feedback and Critiques

My last pin up was not only interesting but

also somewhat frustrating, The critique from

tutors indicated that the message that I tried

to convey with in my images was fundamentally

flawed for the following reasons

Firstly the social and cultural implications of

the slogan Love Lives Hate Kills can be mis -

understood as they do not correlate as two

sides of the same coin, also the possible

relation to skin head culture, could also act as

a catalyst to dilute the message futher.

Secondly from a graphic design point of view, the

design I constructed, had several mistakes in it, in

terms of it's typography. these cardinal mistakes

went further to cloud the message i attempted

to portray.

Personally I am not sure that I was attempting

to make an political statement as was suggested

to me, more over an statement about life in

general. However for the sack of personal growth

I think it would bee relevant to research the

following theories and artist.

Barbera Kruger

Skin Head Culture

Slogans

And Basic principles of graphic design

While my execution of the photography was well

done expanding my boundries by using a medium

format camera for the first time, develop the

negatives myself .

I am disappointed that the slogan I designed did

not have the visual credence i was hoping for.

I still stand behind the concept that support

the slogan. Over the week coming I will

revisit and try to develop this idea

Stephen Shore

Stephen Shore can be described as an seminal

figure in the art of photography and as with his

peer William Egglestone I find it interesting to note

that many parallels can be found between these two

artists, one major similarity is the early age they both

emerged as artists although it is safe to say Shore was

still an adolesence (14) when his pictures where first

acquired the Museum of Modern Art. Three years later

at the age of 17 Shore was documenting scenes at Andy

Warhol Studio and in 1971

Andy Warhol shot by Stephen Shore

at the age of 23 Shore became the first living photographer

to have a one man show at the the Metropolitan Musuem of

Art. Shore's contribution to the acceptance of color

photography in Art circles is beyond

reproach

His use of the technical accurate 8 X 10 camera, a format that

requires both patience as well expertise in a BBC commissioned

documentary, Stephen Shore on the Road .

Shore stating that using an 8X 10 camera

"is like communicating what the world looks like in

heighten awareness"

8X10 camera

in the several interviews I read and watch about Stephen

Shore an reoccurring theme of Visual Thinking, this is a

concept that I have much subscribe to, the idea that i image

can beyond word or moreover no words can be placed on it

is refreshing to me

afterall sometime it's good to stop talking and just

admire the image

Discourse discussion

Fridays discussion was interesting to say least. And In typical style,

I was arguing against the house, in justification.I will quote Nietzsche " student that does question the teacher is not learning anything"

I must say for the record that I have enjoyed discourse although am still not a fan of Nan Goldin. And whilst I'm giving out kudos I would like to thanks to Greg and Ellias and the peeps that did turn up for a good discussion.

(apologies if I have spelt his name wrong) .

The house stated that computers have made this world worse to paraphrase.

A view point that I fundamentally disagree with for a myriad of reasons.And although the house won, my viewpoint has not changed on this topic.The valid arguments presented by the house, still boiled down to one single thing,

personal human choice and that to me is paramount.

A computer is a inanimate object, it is circuitry and microchips.And in it application this tool is greatly advantageous,the key word there being tool.

The two examples I must give are (1) paedophilia existed before the computers did,the internet did and indeed before facebook did,in the 80's they just hung around schools. And (2) There are amany things that we don't need, living in a rich privileged country like England, furthermore the capital city of this privileged country.I think people forget many of things we enjoy are luxuries.

Arguably the consumer nature of modern world is not as rewarding as the corporations would hope in this time of the signifer and the signified.

So then it again boils down to the same choice.

Do you live to consume or for something else?

The only thing that annoys me about losing a phone. Is losing the information contained in it. I still understand that a phone, the blackberry I'm always on is a tool. I do not feel instantly feel

depressed if I lose it. I know I where my friends and loved ones are..

So again do we live for love, life, art, laughter, learning and

companionship, or use inanimate objects to fill the void that exist in some peoples lives?

Either way computers are just a tool. Which I personally use

for many things. And If I leave my phone at home life is still an adventure.

With that here is a song for you.

Blackalicious - Make Your Feel That Way

the lyrics seem appropriate

Nan Goldin

This is a book about beauty. And about my love

for my friends. - Nan Goldin The other side

Goldin is one of photographer who most

obviously and directly influenced the

style of photography termed as intimate

life.

Born in 1953 in Washinton DC Goldin

graduated School of the Museum of fine arts,

Boston/Tuffs University in 1977/1978.

However her first solo show was held in Boston

was in 1973 and was based on her photographic

journeys through the cities homosexual and

transsexual communities

Bea with Framed Photo of Bernie

Nan's life itself can be described as colourful

and her obsession to have her camera with her

at all times allow Goldin to document the life

lifestyle that she was a part of .

Nan is quoted as saying in a interview that

the camera functioned as her memory which

would of been very useful considering the

narcotic additions she had.

the lifestyle that Nan Goldin choose to live

put her in a prime position to capture the images

she did. And I force to question if most of her

friend did not die of HIV would she be so critically

acclaimed

There are many sign in Nan Goldin work I just

can be bother to look for then through the

chaos , I question all that celebrated in Nan

Goldin not a fan, not a fan, not a fan

Robert Frank

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Feminism

Feminism in it's basic form proposes or demands a political and /

or ethical viewpoint towards cultural experience emphasizing

all types of social conditioning towards gender or sexual

difference. Modern feminism further focuses on the aspects

of sexual orientation, racial and ethnic identification.

