Introduction to what abstract shows and what abstraction means.
In my opinion within art and photography abstraction means when a person uses the formal elements and abstract aspects to show how the person is feeling and what expressions they are presenting and giving out. The whole purpose of abstraction is to confuse the viewer by not showing a real form.
This project will be about how the photographic camera can create abstraction and how the formal elements play a factor in it.
In my opinion within art and photography abstraction means when a person uses the formal elements and abstract aspects to show how the person is feeling and what expressions they are presenting and giving out. The whole purpose of abstraction is to confuse the viewer by not showing a real form.
This project will be about how the photographic camera can create abstraction and how the formal elements play a factor in it.
Formal Elements
There are 7 formal elements in photography each have a different meaning in the photograph they are:
Focus: The areas that appear the clearest and the sharpest is the light and the shadows because the table may be the main focus and it's the object your eyes first see however the shadows and light are so well in focus and blend in they are the clearest and the sharpest in the the picture.
Light: The ares of the photograph that are the brightest is the table and in the middle area because the sun is reflecting both off the table and fence causing elegant and focused shadows to appear.Also from how clear the shadows are presented the time of day is either early morning or afternoon when the sun is at it's brightest. The light is artificial because it's coming directly from the sun not when it's behind the clouds.
Line: In the photograph there are some objects that act and show off as lines and those objects are the fence, table and the ground these all act as lines because in the photograph you can clearly see a fence outline that is straight like lines would be and also the table is curvey and thick in nature causing a line like structure. Also in the picture the lines show energy not movement because the shadows are not moving they are staying in place.
Repetition: The fence creates a pattern to form and appear because it's shadow has caused a group of lines to be created which in term is making a straight line pattern to be formed which then repeats the cycle without any change.
Shape: In the photograph both geometric and organic shapes are present because the table is a organic shape and naturally curvy in nature and in the picture itself,however the fence is a geometric shape which is straight in nature and depicted in the photograph as a whole.
Space:In a photograph space is vital as it allows a photographer to have more room when taking the picture which makes it more dense and spaced out this is useful as it provides the person observing the photograph to get a clear indication of whats present and not everything huddled up together.
Texture: When taking a photograph the photographer will want to make sure all objects and the image is smooth and well presented a photograph with a good texture always outweighs a photograph with a bad texture because texture will always depict the picture as having a smooth and soft texture not a bad picture with a rough and hard texture.
There are 7 formal elements in photography each have a different meaning in the photograph they are:
Focus: The areas that appear the clearest and the sharpest is the light and the shadows because the table may be the main focus and it's the object your eyes first see however the shadows and light are so well in focus and blend in they are the clearest and the sharpest in the the picture.
Light: The ares of the photograph that are the brightest is the table and in the middle area because the sun is reflecting both off the table and fence causing elegant and focused shadows to appear.Also from how clear the shadows are presented the time of day is either early morning or afternoon when the sun is at it's brightest. The light is artificial because it's coming directly from the sun not when it's behind the clouds.
Line: In the photograph there are some objects that act and show off as lines and those objects are the fence, table and the ground these all act as lines because in the photograph you can clearly see a fence outline that is straight like lines would be and also the table is curvey and thick in nature causing a line like structure. Also in the picture the lines show energy not movement because the shadows are not moving they are staying in place.
Repetition: The fence creates a pattern to form and appear because it's shadow has caused a group of lines to be created which in term is making a straight line pattern to be formed which then repeats the cycle without any change.
Shape: In the photograph both geometric and organic shapes are present because the table is a organic shape and naturally curvy in nature and in the picture itself,however the fence is a geometric shape which is straight in nature and depicted in the photograph as a whole.
Space:In a photograph space is vital as it allows a photographer to have more room when taking the picture which makes it more dense and spaced out this is useful as it provides the person observing the photograph to get a clear indication of whats present and not everything huddled up together.
Texture: When taking a photograph the photographer will want to make sure all objects and the image is smooth and well presented a photograph with a good texture always outweighs a photograph with a bad texture because texture will always depict the picture as having a smooth and soft texture not a bad picture with a rough and hard texture.
This image is an example of a photograph that has the 7 formal elements neatly and well presented it was a photograph taken by William Eggleston in the 1970s and its a perfect picture that has all the formal elements included inside of it. The picture's focus is extremely clear and sharp showing the food products in the icy freezer without a touch of blurriness showing, it accurately shows you what kind of items you would expect inside a freezer and also the conditions that partake inside.
In terms of light and lighting William has perfectly and precisely shown the contents of the freezer with the use of his brightness on the camera this lets us see more clearly what the inside of the freezer looks like because normally when you open up a freezer it's quite dark and gloomy so it is naturally dimly lit up however when William used his camera light particles travelled into the cold freezer and brightened it up much better.
Lines are another major success in William's photograph because if you look closely into the photo you can accurately see the outline of lines which in this circumstance are the ice filled lines that fill the freezer keeping all the contents in there frozen and ready to be used later an example would be the can of soup in the bottom right hand corner which is well frozen.
When it comes to repetition William has made a outstanding use of the formal element because he has repeated the lines that he had made before and it's made a well structured straight line pattern which is the icy lines previously mentioned beforehand and this gives off a sense of repetition that fits this formal element incredibly well this causes the picture to be a source of repetition.
The shapes in William Eggleston's photograph are geometric in nature as they are the shapes of the food products located inside the freezer itself so the camera perfectly picks these shapes up well and makes us analyse what kind of shapes these food items have and how they look inside a cold and freezing freezer, however some aspects of the photograph can be considered as organic shapes and those are the icicles on the top of the freezer which are completely different from the other geometric shapes that are presented inside of the container.
