Marilyn Minter

I got out to see the Marilyn Minter exhibit at the CAC this weekend and it was great! The show, "Chewing Color" featured a unique blend of her photography, video and paintings. Her images are full of bright colors and make the viewer a little uneasy but mesmerized at the same time. They are mostly portraits, focusing on body parts but have a sense of surrealism and eroticism about them. The photos were approximately the size of large posters. I believe that with her use of heavy made up models and bright candy colors she is showing the uneasy or disgusting side of beauty. There were approximately 20 pieces in the show, some framed, a video projection, and some works hung by clips. The way they were exhibited really allowed the viewer to focus on the close up, sticky and colorful images. The CAC is a very contemporary space, high ceilings with many bright lights filling the room. I believe this space was perfect for the "Chewing Color" exhibit, because it fits in with the contemporary feel of Minter's work. Each piece was spaced out from one another, occupying its own corner or wall. I think this was a very effective method, because one piece can be overwhelming, let alone a row of them. There were quite a few people and music booming from the lower level of the CAC, because it was the night of the Shepard Fairey opening and the energy was high. This did not distract me, because I felt what I was viewing was not a quiet collective of work. Overall, I loved her work and think it was a great and successful show.

P.S. Shepard Fairey's work was great too!

New Scans

So I finally got the last half of my negatives scanned in. I scanned in 82 new ones, but here is just a taste.

collection of photos about beauty in the mundane

http://photo.net/no-words-forum/00Qiov


It's interesting to compare and contrast how others interpret this.

Technical Process

Overview of the process I've gone through the last two quarters:

I started out with an idea in my head about shooting the everyday details of life. I decided to shoot with the Mamiya C220 because it produces beautiful descriptions of just about whatever it shoots. It is also very good with capturing detail and has a variety of depth of field options. I chose to use Kodak Tmax ISO 400 because I am most comfortable and familiar with using this type of film. I wanted to use black and white film because it eliminates the distraction of colors, and allows the viewer to focus on the object or scene in the photograph. I hand develope each one of my rolls because I love the satisfaction of making photos from scratch and knowing you made every step happen yourself. I started out shooting things that were around me in my everyday life, details of my home and my surroundings. That idea only lasted for about one roll and I realized it just wasn't quite what I wanted. So I started looking for things in the world that were everyday, but were considered ugly or things that nobody ever takes a second glance at. When I looked at the world around me in this way, I realized that we take it for granted and that each and everything around us is beautiful in its own way. I started spending time looking at cracks in rocks and the ground and finding patterns in dirt. This led me to photographing a lot of areas that were forgotten or abandoned. I had an idea that I wanted to bring out the beauty in these places and things that nobody cared about anymore. After a while, I started to notice that I was drawn more to organic forms and nature, or man made things that have been affected by the elements. This has led me to my current state, where most of my favorite images have a very organic feel. As I have been test printing images as I take them over the last two quarters, I have learned a lot about what makes an image worth while. With the help of my professor and classmates, Ive learned what images work and how each final image needs a luminosity about it to be interesting. I have experimented with fiber and RC paper and have decided on using Ilford RC Glossy paper for my final prints. I really enjoy the high sheen of that type of paper. I have experimented with scanning in my negatives, digitally printing, borders, paper type, and presentation method. I have tried a few different types of frames and am currently in search of the perfect set of frames for my project. In the end, I hope to make a set of prints in the darkroom which are interesting to look at and convey my concept to the viewer. I want my viewer to learn to appreciate the mundane and forgotten which we encounter daily.

Class Questions

Thought I would address some of the questions my peers asked me in class a while ago:

Would you consider scanning in and digitally printing?
I absolutely know I do not want to print digitally. I really enjoy the process and satisfaction from printing in the darkroom. I personally think that because I am using a traditional camera and film type, that printing should be done in a traditional way also. I have been scanning in my negatives just to experiment with different contrast levels and such on my computer.

Does it matter to you if all textures be naturally formed or not?
At first, it did not and I photographed both natural and man made things. As my project has progressed, I find myself more drawn to the natural forms or the natural erosion of man made items, such as a cracking rock wall.

