Photography Project Plan: Disappearance

 This my project plan from Week Five, I will update on this posts over coming weeks.

Update - 29th February 2024

Initial Research  - Yes - Paul A Photography research

Initial Photo shoot with development - First Shoot for Disappearance 

Further Research - Family of Man, (Outstanding Target Market and One more research Lissa Riveria) 

Software Practice and and Concept Board

Second Shoot for final images (outstanding) 

Add any Process post x 2

Photography: Sustainability & Wellbeing

Photography Curation and Adding Images to Gallery 

Website updates and UX Testing

Creative Writing: Writing Exercise One

 Emotion: Sadness

Jasmine woke to the sound of someone shouting what sounded like Jonny's in the hole, save Jonny!' over and over again. Jasmine groaned this happened, every morning at 6.00am, Mrs Wilson was one of the old dears who lived in the care home downstairs and Jasmine from her attic room where the night staff lived, was woken by this cry. It was almost like having a cockrel, Jasmine groaned again, rubbed her head and crawled out from under the warm sheets.  The heating was on full blast so she already felt hot and sweaty, the day stretched ahead like a long piece of twine that got tighter and tighter as the day forged on.  Jasmine took the faster shower in recorded history and then dressed rapidly, she desperately wanted to see the day outside before she was sucked into work.  Jasmine flew out the door nearly tripping over Tommy the house cat, who yelped and hissed at her as she ran towards the beach, which was just over the road from her front door.  Jasmine arrived and as the sea lapped rather aggressively at her bare feet (she had thrown off her shoes and gingerly tip-toed over the stony beach), the salty sea hair filled her mouth and the clouds loomed ominously.  Jasmine felt the full weight of her sadness course through her veins, she put her shoes back on started walking rapidly down the promenade to try to race away from her looming darkness. 

Creating a Website: Homepage

 Today I will be creating my own website using Wix and my website will showcase my work in Photography and performance.  I am beginning with a template and then I will customise my homepage.

I picked this template as I liked the clean white background and two clear images on the homepage, it was nice and simple and I think I can make this showcase my own work well. 

I will begin by changing text of the name I double clicked on the text and got the text dialog box up. 

I had to change my first page as this was a portfolio page which I did not want on the front of the website.  I wanted a dedicated homepage.  I added a new page by clicking on the left hand side menu on pages, I added a page and then renamed it 'Home'. I then used the font I had chosen for my name which was 'Bitter' at 80 pts.  I changed this in the dialog box.  I then also added my progression route which is Photography but as I work in other areas it was 'Photography and Performance' This again was using the 'Bitter' font but this was at 60pts. 

I then added an image, this is just a holding image until I add my own.  I did this by right clicking on the section background and changing the image which I downloaded from Unsplash and then uploaded to Wix. 

I then went the footer and changed the copyright to the correct year and my own name.  I also deleted the 'lets chat' button as this will not be used and I also deleted the social media bar as I will be creating this later. 

I moved my navigation to the centre using gridlines to ensure it is centred in the Header so it appears on every page. To ensure consistency I also clicked on the text opened the design dialog box and changed the font to 'Bitter' at 22pts, Bold.

I went into the left hand menu and to pages.  I deleted the pages I did not want by clicking into the three dots and clicking on 'delete' in the drop down menu.  I then used the 'Add Page' button and created the two new pages that I needed so I would have Home, About, Portfolio and Contact pages in my navigation bar in the Header  so that it would appear on every page.  

This is my finished homepage for the moment, I will be changing the image to an original image, however I am pleased with the design I like the Layout and I do think one image that covers the section has good impact and the navigation bar is easy to use and I have previewed and checked all the pages work. I| have saved all my work, as I have gone along, to ensure I do not lose any of my changes. 

Lastly I checked my mobile view on my homepage as I had already adjusted header setting and menu I did not have to complete any further adjustments or edits at present - I previewed and everything is working correctly.

Update - I have now changed my homepage to my own and adjusted the background and colours.  I just right clicked and went 'change section background and then I uploaded my own image and added this as below.

I also checked my mobile view and this did not need any adjustments

Photography Research: The Family of Man

 In this post, I am going to talk about an image from The Family of Man.  This exhibition was; 'to showcase the beautiful universality of human experience. Its mastermind, Edward Steichen, honed two million pictures down to 503, capturing everyday life in 69 countries. It started out at MoMA in 1955 then toured the world, being seen by nine million people.' (“The Family of Man: Photography That United the Planet – in Pictures”:2015)  The image below shows an empty forest with a naked child (a girl) in the foreground.  The light plays in the background on the higher ground in the top third of this image, the middle third is undulating dark ground covered in forest leaves and in the last third in the foreground, the naked child lies slightly off-centre.  The immediate question is; Is the child dead or alive? Barbara Bullock Wilson, the child in the image now states on her site, the questions that were asked of her family about the image of the child asleep or did something dreadful befall her? Does she belong where she is, did she come willingly, or was she brought to this place forcefully and then abandoned? Perhaps the figure is not a living thing at all, but rather a statue.

