Rework

Whilst discussing my work for assignment 5 it was pleasing to hear my tutor liked the work and was great when we explored the work and found areas for improvement. After our video meeting I set to work completing the following work to fine tune the assignment.

First I corrected the spelling of Evaluation in the title this had been auto corrected to evolution and I had missed it when proofreading. This is my first learning to be more attentive to detail when checking my work so errors are eradicated.

I also added a short piece of writing about what I felt photography added to my work compared to painting.

My tutor asked me to look at the series and ensure all the photographs fit within it. After some time looking at the book I felt the photo of the man in football kit didn’t fit. It wasn’t spontaneous, the subject must have planned to take off his outer garments and be in his football strip. Therefore I removed this from the book.

I also reprinted the image of the man stood on the large rock. My tutor was correct I had burned the subject to show texture in his clothing, it detracted from the shot. So I included the original exposure in the re-stitched book. I feel it fits better within the series my tutor was right.

Making a video showing the work in the finished book was a new challenge. I made it from the point of view of my eyes looking at the book as the pages are turned showing each page being turned. This was a hard process, getting the angle of the book so it was parallel to the lens was vital. If this wasn’t achieved the perspective was off and detracted from the video I wanted to show the viewer. Using a tripod made the whole process easier to set up.

My learning log doesn’t allow video, so I will provide a link to it on my dropbox so anyone can see it. I will also include the video for assessment at the relevant time.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r8bn30a9ym8f2vf/1080p.mov?dl=0

Looking at the Artist Statement I agreed that it could be more critical and added more work to the statement. I explained the urgency I had had to work. Not having the time to ponder before the critical moment passed. This was one of the hardest parts of producing this work. The moment lasted a few seconds and I had to be ready.

In the explanation of the process of Japanese Stab Binding I had included the photographs from Portsmouth University (Batey, 2014) I removed these photos and referred to them instead. Providing a link to the work so any reader can see the process I used. Experimenting with a gallery of me re-stitching the book proved difficult, my attempt is not as clear as the photos from Portsmouth University`s site.

My tutor pointed me to the work of two artists first, Susan Trangmar and her work “Untitled Landscapes” (suetrangmar.com, 1985) shows women looking into the landscape. Each image invites us to look past the back of the viewer into the landscape. The subject is placed so the blind spot is emphasised. This makes me wonder what I am not seeing I start to make stories based on what I am shown and what I cant see. Intriguing and puzzling at the same time. I was unsure if the different scale of the subject worked within the series.

I looked at Helen Sears work focusing on “inside the view” (HelenSear.com, 2014). This work also shows people looking into a landscape., Sears shows two images combined into one, then she adds a third element a layer of fabric. Adding this fabric layer creates a different mood or feeling to each image. I have looked at these images in different mood and they make me feel different reflecting my mood.

Whilst looking at the work of these two artists I found work by Julian Lennon (Lennon, 2014). He showed many techniques in his work but two shots showed similar emphasis on the big landscape with people looking into it (Horizon, 2014) (Follow, 2014). A third though has the subject looking out of frame into the camera. (Boundless, 2014). This was challenging to look at, I cannot decide whether I have become accustomed to seeing people looking into the frame. This image seems to bounce my gaze back out of the frame.

This assignment stretched my learning in many ways. I learnt new skills, looked at varied ways of approaching the same technique and considered my work in new ways. It was completely satisfying and most importantly enjoyable.

Work Cited

Batey, Jackie. “Portsmouth Universit Japanese Stab Binding.” Portsmouth Illustration Bookbinding Illustration, July 12, 2014. https://bookbindingtutorials.wordpress.com/2014/12/07/japanese-stab-binding-4-hole/.

Lennon, John. “Julian Lennon Photography,” 2014. https://www.julianlennon-photography.com/.

Lennon, Julian. Horizon. 2014. Silver Gelatin, 83x127cnm. https://www.julianlennon-photography.com/.

Lennon, Julian. Boundless. 2014. Silver Gelatin, 80x127cm. https://www.julianlennon-photography.com/Jula.

Sear, Helen. “Helen Sear.” Helen Sear, 2014. https://www.helensear.com/.

Trangmar, Susan. “Untitled Landscapes.” Susan Trangmar Art, 1985. http://susantrangmar.com/.

The most important thing I have learnt through completing this work is not to cram too much into the assignment. Keep it simple was great advice from my tutor.

He wanted me to discuss a little more of the technicalities in producing this work. I started by making paper which involved using a blender to pulp fibres from wood and old drawing paper until it was a smooth paste. then I placed this onto a frame with fine filter mesh stretched taut. I then let this air dry before lifting the paper with a scalpel. One out of three sheets failed and were re-pulped to form the next batch. I didn’t bleach or stain the paper it came out the colour I wanted. This method produced paper strong enough to survive the rigours of the washing process later.

I used a metal ruler and rough tore the paper to the size I wanted for my Cyanotypes.

For the solutions I mixed two solutions mix A is 10g of Potassium Ferricyanide which is mixed in 100ml of distilled water.

Solution B is 25g of Ferric Ammonium Citrate with 100ml of distilled water.

These two solutions are kept separate in brown bottles in a cool dark place till I want to coat the paper. Kept like this they will keep for several months.

Next when I want to coat my paper with sensitizer I mix equal quantities of the solution in dim light, Taking care to only mix the amount I will need in the clean mixing bottle. When the two solutions are mixed the resulting solution is light sensitive and has an intense yellow colour. (1)I used the recipe from Thames and Hudsons Book Experimental Photography A Handbook of Techniques.

Next I chose my subjects on my walks along the lane at the back of my home. It was always in the back of my mind that I was in the shadow of Pendle Hill and if it were the 1600s I would be in danger of being called a witch and burnt at the stake.

To make the exposure I placed the sensitized paper on top of a card and then placed a clear piece of Perspex on top of the subject securing with bulldog clips to keep everything tight and in place. The exposure time varied from 5 to 20 minutes depending on the strength of the sunlight. I read my tutors comments about striving for continuity and will do more of this in future. However I agree that as this is more organic work I should leave as is.

Finally I placed the exposed paper in a tray to wash the paper however I rinsed each for three minutes in gently running cold water to start the cleaning process. Then I hung them to dry in air, the cyanotypes change as they dry and in fact continue to dry for several weeks after as they react with the air.

Whilst the process is lengthy it is extremely rewarding and I plan to experiment with larger versions and prints in the coming months.

I read the methods to colour match in Photoshop and experimented with them. I am pleased with the results and the finished results are a nearer colour to the original work. I also read and carried out work to frame the work, thinking about how to present it to a viewer.

I think the work needs a starting point to set the scene. However a poster, map and description is just too much. I have narrowed this down to a one page description of why I completed the work.

I have started to read about critical writing and will add sections to my posts in the near future. I also looked at the suggested work by Laurie Snyder and Liz Nicol.

(2)Snyders work is more precise than mine and makes me realise I must use this process more to master it to her high standards. I plan to make some very large prints of full plants in the near future. However I am pleased with this work as an early starting point. (3)Liz Nicols work with Rubber Bands her daughter found dropped by the postman. This word made me think of a future body of using cyanotypes give a feeling of some part of this landscape others effect.

I have reworked my Cyanotypes and have dropped the Poster and the Map to replace them with a brief description of why I made this work. This is presented in the style of a cyanotype although I manipulated an existing cyanotype in Photoshop. I see them now on a white wall in a gallery next to each other in a level straight line so that each image is equal.