These are my four images
This was my original idea, to place a n every day object (gravy boat) into an unusual setting. I feel that the idea was good, but no amount of work in Photoshop was making it look any more realistic so I rejected it.
This is the base image from the studio session. I was going to use it as it was for my final but I thought it didn’t show enough composition or say anything to the viewer.
This is the same image but with some post processing. It is better than the original because of the way I have segmented it, but I still felt more could be done with it.
This image pleases me more. I used a similar technique that we did in the Blakemore class with Andy. I reshot the items of rubbish in smaller sets and then layered them together to give the Blakemore effect as above. To me this gives a new dynamic to the rather bland previous images and I feel the composition is better.
This image is exactly the same as the image above it but I have added a black line. What cannot be seen here because of the background is that the image is set in a wide white border
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Evaluation on Fountain 17
Fountain 17
Evaluation
Working to a live brief has been quite an experience. I have found that trying to develop a single idea to work on becomes quite a challenge because as I formulate an approach in my mind it immediately changes when faced with new ideas from subsequent lectures.
At the start, I was investing too much time and effort into thinking more about Duchamp and his approach, rather than my own. I was trying to emulate something that Duchamp had already done, when in fact I didn’t need to do so. The Fountain was his response to “what is art?” I needed to have my own response and answer the same question. I decided to take an everyday object as he did and do something with it. I used a gravy boat that I purchased for another exercise and with a nod towards Duchamp put that into a urinal setting.
I wasn’t pleased with the results they didn’t look real. I could have done more work in Photoshop but I considered this was defeating the object so I had a change of direction and decided to bring some rubbish into the studio and photograph that instead. In a previous lecture, we had discussed the idea, that found or even discarded objects where in themselves art because each object had to be designed by somebody and therefore could be considered art.
I found this response to be more satisfying to do because I owned the idea and could do whatever I wanted with no right or wrongs. This exercise was definitely helping with my development more than anything else ever has. It was liberating to throw down some rubbish and start to compose a new piece.
When working in the studio particularly as part of a group it’s easy to get swayed away from an original idea and go with the flow of the group whereas on one’s own you have a better chance of fully exploring ideas and techniques. I found going into the studio alone and with my own ideas I could explore more fully composition and lighting and expand my confidence in following through an idea. It was also beneficial in that in a live brief it gave me more opportunity to problem solve which in its self is a very satisfying achievement.
When I had finished in the studio I already had a few ideas about post processing and looked at several different outcomes from the original shots. My final decision was to use several of the studio shots and overlay them on top of each other to give what I thought was a more appealing image.
In conclusion being able to stand on my own two feet and compose a piece in a live brief is a satisfying and in some ways emotional experience because it brings home to me the idea that everything I have learned so far from the begging of year one right up to the present time is coming together and giving me more thoughts about progress and development.
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Fountain 17 is the umbrella for Hull City of culture 2017, the 200 year anniversary of Armitage Shanks toilet wear and the 100 year anniversary of Duchamps fountain.
Research for fountain includes, Claes Oldenburg born 1929. He created works of art out of everyday objects in a larger than life scale.
Meret Oppenheim born 1913 Surrealist artist (Fur lined cup). Quote: “No one give you freedom you have to take it”. In my mind this quote summarises the freedom we should feel as photographers.
Cornelia Parker born 1956. one of her most remarkable works being Thirty Piece of Silver made in 1988-89. Flattened silver objects placed in an artistic formation.
Michael Craig Martin born 1941 Minimalist artist used everyday objects in his sculptures and also worked in paint (The format he originally trained in at university in the USA).
Monday 7th November
Authorship: Appropriation
The year group had a discussion about the above. The Tate Gallery tells us that appropriation is the use of pre existing objects used in art without the artist doing very much if anything to the object before using it. Authorship refers to the practice of works of art being photographed and then being claimed as new works. (See Jeff Koon v Art Rogers). Also we discussed Richard Prince another artist who specialises in copying other peoples work and then passing them off as his own. Two high profile cases are his copying the cowboy photo from the advert for Marlboro Cigarettes, cropping it and then selling it as an original. Sam Abell the originating photographer in an interview accepts this is legal but finds it difficult to understand that a gallery would endorse it as a work of art whilst as the same time saying that Abell could not claim it as such because he was a commercial photographer.
Andi Dakin
I enjoyed Andi’s presentation I was able to take away a whole new way of looking at things. To in some way get involved with an object and take it to different locations seems at first to be a crazy suggestion. On further consideration I decided that rather than being crazy it is an extremely good idea. Even if you only visualise your object at a different location it is a very creative tool because you are able to expand your original ideas and express them in different ways. For me the progression from Andi’s talk was for me to see my gravy boat in a different light and therefore was able to visualise it as a part of a urinal.
Joe Shehan
Joe is an artist who specialises in miniature studio pieces that may be used in animation. It was a useful presentation and gave me some ideas about future projects but I couldn’t easily see how I would utilise his thoughts on this particular brief. This is only my thoughts, I know other students on a different wavelength to me will see some ideal opportunities
These are some of the miniatures created by Joe Sheham and shown at the presentation.
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The more presentations we have the more difficult it becomes to decide on a definite proposal for the project but I think I am getting a little closer. I think I am going to utilise the gravy boat I have used in interpretations. Andi Dakin seemed to agree that it was an ideal example of a ready made and could see its potential use in a few areas. I have decided one of those may be viewing it from a different angle could maybe suggest a urinal similar to the original fountain.
Further to the above comment I have recently been experimenting with the use of light through different mediums. The light sources have been white light, and red laser. The mediums have been glass cubes and a prism. Different combinations give different results, but I have been asking myself if this falls under using readymade objects to produce art. Below are two sample images which I have produced but I anticipate using a variety of lenses and gels in future experiments to see what can be produced.
I have also been considering using street photography as a basis for Fountain 17. After a class with Mark on the subject we all went into the city centre to experience the subject. There definitely seems to be scope in that area to produce something for the project.
So far I have three genres to work with and I feel that by exploring these further I can produce some good results.
Below are two sample images that refer to my ideas derived from Andi Dakin.
I am at this point looking at merging the gravy boat with an image of a urinal to develop an idea that Andi discussed with me.
The image below is a first trial merge of the above images. After discussing the project with my tutor I will invert the gravy boat to make it fit the scene better.
As mentioned above this is a preliminary merge. I need to retake the background shot of the urinals again at a higher resolution because the ISO in gravy boat is 100 and the ISO for the urinal 1600 due to poor lighting.
Bibliography
Duchamp, Mink, Janis, 1995, Benedikt Taschen Verlag GmbH
Marcel Duchamp, Moure, Gloria, 1988, Thames and Hudson Ltd, London
LawriePhoto 