Thursday, 30 April 2015

Nature Motre/Vanitas. weeks 21 and 22

Level 5 photography
Nature Morte / Vanitas still life Mini Assignment
Weeks 21 and 22

Had an introduction to the traditions of nature morte and vanities in still life artwork and how will objects consider how they translate into contemporary photography. This mini assignment the class are put in groups and required to select a painting and research the historical still life image and remake this as a photograph using modern day materials and objects. Each group must print one image (A3 or 12x16) to present at a group critique on friday 20th March.

The remake image must be created in the studio using lighting equipment and workflows appropriate to this genre of photography. Before starting this assignment the groups must discuss and evaluate choices of objects and lighting and allocate tasks so each individual is involved and share ideas how to change some objects to modern day if possible and giving tasks will ensure that everyone successfully meet the requirements of mini assignment.

In creating my work I will need to research and consider the context that the original piece was produced and how I am going to update this into contemporary photographic context. I need to be careful and fully understand the visually interpret of the props from the painting, why the composition placed that way it is and the atmosphere and the way the lighting should be shone and placed in studio.






nature morte/ vanitas. group shoot 1

Level 5 photography
Nature Morte/ Vanitas still life
group shoot 1







We all felt this mini assignment was an success as it was created just like the painting apart from not using tulips and we have placed the quill and sword a different position. For the chess board we made it look like it has actually been used and looks as if the person is betting by playing cards which is using 27 pennies.

Image I think this is saying is that the skull is a sign of death from betting lots of his savings which the person then can't buy proper food to live and leaves him to steal fruits from markets. Books in the images could relate to intelligence but then if he is intelligent then be secure to not needing to bet to win money but then again the books could mean it is good for a distraction in betting and become addicted. Guitar in image means he may play in the streets or in a band with friends just for a social gathering to catch up and help not stress as much or keep him happy from losing so much money from betting.





What is still life?

Level 5 photography
documentary Still Life
What is Still Life

Still life rather is an evolving system of representation and of meaning, directly related to the transformations of society and of artsistic dialogue. It address certain positions a society maintains in relation to its objects referring to realities, fantasies and desires. Objects desired appear opposed to real, their interpretation and ideological agreements and patterns removed from experience of the real world and obey codes in order to project their symbolic meaning.

Still life is a system of objects meaning its secret lies. The system is set of things connected to form a unity. Organization of choice of objects relating to a person or collective world view which is a fictional system corresponding to a structure of desire. The depictions of fine china and crystal, elegant cloths and laces, exotic food which identified with that period and life style.


Andre Kertesz

   

   

Andre Kertesz is a twentieth century photographer worked from Hungary to Paris then New York, he was engaged with realism and surreal nudes named 'distortions'. He loved the pattern and deep space, in 1930s he remained in Paris studying the people and their inhabitation of the streets, and the play of light and shadow that dramatically filled the picture. His contemporary modern still life positions were beautiful semi- abstract shapes around us at home, I especially like how he has used objects representing someone he is attached to or he is describing himself and placing objects that are memories keeping him occupied in his life, a moment of joy and new experiences from his travelling in Paris and it is clear that he likes knowing what is going around him in the world by displaying newspapers in the image and his way in having peace is smelling and viewing the bunch of flowers, smoking and gazing out a window and the rain drips gives him a calm mind, maybe flowers reminding him of a lover or a relative.






still life formal set up

Level 5 photography
Documentary Still Life
Formal Set up


Set up with the objects is important as I will need to handle each object to direct it mentally and emotionally to help understand its beingness. Set up will give direct control over space and what stuff surrounds the objects which can create meaning ground of relationships to the forms of the objects within the space. control the space by visualizing the entire set up as a cube. Story telling in a set up means placement of objects relating too one another by visual connection, by their significance, colour, shape. Contrast is very important such as light against dark, warm against cool, rough against smooth, round against angular.


Wednesday, 29 April 2015

ILA Shoot 2 single mother

Level 5 photography
Still Life
ILA- Single Mother
Shoot 2


In this photoshoot I have gone and experimented on how to illustrate a messy mother and smokes and drinks a lot of alcohol neglecting the child. I think this photo shoot has succeeded in what I wanted to document to tell a story about a single mother that is struggling to organize and lost her way and stressing with money and when she does have the money she makes herself happy by drinking in the house and spare money gives to spending on toys for the child. I have tested angles on what is best and I prefer the first image as there is lot to see around the mannequin and what is on the floor.








ILA Shoot 1 single mother

Level 5 photography
Still Life
ILA- Single Mother
First shoot



For my ILA project I wanted to illustrate still life towards a single mother life and give it a twist in the image if need so, I would put in a story that the single mother is an alcoholic and struggles to look after the child on her own. Plan for second shoot I will do a rough mother where she has a messy kitchen and wears a superdry hoody and pin one of its arm onto its body holding a cigarette behind an iron bored filled with toys and clothes in the messy kitchen scene with dirty dishes and empty alcohol bottles. Third shoot I will do a teen mom where the manequine look over table scattered with magazines and nail varnish and children toys and a baby bottle to signify she has a child. My first shoot was showing a positive single mother where she is sensible in having drinks with friends and child has plenty toys to be occupied










Tuesday, 28 April 2015

Still life, digital Montage. Peter Carrington

Level 5 photography
Still life- digital Montage
Peter Carrington influence










My version 


To do this again I would have less patterns in the background and possibly develop the cutting into the toys as I like the imperfectness and background see through to the bits that I have cut up. To do this style again I could if I wanted to is use features in photoshop in the tab filter.






I prefer using the oil painting filter rather than the original edit as it the lines on patterns look harsh and I do not like the shine on the lions, oil painting helps make the lions finer and smooth and arty just like Peter Carrington sketch's.

Wednesday, 22 April 2015

Still life. digital Montage. Mark Harris

Level 5 photography
Still life- Digital Montage
Mark Harris Influence









Here I have tried out the Mark Harris digital montage style which I think has been quite successful but prefer Marks version than mine. I have first photographer these wild animal toys in the studio individually and then cut the objects from photoshop. I made a new document on photoshop and gone to google looking for desert landscapes and sky's and mountains.

Saturday, 18 April 2015

Still Life. Digital Montage. Ideas

Level 5 photography
Still Life- Digital Montage
Ideas





Mike Harrison







Daviant art reseach


Pinterest Research















Throughout this research I have found that I would like to do similar style to Peter Carrington from pinterest and Astronomie from Daviant art as I like how they have cut bits out from newspaper, magazines, books and looks as if the artist has glued the pieces on paper and overlaying with other cut up pictures on top that links to the theme and colour fits in with each other.

Peter Carrington is popular with people who are into tattoos so they get the tattooists inking people's arms when sees print out from internet to have a version of Peter Carrington abstract digital montage of animals which are hand drawn and touched up into the computer.

I have based my search on animals as I have photographed in the studio on toys from pound world and The Works which the figurines I have bought are wild animals, car, air force plane, zombie, dragon etc, anything that I think kids are most likely to play and blends well with the items I have purchased.




Peter Carrington has gotten that famous he get's fans making t-shirts and sending the half the payment to Peter which I think Peter got known through flickr and Pinterest experimenting what works and if it does work he get's likes or comments and asking a canvas from him .