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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Blog Task 7 (final idea) : Visual Piece - Development

Using found famous images, from noted photographers throughout history to use the code imbedded into the files to create my abstract pieces. A form of appropriation, on a computer science/mathematics basis.

Above are the images I intend on using for my final appropriation imagery. What I intend to do is use appropriation of the digital information to create new, contemporary original abstract pieces. Above are the images I intend on using for my final appropriation imagery. What I intend to do is use appropriation of the digital information to create new, contemporary original abstract pieces. Above are the images I intend on using for my final appropriation imagery. What I intend to do is use appropriation of the digital information to create new, contemporary original abstract pieces. By using a technique I developed which confuses the Photoshop programme when reading the digital code of the images, I rename and shift the source of the imagery by changing the directory from say ‘desktop’ to ‘documents’ this then reads the cache memory from the RAM that has prerendered some of the images code, but only possesses this data, so it is all that it can show on the previously open document.

As shown below:

I captured a total of 25 instances using the glitch technique I developed, using a total of 10 Photographers images (previously stated). These instances change each time I input a change to the GUI on the screen (each time I open another program), so I kept doing this till I was able to morph the aesthetics of the codes distortion till I created the abstractions I was looking for.

I managed to narrow the 25 images down to 10 to maintain continuity, and also address an individual images reference to one photographer each. I chose these 10 images because they show similarities with the aesthetics of code layout and structure. They are all also complementary of each other, and maintain a consistency when respected as a typology.

Above shows the 10 images I decided to go with. These images will be edited to a 1:1 scale, to connote sampling of the original image, then resourced as a simulation (as expressed by Baudrillard when referring to the hyper-real). I cropped into each of the images based on how interesting the content was, which gave me the following results:

I wanted some way to incorporate the file name into the piece due to it’s name giving reference to the medium used to shoot the image ‘Screenshot’. This may give some context of purpose to the viewers of the imagery, so I decided to experiment with it:

Initially, I had to source a suitable font, I wanted it to resemble quite primitive, pixelated text.

I felt a contact sheet added greatly to my concept, especially using the pixel berry font to label each file name, which I sourced from 1001fonts.com. The font style connotes that the medium used is digital, and the notion behind the whole idea is to promote the use of appropriation art in the digital era. Using a primitive font style from early computing where the monitors did not possess enough pixels to style smooth curvature of fonts.

Then I decided that the idea of presenting all the images as one may look a little bit less inviting than if they were stand alone images. The images themselves resemble characteristics of large-scale, abstract fine-art paintings. So, this started making me think about the layout, and presentation of the images as single pieces, that all compliment each other as a collective. Perhaps printing them off to a considerable size so all of the code gets distorted? Set to 72dpi, with a low resolution?

Then I began to experiment with the idea behind manipulating the structure to represent the notion of the hyperreal, and the malleable nature of the photography, especially the digital format.

I looked at presenting the image separately from each other, using the content of the images alone to connote my intentions. Which I felt may be difficult to understand without knowledge of context. This would leave the imagery being viewed as just merely abstract pieces of art, constructed by any digital means, rather than from the source code of the appropriated digital files of famous photographic works.

I then began to look at free transforming the nature of the image, by warping its quadratic presentation to connote it’s transient nature and the malleable constitution of a photograph, using entirely digital means to inflict the manipulation. This has more relevance to the notion of a photograph simulating the real object, delving into the essence of over saturated imagery expressed by Baudrillard.

I printed off my ideas so I could grasp the physicality of the prints. I printed off my four ideas that I wanted to attempt to experiment with, and to also take to my interim 1:1 crit for feedback. I liked how they came out, I only printed them out at A6 due to my interest in the prospect of research I underwent regarding simulacra by Baudrillard. Scaling the images down to the size they were represented on my screen. But once I looked at the scale of the piece, I was able to come to the conclusion that I wanted the work to be of a significant size so that the aspect of the pieces being processed via the use of code is clear from the appearance alone.

I began to start experimenting with the representation of the images being overlapped, to connote that they are duplications (simulations) of the original. Which I did like the concept of, but when I was deliberating the overall effectiveness, it became clear that the images did not make as much of an impact like this: I did not like the construction being central - which led me to the next idea:

I then tried to see how the image would come out as single pieces which would all be positioned differently to represent the fractional, disproportional nature of digital imagery. Exploring its adaptabilty and structure on the constrainted canvas of a quadratic image. Which then led me onto the idea of using the file name as a tagline for the image to really prompt the nature of the images creation, and hint at the purpose of the images.

The more I began to work with the ideas, the more I felt I was stemming off too far as development of the concept. I would consider myself to be more prone to purism with ideas and representation, which led me to feel that images may provoke more of a response if they are square with the page.

Looking at the images, I felt that the connotation of the images being received via digital apparatus was being achieved by the digital abstraction alone, and it needed a little backing up.

So, knowing this I wanted to experiment with the presentation of the images, so using an example image I printed out as a tester I was able to formulate a mimickery of a darkened black border using a sharpie marker, orientated in landscape format as seen on most Macbook retinas. It seemed like a good venture initially, but once put into practice I realised it did offer much conceptual or aesthetic gain. Yet, I was impressed with the form of the image being presented as a landscape, connoting the landscape orientation of computer screens.

I started to become interested in presenting the works as being on a computer screen as discussed. But, I did not feel that this was being easily communicating through denotation alone. So, I decided to input a slight black border around the inside of the frame to promote this aesthetic. Conceptually the idea spunding interesting, but once I actually put it into practice it looked tacky and I hated it. So I decided to scrap this idea.

Post interim-feedback

Knowing the issues I was facing connotation and functionality of the images. I approached Freya to prompt her with some ideas, which she led me onto the idea of using annotation within the images via the use of text to hint at the functionalities I intend to communicate. She suggested using the file names as they were taken online, which led me to the idea of just expressing all the prominent data of the particular pieces (artist, year, title of work, area/region/place shot etc.) to easily portray to the viewer which images were used, as well as giving them the resources to compare and contrast the juxtaposition I have created via digital code abstraction. I then started to look back at my initial ideas, noticing the use of contact sheets for support work, the structural layout the work methodology granted is drawing, and easily interpreted as to what it constitutes, its purposes etc. knowing this led me to the idea of presenting them all as said contact sheet - connoting the essence of the piece being computer generated. Then the denotation to allow them to be grouped as a collective, and the annotation to pronounce each origin of the digital code abstractions.

I came up with this little sketch showing the image as the large box, then the text depicting the photographer, and te metadata in the box with the diagonal lines throughout.

