Formative feedback Annotation
Reflective Summary
A positive start to CAN
Continue to take risks but ask the question is the work justifiable in approach, subject - is the learning/ research process applicable
Continue my current approach to work
Focus more on finer technical control (not going to happen over night)
Think about equipment available and the impact it has on final image
Check Exposures
Colour Balance
Post Edit
Proofread
Current photographic experimentation is good and is working
Things to look into for the future - Do not get to bogged down with it, small, short and relevant if it not applicable to the work don't write about it.
Public Vs Private, Family, Death, Grief, Social and Cultural Landscape, Object, Memory, Self
Conceptualism and Deadpan
Photographer to Research/ Look at - Do not get to bogged down with it, small, short and relevant if it not applicable to the work don't write about it.
Jo Spence
Keith Arnatt - Everyday Post it Notes
Rineke Dijkstra
Thomas Ruff
Bechers
Ed Ruscha
Detailed Annotation
Overall Comments
Well done on completing this first assignment. This is a positive start to work from This is of course an assignment that helps us to get to know each other a little and will not be a formal element at the assessment point.
At the heart of this assignment is an opportunity to interrogate how two sets of images can have opposite meanings and values despite them sharing the same environment. It was suggested that a snapshot or documentary approach might help to make the images more convincing. Even though you decided to generate a set of images and a set of connected texts I believe that the learning has been effective and that you appreciate the ways that images are manipulated to tell a subjective story for the viewer. This is potentially good judgment, I decided to explore alternatives to the concept of “Two Sides“ by not performing documentary or snapshot. Slightly risky but my learning and understanding has justified the approach. Continue check learning, understanding and ask myself is it a justifiable approach.
You obviously invested a considerable amount of time and emotional energy working your way through the maze of possible ideas and approaches that might map to the brief. The outcomes and the personal reflection that accompanies the work and research are commendable This need to continue, it is same approach I took in EVY and it feels natural to work this way, but I have made a range of observations below that might enrich the work, or at least help you to think about contexts for new work.
Feedback on assignment
Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity
Look again at the exposures to ensure that they share a common tonality. This something I need to consciously think about not just post but during the shoot – look a little more closer. The postcard needs also to be very neutral in terms of colour balance The issues of the colour balance of the postcards is a matching reflection to my own thoughts. As the picture of you and your wife was one of the key catalysts for the whole body of work Matching thought this should be the
touchstone for the rest. I thought it continued throughout just in a slightly different way although the idea and the importance of touchstone is something I need to think a little bit more about and keep in mind As well as this image projecting a strong emotional intensity from each of you, and between you, it does seem to be the key that sets up the dialogue and contrast between the image and the text The fact I identified the strength of this single image out of 200 shows good judgment. sides of the set of postcards. In the images of your son and daughter I would try to edit these so that they achieve something approaching the aesthetic character of the picture of you both. This feeds back to the touchstone I do agree with your analysis that you need to be consistent and use a tripod Matching thought. Look at the skin tones to see what you are aiming for. With the cat picture – although you justified this more animated shot - you might want to stick firmly to your decision to juxtapose the deadpan records of your life with the much more expressive and open writing on the rear of each card. This cat image is of them weird little things that part of you feels it should be removed and the other part feels it should be left in. Good to see that the justification has worked but Andrew point is equally valid. Something was said in a google hangout regarding the elements of humor that is present in the postcards – something else to think about.
I love the idea of creating the work that is directed to your mother who passed away some years ago and I appreciate the cultural and social landscape of the family, our lives (as complex experiences) and the place of the photograph This is an area of understanding I need to slowly build this subject and theory . Try to track down the early work of Jo Spence who explored the family album and wrote extensively about this Research Jo Spence. There are many others.
The size and format of the card is working very well. This gives the final form of the work a touch of nostalgia I do need to re scan the postcards if I am to present has such to ensure that the image is the same size of the postcard. There slight nostalgia is there but I never talk about it during thoughts and research consider nostalgia , it offers something much more suggestive of tactility and human touch/scale and it returns the image back to a being a physical artifact and not something always seen through the screen. This is something that I explored in EVY.
