ABSTRACTION
ABSTRACT FORM
The relationship between photography and abstraction is fascinating. Unlike other visual art forms which begin with a blank space or surface that has to be filled by the artist, photography begins with a world full of information. The conventional job of the photographer is to select and capture a small portion of reality in a relatively faithful manner. However, it could be argued that all art, including photography, is essentially abstract. Photographs are versions of reality. They are flat. They have edges. Photographs are artful selections. They are silent. In the early years of photography, certain artists understood this aspect of the medium and emphasised the abstract qualities of photographs and the disinterested eye of the camera. This tradition of abstraction in photography continues to the present day.
The relationship between photography and abstraction is fascinating. Unlike other visual art forms which begin with a blank space or surface that has to be filled by the artist, photography begins with a world full of information. The conventional job of the photographer is to select and capture a small portion of reality in a relatively faithful manner. However, it could be argued that all art, including photography, is essentially abstract. Photographs are versions of reality. They are flat. They have edges. Photographs are artful selections. They are silent. In the early years of photography, certain artists understood this aspect of the medium and emphasised the abstract qualities of photographs and the disinterested eye of the camera. This tradition of abstraction in photography continues to the present day.
The enemy of photography is the convention, the fixed rules of 'how to do'. The salvation of photography comes from the experiment.
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy
Laszlo Moholy-Nagy
What lives in pictures is very difficult to define... it finally becomes a thing beyond the thing portrayed... some sort of section of the soul of the artist that gets detached and comes out to one from the picture.
Francis Bruguière
Francis Bruguière
Task 1 - The White Paper Test
The task was to make 24 unique photographs from one piece of white paper, by either rolling, crumpling or folding it. However I was not allowed to rip or tear the paper. I shot my photos against a white background using a soft light. The first contact sheet shows my original images in which I used the bare minimum of one sheet of paper and a single light. I am quite pleased with the majority of the images and have chosen a few of my best images which can be see below the contact sheets.
Black and White Photographs
I am very pleased with these three images as I feel as though they would not be instantly recognised as a single piece of paper and each take on a new and fresh identities. The first two images remind me of snowy mountains and I really like the focus in each one, highlighting different parts of the paper and leaving a blurry depth of field in the background which is intriguing. The third picture is also interesting as for this particular shot, I placed the light underneath the paper as to create a glowing effect which not only highlighted the crumples of the paper but also enhanced their shadows.
WWW: I feel pleased with what I have managed to create with just a single piece of plain white paper and the lighting available and feel as though by focusing on the close up aspects of the paper instead of it as a whole, I have been able to create interesting and unique images that are not immediately identifiable as paper.
EBI: To make my work even better I could look create multiple 'paper mountains' and capture them in different lighting and shots. To improve even further I would reshoot some of my images to ensure that all are of a high standard and quality.
EBI: To make my work even better I could look create multiple 'paper mountains' and capture them in different lighting and shots. To improve even further I would reshoot some of my images to ensure that all are of a high standard and quality.
Colour/Experimentation Photographs
After I had taken my first 24 images I began to experiment with different colours and materials in order to create beautifully unique photographs. Im pleased with how most of them turned out however if I were to do it again I would use the mirrors more as I feel as though they add more levels and dimensions to the paper. The techniques displayed below include coloured gels/paper, mirrors and a piece of glass.
These three images were all taken one after the other as I had placed a phone which had flashing coloured lights on it under the paper which created a multitude of glowing colours. I like the fact that the images are quite vague and the shapes are not entirely clear as it relates to the theme of abstraction and the way in which people see things differently. For example, when I showed the pictures to one person who said that they could picture a face somewhere in the crumpled up paper. Overall I am pleased with these images.