When Looking at the scale of the image, and how small it will be in perspective with an A4 sheet it felt too small. So, knowing that the images size could not exceed a monitors dimension, I went with A3 to make the pieces look more detailed, with the code and abstractions detail being clearer too. This brought me to conclude this would be the step forward, so I went off tp produce the images in Photoshop, using the pixel berry text from 1001fonts, and the design shown above.

As cosnsitent work ethic to maintain the typology and sizing of all the images and their sizing. I would place the image in the centre with the text underneath, save that image. Then overlay the next image and text, delete the ones underneath, and save again as a new file. I repeated this work ethic until I had completed all ten images. This seemed to work quite well, there are some minor differences between the prints, but they are barely visible.

Post-Print inspection

The print process was a success, and I was able to print the whole lot off at A3 after deliberation whether A4 would be big enough or not. I came to the conclusion that it would not be large enough to showcase the visible code in the images.

Printed on Satin paper at A3, set to 72dpi to distort the quality of the resolution to push the connotation of it being a digital imprint of a copied image, and also being a recreation of a computer screen. This is enforced via the use of Satin papaer - the happy medium between matte and glossy, that is not too shiny, and not too fibrous. This perfectly connotes the idea of the image resembling a computer screen, and the colours and blacks in the images stand out equally well.

Appraisal

I am happy with the outcomes, and processes gone through during this point of the module. The final outcomes reflect my intentions perfectly, and show clear synthesis with my essays context. I wished that I had worked more on the final images. Perhaps tried out different representation methods, or even noted these down. But, I was worried that I was getting too far off topic from the original idea. So, maybe I should be less worried about the work next time, and just produce experiments as development points of evidence. Looking at the orientation of the images, I placed the text on the left due to that being the design of code in CSS/HTML. But, now that I look at it, I regret doing this. I think it may have looked more aesthteically pleasing under the right hand side of the image.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Blog Task 7: Visual Work - Initial Ideas

The use of visual communication to convey ownership/authorship

To indentify, as well as mock the essence of ownership/authorship of imagery. I looked at the most common aspects used by photographers/artists to lay claim to their works.

At first, the initial thought was the usage of signatures, which were often the way people knew who the artwork was produced by. Although, it is also based on quality/style etc. the signature was often used as a detterent for those who attempting to mimick the greats, so that the original/legit pieces produced by Picasso, Monet, Da Vinci etc. were all apparent, and distinguishly recognisable as such due to their personal, not-easily copied signature.

This act, was of course typically accustom for painters, drawers, sculpturs etc. the craftsman of which used their limbs to create art, using analogue mediums.

What may be interesting to experiment with, is the notion of how people use digital means to create authorship/ownership of their works. So, using the obvious concepts used that come to mind; watermarking would be the most frequently used/recognised by the masses, as well as artists.

Watermarking is seen as being quite an amateur practice to use on images, but some exceptions, for example use in businesses (stock photography) watermarking makes sense to use to stop people stealng your imagery they may deem as orphaned.

To visualise my ideas, I created really quick mock-up:

Using a famous image (Stephen Shore) I intend to make people relate to the original owner of this image (referring to artists familiar with work), but also see how I claim to own it via the usage of a watermark depicting my name and service, implying that this piece of work is my own.

Without the context of the original artist, most would believe that this image is my own (if they have to recollection of the artists work). Most people would not question it was my work due to the nature of our society being so prone to networked imagery, and perceiving photography as becoming a candid, easily executed art form. This is essential the attitude I am mocking in some ways, as well as exploiting for my own personal gain.

I decided that this could also be developed further (potentially).

Analogue ownership method on digital prints - Finger/thumbprints

Using the most scientific means to relate an object/act to a person, I came to the conclusion that fingerprints are used in modern science to determine an entity was involved in, or contributed to something; an act, crime etc. So, I thought that this may be an interesting development point to relate back to how analogue means could make the viewer instantaneously think the work is legit, and is an indexical representation. Then, by using that logic surely it can be followed in terms of authorship/ownership of imagery too? It is obvious that these fingerprints are not my own, but in a gallery space, where they would be placed onto the front and back of imagery, clearly visible to all, perhaps the audience will immediately think that the person whose name is attached to them is the creator? Perhaps this is just a subjective thought, it may not be objective, but I feel it would create the same effect on the majority of viewers. This may be due to the scientific nature - our clear indication of what a fingerprint represents? It also has correlation with the traditional methods of practice by artists who enscribed their signatures onto their work. But this my approach relates to how we have seen/heard many people be caught for their crimes based on fingerprints being found. Shows like CSI which are heavily forensic orientated. Obviously I would approach this venture by printing out the work first onto a fibrous material (probably matte finish), then source some ink to dip my fingers in to then print onto the material.

Digital ownership - meta data (IPTC)

Then I began to understand how images online have metadata, which can be altered to address the author of the image as the creator. This metadata can also disclose your contact details, city, post code etc. which will be exploited by entities you send work to, they will use this information to credit the work they use’.

I even thought about the usage of scanography, I could print off the famous imagery and scan them back in which would be both an analogue/digital technique - acquire the imagery as found imagery, print out digitally, then scan them in as analogue objects, to then be digitised as manipulations, to then print out as digital copies again.

Above is a quick example of a sketch I have scanned in, but using my own physical input to change/morph the shapes and structure of the figure to be altered considerably so it resembles little of the original. I will print off work by famous artists, then scan them back into the computer, but while doing so I will provide my manipulation of the original image; the scanner works in a linear path, scanning in the width of the document, with around a tenth of the height at the same time, then works its way upwards to the top to complete the full scan of the document.

Appraisal

I liked the concepts behind some of the ideas I was prposing above. However, when I came to actually articulating said ideas I felt they fell short, quite significantly so too. This is due to many factors, but mainly being that the concept behind the images themselves is to almost mock the process of appropriation, authorship and ownership legislation. Yet, these images a singular pieces offer little, to no substance of this, and do not offer any other visual stimulant other than that produced by the original images themselves. I also feel that some of these ideas may look a little tacky because of this, and may appear to be a rushed essence of what I am trying to communicate - which does work conceptually playing on the laziness of appropriation of photography, but the synthesis is quite fragmented.

The fingerprints idea is probably my favourite, because it actually materialises my ownership using a traditional method, often used in legislation to incriminate people, and point the finger at them as the culprit too. This is touching on the essence of the masters use of signatures etc. to connote all proceedings of the work to them, so my futuristic approach is to use fingerprints that technology can do just that back to myself, and myself alone. But, yet again I find it to be offering little aesthetic gain, and it is represented quite tacky.

The IPTC data concept is probably one of my favourite, but it will be hard to communicate easily. The view of the block like substance framing the drop down menu to manipulate the authorship offers no gain, other than it providing framework for my name, and typographically suggesting what I am doing in the process.

