Merry Alperns project 'Dirty Windows' and her voyeuristic vigil perched just out of sight above a toilet window from a sex club raises a multitude of questions on the gaze and where are the limits, if there are any limits at all on intruding on others. The grainy black and white shots capture personal moments … Continue reading Week 5 – Gazing at photographs
Week 4 – Viewers make meaning
This was an insightful and productive exercise, post an image with no supporting text or context and see how your peers interpret it. I chose an image from a long-term series I have been building of cats I see standing in the middle of large open spaces. The theme of the series is 'Solitary Hunters' … Continue reading Week 4 – Viewers make meaning
Week 4 – Into the image World
I have spent the last couple of weeks reading further into the encoding/decoding of visual messages and how text is used to orientate or strengthen the dominant reading. Something I keep coming back to is the idea of unstorys. The only definition which seems to come close to describing this is 'a story which lacks the … Continue reading Week 4 – Into the image World
Week 3 -Reflection
I first saw the work of Ana Barrado illustrating a book of quotes from J. G. Ballard published by Re/Search. Unfortunately, I have been unable to track down much about her work or intent other than a few blog posts and references to a photobook published in the 90s. Memories of the Future Rockets, Vintage … Continue reading Week 3 -Reflection
Week 3 – False Indexes
The concept of hunters and farmers made me think about how I come up with ideas and to what extent they lean towards constructed or simply capturing moments as they occur. Within the context of my current work it's a bit of both, I have to go out and search for the base images I … Continue reading Week 3 – False Indexes
Week 3 – Constructed Realities
Photographer and video artist Miwa Yanagi is known for staging elaborate shoots while her work focuses on stereotypes of Japanese women in contemporary society. Elevator Girl is one of her best known projects and depicts the female staff that operate the elevators in department stores. I don't think I would go to this level of … Continue reading Week 3 – Constructed Realities
Week 2 – The index and the icon
Although much is written on what does or does not make a photograph authentic, it is by no means a settled question. Snyder posits 'If our vision worked like photography, then we would see things as a camera does.' (Snyder and Allen 1975, p. 152) This implies that there must always be some element of … Continue reading Week 2 – The index and the icon
490nm ~ into the light
I am hovering between two related but separate pieces of work, both building on and a continuation of my research project proposal. Many of the local factory farms are in themselves interesting objects to image, they have a distinct unnerving presence which is something I want to see if I can capture. There are a … Continue reading 490nm ~ into the light
Encoding/decoding and context
Context and re-contextualizing, redirecting the narrative, provoking a response other than intended. In the forum discussion it was suggested I consider accompanying notes or captions for my work and using them to lead the viewer into the image to explain the concept and meaning. I am in two minds on this and how to go … Continue reading Encoding/decoding and context
Practitioner: Miguel Rio Branco – Brazil (b.1946)
Brazilian photographer (Magnum associate), painter, and filmmaker, his work has focused on Brazil although he has completed many projects worldwide. His images frequently focus on the grim aspects of life in and around cities, by dramatic use of color and light he creates provocative images and impressions of Latin America. He has published many photobooks … Continue reading Practitioner: Miguel Rio Branco – Brazil (b.1946)