In William's photograph there really isn't much evidence of the space formal element since the container has no real room inside of it because all of the items inside are so tightly packed and crowded together making it impossible for any level of space to be seen in the picture which really is a shame but it also shows how packed a freezer can be when filled with several food products/items.
In terms of light and lighting William has perfectly and precisely shown the contents of the freezer with the use of his brightness on the camera this lets us see more clearly what the inside of the freezer looks like because normally when you open up a freezer it's quite dark and gloomy so it is naturally dimly lit up however when William used his camera light particles travelled into the cold freezer and brightened it up much better.
Lines are another major success in William's photograph because if you look closely into the photo you can accurately see the outline of lines which in this circumstance are the ice filled lines that fill the freezer keeping all the contents in there frozen and ready to be used later an example would be the can of soup in the bottom right hand corner which is well frozen.
When it comes to repetition William has made a outstanding use of the formal element because he has repeated the lines that he had made before and it's made a well structured straight line pattern which is the icy lines previously mentioned beforehand and this gives off a sense of repetition that fits this formal element incredibly well this causes the picture to be a source of repetition.
The shapes in William Eggleston's photograph are geometric in nature as they are the shapes of the food products located inside the freezer itself so the camera perfectly picks these shapes up well and makes us analyse what kind of shapes these food items have and how they look inside a cold and freezing freezer, however some aspects of the photograph can be considered as organic shapes and those are the icicles on the top of the freezer which are completely different from the other geometric shapes that are presented inside of the container.
In William's photograph there really isn't much evidence of the space formal element since the container has no real room inside of it because all of the items inside are so tightly packed and crowded together making it impossible for any level of space to be seen in the picture which really is a shame but it also shows how packed a freezer can be when filled with several food products/items.
PAUL STRAND DRAWING AND SHEET
This photograph was shot at Biggin hill Airshow by myself as it carefully and clearly shows a L39 trainer aircraft flying through the clouds at its maximum speed possible as the shadow underneath the aircraft is created by the sun's reflective beams of light. If you look closely at the photograph you can see most of the formal elements that are used in Art and Photography are presented, the first one being tone which is a blackish and grey colour this is made by the aircraft's underbelly which is a black and grey tone of colour not too vibrant but regardless still makes for a excellent tone aspect. Another formal element you can witness in the picture is shape the shapes that are being formed are the clouds and the trail of white smoke coming out from the plane's engine this gives off an impression of a smoke grenade hence the clear and strong white smoke used for a aerobatic display.
The other formal elements that are depicted in my photograph are lines and focus lets begin with the focus aspect of the photograph the aircraft is clearly visible to the normal human naked eye when taking this picture I waited for the right angle and opportunity to capture the spectacular moment I waited patiently because I wanted to reduce as much blur as I could so the photograph could be viewed and not a jumbled up blurry mess. Now with the lines section of this picture is the tiny bit of smoke trail that can be found behind the L39's tail , also the shadows made by the sun create a outline around the whole aircraft causing it to be a straight line pattern and lined up.
In conclusion I picked out this photograph to write a paragraph about because i feel like it's the best picture out of my collection of photographs I took on the day of the airshow my other photographs will be found at the bottom of this paragraph if you want to have a curious look at a few if you wish to use them credit me fully as I am the one who took them thank you.
The other formal elements that are depicted in my photograph are lines and focus lets begin with the focus aspect of the photograph the aircraft is clearly visible to the normal human naked eye when taking this picture I waited for the right angle and opportunity to capture the spectacular moment I waited patiently because I wanted to reduce as much blur as I could so the photograph could be viewed and not a jumbled up blurry mess. Now with the lines section of this picture is the tiny bit of smoke trail that can be found behind the L39's tail , also the shadows made by the sun create a outline around the whole aircraft causing it to be a straight line pattern and lined up.
In conclusion I picked out this photograph to write a paragraph about because i feel like it's the best picture out of my collection of photographs I took on the day of the airshow my other photographs will be found at the bottom of this paragraph if you want to have a curious look at a few if you wish to use them credit me fully as I am the one who took them thank you.
FIRST SET OF PHOTOGRAPHS
I took these photographs but I felt like they were not abstract enough on their own so instead I cropped the sky and sections of the pictures to make them more abstract.
Now the photographs are a good response to abstraction because they clearly show no real focus which is a massive improvement from the first pictures as they showed no traces of abstract elements. The formal elements that are most clear are tone and texture in the sense of the clouds and smoke trail in the sky these contribute to the change that my pictures show.
SECOND SET OF PHOTOGRAPHS
In this second set of photographs I went out of the classroom and took a total of 22 photographs. When taking these pictures I was disappointed at how they came out due to the fact that the images did not correctly represent abstraction or include abstract qualities so to count for that I took the last two remaining photographs from inside the classroom that were indicating at some formal elements such as focus and shape after taking these two images they compensated for the other photographs that were just test runs with the camera device.
THIRD SET OF PHOTOGRAPHS
For todays lesson I was instructed to go out and take 20 abstract photographs and to take 2 minutes on each of them. All of these photos show the formal elements and nothing else as for a picture to be abstract it needs to have abstract qualities about it which are the formal elements some of these include lines,light,shape,focus and texture. I spent the 2 minute limit on taking each photograph finding the perfect angle, shot and position to make the picture as abstract as possible and to make sure it had the formal elements presented into it. Taking pictures in this way was quite the experience and really showed me that you don't need to have the full object in the photo to make it amazing to look at. The formal elements that have been captured are lines, shape , tone , texture , light and colour all being aspects in my photographs. The photo I have taken is abstract because it shows lines and tone within the bench the outlines outside the bench being the lines and the water droplet being the tone aspect of the photograph. In conclusion the photographs I took are examples of abstraction and show accurately and perfectly how photographs can be brilliant and stand out when it's only a section of the photograph.
