Work-in-Progress #1

 For my first critique I have compiled a series of photos consisting of either photos taken of other photos, as well as, action shots that were captured at a Dream Act rally which took place downtown at Senator LeMuix's office on September 20th. In this early stage of my project, I have been experimenting with different styles and technique which I will discuss in the following:

 (The images that I chose to present to the class were used to illustrate different ideas that I was entertaining at the time. I was hoping to elicit feedback in the form of constructive criticism from my classmates in order to determine what was working and what needed to be worked on.  

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The first three photos seen to the left are handmade collages. I attempted to approach the assemblage from a variety of angles in order to see which had the most effective and powerful delivery. 

For the first photo I used a very direct approach. It gives the impression of a distanced and objective photographer. I can also read this image as being void of emotional investment on the part of the photographer; there is evidence of curiosity. This approach provides a very holistic perspective.
 

  The second photograph focuses on one particular photo within the collection and distorts (using blur/ focus) the remainder. The third photo zooms into a portion of the whole in a much more personal manner than we were initially presented with for Photo numero uno.

In the future, I would like to blow up #1 and #3 to see if that method of presentation would affect how I (and others) interpret the material being presented. I would also like to take these photos out into nature in order to produce photos of them in very organic environments, sort of like stand-in's for real people. Its almost as if it implies that the the person's essence is trapped inside the photograph itself. It would be a very interesting endeavor to attempt. 

These two photos illustrate my attempt to determine whether I wanted to work with B&W as opposed to color. I have never before worked with B&W, but for some reason, I feel much more drawn to this approach at this time. I think that it allows the viewer to spend more time focusing on the principle rather than the actual photo content. Additionally, not seen here, I had written on top of the photo seen to your left, manipulating it in a very Wendy Ewald- esqe fashion.

 

These last two images explored the idea of identity in the context of a photograph. In the image above, you can see the subject carrying a sign which gives us insight into who he may be as a person. We are immediately drawn to make connections between this man and his message. Whereas, in the photo below, the man's identity is concealed. His message comes across first, which makes a much strong statement in my opinion.

 

 I would like to continue exploring the artistic tool of photo manipulation as well as investing photographic portraiture to a greater degree. After reading Chapter 3 in the "Photograph as Contemporary Art" by Charlotte Cotton, I have become interested in deadpan style and I wonder if I could apply what I read about to my current project. I also am curious about the interplay between text and image; taking into consideration difference between handwritten text created on top of the photo in question compared to computer generated text or handwritten text that was captured within the photographic frame itself (such as is the case in the last photograph).

Stay tuned to see what else is in store!

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