Overall Comments
You’ve built on your foundation. Vital work gaining contacts and trust has taken place.
Feedback on assignment
Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of Creativity
Notes from, and in addition to, our Skype tutorial –
[there’s some duplication here as the two assignment tutorials were conflated – look for italics]
It was decided that this would act as a review of both Assignment 1 and 2
I have tried to split commentary on specifics about A2 into the second report however there are a great deal of overlaps . In one sense it was useful to see the questions posed in A1 beginning to be answered in your submission and research for A2.
Main key points: Recommendations
Drop the terms of Landscape and portrait think about the idea of ‘Place’ and research more on what makes a place;
We interpret places through interactions with landscape and people and the air, the weather, what was on the radio, whether we’re hungry or tired etc etc. Let the photographs be an extension of your engagement with the place without applying arbitrary boundaries.
These boundaries have already started to blur in your later approach.
Review the work by Chris Killip and compare the two locations, Skinningrove – NZ looks like the land of plenty – is it? Explain the reasons for this location;
In comparison these do seem worlds apart. Skinningrove – in the late 70s/early 80s – does seem like the ends of the earth. This work has been seen/shown/discussed a great deal too. Eke out similarities and differences.
And as we enter Covid19 lockdown looking at Skinningrove feels like coming full circle; isolated, stasis etc
Try to avoid scene setting.
It’s useful to scope out how, where and what you might be working with for your body of work but think of all of this as process. You’ll edit continually. You’ll go back to photos and discard ‘favourites’ as you go along. It might not ever be ‘finished’!
Look at the work by Burger and Mohr. Try to capture their world
John Berger and Jan Mohr
‘Another way of Telling’, ‘7th Man’, ‘Unfortunate man’ – look at these and research more
A Fortunate Man
I would also suggest Eugene Richards, W. Eugene Smith, Chris Steele Perkins, Nick Danziger
Keep going back with a theme in mind
In our current situation, you need to reassess this
‘Going back’ may now mean, returning to your archive – and potentially engagement with thinkers such as Rosler, Sekula, Tagg.
Try to keep the human element
Who’s it for, what’s it about, how to connect?
In Flagrante – Chris Killip
Think – small and intimate. Apparently Simple
The more you simplify the easier it is for others to ‘bring themselves’ to your work. It’s also good practice in terms of editing, ask what each picture brings, do the sequences add to more than a sum of parts.
Send through the colour images, remember to add everything to your blog
Have all your work accessible on your blog. It’s vital for your development and (much later) for assessors to see where and how decisions were made, how they were informed, how learning was applied.
The images work for the male resident but not so much for her, consider developing more with these two
He is very comfortable in posing – reference how he looks and how he models himself. They are both in conversation yet his poses (or confidence) cut through to make a more satisfying (typical?) image. Seek references.
Make sure Assignment 3 shows a marked sign of change
I think this is guaranteed as your working method must now reflect our changed working circumstances – see this as an opportunity, you were already talking about this community as one that functions in isolation. Are they now a model for our changed world? Have you read any J G Ballard?
Add the words from interviews and include in your work in progress reports for your blog site
Think about who has the privilege in portraying these residents, and who has the privilege in viewing them.
This next assignment could be a great opportunity to take stock and thoroughly contextualise your work so far.
I’m also in the position of trying to continue working remotely from a coastal town that I can no longer access. How will it work?
Coursework
Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Demonstration of Creativity
Good evidence of work on blog.
Research
Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis
Lots of decent writing and reflections on your blog. It will really pay off to situate your work within a context of photographers and artists that inform this body of work – see references above.
Learning Log
Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis
Also good to see you extending your research beyond the artists and photographers. Everything informs everything.
Suggested reading/viewing
Context
See above. Write up reflections or reviews on your blog.
Michele Usher 