (1985) caught my eye and related to my project. A man sat alone on a bench with his head in his hands shows the viewer that the man may be in some sort of distress. There are people walking past, making no eye contact to the man which indicates his personal isolation. Is it the ignorance of other people that is causing his sadness, or is there something deeper? It is hard to tell, but the image is very powerful, contributed by the black and white, it creates a tension of Isoloneliness. This is the perfect starting place to kick of a new project.
Image taken with permission of the Manchester Art Gallery

I researched Gatie further to see if I can find any other images similar to ‘Market Street’. I came across this image of a man sat down on a chair reading a newspaper. The image, also black and white does not show any indications of loneliness, unlike ‘Market Street’. Although he his alone, but with people in the background paying no attention to him, the atmosphere is completely clam. This could be caused by the comical factor of the image, but also the peaceful facial expression the man is giving.



http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/50169000/jpg/_50169209_161chorltoncumhardy1985.jpg


I like the concept of a bench and Isoloneliness. It is an object that we can sit on and reflect on our thoughts, yet when we are sat down in a public place, we are often ignored. Someone may sit next to us, but not engage in interaction. With this inspiration, I want to take a few pictures in the style of Gatie and see where it leads me.






Friday 3 December 2010

Personal Experiments and Struggle

Personal Experiments and Struggle
I am still finding it hard to find an area and medium in Isoloneliness that I would like to develop and feel that this whole year will consist of experimenting and artist research. This month I have set a challenge to myself to find a topic that I like and stick with it as I am not going to get very far if I keep experimenting, so this month, I will be focusing on experimenting, next month, it will be one project, and I will stick to it.
For the moment, I have conducted more experiments to do with personal loneliness, as a collective loneliness is proving complicated. Assuming on other peoples loneliness isn’t very wise.
A Portrait of myself
This experiment is clique. I know that I have been trying to avoid these kind of experiments because they are predictable and amateurish, but I could develop from them. Its worth a try. At this stage, I feel I have to because I am running out of ideas and time is running out.
A portrait of myself is self explanatory. I have taken the concept of using a mask to hide behind (I know it’s been done to death). I took some random photographs that have been constructed.



Review;
This is another failed project, as I expected. All the reasons are obvious. The images are amateurish and don’t tell the story of isolation. It could be seen as I am hiding from something, but it is unclear to what. I don’t think I will continue this project because of its predictability.


Wednesday 1 December 2010

Artist Research; Raymond Moore

Taking into consideration the past project Ghosts of Spurn Point, and the road photographs I took, it made me think of a photographer that I came across last year. Moore took images of empty places and landscapes. A few of images could be likened to my style, but I think that the intentions were different. He used black and white photography which creates an intense feeling of loneliness. He took several photographs of roads, but they are not blurred like mine, yet the use of black and white photography, he creates a more powerful image than what I created. I think that if I was to do more road experiments, I should try out black and white photography.

I found a quote of his which I think I should take note of.
“Technical matters are relatively unimportant. I use the camera I am happiest with, and that can produce the type of print I visualise; superb definition and ultra fine grain may be far less convincing than a grainy blur” - Raymond Moore

Basically, he is saying that the technique should not be the focus point, but the print should be important. I don’t find that my photographs are completely realistic like Moore’s. Perhaps I should try to experiment with film and print my pictures.