In creating my images I reflected on the work of Brendan Austin who creates imaginary landscapes out of crumpled pieces of paper. He calls them 'Paper Mountains'. Austin examines what we mean by nature and the way humans have impacted upon it. "The isolated desert city running on oil generators, the mars like landscapes of a volcanic environment and the mountains made from paper all attempt to start a conversation concerning the loss of meaning and reality." The resulting images appear both recognisable as landscapes but also suggest a sense of artifice. Humble materials are made to carry an important message. I believe as though my images have reflected his 'paper mountains' ideas and I have further developed this by adding colour into the three above images which, for the red coloured one, gives an idea of a volcano or alien like terrain. Below are some examples of Austin's work.
Task 2 - Abstract Photographs
First Response
The first images I took focused on the carriage of a train as well as a station. I chose to be quite vague with my images as so to make the viewer assess what each actually is. I decided to play around with lights, reflections, shadows and also the depth of field. I think my most successful images are the close up of the train seat and also the ripples of paper as both are interesting and not immediately identifiable.
With these three images, I looked at how shadows can change our surroundings and the shapes/patterns that they can create. The middle image also features the reflection from the train window which creates an almost mirror image of the inside carriage.
Second Response
For my second response I focused on chairs on the train carriage. I focused on a couple of aspects such as the pattern on the chair, the arm rest and the way in which the chairs are actually positioned. I am pleased with some of these pictures however if I were to do this again I would make sure to take many more close up/macro shots in order to develop this work further.
Abstract Experiments
For this task, we had to select one of our images to be printed onto a piece of acetate which we could then experiment with, creating a negative and distorting it in a number of ways. Below are some of the experiments which I did.
Task 3 - Portrait Experiments
For this task we looked at the work of Bill Jacobson and Erwin Blumenfeld, two photographers who capture interesting and unique portraits. We were tasked with creating images that influenced their work.
Bill Jacobson
Each photograph depicts a man’s face, its edges and features blurred and softened in a painterly style that reflected Jacobson’s preoccupation with loss and mortality in the early 1990s; themes closely tied to his observations of the AIDS epidemic. The faces are hard to grasp, difficult to discern as they recede into the white field of the photograph. Jacobson conveys the sense of futility in trying to capture a human likeness in memory or portraiture.
These – and other – ‘defocused’ monochromic images defined Jacobson’s early successes as a photographer. They were inspired, in part, by the artist’s fascination for early twentieth-century photography and the blurred or obscured subjects of the medium’s early pioneers. Collecting anonymous old snapshots at flea markets, Jacobson was interested in the ‘layers of time’ that these photographs revealed, and by their ability to transport the viewer back to the precise moment of their making, when the people, their lives and their surroundings were ‘current’.
These – and other – ‘defocused’ monochromic images defined Jacobson’s early successes as a photographer. They were inspired, in part, by the artist’s fascination for early twentieth-century photography and the blurred or obscured subjects of the medium’s early pioneers. Collecting anonymous old snapshots at flea markets, Jacobson was interested in the ‘layers of time’ that these photographs revealed, and by their ability to transport the viewer back to the precise moment of their making, when the people, their lives and their surroundings were ‘current’.
Below are some of my attempts at recreating the same type of style that Jacobson used in his work. I have edited the pictures on photoshop, exaggerating the contrast and lowering the brightness.
I am pleased with the outcome of these images and feel that they accurately reflect on the work of Bill Jacobson, using a soft focus as well as the black and white appearance of the images. For all of the images, I used manual focus to blur of the model's face and body just enough so that the features become unrecognisable. However, I had to use Photoshop to further enhance the blur effect that these images would have.
On Photoshop, I used the 'Lens Blur' filter to decrease the focus even more which resulted in a softer looking image but I was not pleased with how it looked and so I used the 'Gaussian Blur' effect, set at 40 pixels, which created the desired effect. I have screenshotted the two processes above and below to demonstrate what I did.
Erwin Blumenfeld
Blumenfeld is regarded as one of the most influential photographers of the twentieth century. He produced an extensive body of work including black and white portraits, celebrity portraits, advertising campaigns and fashion photography. He incorporated techniques such as solarisation, multiple exposures, and photomontage in his darkroom experiments. I attempted to recreate his style of photography, utilizing a slow shutter speed as well as the variety of glass panes available.