You might consider if these images were being shown publically how they might be displayed. You have created a viewing experience where the spectator is looking in to a private and personal world of the family Again something that touched on in EVY the public and the private, in terms of the display/ presentation of the postcards in public I am unsure how I would do this so I do think that it’s incumbent on you to develop your basic understanding of a few other photographers whose work falls into this area of practice. See the everyday post-it notes of Keith Arnatt to his wife – sadly Keith passed away a few years agao. Research Keith Arnatt – Everyday post it notes
In your reflective evaluation you do identify a range of strengths and weaknesses. Some of these are simply bullet points at the end and some are much more detailed and embedded in your thinking and reasoning for the work. Continue
At the heart of your endeavor seems to be a desire to explore personal grief and loss. This is such an important subject and as you say in our culture is often pushed out of social and cultural attention. Slowly build understanding of subject matter and theory
Just a note to remind you to proofread your writing before setting it free. There are one or two persistent errors this is a difficult area for me, I often drop words, spelling and gramma is weak, I will try to proof read to improve things – you use ‘to’ rather than the ‘too’ throughout. Otherwise you write very well and show that you are prepared to explore your thoughts about ongoing and finished work. Continue
Coursework
Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Demonstration of Creativity
You evidence full engagement in all of the coursework elements and your blog reveals the learning that is applied between the projects/exercises and the assignment. Your writing and short visual experiments are good and should increasingly feed into and inform your central projects. I hope to shoot more in terms of experiments - will, won't it work and the occasional surprise result is something I enjoy playing with, continue with short work building them up into the assignments
Research
Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis
In your writing you could start to demonstrate that not only have you deployed a ‘deadpan’ approach to each of the portraits, but also that you understand some of the theories that underpin this methodology. See the portraits of Rineke Dijkstra and Thomas Ruff. Research Rineke Dijkstra and Thomas Ruff, start small in terms of writing on theory and it may beginning to slowly feed in work. as examples of this approach using a large format camera and stripping away any attempt to photograph the individual personality below the surface. If you explore both the work and the writing that sits alongside this type of work you will start to form a more academic understanding. You might even track back to the topographic movement in landscape which was epitomized by the exhibition New Topographics and the lifelong work of the Bechers. Research Bechers They are the pivotal image-makers historically speaking because they then taught that approach to their university students in the Dusseldorf School of Photography in the 1970s. You might also explore the connection between Conceptualism and the deadpan approach. See also the work of Ed Ruscha in the 1970s. Research Ed Ruscha, conceptualism and the connection between Deadpan.
In your practical research I was taken by the plausibility of the image called Skin Tear. I thought that this could be a good starting point for something in the future. I particularly liked the shot taken in the first person which makes it very believable with the hint of the paving slabs in the background. This type of approach is a consideration for Assignment 5 but we will see how the unit develops
Learning Log
Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis
Your text oscillates between very personal writing, which touches on an urge on your part (I could have this assumption wrong) to capture and express your feelings which are very complex and deeply felt, and a more formal practical analysis of the methods deployed and the progression and development of your reasoning for the work and how it looks. This way of writing is a natural approach almost similar to the way I thinking and approach things, it stops me from becoming bored. But I can see how it could confuse the reader by switching between informal and formal, but I feel for the time being that this current way of writing has the potential to form a more engaging approach. Of course I will have to bare in mind that this format/ style of writing is not suitable for Academic Essays. This is healthy but you might signal to the reader what is what by sub-dividing your writing. You show that you have an excellent appetite to developing a deep understanding of the subject and of the creative problem in hand. Continue
I would liked to have seen how this work could have been extended - or is it limited because of the numbers in your family? Does the work grow outside of you and your loved ones or do you think that your deceased mother would like to ‘see’ more about you and how you live? This I guess that is an ongoing exploration of self, family, death, grief, memory, object. I am current unsure where this is going if I was to be honest
Suggested reading/viewing
Paul Wood (Ed), Conceptual Art, Delano Greenridge, 2002
New Topographics, Steidl, (2009)
Various books and articles relating to Dijkstra and Ruff - quite expensive books
Pointers for the next assignment / assessment
Tutor name
Dr. Andy Langford
Date
11 January 2018
Next assignment due
Please remember to include a date here, even for Level 3 students, and even if it is nominal – it is helpful for HQ.