Out of all the images I took in todays lesson this one is my favourite out of the whole bunch of pictures I had taken it correctly shows the formal elements of shape, texture, lines , and tone. As you can see in the photograph presented it accurately shows a water droplet on a wet brown bench, the brown being the colour aspect of the formal elements and the lines being the outline of the bench itself. If you look closely you can see my reflection through the water droplet which is what I was going for when I took this picture. Rain can be a formal element in itself as it portrays the formal elements of tone and texture as it situates on objects and other surfaces. In conclusion this photograph was one of my best out all of my photographs today as it stands out from the rest of my pictures as it shows all the formal elements required.
20 SET OF ABSTRACT PHOTOGRAPHS (HOMEWORK)
The one formal element that I concentrated on the most was Light this was done by my door lamp outside of my front door to my house that shines very bright mainly at night time (the time of day I shot these pictures at.) Each photograph took 2 minutes to take as I spent a lot of time finding the perfect angle and position so more light could rain down onto the object and area I was taking a photograph. Another formal element I concentrated a lot of my time on was lines most notable of this was when I was taking pictures of the fence and concrete ground which had several cracks presented into its layout, as for the fence it had streaks of lines coming down from it which I took the liberty of capturing when taking the photograph.
30 SET OF PHOTOGRAPHS [HOMEWORK]
Out of all the 30 pictures I took for this home learning task I found this image to be the best and the most abstract out of the collection. In this photograph many of the formal elements are presented and so are the aspects of abstraction mainly in this picture the formal elements light and focus are shown perfectly the focus feature of the photograph is the blurry light that is located in the background and behind the light bulb. The formal element light is clearly shown in the foreground of the picture which is the light bulb itself, this photograph was taken in my bedroom when my bulb was shinning the brightest.
PATRICK LEARS WORKSHEET
How would you describe the image?
I would describe the image as being complex and jumbled on the basis on how it is presented out in front of me. Also to mention the image is described as appealing and busy as it's hard to see what's going on and making the clear focus of the photogram lost.
What would you call it?
I would call the image presented a photogram more than a collage because even know a collage is a jumble of lots of different shapes and patterns a photogram is original and out of the ordinary compared to a collage which is sometimes laid out as being too basic in nature. Photograms are constructed and composed in a certain composition that it perfectly shows an own idea throughout the photogram work piece.
How do you think the image was created?
I think the image was created by cutting out a selection of different shapes. at different proportions and lining them up in a creative pattern to ensure a perfect designed photogram that can be eye- catching to a audience. I also think the image was created by thinking carefully on how the image could be presented with tone , design and contrast also colour as well that plays a main factor of the photogram.
What do you think about the composition?
I think the composition is very well assembled and abstract in nature mainly with the monochrome in the foreground and background , also the outline is another great aspect of the composition in this photogram by Patrick Lears. Also the composition looks like it has been complex to produce making it in turn more confusing and harder to observe in nature.
What about the use of colour?
The colour in the photogram has a very colourful and dull tone at the same time and also to the aspect of it's physical appearance as you can clearly see the splash of colours throughout the photogram piece the black and white give off a feeling of despair and dread however the tad of orange and blue in the corner give off the feeling of joy and happiness, also to mention the combined orange and blue colours show that colour wants to overtake the image and slowly show it invading throughout the actual photogram.
What can you say about the use of text or the absence of an image?
In the photogram the texture plays an important and vital role to the photogram as it points out all the different kinds of patterns that have been made up from carefully constructed shapes and other images which in the final result will turn into a beautiful and wonderful final product of the actual design.
How would you describe the overall look of the image?
In conclusion I would describe the overall look of the photogram by Patrick Lears as being perfectly composed and thought out that gives us these perfect shapes and overall nature of the photograph.
What would you call it?
I would call the image presented a photogram more than a collage because even know a collage is a jumble of lots of different shapes and patterns a photogram is original and out of the ordinary compared to a collage which is sometimes laid out as being too basic in nature. Photograms are constructed and composed in a certain composition that it perfectly shows an own idea throughout the photogram work piece.
How do you think the image was created?
I think the image was created by cutting out a selection of different shapes. at different proportions and lining them up in a creative pattern to ensure a perfect designed photogram that can be eye- catching to a audience. I also think the image was created by thinking carefully on how the image could be presented with tone , design and contrast also colour as well that plays a main factor of the photogram.
What do you think about the composition?
I think the composition is very well assembled and abstract in nature mainly with the monochrome in the foreground and background , also the outline is another great aspect of the composition in this photogram by Patrick Lears. Also the composition looks like it has been complex to produce making it in turn more confusing and harder to observe in nature.
What about the use of colour?
The colour in the photogram has a very colourful and dull tone at the same time and also to the aspect of it's physical appearance as you can clearly see the splash of colours throughout the photogram piece the black and white give off a feeling of despair and dread however the tad of orange and blue in the corner give off the feeling of joy and happiness, also to mention the combined orange and blue colours show that colour wants to overtake the image and slowly show it invading throughout the actual photogram.
What can you say about the use of text or the absence of an image?
