Externally set assignment:
Chosen theme : MANIPULATING REALITY
The reason I chose manipulating reality is because I am confident about the types of experimentations I could do within the project. Manipulating reality seems to have a lot in common with the Abstraction project and so I think I will focus on abstracting my images using similar processes. My main method of experimentation and abstraction throughout most of my projects has been using Photoshop and I believe I have developed my own style of abstraction and photography that can be implemented in this project. I am thinking of using Photoshop to overlay, distort and change the colours of the images in a similar way to my Architecture project.
Another method I would like to try is using cut outs and physically abstracting image. To do this, I could cut out simple, geometric shapes and overlay them onto the images. Furthermore, I could experiment with different materials and fabrics. For example, an image of a flower but manipulating it by placing fabric cut outs of the petals over the petals of the image so it seems as though the flower has fabric petals that pop out of the image. Experimenting with other materials gives the images a surreal design that could be interesting to explore.
In addition, I am thinking of using a photo board to manipulate my images. What I mean by this is I could mount my images to a board and layer my images on top of each other. I used a similar process for my Component 1 Architecture final piece and i was pleased with the outcome. However, I think that simply mounting images may not be abstract enough and so I think the best option would be to cut out the photo board and crafting a photo sculpture. I like the idea of this since I used the same experimentation for my photo sculpture in the Edges project and it was one of my most ambitious pieces yet.
Another method I would like to try is using cut outs and physically abstracting image. To do this, I could cut out simple, geometric shapes and overlay them onto the images. Furthermore, I could experiment with different materials and fabrics. For example, an image of a flower but manipulating it by placing fabric cut outs of the petals over the petals of the image so it seems as though the flower has fabric petals that pop out of the image. Experimenting with other materials gives the images a surreal design that could be interesting to explore.
In addition, I am thinking of using a photo board to manipulate my images. What I mean by this is I could mount my images to a board and layer my images on top of each other. I used a similar process for my Component 1 Architecture final piece and i was pleased with the outcome. However, I think that simply mounting images may not be abstract enough and so I think the best option would be to cut out the photo board and crafting a photo sculpture. I like the idea of this since I used the same experimentation for my photo sculpture in the Edges project and it was one of my most ambitious pieces yet.
Tate Modern Trip:
Dora Maar Exhibition:
Dora Maar is a 20th century photographer that specialises in portraiture. Maar is able to utilise the fact that the images are in black and white to her full advantage. There is often stark contrasts between the light and shadows of the images that highlight the features of the face. Occasionally, Maar will deliberately decrease the contrast on some of the images to blend the foreground and background together. This gives the focal point, the person, and eerie and ghostly effect. Moreover, Maar's later images showcase the human condition and the effects of the environment and society on humans.
Other Artwork:
Photographer analysis: Paul Biddle
Paul Biddle specialises in creating surreal images by abstracting the physical objects in front of the camera. Furthermore, Biddle uses strong contrasts between light and dark in his images to emphasise and exaggerate the shapes and composition of the objects which is most evident in his black and white 'island' images. He employs a strong use of colour through high saturation and diverse hues to draw the viewer into the image and discover the various textures and forms of the objects in focus. I like the bold and experimental nature of his images and think I could also experiment with similar techniques in my own work.
Image analysis:
In this photograph, Biddle manipulates reality by digitally adding juxtaposing objects into the image. All of his digital decomposition and editing is completed using Photoshop. For example, he starts with the rough and coarse background of wooden planks and then adds a statue's head and arm in front. In doing this, he creates a dark and monotone background. Then Biddle adds actual as well as images of vegetables on top to create a harsh contrast between the monotone background and the colourful, vibrant vegetables.
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Paul Biddle surreal photo shoot:
With this photo shoot, I explored the surreal aspects that are common in Biddle's work. My objective was to manipulate reality by using reflective surfaces to distort and physically abstract an object. I experimented with both complex and simple objects such as a watch and a flower. I was slightly out of my comfort zone since I usually prefer architecture and landscape photography over small photo shoots like this but overall, I was happy with the final outcome.
