methods and meaning
Fig 1. Kubota, H. 1997. Hiroji Kubota’s 1997 photograph taken in Myanmar, depicting darkroom notes scribed by Pablo Indiro
I have taken the time this week, to reflect on my practice. A more challenging task than anticipated and certainly one which I am still contemplating, and will no doubt adapt, re-form and develop as I move through the modules. The short break following the completion of my BA, has allowed me some valuable time and distance away from my work, which has proved illuminating when revisiting my previous projects, with scrutiny and a critical eye.
Examining my methodologies this week, I attempted to separate and analyse the various parts of my process, the strategies; visual and conceptual, explored what my passions are, and thought on what I am intuitively drawn to pointing my camera at.
My concepts are exploring the human condition, childhood memories, trauma, and mental health, however, I integrate my personal emotional response into my art. I need to feel passionate about the subject. To translate these philosophical thoughts and feelings into images I rely on abstract visual strategies, employing interdisciplinary techniques; collage, paint, text and extraneous media. Using alternative art media allows multiple visual languages.
Taking these elements of my practice apart, and retrofitting them to my work has allowed me to see how the parts make the whole, which parts are superfluous, and which parts I need to analyse further. Recently I have been questioning my use of text and how this alters the rhetoric of the image. Also considered my exploration of timelines, photography as two or more memories blended together. Using photography as a way of consolidating memories into a singular object.
Independent research this week; why do we write (apply handwriting) to an image, what does this change? Duane Michals thought it made an object that could be re-printed limitless times, unique, rather like signing it.
"No one can re-produce my handwriting, but someone else can always make a new print" ( cited in Camus: 1990).
Michal Foucalt writes, "It is like a trail I have left behind me, uncertain, strange markings, a proof that I've been there". (cited in Camus: 1990)
Perhaps the act of writing on an image transforms the photograph into an object as opposed to what the photograph is depicting. Barthes writes that text changes the rhetoric, adds context (1990). But why choose handwriting over a machine-generated typeface? Perhaps we can read something about the individual from handwriting, maybe it promotes a personal connection to the author?
I came across Pablo Inirio's darkroom prints. It reminded me of my own experience in darkrooms. The images highlight the superficial nature of an image, the tampering to achieve the 'perfect print', or perhaps the re-visiting of a moment to chase on ideal. They remind me of anatomical illustrations of plants and animals.
REFERENCES
BARTHES, Roland. 1990. Image, music, text. London: Fontana.
CAMUS, R. 1990. Photofile: Duane Michals. London: Thames and Hudson.
FIGURES
Fig 1. KUBOTA, H. 1997. ‘Burning Beauty’. Magnum Photos [online]. Available at: https://www.magnumphotos.com/newsroom/burning-beauty/ [Accessed at 8 June 2024]