Reflective Summary
A positive start to CAN
Continue to take risks but ask the question is the work justifiable in approach, subject - is the learning/ research process applicable
Continue my current approach to work
Focus more on finer technical control (not going to happen over night)
Think about equipment available and the impact it has on final image
Check Exposures
Colour Balance
Post Edit
Proofread
Current photographic experimentation is good and is working
Things to look into for the future - Do not get to bogged down with it, small, short and relevant if it not applicable to the work don't write about it.
Public Vs Private, Family, Death, Grief, Social and Cultural Landscape, Object, Memory, Self
Conceptualism and Deadpan
Photographer to Research/ Look at - Do not get to bogged down with it, small, short and relevant if it not applicable to the work don't write about it.
Jo Spence
Keith Arnatt - Everyday Post it Notes
Rineke Dijkstra
Thomas Ruff
Bechers
Ed Ruscha
Detailed Annotation
Overall Comments
Well done on completing this first assignment. This is a positive start to work from This is of course an assignment that helps us to get to know each other a little and will not be a formal element at the assessment point.
At the heart of this assignment is an opportunity to interrogate how two sets of images can have opposite meanings and values despite them sharing the same environment. It was suggested that a snapshot or documentary approach might help to make the images more convincing. Even though you decided to generate a set of images and a set of connected texts I believe that the learning has been effective and that you appreciate the ways that images are manipulated to tell a subjective story for the viewer. This is potentially good judgment, I decided to explore alternatives to the concept of “Two Sides“ by not performing documentary or snapshot. Slightly risky but my learning and understanding has justified the approach. Continue check learning, understanding and ask myself is it a justifiable approach.
You obviously invested a considerable amount of time and emotional energy working your way through the maze of possible ideas and approaches that might map to the brief. The outcomes and the personal reflection that accompanies the work and research are commendable This need to continue, it is same approach I took in EVY and it feels natural to work this way, but I have made a range of observations below that might enrich the work, or at least help you to think about contexts for new work.
Feedback on assignment
Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity
Look again at the exposures to ensure that they share a common tonality. This something I need to consciously think about not just post but during the shoot – look a little more closer. The postcard needs also to be very neutral in terms of colour balance The issues of the colour balance of the postcards is a matching reflection to my own thoughts. As the picture of you and your wife was one of the key catalysts for the whole body of work Matching thought this should be the
touchstone for the rest. I thought it continued throughout just in a slightly different way although the idea and the importance of touchstone is something I need to think a little bit more about and keep in mind As well as this image projecting a strong emotional intensity from each of you, and between you, it does seem to be the key that sets up the dialogue and contrast between the image and the text The fact I identified the strength of this single image out of 200 shows good judgment. sides of the set of postcards. In the images of your son and daughter I would try to edit these so that they achieve something approaching the aesthetic character of the picture of you both. This feeds back to the touchstone I do agree with your analysis that you need to be consistent and use a tripod Matching thought. Look at the skin tones to see what you are aiming for. With the cat picture – although you justified this more animated shot - you might want to stick firmly to your decision to juxtapose the deadpan records of your life with the much more expressive and open writing on the rear of each card. This cat image is of them weird little things that part of you feels it should be removed and the other part feels it should be left in. Good to see that the justification has worked but Andrew point is equally valid. Something was said in a google hangout regarding the elements of humor that is present in the postcards – something else to think about.
I love the idea of creating the work that is directed to your mother who passed away some years ago and I appreciate the cultural and social landscape of the family, our lives (as complex experiences) and the place of the photograph This is an area of understanding I need to slowly build this subject and theory . Try to track down the early work of Jo Spence who explored the family album and wrote extensively about this Research Jo Spence. There are many others.
The size and format of the card is working very well. This gives the final form of the work a touch of nostalgia I do need to re scan the postcards if I am to present has such to ensure that the image is the same size of the postcard. There slight nostalgia is there but I never talk about it during thoughts and research consider nostalgia , it offers something much more suggestive of tactility and human touch/scale and it returns the image back to a being a physical artifact and not something always seen through the screen. This is something that I explored in EVY.
