Media: Project Plan - Is this the end?

 This is my project plan for the Media photography project I will be carrying out this term.

Noel Fielding (2015) Been talking to Jesus all my life

Project Title: Is this the end?

Progression Route: Photography


Describe your major project objective using the SMART acronym

To create a collection of six photographic images that are Expressionist/Neo-Expressionist in style and are based on themes relating to the end times. These images will be taken using a digital DSLR camera and the effects will be in-camera, Photoshop will only be used as quality control to ensure consistency throughout the project. The final images will be added to my website in a new gallery. These will be completed by the beginning of March.

Why have you chosen to do this project?

I am very interested in the expressionist work and that period in history from early to middle 20th century with both World Wars. Now we live in different times and face another kind of threat and I want to explore the idea of end times and Revelation through this work. I want to find ways to express this through photography, exploring photography techniques and composition.

Who are you researching for this project? Please list at least three media producers, authors, musicians, photographers etc.

I will be researching Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Helmut Newton and Weegee. I will also look further into the films Nosferatu and The Cabinet of Dr Calgari for their expressionist methods.

What techniques/skills are you developing/learning for this project?

I may explore night photography, further however I am interested in considering further the frame and composition and will be using many indoor shots as this is our life today.

What do you expect the final outcome of the project to be?

The final outcome of this project will be a set of six images that will be on a gallery on my website. I will also physically output these in hard copy. These images will reflect the end times, I am considering the maniacal laughter and madness that comes when the world seems to be falling.

What have you completed so far for this project?

I have developed and researched my initial ideas, I have considered the equipment and resources I will need/use. I now need to create some test shots and sketches as my next step.

What do you think will be the issues/drawbacks to the project?

As always, time is against me and I will need to ensure that I stick to a strictly disciplined plan to ensure that this will be completed in a timely manner. I also am concerned that I won't get the shots I want, and will need ot reshoot several times.

What is your timescale considering that this has to be completed by Week 10?

Week Three: Project Sign off and this plan!

Week Four: To begin sketching and test shot practice, to consider different compositional techniques and the content of each image

Week Five: To continue to take test shots. Add further research and look closely at other artists techniques

Week Six: Continue to work on the photographs, aim to finalise at least two of these by this time

Week Seven: Further research and finalising at least 3 more of the photographs

Week Eight: Look at website design and update, start to consider portfolio presentation. Complete all pieces ready for portfolio

Week Nine: Quality check everything and write an introduction on the portfolio and complete ready for the deadline.

What resources or materials will you need for this project?

I will be using a DSLR Camera probably my Olympus OM-2 and My Compact camera Olympus Stylus SH-2. I will also be using a tripod, self timer/remote. Photographic printer. Props, Photoshop


Draw a picture/Write a sentence/sketch a story/write a dialogue that captures the essence of your project

'It was given to him to give breath to it, to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as many as wouldn't worship the image of the beast to be killed.' (Revelation 13:15) This resonated with the idea of dictatorships and the forced worship of evil.

We do not face evil now but something more indiscriminate, this is a different kind of fear.

Art & Design and Media Project Sign Off

 I have completed my project sign off as an example for both art & design and media here: Zoe Van-de-Velde Project Sign Off.  

Below is a photograph by Weegee.  Weegee (1899-1968) was a self-taught photographer who had emigrated the United States from the Ukraine he changed his name to Arthur so that it was more American sounding.  Weegee was employed by newspapers and photographed crime scenes, he was allowed a police radio in his car so that he could be one of the first on the scene. He also photographed the city street, politicians and celebrities, published book, and had exhibitions during his own lifetime of his work, respected by both the fine art community and the media. 

Lost His Horse, circa 1960 by Weegee (Arthur Fellig)

References 

ICP (2021) Artist: Weegee Biography [Online] Available from: https://www.icp.org/browse/archive/constituents/weegee?all/all/all/all/0 (Accessed 30/01/21) 

Thinking Picture..

