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Reflection&Evaluation

The name of the project is ‘reborn’. It is a photography work surrounding human life and nature. The developing process of the project is based on the use of materialist dialectic that the social nature and naturalness are two aspects of contradiction from a contradiction entity （Encyclopedia Britannica， 2016）. My understanding of this theory is that the relationship between human society and nature is relying on each other.

My project criticised the phenomenon of modern "humanised nature" by photographing human bodies and natural environment combined with the visual space in modern cities. With the improvement of the productivity level, human beings' ability to recognise and transform nature has been continuously enhanced. Nature in modern society is not in its original meaning but is "humanised nature", which has left the mark based on human's will. In this work, all the photos are centred around the reconstruction of all possible pure form of human beings after they return to nature and have a more sensitive feeling and understanding of nature.

I think my project has succeeded in creating and reconstructing the natural forms of  through visual communication. It carries that nature is the beginning of all beings. The physical photographs are consistent with the central concept of the project.

Referring to the Donna Haraway’s A Cyborg Manifesto, I have read and understood the core conception of Haraway’s finding and summarised it into three impressions to support my creation. That is, the boundary between human and animal, life-being and non-life-being, and the physical body and immateriality can be broken. Each of the images is created with the concern of these three impressions to reconstruct the natural form of life-beings. The A Cyborg Manifesto inspires me and helps me to focus on using the camera to create the reconstructed natural form. It aims to break down the general visual effect that the audience usually has. I believe the Haraway and her theory can help my project to be developed efficiently.

To evaluate, the most successful part of this project is to apply the A Cyborg’ Manifesto to my practice by using photomontage as a method to demonstrate the idea of my photography project. I have tested to find the most appropriate method to meet my project concept. The finding is that photomontage can present the best result to clarify my understanding and perspective on the theme of the project. The method helps me to answer the following two questions:

  How to combine the reality and imagination?

  How to deconstruct life-being from a visual angle?

As a practitioner, I use camera and photography skills and knowledge to reconstruct the life-being in my understanding. The most challenging part of this project is to apply photomontage into my practice as a method to express the infinite possibilities in biology. In other words, the biggest challenge is to transport the concept of species diversity by using photographs as a vehicle and effectively sending the idea to the audience. I want to make the audience to start thinking about what their body form will be if they give up their social nature and return to naturalness.

To overcome the challenges, I decide to critically think about my design and produce the physical performance based on photomontage in four stages. First, before getting started, I made stage property, such as antenna from insects, and legs and arms from abnormity and combine these body parts with the naked body to create a hand grow with eyes, faun, baby dragons, and double head creature. Second, to select a shooting scene in the natural environment including tree, rock, soil, and other natural components. Third, after the shooting is finished, the digital photomontage method is applied to the photos that are completed based on the first and second steps. Last but not least, the second round shooting is combined with the digital photomontage procedure and add the physical montage by cutting, splitting, pasting, and matching. After these steps, I think the photomontage method can illustrate my idea efficiently.

In the whole project, the most significant part is to create an immersive experience through the exhibition and make the project theme to be credible and influential. I think visual presenting is the primary way of communication in the photography area. However, in my final exhibition, I will insert the audio and motion graphic to intensify the result and bring the viewers to an individual space that is filled with my emotion and creativity. The details in my project and final exhibition are reasonable, for instance, I have tested the physical photo print work to select the best version, and that comes out the final texture of the images. The texture of paper can influence the relationship between light and shadow and the object of photography. Therefore, in the final exhibition, I select the type of the printing paper that is named “Hahnemuhle Photorag” for matching the texture to the background board. I think the texture can highlight the natural elements in my photographic work. The most prominent photo compares to other images has a slight difference, which is not covered by the glass in the frame. The reason to not use glass on top is to indicate the texture of the photo and the wooden background board. Moreover, I have considered the colour of the display stands carefully. I am critically adding the components to the exhibition based on their value, in order to fully transfer my perspective on ‘reborn’ to my audience.