These are my most successful images from the photo shoot. I like these because they combine multiple elements of abstraction and in some cases, the last two images, I was able to in-cooperate two objects together in a way that distorted and blended the foreground and background. I like the first few images because I crafted the reflection of the object by bending and folding a reflective material in order to mimic the surface of water. Furthermore, the subtle yet abstract usage of colour in the images, both in the foreground and background, give a surreal atmosphere to the image that was inspired by Biddle's work.
Manipulation 1:
I abstracted my images digitally using Photoshop. My intention was to create harsh contrasts and increase the saturation to create an ethereal, dream like atmosphere reminiscent of the photographer Ernst Haas that I had researched in my Abstraction personal project. Below are some of his images.
Ernst Haas inspiration
Manipulation 2:
Photographer analysis: Franco Fontana
I decided to research Franco Fontana since I believe he has an interesting way of manipulating reality without the aid of extensive abstraction. Franco is able to manipulate the images to make them seem like a painting or a 2D, flat computer rendering. This is done by his choice in subject matter being landscapes. With landscapes, he chooses settings without a lot of complex designs but rather simple and elegant geometry. He creates a warm atmosphere through the light and simple shapes along with the gentle and minimal textures of the fields and clouds. In his urban photography, Franco specialises in composing geometric and sharp shapes in a way that gives the image a flat, abstract appearance.
Image analysis:
In this photograph, Fontana manipulates reality by using vibrant colours to contrast the simple, minimal architecture. Fontana has photographed a relatively simple section of architecture and this is evident in the abundance of simple geometric shapes and straight lines. To make the architecture pop and stand out, Fontana increases the saturation and vibrancy digitally with Photoshop. Thus, the final image resembles abstract art such as the works of Piet Mondrian or Kazimir Malevich.
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Franco Fontana architecture photo shoot:
As a photo shoot, this was less consistent than the previous one since the focus was on architecture and I only photographed architecture that was particularly interesting to me at that moment. I was inspired by Fontana's use of angles and lines to capture architecture and in my abstraction process, I could also manipulate the colours to match Fontana's vibrant colour palette.
Above are my three most successful images from the photo shoot. I like all of these as they all include a few key elements that are common in Fontana's work. Firstly, the buildings themselves are interesting visually. They are either colourful or use lots of lines and edges to form repeating patterns. Secondly, they all have a striking composition filled with geometric shapes. The images have limited blank space and there is a complimentary shape in most corners of the image. Finally, they all have intricate backgrounds that compliment the building. The saturated blue background in the first image contrasts with the light red minimal architecture. The dark night sky in the second image compliments the dark windows of the building. The light blue, cloudy sky in the third image is reflected in the windows of the skyscraper which amplifies the cool tone in the image.
Manipulation 1:
For the first two, I followed the basic abstraction process that had worked well for me in the previous architecture project. I like the second image more since the buildings look as though they have completely blended together and merged. For the last two, I built on the previous manipulation by cutting out shapes. For the red building, I chose to cut out a few, large, simple shapes to reflect the simple, monotone building. In the last image, I chose to cut out long, thin strips to match the edges and lines of the windows that compose the surface of the building.
Manipulation 2:
Photographer analysis: Maurice Tabard
Maurice Tabard is able to manipulate reality by overlaying images and using shadows and light to abstract the focus of the image. The images on the left showcase Tabard's work involving people as the subject. In the images, Tabard creates a dream like atmosphere as though the figure in the image is contemplating something or in a scene from a noir movie. The images on the right use the environment and structures as the focus. In these images, the contrast between the light and dark are greater due to the heavy use of natural lighting from outside as opposed to the indoor lighting in the previous images. I also like Tabard's images due to the effective and consistent use of thin lines and edges that compose the image.
