Our Publishing powerpoint!

Commission Exhibition Presentation

This presentation required skill and a lot of professional manner which I think we could of improved on. As we were quite nervous, we tended to act unprofessional and let the nerves get the best of us. We certainly could of done better if it weren't for the small things such as; More analysing on our mirror concept and most importantly looking directly at the judges instead of the screen!

Final Image edited!

Photoshop meeting - Preparing to edit final image!

Presentation 1 PHOTOSHOP

Alice Dress ordered.

This is the dress chosen for our model which everyone in the group was happy about as initially this is the short/ruffle type they were looking for.

I think this will work well due to the glamourous detail at the top which will be the main focus of Alice when kneeling towards the hole and the shortness is perfect as it will not get in the way of her position when crouched down. 

Final Casting - Chosen Alice

Perfect model to represent and play Alice!

Practice on Tree set for Alice

Today was spent looking different types of materials and paint colours to get an idea what specific shades we would like in our tree set for the Alice image.

I spent the afternoon applying cement on cardboard and filling it with a few leaves so that I could paint afterwards.

We got a selection of colours that we can work with in our set and this was great to see how we really want our design to look like and how different our materials may be.

Pinhole Building!

Today was very new and interesting as I learnt how to build my own pinhole camera with a shoe box!

This did not take as long as I expected it to which was the best part as then we all got to go out and test shoot our cameras and try to get our final images.

I wanted this image to sort of link in with my commission series so I decided to get the model used in my series to sit openly on the field enjoying the view to represent freedom and what a girl her age should be doing instead of inside looking after a kid when really she still is one herself. 

Pinhole camera - Landfill

Landfill - vik muniz

Initially for my pinhole image, I wanted to portray the life of people in landfills - people working at sites.
So my intention was to interview people at sites in Kent but after finding out that our image needs to be related to some sort to our Commission idea (3 series of images) I changed my idea.

Here is my final image

Freedom of Youth

Alice

Book by Anna Gaskell. 

Alice in wonderland.

I see the lose of innocence and the fight that girls go through to compete with one another to meet society's standards. 

This series by Anna Gaskell is so incredibly inspiring. It's the artist's own play on the Alice and Wonderland story, and makes a series of simply stunning photographs. I love how her work is beautiful in a distinctly feminine sort of way, yet definitely goes past being just a beautiful picture. I see her work dealing with a loss of innocence, questions of sexuality, youth, beauty, and most importantly narrative. 

Commission Research and Critical Appraisal - All in one.

This project in regards to 'Waste' has been interesting to explore but got confusing at times as what the definition of 'waste' really means. Could it be waste of life itself, people, youth or waste in terms of environment. It gets to you as an artist and thinker when you look at so many different types of waste and other peoples work. However, its been an great opportunity to experiment waste and produce work. 

My concept was to represent waste of opportunity in regards to education and maybe youth.

Most girls spend their young adult life looking after their babies or are pregnant and its sad to see they are throwing away all the chances they have to do something with themselves, to be a better person by educating themselves and exploring the world when they got the opportunity. 

All they have now to offer themselves in a job in retail, going home to their kids and a night out partying.

 This is such a waste of their youth and opportunity for higher education, - most kids would kill to have it.

I wanted to show in my image how she was interested in bettering herself -as you can see the books she has are gathering dust and all she has now is her baby and the shameful thing is that theres no family to help her out so that she could still go into eduction whilst having this baby.

Although there are some who are and never were interested in educating themselves, so there is no ambition and lack of determination which leads them to be reckless and yet their family are 100% behind them.

My images could also represent how someone at that age with a baby SHOULD act/look like - in that state and situation. 

The roses symbolise decay - just like her inner self. 

For my research and inspiration I looked at a few artist that deal with loneliness. 

For example Lisas Safati work portrays a kind of an emptiness.

The way the image sends a message to the viewers, is something I wanted to do with my work and deliver the same atmosphere and model's pose and surroundings. You get a sense of isolation from the subjects Safati has photographed. 

Moreover, Safat's work consists of depression when young adults deliberately turn to the bottle and get wasted like there is no tomorrow. Its bad enough for their health but they are also damaging their memory - no reconciliation of the night before. My character in my series is also drowning herself with vodka, so that she can escape her reality.

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Another artist I researched was Gareth McConnell. 

He pays a lot of attention to space around the subject like shown below.

Space can be very effective and especially when your conveying emptiness and isolation.

This is something I wanted to test in my shots and see how it makes the topic even more deep and meaningful. 

Space and distance between the mother and child.

 Moreover,I liked that he uses just the natural light in his images and how he does that. Something to get inspiration from in case of natural lighting.

The other artist that captured me into the sensitivity and intimacy in images was, Philips Toledano series of images 'Days with my father'. 

These images are very emotional and it reminds me of my idea of that sense of 'waste' and wasting your chances is a very sensitive subject.

Also looking at Bobby Neil Adams work,

I interpreted that their lives from being young to old has passed within a blink of an eye and their life has flashed by them. What I mean is that their time has passed and if you didn't take on all the opportunities you had when you was young, now that your old what have you done with your life?

