Thursday, November 26, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Low down of my final project:
Basically, with this second semester project, I decided to work through the portrayal of models (mainly females) and identity, in the media.
I came across this idea while researching Portraiture, I found that the mass media uses the same models over and over again, you know them by face value, their superficial identity is all that keeps them going. One of the tasks I did in my workbook was defacing a magazine photo shoot, with Kate Moss. To me, she is nothing without her "looks" and the time is coming when people will only associate models with their face value, and to the point where they will become nameless human coat-hangers.
I decided to portray my opinion/take on "the mass media identity crisis" using photography, because it's commonly used by the mass media as a tool, and I feel repetition is a powerful thing when used properly.
My images are subtle, I used the typical high-fashion photo shoot idea, modeling what everyone seems to wear these days.
In the starting image, the facial features are clearer, she is her own image.
Gradually, the features on the model's face disappear, which symbolizes the lack of identity due to repetition of images in mass media.
3 images, two sets, 6 images in total
repeated 64 or more times
I alternate the patterns to show that mass media comes in different forms, but the aim of the content remains the same, to widely stretch an image or a product, eventually it loses all meaning.
I came across this idea while researching Portraiture, I found that the mass media uses the same models over and over again, you know them by face value, their superficial identity is all that keeps them going. One of the tasks I did in my workbook was defacing a magazine photo shoot, with Kate Moss. To me, she is nothing without her "looks" and the time is coming when people will only associate models with their face value, and to the point where they will become nameless human coat-hangers.
I decided to portray my opinion/take on "the mass media identity crisis" using photography, because it's commonly used by the mass media as a tool, and I feel repetition is a powerful thing when used properly.
My images are subtle, I used the typical high-fashion photo shoot idea, modeling what everyone seems to wear these days.
In the starting image, the facial features are clearer, she is her own image.
Gradually, the features on the model's face disappear, which symbolizes the lack of identity due to repetition of images in mass media.
3 images, two sets, 6 images in total
repeated 64 or more times
I alternate the patterns to show that mass media comes in different forms, but the aim of the content remains the same, to widely stretch an image or a product, eventually it loses all meaning.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Final shots, ready to figure out how i'm going to present them, and my idea of repetition..
I'm thinking repitition of these six images will create the effect i'm going for..
each set of three repeated over a space maybe..
Some final shots..
My final Project Drawing "Project":
For my final project I have decided to work with the idea of how the female body and identity is portrayed in the media.
My thoughts are that models and icons are overused so much. They lose their identity and become nothing more than a blank face, superficial, edited and altered to suit the mood at the time. Continuous repetition and eventually the complete loss of identity.
Everyone knows who Kate Moss is, but only because they see her face plastered over magazine covers.
I will recreate typical fashion shoots, but the face in each image will gradually vanish - showing that identity is nothing but a 1 minute wonder, and i'm still deciding whether or not to have the same images repeated over a stretch of wall, to show how powerful mass media and duplication can be.
Now i'll be working on getting my final photos, that's the next step!
My thoughts are that models and icons are overused so much. They lose their identity and become nothing more than a blank face, superficial, edited and altered to suit the mood at the time. Continuous repetition and eventually the complete loss of identity.
Everyone knows who Kate Moss is, but only because they see her face plastered over magazine covers.
I will recreate typical fashion shoots, but the face in each image will gradually vanish - showing that identity is nothing but a 1 minute wonder, and i'm still deciding whether or not to have the same images repeated over a stretch of wall, to show how powerful mass media and duplication can be.
Now i'll be working on getting my final photos, that's the next step!
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Ophelia
From Wikipedia.org:
Ophelia is a fictional character in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, and sweetheart of Prince Hamlet.
A possible historical source for Ophelia was Katherine Hamnet, a woman who fell into the Avon River and died in December 1579. Though it was eventually concluded that she had overbalanced while carrying some heavy pails, rumours that she was suffering from a broken heart were considered plausible enough for an inquest to be conducted into whether her death was a suicide. It is possible that Shakespeare - 16 at the time of the death - recalled the romantic tragedy in his creation of the character of Ophelia.
Ophelia is a fictional character in the play Hamlet by William Shakespeare. She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes, and sweetheart of Prince Hamlet.
A possible historical source for Ophelia was Katherine Hamnet, a woman who fell into the Avon River and died in December 1579. Though it was eventually concluded that she had overbalanced while carrying some heavy pails, rumours that she was suffering from a broken heart were considered plausible enough for an inquest to be conducted into whether her death was a suicide. It is possible that Shakespeare - 16 at the time of the death - recalled the romantic tragedy in his creation of the character of Ophelia.
Alexandre Cabanel, 1883, Oil on Canvas.
John Everett Millias, 1851 - 52, Oil on Canvas
Friday, October 30, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Much appreciated feedback so far from Sudhir...
"..feminist, consumerist, gender, identity, media, culture and political perceptions are the various points of contexts which u may choose from.this should take care of the aspect of where u would like to address your issue, or would you like to connect it to the contemporary 'aesthetics'......"
