Extreme Contrast
Amy Friend
Amy friend is a Canadian artist. She grew in Ontario where she attended Ontario college of art and design and later received degrees from the university of York and Windsor. Her work has been features in many magazines and has exhibited her work internationally. in 2013 she was nominated as one of the top 50 photographers in the critical mass photo competition
The series of photos I have chosen to base my work on is her Dara alla Luce. This is Italian and translates "to bring to the light" in English.She creates these photos by collecting prints from various sources, then pokes holes throughout the surface of these vintage photos. After she re-photographs the images letting natural light shine through. In an interview she says this has the effect of "returning the subjects of the photographs back to the light, while simultaneously bringing them forward." The themes of her work relate to memory, time, impermanence and fluctuation of time. The images she uses are vintage images she has found and altered.
The series of photos I have chosen to base my work on is her Dara alla Luce. This is Italian and translates "to bring to the light" in English.She creates these photos by collecting prints from various sources, then pokes holes throughout the surface of these vintage photos. After she re-photographs the images letting natural light shine through. In an interview she says this has the effect of "returning the subjects of the photographs back to the light, while simultaneously bringing them forward." The themes of her work relate to memory, time, impermanence and fluctuation of time. The images she uses are vintage images she has found and altered.
This is my favorite image in the series Dara all Luce because the image looks very vintage and has pinholes throughout the photograph. This provides a contrast between the dull black and white back ground and the small pin pricks of light shining through. It successfully frames the girl in the center of the image directing the observer where to look. Also the busy background makes it very interesting.
Great artist research section! Are these found images or for example, did they belong to her family?
My response - Can you please say what your intentions are here? We know that you are going to poke holes in the image like the artist does but how have you chosen your specific subjects, who are they and why?
In my images i have chosen to use my sister as the subject as Amy Friend's images remind me of family and closeness. I have decided to take these images in the dark as it will provide contrast to the light shining through and creates a melancholy feel you also get from Amy Friend's series Dara alla Luce.
This is my first photo shoot in response to Amy friend's series. My next step is to poke in it and shine a light through.
Did you re-shoot? If so, please put those images up ASAP.
Did you re-shoot? If so, please put those images up ASAP.
This is the final out come. I am really happy with the way it turned out because although the images looked a bit too dark in my first shoot the light shining through made the features of the image show up. I think the use of the pin pricks creates an illusion that my subject is just a shadow and not really there. If I was to re-shoot these I would get prints of the images so that the paper is thicker and light wouldn't shine through the paper.
Anna Kulachek
Anna Kulachek is a Ukaranian graphic designer who currently lives in New York. She takes her inspiration from Moscow's bold, busy and bright atmosphere and she looks for these characteristics in New York's architecture, restaurants and its people. she mainly works on typographic posters which she believes "Reflects both Moscow's architecture and traffic."
Please finish this artist section and write your intentions for your shoot below - be specific.
Please finish this artist section and write your intentions for your shoot below - be specific.
My response
My intention for this shoot was to get images of people's whole bodies so I could cut out their outfits and hold them up to a background to create an image similar to the style of Anna Kulachek
To create this image I first used photoshop to put the picture of Daphne onto a plain white background. Then I cut my models outfit out and held the image up to a piece of scenery.
This was an interesting project but I can't see your final images fully. Can you please select your best ones and enlarge them. How did you choose what backgrounds to select? The final images are on my school computer so i cant get them off
I think these series of images were successful as i managed to copy the style of Kulachek and put my model on a series of different backgrounds. I decided to use bright backgrounds in order to make my images more eye catching as well as wanting to imitate anna kulachek's use of bold colours. However, I struggled to get both the image of Daphne and the scenery in focus. To fix this, next time I would lower the aperture and use a tripod as the shutter will be open for longer.
I think these series of images were successful as i managed to copy the style of Kulachek and put my model on a series of different backgrounds. I decided to use bright backgrounds in order to make my images more eye catching as well as wanting to imitate anna kulachek's use of bold colours. However, I struggled to get both the image of Daphne and the scenery in focus. To fix this, next time I would lower the aperture and use a tripod as the shutter will be open for longer.
Minimiam (Akiko Ida & Pierre Javelle)
Akiko Ida and Pierre Javelle are a couple that met while studying photography st the Arts Decoratifs art school in Paris. They are professional food photographers that have been shooting a series called Minimiam where they place miniature people in a world of over-sized food.
To create their images they arrange miniature model train figurines in positions and situations that connect with the foods they use in their photography. Their aim with this series is to make people smile but it also raises issues with global warming.
To create their images they arrange miniature model train figurines in positions and situations that connect with the foods they use in their photography. Their aim with this series is to make people smile but it also raises issues with global warming.
Out of this series I have chosen to analyse this image as I find it particularly interesting as it has so much detail. This photograph is of miniture golfers playing golf on doughnuts using the sprinkles as the ball. I think the use of the sprinkles adds a pop of colour to the image and creates texture. I like how the camera is focused on the two doughnuts on the front with the doughnuts beyond blurred out as it gives the illusion that the golfers target is far off in the distance.
My response
My aim for this shoot is to put food and the miniature figurines together to create an interesting scene like the ones created by Pierre Javelle and Akiko Ida.
I think these turned out really well as they all have a story to tell. I used a low apeture to make sure my pictures were bright enough and so that all aspects of the images were in focus. I also managed to successfully go close up to my subjects which provides texture to my series of pictures.
Sophie, your project has started out really strong but it's nowhere near where it should be at this stage, even before school closed due to the pandemic. As I can see, you only have one project completed. Your final grade for the course is dependent on our assessment of all of your work. I know how difficult this time is but please take advantage of it - you have so much time to work on this now. Please complete your miniatures shoot, then select your favourite strand and let's move on from there. I can help you select artists to look at but I need to know which direction you want to head in.
My favorite strand
My favorite strand is extreme contrast in people. I have already looked at Amy Friend and for my developments of this strand I will be looking at the photographers Maurizio Anzeri, Aliki Braine, and Julie Cockburn.
Maurizio Anzeri
Maurizio Anzeri is an Italian born artist yet he is based in Britain. For his artwork he searches for vintage portraits and landscapes in flea markets to deconstruct and add new elements to. He embroiders directly onto his images with colored thread and the end results resemble the subject wearing a mask. The people disappear during the process transforming into shadows or outlines. What I find extremely interesting is that the expression and identity of the person pictured is completely concealed once Anzeri has finished embroidering.
This is my favorite photo that Maurizio Anzeri created because you are able to feel the emotion of the girl. Embroidered lines are sewn coming out of her mouth quite violently which I believe shows sound waves implying she is screaming and is in pain. The turquoise thread is sewn cascading down from the girl's eye showing more emotion. I particularly like the contrast between the black and white image and the brightness of the thread.
Julie Cockburn
Julie cockburn is an artist based in London. She is known for re-imaging objects and vintage pictures. She obscures the photos of unknown people and sews complicated masks onto their faces. She uses a series of different patterns which makes each photograph unique