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Renee Cox (Artist Research 8/8)

Renee Cox is a Jamaican American artist, Photographer, and activist who mainly focuses on representation of Black women.

She was born in Jamaica before she soon was relocated to New York. Soon after obtaining her undergraduate degree, she then began working as a professional fashion photographer and developed her own artistic practice in 1990’s. She would soon use her photography as a means of engaging more with social issues. Her first solo exhibition in 1998, at the Cristinerose Gallery. With that exhibition it was images of her being a superhero persona, which stood as a way to overturn stereotypes that happened mainly to black individuals and specifically black women.

"Chillin' with Liberty" (1998) includes Renee's character named Raje, who is suppose to be a long lost sister of Wonder Woman. Raje is also Renee's attempts of allowing more black representation to be added in media.

I love the composition and having Raje being with the Statue of Liberty. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of justice, and having Raje, a black superhero that also is heavily someone that is a symbol of justice and promotes justice for specifically the black female community, a group of women that are heavily left behind regularly back then and still now to this day; It gives a heavy sense of symbolism and a message in a way by having two figures that symbolize justice be together.

reference:

“Renee Cox.” Studio Museum in Harlem. Accessed December 11, 2024. https://www.studiomuseum.org/artists/renee-cox.

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Eli Reed (Artist Research 7/8)

Born on the year 1946, August 4th, and in Linden, NJ, US, Eli would then study pictorial illustration at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts, later graduating in 1969. Later in 1982, he soon become a Nieman Fellow at Harvard University where he would study political science, urban affairs, and the prospects for peace in Central America. He would then start his freelance photography journey and have his works be from El Salvador, Guatemala, and other Central American countries and would soon become a full member in 1988 of the Magnum.

He has taught at international Center of Photography for Columbia, University, New York University, University of Texas and Harvard University.

This image, "Man and young fighter walk the streets of Beddawl, a Palestinian refugee camp. Beirut, Lebanon. November, 1983" is from a collection of Reed's titled "Beirut: City of Regrets."

The composition within this image is holds so much, more than it already is considering the subject matter. It’s interesting and is framed quite well. Without words it says so much. For all we know, the man and the young adult are walking away or are beginning to walk towards a dangerous territory. And despite the still image, it still holds so much compassion for the fellow companion. Despite the surrounding area falling apart, there is still people looking out for one another. I truly am glad that he was able to take this image and show it to the rest of the world.

reference:

“Eli Reed • Photographer Profile • Magnum Photos Magnum Photos.” Magnum Photos. Accessed December 11, 2024. https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/eli-reed/.

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Grace Weston (Artist Research 6/8)

Grace Weston is a photographer that is known for posing and dolls as well as figurines in interesting ways. Some will be completely be scenarios that can be replicated in our own world and others will have fantasy like elements such as unicorns or even feel like dream like states. Depending on the project, she will go completely peaceful and fun with the concepts she expands on in the project or she will bring serious topics with digestible manners.

She was awarded for a prize in her solo show recently for 2024 at Southeast Center for Photography in Greenville, South Carolina. She has also won both First Place Overall Portfolio category as well as Gold Winner in the Fine Art Portfolio category in the 2021 Tokyo International Foto Awards.

She grew up in a working-class family in central New Jersey and later would go to a community college in New Jersey that held great reviews for their architecture and art programs. It wasn't until 1990 as she was assisting a studio photographer that she was soon able to create a set of her own that she truly began realizing how much she enjoyed posing and setting up objects and miniatures to whatever she had within her mind.

This out of all her works has to be one of my favorites. It is titled "Medusa's Vanity." As stated before, Weston has the ability to sometimes recreate peaceful and silly dream like scenarios or she is able to bring serious topics in digestible ways.

In the image it seems to be Medusa getting ready in the morning with the words "You are beautiful" written on the top of the mirror. Medusa within our modern times has become a symbol of rape and sexual assault victims, due to the retellings of her story of it being that the Greek god, Poseidon, assaulting her in Athena's temple, which caused the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena to get mad at the victim and place the curse on Medusa who once was a faithful priestess to Athena's temple.

