Week 3: Independent Reflection Julie Cockburn
In the image above by Julie Cockburn, we see a landscape image that has been edited post process with appliqué circles. The Idea of the constructed image comes into play twice here. Firstly we have to look at the obvious constructed textile added to the image, this new dimension raises the flat image not only physically, but emotively as well. We read this image in a more creative "art piece" more than we would other images because of the very apparent manipulation of the image. But this is actually a distraction, the image itself is already a constructed piece of art. The photographer/ artist had to frame her image in a way that would not only gain the attention of the viewer but also allow for the postproduction she had planned for the image. The background image, is a piece of construction. The photographer has made decisions that lead to this slice of the scene being the most important. We are drawn in by the construction of the abnormal qualities of the textiles, but we seem to forget the abnormal environment we're looking at. This scene isn't there, its a glimpse of a photographers mind, showing us what she feels is important. The same would go for my images. I am drawing the views in the an image that is obviously not how you would view the objects normally, then allowing the viewer to interact on a level ( with the objects) that they wouldn't of previously. Taking meaning and descriptive language from the piece as a whole, but also allowing them to see an important issue (to me) but through my creative use of photography could resonate an emotive connection with the audience.
In the image above created by Adam Fuss, we are looking at a photogram, created by placing objects on photographic paper and exposing it to light, Adam Fuss employed this cameraless technique using color photographic paper to create this unique shadow image of two eviscerated rabbits,The spectacular color effects from deep purple to vibrant yellows result from the chemical interactions between the rabbits' viscera and the printing paper. Because every rabbit’s internal chemistry is different, the artist could not predict exactly what colors would emerge from the paper when it was developed. The idea of allowing your subject matter create and change your work is something I am also doing within my images. You can't control the levels of exposed paper that is blocked by small shadow casts of the objects, or the way the pesticide will effect the image. Allowing our work to be controlled by the subjects rather than a machine allows Adam and I to breech the boundary between art and photography. Taking the control away from the machine would sit us closer with painters and makers than photographers. Adam Fuss says “There’s a quality of line that’s figurative, and a quality of line that’s abstract, and I wanted to make a picture where these two worlds were joined, in an intimate way…It came initially from this tension between inside and out, and the place where these things converge.” further detailing the divide between the figurative photograph and the abstract nature of the artist.
For my final image I am going to look at the power of the photograph when its explored not as fact but as a source of trickery or construction. The image of the moon landing in 1969 shows Neil Armstrong placing the american fag on the moon a few minutes after taking the first momentous and historic steps. The footage was viewed live by over half a billion people. Yet the images people saw were not always seen as the truth. The photograph become a object of mistrust, people didn't believe what they saw. I believe this is because the photographs stigma for telling the whole truth, people didn't want to believe that something they didn't understand could be true. To this day there are still people contesting the authenticity of this image. The construction came from peoples imaginations not the image itself. If people are able to see a factual image with subjectivity, surely this means an image created for the enjoyment of others can be classified as art ?
