PHOTO BIENNIAL

Brighton Photo Biennial 

2012

Agents of change: Photography and the politics of space

6th October-4th November 2012

http://www.photoworks.org.uk/programme/projects/brighton-photo-biennial-2012

(visit the website above for more information)

This was another trip organised at Uni where we got the opportunity to visit Brighton and it's very famous Photo Biennial, bringing international and emerging photographers and artists to the city. We started of at Brighton University (which was one of many unusual venues across the city's urban landscape), where there were a few exciting and interesting pieces of work on show. 

This years theme, 'Agents of change' asks, 

How is public space constructed,controlled and contested?

How is photography implicated in these processes?

All exhibitions were free to visit, including talks, tours and film-screenings.

Artists and photographers, specialists and enthusiasts, families, young people and those who just want to find something new- the BPB12 has something to offer for everyone!

University of Brighton Gallery

Uneven Development

Corinne Silva

Jason Larkin

Two Photographer show

Corinne Silva- Badlands 2011

This work was so interesting and made you think about the places you never really think about everyday. You forget about the other, less fortunate countries who have to deal with worse situations than we do. Silva's work is insightful and with the size of the prints you can really get an eye for the detail. You have to read the concept behind the work, especially when viewing the images of the plastic however I think this adds something unique to the whole series separating it from the landscape but also putting the idea of this constructive work life it into perspective.

Jason Larkin/Corinne Silva

Imported Landscapes, 2010

Corinne Silva

visit the photographer's websites:

http://www.jasonlarkin.co.uk/index.php?/projects/cairo-divided/

http://www.corinnesilva.com/

Uneven development demonstrates the idea of human and environmental impact of urbanization. Corinne Silva works along the overlapping borderlands of Africa and Europe. In 'Badlands' Silva explores European leisure migrants and irregular African workers with architecture and plastic in the Southern Spanish landscape and in 'Imported Landscapes' she uses Spanish billboards to past on Moroccan Landscapes , forcing the global south into the global north.

University of Brighton Gallery 

Edmund Clark

Control Order House

Photos from The Argus Archives 
Whose Streets?

Brighton has a rich history as a contested political space. Exploring the archives of Brighton's long established newspaper, BPB12 curators have worked with Argus photojournalists to select compelling images from over 40 years of protests.

Lighthouse

Geographies of Seeing

Trevor Paglen

Social scientist, artist, writer and provocateur Trevor Paglen uses photography to explore the secret activities of the U.S. military and intelligence agencies.

Preston is my Paris

Four Versions of Three Routes

This work explores possible constituency reformation in Brighton. Photographs taken and displayed along the debated constituency borders question how electoral districts are decided and how change might effect residents.

No Olho Da Rua: Julian Germain, Patricia Azevedo, Murilo Godoy, and street kids from Belo Horizonte in Brazil

The Beautiful Horizon

Selected works from a long term collaboration between young Brazilians living on the streets of Belo Horizonte and artists Julian Germain, Patricia Azevedo and Murilo Godoy. Using borrowed camera equipment, the young participants document their lives and work with the artists to edit, publish and distribute the results.

There had to be some photography of my own in here somewhere! So here's what I saw around Brighton.

IDENTITY AND INNER SELF

IDENTITY AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Image Text Analysis/
Concepts and Themes

We have been given a brief to produce a series of images that will be shown in our Christmas exhibition in mid December. We have also been shown lectures about key ideas to think about relating to these images, which are Identity, Documentary and The environment. I have decided to explore the idea of Identity but with the influence of the environment.

'Inner Self'

I am going to experiment using my own figure rather my 'self'  as an anomynous person representing an 'inner self' that anyone can possess. In an environment where you are/ are not used to or feel comfortable with, which allows you to 'drop your social face'. I would also like to explore the idea of a an open or closed space suggesting somewhere you feel free or restricted in your own body.

'Wanting to be yourself' but you can't always do that in some situations or environments so I will explore different environments to portray this idea.

I will use a long exposure- allowing my body to become 'possessed' by my 'inner self' creating movement spontaneously and also disguising my face to remain an anonymous figure.

Here is my work so far:
Taken on my Canon 600D SLR camera
2-3 seconds exposure time
F/18-22
ISO 400
I have also found out in the process of this work (long exposures) you need relatively low light for this effect to happen.

Manydown

I have chosen this location because it's quite a quite area of the town, It's a place called Manydown farm which is located in Basingstoke, where I live. This is a place where I have been a few times where I have gone for long walk for about an hour, (With other people) It is also a place that is threatened by the council, who want to build upon it, to create more housing, which I feel would be devastating and a big loss to those already living in the area. I shot in the woodlands, as an idea of constriction and restraint inside your mind, but it could also represent a place where you feel alone.

I have chosen to make self- portraiture work, not because of vanity or because I enjoy looking at myself like some people would argue, but because I feel it is a way of expressing emotion and as above, Identity. I also use myself as an element of convenience, because although I don't see myself as a portraiture artist, I find it easier to 'work with myself' than other people, and trying to find a model quickly and relevant to my project is pretty tough going. Basically I know what I want and I can easily instruct myself to do it. When I produce self portraits it is normally to do with femininity and expression.