Task 4 - Saul Leiter
Saul Leiter has been pioneering street photography since the 1940s. Working in both black and white and color, he exhibited from the beginning of his career a distinct style that features off-center perspectives, compressed spatial dynamics, and a preference for breaking up the frame in unpredictable and exciting ways. His colour work, which went unrecognized for decades, is perhaps even more radical in its asymmetrical visual rhythm and defiantly unsaturated tonalities. Leiter’s work is further distinguished by its indifference to decisive moments of human intercourse. In fact, Leiter might be regarded as the master of the “indecisive” moment – those in-between moments when nothing of much importance seems to be happening but which resonate with a profound if understated sense of interior drama.
THREE STRANDS
STRAND ONE - TIM PICKERELL - OVER EXPOSURE AND LONG SHUTTER
In this strand I will investigate how I can create interesting images using a slow shutter speed in order to capture the movement and motion of people's bodies. By using a shutter speed of 4 seconds I hope to recreate the almost ghost like images of Tim Pickerell which reflect on the business and hurry of city life with fluid motions and lines.
MY RESPONSE
The photos can be seen as quite abstract as they blur out most of the facial features and also reflect the idea of movement and the shapes that it can created when captured with a slow shutter speed.
I used the studio in order to have good lighting and a plain, white background which I could use to take my pictures. I used a varying shutter speed, ranging for 2 to 8 seconds.
I am very pleased with these images as they succesfully convey the idea of movement and motion but also there is something quite ghostlike about them. I edited the image below on photoshop in order to exaggerate the movement and effect that this created.
STRAND TWO - UTA BARTH - DEPTH OF FIELD
In this strand I will investigate how I can represent motion and the idea of motion through using the 'bokeh' technique which makes the image out of focus creating orbs of light and colour which still manage to represent the shapes and styles of whatever is meant to be captured in the image. This relates to the work of Uta Barth who photographs street life and movement, blurring out out of the image and creating circles of light.
MY RESPONSE
STRAND THREE - STEPHANIE JUNG - SLOW SHUTTER SPEED AND PHOTOSHOP EDITING
For this strand I will be investigating the work of Stephanie Jung who photographs big, hectic cities and movements by using a long exposure time to capture the changes. This will influence by idea of movement in the city and the effect that it creates. Her work is not just about city life, it's about time and about capturing special moments getting lost in time. Her photos of the city inspired me to take pictures of busy streets and movement. I have edited some of the photographs in photoshop in order to emphasise the movement and hectic nature of the environment.
MY RESPONSE
FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE
THEME OF MOVEMENT
ALEXEY TITARENKO
"The idea of the City of Shadows emerged quite unexpectedly and quite naturally during the collapse [of the Soviet Union] in the fall of 1991. I mean that the concept itself stemmed from my impressions nourished by the everyday reality. At that period, I continued to work on my series Nomenklatura of Signs. Suddenly, at some point I realised that I was struggling with emptiness and that my creative impulses – initially absolutely sincere – were running the risk of contemplating upon ideas no longer valid. This happened because the Soviet people, all these human beings deprived of their individuality and turned into “signs” by a criminal regime, began transforming from smiling and happy-looking “signs” into wandering shadows, even though rejecting the role of a “sign” could result in the loss of life. The year of 1992 was approaching…"
- Alexey Titarenko, 2005
- Alexey Titarenko, 2005
Russian born photographer Alexey Titarenko has been taking pictures since the age of 9 and has focused on the aspects of movement in cities and the masterpieces that capturing this atmosphere can create. Building on my work from photographers such as Stephanie Jung and Uta Barth, I have chosen to look into Titarenko as I am interested in exploring movement in the city and how that can be portrayed through photography. Using a long exposure and intentional camera movement alongside street photography, I hope to be able to create my own photos which represent the city life in the present day. Below is some of Titarenko's work.
