Module 5
Interdisciplinary Art Practice 4
Project Proposal
Section 1: Review
The use of abstraction within my photographic work is what I have been exploring and developing using South Yorkshire's landscapes and highstreets. I explored the energy of those environments in which public transport became an essential tool for me when it came to photographing the highstreets. Abstraction for me became based on the idea of chance. I would never be able to replicate my works and I was never sure if I had a strong photograph until I got back to my computer and searched through my collection. After looking back on my past years I have found a pattern within my way of working which I can now say is my weakness. I often lose confidence in myself and my work which then causes the amount of work I produce to slow down. This is something I will need to combat within this project because I don’t want to be the reason I won't progress enough.
Section 2: Chosen Pathway
Due to my current and past experiences within photography I have chosen to pursue this further in the last year of my BA course. Photography provides me the tool to express myself through abstract imagery. Using the abstract images I capture in these environments, I will be using post processing tools to explore the relationship of the abstract and literal qualities of the photographs utilising layout, scale and other methods of composition. I will be exploring post editing using the Adobe Creative Suite. Using this selection of software will allow me to abstract my images further in order to make juxtaposing imagery which reflect my project concept.
In a previous project I have explored photomontage in which photoshop became the most important tool for my photographs to come to life. Forest Kingdom was a project where I explored escapism and why nature becomes a sanctuary for a large population including myself. When creating this series of photomontage I wanted to have a few subjects become physically immersed by natural landscapes. To achieve this I focused on using layers and masks to abstract my images.
Section 3: Project Concept and Aims
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”
- Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden
As a young woman from a small area within Yorkshire and from a family where I am the first person to study at University I have learned to embrace my background and begin to explore it within my work. Within this project I aim to show my audience my world and what beauty I see. This project is heavily inspired with the idea of freedom and isolation within that. I was also inspired by different forms of literature which also explores this subject matter such as The Secret Garden, The Wind in the Willows, and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The idea of escaping a negative situation and immersing yourself within natural, imaginative and dreamlike landscapes is something that relates to me especially due to the current global situation. I have never wanted to be out amongst the grass in the hot sun more than right now, when we are advised against it in order to keep the overall population safe. This need to be free had been something which I wanted to explore for a while but now seems like the best time for me to create imaginative photographs of my ideal freedom. Alongside making my photographs I also want to explore editing my images further through the Adobe Suite to abstract them further. I want my images to speak for themselves. The project will focus on abstract, imagined landscapes.
Within this project I aim to examine other abstract photographers/artists' works and ways of working in order to inspire my own ways of practicing my techniques. These photographers are Andreas Gursky, Andrew S. Gray, Richard Long, Jonny Briggs, Ola Kolehmainen, and Jackie Ranken. As well as viewing works and techniques of these abstract photographers I will also be researching how certain photographers display their work in exhibitions and what materials they use and why. I will also revisit past photographers that inspired my previous project.
Andreas Gursky and Jonny Briggs are abstract photographers that use different techniques in order to make their photographs. Gursky’s photographs are abstract in a sense, he looks for lines, and patterns within a landscape or urban environment. This photographic style results in wide angled intricate photographs which feel alive and makes me as a viewer want to explore and know what else is within the landscape. Briggs photographs are a photomontage of a series of images which create a different form of abstraction within photography. He believes that anyone can make photographs; though taking photographs doesn't make someone a photographer, but it does create an opportunity to become a photographer. Cameras are more accessible now more than ever because the majority of the public have smartphones. This allows us to make our own photographs without hiring a photographer or having an expensive camera, but these images don't have any meaning behind them other than aesthetic or sentimental themes. I can relate to this because even though I can take aesthetically pleasing landscape photograph, it doesn't have any message within it. Using digital tools I can shape the image to represent what I want my viewers to see. It allows me to let the image speak for itself.
Richard Long and Hamish Faulton are artist who inspire me because their works are more than just photographs which are displayed in galleries. The majority of the work come from how they went about making them. Going for long walks and mapping their routes are also part of the work and should be celebrated. Fulton argues that:
“Walking is an art form in its own right”.
I agree with this statement especially after seeing how he translates his walks within his work using photography, illustrations and wall texts. This is something I want to experiment with within my project especially if I make illustrative patterns and overlay them onto my abstract photography through Photoshop.