How the body is portrayed in the media..
Researching how the body is portrayed in media for the masses. No surprises, we're still lusting after skin, sex appeal and high fashion..Do we adore these people, does that make us superficial?
(click for larger scale)
Friday, October 23, 2009
Dive Otago to the rescue!!
Dive Otago has come to the party!
Meeting them on thursday last week has really helped move things along, the pool is booked free of charge sometime between the 26th and the 31st to work on my final shots.
Spoke to Dave about the pool, it's quite large (photos up hopefully soon!!) and the water is a lot clearer than that of Moana Pool, which gave quite a strong fogged picture and a very unattractive blue hue at times.
The pressing issue now that is in the way of my final shots is the fact my underwater housing is out of use, it needs (and might not be able to be) fixed. So at this time, my land-lubber camera is going to be used, but this brings up the problem that I cannot use this below water, so can I get shots with maximum impact on the surface?
Meeting them on thursday last week has really helped move things along, the pool is booked free of charge sometime between the 26th and the 31st to work on my final shots.
Spoke to Dave about the pool, it's quite large (photos up hopefully soon!!) and the water is a lot clearer than that of Moana Pool, which gave quite a strong fogged picture and a very unattractive blue hue at times.
The pressing issue now that is in the way of my final shots is the fact my underwater housing is out of use, it needs (and might not be able to be) fixed. So at this time, my land-lubber camera is going to be used, but this brings up the problem that I cannot use this below water, so can I get shots with maximum impact on the surface?
Visual Inspiration: Music videos
Kasabian - Shoot the Runner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHmRBUcQmKMAlways been a favourite music video of mine, done by "Alex & Martin".
This video is similar to the video by "Shynola" for Queens of the Stone Age - Go with the Flow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nz6Rq1Pvh0
The only difference between these videos is the colouring, Red and Black VS. Most colours. I appreciate the time and detail in both videos, specially with the white splatters in Shoot the Runner and the build up to the finale in Go with the Flow.
I really like the way these videos have been done, and would be cool to turn my underwater-physical-presence-figure shots into this sorta Photoshopped, block colour image. Blues, pinks and blacks maybe?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Artist "Tony Ariawan" - Digital Light Figures
I came across these pictures (Thanks to Emily!) by Tony Ariawan, and was particularly interested how he sees and portrays the body with computer generated images. The colouring is vibrant and warm, and on the other images, violent and cold. These are just a few..
I really like how he captures the essence of kinetics and movement
I really like how he captures the essence of kinetics and movement
Artist "Zena Holloway" - Underwater photographer & director
Zena Holloway takes fashion photography to a whole new level, starting off as a scuba diver, she's rewritten the ways of underwater photography in my opinion, the lighting and the flowing of the fabrics, the posing, it really distorts the physical perceptions of the body and the space it occupies.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Spanner in the works..
10 minutes into the second attempt at underwater photography.
The bag fills with water.
With the camera inside.
So, the camera housing has split, retiring the shoot for the time being.
Now, after a refreshing sunday of aqua jogging to not make my good money go to waste, i'm thinking I'll need to get another housing, or try and see if Dive Otago has a suitible pool setup to continue on the my chosen path. After studying my below photos, I fee;now got more of a direction, and have a good backup theory to go with it, after looking at various notions of occuping space and physical boundaries.
Options as of now:
1 - Dive Otago
2 - Find a new housing
3 - An actual underwater camera.
The bag fills with water.
With the camera inside.
So, the camera housing has split, retiring the shoot for the time being.
Now, after a refreshing sunday of aqua jogging to not make my good money go to waste, i'm thinking I'll need to get another housing, or try and see if Dive Otago has a suitible pool setup to continue on the my chosen path. After studying my below photos, I fee;now got more of a direction, and have a good backup theory to go with it, after looking at various notions of occuping space and physical boundaries.
Options as of now:
1 - Dive Otago
2 - Find a new housing
3 - An actual underwater camera.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Researching how the body is portrayed in popular culture and photography.
Whilst researching the body and how it's portrayed in the media, I came across a pattern emerging.
bare/fantasies/over indulgence.
of course, this is far from the everyday body and it's actions. This is what we want to see, this is the warped perception of the youth, and the culture that follows this is as flat as the images we see. Bits and pieces of unoriginality and stereotype have smothered the senses!
Examples of this trend:
(wee bit of a warning, it's a bit saucy!)
bare/fantasies/over indulgence.
of course, this is far from the everyday body and it's actions. This is what we want to see, this is the warped perception of the youth, and the culture that follows this is as flat as the images we see. Bits and pieces of unoriginality and stereotype have smothered the senses!
Examples of this trend:
(wee bit of a warning, it's a bit saucy!)
Lady Gaga seems to be the most popular with
our generation, and the most scantily dressed
person i've ever seen
our generation, and the most scantily dressed
person i've ever seen
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