I do really like the idea of using scanography as a contemporary practice to connote the use of technology to manipulate original works to produce new ones. This practice has been used quite alot already, so I didn’t feel it would offer much of an interest, and it did not really push me to take it forward. I want to touch on notions of work that are (if possible) never been done, or have been but not consistently.

I intend to move forward from these points of development to find a path that is most prudent for my work ethic, and that inspire me and my style of work to produce something visually and conceptually stimulating. I do not want to stumble across something that may work, or has some variation of synthesis with my subject matter and jump on it immediately.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Work Ethic

As good practice for a consistent workflow/work ethic I will constantly refer back to my ideas (previously made and ongoing) to develop some points of experience and development as processes towards my final outcomes. To do this I have made my filing system quite tightly knit with a folder specific to the work intended for COP finals.

Using my mobile phone to take images, capture text and notes too to then transfer to my MacBook via connectivity through Facebook, Notes, Airdrop etc.

Appraisal

This work ethic practice was originally used as a foundation point for me to house all my work in correlation to the module. It then became more than that; I use it as somewhat of a hub for all the development points I have made to then refer back to locally, rather than relying on having connection to view them on this blog. I then started to realise that this was very helpful when trying to incorporate all my ideas into one, I was able to look back on the work produced, and try to develop linkages to and from the works. By finding these correlations, I am able to establish new paths of creative development.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Blog task 7: Idea (2) Development - Final Outcomes

How do I plan to create my images?

I had the idea of screen-shooting famous imagery, and I felt using a mobile might be a more prudent approach to take due to it changing the way we access, and create imagery now. So, like the screen-shooting process in which I Google search famous photographers, click on ‘view image’ to create the canvas, then capture my personalised desktop to frame the image.

With these images, they will just show the Google web page/app display on my phone screen, with the timing of creation visible to be the only meta-data, showing my Wi-Fi access and battery too.

How do I decide what images to recreate?

I would like to use both contemporary and historic photographers as my contextual references. I intend to use work that is reasonably well known, and easily recognisable to those who are interested in photography. I would also like to use all specialisms within photography, adopting all of them may be difficult, but even just to have - Fashion, Product photography, Fine-Art, and Documentary would suffice.

Appraisal

This practice would show clear correlation with Richard Princes, but I do nt want my work to be obviously copying his. I want my work to be used as a tangent of appropriation art, using appropriation of existing digital arts code to dictate visuals. Rather than using a technique I touched on as a contextual reference as an example in an essay promoting the use of appropriation in photography. I am also quite put off by it’s visual value: it offers little to no captivation. It does play on the terms of me taking the piss a litle, which i like because it refers back to the attitudes of and towards Duchamp.

So, I think I will move forward by doing the code abstraction instead of this idea.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Blog task 7: Idea (2) Development - Final Outcomes

How do I plan to create my images?

I had the idea that I could screenshot famous works of photographers which I could access easily via the internet, to then define as my own pieces of art. I came up with this idea looking at Vik Muniz’ recreation of images using chocolate. So instead of using an analogue resource like Vik Muniz had, I would instead use a digital resource (my technology) to recreate imagery of my own of the existing images. Screenshots have distinctive aspect ratios, typically 16:9 which is not a common format for imagery, so this help my work conceptually as it is clear that my recreations are digitally composed and executed. Using the preset screenshot application in the Mac OS, to relate to how everyone has the abaility to recreate imagery on their computers now, using command-shift-3 to print screen as is.

How do I decide what images to recreate?

I want to dominantly use images that have been created using analogue methods, then that have been scanned in digitally. This will express the development of photography, and how existing imagery in other formats that some argue to be better, are transformed into digited code for web use.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Blog task 7: Idea (1) further development - final outcomes

I decided to develop my second idea further to illustrate the idea of how accessible images are on the internet as a point of reference due to smart- phones being widely distributed and accessed by the masses.

So, I had the idea of screen-shooting Google search results on my phone of famous artists work. Clearly displaying the artist’s names to pay homage to them via typography embedded/hardcoded digitally, as if to say their ownership/authorship will never be challenged. But it is also used to somewhat mock that it is their image, but now it has been reapplied to become my image. Then I felt that it may not be obvious to the viewer how I have recreated the imagery. So using images found online (also enforcing the digital age of networked society) I find an image of my iPhone (iPhone 5c), then produce a composite image to map the screenshots onto the iPhone's screen separately.

This method enforces the idea behind the accessibility of wider audiences throughout the networked society, being able to find and access artists work, and do with it as they please. There are some copyright infringements, as well as ethical disputes, but typically if an image is found and manipulated by another it is then an original piece to the manipulator.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Blog Task 6 - Contextual reference: Richard Prince

Sam Abell, the original photographer of this Marlboro advert was very shocked to have his image, printed and rephotographed by Richard Prince to be exhibited and sold.

In an interview regarding Richard Princes acts, he touches on the legislation being correct, and his acts not breaking any laws. But, just from his attitude and tone you can tell very subtly that he is not pleased with him doing it. Although this method of art is not exactly traditionally skilful, it does definitely offer a lot conceptually. Prince was able to take notable images, recreate them to become his own source of commodification. Which is so brilliantly sinister, I think that it is agonising simplistic, and also promotes the idea of photographers being replaceable, and their affiliation being very finite.

But this is not the only time this has occurred. Richard Prince has been in considerable dispute before regarding ownership/authorship.

The result of a lawsuit levied against Richard Prince’s “Canal Zone” series of photos has determined that the artist may be forced to destroy the works, as they violate copyright laws protecting the series of photographs appropriated by Prince, “Yes Rasta” by French photographer Patrick Cariou. In the end, what happens to Prince’s work is up to Cariou.

It is also very admirable that Prince has kept a persistence throughout his efforts, either because he understands this is a solid status to commodify, or he genuinely feels that appropriation of imagery should be exploited. This remains to be unseen, but regardless of his intentions, there are definitely implications to his actions, meaning that he could be achieving the acceptance of appropriation art in photography. Prince may actually bring about his own devalue of his own style of work.

Not only is the content extremely relevant to my essay, but it has fuelled a lot of thought into possible COP3 ideas. I would like to delve further into appropriation art, perhaps by pushing its boundaries as far as possible as I can or to justify the actions and its approach as a contemporary practice we all need to accommodate.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Blog Task 7: Research - Legislation behind copyright of images

I was quite skeptical about the actual legislation of copyright law in Britain, so I initiated some research and I was able to find a document on the ‘gov.uk’ web page, which describes all intellectual property legislation of digital imagery on the internet. I have to admit the content of the document is quite summarized, and I may need to look into further, but even just having the evidence and knowledge that what I am doing is legal is quite relieving for me.

