Third Project: Persona

(apologies for the dust. I can't make myself be a perfectionist about dust on negatives. I think it must be a form of rebellion for me.)(project statement)
I created an installation in my room that suggested an environment. I asked two friends who are dancers and have known each other for a long time to be my models. I dressed them up in clothing that I thought fit well with the installation and then asked them to pretend that they lived in this space: to create the persona that they thought would inhabit this environment. I didn't give them much direction and just worked with the poses they created, occasionally giving them suggestions about where to look or what emotion they might be feeling. They worked really well together and gave me a great deal of material to chose from when printing my photos, allowing me to hone in on the exact look I wanted to create. I hung the photos with some of the original installation that I created for the photo shoot.

(I was frustrated with this project largely because of how dark the negatives turned out- I was working without a lightmeter- a very stupid idea. )

Second Project: Emulation

Escape "She didn't want to risk it, but she knew she had to go back."

A Strange Day in October "It had been ten minutes."

Antique Dealings "The next morning it happened again."

Emulation of Chris Van Allsburg’s The Mysteries of Harris Burdick.
(project statement)

For this project I tried to recreate the essence of one of my favorite childhood books. Chris Van Allsberg is a Caldecott-winning illustrator and has done several important works such as Jumanji and The Polar Express. Although The Mysteries of Harris Burdick is less well known, it is my favorite. The premise of the book is that each of the illustrations were given to Peter Wenders by a mysterious man named Harris Burdick who promised to bring the accompanying stories later. Burdick never returned and so the only clue to the content of the stories is the single illustration, its caption, and the story’s title.

My desire while emulating this work was to create a similar sense of mystery, intrigue and suspense that is felt when you read the book. The reader immediately imagines the rest of the stories without even trying. I wanted to reference his work but not duplicate any scenes exactly. Each drawing is a bit of magical realism which is quite difficult to create in photography. Instead of using Photoshop, I hoped to use lighting to add surrealism to scenes, but exposing the film correctly to this light was a challenge. I was very inspired by this book as a child and I think it encouraged a strong interest in narrative art-making. Creating these ambiguous scenarios and then portraying myself as the subject (for two of the three) was very enjoyable and fulfilling for my imaginative six-year-old self.

-->If you are not familiar with The Mysteries of Harris Burdick or the illustrator Chris VanAllsburg, please look at: http://www.amazon.com/Mysteries-Harris-Burdick-Chris-Allsburg/dp/0395353939 (you can see a few images from the book on the amazon page)
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/features/harrisburdick/ (a website where people have submitted their own stories to accompany the illustrations found in the book)

First Project: Mapping

Mapping Project Statement
This project for me was not only about the subject of mapping, but also learning to express my ideas through the visual language of photography. My interpretation of mapping dealt with texture, scale and form. For me, this project was not so much about recording a certain place or even a feeling, but it was about creating an abstracted map of the surfaces of trees and logs.
I was riding my bike and came across a pile of cut logs and branches along the side of the road. I thought this was interesting because by photographing several of these logs together I was mapping several trees at the same time: the convergence of wood from different locations which was now creating an entirely different landscape from their original form. While I was photographing, it quickly became clear to me that I was more interested in the close-up texture and detail of the logs than I was photographing the huge pile. I could have a lot more control over what I was photographing without moving anything in order to create a better ‘scene’. Although I am not fascinated by landscape photography, I am interested in close-up shots which become abstracted and possibly alienated from the original context. I have continued to photograph more trees (not just the ones in the pile) over the past few weeks and continue to be interested in mapping texture and detail.

failed photo shoot

This was the original idea for my final photo project; it had to be scrapped when the negatives came back so dark and there was dust on the lens. ( sad foghorn noise). Many thanks to mom for having the film processed.

My sister and I in our shared bathroom at home- a place of memory and a type of utopia, I suppose- also amazing wallpaper.

fabian unternahrer

Unternahrer with an umlaut over the 'a'. Rock band practice underwater!

http://www.fu-photo.ch/index.php?id=5 (his website)

Paul Paper/ and some other

This is the work of Paul Paper, a photographer from Lithuania. I found him via Flickr, where his alias is 'and some other'. I think his works are beautiful and quiet. And many are selectively colorful or mostly white and cream (and we know how I like whites and creams). mmm. The above photo is called "That's why I'm lying here".

http://www.flickr.com/photos/justlooking/

p.s. today is my birthday!

Tara Donovan

This is Tara Donovan, a sculptor who works with the most bizarre materials and turns them into something beautiful. She starts with the material she wants to use and then figures out how to use it second. The above is made from scotch tape.

Pencils.

Fishing line.

Styrofoam cups!! Like clouds.