THOMAS LINDAHL ROBINSON
Thomas Lindahl Robinson is an photographer who similarly to Titarenko, captures the essence of everyday life and movement within cities, working in places such as Cuba and Tibet. He, like Titarenko, uses slow shutter speeds to show movement and the black and white essence of his images to highlight this further.
MY RESPONSE
PROCESS:
- Find a city scene and set up tripod
- Experiment with different shutter speeds
- Keep the background in focus whilst the people involved are moving\distorted
- Find a city scene and set up tripod
- Experiment with different shutter speeds
- Keep the background in focus whilst the people involved are moving\distorted
One thing that I discovered whilst I looked into the work of Titarenko was that many of his images were not even immediately identifiable as being crowds of people, instead looking like smoke or waves of water. I found this fluid movement interesting and hope to develop this idea further.
CREATING MOVING IMAGES
To develop my work further I am going to look at moving images and how they can successfully portray movement in similar and different ways to a still image. The YouTube clip below is intriguing as it captures the city life and something I found interesting was that every frame made a different image. I am going to see if I can capture the idea of movement within city life using videos and gifs.
To develop my own work, I am going to produce some videos, which ocus on the movement of people, maybe in a busy train station or street. Below I made some gifs of movement in a train station, I am pleased with them but next time I will take more photos so that it looks better.
DEVELOPMENT OF TITARKENO WORK
I decided to revisit the work of Titarenko but add a modern twist, keeping the colour instead of editing the images into black and white. I chose to photograph people getting on and off an escalator as well as going through the ticket barriers as both of these locations are generally busy and so I knew I would be able to create effective pictures. I like the fact that some of the pictures are a bit blurry as it reinforces the idea of 'movement' and the movement of people being almost smoke like.
FINAL PIECE - CITY GHOSTS
Building on the work of Stephanie Jung and Alexey Titarkeno, I decided to produce some photos that represented 'city ghosts' and the general hectic atmosphere of London. I found the idea of a 'city ghost' interesting and am pleased with the outcome of these photos. In order to achieve this effect I took two pictures in the same place with a small difference in time and then edited them on photoshop, layering both images on top of each other and changing the opacity of one, resulting in the ghost like effect.
FINAL PIECE - USING VIDEO TO SHOW MOVEMENT
My next aim is to produce a video which documents travel or a journey, mainly on a train, focusing on the different stops and the people who get on and off at each station. My initial idea is to have a focus on the window of the train but slowly zoom in and out at each stop. The video will be no longer than a minute so maybe I can speed up the journey in between stations and slow down at each stop, alongside the zooming out of the camera. My inspiration for the video comes from the music video, 'Star Guitar' which was created by director, Michel Gondry. Realistically, my video will not be as long as this one but I hope to capture the same essence and feel that it creates.
MY FIRST RESPONSE
This is my first video reponse to the 'Star Guitar' video, showing part of a journey from Woodside Park to Finchley Central stations. In some ways I am pleased with this video as the reflections are interesting and it grasps the basic idea of showing a journey and movement. However, I am going to attempt this again, this time creating a longer video which showcases dynamic and interesting locations as well as getting off at different stations, documenting the people and surroundings. The video is quite similar to what I want my video to be and I hope that I can immitate this style. As well as this, I am also going to photograph the stations and people that I encounter.
train journey from Zineb on Vimeo.
FINAL PIECE VIDEO
Below is the video I have created, titled, 'Journey'. It documents a journey on a train as well as some of the 'before' and 'after' aspects of the journey itself. The majority of the video is the view from a train window and so I filmed other aspects to make it more interesting. As I was aware that a plain video of the landscape would be quite boring I sped up parts in between stations and slowed it down to show the people and surroundings. I created my video using iMovie which allowed me to split and organise the clips whilst also increasing and decreasing the speeds to achieve the desire effect. Overall I am pleased with my video as I feel that it reflects on my previous work whilst also being unique and new.