The article is a downloadable pdf, so I downloaded it for future reference purposes. I found this source very beneficial, and being able to refer back to a government issue legal document will be very useful.

‘People can use copyright works without permission from the copyright owner, such as for private study or non-commercial research, although some exceptions are not available for photographs.’

The document has many hyperlinks to over, further expansions on specific topics of copyright law. So, by looking at an extension titled ‘exceptions to copyright’.

‘You are allowed to copy limited extracts of works when the use is non-commercial research or private study, but you must be genuinely studying (like you would if you were taking a college course).’ - (Crown, gov.uk, and Intellectual Property Office, 2014)

This extract gives me the confidence with the whole idea behind my work the go ahead lawfully, and using the direct references as citations I should be able to accomplish what I aim to achieve.

‘According to the Court of Justice of the European Union which has effect in UK law, copyright can only subsist in subject matter that is original in the sense that it is the author’s own ‘intellectual creation’. Given this criteria, it seems unlikely that what is merely a retouched, digitised image of an older work can be considered as ‘original’.

-This is because there will generally be minimal scope for a creator to exercise free and creative choices if their aim is simply to make a faithful reproduction of an existing work.’ - This is something that needs to be considered whilst I am moving forward, and there must be more on the topic which can give a greater insight to the issue, and what loopholes can be exploited.

I then came across this as a follow up, which is more relevant to what I need to find out - whether my practical idea is technically lawful, and does infringe any copyright laws. I would assume that my work would fall under the context of being a parody, therfore the adaptation of the pre-existent works of other photographers I intend to use will be permitted to be used, because of the parody nature.

Moving forward

I am going to reference this in my essays bibliography, and by doing so I feel I will clear up the legislative issue behind my body of work, and also the issue of what my essay is aiming to tackle the ways in which new technologies have changed the nature of photographs.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Clement Greenberg

Clement Greenberg was quite a controversial art critic, who felt that art should represent the stereotypical mediums that defined people as artists. He valued textures, and patterns of work, the figurative aspect behind the work. He championed the physical appearance over concept, and because of this he was often quite controversial with new movements and new methods of art. He was a valiant fan of abstract expressionism, and adored the work by Jackson Pollock.

Greenberg claimed that true avant-garde art is a product of the Enlightenment's revolution of critical thinking.

He was a fan of simplicity, and specifically modernism. He wanted modernist art to stretch further than art itself, into architecture, music, culture as a whole and everything that it affects.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Post interim crit feedback - Research

Broomberg and Chanarin

Broomberg describes the project as "drawing a parallel between a holy book that is so linked with power and photography, a medium that possesses this extraordinary, often unscrutinised, power."

The afterword draws a direct parallel between the violence of the bible and the violence of "the modern state … a multi-apparatus that strives to control everything it contains and to contain everything it can control."

Richard Prince

I was advised to analyse the works of Richard Prince, especially the Instagram work where he had commented on famous Instagram users posts, screenshot their image along with his comment, then proceeded to print out the work and display in galleries. Princes work raises the question of where art is going, leaving the typical “my kid could have done that”, to endure. Perhaps this is his point, he wants to show how any one can exploit their surroundings to produce art?

Most of the indviduals he used as his ‘victims’ are professionals because of their status online. A majority of his subjects belong to the group of soft-porn Instagram account ‘suicide girls’.

In their description it reads: ‘What some people think makes us strange, weird, or fucked up. We think is what makes us beautiful.’

With 6.1 million Instagram followerss, there is no doubt that the page has a very strong fan base. This organisation is definitely a business, with product placement etc. to capitalise on it’s content and fame.

Perhaps this gives reason for Prince to target them, and exploit their imagery as appropriation art.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Interim Crit - feedback

After the feedback I was able to draw together a clear path of analysis to formulate and structure my essay better. At first I felt it was quite modular, with a few exceptions of linear ideas that I was not captivating fully. So, I intend to make at least another two redrafts of this essay to get it upto the par I want it to be.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Blog Task 6 - Contextual reference: Vik Muniz

Body of work: Chocolate remaking

Looking at his recreation of the Jackson Pollock image in particular.

I thought that it may be interesting to use the work of Vik Muniz, how he uses everyday and luxury items to recreate famous imagery of historic/contemporary figures. The people he tends to recreate imagery of are famous in some respect, and because of this easily recognisable to the majority.

He would be an interesting contextual reference to focus on, due to his unique style of recreating found imagery. A very captivating methodology to appropriation, however, his work does not have a direct reference to my essays intention.

Appraisal

Vik Muniz will be an essential foundation for an argument if I intend on producing work which relates to the use of technological mediums to reestablish the found work as being my own. Otherwise, I feel that his use as a contextual reference may be a little too off topic, and may be read as a tangent that may not be needed to be analysed in regards to photography, due to the nature of the recreation only being sourced by recreating an image, to then recapture it as a new image. Other than that it really would have no relavance, unless I decide to venture into the concept of using digital resources to recharacterize an original, relating to it as an analogue method dependent of digital means.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Contextual References for Essay

Once I had established which artists I wanted to use as my contextual references, and for my visual examples. I decided it would be best to document the relevant background information, and context regarding them and their practice on this file, to maintain and collate all the information of relevance here. Then I will input the appropriate imagery to use to reflect as reference figures throughout the academic writing piece.

key: HR - Historic Reference CR - Contemporary Reference

HR - Marcel Duchamp

Bio: ‘Few artists can boast having changed the course of art history in the way that Marcel Duchamp did. Having assimilated the lessons of Cubism and Futurism, whose joint influence may be felt in his early paintings, he spearheaded the American Dada movement together with his friends and collaborators Picabia and Man Ray. By challenging the very notion of what is art, his first readymades sent shock waves across the art world that can still be felt today. Duchamp's ongoing preoccupation with the mechanisms of desire and human sexuality as well as his fondness for wordplay aligns his work with that of Surrealists, although he steadfastly refused to be affiliated with any specific artistic movement per se. In his insistence that art should be driven by ideas above all, Duchamp is generally considered to be the father of Conceptual art.’ - http://www.theartstory.org/artist-duchamp-marcel.htm

Body of work: Urinal - ‘Fountain’, 1917

I wanted to use Duchamp as an example due to him sparking the essence of recreating/reusing objects for art. His use of appropriation was insistent that all objects we perceive have creators, meaning that all which are designed, crafted, sculptured etc. are made by artists. So his appropriation of a urinal, taking it out of its original intended context (a toilet) to then place it in a gallery format as another artefact for another purpose (a fountain) is quite fascinating. His stimulus for said act is to promote the use of ‘ready-made’ art, which did not receive the best reception at the time. He was quite the avant-garde in respect to installations, and conceptual art - which was not valued greatly at the time.

