The evolution of an idea
Slide one and two
My project is working around the idea of finding a way to bring the issue of the depleting level of bees around the U.K. This is due to over farming climate change and pesticide abuse. I am looking at plants that are naturally pollinated by bees and are tainted with pesticides, I'm looking at the effect the pesticide has on the bee itself whilst also looking at how pesticide can change and manipulate my images, pre and post process. I am going for an ambiguous approach with my images, meaning rather than being a totally objective pieces of environmental photography I am looking at ways of using the materials subjectivity to create dynamic art pieces that can not only been seen and enjoyed as art but can help direct an audience to think about the issues raised, in a way that is fresh and new. As being over exposed to images showing destruction we are less likely to get shocked by imagery, so there for detached from any powerful impact the work is creating.
Slide three
At the start of this project I was working in the studio. I was creating images that were very controlled and I knew exactly what the images would look like from the start of the image taking process. I worked using a desk studio, placing each element of the composition in the studio by hand. I used a full studio lighting kit to produce total white backgrounds. I really like the outcome of these images, but for a different project ( along the idea of bee loss). The images simplicity works when used in context with the idea of “bee loss” but for this project I am wanting to explore more in-depth and explore what a world without these objects could be like, which is something I feel is lacking in these image, they just fall flat of any subjective qualities.
Slide 4
From the studio my work evolved into the dark room. The images were able to show a clearer sense of the imprint and memory that will be left behind if we allow the species to die out. But once again the use of a black background was leaving the images cold and rather flat, sometimes taking the images down to its simplest form isn’t enough, I’m trying to invoke thought and emotion, not a cold representation of the objects, I was informed by Man Rays work, but I want my work to resonate emotion not just the need to document.
Slide 5
In this stage of my development I wanted to explore the elemental properties of the pesticide and how it interacted with the developer. I started off creating a small amount of images just testing that background and what formula I needed to make to create the most dynamic pieces of art. After settling on a formula I started to create images like this one. The images had a dream like quality to them, which is something that really caught my interest. So from here I started looking at dream and memory theory, to see what pattern, line and colour represented what when used with this new context.
Slide 6
For this image I have researched how we find events and things hard to remember in dreams and memory that’s why they are black and white and we have stripped the memory to its most simple form of interoperation. I have also explored what type of colours we remember in our dreams, the main colours were vivid colours like red,green,blue,pink and these colours are used when dreaming of matters of importance. I have look at a dream scientist (Robert Hoss)’s, research with colour and emotions suggests that vivid colours in dreams correspond to emotional intensity. Here’s an example of Hoss’s approach: "Colour is as much a symbol as is the imagery in a dream. Colour appears to represent the emotional conditions that stimulated a dream or dream image. As with any other symbol, colour combines with the imagery to form a more complete “meaning” for the dream image. Just as the face of your son might combine with the body of a bird to represent some personal meaning such as “my son has left the nest”, colour will combine with a dream image to give it greater emotional significance. A red hat would be more expressive of passion, drive and vibrancy, for example, than a colourless hat."
Slide 7
This stage of my project is still about exploring the effects the pesticide has on my images and how it can create new images. I have printed the picture on paper covered with a honey glue. This adds texture and further context to my images. I have then brushed the image with a very diluted pesticide solution, which has created a distressed/damaged image, I will explore this idea further, using different levels of pesticide solution.
Stage 8 +
At this stage of the project I explore the the pesticides qualities further. The image was made by creating a background in the darkroom without any bee flora or fauna samples. The image was successful in the exploration of the pesticide and the destructive effects of that but I feel the image loses context when explored against my brief. I need to explore this further but create photograms and find a way to maintain some detail within the images.