Child in Forest, 1951, by Wynn Bullock

Barbara Bullock Wilson also states; -  'He [Wynn  Bullock, her father] would invite them to look at the photograph again. "Be with the child, feel her presence, see the leaves adorning her hair. Put yourself in the forest, watch the light, sense the life." He would go on to say, "There may be a mystery here, but it isn't sinister. It's the mystery of difference and of oneness, of universal forces and relationships, of dimensions we can only begin to glimpse."' (Wilson Bullock B:2015)

The relationship in the image of the forest to the girl is interesting, her naked and innocent body lies exposed to the elements and the forest has created a soft bed for her to lie on, the forest around could be seen as protective and warm.  It also represents the idea of life and creating life as the forest holds so many eco-systems and child perhaps grows like the trees.  The light falls on the white skin standing out from the dark of the forest and this white against the dark heightens the innocence of the child against perhaps darker forces of nature. This image has many readings and that is the success of this image

Looking wider at where this shot was shown in the exhibition of the Family of Man the exhibition took place at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, from January 24 to May 8, 1955. The U.S. Information Agency popularized The Family of Man as an achievement of American culture by presenting ten different versions of the show in 91 cities in 38 countries between 1955 and 1962, The images came from Life magazine and also Vogue or Ladies Home Journal. Photography agencies such as Magnum, Black Star, and Rapho Guillumette these images were then cut down to the final images and curated by Steichen and grouped in thematic sections that 'narrated a generalised story of human life' (“The Family of Man: Photography That United the Planet – in Pictures”:2015)  The exhibition was criticised by Barthes as he felt there was no historical context and it was an essentialist depiction of birth and death.  Miriam Webster Dictionary states; 'Essentialism is the practice of regarding something (such as a presumed human trait) as having innate existence or universal validity rather than as being a social, ideological, or intellectual construct' (Essentialism definition & meaning: 2024). It was also criticised by others as being liberalist, from a Western point of view, cultural colonialism, and silencing photographers and Steichen creating his own narrative. This was probably true and it certainly was Stecichen's vision of humanity and how it should be presented to the world.  This is the interesting thing about curation when others place a narration on your images the story will change and it may not have been at all the vision of the original photographers and all the images were taken from their original context.

As time has passed critics have been more forgiving and saw the exhibition as historically important and representing views and ideas of the time from a Western perspective. What is interesting is how non-western photographers viewed the world and the study of the original images in the exhibition and how they are presented is still much debated today. 

References

“The Family of Man: Photography That United the Planet – in Pictures.” The Guardian, 6 Nov. 2015, www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2015/nov/06/the-family-of-man-photography-united-the-planet-edward-steichen. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.

Tīfentāle, Alise . “The Family of Man: The Photography Exhibition That Everybody Loves to Hate.” FK, July 2018, fkmagazine.lv/2018/07/02/the-family-of-man-the-photography-exhibition-that-everybody-loves-to-hate/. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.

Barbara Bullock Wilson (2015) “Wynn Bullock Photography - Child in Forest, 1951.” Www.wynnbullockphotography.com, 2024, www.wynnbullockphotography.com/highlights/palm-beach-2012/child-in-forest-text.html. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.

Essentialism definition & meaning (no date) Merriam-Webster. Available at: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/essentialism (Accessed: 04 February 2024). 

The Reichstag by Norman Foster: Research

 In this piece of research, I intend to explore the transformation of The Reichstag by Norman Foster.  I am writing about the is as it will inform my own architectural design which is a transformation of The Palais de Dance in Leicester.

The Reichstag Transformation (2015) By Norman Foster

Norman Foster states of the Reichstag architectural design;  “Our transformation of the Reichstag is rooted in four related issues: the Bundestag’s significance as a democratic forum, an understanding of history, a commitment to public accessibility and a vigorous environmental agenda.” (Douglass-Jaimes 2018).  I have chosen the transformation of the Reichstag as my own building design is also a transformation and has a history in Leicester and as Foster in his design, I want this to be publicly accessible and to have excellent sustainable credentials. 