In the photogram the texture plays an important and vital role to the photogram as it points out all the different kinds of patterns that have been made up from carefully constructed shapes and other images which in the final result will turn into a beautiful and wonderful final product of the actual design.
How would you describe the overall look of the image?
In conclusion I would describe the overall look of the photogram by Patrick Lears as being perfectly composed and thought out that gives us these perfect shapes and overall nature of the photograph.
PATRICK LEARS WORKPIECES
How Patrick Lears creates his work and why he makes the images he produces.
Patrick Lears makes his work by adding a splash of surplus of black and white prints that then become his photograms he also cut out a collection of shapes and created brilliant patterns with them which when observed by the human naked eye shows that it's out of the ordinary which makes his work stand out amongst other artists and photographers's workpieces. He creates these works of both Art and Photography to teach young people and all people how a abstract image/photogram is created and formed his work has set many examples on what abstraction is and how it can be formed into a certain extend and also why it's important to experiment with different kinds of photography and art to have a better understanding of the two subjects.
Patrick Lears makes his work by adding a splash of surplus of black and white prints that then become his photograms he also cut out a collection of shapes and created brilliant patterns with them which when observed by the human naked eye shows that it's out of the ordinary which makes his work stand out amongst other artists and photographers's workpieces. He creates these works of both Art and Photography to teach young people and all people how a abstract image/photogram is created and formed his work has set many examples on what abstraction is and how it can be formed into a certain extend and also why it's important to experiment with different kinds of photography and art to have a better understanding of the two subjects.
In this workpiece by Patrick Lears he has perfectly and swiftly constructed a photogram using all of the formal elements to his advantage the most noticeable ones are texture, tone , focus and shape. The shapes have been carefully put together to create a amazing and wonderful photogram that is out of the ordinary and stands out amongst other photograms and pictures that fall under abstract and the whole concept of abstraction. The tone has been used to put together a neatly laid and composed photogram that has a busy tone to itself that has no real focus because it makes your eyes dart around the piece finding new aspects to observe. When it comes to the focus element of the photogram there is no real actual focus because Patrick Lears in this workpiece has composed it so that when you conduct a observation of the photogram there is so much going on that it's difficult to find the true focus/meaning of the piece.
The same applies to all of Patrick Lear's workpieces all have a perfect composition and all have the Formal Elements managed inside of them to create a very abstract and interesting feeling to the photograms and photographs he designs and takes all of this makes his workpieces a example of abstraction. Also to mention the colours used to create this photogram have a massive significance as well because most pictures and photograms have colourful colours to them where as this creation by Patrick Lears has used dull colours such as black, grey , and white all these dull aspects have been picked out by Patrick so he can make his workpiece out of the ordinary and not the normality that photograms and photographs fall under.
The same applies to all of Patrick Lear's workpieces all have a perfect composition and all have the Formal Elements managed inside of them to create a very abstract and interesting feeling to the photograms and photographs he designs and takes all of this makes his workpieces a example of abstraction. Also to mention the colours used to create this photogram have a massive significance as well because most pictures and photograms have colourful colours to them where as this creation by Patrick Lears has used dull colours such as black, grey , and white all these dull aspects have been picked out by Patrick so he can make his workpiece out of the ordinary and not the normality that photograms and photographs fall under.
EVALUATION OF MY COLLAGES
When making these collages I thought of what to do perfectly and how they can be neatly composed I achieved this by cutting out different kinds of shapes and organised them to make abstract patterns and designs all making up each of my collages composition is key into creating photograms as how the piece is composed really makes it memorable and stand out amongst other creations of the same genre of work. These images are abstract in their own way because each of my collages have different creations and patterns subsided into them which all make them stand out in their own way thrus creating abstraction and enforcing the concept of abstract.
Collage 1 and 2 are different from the rest of my collages because they both have splashes of colour included into their contents which shuns them out from the other collages because the other 2 collages had dull colours such as black, grey and white and compared to the others because I wanted to add the feeling of colour trying to invade through the bland and dull colours I did this by drawing a circler on a strand of coloured card which was purple and started to cut around it until it had nothing in the middle of it's structure then I started to cut out more parts of purple card until I had a small collection of purple card which I then added to my collage which gave it the impression of the colour invading and trying to break through the photogram piece.
I assembled each collage different from the rest as this was the perfect way to be more abstract and turn the subject into more abstraction and in turn making it a original workpiece.
Collage 1 and 2 are different from the rest of my collages because they both have splashes of colour included into their contents which shuns them out from the other collages because the other 2 collages had dull colours such as black, grey and white and compared to the others because I wanted to add the feeling of colour trying to invade through the bland and dull colours I did this by drawing a circler on a strand of coloured card which was purple and started to cut around it until it had nothing in the middle of it's structure then I started to cut out more parts of purple card until I had a small collection of purple card which I then added to my collage which gave it the impression of the colour invading and trying to break through the photogram piece.
I assembled each collage different from the rest as this was the perfect way to be more abstract and turn the subject into more abstraction and in turn making it a original workpiece.
8 week plan photography book [Homework]
For my photography homework I have to make a photography book about abstraction which should include a selection of abstract photographs {preferably 20 photographs} but I can add more if I wish to do so. I plan to do this by adding some of my recent abstract photographs and then printing them out to be then used for the book which shall be a collection of my photographs ones picked out from my choosing. Only the photographs that I feel are the most abstract will be inserted into the homework book and the others shall be deleted or saved for future use in other projects and homework learning tasks. This book will ensure that I know the meaning of abstraction backed up with evidence of some abstract photographs taken by myself both at school and at my own residence.
