Why I picked the theme "Messages".
The reason I chose this particular question over all of the others is because mixing text with photography is a different way to express thoughts and opinions towards any subject. It creates a link between photography, most subjects, topics or problems going on in the world, and languages. This link that is created can be used to get a specific point across to a large audience. The mix of text and photographs decreases the variety of things that one photograph could be perceived as down to one idea. Adding text to an image can turn a regular, positive photograph into a negative, serious or upsetting photograph. In other words, text can change the overall mood of a picture, it is much more powerful then people seem to realise.
I am curious to find out what artists different perspectives are. If I were to meet an artist whose main theme was messages, or something along the same lines, I would first ask why they chose this particular theme over anything else. What were their initial ideas? How did their first photoshoot go?
I am curious to find out what artists different perspectives are. If I were to meet an artist whose main theme was messages, or something along the same lines, I would first ask why they chose this particular theme over anything else. What were their initial ideas? How did their first photoshoot go?
Threshold Concepts
I have researched about some of the 10 threshold concepts in photography, and there are two main ones that stood out to me because I believe they are the main ones that link to my theme, "messages".
The first one that has caught my attention is threshold concept number 4, which sates that "photography is unlike other visual arts". This is, obviously, completely true because photography changes a 3-Dimentional world to 2-Dimentional, it hangs the perspective of everything, captures a part of time that can never be relived exactly, making photographs unique. The main reason as to why I believe this threshold concept relates to my theme is because most other visual arts do not allow you to experiment with this theme, as well as any other themes, in as much detail as photography. Within the subject of photography, you have the ability to analyse a photograph, edit is using various applications, making an image personal to you or a specific theme.
The second threshold concept that caught my attention was number 6, which states that "photographs have their own grammar". This links to my earlier point where I said each photograph is unique, different to the rest. This concept stood out to me as one that linked to my theme because taking photographs that link to text will not always directly look amazing to the eye, which is what is widely believed by people who have not studied photography to make a "good picture", but these photographs must include the correct "grammar". For example, the focus.
The first one that has caught my attention is threshold concept number 4, which sates that "photography is unlike other visual arts". This is, obviously, completely true because photography changes a 3-Dimentional world to 2-Dimentional, it hangs the perspective of everything, captures a part of time that can never be relived exactly, making photographs unique. The main reason as to why I believe this threshold concept relates to my theme is because most other visual arts do not allow you to experiment with this theme, as well as any other themes, in as much detail as photography. Within the subject of photography, you have the ability to analyse a photograph, edit is using various applications, making an image personal to you or a specific theme.
The second threshold concept that caught my attention was number 6, which states that "photographs have their own grammar". This links to my earlier point where I said each photograph is unique, different to the rest. This concept stood out to me as one that linked to my theme because taking photographs that link to text will not always directly look amazing to the eye, which is what is widely believed by people who have not studied photography to make a "good picture", but these photographs must include the correct "grammar". For example, the focus.
Lee Friedlander
The photograph above is one of Lee Friedlanders exhibitions, commonly known as "Letters from the People".
Friedlanders approach to the theme I have chosen is based upon a variety of messages, beginning with the alphabet, then numerals, then words and finally sentences which convey a variation of different messages, including religious, personal, political and romantic. This approach to the theme condenses a large theme into many small themes, all portrayed in a single exhibit. This approach intrigues me, mainly because it leads me to think about the quantity of "sub"-themes that could be extracted from this larger theme of messages.
Friedlanders approach to the theme I have chosen is based upon a variety of messages, beginning with the alphabet, then numerals, then words and finally sentences which convey a variation of different messages, including religious, personal, political and romantic. This approach to the theme condenses a large theme into many small themes, all portrayed in a single exhibit. This approach intrigues me, mainly because it leads me to think about the quantity of "sub"-themes that could be extracted from this larger theme of messages.
Duane Michals
Another photographer who has experimented with the theme "messages" and has been recommended to me to research is Duane Michals. She experiments with the idea of text and images.