· Figure 1: Marcel Duchamp, 1917. Fountain. TATE [Online] Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/duchamp-fountain-t07573 [Accessed: 21 December 2016].

HR - John Heartfield

Bio: ‘His anti-fascist art became famous on both sides of the Atlantic as “art as a weapon.” Heartfield used the fascists’ own words and images against them. From 1930-1938, he created an astounding 240 anti-fascist photomontages for covers of the AIZ magazine (circulation around 300,000 to 500,000 at its height). These AIZ covers appeared on street corners all over Adolf Hitler’s Berlin. The “Photomontages of the Nazi Period” comprise a unified artistic critique of the rise of fascism that has never been duplicated.’ - http://www.johnheartfield.com/John-Heartfield-Exhibition/helmut-herzfeld-john-heartfield/artist-john-heartfield-biography

Body of Work: “Adolf, the Superman: Swallows Gold and Spouts Junk”, 1932

I’ve decided to use Heartfield’s work to analyse the use of found imagery in the past for political outlooks that were against the fascist regimes. Analysing why this method of appropriation is fine, and assessing why the same attitude is not incorporated into other aspects of appropriation. - I think this will raise an important issue of commodification, and how capitalist mentalities which have now matured, may be a result to why found imagery is not as widely accepted as it once was.

· Figure 2: John Heartfield, 1932. “Adolf, the Superman: Swallows Gold and Spouts Junk”. TATE [Online] Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/heartfield-adolf-the-superman-swallows-gold-and-spouts-rubbish-x39284 [Accessed: 21 December 2016].

CR - Thomas Ruff

Bio: ‘Thomas Ruff’s photography suggests the possibilities of his chosen medium, as he might use digital manipulation for one subject and antiquated darkroom techniques for another. Ruff works in series, creating defined bodies of work whose subjects include empty domestic interiors, appropriated interplanetary images captured by NASA, abstractions of modernist architecture, three–dimensional computer–generated Pop imagery, and obscured pornography.’ - http://www.gagosian.com/artists/thomas-ruff

Body of work: Aesthetic of the Pixel, 2008

Thomas Ruff’s application to this essay will act as a historic and contemporary benchmark in practices of photography that relied on the use of found imagery. Yet, this use was of the events transpired during 9/11, and are a collection of his own images and those found online. These are both used in correlation with each other, and are post-produced using pixelation methods to avoid copyright infringement, and also touch upon the voyeurism of the catastrophe. He is also a contemporary photographer who uses both analogue and digital mediums for his practice, and he does it notably well, and in succession with each greatly recognised bodies of work. So I view him as being a great starting point, and the figure will also provide great topics for discussion, and draw in some interesting writing material.

· Figure 3: Thomas Ruff, 2008. Aesthetic of the Pixel. ASX [Online] Available at: http://www.americansuburbx.com/2014/01/thomas-ruff-aesthetic-pixel-2008.html [Accessed: 22 December 2016].

CR - Broomberg & Chanarin

Bio: ‘Adam Broomberg (born 1970, Johannesburg, South Africa) and Oliver Chanarin (born 1971, London, UK) are artists living and working between London and Berlin. They are professors of photography at the Hochschule für bildende Künste (HFBK) in Hamburg, Germany.’ - http://www.broombergchanarin.com/information/bio/

‘Tackling politics, religion, war and history, Broomberg & Chanarin prise open the fault lines associated with such imagery, creating new responses and pathways towards an understanding of the human condition. Trained as photographers they now work across diverse media’ - http://www.lissongallery.com/artists/broomberg-chanarin

Body of work: Holy Bible, 2013

I decided to use Broomberg and Chanarin to cement the contemporary use of found imagery, and Broomberg and Chanarin used the context of a religious artefact to contextualise the happenings of the world that are typically taboo topics amongst religions. This method of appropriation is apparent on two fronts, and provides the use of appropriation in imagery, and also objects as a photobook two in one. A brilliant foundation point to revisit previous statements, and also attempt to start steering in the direction of what I am aiming to achieve with my visual work.

· Figure 4: Adam Broomberg & Chanarin, 2013. Holy Bible. Guardian [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2013/jun/11/deutsche-prizewinners-new-work-holy-bible [Accessed: 10 January 2017].

CR - Richard Prince

Bio: ‘One of the most infamous appropriation artists, Richard Prince has employed a number of strategies to question the authorship and ownership of artistic imagery. By rephotographing, copying, scanning, and manipulating the work of others, he has crafted a technique of appropriation and provocation.’ - http://www.theartstory.org/artist-prince-richard.htm

Body of work: New Portraits, 2015

For my final contextual study, I will close off using Richard Princes New Portraits to illustrate the use of technological advancements being exploited. I wont to grasp his work, and views on his work, to swing the conceptual ideology into place to determine a verdict for the reader. This will be challenging given the subject topic of Richard Prince being somewhat unsteady. His work is quite controversial and has a tendency to be like marmite. This is where (if done correctly) the prior knowledge from the previous contextual studies will draw together the essence of why his work is good, and what he is providing as a developing point. This will then link in greatly with my visual piece.

Figure 5: Richard Prince, 2014. New Portraits. Guardian [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/jul/18/instagram-artist-richard-prince-selfies [Accessed: 24 February 2017].

Appraisal

I am pleased with the flow of references I intend to use for my essay. However, I do feel that there are some slight gaps that could have been filled using up some of the more contextual references I have used as the cut group to do so. But, with that said I do also feel that from these references I will be able to engage in an interesting response to the essay title, and provide a serious debate on the status of photography, and what technology has done to the encompassment of a photographer in terms of appropriation and the speed and dissemination of its conception through digitalization methods.

I will use each of these examples as foundations to and from arguments, for and against its use. Some of these said arguments will have more lenience to a choice than the other, while some remain neutral. But, this will remain up to the interpretation of the reader. More than likely it will become blatantly obvious what I am advocating with the writing, and how I am going about the advocation with my practice.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Blog task 6 - Contextual reference: Mat Collishaw

Body of work: Bullet Hole’ taken from an image in a textbook Ice Pick 1988 (image 1)

Bibliography: Westall, M. (2011) Mat Collishaw to feature ‘bullet hole’ at the 12th Istanbul biennial. Available at: http://fadmagazine.com/2011/09/06/mat-collishaw-to-feature-bullet-hole-at-the-12th-istanbul-biennial/ (Accessed: 23 January 2017).

In-line Citation: (Westall, 2011).

Despite the title, the work is a reproduction of an image he found in a pathology book, of an ice pick wound to the head. They image was separated and blown up over an interlocking grid of fifteen separate sections of the image that make up one single work. It first went on show in the Exhibition Freeze, organized by Damien Hirst.