The Bedroom

Here is my second location, The bedroom, which is used loosely because it's not meant to be just about me, but also everyone else who can relate. The movement I felt reflects your actions and the way you move about in a place you feel you can be your self, where no one is looking, or there's no existence of the 'outside world'. The blurring of the body creates this non existent 'outer' body but leaves a trace of your 'inner' body.

So far I have been influenced by a few artists, those being Francesca Woodman and Deborah Turbeville mainly because of their experimental approach to female portraiture and obviously Woodman's Self Portraits and long exposures which are really inspirational. Also Duane Michals and his surrealist approach to his work, for example 'The Illuminated Man' which shows a portrait of a man with a 'light-bulb' like head, looking at the idea that you can look at the figure in a different light. I have written a piece on Francesca Woodman, check it out you may see where my influences lie a little!

The Vyne

Double Exposures

These images I feel are quite successful in terms of them showing a surreal like figure or presence. I also think they're quite spooky which I think adds to the effect. I have experimented with double exposures as well by producing two under-exposed images in the same place and then in post-production you merge the two together to create a properly exposed image with two different subjects in one. I love how this creates un-canny views and mysterious effects.

I will keep you updated. Please give me feedback on my work, would love to hear from you!

TEAMWORK!

University Workshops

On a Tuesday afternoon we get together in our small groups of about 6 which we have been allocated and discuss our set briefs given by our tutors. These tasks aim to help us deal with a group/team situation and to gain a better understanding of certain equipment/techniques. The briefs set are taken from the lectures given in the morning and are also helping with our individual projects on the same subjects. I will document our ideas as a group and show our final outcome.



WEEK 1: IDENTITY

Nostalgia

Here is our image which explores the theme Identity. We were given the brief of a digital image, printed A3, we had to shoot in the studio, use studio lighting and include props. We were also given a list of things to "try" and include but it was also optional, these included; 
Window lighting, A specific room, A specific age, presence of an animal, nature, a figure and a shadow. We came up with the idea of a child's bedroom, with the presence of an older person, in the form of a shadow to suggest a longing for their childhood or a memory of the past. 

We wanted to create quite a nostalgic appearance, with the props it is successful in doing that as they appear to be quite old fashioned. We did originally plan to create a child's bedroom but in the short space of time we had it was difficult finding the props necessary. The final outcome, I feel was successful, we chose to print the image in black and white because this juxtaposed our theme of nostalgia and resembled the past, also in colour our still life appeared too commercial as if it would appear in a catalogue for a department store. Our objects and the shadows give the image quite an eerie aesthetic but I think this was a great effect and gave the image some character and drama.


WEEK 2: DOCUMENTARY

Consumerism

Our key elements of the brief were as follows:

• Black and white
• Medium format
• 9x12.5 paper
• 3 prints (Triptych)
• Subtle and interesting
• The concept given has to be a secret from the other groups, for them to guess during the presentation.

All of the groups had to choose privately, a word/concept to produce work about and then keep it a secret to see if they could guess it later on. Obviously from the title our word was 'Consumerism'.

The idea of 

'Transportation of Global goods'

We thought most people would think or associate this term with shops or food, which would be too obvious, so we tried to brainstorm something more subtle and thought a very important factor, and one people tend to forget about, is how we and the rest of the world receive our everyday products and goods. This led us to the massive transportation networks by sea and railway. However it was easier for us to access the idea of sea transport, being based near Southampton port harbor. We aimed to subtly introduce the goods containers by them becoming part of the landscape as if fitting in to our normal everyday lives. Realistically being something that is almost restricted and hidden from us.

WEEK 3: ENVIRONMENT

'Ugly Architecture'

Iphone shots of the location

Medium Format Image 1 below

ERIC ASHBY

New Forest Wildlife on Camera

On an episode of countryfile, they explored the antics of well-known wildlife film-maker Eric Ashby who spent his life situated in the grounds of the New-forest where he captured many moments of life in the wild-including the mysterious Badgers. Although sadly passed a few years ago, his work still lives on and influences many of the modern film-makers today.

I was fascinated by his curiosity and interest in just one place and he went back continuously to  record the goings on of the forest. His home "Badger cottage" was situated in the New forest which explains his love for the place-and indeed it is a great place to go.

Eric Ashby worked for the BBC's many nature programs and when he released his film "The unknown forest" people got to see what nature was really like without any controlled settings. He was known as "The silent watcher" and was one of the first film-makers to develop sound-proof camera boxes, which helped when photographing Badgers in daylight and also deer that are extremely sensitive to noise.

I am not a huge film fanatic but nature and wildlife captured on film is definitely a skill to be proud of, and with the advances in technology we have managed to create incredible programs like "Planet Earth" but when it happens to be on your doorstep, it's even more exciting.


Here is one of his videos of badgers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=caVEATAYV_Y

LENSCRATCH SUBMISSION!

ANOTHER LENSCRATCH SUBMISSION

THEME: MASKS AND COSTUMES!
A REALLY EXCITING SET OF IMAGES FROM EVERYONE!


http://www.lenscratch.com/2012/10/the-2012-lenscratch-masks-and-costumes.html

MY WORK IS FEATURED ON PAGE 2-CHECK IT OUT :)

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