last batch of photographs from madrid

Photography project evaluation

I have always had an interest in the concept of abstract reality, and exposing these abstract qualities within nature and our surroundings. I think in a world where we are exposed to photographs, pictures and advertising on a daily basis, that photographs need a hook to make people stop and take a second look. I think that within my photography I try to create a hook of visual unfamiliarity that requires studying up close to reveal the true subjectivity.

I try to compose the pictures to have as little clue to the identity of the subjectivity as possible. What primarily attracted me to photographing these buildings is how unfamiliar the images seem, although the places in my photographs are large and imposing buildings in the middle of the city.

I was first attracted to these reflections for their intense and rich detail, and almost organic design. I think of the reflections as an accidental phenomena, a by-product of the local civil engineering and architecture. The pictures in my collection are all similar in theme, and there is a definite concurrent theme, but they also mimic natural reproduction in that they are all distinctly unique. There is also a kind of mystery and elusive sensibility to the images; the reflection mutates and evolves as you walk past, creating wildly different images from different angles. In my images I have altered the perspective of the picture so that the rows of windows are symmetrical, as I feel this makes for a more pleasing aesthetic;  the symmetry of the grid makes a strong contrast to the seemingly random and abstract patterns. This also means that even if somebody was to walk past the building and photograph it themselves the chances of them replicating the same image as me is very unlikely, creating this elusive sense.

I think the photographs also possess a distinct fragility, in that they’re reality only exists from one very precise angle. I have often questioned the creativity behind this project, and the level to which I can call the images mine, as opposed to the creation of the architect or the builder. To which I had justified myself by thinking that they could never have truly comprehended or had control of the image created in the reflections, due to the previously existing surrounding buildings and the pre-deseeding landscape or superseding changes. But I think this previous point reinforces the importance of my intervention. The pictures do exist because of the architects and builders, but are also governed by the quality of light on the day, the historical surroundings, and any future development after the erection of the building, which are governed by laws and customs seemingly distant to the subject of the image, for example councils planning permission departments arguably shape the final product too.

The buildings themselves are all in the business and banking districts in Madrid, which I find another interesting factor. This trend is unintentional, it just happens that the pictures I have created only seem to manifest coherently to the grid style I have been exploring within these specific buildings. At a time of global economic crisis, it is a very apparent irony.

The different levels of reproduction within the pictures is important; there is repetition in the theme of all my images, in the grid pattern which breaks down the image into sections, many of which also repeat in style. I originally didn’t like the lines intersecting the images and tried to zoom in further and focus on just one panel. But I believe the collage effect of all the very individual sections creates a much more powerful picture, when viewing the pictures I think it requires the viewer to not only take a closer look, but also endears them to separately analyze each section of the image as if it were fifty separate pictures as well as being able to view it as a whole.

The next aspect of this project I hope to focus on is the repetition and existence of similar reflections and buildings in other countries. Since starting the project I have become aware of the abundance of such imagery primarily in major world cities, New York as a prime example. I plan to extend this body of work to include images from London when I return and then hopefully to a couple other European capitals over the summer.

mural

final sculpture project idea;

I have been looking at alot of street art recently, and became quite interested in the idea of disposable and quick to make sculptures that i can place in the street. These are the first two examples i have made, using polystyrene and wire i ahve made some fairly simple skeletons of a rat and a bird, both about a foot in length. I was inspired originally by lots of possibel places that i would notice in the street almost longing for some art be placed there. for example in the gardens next the the royal palace, there are alot of walls with small alcoves that look like they were intended to house a statue, and i keep noticing trees in prominent public areas with holes in that would perfectly house some small sculptures.
I am not sure exactly that the skeletons are of the most importance in the project, i think that they are appropriate through their relatively simple and quick production and the strong image they create.

Lithographs

The are the first three lithographs I have made this year. The process is quite lengthy, made longer by a lack of printing presses. But I find the process very interesting, begining with the lengthy grinding of the stone, until it is smoothe and flawless. The drawing of the image is possible in several different methods, fot the first two i used the lithography pencil, for the third (of the hand) i used both the pencil and paint, and sfor the fourth for which i am working on at the moment, first we lay down the black ink the we scratch it away.
then once the image is drawn, you fix it with acid and gum arabic before printing.
the picture of the window was a sketch from the very begining of my trip here. the second print of the face, is a slightly strange combination of my face with some detail from some of the first window pictures i took. And the third is inspired from a crowd at a gig i went to.

third mural design

 The first two murals i created were useing the traditional fresco technique, with calcium based mortar and powdered pigments. For the third mural we are allowed to adopt a style of our choice, and i have decided to use stencils and spray paint. i found the fresco techique unsatisfying, the pigments when mixed with water are quite similar to painting with watercolour, and the callcuim covered walls are very absorbant and not permissive of abundant detail and intricacy, that is much easier with stenciling.

The stancils above are of ten differnet nation, and national emblems. They represent, from the top left in logical order, Serbia, Egypt, Germany, Austria, America, Romania, former prussian empire, the European union, Mexico and the philipines.

the idea is a simple montage of countries and natioanlities differing greatly, but that all bear the same animal on the crest. this piece ties in with some of the ideas I have been thinking about in the respect of analysing my photograpgs and also to an essay i have started writing looking at national and global identities.

i have only given ten examples here, as that is as many as i can fit onto the wall i have, but there are amny other examples i could have used, and may also make. the idea is quite a straightforward comaprison, but i think it successfully brings up discusion on cultural identities and their differences and similarites.

more photographs;