Body of work: 'Narcissus' 1990 (image 2)

Bibliography: Tate (1995) Narcissus, mat Collishaw 1990 | Tate Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/collishaw-narcissus-l02304 (Accessed: 23 January 2017).

In-line Citation: (Tate, 1995)

Collishaw has modelled himself on the beautiful youth, Narcissus from Greek mythology. Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in a woodland pool, and died of sorrow.

Collishaw transfers the myth to an unglamorous urban setting, where the very idea of beauty is brought into question.

Theorist Clement Greenberg was quite a controversial art critic, who felt that art should represent the stereotypical mediums that defined people as artists. He valued textures, and patterns of work, the figurative behind the work. He championed the physical appearance over the concept, and because of this, he was often quite controversial with new movements and new methods of art. He was a valiant fan of abstract expressionism, and adored the work by Jackson Pollock.

Greenberg claimed that true avant-garde art is a product of the Enlightenment's revolution of critical thinking.

He was a fan of simplicity, and specifically modernism. He wanted modernist art to stretch further than art itself, into architecture, music, culture as a whole and everything that it affects.

Appraisal

Mat Collishaw’s work would be an essential building block if I relate to contemporary fine art practices in photography which recreate actions, and occurrences in history through photography (image 2). If I wanted to relate to his use of found imagery as appropriation art, his work seen in (image 1) would be crucial, especially when related to the works by Richard Prince. I do feel that his work is not as fundamentally apparent in photography as Richard Prince, it is also credible to suggest that it may not be as easily collectible, or recognisable as Prince’s. Especially when considering the magnitude of coverage that Prince received for his works, so it may be best to use Prince over Collishaw in that respect.

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jaybexcop2-blog · 8 years ago

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Blog task 6

Murray Ballard - Impressions Gallery talk

Murray, expressed the essence of photography being an adaptable process to our surroundings, and so to keep a persistent typology to his work throughout the 9 years of the project, he used the same film processes from the same companies. Which was quite interesting, because I do not typically hear much about this concept being discussed at talks. So, once the talk had finished, I went up to Murray and prompted him to explain more in depth about his choice of recording format, and how it had direct influence to his approach and representation of imagery (a somewhat timeless aesthetic). I asked him about the change in technology and how it changed his approach to photography, and he felt it was “changing too rapidly”, and the process he underwent throughout his project ‘the prospect of immortality’ would be an extremely extortionate venture to take now. He shoots mainly 5x4, and 6x7 colour positives, which was expensive for him during shooting, but now the price of this film specification has nearly doubled. Not only that but the camera equipment itself, is too, expensive equipment. Which was a really relevant point for him to approach, due to the nature of photography changing around him, having a harmful impact on his artistic output and approach to photography as a whole.

I asked Murray about how he felt about the digital medium/format of photography, and the value it has to him and his practice: he explained that it is a brilliant adaptation for artists to take advantage of in terms of finance and educational purposes. However, he did refer to his discomfort with his personal usage of digital photography, and how he subjectively feels it cannot achieve the same or a better outcome than film.

A concept I found quite interesting about Murray’s opinions, is that they are clearly constricted to the aesthetics of photographic technicality, and also the professionalism required for his medium of photography. I got the impression gives him a sense of empowerment and superiority, in terms of his photographic skill, and representation of the art-form.

During my conversation with Murray, I was able to establish some primary data from him, regarding his practice and thoughts on the photographic mediums advancements in this digital era. With his permission to use his answers to my questions, I knew I would be able to apply them in my essay, to illustrate, instruct, and inform my viewpoints and arguments.

He explained that he would not be happy with someone using his work to their own gain.

Visiting Speaker: Mark Neville

Mark Neville’s lecture really inspired me to start looking into photo-journalism, but he specifically inspired me in terms of possible research material in regards to environmental portraiture. It was interesting to hear his experience with PTSD, and how this has affected his professional and creative practice. This led me to watch the film Restrepo for further understanding.

Visiting Speaker - Royal Cafe Books

In a recent lecture by Royal Cafe books, he touched on his practice as a photographer, and as a small publisher. Describing work he has published for others as well as himself, he gave some brief description into some of the work.

He spoke about quite a number of peoples work, but the one that spoke out most to me was the work produced by Matthew Birchall. His conversion of photography into base64 code was a very interesting concept to me.

I was very intrigued by his methodology for his work, using a simplistic style of template for all published works, to easily connote the brand image of Cafe Royal. Although, this was a design intentionally made to prevent what he described as being ‘boring topics’ when speaking at photobook fairs about his publications, explaining how the majority of people ask for the following information: publisher, photographer, no. of editions, etc. So he placed all content on the front, where the books would clearly show this content to prevent it reoccurring. It could be viewed as somewhat of a slightly ignorant approach, slightly unnecessary, but has become an effective marketing technique.

When I went to find Matthew Birchall’s influences, I was not able to come across much insight into his practice, ideologies, or any form of background information.

I was able to find a blog which was exploring the techniques used by contemporary artists to use code to expand the medium of photography, and its application as a digital formulation, exploring and expanding it as far as possible.

Pete Ashton

I stumbled across the works of Pete Ashton following on from the research blog. I went on to look at the work he has produced and found it very stimulating. Not only is the work similar to that of my own for Cop2, but it is also following a path I would like to explore for my Cop3 dissertation and potentially practical too.

https://vimeo.com/119655750

Appraisal of Pete Ashton’s work:

I was very captivated by Pete Ashton’s work; the fundamental simplistic formalities of using found images code to produce abstract interpretations of imagery. His work is very similar to that I am producing for my final pieces, a little bit too different, and stemming a little bit too far into the collection of data in social media. But, the correlation is still very prominently obvious in detail. His use of code to produce abstract interpretations of the originals, using the structure of the original code to create the page of images, to reform it and produce a one-off transient glitch is really inspiring. I am very fond of this type of work, probably due to my interest in code and mathematics.

Common Lecture Programme 1: Outsider art/folk art

Outsider Artists: ‘outsider artists’, was a term coined in the 1970s by the British art critic Roger Cardinal to describe artists living on the fringes of society. Most outsider artists are untrained, unaffected by social conventions and untouched by the machinations of the commercial art-world which is fascinating. I was immediately captivated by the prospect of this idea being applied in photography because it detaches the artists from the conventions of photography as well the all art mediums. Which I will touch on in my essay.