 To help me think and work out how I wanted to create my work this term, I worked on this painting, it is not completed however as I was doing this I knew exactly what I did and did not want to do for my paintings.

What I did like was the size of the canvas which was 10 X 12 inches this size worked well for me and so I will be ordering these online.  I primed the canvas and sketched prior to the painting and as I was doing this I realised I would like to create only black and white work so I will use a colour palette of greys.  I have now also have ideas about what each picture will be I will put up sketches of these shortly so that you can see what I intend.  

I obviously still need to work on my drawing/painting skills and I will share my practice with you as I go along.

Art Portfolio: Project Plan Expressionism and End of Times

 In this post, I will go through my project plan for the term for my project. This term as I am doing both art and media projects I have kept to the same theme for both end of times and using expressionism.

My SMART outcome is as follows:

This term I will use the theme of Expressionism to create six 2D pieces.  These will be created using drawing/painting.  I will probably use traditional methods however I may experiment using digital drawing as well. The concept for these pieces will be end times to reflect the world situation emulating the German Expressionists and their images of World War I & II. The final images will be scanned/photographed and digitised for the portfolio on my website.  

Why have you chosen to do this project?

I have chosen this project as I am very interested in the German expressionist and this period in history between the First and Second World Wars.  I believe that as we are now we are in a different kind of crisis with the pandemic there is similarities in the sense that the world will be changed because of this.  This pandemic has had major economic, social and societal effects and this has changed our future, particularly in the next few years.  I have stated the end times in my objective however I really mean changing times, a future disrupted and altered. I want to express this through this work. 

Who are you researching for this project? Please list at least three artists and/or designers and your additional research on your concept 

As stated in my previous post on initial research I will be looking at Otto Dix, George Grosz and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.  In terms of the concept of end times/changed times I will look at different theories that predict end times and theories on the outcome of this crisis.  

What techniques/skills are you developing/learning for this project?

The skills and techniques I will be exploring and hopefully, improving will be my drawing and painting skills, as I am a photographer I always want to improve these skills as I am not naturally talented in this area. Also, I am particularly interested in this style of drawing/painting and it appeals to my own sensibilities.  I would like to experiment with different mediums and I will see what suits the work and my burgeoning skills best!

What do you expect the final outcome of the project to be?

The final outcome will be a collection of six 2D drawings/paintings that I expect to show a consistent theme and colour palette (this is another area I will be experimenting with ) that will be placed in a gallery that best showcases this work on my website.

What have you completed so far for this project?

I have completed initial research on both concept and theme and through this plan, I aim to have set tasks to complete each week to ensure that the project moves forward and I have deadlines to meet.

What do you think will be the issues/drawbacks to the project?

The main issues I can see are my own drawing/painting skills and improving these sufficiently.  Also, the consistency of the pieces will be very important to ensure that this is a collection that will really come together. 

Obviously, my own skills just need practice and work.  The consistency and narrative through the pieces will need much more thought and consideration.

What is your timescale considering that this has to be completed by Week 10?

Week Three: Project Sign off and this plan!

Week Four:  To begin sketching and practice, to consider different color palettes and look at the narrative through the pieces

Week Five: To continue to sketch and start to work on the pieces.  Add further research and look closely at other artists techniques  

Week Six:  Continue to work on the pieces, aim to finalise at least one of these by this time 

Week Seven:  Further research and finalising at least 3 more of the pieces 

Week Eight: Look at website design and update, start to consider portfolio presentation.  Complete all pieces and photograph/scan these for the portfolio 

Week Nine: Quality check everything and write an introduction on the portfolio and complete ready for the deadline. 

What resources or materials will you need for this project?