Finally to add this book when completed will not only benefit me in terms of learning and grades wise but will be a turning stone and evidence for me to pursue photography as a whole after school and hopefully become a professional photographer in the years to come so in conclusion this homework book about my knowledge of the concept of abstraction and examples of abstract photographs and pictures will benefit me massively.
For my photography homework I have to make a photography book about abstraction which should include a selection of abstract photographs {preferably 20 photographs} but I can add more if I wish to do so. I plan to do this by adding some of my recent abstract photographs and then printing them out to be then used for the book which shall be a collection of my photographs ones picked out from my choosing. Only the photographs that I feel are the most abstract will be inserted into the homework book and the others shall be deleted or saved for future use in other projects and homework learning tasks. This book will ensure that I know the meaning of abstraction backed up with evidence of some abstract photographs taken by myself both at school and at my own residence.
Finally to add this book when completed will not only benefit me in terms of learning and grades wise but will be a turning stone and evidence for me to pursue photography as a whole after school and hopefully become a professional photographer in the years to come so in conclusion this homework book about my knowledge of the concept of abstraction and examples of abstract photographs and pictures will benefit me massively.
20 PHOTOGRAPHS [USED FOR MY PHOTOGRAPHY BOOK]
I picked these images for my photography book because in my personal opinion these are the best 20 photographs iv'e ever taken during the course so far and these extremely work in terms of abstraction because many of the formal elements presented in abstract photographs are included into my selection of photographs. I personally believe these will work well for my photography book because as mentioned beforehand the pictures present the formal elements as for example photograph 14 shows my reflection inside the water droplet hence creating the illusion that I'm part of the rain droplet itself which also ties in with the formal element of focus since my actual reflection is a bit blurry and disproportional.
Another example would be photograph 8 which is a picture of a lightbulb in my bedroom which includes the formal element of Light and also a example of the formal element of tone which is the yellowish and orangish felid that is produced by the light particles and I have snapped the photograph at the perfect spot showing how the formal elements really play a part in abstraction and abstract photography. In conclusion these photographs are perfect for my photographs the theme that runs through my collection is a mixture of both light and shadows these two key factors have a massive role in abstraction and my photography book.
Another example would be photograph 8 which is a picture of a lightbulb in my bedroom which includes the formal element of Light and also a example of the formal element of tone which is the yellowish and orangish felid that is produced by the light particles and I have snapped the photograph at the perfect spot showing how the formal elements really play a part in abstraction and abstract photography. In conclusion these photographs are perfect for my photographs the theme that runs through my collection is a mixture of both light and shadows these two key factors have a massive role in abstraction and my photography book.
30 PHOTOGRAPHS [HOMEWORK]
For homework I was asked to go out and take 30 abstract photographs after my long understanding of abstraction and what it truly means. I spent 2 minutes on each picture presented inside the collection also when capturing these images I went to extreme lengths and measures to make sure each one was abstract and that I had a clear understanding on the topic and also what I was instructed to do. When exploring outside I decided the perfect thing to capture outside on my camera device was rain droplets that had recently been falling from my door way so I took that moment and flashed them with my camera just before they faded away.
DAFNA TALMOR RESEARCH
I have chosen this image from Dafna's website because out of all the constructed landscapes that she has to offer this one really draws me in the most due to the contents that this abstract construction provides. Firstly when looking at the workpiece my eyes automatically observe and see clifftops and trees which are all linked back to nature so when observing this piece I believe the theme is about wildlife and the wonders of nature and how Dafna has added the elements of that genre to create such a impression. Also when looking at this image I see the different photographs Dafna has pieced together and the way she has composed the several photos using fabulous composition to her advantage only adds to the amazement this construction coveys.
The title constructed landscapes suggests that all of her workpieces live up to one way of creating which have a distinctive pattern to their designs. Also to mention the title suggests that these numerous of pictures were made by collecting and forming past images and photographs to produce a final product that is manifested into one substantial representation of the tiring work she has put in to establish such a elegant fragment of abstraction in the constructed landscapes presented on her website.
Finally Dafna Talmor pieced together different photographs in contrasting locations because when assembling one tremendous workpiece she decided to select other venerable images to put cooperatively into a singular landscape to covey the impression of resistant dedication to eventually form one gigantic abstract piece.
The title constructed landscapes suggests that all of her workpieces live up to one way of creating which have a distinctive pattern to their designs. Also to mention the title suggests that these numerous of pictures were made by collecting and forming past images and photographs to produce a final product that is manifested into one substantial representation of the tiring work she has put in to establish such a elegant fragment of abstraction in the constructed landscapes presented on her website.
Finally Dafna Talmor pieced together different photographs in contrasting locations because when assembling one tremendous workpiece she decided to select other venerable images to put cooperatively into a singular landscape to covey the impression of resistant dedication to eventually form one gigantic abstract piece.
"She responded by not only acknowledging that complexity , but using it and adding to it by slicing and reconfiguring original colour negatives the resulting collages generate staged , synthetic landscapes that blur place , memory and time , forming further utopian and ideal spaces."
Meadow Arts-
Meadow Arts-
DAFNA TALMOR'S WORK [COULD NOT ATTEND WORKSHOP APOLOGIES]
Dafna Talmor is an artist and lecturer based in London, she partakes in photography , video , curation and collaborations. She constructs her landscapes by cutting multiple negatives and assembling them together to create one final workpiece. The aspect of how she works that interested me the most is the process of Dafna gathering past photographs and rearranging them into a certain collection which then gets used in making a well made constructed landscape.
