Introduction to the unit
The overall theme of this unit is distortion. Distortion represented by unnatural shapes, emptiness, cold colours and strange buildings. The overall motif of this unit is the abstract, what lies outside the box. Here you will find my own interpretation of the work of professionals and how I was able to differentiate my work from what has already been done.
JR
JR is a French photographer who protests for the betterment of society by highlighting those who live within areas of conflict. He brings them into the light through pasting large images of these overlooked people over buildings around the globe. He has visited large landmarks in many cities and also dangerous borders to create a difference within society.
Portrait of a generation:
Example of his work:
JR flyposts large black and white photographic images in public locations. He states that "the street is the largest art gallery in the world" His journey began in the streets of Paris.
How to rasterbate:
Step 1: Visit rasterbator on the internet
Step 2: Upload your image
Step 3: Set an overlap of 5mm and margin of 10mm. Set 2 sheets width
Step 4: Set style to black and white rasterbation
Step 5: Keep colours the same
Step 6: Set to interlaced halftone and size to 5mm
Step 7: Complete poster to download as a PDF
step 8: In preview, go to file, export, set type to JPEG, to save as an image
Step 9: Print the completed product
Step 2: Upload your image
Step 3: Set an overlap of 5mm and margin of 10mm. Set 2 sheets width
Step 4: Set style to black and white rasterbation
Step 5: Keep colours the same
Step 6: Set to interlaced halftone and size to 5mm
Step 7: Complete poster to download as a PDF
step 8: In preview, go to file, export, set type to JPEG, to save as an image
Step 9: Print the completed product
Different facial expressions:
These were photographs of myself featuring different facial expressions, ranging from a sad face to a borderline insane face.
First response:
WWW: I was attracted to putting up my posters in this alley way as it connects two socioeconomically diverse locations in London. JR worked to show marginalised communities in certain locations, so I felt that showing the connection between two contrasting places would fit in line with what he wanted to achieve.
EBI: I could have photographed it at a different time of day, preferably night time to show the whiteness of the paper against the dark, as it would have been visually striking. If I had also stuck up multiple photos down the alley, the overall photograph would be more impactful.
EBI: I could have photographed it at a different time of day, preferably night time to show the whiteness of the paper against the dark, as it would have been visually striking. If I had also stuck up multiple photos down the alley, the overall photograph would be more impactful.
Second response:
WWW: I was able to find a location with lots of graffiti. This was useful as JR's work often involved graffiti. This elevated my photograph as it added colour and vibrancy to it and showed off the work of those living in the area, which falls in line with JR's ideas about revealing things to do with marginalised communities.
EBI: If I had also taken these photos at a different time of day. The night sky would look good combined with the bright graffiti.
EBI: If I had also taken these photos at a different time of day. The night sky would look good combined with the bright graffiti.
Gordon Magnin:
Example of his work:
Gordon Magnin is an LA based artist who uses fashion images and turns them into a unique collage of "altered found images" with his use of geometric patterns. His background consists of a Masters degree from the Southern California Institute of Architecture, a bachelors of science in structural engineering from the University of Nevada, meaning that his skill is entirely self taught and his experience is fewer than other artists who have manipulated images for a longer length of time to get to this level of skill.
Geometric portraits
WWW: In response to Gordin Magnin, I I went into photoshop and altered photos of the subject, creating patterns. These patterns took the form of circles. I rotated some of them to create a more unique effect akin to Magnin's own pieces of work.
EBI: if I had possibly had more people to do this task, I could have had different examples of the circular pattern effect.
EBI: if I had possibly had more people to do this task, I could have had different examples of the circular pattern effect.
Geometric shapes-Alma Haser
Almer Haser is a photographer and artist born in Germany but currently lives and works in London, England. She specialises in portrait photography but physically distorts her work by using folded paper to create interesting shapes, resulting in an almost distorted picture.
Alma Haser is known for her complex and meticulously constructed portraiture, which are influenced by her creativity and background in fine art. I recreated this by folding a picture of a model into a 3D shape. I then placed it on top of another image of the model to achieve the effect that Almer Haser had done in her own work.
WWW: I was able to make the 3D shape of the subjects face and balance it on the picture of the man, creating a unique popping effect for the photograph.
EBI: If I had taken the photographs from a bit higher up or maybe at a different angle, the entire thing would look 3D.
WWW: I was able to make the 3D shape of the subjects face and balance it on the picture of the man, creating a unique popping effect for the photograph.