My final pieces will be displayed both digitally and physically in a gallery. I aim for my images to be spray mounted onto board rather than in frames because I find reflections obstruct my audience from being able to see the detail within my work. I prefer the matte effect that I can get by not exhibiting my work in frames. When I come to display my work digitally I will be using more than one platform to get my work out there. These platforms are my photography facebook page, my photography instagram page, website and artsteps.
Exhibitions I intend to see
Don McCullen, Tate Liverpool (5th June - 27th September 2020)
Hope. Struggle. Change. Photographing Britain and the World 1945 - 79, Tate Britain (30th June - 27th September 2020)
Soviet Photobooks, Tate Modern, Room Six
Portraits and Community, Tate Modern, Room 11
Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Rooms, Tate Modern (11th May 2020 - 9th May 2021)
Section 4: Evaluation
Constantly evaluating and analysing my work in my reflecting diary will ensure that I am critiquing my work and development alongside any artist research and critical analysis throughout my whole project. Alongside this I will be managing my time through diary entries or time management sheets. I will keep a log of what I have achieved and will add to it after each day. I also intend to ask others for their opinions on my works and progression through critiques and feedback forms.
Inspiration Images
Andreas Gursky
Andrew S.Gray
Jonny Briggs
Ola Kolehmainen
Sarah French (Example of current work)
Bibliography
Books
FARTHING, S. (2010) Art the Whole Story. London: Thames & Hudsen
GANIS, William. V. (2004) Andy Warhol’s Serial Photography. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
GURSKY, Andreas. (2018) Andreas Gursky: London: Hayward Gallery Publishing
REYNAUD, F. (2010) The tree in Photographs. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum
SHORE, Robert. (2014) Post Photography: London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd
STEPAN, Peter. (1999) Icons of Photography The 20th Century. London: Prestel Publishing Ltd
STEPAN, Peter. (1999) Icons of Photography The 20th Century. London: Prestel Publishings Ltd
Websites
Andreas Gursky. (2020) Works. Available Online:https://www.andreasgursky.com/en/works [Accessed 16/4/2020]
Andrew S. Gray. (2020) Galleries. Available Online:https://andrewsgray.photography/galleries/abstract-landscapes-part-ii/ [Accessed 16/4/2020]
Artnet. (2019) Thomas Joshua Cooper. Available online: http://www.artnet.com/artists/thomas-joshua-cooper/ [Accessed 16/4/2020]
Britannica. (2020) Walker Evans [Online] https://www.britannica.com/biography/Walker-Evans [Accessed 16/4/2020]
Galerie Forsblom. (2020) Ola Kolegmainen. Available Online:http://www.galerieforsblom.com/artists/ola-kolehmainen [Accessed 16/4/2020]
Jackie Ranken. (2020) Photographs. Available Online:https://jackieranken.co.nz/ [Accessed 16/4/2020]
John Szarkowski. (2019) Walker Evans. Available online: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Walker-Evans [Accessed 16/4/2020
Jonny Briggs. (2020) Works. Available Online:https://www.jonnybriggs.com/ [Accessed 16/4/2020]
Ken Lum. (2020) About. Available Online:http://kenlumart.com/about/biography/ [Accessed 15/4/2020]
Michael Wolf. (2020) Michael Wolf. Available Online:http://photomichaelwolf.com/ [Accessed 16/4/2020]
Nick Turpin. (2020) Nick Turpin. Available Online:https://nickturpin.com/ [Accessed 16/4/2020]
Olga Chernysheva. (2020) Olga Chernysheva. Available Online:http://olgachernysheva.ru/ [Accessed 15/4/2020]
Paul Hill. (2018) Paul Hill on Photography [Online] http://www.hillonphotography.co.uk/ [Accessed 16/4/2020]
Video’s
Andy Gray. (2018) An Introduction to my abstract ICM landscape photography [Video] Available Online:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWPdZuLzPfA [Accessed 15/4/2020]
Sean Tucker. (2020) Does Every Photograph have to Tell a Story [Video] Available Online:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIDVoB9_zww [Accessed 15/4/2020]
The Art of Photography. (2013) Abstraction in Photography [Video] Available Online:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CODdp5UPfMA&t=494s [Accessed 15/4/2020]
Project Action Plan and Timetable