Also to mention she uses multidimensional practice which assists with her photography experience such have been featured in public collections some include Victoria and Albert museum , Deutsche bank and many other private galleries across the globe. Her landscapes are split into 2 different genes obstructed landscapes and constructed landscapes the theme of anonymity and a international sense of peace and travel that spiral through her workpieces.
Also to mention she uses multidimensional practice which assists with her photography experience such have been featured in public collections some include Victoria and Albert museum , Deutsche bank and many other private galleries across the globe. Her landscapes are split into 2 different genes obstructed landscapes and constructed landscapes the theme of anonymity and a international sense of peace and travel that spiral through her workpieces.
MATERIALS THAT WERE AVAILABLE IN THE DAFNA TALMOR WORKSHOP:
.35mm slides
. Cutting mats
.Scalpels
.Scissors
.Glue
.Pens
.Pencils
.Rulers
.Negative Photographs
.Camera devices
.printer
SAUL LEITER RESEARCH AND WORK
5 CHARACTERISTICS ABOUT LEITER'S PHOTOGRAPHS
1. Focus
2. Light
3. Colour
4. Tone
5. Texture
2. Light
3. Colour
4. Tone
5. Texture
In Leiter's work there are many things that are similar throughout most of his photographs. For example when looking closely at his images the concept of colour is a repeating factor which are mainly primary colours such as Red, Yellow , Blue etc so all of his photos are not as dull as they seem they have some vibrant colours in them as well. Also another pattern amongst his photographs is the fact that a handful of his images feature glass and other reflective surfaces causing reflection to occur throughout a section of photos.
EXAMPLES OF SAUL LEITER'S IMAGES
DETAILED ANALYSIS OF SAUL LEITER'S WORK
I chose this image in particular because it interests me the most , when viewing the photograph my mind instantly sees a puzzle of some kind that needs to be solved with extreme patience. Also whilst observing it, it stands out amongst the other photos because of the complex design that it has been captured in. It's almost like i'm not even looking at a picture anymore and instead i'm glazing at a tricky puzzle pattern. When inspecting it, the factors that stand out to me as being unusual/surprising is the effects the actual composition has for example the black substance that is covering some parts of it this possibly could be ink or something similar which could indicate that a accident may of happened , in the process of it being taken.
In my opinion the formal element that is most important is line , because the lines are the backbone behind the perception of it being perceived as more of a jigsaw than an actual real photograph which really gives off the idea of it standing out compared to the other selection of work that Leiter has to offer. All the other elements to this picture are vital as well but if I had to personally choose one that stood out the most it certainly would be line. Finally it's highly fundamental that this is included in Saul's work because without the use of line or any other formal element for that matter then the concept of abstraction would no longer be present because in order for a photo to be abstract in nature the main focus cannot be know.
Saul Leiter's photographs are abstract because they all incorporate one or all of the formal elements that make it idiosyncratic which other photographers who operate like Saul don't do often or at all which really makes his work higher the bar in terms of creativity and unique.
In my opinion the formal element that is most important is line , because the lines are the backbone behind the perception of it being perceived as more of a jigsaw than an actual real photograph which really gives off the idea of it standing out compared to the other selection of work that Leiter has to offer. All the other elements to this picture are vital as well but if I had to personally choose one that stood out the most it certainly would be line. Finally it's highly fundamental that this is included in Saul's work because without the use of line or any other formal element for that matter then the concept of abstraction would no longer be present because in order for a photo to be abstract in nature the main focus cannot be know.
Saul Leiter's photographs are abstract because they all incorporate one or all of the formal elements that make it idiosyncratic which other photographers who operate like Saul don't do often or at all which really makes his work higher the bar in terms of creativity and unique.
I have been told that some of my photographs maybe indicate that I am a painter
Out of all the quotations from Saul Leiter I picked out this one because after having a long glance at some of his work the aspect of also being a painter which is what Saul is referencing to in this quote and why I selected it in the first place , as Saul himself used to be a painter until his close friends and teachers suggested he should switch to photography instead which he did , so that is why this quote stands out amongst the rest in my personal opinion.
13 PHOTOGRAPHS IN SAUL LEITER'S STYLE
In this lesson I was instructed to take a handful of photographs in the style of Saul Leiter and take extra care into them as they had to represent how he captures his images. I travelled around the school grounds deciding what would work perfectly in pulling off this task , I stepped in front of the double doors and windows to experiment which reflections would work the best to put on my website. After a few minutes of exploring outside of my classroom I finally found the most fantastic surfaces for the camera to take.
I stood in front of the doors that travel into the three main blocks and I took a couple of minutes on each block and concentrated on the formal elements that could be included in the picture itself such as light and lines that the windows project out really clearly giving off the theme of abstraction in the process which Saul Leiter does flawlessly.
I stood in front of the doors that travel into the three main blocks and I took a couple of minutes on each block and concentrated on the formal elements that could be included in the picture itself such as light and lines that the windows project out really clearly giving off the theme of abstraction in the process which Saul Leiter does flawlessly.
SECOND SET OF PHOTOGRAPHS IN SAUL LEITER'S STYLE
During the lesson I was also instructed to take another set of photographs related to Saul Leiter's work style so I went back outdoors and on school grounds to take a selection of more pictures just like I did with my first set that is located above. When taking these images I looked for factors that contributed to how Saul Leiter captures his own pictures , so I travelled around the blocks of the school mainly looking for windows and other reflective surfaces as one of the main aspects of his work is the concept of reflection that closely ties in with abstraction and the formal elements. After finding the correct surfaces I took extra care and time when getting prepared to take the actual photo I spent roughly around 2 minutes on each to get the right adjustment and angle so it would capture everything in the image itself , mainly the objects that are located behind me for example trees , stairs , other students etc.