I find it very interesting that Medusa's face is hidden from the audience. On one hand you can look at the inclusion of her face being hidden being the fact that no matter how you look into her eyes, if one does you'll turn into stone. I however interpret that Medusa's face being hidden to be a subtle way of allowing other SA (Sexual Assault) victims to have the chance to place themselves in her and therefore they too can have the message that they too are beautiful, no matter what happened to them.

If I had the chance to really go back in my own projects, something different I would like to have happen is to not have human models but to have toy models instead. That way I can still have fun and no longer worry about conflicting time schedules and can solely focus on posing.

Grace Weston's work will definitely be a portfolio I will be following closely in the future.

reference: https://lenscratch.com/2024/02/grace-weston-reclaiming-the-muse/

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Justin Bettman (Artist Research 5/8)

Justin Bettman is an American Los Angeles commercial and editorial photographer and director. He has made himself quite the name for himself. This quickly is shown through the connection he has made within the media industry such as working with companies such as Cola, Adobe, Google, Nike, Amazon and so many more. He has also had the opportunity to work with celebrities as well such as Trixie Mattel, Daniel Radcliff, and many more.

Although he has the opportunity to work with celebrities, he also has made some of his own independent projects. One of the projects is titled "The Lost Cowboy"

I can't help but simply fall in love with the colors that are within the image. The cool blues brings more vibrancy to the yellow that are in the set. One would think that the yellow would be a bit too much but if anything it's captivating. Looking at his portfolio I can't help but feel as if I am looking at a screenshot of a Wes Anderson film. Wes Anderson has a very specific look to his films and one of the main motifs that indicate that it's Wes' work is the color schemes; which I am realizing that Justin shares that motif as well.

Within my own work, I truly want to have the color motif that Wes and Justin have perfected. I adore color and know that color can express so much without much need for words. With my future career of being an animator and working within the animation industry, a story based industry, whatever can help get the narrative across the audience as quickly as possible is important.

And I will need to definitely analyze more of Justin's portfolio.

reference: “Karl Taylor - Professional Photographer and Educator.” broncolor. Accessed December 11, 2024. https://broncolor.swiss/photographers/justin-bettman.

Hopkins, Anderson. “Anderson Hopkins.” Justin Bettman - Anderson Hopkins. Accessed December 11, 2024. https://www.andersonhopkins.com/artists/115/Justin-Bettman/about/363/Bio.

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Jerry Uelsmann (Artist Research 4/8)

Jerry was an American photographer and was heavily known for his editing skills of combining elements to then allow his work to have a surreal dreamlike state. He was born June 11, 1934 n Detroit, MI. He has since passed away April 4, 2022.

The artist would study for his BFA at Rochester Institute of Technology and would later receive his MFA from the University of Indiana. He would then have his first ever solo show in 1967 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. That solo work would be the solo show that would help launch his career. With his later years, eh would then become apart of faculty for University of Florida for nearly four decades and lived in Gainsville, FL.

Untitled (The Philosopher's Desk) 1976

This has to be one of my favorite images of his work. I have always enjoy more academic like settings so the study room immediately caught my attention. What really draws me in the image was the ceiling being replaced with a cloudy sky. A small detail that I also can't help but love is the lighting with the room still it affected with the sun in the sky and the room having some shadows due to the clouds. It shows how much attention to detail Jerry had in his work. Jerry's works truly allow people to step into another world and his craft is truly amazing. I hope to be able to bring others into other worlds with my work later in my career.

reference:

net, art. “Price Database.” Artnet. Accessed December 11, 2024. https://www.artnet.com/artists/jerry-uelsmann/.

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Susan Meiselas (Artist Research 3/8)

Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1948, Susan would later within he life receive her BA from Sarah Lawrence College, New York and later her MA in visual education from Harvard University.

This image was from the collection titled "Pandora's Box". This photo is titled "Client Lounge". I can't help, but the heavy usage of red within the image clashing against the cold blue of the television reflecting off the furniture is so beautiful. The blue door also allows the slight breakage which also allows the eye to then see that there is an individual behind the door. The individual only shows themselves sitting on what appears to be a chair with only the photo showing a hand and their legs.