Similarly, I looked at Frauke Theiling's work called Generation.

This makes me think about how the young girl in my series will pass on her traits to her daughter and the choices she made when she had her daughter will somehow effect her when she's older. She may even repeat what her mother did ?

Overall, after going into my tutorial with an idea of 'waste of life' looking at Tracey Emin and then realising its not clear in terms of the subject - I decided to change it and look at something that is happening everywhere and especially in my area in London (Feltham) - All the girls I knew from secondary school are all living the same lives and its also showing in Rochester+Chatham. 

I could have deifnetly managed my studies a lot better - although I am fairly organised, I think too much and start worrying when I am uncertain of my work and not confident in the shoot going right. In the future I need to be super organised and not as complex with my thoughts and feelings towards my projects.

I believe my work would look best in an exhibition due to the topic and how effective it will be - point on to the audience when looking at the three images in order. Its something that will not only look professional but will have an impact on the viewers as it will be directly in front of them to interpret, think about and to analyse.

Commission shoot!-Series

Contact sheet from shoot.

Today's shoot went pretty well in the space of two hours and only needed a little equipment such as; Broncolor pack with head light and Bronica film camera.

I am satisfied with the settings and look of my images however I could of decreased the shadow underneath the stall where the books and dust is placed. At the time it did not occur to me how by using only one light on the side will effect the whole image. What I should of done is used a light on each side so that when it came to printing the images could be brighter with the perfect skin tone.

I have put my 3 images in order of how I want my series to look... it tells some sort of narrative.

The first image is meant to be shocking, so that the audience are focused on the young girls face and the fact that she is holding a newborn baby. 

I wanted it to be very effective and emotional.

The second shot represents how the girl cannot come to terms that this is her life, is it going to get better or worse?

However, there are times when she's ecstatic that she has a baby but its as if her life only revolves around the child now. There is no time for things in her life which people her age do - also an opportunity of being in education - University? 

This is where my shot of the young girl holding her 'good luck at university' comes in which initially was going to be the first shot (total 4 images)

But in the end I decided to keep it with the three images below as my final series as I think the images work  well together and look strong.

The third image of the young girl represents how a girl her age is so worn out due to looking after the baby and its all down to time keeping and being stable enough to do this job. Unfortunately for her, all this is new and frighting for her which is why she turns to the bottle to zone out of reality. 

'Waste of opportunity/opportunities'

In shock

Hopeless

Deteriorating from her real self and zoning out of reality.

Time Machine Essay

In my tutorial I decided to choose my favourite film - Bourne Identity (whole trilogy) and also Photographer Gregory Crewdson to discuss how similar each are and decide what I will choose for my topic.

After discussing both with Caroline we came to an agreement that Crewdson would be better to explore as Bourne would be too complicated. Each show work of the minds, dreams, identity and the phycological side to humans. I find this absolutely fascinating that both are similar but do  differentiate. 

So in order to get the preparation for this essay good and organised I have made a list of all the books needed;

- Froyd on dreams

-Crewdson Twilight and Dream house

- Understanding Identity

- Phycology in everyday life

- The concept of the human mind

Will see what else the library has!

Also research on interviews on Crewdson is going good and is very handy to quote down what the artist has to say about the understanding of his work. 

Final decision of idea for Commission

After thinking a lot about what I want to and also what I can do for my idea in regards to 'Waste'
I have decided not to go with 'Waste if life' as I can't find enough inspiration and relevant work to match it up with. I also feel like it is not strong enough as I thought it was in my mind, I came across young teenagers walking near by my street in Rochester and it occurred to me how it is such a 'waste of OPPORTUNITY' for these girls to have done something with their lives in terms of education and experiencing things whilst being in their youth.

I feel strong about this and want to portray it the best way I can - I do want it to be simple but with deep meaning.  Moreover, I have information of all the girls I went to secondary school with who 60% of them are either pregnant or with kids. Here are a few screen shots of what I found on their Facebook.

Comparing+Presenting Alice

Presentation 1 Presenting Alice Blog

Meaning of Alice's character with her dress

The dress plays a huge part in the image as it resembles the models character and glamour. It will match the scene and setting as well as the models personality and face.
This is a beautiful dress by Amanda Wakely (Grey) which my father brought for me as my prom dress, I still have the item and I think for the 'forest' set that we are going to create this dress would look magnificent.
However, comparing this to a huge feather dress in the image below (Blue) - you get to see how they both portray different meanings.

This number represents sleek beauty with a detailed upper part of the dress which will be brilliant to focus on when the model meals down to reach out into the hole. - To see what this will actually look like, my group will do test shots of me wearing my dress and how it will fall into place when at the scene. 

A dress like above will be researched into - where to buy it from? Can a Fashions student make it for us?

As our model will be placed like the one above, we were considering having this dress in that reason. It would be amazing to see the dress laid out around her body - and the fact that such a small person has got on a huge over flowing dress will give that feeling of Alice growing up too fast.