EBI: If I had taken the photographs from a bit higher up or maybe at a different angle, the entire thing would look 3D.
Collage- David Samuel Stern
David Samuel Stern, a Brooklyn born photographer digitally weaves images together. The finished product has an unclear, hazy effect. He has also created images that have been cut into hexagonal shells.
Response:
WWW: I was able to get a satisfactory photograph of myself and weave the different strips of paper in and out of each other.
EBI: This weave would be better if I had found a technique more suitable for weaving, one that looked more neat and refined.
EBI: This weave would be better if I had found a technique more suitable for weaving, one that looked more neat and refined.
Portraiture, fragments and patterns - Kehinde Wiley
Examples of his work:
Kehinde Wiley uses poses and props seen in traditional portrait paintings. He finds models based in New York and asks them to choose a painting they would like to emulate. Kehinde Wiley's work often challenges stereotypes, presents personal stories and celebrates an individual.
My task for this project was to get the subject to imitate a painting of someone famous. I would then place the image into photoshop and then replace the plain background with one that resembles the colours in the painting.
Response:
WWW: Initially I found it difficult to separate the subject from the background. I initially used the magic lasso tool but did not find it accurate enough. I began to experiment with different methods to do this. I discovered three ways to do this; the magic pen option is probably the most accurate but as my subject was on a plain background, I was able to use the quick selection tool. This cut him from his background perfectly, allowing me to blend the new patterned background and the subject together perfectly.
EBI: With a stronger Photoshop skill set, I could have made his face appear the same medium as the background as seen in Wiley's photographs.
EBI: With a stronger Photoshop skill set, I could have made his face appear the same medium as the background as seen in Wiley's photographs.
Break the structure: Thomas Kellner
Thomas Kellner describes himself as more of an artist than a photographer. Kellner's work closely imitates the wandering look of an eye, showing us segments that come together as one image. His photographs reconstruct our view of architecture.
Example of Thomas Kellner's work:
Second response
My task for this project was to take images of regular buildings and then put them in photoshop, where I would twist and distort the image.
For this task, I travelled to Crouch End, where I captured a photograph of the clock tower, which is in it's own way, the heart of Crouch end.
WWW: I worked on the image in Photoshop where I placed a contact sheet over the image, created a copy and twisted the image, to create a unique effect where the building was tilted horizontally, alongside the shops in the background.
EBI: If I had made certain shapes in Photoshop out of the building, it might look more refined.
WWW: I worked on the image in Photoshop where I placed a contact sheet over the image, created a copy and twisted the image, to create a unique effect where the building was tilted horizontally, alongside the shops in the background.
EBI: If I had made certain shapes in Photoshop out of the building, it might look more refined.
Patrick Cornillet
Patrick Cornillet is a photographer that gathers images of concrete structures. He uses digital software to remove everything beside the structure itself, to reveal their interesting shape.
Examples of his work:
Patrick Cornillet response:
For this task, I travelled around Fortismere school. I was able to find a point at which I could take a picture of what would become an interesting piece once it I had removed the background. Through Photoshop I was able to highlight it's structural beauty.
WWW: I was able to capture a wide photograph of the school building, covering two different blocks. This wide shot proved useful as the photograph as a whole looked unique and looked as if it was floating in liminal space.
EBI: If I had refined the empty space more; I could have a neater shot.
WWW: I was able to capture a wide photograph of the school building, covering two different blocks. This wide shot proved useful as the photograph as a whole looked unique and looked as if it was floating in liminal space.
EBI: If I had refined the empty space more; I could have a neater shot.
Anastasia Savinova:
Anastasia Savinova is a Russian artist. She currently lives in Sweden, where she creates collages of multiple houses to make one giant house.
response:
Below is the process I used to make the final product. I made the house feel more like it was hand drawn to mirror Savniova's style.
WWW: I was able to blend the houses together seamlessly, giving the impression that they were all one building. I also gave the houses a more hand drawn feel, similar to how the artist creates her pieces.
EBI: I could have used more colourful buildings, to really express that the buildings were fused together in Photoshop rather than it looking as if it were meant to be like this as if it were a puzzle with the pieces falling directly into place.
EBI: I could have used more colourful buildings, to really express that the buildings were fused together in Photoshop rather than it looking as if it were meant to be like this as if it were a puzzle with the pieces falling directly into place.
Sun Ji
Sun Ji is a Shanghai born photographer who creates dystopian-style collages through combining photos of concrete buildings and modern structures.