"Pandora's box" was a collection that was developed and released in 2001. Those photos were made in New York S&M club, which is a place where many BDSM activities happen. I find it interesting about her work is that she chooses to expose what many consider to be quite intimate situations. I always find it intriguing when photographers take photos of intimate moments and show them to the rest of the world. I applaud the people that consent and allow themselves to be photographed in that manner, because I do not believe that I would really allow myself to be vulnerable and to let that be showed to the wider world.

references:

Meiselas, Susan. “Susan Meiselas • Photographer Profiles • Magnum Photos Magnum Photos.” Magnum Photos, 2024. https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/susan-meiselas/.

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Tim Hetherington (Artist Research 2/8)

On December 5, 1970, Tim was born in Birkenhead, United Kingdom.

Unfortunately, he has since passed April 20, 2011. He passed away during his photography work within Libya, during a wave of uprisings. It was stated that Tim was always someone that preferred long term projects, which reflected in his public works, that being his various warzone projects.

One well known collection from Tim was Korengal Valley, Afghanistan (2007-2008)

(Soldiers from 2nd Platoon...,June 2008)

He was more found of taking pictures of others rather than just scenery itself due to the fact that, within his own words, wanted his work to be "real people in real situations". He truly was fascinated by the engagement that happens with human interactions, more specifically the conflicts that happen with human interaction.

I truly admire the long process that comes from Tim's work. The choices of photos and the moments of the subject's life truly shine and he is able to show them beautifully. I find it more intriguing that, although he did take photos of calmer situations, that his most famous works come from battlefield and showing more of the soldiers. This allows the wider audience really get to understand that soldiers are humans just like us. Tim's work shall always be remembered and his contributions to this world too.

references: “Tim Hetherington.” Imperial War Museums, 2024. https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/tim-hetherington.

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Michiko Kon (Artist Research 1/8)

Born in 1955 in Kanagawa, Japan, Michiko Kon would soon study at two art colleges. Those two art colleges being Sokei Art School and Tokyo Photographic College. She would soon start setting off on her career by having her first solo exhibition in 1985 in Tokyo. The exhibition was titled 'Still Life'. During that exhibition, she was soon recognized as one of the most innovative photographers in Japan. She has been widely known for posing bones, sardines and various fishes and many other items in interesting shots.

One prime example is this piece is titled "Shark, Clock and White Crow" 16 x 20 in.

I can’t help, but stare in awe at the piece, in a good way. The way EVERYTHING is established and placed is so eye catching. It is simply the idea and the concept of odd items standing by other objects, that truly makes one want to stay and stare. The placement of the ribcage as it leans against the shark as it helps the eyes soon find the clocks and flowers all over.

It is very unnatural pairings that can’t help but captivate the audience. There is no wonder why she has garnered a following.

references:

Soskine, Michel. “Michiko Kon.” MICHEL SOSKINE INC., 2021. https://www.soskine.com/artists/michiko-kon?view=slider#4.

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Behind the scenes!!

A mini baking mishap that occurred while shooting "Sinisterly Sweet"! Baker needed to get hands on with the process in order to get the batter to be in a better state!!

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Sinisterly Sweet!

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Concept proposal: “Sinisterly Sweet”

Main idea:

The photoshoot will consists of a storyline adjacent like narrative where it follows an individual in the process of making baked goods. As you follow along for the process, there will be little hints that this baking process isn’t entirely what it seems to be. Odd ingredients are shown to be added into the sweet treats and seemingly unnecessary steps added into the process. At the end of the photoshoot, the individual then serves it to a party! Now whether or not the party knows or doesn’t know what’s truly is in the chosen sweet treat, is up to the viewer to figure out.

Ive always had a fascination for innocent themes that have dark twists to them, and with this project I am hoping to add my coin into the idea pool, in hopes of succeeding with this theme. As an artist, I am hoping

How I am choosing to go for this project is to get a group of friends and have already have some selected roles for the shoot. One of them be the “baker” , “ingredient”, and “party member”. I will be taking this photoshoot in my apartment, and will be buying some prop skeleton bones as well as some baking mix/baking ingredients for the photoshoot. My biggest issue in this whole project will be the timing and making sure I have enough people to participate in my project.

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My name is Jocelyn!!

I love video games, music and art! I am an animation major and will hopefully be graduating soon in the year 2025.

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The Weekend.