So its been a long time NO post... Mainly because of the world of Tumblr etc, but I'll be back. This post is all about my new years resolutions! So here goes:
1.) Inspired by the fabulous blog of Sam Bush, I'm going to take up the 365 day photo challenge. A photo a day, for a year, on a separate blog.
2.) This is 50/50 still BUT I want to start a second blog, a bike blog after taking to reading a lot of bike blogs over the past year! I'm not sure whats going to be so special about it, but we will see where that goes!
I'm sure I've got more... I'll add them if I think some up! ;-)
Wednesday 21 December 2011
Wednesday 9 February 2011
Two Ideas...
In my origional project proposal I stated how I wanted to create a series of work, which created a critisism of societies attitude towards recycling and waste. My aim was to show a different side but also to teach myself about the matter through creating the work. After finding a set of maps on the enviroment agency which highlight areas near your postcode that are on record as being landfill sites I made the decision that these sites would be the location of my images. After further research of the areas in London I started taking photographs and finding more out about the sites - one of my initial questions was 'Where does London's waste go?' after finding that no one in my flat understood the ideas of recycling or reducing waste - something which I am not use to. After asking this question I made the decision to just look at the landfill sites in London - these sites being the site of Surrey Quays shopping centre, The O2 Arena in Greenwich and Wapping/ Shadwell. After photographing these areas I discovered that they were in fact the old docks from the 19th Century. This sparked more research into the docks and their use.
So far my research into the docks and to the disposal of waste has been: watching 'Peter Ackroyd's Thames' (2008), Patrick Keiller's 'London' (1992) and 'Robinson in Space' (1997), reading Black Dog Publishing's 'Recycle: The Essential Guide' which includes a number of case studies on recycling and waste management and also walking around and looking at the streets around the areas of the landfill sites.
From my research into Recycling I found a lot out about the different types of recycling, waste sites and also about ideas on how and what should be done to tackle the problem - a problem which many do not reguard as a problem. Through reading the preface and intordutcion of the book I learnt how many industiralised areas like shopping centres, golf courses and childrens areas are shaped by landfill if they can. To me this came as a shock but after looking at the idea more I'd quite like to create images which form a a neutral look on the situiation.
What I've come to understand, through this research and finding out that the park and play area that me and my two sisters grew up on is in fact a landfill site (from 1950 to 1962 (see this link)) is that as much as the land was filled in the first place at least it is being re-used and re-developed. At first I had a very negative view on the situation but now I have an understanding. It is not that I want to critisise the actual landfill sites which have been built on but instead to either highlight or to crisisise the sites of the landfill and to show the audience of my work what they are doing by littering and no recycling is creating more oppertunity for this to happen again.
Ramble over, two basic visual ideas are:
1.) Create an aerial view of Surrey docks out of found recycling and waste on the shopping centre site. Disgusing it with elements of nature - as rubbish is often hidden in these places. Personally this is an idea I want to go a head with but I feel as though it doesn't answer the brief of 'Modernism'.
2.) Create 3 images which highlight the area at home where the landfill site changed into the park complex for children and their parents - eg. capture these areas in a modernist fashion - playgrounds, golf courses and industrial areas like shopping centres.
Ramble two over... need to develop my two 120 films from the weekend. I'll scan in soon and post!
So far my research into the docks and to the disposal of waste has been: watching 'Peter Ackroyd's Thames' (2008), Patrick Keiller's 'London' (1992) and 'Robinson in Space' (1997), reading Black Dog Publishing's 'Recycle: The Essential Guide' which includes a number of case studies on recycling and waste management and also walking around and looking at the streets around the areas of the landfill sites.
From my research into Recycling I found a lot out about the different types of recycling, waste sites and also about ideas on how and what should be done to tackle the problem - a problem which many do not reguard as a problem. Through reading the preface and intordutcion of the book I learnt how many industiralised areas like shopping centres, golf courses and childrens areas are shaped by landfill if they can. To me this came as a shock but after looking at the idea more I'd quite like to create images which form a a neutral look on the situiation.
What I've come to understand, through this research and finding out that the park and play area that me and my two sisters grew up on is in fact a landfill site (from 1950 to 1962 (see this link)) is that as much as the land was filled in the first place at least it is being re-used and re-developed. At first I had a very negative view on the situation but now I have an understanding. It is not that I want to critisise the actual landfill sites which have been built on but instead to either highlight or to crisisise the sites of the landfill and to show the audience of my work what they are doing by littering and no recycling is creating more oppertunity for this to happen again.
Ramble over, two basic visual ideas are:
1.) Create an aerial view of Surrey docks out of found recycling and waste on the shopping centre site. Disgusing it with elements of nature - as rubbish is often hidden in these places. Personally this is an idea I want to go a head with but I feel as though it doesn't answer the brief of 'Modernism'.
2.) Create 3 images which highlight the area at home where the landfill site changed into the park complex for children and their parents - eg. capture these areas in a modernist fashion - playgrounds, golf courses and industrial areas like shopping centres.
Ramble two over... need to develop my two 120 films from the weekend. I'll scan in soon and post!
British Rubbish: Sue Webster & Tim Noble
Dirty White Trash (With Gulls), 1998 - Webster & Noble
Webster & Noble are an english colaboration based in London whose work is collected by Charles Saatchi. They met on a Fine Art degree course and both graduated from University of Nottingham. Their work looks at taking objects of an ordinary nataure to create self-portraits and sculptures of detail and beauty. The work from their body of work 'Britist Rubbish' is the work which is most relevant to mine but other bodies of their work does have links.