You might consider if these images were being shown publically how they might be displayed. You have created a viewing experience where the spectator is looking in to a private and personal world of the family Again something that touched on in EVY the public and the private, in terms of the display/ presentation of the postcards in public I am unsure how I would do this so I do think that it’s incumbent on you to develop your basic understanding of a few other photographers whose work falls into this area of practice. See the everyday post-it notes of Keith Arnatt to his wife – sadly Keith passed away a few years agao. Research Keith Arnatt – Everyday post it notes
In your reflective evaluation you do identify a range of strengths and weaknesses. Some of these are simply bullet points at the end and some are much more detailed and embedded in your thinking and reasoning for the work. Continue
At the heart of your endeavor seems to be a desire to explore personal grief and loss. This is such an important subject and as you say in our culture is often pushed out of social and cultural attention. Slowly build understanding of subject matter and theory
Just a note to remind you to proofread your writing before setting it free. There are one or two persistent errors this is a difficult area for me, I often drop words, spelling and gramma is weak, I will try to proof read to improve things – you use ‘to’ rather than the ‘too’ throughout. Otherwise you write very well and show that you are prepared to explore your thoughts about ongoing and finished work. Continue
Coursework
Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Demonstration of Creativity
You evidence full engagement in all of the coursework elements and your blog reveals the learning that is applied between the projects/exercises and the assignment. Your writing and short visual experiments are good and should increasingly feed into and inform your central projects. I hope to shoot more in terms of experiments - will, won't it work and the occasional surprise result is something I enjoy playing with, continue with short work building them up into the assignments
Research
Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis
In your writing you could start to demonstrate that not only have you deployed a ‘deadpan’ approach to each of the portraits, but also that you understand some of the theories that underpin this methodology. See the portraits of Rineke Dijkstra and Thomas Ruff. Research Rineke Dijkstra and Thomas Ruff, start small in terms of writing on theory and it may beginning to slowly feed in work. as examples of this approach using a large format camera and stripping away any attempt to photograph the individual personality below the surface. If you explore both the work and the writing that sits alongside this type of work you will start to form a more academic understanding. You might even track back to the topographic movement in landscape which was epitomized by the exhibition New Topographics and the lifelong work of the Bechers. Research Bechers They are the pivotal image-makers historically speaking because they then taught that approach to their university students in the Dusseldorf School of Photography in the 1970s. You might also explore the connection between Conceptualism and the deadpan approach. See also the work of Ed Ruscha in the 1970s. Research Ed Ruscha, conceptualism and the connection between Deadpan.
In your practical research I was taken by the plausibility of the image called Skin Tear. I thought that this could be a good starting point for something in the future. I particularly liked the shot taken in the first person which makes it very believable with the hint of the paving slabs in the background. This type of approach is a consideration for Assignment 5 but we will see how the unit develops
Learning Log
Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis
Your text oscillates between very personal writing, which touches on an urge on your part (I could have this assumption wrong) to capture and express your feelings which are very complex and deeply felt, and a more formal practical analysis of the methods deployed and the progression and development of your reasoning for the work and how it looks. This way of writing is a natural approach almost similar to the way I thinking and approach things, it stops me from becoming bored. But I can see how it could confuse the reader by switching between informal and formal, but I feel for the time being that this current way of writing has the potential to form a more engaging approach. Of course I will have to bare in mind that this format/ style of writing is not suitable for Academic Essays. This is healthy but you might signal to the reader what is what by sub-dividing your writing. You show that you have an excellent appetite to developing a deep understanding of the subject and of the creative problem in hand. Continue
I would liked to have seen how this work could have been extended - or is it limited because of the numbers in your family? Does the work grow outside of you and your loved ones or do you think that your deceased mother would like to ‘see’ more about you and how you live? This I guess that is an ongoing exploration of self, family, death, grief, memory, object. I am current unsure where this is going if I was to be honest
Suggested reading/viewing
Paul Wood (Ed), Conceptual Art, Delano Greenridge, 2002
New Topographics, Steidl, (2009)
Various books and articles relating to Dijkstra and Ruff - quite expensive books
Pointers for the next assignment / assessment
- Arrange your writing to help differentiate between formal analysis and other personal or poetic forms
- Pay particular attention to the process of taking the images and in post-production to ensure the images are tonally consistent.
- Identify and develop your knowledge of the keys terms of deadpan, conceptualism and explore other photographers whose work is concerned with the family, loss and memory
Tutor name
Dr. Andy Langford
Date
11 January 2018
Next assignment due
Please remember to include a date here, even for Level 3 students, and even if it is nominal – it is helpful for HQ.