Image analysis:
In this image, Tabard manipulates reality by blending multiple images together. Like other surrealist photographers of the time, Tabard experimented with techniques such as solarization, montages and in this image, double exposures.Tabard uses two different exposures and blend them together into one image. The main, dominant exposure is that of a tree with a structure in the background. The secondary exposure is that of a figure facing away from the camera. The images have been combined to make the legs of the figure blend with the trunk of the tree. Tabard has managed to create an eerie and ghostly effect with the unusual changes of light and dark areas in the image which is built upon by the low or high contrasts in small areas of the image.
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Maurice Tabard photo shoot:
For this first photo shoot, I was inspired by Tabard's photograph of the tree. I attempted to replicate the same angle and composition of her photograph. I decided to angle the camera up at the tree in a way that prevents any other object or building from entering the frame. This meant that only the branches of the tree and the sky were in the final images. I like this technique since it draws focus to the lines and angles of each branch due to the simple background. I was very pleased with the outcome since the images were similar to Tabard's tree image. Therefore, I challenged myself to use the same technique to capture the exact opposite structure. This lead to the final few images in which I had man made structures as the focal point. I think these images were interesting since they took a completely different composition to the tree images as the took up little space.
Edited set:
Here are my manipulated images. I mirrored Tabard's work by converting all images to black and white. This photo shoot is composed of two sets of images. The first set of images have been edited to have high contrasts and high sharpness. I did this because it highlights the rigid edges and random lines of the branches in a painting or ink design like format. The second set of images are directly below their first set image counterparts. With the second set, I tried to get as close to Tabard's tree photograph as possible by decreasing the contrasts significantly and increasing the grain of the images. This gives the images a ghostly atmosphere that is what gives Tabard's work and interesting and ethereal complexity. I think that after these photo shoots, I could try to overlay the high contrast images with the low contrast images and blend certain areas together to further advance the manipulations and also to make it closer to Tabard's image style.
Manipulation 1:
With this manipulation, I started by overlaying the same image over a lighter version of itself to create the shadow like effect that was inspired by Tabard's work. I then added my own abstraction techniques such as using simple geometric shapes like rectangles to obscure the tree. In the second manipulation, I added to the first by distorting the image. This was done by once again overlaying the first manipulation over itself and the cropping out long strands of the top layer to reveal the bottom layer which was moved slightly up to ensure the two layers don't match up.
Manipulation 2:
Second photo shoot:
In this second photo shoot, I focused on the patterns that the branches made. I found this particularly interesting since the branches seem to be angled towards completely random directions but as you focus in and really think about them, you begin to see patterns. These patterns form fractal like structures and it I was particularly drawn to the idea of structured and ordered complexity in the seemingly random aspects of the natural world.
Photographer analysis: René Magritte
Rene Magritte is a surrealist painter and photographer and this is evident in his work. His paintings on the left all in-cooperate a sense of mystery and eeriness due to the lack of a face to relate to which creates a meaningless yet strikingly complex piece of art. His photographs on the right also employ similar tropes and techniques to build an otherworldly atmosphere. He often manipulates reality by doubling and replicating the subject in a slightly different way or by having two objects overlaying one another.
Image analysis:
In this piece of art, Magritte is able to manipulate reality by manipulating the viewers internal mind rather than the external world and the objects in the image. In this aspect, Magritte's work is extremely thought provoking once analysed in greater depth. With this specific piece of work, Magritte combines the painting of a pipe with the sentence below that roughly translates to 'This is not a pipe'. Magritte uses a plain background to isolate the two focal points of the image in the foreground. The main themes and ideas about the image does not stem from the colours, shapes, textures or tones but from the meaning of the subjects themselves. The painting of the pipe is constructed to clearly resemble our interpretation of a pipe yet the sentence below states otherwise. This could be Magritte's way of exploring the idea of 'meaning' in an image that seems to mean one thing, only for us to be told it is not. The image raises existential questions like which pipe is actually real: the image of the pipe or the word pipe itself? I think that when I begin my Magritte styled photo shoot, I will focus on manipulating reality by manipulating the 'meaning' and purpose of the objects in the frame.