Michals' approach to the theme "messages" is shown through her work to be literate;;y combining photographs with text through captions in her pictures. The best example of this is the photograph shown below
This photograph includes text that describes a story about what seems like a breakup in a relationship. In my opinion, this approach to the theme is quite boring. I do not like the idea of using text to give background or context t a photograph because it is quite simple.
The picture above could mean a wide range of different things, depending on the perspective it is looked at by different people. The overall theme of this picture as it is seems quite serious, an attempt to make viewers remember those who are suffering in poverty.
As soon as text is added, the theme of the picture is narrowed straight down to one, in this case, photography.
First Attempt
In Below are some photographs taken by me that link to my chosen theme. They are my first attempts at taking some pictures based around this theme. The first set are without any added text. The text added names opposites of each aspect of the photograph, and each word is placed on its respective opposite. In some cases, the word shown simply says what it's subject is not. In most cases, the word is the colour of the object said.
Below are the same images with text that has been added.
On the far left, you can see that the colour of the grass (green) has been typed in red. This is because, according to the colour wheel, red is the opposite of green. These three photographs also act as triptychs.
Text with a photograph takes away the viewers job of analysis, because the photographer gives them the meaning behind the image though the use of words. A clear example of this is John Baldessari's "pencil story".
Without Baldessari's text explaining the story behind these pencils, the photographs make it look like he just decided to sharpened a pencil. Without the story the photographs are dull. Baldesarri uses words to change these images from boring to artistic. Below is the full image.
Barbara Kruger
Another artist that has worked around the theme "Messages" is Barbara Kruger. Her approach to this theme involves conveying her text directly on certain photographs. Usually, these photographs and the text above them will gather opinion across to the viewers of her art. These opinions came from Kruger's previous work in advertising. Working around advertisements disgusted her, as she realised that words were being used in order to persuade people to buy things that they don't need. After this job, she decided to use the skills she had gained (from making slogans or catchy sentances to sell products) to procreate other peoples images, altering them into a strange back and white theme and adding large white-on-red text as captions above and below the photographs, persuading people to "buy less". A good example of this is her famous "your body is a battleground" work, shown below.
This piece of work by Kruger is a message to women. The phrase "your body is a battleground" tells women that they are fine as they are, that there is no need to spend money on material products that have no real value, such as handbags or makeup to wear. This is on piece of Kruger's work which persuades, in this instance, women, to not get brainwashed by these persuasive advertisements. I believe that her work is good, because she is making art to raise awareness to everybody that advertised products are most likely not needed whatsoever, therefore her artwork is for the better for everybody.
Martha Rosler
Martha Rosler is another photographer who has explored the theme of messages. Her approach is a way of informing people that both ways of gathering information, text and photographs, do not convey the full truth. For example, in her work, "The Bowery".
Two day exam
Another way messages are portrayed is through books. These books can be photographed either from a close, zoomed perspective or from a more distant perspective, as shown by Ralph Gibson. Gibson's book, "Ex Libris", shows pictures of books/newspapers (text) within another book, and the photographed texts are in a multitude of languages, not just one. This idea is interesting to me because it shows usual text from an unusual perspective, and literally combines text. and photography.
In the two day exam, I plan to take pictures of the text within books (inspired by Ralph Gibson), then print them off and take photographs of them photographs, and repeat this before putting them in a book, making the messages portrayed by the books look strange or abstract. Ralph Gibson's book caught my eye, and gave me an idea of another, more interesting way to approach this theme. However, before carrying it out in the exam, I will first make a small prototype to test out my idea. If it was possible, I would make my final idea on a much larger scale, and would take an exceptionally increased number of photos.
In the two day exam, I plan to take pictures of the text within books (inspired by Ralph Gibson), then print them off and take photographs of them photographs, and repeat this before putting them in a book, making the messages portrayed by the books look strange or abstract. Ralph Gibson's book caught my eye, and gave me an idea of another, more interesting way to approach this theme. However, before carrying it out in the exam, I will first make a small prototype to test out my idea. If it was possible, I would make my final idea on a much larger scale, and would take an exceptionally increased number of photos.