The Palais de Dance (2024) Leicester

Foster in his redesign chose to leave the outer shell of building untouched and wanted the weight of history that was etched into its walls still be seen and felt by this coming into imposing structure. Foster had many obstacles when designing this precious monument and had to work with the German parliament to ensure that there was an agreement on how the redesign would work so every part of the transformation had to be agreed right down to final colour scheme of the interior, Arch Daily states; 'Although he initially refused to consider adding a dome, a separate proposal from a German architect to add a reconstruction of the historic dome threatened Foster's vision for the building's interior spaces, and he began exploring ideas for what he came to call the “cupola.” And it was not just the dome that was subject to the whims of the politicians. Then-Chancellor Helmut Kohl insisted on a brighter color scheme for the interiors than the neutral palette of whites and greys that Foster had originally proposed' (Douglass-Jaimes 2018).  In my own redesign of the Palais de Dance I will need to check the building's status as it is probably now listed which will mean I will need to retain many of the original features just as Foster needed to do in The Reichstag. 

The redesign of the Reichstag involved the construction of a dome that illuminated the space and dominated the transformation.  The construction of the dome or cupola became a symbol of renewal  and Foster and Partners states; 'The cupola is now an established Berlin landmark. Symbolic of rebirth, it also drives the building’s natural lighting and ventilation strategies. At its core is a ‘light sculptor’ that reflects horizon light down into the chamber, while a sun-shield tracks the path of the sun to block solar gain and glare.' (Foster & Partners:2024)  This was also intended to be a highly sustainable design so the electricity is powered through using bio-fuel which is refined vegetable oil which would reduce the carbon footprint by 94% (Foster and Partners: 2024).  Also, the building actually produces more power than it uses and therefore it is also a mini power station.  The dome construction was built by Austrian steel and glass specialist Waagner Biro.  They created a technically complex design that; 'consists of 24 major steel ribs, which are supported on a lower ring beam and tapered to an upper ring beam. The horizontal bracing is secured using 17 steel rings. They are an essential part of the design: they also bear the scale-like 3,000m2 of glazing, constructed from 24 panes of glass per row, and the observation deck. This observation deck is accessible over two interlocked, co-rotating spiral ramps made from spatially shaped steel plates.' (Waagner Biro: 2024)  There are also rows of mirrors and a computer-controlled shading element made of aluminum panels which means that the sunlight entering the building is controlled. 

Foster & Partners, The Reichstag Transformation

Dome structures are complex and expensive and when looking at the Palais de Dance a dome actually would be an addition to this building that would once again make this a real landmark in Leicester City Centre and attract a new clientelle.  This would certainly not be on the scale of  The Reichstag but a steel and glass dome with mirrors and shading on a much smaller scale would certainly be a possibility in my own redesign. 

The Palais de Danse on Humberstone Gate, Leicester circa 1950-60s

The nightclub now is in a dilapidated state inside and its last owner Soshi ripped out much of the interiors.  Therefore, it would be better to begin again and completely strip the interior retaining any original features remaining, and then it would need a consultation on the exterior over features that need to be retained and restored back to it's former glory.  

Interior The Palais de dance (2014) 

This could be a very exciting project, I have been able, as yet to obtain, the site/floor plan however this would be my next step to begin my own transformation for this architectural project.

References

Douglass-Jaimes, David. “AD Classics: New German Parliament, Reichstag / Foster + Partners.” ArchDaily, 25 Oct. 2018, www.archdaily.com/775601/ad-classics-new-german-parliament-reichstag-foster-plus-partners. Accessed 26 Jan. 2024.

Foster and Partners (2024). Foster + Partners. [online] Available at: https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/reichstag-new-german-parliament [Accessed 31 Jan. 2024].

Waagner Biro (2024). Reichstag Dome. [online] Waagner Biro steel and glass. Available at: https://www.wb-sg.com/projects/reichstagdome/ [Accessed 31 Jan. 2024].

Goldie87 (2014). Report - - Palais de Danse (Sosho), Leicester - May 2014 | Leisure Sites. [online] 28DaysLater.co.uk. Available at: https://www.28dayslater.co.uk/threads/palais-de-danse-sosho-leicester-may-2014.90144/ [Accessed 31 Jan. 2024].

Photography Research: Paul + A

 Paul Jeff is a professor, experimental artist, and photographer who has worked under various pseudonyms for the last 30 years.  The project that I will be exploring here is Paul + A which was a series of collaborations with a different female artist for each project.  The project was named Life is Perfect and it involved the artist being locked in a hotel room for 24 hours and a series of 'ambitious, repetitive scenarios based on theatrical directions...where they acted out fifty passionate love scenes, all of which ended in a brutal murder' (Bright, 2010)

Man & Woman in a Hotel Room (2004) Paul + A, Life is Perfect

In this image above the metal coat hanger in her hands is wired to the mains plug.  I chose these pieces as they are performative and each image ends in a death.  As stated I am interested in the photographic disappearance and this could also be photographic death, the moment of death, people used to make death masks of the dead which captured their last 'face' now amongst the prolific images it would be good to focus on the final moments, Walter Schels did this and photographed the subjects before and after death (with their express permission)  

