Contemporary Practice

Redefining and Appropriation.   For this assignment, we were asked to take an image and rework it to a relevant contemporary context. For this, I took a painting by a German romantic painter called Casper David Fredrick  I used this image because it is so easy to rework and the individual on the image can be made to look at anything. With this in mind, I used Adobe Express to create a photomontage.  The context of the image is post-truth in society. The internet and government cover ups over the years has left some individuals questioning what is "the truth" This throws a huge question mark over UFOs for example. Society is polarised at present with what is true and what is false. As we saw with modernism giving way to our contemporary postmodernism, society is looking more cynical of facts and institutions which exist to serve and protect us. Governments are questioned by the public where at one time, facts given by the state would have been take...

 In defining yourself as an artist, it is important to consider what you wish to convey in your images. In considering this question, for my own practice, I need to consider what inspires me personally and convey this in my practice. What interests me. Anything which is related to social issues such as demonstrations, political activism and how the state uses power on the public. Unfortunately, Blackpool isn't a hot bed of political activism so I may have to go to major cities. I am working on images however which are dystopian in theme and using cyberpunk clothing to illustrate this theme.  I am hoping to explore this creative context more in the future.  I am finding myself attracted to light painting and wire wool photography at the moment. in the future, I hope to fuse light painting and political activism into a genre. Photographers who inspire me range from Peter Kennards use of photomontage to demonstrate against the governme...

After looking at the famous image of an Afghan Girl, taken in 1985 by Steve Curry, I became curious as to what had happened to the girl. Was she still alive? Had she survived the Soviet, Taliban and the American led invasion of 2002? It seems she was still alive, and the image taken all those years ago has helped her to build her life. This shows the power of the image. She has been granted passage to Italy to live. It cannot be underestimated how the image taken by Curry not only informed people of what was going on in Afghanistan in the 1980s, and the affect it had on children, but it also helped the young girl-who is now a mother.  Steve Currys Afghan girl now - Bing images Her green eyes are still visible despite nearly 40 years.  Article on  Afghan's famous refugee clicked by Steve McCurry finds safe haven in Italy | Watch (msn.com)   This is a good example of context influencing the photographer and image. The image was taken at a tempestuous time in Afgha...

 The word "beauty" refers to a number of qualities which an object or person may have that is found to be beautiful. This definition is subjective and is different depending on the individual who is seeing or judging the object.  Beauty can refer to an inner or outer beauty that is expressed. In asking which image I have found beautiful; I would like to consider this image Steven Curry (Dust storm) Steve Curry is a travel photographer who documents the social history of tribes and communities which are cut off from the mainstream. His images tend to reflect the lifestyles of indigenous tribes in countries such as Afghanistan, Africa and Pakistan to name but a few. According to  Visual Analysis: "Dust Storm" Photo by Steve McCurry | Free Essay Example (studycorgi.com)  the image was taken in 1983. The location was a  desert in India. We see here women dressed in a national and regional dress, braving a storm. With sand and wind battering the f...

Denotative- What the image is trying to describe Connotative- The second underlying meaning. What is the image about? Roland Barthes in Camera Lucinda stated there were 2 factors in play in an image. 1 The Sturdium "a general enthusiastic commitment" 2 The Punctum a factor in the image such as a spec or cut that opens it up to enquiry by the viewer seeing the image.                                                                                                    photography language - Bing images An example of photographic language  A Family On Their Lawn One Sunday in Westchester, New York | The Art Institute of Chicago (artic.edu) Lawn takes up 2/3rds of the image. Creating a sense of emptiness and dislocation.  Trees...

 What happens when we put an image in the world? Answer, our image is added to a vast collection of images already taken by millions of people. What is the difference of looking and seeing Looking . " a.  To   employ   one's   sight,   especially   in   a   given   direction   or   on   a   given   object:   looking   out   the   window" Looking - definition of looking by The Free Dictionary Seeing is different insofar that there is recognition. "I saw James today"  What springs to mind when viewing the above image? A picture of two twins who were maybe born in the mid 20th century. They are identical in every way including facial features and dress.  LOOKING AND SEEING ARE DIFFERANT. LOOKING IS A GLANCE BUT SEEING IS STUDY.  Context. Context is the set of social, economic, political, environmental and social factors that influence an image, film or book.  Kn...

