Self Directed Work
This concept has been evolving for over a year now. It started out as me looking into my own sense of place. I collected archival evidence-maps, census records, photographs and newspaper clippings. I used these as the base for a body of work-prints, sculptural and photography that will be looked at in May.
This year I started looking at how my emotional connection with this place-Turraheen is in conflict with my Dad’s practical/logical connection with the land. I started photographing and sketching the destruction that he’s caused over the years- knocking down old buildings,using the beautiful old cobblestone yard and the cottage that he and countless generations before him, as a dumping ground. I made an edition of lithographic prints, monoprints and screenprints using images of the destruction combined with text-either words of wisdom from my father or sarcastic wordplays.
This term my work is based on photography and drawing. Using both film and digital imagery I’ve been documenting both the destruction and the beauty that co-exist on the farm.
I’m adding another dimension for the final hurdle this term. My parents got offended and upset when they saw all my A3 photographs of all the rubbish and debris around the farm. They couldn’t understand why I wasn’t taking photographs of the beautiful landscape or the healthy animals. So I’ve decided to also include the positive aspects of the farm and to celebrate the work my parents do every day. Maybe because I’m going to be a parent myself soon I’ve softened in my outlook. I plan on having my parents into the photographic studio to do a portraiture shoot with them. I also plan to follow them around with my cameras and document the work that they do every day. I feel this project is coming full circle as I make my peace with the destruction and I’m beginning to celebrate the positive aspects of the farm. My parents lifestyle-their dedication to the work they do everyday won’t be around much longer. I’ve 5 brothers but no one wants the farm. I think it’s worth documenting their lives and the hard work that they do for future generations to see.
Photography Project
Camera-less Project
For this assignment I decided to use the medium of the scanner and the photocopier. My brief looks at my emotional connection with my sense of place versus my Dad's physical, practical sense of place. I looked at a series of collograph,intaglio & screenprints prints of maps of home & census records, that I'd made last year. I scanned them onto my computer. I also did some observational drawings in pen & pencil & some monoprints. I also scanned these onto the computer.
Using photoshop I experimented with brightness and contrast. I attempted to layer the prints onto the drawings and monoprints.
Portraiture Project
For this assignment I
have two options.
Option 1: While taking
photpgraphs around the farm I wandered into my Granny's house. I was
taking photographs of the tyres, boxes and general debris that now
have pride of place in her lovely kitchen. I hadn't beein in the
house in ages. I don't like going in there on my own. It's a bit
eerie now that it's so empty. I was immediately struck by the
silence. There's a grandfather clock on the wall that used to always
tick loudly. I don't know how long it had been since it had stopped
ticking. If I'm going to photograph an object I'd like to bring in
that clock and photograph it so there's photographic evidence of it
before it is gone forever.
Option 2: Another morning
while out photographing my Mum decided to tag along. She was
horrified that I was taking photographs of all the rubbish,debris and
degeneration all around the farm. She got very offended. It really
made me rethink my concept. Ths is my parent's life everyday. From
7am every morning until all hours every night they're both out there
toiling away. I suddenly felt it was a bit pretentious of me to be
prancing around documenting all the damage when they do so much good
every day. So to celebrate all the hard work that they do I'm going
to invite my parents into the photographic studio, where I'll attempt
to focus in on them both as individuals and as a couple. They'll be
completely out of their comfort zone, with bright lights shining on
them. They're both shy people, not used to having the camera turned
on them so I'm looking forward to this shoot!
The following are examples of photographs taken using the film camera-black & white and colour, digital camera, drawings and scans of intaglio, collograph and monoprints that I made last year.
Camera-less Project
The following images were made by scanning prints I made last year-intaglio, collograph and monoprints onto my computer and then scanning drawings on as well. I uploaded images to photoshop and then worked on layering the images over each other.
Black & White film photos taken in the snow at 7am on the 10th of February
Colour film photographs
Taken on the same morning, about an hour later at 8am.
Contact Sheets
I put together a collection of images both black and white and colour film.
Change of direction
My brief changed direction at this point to focusing on the people that work on the farm everyday. I've moved from documenting the destruction/demolition that exists on the landscape to observing the positive and the good that happens out there on a daily basis. I've taken to following my Mam, Dad & brothers around the farm and capturing the work that they do with my 35mm film camera.
Portraiture Project
For this project I decided to focus on my parents, the people who live and work on the farm. I was nervous about taking them out of their familiar environment & into the unfamiliar- art college! & shining a spotlight on them. I think I found it more nerve wracking than they did! My Dad kept complaining about how dirty the college was & then fell asleep while I was taking some individual shots of my Mum! I felt the shots of my Dad came out better as he didn't pose. He just sat there in a world of his own. I found it hard to give direction so my poor Mum was concentrating for over 2 hours, posing for over 300 shots!
Contextual Research
The following are links to some photographic artists who have made work in black and white film photography that's relevant to my brief.
1. William Eggleston
http://www.egglestontrust.com/
2. Amelia Stein
http://www.ameliastein.com/work/