The resources and materials I will need are cartridge paper, a set of pencils, charcoal pencils, acrylics, paintbrushes, palette, canvasses (possibly),  digital tablet with drawing/painting app

Draw a picture/Write a sentence/sketch a story/write a dialogue that captures the essence of your project

The passion I have will drive this work and through artistic expression, I hope to find a universal meaning that will touch the viewer 

Media: Visual Project Development & Research

 I have created an infographic on Visme to show a visual representation of my project development and research.  This can be viewed full screen here.  This is my development of ideas for a project using expressionist photography techniques.  I am hoping that this explains further how I plan to work on these ideas. 

Media: SMART Objective

 I have been developing my idea for my Media project as stated previously this needed to be in conjunction with my art project this term where I was using Expressionism.  However, here is an example of neo-expressionism by David Bowie - I will also be exploring neo-expressionism in my photography research.

Self Portrait (1978) David Bowie

SMART Objective

To create a collection of six photographic images that are Expressionist/Neo-Expressionist in style and are based on themes relating to the end times.  These images will be taken using a digital DSLR camera and the effects will be in-camera, Photoshop will only be used as quality control to ensure consistency throughout the project.  The final images will be added to my website in a new gallery.  These will be completed by the beginning of March. 

Media: Developing an Idea - Expressionist photography

 As I am working in both Art and Media classes and my project for Art is in Expressionism I have chosen to develop an idea using Expressionist photography for Media class. This will mean I will have a clear theme through both projects.

I began developing this by looking at Expressionist films of the 1920's as the idea of German expressionist photography was: 'art in which the image of reality is distorted in order to make it expressive of the artist's inner feelings or ideas.' (Tate 2021) 

Nosferatu (1922) was a seminal film of this era.  The film is loosely based on the book by Bram Stoker, Dracula.  The film uses light to create shadows that change in shape and size, also doorways and archways to frame the shots.  The sense of fear and anticipation of horror is palpable. In Sweden this film was banned for excessive horror, the ban was only lifted in 1972.  All known prints and negatives were destroyed of this film under a lawsuit by Bram Stoker's widow.  

Still from Nosferatu (1922) 

Max Schreck as Count Orlok, resting between takes on the set.

The Cabinet of Dr Calgari used similar techniques however many of the sets were made of paper and the shadows painted on the walls.  This was because electricity was in short supply and rationed after World War One so often beams of light had to paint on the walls and using strange camera angles to create the effects that he wanted. The story is fairly simple hypnotist Dr. Caligari uses a somnambulist, Cesare, to commit murders. The final look of the film is truly trange and teh charaters look fantastic on this strange set. 

Still from The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, 1920. Directed by Robert Wiene from a screenplay by Hans Janowitz and Carl Mayer. Courtesy of Kino International.

I also want to discuss here the photographs of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner as I am studying Kirchner's work in painting for Art, it is important to also look at the images that he took.  He was an avid photographer, in fact the only Expressionist painter who really took an interest in photography - which makes him a perfect study for this as I am creating both paintings and photography in Expressionism. Thie photograph below is quite surreal with teh sculpture of the woman mirroring the real woman in the forefront of the image.

Nina Hard, nude in full figure, putting on make-up, 1921, photograph, 17 x 12.5 cm, unsigned, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner,

Kirchner took thousands of photographs and I will explore these in much more detail in later posts.

In terms of devloping the ideas I think this is a good starting point to cosider how I can create Neo- Expresionist photographs.  

References 

Tate (2021) Art Terms: Expressionism [Online] Available from: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/e/expressionism (Accessed 16/01/21)

Rima Shah Photography (n.d.) German Expressionism [Online] Available from: https://rimashahasphotography.weebly.com/german-expressionism.html (Accessed 16/01/21)

IMBd (1990-2021) The Cabinet of Dr Calgari [Online] Available from:https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0010323/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 (Accessed 16/01/21)

IMBd (1990-2021) Nosferatu [Online] Available from: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0013442/trivia (Accessed 16/01/21)

Apollo Magazine () Kirchner: The Painter as Photographer [Online] Available from: https://www.apollo-magazine.com/art-diary/ernst-ludwig-kirchner-the-painter-as-photographer/ (Accessed 16/01/21)