Notes from my recent portfolio review and discussion – recorded here for reference and action.
Key points:-
Interrogate the objectivity and subjectivity of photography
Loved the use of flash in new work – gives it an eery feel. Makes it strange and speaks about the staging of the image and my role in that.
My work prompted a discussion about how Pop Art challenged what is considered to be art by using images appropriated from our culture and advertising etc.
We discussed the challenge faced when abstract expressionism was overtaken by PopArt – led us to question if we understand the person when we look at a photographic portrait
Photographs can extend the conversation by offering questions
14th century Renaissance was obsessed with mannerisms
The code in images allows us to read them
Background colour choices – white=open and black=closed and compressed like Caravaggio.
Images better without border in some cases
Masked image shown is a bit sinister with the secateurs – who is it? See figure 1
Not providing the answer to everything in the images invites questions
Figure 1: Sutherst. 2018. Secateurs
Actions:-
Research the work of:
Rothco
Lichtenstein
Warhol
Becker family
Thomas Ruff
Thomas Struth
Sophie Calle
Consider and question the gestures of my participants
Are they natural to them or are they copying advertising and the gestures used by rockstars?
Consider my work from the point of view of mass media itself. Who copied who? Rockstars or ordinary people? Who had the nuances first?
Ask the question ‘where in the world can we be ourselves?’
Consider placing small masked images within larger layout – up high etc. Get the viewer to look at them through a zoom lens – they become a voyeur
Consider the following in my work:
Observation of the images
Distance and intimacy
Neighbourhood – spying on neighbours
How to try and create intimacy in an unfamiliar environment
Familiar or alien
Do we perform? Are we natural on surveillance cameras? Even if we don’t know they are there?
When can we be normal or natural? What does this look like?
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