Lee Godie

All the photographs reveal women of sophistication or refinement. But Godie’s life couldn’t have been more different. For nearly three decades, until shortly before her death in 1994 at the age of 85, Godie lived, homeless, on the streets of Chicago. Colourful and unpredictable, she was as likely to appear wrapped in a toga and fur coat one day as in full safari regalia the next. To downtown workers she was a local character – a beloved part of the city’s gritty, urban fabric – often seen sketching and painting on the steps of the Art Institute of Chicago.

What intrigued me by Godie’s work was the analysis that she used of herself and her situation, to use photography as a means to recontextualise herself as a whole other person, with a whole other persona using just visual communication alone. Interestingly, she did not need to access an extravagant studio, with masses of equipment; props, lighting equipment etc. all she needed was the small photo booths used for ID photography; commercially used for passports, visas etc. These widely accessible, and in great supply was all she needed to take, and print her images off, using found resources like lipstick to craft colour onto the black and white images. She would then sell these piece of work off to passers-by on the streets of Chicago for mere dollars at a time, fuelling the creation of more pieces as well as giving her money to live.

Common Lecture Programme 2: Identity

“visual images are given a kind of agency by psychoanalysis because our immersion in a certain kind of visuality and our encounters with certain kinds of visual images tutor us into particular kinds of subjectivity” (Rose, p104)

I was engaged by the content regarding the use of Gillian Rose’s visual methodologies. Touching on aspects of research that I want to potentially venture into cop3. For this said research, I will need to draw a basis of visual communication theory relevant to all methods, not just photography. To grasp a generic path of development, to then delve into the specified field. Rose, appears to have a gripping stimulus to contextualise this motion I intend on adapting my work to.

Personal Research & Reflection:

I wanted to start looking into perception on a philosophical scale. I found an interesting article that stated ‘Bishop Berkeley who first argued that perception of space is impossible without enrichment.’ an outlook which I found quite intriguing.

I came across the terms proximal and spatial relating to the physical body. But, when I read it, I imagined its interpretation being applied to thought and concept. Proximal relating to its closeness to the source, and spatial relating to its distance from the source. So, I started to go off on a slight tangent of how the whole essence of work being an object can relate to its purpose proximally and spatially.

I began to relate my research to my essay titles issue, and the subject matter of my work being relative to how I am tackling the technological advancements which are redefining the art world, and the photographic medium in particular. I have already successfully sourced artists works that touch upon the constraints of homage, and recreation of existing work for individual gain. It could be said that there will not be a cosmic shift at this point, more of a progressive cycle, slowly accepting the adaptations and widely accessible mediums and networked resources being used to be recreated by the masses. Historically it may be seen as a vicious cycle sometime down the line, but it may not. Due to the technological advancements being so rapid, and the growth of amassing availability and accessibility of appliances to all. We could be in somewhat of a limbo state, where we cannot look forward as artists, we have to look back at previous techniques and movements.

Purists will do their best to oppose said movement, and they should rightfully be able to do so. But said movement(s) could be so widely respected and practiced that older techniques could start to become forgotten, and rarely used.

I want to be as controversial as I possibly can be; issuing outrage to all artists that see my work, and my argument for producing said outcomes. The idea I am attempting to convey has been raised before, throughout history for the fuelling of new, upcoming art movements. Dada, Surrealism, Constructivism, Cubism, Modernism, Post-modernism.

I want to address how art can never be objective, it is all subjective, meaning that the controversiality is based on the figure or the influence of said figure.

Common Lecture Programme 4: The Networked Image

This lecture was incredibly relevant to my context, and I was able to draw a great deal from it. I want to read further into works by Cruz, and John Roberts but as for her work being related to mine, I feel it may be a bit too specific, and would not offer much in respect to what I am aiming to achieve regarding appropriation. If I decide to go down a similar route for my dissertation she would be a vital contextual resource.

The lecture also informed illustrations and analogies for what essence I was attempting to encapsulate throughout my essay. This was very beneficial because I was then able to minimise what I was saying in writing because I had visualisations to base my arguments and points on.

The lecture also touched on the use of meme, which automatically sprung to mind as being modern interpretations, and practice of image appropriation.

Memes are not typically used in a gallery formats, typically made for profit. So I felt that this method of appropriation may stem too far from my point of appropriation to benefit financially. Memes are often created recreationally, and they are distributed as such too due to their purpose being purely comical.

Common Lecture Programme 5: Voyeurism and Exhibitionism

This lecture raised some interesting contexts regarding the processes of photography allowing for voyeurism and exhibitionism to slowly be advocated and encouraged due to masses of individuals engaging in it. It would be an interesting topic to address in terms of the technological advancements in photography allowing for this. However, it does not have any relevance to the subject matter of appropriation art in photography - this makes it too much of a tangent to address in my essay, but for background information, it may prove beneficial.

Common Lecture Programme 6: Remake/Remodel

This lecture was really helpful for my essay title, relating to how imagery can be reused and remade to remodel any though=ts the viewer is experiencing. This reshape of context is a common advertisement marketing tool often exploited.

The analogy shown above was given in the lecture to showcase how images can shift in context with the appropriate typography. This had me then divergently thinking about the other context of change, other factors directly visible on the image are not the only factors that can reshape the purpose. The environment which the photograph is housed in could reshape how we view it, for instance, the images may be of the happy family shown above but could be shown outside an abortion clinic, used as a deterrent to those who want an abortion.

But the image may have been originally taken for a campaign which relates to selling new products/services to families. The context of the image has no parameters and can be taken out of its original context to communicate another idea using text, context, politics, religion etc. This method of image appropriation has often been used and is actively being executed in the context of religion, and politics. Typically depicting Muslims to be really bad people as a whole by using one image of a ‘muslim’ doing something wrong. The connotation of imagery can be powerful. Especially when incorporated with the context of said imagery being relatively ‘respected’ as a ‘legit, credible’ source.

Common Lecture Programme 7: Still

This lecture brought up the actions of film and media being constituted by still imagery in quick moving succession to show flow and sequence as an application to mimic actual movement we perceive in real time. This topic is specifically interesting in regards to my topic, I had not thought about the appropriation of still imagery from moving image.

The analysis of work by Idris Khan was brought up:

ARTISTS STATEMENT: ‘Since 1959 Bernd and Hilla Becher have been photographing industrial structures that exemplify modernist engineering, such as gas reservoirs and water towers. Their photographs are often presented in groups of similar design; their repeated images make these everyday buildings seem strangely imposing and alien. Idris Khan’s Every... Bernd And Hilla Becher... series appropriates the Bechers’ imagery and compiles their collections into single super-images. In this piece, multiple images of American-style gabled houses are digitally layered and superimposed giving the effect of an impressionistic drawing or blurred film still.’ - http://www.saatchigallery.com/artists/idris_khan.htm

This use of appropriation is quite intriguing, the use of multi-layering with some apparent constants throughout. The original images are so clean, the Becher’s vigorous maintenance of typology, and formalities with structural composition of infamous. Yet, Idris Khan actively engages with their images to deconstruct this typological consistency to produce an original piece.

