I have included return of your extensive annotated file and summarised the key points below.
• Despite apologetic tone and ‘over-thinking’ this is a good fist stage of a literature review with some useful references and summaries which show your understanding of key photographic themes/discourse.
• However. Too broad. Lacks focus. You may be getting confused as to what the function of ‘contextual studies’ is.
• Is the subject ‘New Zealander’ communities as in your Body of Work? It’s not clear.
• Whilst OCA do not specify whether you should:
1. reflect on your own Body Of Work critically (including the practitioners who may be working on similar subjects). Some students do this very well whilst also including case studies to link their own work with that of others who they are influenced by.
2. Write about a photographic theme using ‘discourse analysis’ to explore how that theme is depicted/represented. Using analysis of practitioner(s) used to ‘stand in’ for the kind of subject or photographic approach that you intend in your own Body Of Work (but not specifically about your own practice work as such).
• On initial reading of your literature review I think, personally I would work on (2).
• In the order you have written it – it is not immediately clear what the focus of the contextual studies assignment is. This needs clarification. It’s still talking about the New Zealand work and it begins with: ‘Mental health is considered a private subject that is better left behind closed doors; out of sight, out of mind. This toxic approach has resulted in nearly 47% of New Zealanders experiencing mental illness and/or addiction at some stage in their lives.’ But then doesn’t refer to these subjects linking your literature as a methodology to illuminate the New Zealand work.
• Is it a contextual studies assignment researching photo-voice and mental health?
Key Points
• Sound summaries of representation processes and mainly photo-voice (Documentary as Social Practice/engagement) and ‘turning the tables’ on the power relations by allowing the subjects to use photography in a therapeutic way. Then you can weave in and out of the materials you have summarised (Stuart Hall, Sue Braden, Photo Voice) and relate them to the subject.
Explore the ‘partiality of photographic evidence’ with the potential conflict with the idea of photography used documentary evidence and how this might relate to photography as a tool of self-expression (therapy).
• As mentioned in Assignment 1 feedback: rather than attempting to firmly relate the CS to your own work on New Zealand communities, use examples of photographers who use photo voice or social engagement strategies to explore specific subject (if, indeed that is what you want to research – its not clear). Examples include:
• No Olho da Rua (In the Eye of the Street) is a long term collaboration between young Brazilians living on the streets of Belo Horizonte and artists Julian Germain, Patricia Azevedo and Murilo Godoy which offers ‘street children’ the chance to express themselves through photography, writing and interviews.
• Of course, (above) I am leading you. This is the subject that I am interested in for my own Body Of Work. You must choose your own theme and case studies to then relate this to the literature you have reviewed.
• For example, Stuart Hall’s representation process research (using semiotics and discourse analysis methodologies) is about power relations between those looking and those being looked at. I would have used the example of Julian Germain, Alex Baldea or Jim Goldberg to ask how their particular strategies – use of contemporary work alongside archive images in Baldea’s case or actually giving the street children their own cameras in the case of Germain (and photo-voice): Can photography enable or prompt the subjects to actually change their conditions? Can a viewer’s viewpoint or prejudice be changed as a call to action? You could equally apply a more therapeutic model and psychological methodology (see Rose) to a subject that merited that approach.
• You could also review literature – web sites, portfolios and even primary research (ie. you interviewing a photographer and/or subject of photographs) case studies to begin to move in the direction of a contextual studies about a theme rather than specifically about New Zealand.
• Could have ‘photo therapy/voice’ as a thread running through to make conclusions about form, content and the context you are beginning to tease out?
Readings/ Bibliography
As stated in the first assignment feedback : go now to join the conversation and submit comments (this will provide evidence that you understand the debates rather than presume that you have read around the subject). Documentary evidence and artistic expression: https:// http://www.oca.ac.uk/weareoca/creative-arts/documentary-evidence-and-artistic-expression/
• University for the Creative Arts – Literature Review – UCA. (2020). Retrieved 1 May 2020, from https://www.uca.ac.uk/library/academic-support/study-guides/literature-review/ Find Your Actual Subject – research that (Braden and Hall are indicating that you are interested in power relations and photo voice/social practice. Narrow it down – show the reader).
• Asocialpractice.com. (2019). OE2017 Workshop: Critical Questions and Resources – Photography as a Social Practice. [online] Available at: http://www.asocialpractice.com/ category/oe2017-workshop/ [Accessed 1 May 2020].
• Goldberg, J. (2011), Sfmoma.org. 14 September. Jim Goldberg’s compassionate lens · SFMOMA. [online] Available at: https://www.sfmoma.org/artist/jim_goldberg/ [Accessed 1 May 2020].
• Photovoice.org. (2019). PhotoVoice. [online] Available at: https://photovoice.org [Accessed 1 May 2020].
• Photoworks. (2019). No Olho da Rua – BPB12 | Photoworks. [online] Available at: https:// photoworks.org.uk/no-olho-da-rua-julian-germain-patricia-azevedo-and-murilo-godoy/ #close-no [1 May 2020].
Analysing Case Studies:
Killip, C. 2011, Frieze.com. (2019). Life in Pictures: Chris Killip. 01 NOV 2011 [online] Available at: https://frieze.com/article/life-pictures-chris-killip [Accessed 26 Apr. 2019].
Photo Pedagogy ‘Representing Homelessness’ – so you replace this analysis with whatever your subject is: rural communities, mental health etc.
• Photo Pedagogy (2020). Representing Homelessness’. Retrieved 1 May 2020, from https:// http://www.photopedagogy.com/representing-homelessness.html
Pointers for the next assignment
• Re-do the lit review in plan form. Using bullet points.
• You should work through these summaries and give example of how these ‘discourse’ can be used in the subject of your CS assignments. But of course this is not clarified as yet. In other words, work backwards and write your introduction last – after you have drawn conclusions/summarised the literature.
• Before anything else read: • Gillian Rose Visual Methodologies Sage 2013. PDF enclosed and choose your visual methodology.
• Find a couple of case studies of practitioners you can use to explore your subject/theme – which needs clarification at the moment. You can analyse the images in a plan method (see Killip’s analysis of Walker Evans – above).
• E-mail me bullet point plan before writing in ‘long hand’ and we can use the as a discussion to clarify the next stage (Assignment three).
• Your course end date is 05/11/2021 – this means it would be better for you to resist the temptation to rush ahead and spend a few months reading the material and focussing down a specific subject and producing a planner (which means maybe re-writing the literature review in a more focussed fashion).
• Because of this I have recommended a long lead for the next assignment (we can still have e-mail updates).
• Resist ‘apologising’ as the research is happening and you should try to limit the obvious student insecurity.
Michele Usher 