Suffragette movement

Feminism itself takes it's roots from the suffragette

movement of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century

continuing to the women's lib movement of 1960's however it is

difficult to map historically, and is not a singular discourse

that can be simply defined. In The Feminism

and Visual Culture reader edited by Amelia Jones, feminism

is loosely defined as "any argument (whether visual or verbal,

embodied, virtual, or textual) which takes an interest in, or can

be deployed to explore , the ways in which subjects take on,

perform, or project gendered identities is, to some extent,

feminist, or at least is useful for feminist study of visual or other

kinds of culture"

Amelia Jones

Whether or not the definitions around what feminism are

clear, one thing is certain, there is a direct correlation between

feminism and postmodernism. Alice Jardine was quoted in Steven

Conner's book Postmodernist Culture An Introduction to theories

of the Contemporary

"To give a new language to these other spaces is a project filled

with both promise and fear....."

The quote above indicates how key works in the field of

linguistics and semiotics (Roland Barthes) coupled

with developments in the field visual culture which

in similar way to cultural studies has the impulse to reject

disciplinary hierarchies have given feminism a critical voice.

Roland Barthes

"Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at.

This determines not only most relationships between men

and women but also the relation of women to themselves"

artists like Cindy Sherman and feminism artist like her have

taken this voice and embraced it

Cindy Sherman

Modernism/Postmodernism

Photographs are perhaps the most mysterious of all

the objects the make up and thicken, the environment

we recognize as modern (p4 Susan Sontag on Photography)

Modernism usually refers to an overarching aesthetic

movement that started just before the twentieth century approx.

1890. Empowered by an rejection of old victorian standard of

how art should be constructed. Applying to visual art, music,

literature and drama and fueled excuse the pun by the new

technology of the age such as internal combustion, telephones,

aluminum, and indeed cameras

Between 1910 to say 1930 the so called period of high Modernism,

intellectuals such as Marcel Proust, Virgina Woolf and James Joyce

helped to radically redefine what art, poetry and fiction could be .

james joyce

Joyce was quoted as saying "History is a nightmare from which we

are to awaken"

it is not possible to discuss Modernism without referring to the term

Modernity that refers to a group of philosophical, and ethical ideas

that provide the foundation for the aesthetic aspect of modernism.

If I am to paraphrase Marshall Berman in his book in All that is

solid melt to air.

Marshall Berman

"To be modern is to find ourself in an environment that promises us

adventure, power, joy, growth, transformation of ourselves in the world"

quite paradoxically this new world this comes at the price of

destroy the same existing practices we already have and know,

in terms of beliefs and traditions, this principle cuts

across all borders from ethnicity, geography and class

to religion and ideology.

Understanding modernity is about creating order out of chaos

according to Frederic Jameson an American Literary Critic and

Marxist political theorist.

Frederic Jameson

I personally note that Post Modernism as before it with Modernism

was a code of practice, A way of doing things that challenged the

ideas that came before it. A intellectual renaissance if you will

"Modernism and post modernism are cultural formations which accompany

particular stages of capitalism"

to quote Frederic Jameson again

In understanding modernism it makes it easier to understand the

complicated set of ideas that form Post Modernism , as post

modernism as a concept covers a wide variety of disciplines

including art, music, film, fashion and technology to name a few.

This principle emerged within academia in the mid- 1980's.

Post modernism like modernism follows along the same theme

rejecting boundaries between high and low forms and art,

rejecting rigid genre distinctions, parody, irony and playfulness

Steve Conner in his book Postmodernist culture: an introduction

to theories of the contemporary states that" post modernism is a belief

that, when we experience life, we partially understand it and when

we try to understand life, we are no longer really experiencing it."

Post modernism is infinitely complex subject with many sub

constructs because of it broad application. However the most

simple definition was presented by

John Rajchman in Sylvia Harrison's book Pop art and the

origin of post-modernism.

John Rajchman

Post Mordernism is "A hybrid field of social theory,

literary criticism, cultural studies and philosophy"

With a smile I will recount a thought that occurred to me,

so if we have an intellectual renaissance every about 50 year

is the next movement coming or is it here??

Dreadiknight

Philip-Lorca diCorcia

fig 1

Philip-Lorca diCorcia was born in 1951 in Hartford Connecticut he attended the school of the museum

of Fine Arts,Boston in 1976 and passed to post graduate level. His work has been described as evocative and enigmatic. with his

use of elaborate staging he takes everyday scenes to what I read described as "beyond the realm of Banality"

(Noun 1 - Trite or Obvious remark ), I really had to look that one up.

fig2

diCorcia's work has practically exhibited world wide New York's MOMI, London's TATE, and Tokyo's Art Space Ginza

to take three from an extensive list, as far as i can count 5 publish books and several award under his belt it is more than general consensus

Philip-Lorca diCorcia is artistically and critically acclaimed.

Personally i love his work and enjoy his dark sense of humour, It where find the punctum of his work, diCorcia is quoted as saying

“As a photographer you are completely dependent on the object,” this is the studuim of his work. Turn ordinary situations in to something unreal. Which again personally I believe the job of any photographer who considers themselves an artist

Erno Nussenzweig

In 2005 Philip-Lorca diCorcia was sued by Erno Nussenzweig, over an image from his book heads which he shoot in times square. Using lights connected to construction scaffolding diCorcia controls the lights and shutter from twenty feet away so the subjects where not aware

that their image was being taken. At the case in 2006 Nussenzweig maintained that taking his image without his permission was a violation of his privacy rights under New York law arguing the images where for the purpose of trade diCorcia argued that the piece where artistic expression protected under the first amendment, the judge voted in diCorcia favor and dismiss the case. Alllow his book to be published.

I would say Philip-Lorca diCorcia one of the great photographers of this time.