 An example of understanding a genre, we look at films.  1 Film is introduced. The title of the film and the actors in it. 2 Introduces the kind of film (or genre) Photographic genre. When we think of photography, it is important that we  1 Look at it as a category  2 The conventions within the image (the rules within art and photography) The genres that exist is photography are 1 Landscape. 2 Portraiture 3 Still life 4 Documentary. Choose one genre from above and write how convention is communicated.  Landscape. In conveying the conventions in landscape photography, the photographer will use the rule of thirds. A sense of perspective in important so the image will have a vanishing point (art history term) where the eye converges to the middle of the image. Leading lines are used to give the illusion of depth.                                       conven...

 What is a canon? A canon is a collection of books or volumes of work. Law, rules by which something is judged. A collection of works which are considered to be accepted by all. in photography, the specific canons are 1 1826 to 1902 2 Post secession 1902-1950 3 Contemporary 1950-now 4 Now.  The key concepts of photography are. 1 History 2 Landscape 3 Portrait 4 Still life. 

We touched on a group of photographers called The New Topographics. (a term used by William Jenkins in 1975 to explain the new aesthetic of these photographers). There work shows America on the decline. Black and White images which show industrial sites. Understanding the context of these images, the 1970s was a time of social decline in the western world. It is an historical fact that "The Great Oil Shock" of the 70s saw production of oil decline and impact on western industry. Also, recessions effected global output also.  " Many of the photographers associated with new topographic including  Robert Adams ,  Lewis Baltz , Nicholas Nixon and  Bernd and Hiller Becher , were inspired by the man-made, selecting subject matter that was matter-of-fact. Parking lots, suburban housing and warehouses were all depicted with a beautiful stark austerity, almost in the way early photographers documented the natural landscape" New topographics | Tate Lewis Baltz. San Quent...

 We were asked to look at a YouTube presentation featuring Entrevista Joachinn Schmidt. He argues the changing role of the camera over the centuries. For example, it was required in the early 20th century, to have some knowledge of the technical aspects of the camera such as ISO, shutter speed etc. However, he now asserts that this now is not the case. Technology not just in cameras but in phone cameras has moved on to such an extent that a novice can take a technologically acceptable image.    (138) ENTREVISTA JOACHIM SCHMIDT (Comissariat exposició D'Ara Endavant)) - YouTube He also states that millions of photographs are produced daily in the 21st century, compared to other centuries. Joachiun also asserts that in previous centuries, it was the artist job to create images. However, today, we create our own images for mass viewing. The shift from making pictures has also changed to sharing images on social media sites.  In our society, there is an overwhelming amoun...

 Presenting is the art of public speaking. It means you articulate (carry-as in what a lorry does) carry facts confidently, concisely and professionally to others.  A good way to create a good impression is remember "The 4 Ps" Planning Prevents Poor  Performance. When writing a presentation. simply remember this: Why How Prove it. It is your job to prompt questions then prove your statements. Anxiety reduction is coping mechanisms which help you take control of the situation. We all get anxious, wing it. But have all your facts and information.  Prepare, practice, have a backup, reassurance, relax. Audiences want to 1 Feel comfortable 2 Be entertained. 3 To learn something. Body language. BAD Pacing, rocking, stumbling words, avoiding eye contact to name a few. GOOD Eye contact, assertive remarks, hand movements waist level, pick 3 points in the room to communicate with.                       ...

  The meaning of Contemporary according to CONTEMPORARY | meaning, definition in Cambridge English Dictionary is:   "Contemporary music / literature / art / fashion   Although the play was written hundreds of years ago, it still has a contemporary feel to it.   I wanted to update my kitchen and put in something more contemporary"       It refers to art or ideas which are relevant to the present. For example, a production of William Shakespeare's Othello could be rewritten for the present but keep the original narrative but have subtle changes like the events occurring in the present. Or the language can be contemporary to make it accessible for today's generation.    Contemporary ideas are important in business and the arts. It's a sign of being relevant and having the ability to keep up with today's trends in today's fast paced world. An artist or business that is forward looking will be recognised and seen as innovative by the publi...