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!

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

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.

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.

In link to Idea of Youth

Photographer - Glen Erler


1)  Age 13-18

Words from the artist;

''This project, even though it is still ongoing, is the merging of several previous chapters and the result of several years work on this subject. I wasn't quite sure what exactly it was going to be in the beginning and chose to let it find its own feet. However, I didn't set out to make autobiographical images relating to my past and chose to cast females in most cases thus far. I found that many things changed for me starting at this age. My parents decided to split up which lead to a change of schools. Physical changes, psychological changes and a craving for independence all seem to stay with us and shape us into who we are as adults. How we dealt with the issues at hand, who we were surrounded by and how we were lead all contribute to us as individuals. I feel these images are not only portraits of this age group and their surroundings but also an exploration of the emotional solitude we all seemed to have felt at this age.''

2) A way back

Words from the artist;

When I was back in Valley Center recently taking these photographs, it dawned on me that the truth holds firm with life repeating itself. When I was ten or so, a friend and I would wonder around his family's property looking for a place to camp out that night, or on a hot day, search for shade. That friend still lives on that property and ended up married to my cousin. My other cousin, her brother, lives just a few miles away. These images are of their children and a friend of which they've grown up with.

I spent the same period of my life wondering around this same area where life seems a bit slower but that doesn't stop the desire for change. When you're living it and know nothing else, you spend your days dreaming of ways to get out. I made it out some time ago and now spend my days dreaming of ways to get back.

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Why does Erler feel like this? Was his time there a 'waste' and not fulfilled to the maximum - so that he does not need to feel like he needs to go back. I feel as if this links to youth and how some of us may feel we didn't live our time in our youth as we wanted to and therefore it all seems like a waste. If only we could go back in time and live our life then to best way possible. 

Waste of my youth/time in London/abroad

If I was able to take my commission images in london, I would follow in the steps of Israeli photographer Amit Sha'al. - I would take printed photos of my childhood and go back to the places to see how at that moment I could of done things to change my future - I know this is a different concept to Sha'al's but I feel like I have wasted 'time' that has passed.  - 

Images of my youth 

My time in Pakistan - Going back there now after about 13 years- There would definitely be change.

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Amit Sha'al speaks about the project:

"I took black and white photos from 1926 to 1979, and went across Israel to locate the exact spots where they were taken. I held the photos in front of me and shot a wider photo, when the colored 2010 reality continues where the black and white photo ends. In some places, it seems nothing has changed, but in others, the buildings have changed their purpose and the black and white people are 'planted' strangely in today's reality. The photos portray three different times: the old black and white photos, the present colored photos and the time that have passed between capturing both photos. The third time mentioned is not a visual one, but a mental and emotional dimension, filled in by the knowledge we have of what dramatic changes have happened between the two times."

sometimes its the small things such as being on holiday and not really taking in where you are -  taking in account all the history and also the fact that I didn't capture those moments. I've been abroad to Florida, New York, Paris, Chicago, Sans Francisco, Rome, Madrid, Denia, Valencia, Barcelona, Marrakech, Istanbul, Grenada and Servile. - In the future I would love to go back to these places and follow the steps of Sha'al's. 

Florida - Age 8

Paris - Age 12

NYC - Age 13

Chicago - Age 14

Rome Age-15

Spain - Age 15

Turkey - Age 16