This was highly important because when a photograph is reflective it will show everything that is present in front of the surface in this case the stairs are positioned behind the window so when captured they will appear along with anything else next to them. Finally during this activity I was completely aware of my surroundings and the fact that other lessons were commencing so I was respectful and made no sound whatsoever so no one was disturbed as I carried out my work silently.
This was highly important because when a photograph is reflective it will show everything that is present in front of the surface in this case the stairs are positioned behind the window so when captured they will appear along with anything else next to them. Finally during this activity I was completely aware of my surroundings and the fact that other lessons were commencing so I was respectful and made no sound whatsoever so no one was disturbed as I carried out my work silently.
NOTES ON THE SAUL LEITER DOCUMENTARY
. Saul was born in Pittsburgh in 1923 and grew up in a Jewish family-(studied to become a rabbi attending theological school to do so)
. Dropped out to move to New York and pursue a interest in arts , mainly panting and was encouraged by his teachers and friends to do photography.
. Was one of the members of the New York school photography which included other famous photographers such as Dan Arbus , Eugene Smith , and William Klein.
. The large amount of work Saul did mainly at that time was fashion based which was a lot of photojournalism making him a working photographer.
. Photographs back then were published in black and white , and also Saul was known to do street photography and photojournalism.
. Saul at the same time was also capturing and shooting his own personal photographs which were mainly in colour rather than the standard black and white template.
. When Saul was taking these pictures it was personal work and was practice for him to grow and improve is talent as being a photographer and also unleash his artist side at the same time which is where the colours come into play-(experimental)
. Saul's work was largely discovered in the 90s as being a huge body of colour work that had never been published before and really paved the way for photographers and photography in today's generation.
. Abstraction and thematic elements are included and present throughout all of Saul's pictures which make his work stand out amongst other photographers and also makes his images more unique.
. Saul used a selection of different methods to approach colour and the way of shooting his pictures such as expired film and overheated film to his advantage to show what could be done with colour back in that generation.
. Noted in Saul's images are the formal elements which consisted of shape , tone , texture , focus and light but also Leiter's played around with placement of depth and what would be seen in the background and how clear it would actually be seen these are more common in his fashion photographs.
. When reviewing Saul's street and colour personal photography there is a massive use of not only the formal elements previously mentioned before but also reflection and the concept of collage and the collage effect.
. Reflection is a recurring aspect of his work because he used the windows of shops and surfaces to cast the effect of not only reflection but abstraction also examples would be rain , street lights , car lights and people who appear in the windows.
. Saul held his first public exhibition of colour photography in 1950 at a club called the artist's club which was a meeting place for many abstract expressionists of that current time.
. Twenty three of Leiter's black and white photographs were included in the seminal 1953 exhibition "Always the young stranger" at the museum of modern art. Also twenty of Saul's colour pictures were added into the 1957 Moma conference "Experimental photography in colour".
. Saul would constantly say interesting things and hint at abstraction when asked about his photographs a quote from him says "A window covered with raindrops interests me more than a photograph of a famous person".
. After countless photos both taken in black and white and also in colour Saul sadly passed away in November 2013 in New York.
. Dropped out to move to New York and pursue a interest in arts , mainly panting and was encouraged by his teachers and friends to do photography.
. Was one of the members of the New York school photography which included other famous photographers such as Dan Arbus , Eugene Smith , and William Klein.
. The large amount of work Saul did mainly at that time was fashion based which was a lot of photojournalism making him a working photographer.
. Photographs back then were published in black and white , and also Saul was known to do street photography and photojournalism.
. Saul at the same time was also capturing and shooting his own personal photographs which were mainly in colour rather than the standard black and white template.
. When Saul was taking these pictures it was personal work and was practice for him to grow and improve is talent as being a photographer and also unleash his artist side at the same time which is where the colours come into play-(experimental)
. Saul's work was largely discovered in the 90s as being a huge body of colour work that had never been published before and really paved the way for photographers and photography in today's generation.
. Abstraction and thematic elements are included and present throughout all of Saul's pictures which make his work stand out amongst other photographers and also makes his images more unique.
. Saul used a selection of different methods to approach colour and the way of shooting his pictures such as expired film and overheated film to his advantage to show what could be done with colour back in that generation.
. Noted in Saul's images are the formal elements which consisted of shape , tone , texture , focus and light but also Leiter's played around with placement of depth and what would be seen in the background and how clear it would actually be seen these are more common in his fashion photographs.
. When reviewing Saul's street and colour personal photography there is a massive use of not only the formal elements previously mentioned before but also reflection and the concept of collage and the collage effect.
. Reflection is a recurring aspect of his work because he used the windows of shops and surfaces to cast the effect of not only reflection but abstraction also examples would be rain , street lights , car lights and people who appear in the windows.
. Saul held his first public exhibition of colour photography in 1950 at a club called the artist's club which was a meeting place for many abstract expressionists of that current time.
. Twenty three of Leiter's black and white photographs were included in the seminal 1953 exhibition "Always the young stranger" at the museum of modern art. Also twenty of Saul's colour pictures were added into the 1957 Moma conference "Experimental photography in colour".
. Saul would constantly say interesting things and hint at abstraction when asked about his photographs a quote from him says "A window covered with raindrops interests me more than a photograph of a famous person".