I have also prepared a photo book that includes different images than the exhibition under the same theme. Another physical production I have prepared is the business card. The business card can not only provide my personal information to the audience but also make the exhibition more veritable and professional.

In my future practice, I want to keep using and practising photomontage as a method for my other creation. I will play with this method and try to find a new way to present my photography work.

References:

 Artnet.com. (2018). Sans titre by Max Ernst. [online] Available at: http://www.artnet.com/artists/max-ernst/sans-titre-4S0wZHU8KK5sDO0EW_fCtQ2 [Accessed 7 Jul. 2018].

Curiator. (2018). Illustrations for Répétitions, by Paul Eluard by Max Ernst. [online] Available at: https://curiator.com/art/max-ernst/illustrations-for-repetitions-by-paul-eluard [Accessed 7 Jul. 2018].

 Encyclopedia Britannica. (2016). Dialectical materialism | philosophy. [online] Available at: https://www.britannica.com/topic/dialectical-materialism [Accessed 3 Aug. 2018].

 Monoskop.org. (2018). [online] Available at: https://monoskop.org/images/4/4c/Haraway_Donna_1985_A_Manifesto_for_Cyborgs_Science_Technology_and_Socialist_Feminism_in_the_1980s.pdf [Accessed 10 Jul. 2018].

 Moma.org. (2018). Boris Mikhailov: Case History | MoMA. [online] Available at: https://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1125 [Accessed 5 Jul. 2018].

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Self-made photo book & Business card

I have also prepared a photo book that includes different images than the exhibition under the same theme. Another physical production I have prepared is the business card. The business card can not only provide my personal information to the audience but also make the exhibition more veritable and professional.

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Photomontage art | Exhibition

By searching for this photomontage exhibition, it inspired me and helped me to continue presenting my photomontage exhibition. The part that helped me add natural elements to the group was very useful. In order to show all the natural forms after humans return to the nature, I chose wood color as the main color, and I painted a red showroom, which will display my photo book and my business card. I hope to be inspired by this photomontage exhibition and apply and combine its bold exhibition design into my exhibition to better meet the concept of my project. Stone is the most natural element that I need to add, and I need to think very carefully about how many stones I need to add in my exhibiton, what color these rocks should be, how to connect the photos that shown on my wall, how to placed these rocks I need to considered, all of these elements will bring influence to my exhibition.

Reference: 

kennardphillipps. (2018). Photomontage Archives - kennardphillipps. [online] Available at: https://www.kennardphillipps.com/tag/photomontage/ [Accessed 6 Aug. 2018].

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Setting equipment

In the whole project, the most significant part is to create an immersive experience through the exhibition and make the project theme to be credible and influential. I think visual presenting is the primary way of communication in the photography area. However, in my final exhibition, I will insert the audio to intensify the result and bring the viewers to an individual space that is filled with my emotion and creativity. However, due to the lack of power supply in my exhibition site, I used the connector board to connect the power supply in the exhibition hall nearby. However, the length of the wire was limited, so I needed to find the place closest to the power supply and hide all the equipment for aesthetic and visual effect. In order to enhance the authenticity and atmosphere of my exhibition scenes and the message of rebuilding life, I decided to add sound effects to the exhibition. I expect to use sound to give my project specific plot and creativity. 

Exhibition sound

Source of this audio - Les Chants de Maldoror - 1ère partie (Shûji Terayama)

 Reference: YouTube. (2018). Les Chants de Maldoror - 1ère partie (Shûji Terayama). [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnph5I6Kv6Y&index=1&list=PLoapml0wdFdw25AzqTphupjSoyJi1YreV [Accessed 15 Jul. 2018]. 