Response:
WWW: I was able to capture a photograph of a landscape that had a destroyed appearance, similar to the grey and melancholy buildings Sun Ji uses.
EBI: I had a unique range of buildings in one shot, as it would closely resemble the work of Sun Ji. Unfortunately the road had a more uniform look to its buildings.
EBI: I had a unique range of buildings in one shot, as it would closely resemble the work of Sun Ji. Unfortunately the road had a more uniform look to its buildings.
Strand 1
Patrick Cornillet
For this strand, I am going to photograph specific things such as stairs, including both regular stairs and spiral stairs.
WWW: I was able to gather photographs of different underground stairs, including escalators, spirals and regular stairs. In Photoshop, the surrounding area was transformed into liminal space, thus creating an empty and lonely feel. The stairs are now surrounded by a vast emptiness.
EBI: I was able to get a variety of different types of stairs, however, the underground was very limited when it came to stair colours and the tiling on them.
EBI: I was able to get a variety of different types of stairs, however, the underground was very limited when it came to stair colours and the tiling on them.
Strand 2
Ansel Adams
For this project I was tasked with finding a vast landscape and taking pictures of it. To do this, I travelled to different parks and fields around London.
WWW: The photos I have taken have imitated that of Ansel Adams, they are images that capture both the field and the sky, covering lots of area. The theme of the photos is nature. I then transformed the colourful images into black and white, to stay true to the cameras of the time.
EBI: I took photos of a broader landscape, one that better represents the grand scale of Ansel Adams' photos. This would make my photos more like his.
EBI: I took photos of a broader landscape, one that better represents the grand scale of Ansel Adams' photos. This would make my photos more like his.
Developed strand 2
Whereas I took photographs in parks and fields for my strand 3, here, for the extension, I took photographs in one of the Canary Islands (Fuerteventura).
WWW: I managed to capture photographs by beaches where there was a lot of wide, open space, allowing me to have a clear and empty photo. Another thing that went well was that I was able to take photos where there was some rocky terrain and large hills/mountains.
WWW: I managed to capture photographs by beaches where there was a lot of wide, open space, allowing me to have a clear and empty photo. Another thing that went well was that I was able to take photos where there was some rocky terrain and large hills/mountains.
Strand 3
Thomas Kellner
Thomas Kellner views himself as more of an artist than a photographer. I intend to go to central London and photograph tall buildings, potentially famous ones such as the shard, Big Ben, houses of Parliament and more.
For this task, I had to take photos of buildings that had an odd shape or a pattern to them. This is because they would look unique and more interesting after being photoshopped. Another reason was because Thomas Kellner took photos of famous landmarks, so finding an abstract building would achieve a similar interesting effect.
WWW: To capture these photos I journeyed into central London and East London. each of these photos resemble that of Thomas Kellner's work as they are tall buildings, from a famous city. To create the distorted effect, I went into Photoshop and twisted each layer, re-shaping the images of the buildings. I think this went well as I managed to gather a variety of tall buildings including a couple of famous ones, buildings with strange architecture, close up shots of buildings and long shots of buildings.
EBI: I gathered images of more colourful buildings, as it would create a distinctive effect that would help to differentiate my work from that of Kellner's. I also could have distorted the images into something that still represents a building, just in a different style. It would also be better if I used more layers, as I could distort the image even further and make more interesting shapes.
FINAL PIECE:
I have chosen to do this as my final piece as it mirrors previous work I have done in Fragments, including but not limited work on Thomas Kellner.
Strand 3 development
To develop my second strand on Thomas Kellner, I am going to merge Patrick Cornillet's ideas on stairs with the buildings that Kellner uses. This will closely imitate the work of Nicholas Kennedy-Sitton.
Examples of Nicholas Kennedy-Sitton's work:
Nicholas Kennedy-Sitton's work is of distorted architecture. This effect is achieved through circling the area you want to change and twisting it.
Response:
WWW: I was able to achieve a similar effect seen in Nicholas Kennedy-Sitton's work; the twisted building. Image 1 was the perfect amalgamation of my previous pieces of work and is a summary of the unit, as it details distortion. In image 2 with the lighthouse, it stands out from the background due in part to it's miserable look, which is contrasted by the stark blue sky. With image 3,4 and 5, I took pictures of buildings that were residential as part of my work for the whole Fragments unit revolved around that. I believe each image works due to them being so reminiscent of previous work I had done in the unit.