. After countless photos both taken in black and white and also in colour Saul sadly passed away in November 2013 in New York.
PHOTOGRAPHERS SIMILAR TO SAUL LEITER
BILL ARMSTRONG
Bill Armstrong is a New York based fine art photographer best known for his blurred photographs , here are some examples of Bill's pictures and work.
As you can see in these photographs Bill Armstrong uses the formal elements to create a artistic impression onto his work for example the use of Shape and focus really give his photographs that more creative feel compared to other photographers. In these photos the clear focus is never identified which makes his work more abstract and fit into the abstraction genre of photography which Saul Leiter also fits under. The blurry feature of the images also produces a abstract feeling because it disrupts the picture itself making it difficult to view which is also what Saul does as well , this is done because in order for a photograph to fall under abstraction it has to be unique and not basic like a ordinary image would be.
After viewing some of Bill Armstrong's work and doing some research on him I can compare his craft to Saul Leiter's mainly because they both take advantage of the formal elements and can effectively use them in their images and fits with the whole concept of abstraction so that is why I would relate Bill Armstrong with Saul Leiter.
After viewing some of Bill Armstrong's work and doing some research on him I can compare his craft to Saul Leiter's mainly because they both take advantage of the formal elements and can effectively use them in their images and fits with the whole concept of abstraction so that is why I would relate Bill Armstrong with Saul Leiter.
PERSONAL PROJECT 10
RESEARCH OF 3 PHOTOGRAPHERS
ROBERT FRANK
Robert Frank was a Swiss photographer and documentary filmmaker. His most notable work was The Americans a photography book he published in 1958 which focused of pictures of post war way of life and how Americans were living after World war 2. Robert began studying photography in 1941 which he then spent six years working for commercial photography and graphic design studios located in many different countries such as Zurich , Geneva and Basel. Robert then travelled to the United States to pursue his career more and worked on fashion photography however after a while Robert disliked fashion work and ended up resigning shortly after. During this time Frank then moved to working on freelance photojournalism between 1950 and 1955 this further expanded his knowledge in photography and pushed him to experiment more.
Frank's work is full of formal and visual elements here are some examples of his images.
Frank's work is full of formal and visual elements here are some examples of his images.
When looking at these photographs my attention is instantly directed to the backgrounds and the fact that the pictures are in black and white as no colour is present at all. In his photograph of the river with the person sitting at the edge it tells a story and raises numerous questions on the backstory for example why are they there? why are they looking into the distance? how are they feeling during this encounter? Also the formal elements are located everywhere in his images such as tone , texture , focus , shape etc which are all aspects for a photograph to be abstract and Robert Frank does that perfectly well.
My final thoughts on his images are that these photographs have a certain theme/backstory to them with Robert Frank there is always a story behind his pictures and makes you ask questions and wonder what was going through his mind at the time of capturing these images.
My final thoughts on his images are that these photographs have a certain theme/backstory to them with Robert Frank there is always a story behind his pictures and makes you ask questions and wonder what was going through his mind at the time of capturing these images.
HELEN LEVITT
Helen Levitt is an American photographer who was noted for her street photography in New York City that mainly focused around capturing images around the way of life in the city itself among other aspects that New York had going on. Her rendition of the city was expressed in her photographs that included surpassing lyricism , Mystery and finally the quiet drama that happened when she was taking her photographs. Helen's work has contentiously reflected her poetic vision and humour that she observed when taking pictures of people in the city that represented those qualities for example children playing happily in the streets and both men and women exchanging humorous conversations with one another.
Here are some examples of her photography.
Here are some examples of her photography.
When observing and looking at these pictures the first thing that comes to my mind is the contrast between using colour and not using colour which indicates that the photographs that do have colour express happiness and joyful lives compared to the images in black and white that indicate hardships and tough times. I say this because when I look at the picture of the women in her house looking directly at the camera I feel like she is more economically gifted and more able to care for herself , however when I direct my attention to the young boy by the door that is in black and white I see nothing but negative and depressing aspects just by his body language and how there may be a story behind the photograph as to how he is in that situation in the first place and why it's not presented in colour.
Also the formal elements play a major role in these photographs because the tone and texture of the pictures in black and white suggest that there was once bright colours there but it has been sucked away due to hard times in life and Helen is expressing/explaining that to us as a viewer by presenting the photograph in black and white instead of her usual bright colours. My final thoughts on her work are that she tells the story of New York in both the positives and negatives and distinguishes them by the use of colour , the positives being children smiling and having fun in the streets compared to the negatives being unemployment and homelessness.
Also the formal elements play a major role in these photographs because the tone and texture of the pictures in black and white suggest that there was once bright colours there but it has been sucked away due to hard times in life and Helen is expressing/explaining that to us as a viewer by presenting the photograph in black and white instead of her usual bright colours. My final thoughts on her work are that she tells the story of New York in both the positives and negatives and distinguishes them by the use of colour , the positives being children smiling and having fun in the streets compared to the negatives being unemployment and homelessness.
PETER FRASER
Peter Fraser is a contemporary photographer who specialises in colour photography , much of his work focuses on the objects/materials he finds around the world and he expresses them in terms of photography. When he takes pictures of these enigmatic objects he captures it in extreme detail and precision for example the edges , corners and smoothness of the material itself so he is very calculated when doing so. Peter's work includes both the formal and visual elements to showcase the beauty and sometimes strangeness these materials may harbour.
These are some examples of Peter's work.
These are some examples of Peter's work.