Paul Clements

I have been asking well known photographers for there opinions on my work. I asked the same question to have a continuity of response. The questions are as followed;

My question.

"I was wondering if you could look over this image and give me some feedback.

Do you see the destruction of the bees body clearly ?

Does the backgrounds motion, show a dream like image ? or is there a way I could improve this ?

Do I have a coherent visual language within my practice ?

Does the flower/ bee hive hand made paper add or distract from the overall composition of my image ?

The flower paper is used to bring in colour in a subtle way. The colours are all informed by dream theory, colours that are vivid when viewing destruction or recalling a memory that was described to you. Not one you have actual lived. This is to reenforce the fact that if we don't makes changes, we could loose all bee species and flowers and only rely on others peoples memories of the objects, which would fade over time ( reason behind the background, laced with pesticide in my chemical mix)"

Pauls response.

Love this work Jedd....you certainly have given it a lot of thought! The second piece certainly invokes a dream like quality....and there seems to be a figure, or side profile of a man kissing(?) something at the top of the image...? It certainly has a Juliet Margaret Cameron feel about it.... With the first image you really do get the feeling of a chemical/pesticide necrosis eating into the image....it looks almost like battery acid... Who would you approach with this work? I am thinking art galleries obviously....you would have to research that carefully.... but what about organisations like Greenpeace, The Environmental Agency, Campaign to Protect Rural England and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.....they may not be ideal but it's about getting it out in the first instance to be seen and also commented upon...? These organisations usually have a Press/Media Office to contact....it may well be something they could use in awareness in the protection of the bees population? I know that the Bumblebee Conservation Trust has David Attenborough on board..... media@bumblebeeconservation.org Paul..

Taking the feedback further.

From Pauls feedback I contacted Green peace and the other organisations mentioned. I am still awaiting feedback. I have also researched Julia Margaret Cameron (1815 – 79) she was very useful to look at because of her use of photography as art, but also the rustic ( scratched damaged) nature of her photographs. She is known as one of the most important and innovative photographers of the 19th century. Best known for her powerful portraits, she also posed her sitters – friends, family and servants – as characters from biblical, historical or allegorical stories. Like my own images her photographs were rule-breaking: intentionally out of focus, and often including scratches, smudges and other traces of her process. I am particularly interested that "In her lifetime, Cameron was criticised for her unconventional techniques, but also celebrated for the beauty of her compositions and her conviction that photography was an art form." which is something I find sometimes do with my work, criticise it because it is different, but still enjoy it as an artistic piece.