Heiner Schmitz (2003) By Walter Schels, Life Before Death

However, going back to the staged image, I was interested in these as they all take place in a hotel room and the environment itself is artificiality, there is no connection between the participants to their surroundings which is perhaps why the images are cold and a murder taking place does not seem out of place.  In my own images, I am very much connected to the rooms in my images, I am in all my images, without being in them as my presence is everywhere.  In the top image here, the participants only are present as the characters they have chosen to play. Jeff in his practice here; 'The sublime moment of death and sexual congress are collapsed metaphorically into the photographic instant, which constitutes both testimony and fiction' (Bright, 2010:192)  Two murders were committed every hour and it was unknown how the images would come out, as Bright states the chances of failure were high.  I enjoy the thought that there may be failure and every shoot I do I know there is always the risk of failure.  This is why it's always interesting, as failure is often so much more useful than success if I want to develop a piece of work.  Jeff's pictures do end up looking like a crime scene but in these images, the perpetrator is still in the image.

Man & Woman in a Hotel Room (2004) Paul + A, Life is Perfect

In the image above the couple have drank a glass of champagne for every cut they have made on their bodies and now they hold a scalpel to each other's throat. So here the setup environment, and the play-acting make these images a compelling read as the participants may not know each other, but maybe they do, the impersonal here becomes deeply intimate as we the viewer (voyeur) stare into the abyss of these frames. In both these images you can see the photographer has a remote trigger in his hands and the wire leading out of the frame of the image to capture the moment that he chooses us to see.  We as a view are now also complicit in this scene, we are the witnesses.  In my own images, the question would be why bother to photograph disappearance, why not just disappear?  I think the answer is that my images are a warning of my disappearance a premonition, perhaps.  Just like the before and after death images - perhaps this is a last look ...

I leave you with a further image from Walter Schels as these really do have sublime beauty and we are privileged to be allowed to view these images of the most private moment.

References

ray.yorksj.ac.uk. (n.d.). Dr Paul Jeff - Research at York St John. [online] Available at: https://ray.yorksj.ac.uk/profile/2082 [Accessed 28 Jan. 2024].

Bright, S. (2010). Auto focus: The self-portrait in contemporary photography. London: Thames & Hudson.

Another, J. (n.d.). Paul Jeff. [online] morebeautifulthangod. Available at: https://morebeautifulthangod.wordpress.com/tag/paul-jeff/ [Accessed 28 Jan. 2024].

Rosenberg, D. (2014). How One Photographer Overcame His Fear of Death by Photographing It. [online] Slate. Available at: https://slate.com/culture/2014/08/walter-schels-life-before-death-includes-portraits-of-people-before-and-after-dying-photos.html [Accessed 28 Jan. 2024].

Photographic Project Disappearance: First Shoot

 As I had planned I shot these images on Sunday morning in my home, I wanted the morning light coming through and I was blessed with the sunlight.  I chose to use my Olympus E-2 as I have a remote trigger for this and a screen that I can see whilst shooting self-portraits. I began with F3.5 and I was expecting to adjust exposure compensation as the light changed continually throughout the shoot as the sun went in and out of cloud cover. I shot in both RAW and High-Quality Jpeg and I shot in both black and white and colour so I could decide which would work best for these shots in the finished work.  I used a tripod for the majority of shots however I took some hand-held test shots while testing the framing and light.  

After the shoot,  I then created contact sheets and began examining the shots. Please see contact sheets here; 

After looking through I much preferred the colour shots and I do think that these will work better for what I have in my in terms of my disapppearance, I actually didn't really want me in the shots at all as my presence is everywhere with the shots of the room s of my home however in the spirit of this project (perhaps spirit, is the word, as I intend to become one) I will use these shots and see what works - this is my first shoot and I liked the living room and bedroom shots but the office shots did not work well there were issues with space and too much in the background - I will rethink this one and I will also shoot further shots in the kitchen.

One shot I thought would work quite well is this one on the bed..

F5, 1/200, ISO 400, +3, 14mm

This shot I experimented and first edited as per the Cohen shots I discussed in my earlier post - deleting myself entirely

I did this on Photoshop simply by selecting myself and then deleting me from it.  Next, I tried using a lens flare and opacity 

This one I preferred as I disappeared into a flash of light, I may experiment with this one further.

The second image I liked from the shoot was by the window 

F3.5, 1/100, +1, ISO 400, 14mm

Using the lens flare does look I am dsappearing or being eliminated it seems harsher that the bedshot so I will continue to work on this and I will also output these images to consider them more fully.

I will complete another shoot as I have further ideas about the shot now around the house. My personal favourite shots are the empty rooms