Week 6 & 7: Work in Progress

Look Down: Development of Ideas

I spent a large amount of time over the previous few weeks concentrating on my oral presentation, but it did give me an opportunity to review and look at the work I was doing in relation to my previous work and how circumstances have affected my photography, why I chose back then to create what I did. I have heard from people who have seen my draft presentation and have mentioned that they understand why I do what I do as well as understanding me as a photographer more, which is something I realised myself.

While I have been out walking and taking images these last two weeks, I have undertaken the process of observing objects and surroundings closely, influenced by the work and practice of John Ruskin, as discussed by Suzanne Fagence Cooper in her book To See Clearly: Why Rusik Matters. Paying attention to the tones, forms and colours of the objects I discover and being more decisive in my choices and trying to understand why I chose that object. As Bathes says in Camera Lucida when questioning the process:

"Why choose (why photograph) this object, this moment, rather than some other?"

(Bathes, 2000:6)

Why am I choosing these objects, natural or manmade, what is drawing me to them? This week I have especially noticed how my feelings and emotions, are driving my choices and how I not only use walks for my project to capture images but walks for me are a necessity to stay strong and healthy, both physically and mentally, being out and taking photos re-focuses my mind away from things that might be bothering me or that I need to switch off from, like a form of photography therapy. I decided to document these thoughts in the form of a mind map in my notebook, to help visualise what I was thinking.

On one particular day this week, I had some things on my mind and it took me a while to 'switch off' from them while out walking, so I decided to pause and look at my surroundings, but not to overthink what I wanted to capture, letting choices and an element of the 'decisive moment' as created by Henri Cartier-Bresson, take over.

Henri Cartier- Bresson quoted Cardinal de Ratz in ‘Henri Cartier-Bresson’. London: Thames & Hudson. ‘There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment’. I feel I want to portray this statement within my work somehow, capturing not objects or moments that are permanent, but those that draw me in, that might not last.

These following images are all from one walk, they are arranged in a theme based way, showing the ideas and draws I felt during the walk.

These first four images, I feel symbolise my emotions and worries I was feeling that day, depicting the end of a cycle, life or change as well as a reoccurring moment each year that we are all aware of and notice, but do we observe enough, in terms of our surroundings, the seasons. In each of these images, I notice the death and decay of the leaves more than any other year and the stains or marks they leave behind on the footpaths and pavements.

Next are three objects left either by humans or nature, half a mushroom possibly left by an animal scavenging or discarded by a person, which stood out to me as it seemed both in place and out of place, a bird feather which I have noticed I capture occasionally, this one's position amongst the fallen leaves mirrored the natural fall and cycle of those trees and hedges and finally a flower head, discarded in the middle of the pavement, with no link to the original plant nearby, which took my interest, cut off from it's life source laying next to a patch of water.

These images are different, but I wanted to explore the narrative side that I might develop in my project.

An idea of what has been and what is left, such as these dog footprints imprinted in the once wet pavement, a journey they might have taken many times or once. What kind of dog? judging by the foot prints, a small one, where was it going? to the beach or promenade? either are in the direction it was walking.

I think similarly with this image, of wet foot prints on the pavement tell us about someone's morning activity, visiting the beach for a swim or surf. It also tells us how far away they parked the car, how they walk and how long ago they were here. I took this at an angle to tell more of the story, as they were not just a single set of prints, but going off into the distance. It is important for me to explore this, as my walks are in themselves a narrative of my journey and what I find in my environments I walk in and I will be looking into Psychogeography to help this idea develop.

I also found myself drawn to the textures and colours on the paths I walked, especially this bright yellow Lichen contrasted against the harsh rough concrete. How life of any organism can thrive and survive beneath our feet and we ignore or disregard it. I do not usually stop and look, but so far my project is making me focus on the details of what is at my feet.

I read this piece within this weeks reading Chance, John Baldessari: Pursuing The Unpredictable by Marcia Tucker and Margaret Iversen, 2010

“If you believe your world is formed by what you look at, and you just don't look at the usual things, then your world will change”

(Daniel McMullin, ‘An Interview with John Baldessari’, Artists’ News (Topanga, Canada, October-November 1980)

I took from this an importance to look closer and not at the obvious objects, but to look deeper to understand more about our surroundings and change our outlook. This links with my exploration as to why I photograph what I do and what inspires me or drives to do so.

Bibliography:

Barthes, R., 2000. Camera Lucida. London: Vintage.

Cheroux, C., 2013. Henri Cartier-Bresson. London: Thames & Hudson.

Fagence Cooper, S., 2020. To See Clearly. London: Quercus Editions Ltd.

Martin Lester, P., 2011. Visual Communication: Images With Messages. [Online] Available at: https://content.talisaspire.com/falmouth/bundles/5c1b8c1469df501b3c284614 [Accessed 27 October 2020].

Tucker, M. a. I. M., 2010. Chance, John Baldessari: Pursuing The Unpredictable. [Online] Available at: https://content.talisaspire.com/falmouth/bundles/57b70b044469ee502a8b4581 [Accessed 27 October 2020].