The image above of their 'Dirty White Trash' sculpture is one of the best known work from this series. The basis of the idea is the way the disguarded waste, scrap metal and in some cases the taxidermy animals are transformed into recognisable images. All the items which create the sculptures is all collected from around London and then pieced together. The transformation of the waste into recognisable projection comes from the idea of perceptual pshycology, which is a form of evalualtion for pshycological patients. Before creating the work they were both aware of this process of how people evaluate abstract forms.
From the way the image has been composed the first thing you see is the shadow at the back so I don't think it has the same effect as it would if you saw it in a gallery. When I first found this image I thought that it was all done on Photoshop through image manipulation but u pon further research found that it was in fact a sculpture. Personally I think this work is a strong example of how artists can reuse objects to recycle in their own way.
In the way of this image itself I think it is one of the most sucsessful. It is a self-portrait of Noble and Webster and reflects the time they spent together, not only as a couple but also as a colaberation. Collecting and creating the works of art that are part of their 'British Rubbish'. The rubbish they collected for the piece consists of many different elements of municipal waste and recycling - reflecting the idea of the waste in London but also reflecting their ideas of how people evaluate form. Transforming not only the figure of something which people disguard and forget about into something of detail and beauty but also an attempt to transform peoples views on the ideas of waste and waste disposal.
From this work I want to try out the idea of manipulating certian factors in my images - like the found waste and objects that I find when shooting. Manipulating the images to create something recognisable. Perhaps looking at discreatly creating the layout of the old docks at Surrey Quays within my images.
13/02/11
Whilst at the science museum looking at their 'Pshycoanalysis: The Unconsious in Everyday Life' exhibition and I came across another Noble & Webster sculpture. What I was saying in the text before about when you see it in a gallery you just stare at the actual sculpture and not at the shadow is exactly how it happens. When I first saw the sculpture I just saw the fingers and phallus's that the model is made up of, almost transfixed on how it made the shadow behind. The sculpture is truely amazing to see in a gallery and really makes me want to see their rubbish series.
The blurb about the work talked about how they work with self-portraiture and the idea of Freud and how we analyse objects. This statue too is a self-portrait in the the fingers are moulds of Webster and the penis being a cast of Noble's. The rest of the exhibition is also worth a look with works from Arnold Dreyblatt, Mona Hatoum, Joseph Kosuth, Grayson Perry
13/02/11
Whilst at the science museum looking at their 'Pshycoanalysis: The Unconsious in Everyday Life' exhibition and I came across another Noble & Webster sculpture. What I was saying in the text before about when you see it in a gallery you just stare at the actual sculpture and not at the shadow is exactly how it happens. When I first saw the sculpture I just saw the fingers and phallus's that the model is made up of, almost transfixed on how it made the shadow behind. The sculpture is truely amazing to see in a gallery and really makes me want to see their rubbish series.
The blurb about the work talked about how they work with self-portraiture and the idea of Freud and how we analyse objects. This statue too is a self-portrait in the the fingers are moulds of Webster and the penis being a cast of Noble's. The rest of the exhibition is also worth a look with works from Arnold Dreyblatt, Mona Hatoum, Joseph Kosuth, Grayson Perry
Tuesday 11 January 2011
I got mail!
So today I got home from work to find that I had a letter from someone naming me 'Spannah Roberts'. I opened the letter to find a beer matt which had a cat on the front with a large penis, he is called Harvey. On the back of the postcard is a message from Dan saying Happy Christmas with a perculiar spelling of 'Hanner'.
He also sent a picture of himself (vein so and so) but its a lovely picture of the handsome fellow so its okay, I'll let him off. Along with this came some cress seeds which I'm going to plant tomorrow so that next week I can have egg and cress sandwiches. Lovely.
No really, it was nice to get some post, I need a pen pal
Over & out.
He also sent a picture of himself (vein so and so) but its a lovely picture of the handsome fellow so its okay, I'll let him off. Along with this came some cress seeds which I'm going to plant tomorrow so that next week I can have egg and cress sandwiches. Lovely.
No really, it was nice to get some post, I need a pen pal
Over & out.
Monday 10 January 2011
Critical Reflection
Initial ideas for my critical reflection for my PPD lesson.
1.) 1,500 words MINIMUM?
2.) I need a book I've looked at lately... and actually finished. I want to look at Leo Regan BUT it has to relate back to work that we plan to do THIS year, not in a few years.
3.) To regan I can link Bruce Davidson, other documentary photographers, WeeGee, Lewis Hine and more.
4.) I can't tie it to my work well, I need to think.
You are required to produce a Critical Reflection Essay drawing on the approaches of critical and reflective writing. You MUST address the following points in your essay:
- The Artist’s Intention – Give a brief description of the artist and his/her work. Discuss in depth the vision of the artist and give a dominant reading, through research, of the artist’s work in context.
- The Critics – Choose at least 2 writers who have written about the artist/practitioner’s work and critically discuss how their views have affected your own. Cite references to these writers’ views within the essay appropriately using the Harvard Style of Referencing and also provide a reference list at the end of the essay.
- Subjective Viewpoint – Give your own view of the work and justify your views and judgements with reasons supported by research where possible. Critically relate the artist’s work to your own work and evaluate what aspects of the work are relevant to you in terms of your vision, your techniques and style, your approach, your aspirations and your overall practice.
- Self-assessment and Action Plan – As a result of this close and critical study of the artist and his/her work, make an assessment of what you have learnt and an action plan of how you would apply this learning to your practice in the coming academic year. Be very specific and cite examples where necessary.
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