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Lay out | Exhibition

For my lay out, I still want to focus on the main methodology: photomontage. I expect that my project will not only apply photomontage to each photo, but also to each frame in the exhibition. Since, it is necessary to present each work with the photo frame with the method of photomontage, which requires the size of the picture frame, and the collage and technique of the work are very high. So, I decided to make the frame of each photo by myself, in order to better convey the visual effect to my audience.I tried many ways of collage works, and I used different colors to match the wood color cardboard I chose. Before that, I first need to design my final work again, such as postproduction of my work again, and leave the blank with consistent color. Then it uses photomontage technology for collage. Every photo of the exhibition was seriously considered and tested by me to achieve the best effect. Next, I expect to add natural elements, such as rock, on the basis of carefully considering the collage of each photo, and to highlight the wood bake board which I selected. I want the elements in the whole exhibition can be interconnected and complementary based on their value.

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Lay out | photomontage testing

As my works are all based on photomontage, I lay out my works to show my audience. So I used a lot of methods to test how to put the photo into the frame of my hand on the basis of photomontage.

First, I made a piece of cardboard, cut it into the same size as the glass plate. Then I tested whether it could be hung on the wall in an inclined way, and whether it could convey the visual effect well. Then I started to collage the photos for the test version. In the process of collage, I found that white cardboard does not convey the best visual effect.

In order to highlight the natural elements in my work, I began to try to use the background board of wood color to make up and improve the deficiency of white board, which is very effective for the photomontage collage in the lay out of this project.

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Arrange Exhibition

I decide to create an immersive experience through Exhibition.

In order to successfully convey concept of my project < Reborn >.

First of all, I selected a part of the works I took, and arranged them through the content and color of the photos. I plan to carefully design and produce the photos for the exhibition. My photos mainly use digital photomontage and physical photomontage as the methods of my project. In order to infinity possibilities in biology. 

I've summarized three elements, how to put the physical version of the photo on the wall and show it, and paste it on the wall? Hang on the wall with a rope? How can I fully embody the characteristics of photomontage through my exhibition? I decided to use the method of photomontage to highlight the method photomontage by collage and cut works in the picture frame. At the same time, in order to connect with the natural elements in the work, I plan to add plants or stones corresponding to the content of the work to decorate and enhance the sense of substitution of the whole exhibition. Next I need solve the following 3 questions:

I think critically about the number of showcases, should they all be white? 

Would I have a better visual effect on my show if I had painted it red?      

Does it break the visual balance? 

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Making display box

The physical images - Lay out

 Lay out physical images by making display box.

While taking photos and making post-production, I began to think about what form the final work should be presented to the audience. Is it a photo book? For better visual communication effect, I started to try to make small photo frames by hand. I hope to show a mini photo exhibition in the box by making picture frames of each photo and putting them into the box. （The photo I used in the test is not related to this work, but just an experiment）

I also think critically that this small display box can not be put into the mirror to break the ordinary visual effect.

However, in the end, I found the method of adding mirrors unnecessary, and through testing the display box, I found that it would affect the visual communication effect of my photos, which would reduce the size of my photos, make the audience unable to feel the idea of my works and ignore the important details and elements in my works. Therefore, it can be seen that although I hope to try to make this display box to display a mini photo exhibition, it is not suitable for my project. I need to think and choose other better ways to present my work.

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Process of My work

The physical version of photomontage

After

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The ultimate debugging

After 

Today, I also continue to make final adjustments to the works of the project. The above photos are my final additions based on the original photomontage. I altered the abnormal human photo above. Originally this photo was the version of digital photomontage. In the final adjustment, I was thinking further about whether it required me to join the technology of physical photomontage. I found golden nails to match the color of this photo. The above is the result of my physical photomontage of this photo. But as a result, I don't think the photo needs any more photomontage.

Digital collage technology has completely reconstructed the natural form of life, and the physical photomontage will weaken the visual effect of the whole photo, and will break the harmony and balance created by digital photomontage. So I came to the conclusion that, despite my final improvement on the photo, I decided to use the original digital photomontage to present it. Through this step, help me in the exhibition money effective and accurate to achieve the desired effect.