This then made me go onto search up the essence of what Tableaux photography is. I was quite surprised to find that I was already familiar with it, but I now understand the theory of it, and what it’s aesthetics actually encompass and can be labelled as.

Gregory Crewsdon:

The term was first used in the eighteenth century by French philosopher Denis Diderot to describe paintings with this type of composition. Tableau paintings were natural and true to life, and had the effect of walling off the observer from the drama taking place, transfixing the viewer like never before.

- http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/t/tableau

This led me to Gregory Crewsdon’s work, which started to edge me to start recreating memories, and life events in this style. I often find myself remembering distant, and often important memories I have that are precious to me, but remembering them in third-person, as well as first. So as an analogy, I would be the girl stood in her underwear in this picture, viewing myself from this angle (if it was my memory). This started intriguing me with the essence of memory, and how these banks are influenced. Perhaps it is lens-based media that has enabled, and dictated the ways in which we see events, and interact with them? Which then started to unveil to me a potential subject matter to address for a thesis. Using memories and context of memory theory for creativeness, influence and commodification of said agents to drive to constitute a resource of images intended for a singular purpose. Or in other words; use the memories I have to create recreations of surreal scenes that all correlate due to them all being stored by myself. Relating to how these images have been stored using media theory, neurology, and psychology to construct a basis for discussion and analysis.

This then led me onto Jeff Wall, who’s work would be good to use as a contextual reference. Especially when considering the appropriation of imagery construct to pay homage to an original works. A sudden gust of wind may be an interesting topic to bring up in relation to the appropriation of another’s style, structure, and context of work to commodify it and create your won, but make it legit by noting it is a remake.

Visiting Speaker - Laura El Tantawy:

Laura El Tantawy’s talk was exceptionally intriguing, given she is somewhat of an outsider artist to photography. She explained how she had no training and was relatively amateur with technical knowledge of cameras. She brought up the point that cameras are relational tools, used to envision and record that around us, so she said she did not worry about the images she was going to take, the ones she had already taken. Instead, she was concentrating on capturing all moments around her. This is interesting because this approach is only available (to get good results more often) thanks to technical advancements allowing for automatic shooting, as well as post-processing methods available in suites like Photoshop.

This brought up some interesting thought processes for my essay as well as my actual practice and work ethic. I was interested in the aspect of photography developing into a practice relevant to the actual photographs, and what they commune. Rather than collecting technical knowledge, both practically and theoretically. This is definitely as such thanks to digitalization, and the methods of technological advancements in digital photography applications. I should relate to this in my essay, demonstrating an understanding for the development of the practice, it does not necessarily need to consist of darkroom masters and f64 group types; rather just people who can create interesting, unique imagery. This also pushes me to stop obsessing over my image production too, I am quite prone to insisting on having perfect settings, lighting, composition etc. rather than just taking images, and exploiting the transient nature digital photography has granted. As Laura perfectly demonstrates with this series, showing Egypt’s revolution, which has a very transient appearance of happenings.

Common Lecture Programme 9:

This lecture founded a lot of interesting context for my essay title, and generic interest too. The ideologies of photography, and how these have greatly affected countries and the societies of those countries. The topic of discussion was typically relevant to the subject matter suggested in the title, which gave me great writing material for my essay. Mainly relating to the ontology of imagery being unsteady because of technology, and although these applications and tools provided by the technological developments have also failed in some sense.

Errol Morris:

Laughland, O., Gallagher, A. and Sprenger, R. (2011) Errol Morris: ’We‘ve forgotten that photographs are connected to the physical world’ - video. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/video/2011/dec/26/errol-morris-photography-video [Accessed: 13 February 2017].

I want to incorporate the essence of there being no truth in photography due to its illegitimacy to be able to capture all the surrounding the strict parameters of a quadratic frame, making it a decontextualised misrepresentation as far as its truth.

Touching on the investigation into this ‘chemical weapons of mass destruction’ site in IRAQ. Which turned out to possess no such thing, but those who saw the imagery believed that the imagery suggested this, under the assumption that photography has no ability to represent anything other than the truth. But as Errol Morris rightfully stated; the photograph is a decontextualised visualisation of a lost instant. This was able to give me the idea of how photography is and can be used, for and against proof, which reminded me of this:

When one of England’s goals clearly went in and was not seen as being in, despite the imagery clearly showing that it did in fact, go in. This goes to show that imagery can be used as truth, but cannot always be used as truth. Everyone should remain religiously sceptic of how an image can reshape what we think, how we react and interpret people and our surroundings.

TATE LIVERPOOL

Sanja Ivekovic

This work instantly gripped me when it at the Tate. The work is made in response to mass-medias invasion into women’s lives and their everyday activities. The advertisements in magazines are quick to associate women to be wearing little to no clothing, depicting them as sexual objects. Interestingly, Sanja took quite an honest, subliminal approach to the recreation and use of these found images and to mock them. She used images found from her archive images that closely represented that of the advertisements. But the use of scale and orientation of the two images contrasting against each other provides a unique juxtaposition between hyper reality, and reality itself. The left (her image) black and white, and the advertisement in colour on the right. Perhaps intentionally done to connote the idea of realism typically referred to as ‘seen in black and white’ t, and the advertisement in colour to connote the sense of its fabrication, and untruth.

Speaking with Dominic Hopkinson

During my work placement at the Impressions Gallery in Bradford setting up Yan Preston’s exhibition, I was able to work alongside freelance technician and sculptor Dominic Hopkinson.

We were quick to speak about his work and influences to the work, which was interesting to find apparent linkages between mine and his to an extent. Sharing a subject matter, and context of practice being related and limited to the application mathematics in art. Dom spoke of the three-dimensional representation of objects as patterns, using algorithms to conduct formulae methods to find reoccurring patterns and textures throughout work. He explained how his work at the moment is about the conversion of mapping three-dimensional shapes using two-dimensional patterns. This is an interesting idea and had me developing an idea for potential COP3 ideas, relating to why photography is still used as a two-dimensional representative form that is limited to its quadratic frame. I want to explore the use of interactive images printed onto mappings, to then be presented as sculptors.

I want to try and produce something along the lines of the imagery above, not necessarily using cubes, but definitely incorporating the use of three-dimensional into the imagery by displaying them on tan apparatus that disestablishes the quadratic formalities of photographs. I want to print the images to near life size, and present them as sculptures, making the exhibition an installation as well. I want to explore this methodology for either my COP3 thesis, or for my extended practice, or perhaps even synthesise the two.

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