Formal Intervention

Another week at college over can't wait for the next session on Tuesday. I'll be doing lots of research over the next few days though. Today I was given my first full assignment for the course. It's a little daunting as I'm really not sure where to start. At the same time it's exciting and good to have something to get to work on. The idea is that we take a photograph that demonstrates an understanding of the formal qualities of a photograph. Within in our final image we are to place a person or object or implied presence in order to create a personal statement. I think first I should be thinking about the statement I wish to make  and then work out what best to use to make that statement and within what circumstance.
I have been looking at the work of other artists/photographers so far with little inspiration. I do like the work of Richard Estes, I love the photographic like quality of his paintings and the way he uses light reflections. I also like some of the still life work of Wolfgang Tillmans but I'm not sure this assignment is based on a still life image. My understanding is that it should be landscape or city scape. I can't wait to have our next seminar to get an understanding of what others feel is expected of us. In the mean time I shall continue to research the wider art world and other photographers to gain inspiration. As this is a black and white shoot I need to consider colour qualities of my chosen location and how they will reproduce in a black and white spectrum.

Changes

I've had to review my time in college as 9am until 6pm on a Thursday was just not going to be possible. College is a real struggle for me even when I'm in for just a few hours so a full day like that was far to ambitious. Anyway I've now dropped PCAD100  and changed to group c or d not sure which yet which means I'm only in from 11am until 4pm on a Thursday now. Still quite a long day but hopefully manageable.

Another good day!

This morning wasn't the easiest as I had to be up at 6.45am! Needed to get Thomas ready for school as well as myself ready for college in order to be out of the door by 8.20am. Wasn't entirely sure I would make it to college on time after dropping Thomas off at school but I made it in good time thankfully. Just hope the traffic is always as easy as this morning, probably helped that I took the backstreets. Anyway all that said I made it to the induction albeit very tired. I usually stay in bed all morning! Quite an achievement for me to be that motivated long may it continue. 

It was the induction to the course this morning which was necessary but far from exciting! Lots of useful information though. I was a little upset to find out that Dave would rather I had done the initial project only because had I known that's what he wanted I would quite happily of completed it. My presentation was all ready. Anyway what did come out of my conversation with Dave was that it would be useful to go along to the tutorials linked to the project to see what everyone else was doing. I'm not normally in on a Friday so this wasn't compulsory for me but I am so glad I went. It was so interesting to see the pictures the others were working on and their ideas on how to derive a self portrait from those images. Ideas for derivation seemed to come very easily to me and I was able to make suggestions for almost every image although I didn't vocalise my opinions on all of them. Actually taking part in the tutorials made me want to be part of the project and take my own self portrait as derived from my Image by Alma Tadema. The only problem is I don't have any thoughts on how to approach things in the style of my image. When the project was first announced I thought perhaps I would photograph myself on the the Hoe looking out to sea. However, on talking and reflecting this afternoon I realise this isn't enough. That would simply be taking a photo of myself in the style of Alma Tadema without any indication of who I am in the image. I feel I would like to show maybe triumph over adversity since I am learning to make the most of my life despite my ill health. Quite how I would show that in a photograph in the style of or derived from an image of Alma Tadema I'm not sure. I intend to give it some thought and if I come up with something prior to Friday 8th I will attempt my own self portrait.

I am amazed by the knowledge and inspiration I'm getting at this stage. I am wondering if this is where I should always have been, in a creative industry it seems to fit so well. 

Although it's been very tiring to the point of exhaustion today I am looking forward to every day I spend in college. I really wish I was well enough to do it all full time as I kind of feel I'm missing out but I have to be grateful for what I am able to do. Enjoy it and strive to succeed.

The Guardian

Forgot to say in my previous blogs that I've been reading about The Arts in the media. In particular an article in The Guardian about "The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize'. The article was about an image through to the shortlist for the prize by Panayiotis Lamprou. It's caused a stir because of its explicit nature. It shows his wife sitting on a chair with her genitals showing beneath her short dress. It's now on display with the other shortlisted images in the National Portrait Gallery.
I guess this raises questions over why images that show someones genitals are viewed as sexually explicit? Do we have to consider this to be sexual rather than just a woman who feels free enough to sit with her genitals on display in the comfort and privacy of her own home? Apparently the image was never intended to be published but his wife consented to him entering it for the Taylor Wessing Prize. This was an intimate moment in their lives that they have chosen to make public but I don't view it as sexual but for what it is, a piece of art. The Guardian also questions whether it is voyeristic of us to be viewing this image? Perhaps some might see it that way but surely it is not voyeristic to view something which is in the public domain? It's there for all to see. So why not look at it and see it for what it is an intimate portrait of the photographers wife?

PCAD100

Had the first lecture for PCAD100 today which was very interesting. I need to start thinking about what I might do after the course which isn't easy considering I won't be finished for another 4 years! Initially I took up the course just because I'm interested in photography. It's been my hobby for the last 4 years or so and after a few evening classes I still wanted to learn more and so enrolled on the Foundation Degree in Photography. Due to my health I hadn't thought any further than just getting through the course week by week and certainly hadn't considered what I might do once I've finished. 

Todays lecture has opened up many questions for me. Yes the next four years are taken up at college but what am I going to do after that? I guess initially I'm hoping to continue on the the BA. I'm not sure I will ever be able to take up employment given the varying nature of my health problems so now I'm thinking maybe I could be an eternal student? Perhaps do an MA after? If I'm doing all this part time I guess that's 8 years taken care of! What I feel at the moment is that I would like to make a name for myself as a photographer, perhaps as a fine art photographer. I would love to exhibit sometime.

I do know that my many life experiences will influence my work. There is one main them I would like to follow for my work initially although quite how I will portray this at present I have no idea. Having had very little knowledge of art previously the few lectures I've had so far are making me look much deeper into my creativity in the hope of producing some meaningful work. Let's see where this takes me......

My first two weeks at college...

Well that's my first two weeks at college nearly over. I'm really enjoying it so far and I'm learning so much. Every lecture opens many questions and so many ideas for research it's hard to know what direction to go in or what to do first. Every day I leave college and can't wait to get home and read around what I've learnt.  Roll on next week!