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The ultimate debugging

After

Before my exhibition, I finally sorted out all the photography works about the project, and made final adjustments to the physical version of photomontage or digital photomontage with bad effects, so as to eliminate mistakes. I hope that I'm going to show, and that the choreography of the book or the submission of the work will have the desired effect. Through this step, I hope to ensure that my works are improved and perfected to the maximum extent, and can fully convey the concept of my project to my audience. 

In the first photo above, I intended to confuse the audience in visual design. I shot a nude model, but covered the head of the human body with a T-shirt. This is not a meaningless action and design. In modern society, human beings have been able to transform nature, the meaning of nature is based on the will of human beings, the head is the central control of thoughts. When human beings return to nature and expose their bodies, they create a kind of contradictory and unified thought of nature and human society with a common T-shirt that everyone can recognize.

 It also shows that my project, through dialectical and unified thinking,  Photographic work ‘REBORN’ criticised the phenomenon of modern "humanised nature"，and want to express my understanding of this theory is that the relationship between human society and nature is relying on each other.

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Tutorial with Diane

The picture below shows my work last week.

I will use critical evaluation analysis and continue to improve my work.

What did I do this week.

Through the discussion with my tutor last time, I improved some of the exhibition photos. In combination with physical photomontage and digital photomontage, I retained the two most powerful original digital photomontage. To better convey the concept of my work.

And then I bought the frames for the show,

The photo book I want to hand in, I tried to make the mini photo exhibition effect, and put the physical photo I want to hand in in a small box. I'm trying to add mirrors to the box, and I'm still testing the visual effects.

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Exhibition testing & Artist statement

Artist statement

Reborn

Photographic work ‘REBORN’ criticised the phenomenon of modern "humanised nature" by photographing human bodies and natural environment combined with the visual space in modern cities. With the improvement of the productivity level, human beings' ability to recognise and transform nature has been continuously enhanced. Nature in modern society is not in its original meaning but is "humanised nature", which has left the mark based on human's will. In this work, all the photos are centred around the reconstruction of all possible pure forms of human beings after they return to nature and have a more sensitive feeling and understanding of nature. Apply photomontage as a method to express the infinite possibilities in biology.

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Apply physical photomontage

test|experiment 

- Final result

The results shown above are shown in a screenshot. (the picture is too big to upload) 

To evaluate, the biggest challenge is to transport the concept of species diversity by using photographs as a vehicle and effectively sending the idea to the audience. I want to make the audience to start thinking about what their body form will be if they give up their social nature and return to naturalness.

Add physical photomontage combine digital photomontage can present the best result to interpret the concept of the whole work. I did a lot of visual design, not just by cutting, ripping or collage prints. 

Every action I make on a photograph has its meaning. In order to effectively reconstruct human life form, at the beginning, I randomly mixed human body parts and facial features. Through a huge amount of engineering, I found the photomontage photo that best conveys the concept of "rebirth" of my project.

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Physical photomontage

experiment | process

Final result -

After I used digital photomontage, I joined physical photomontage to meet with my concept of works to reconstruct the natural forms of life. When humans return to the nature, what will their bodies look like? After using digital photomontage to reconstruct the human body structure, I combined the physical photomontage with shear and collage to increase the biodiversity forms required in my project.  

To evaluate, I think digital photomontage procedure and add the physical montage by cutting, splitting, pasting, and matching. After these steps, I think the photomontage method can illustrate my idea efficiently.

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Physical photomontage

experiment 

fail test below:

Final result:

Through watching Ernst’s  art work, I began to apply the physical version of photomontage.

Physical version of photomontage

During this production process, I tried to apply the physical version of photomontage to practice by cutting, destroying, carving, pasting, and matching. Through the above experiments, I have come to the conclusion that the physical version of photomontage is not only about randomly clipping the photos and then collating them together, but also about carefully designing the layout of the photos, the influence of each detail on the whole picture, and the role and value of each detail on the whole picture. That's the meaning of the physical version photomontage. 

Through the above series of experiments, I successfully applied the physical version of photomontage technology, and then I intend to combine the experience and technology gained from these experiments with digital photomontage, to meet my project concept.