Have you considered a border?
I have only because of the exercise we did in class. I usually only use frames to border my photography.

Are you more interested in capturing texture or a scene. ex: the one of the dog/the tree bark?
Ok, the dog photo has nothing to do with my project. We found a stray dog while we were out photographing and I just wanted to take a shot of him cause he was cool. But to answer the question, the texture seen in most of my photographs is all part of presenting the objects or places in a new light. To me, capturing the texture of something is a sure way to grab the attention of the viewer.

I like the idea of a rotating frame. If you do so I think you would need to shoot in a very specific planned manner?
I am still not sure about the rotating frame idea. I still have some experimentation to do with that but I'm done shooting for now and am focusing on presentation.

Have you thought of doing sepia toned paper or some kind of experiment with tones?
No. I really love straight black and white!

Are you working with only abandoned areas?
I am working with both abandoned areas and areas that are still in use. Many of the places I have gone to shoot are run-down and abandoned because there are a lot of interesting things to shoot there.

Do you plan to print traditional or digital? Why?
I think its obvious by now that I am going the traditional route. See question one above.

Are you looking for exclusively graphic qualities?
I'm not really sure what you mean, but no I am not going for a stylized look.

Do these images each have their own individual quality or meaning? (Is there something different in each shot that stands out-different from the rest-or are they all focusing on the same kind of detail?)
I am hoping that in the end, they read as a conclusive idea of seeing beauty and interesting qualities in the mundane.

What are you looking at or for when you seek to isolate something? Do you consciously think about what you are including/excluding in the frame?
I look for ordinary things around me that have interesting qualities, textures, patterns etc. I am very much concerned with what I choose to include/exclude in the frame when I take a shot. I spend a lot of time framing each shot before I press the shutter.

Do you like them to be overall one tone or are you aiming for more depth via tonal range? Which paper do you like?
I am hoping for full tonal range prints, picking the best negatives and printing from there. I am going to be using Ilford RC Glossy for my final prints, but I have experimented with fiber.

Weekend Research

Ive been doing some brainstorming and searching for images similar in style and concept to my work. Its kind of a tough subject to search for because I'm not really sure what to call it. The master photographers I have been looking at online and in books for the last two quarters are Aaron Siskind, Wynn Bullock and Edward Weston. I feel a connection to them that is difficult to get in more modern work, because of their use of traditional processes and black and white film. Here are a few examples of their photography that reminded me of my own.


I have also been looking at different photographers, from all levels on an art sharing site, called deviantart.com. Here are a few links to the artists works that have inspired me.

http://healzo.deviantart.com/art/Searching-for-the-one-151940114
http://healzo.deviantart.com/art/Free-at-last-136871918
These works address the unimportant, small things around us but present them in such a way that they become beautiful and interesting.

http://vexingart.deviantart.com/art/Strokes-151299518
http://vexingart.deviantart.com/art/Too-far-too-removed-150829112
This artist photographs common things but presents them in a way that they take on a whole new meaning. I am really interested in this concept because I want people to appreciate the world around us in new ways when looking at my personal work.

http://hengki24.deviantart.com/art/trapped-152247906
http://hengki24.deviantart.com/art/circle-149375557
http://hengki24.deviantart.com/art/ocean-131-144099006
These really remind me a lot of my work! The square format, the black and white, the details! This artist is also taking simple things and photographing them in ways that show their inner spectacular.

What I Learned from Critique

Yesterday we had a WIP Critique, and I learned quite a bit. I got a lot of good feedback and suggestions. It was decided that my frames were too small but that there was too large of a black frame. Also, that the 4.5x4.5'' size I experimented with printing at was too small. I agree completely, so I think I'm going to shoot for printing at 6x6'' or 7x7''. I need to look for the perfect square frames! Also, the frames has a "shadow box" feel because the mat and photo were set back into the frame a few inches. It was brought up that this allows the photos to take on a "precious" quality, which I really enjoy. I want people to think these images are important and worth while (precious) even though they are not of important things. I also found that I usually print too dark, simply because of preference and that the bracketing experiment really helped me. I want to print 1 and 2 seconds below what I think looks good on a test strip. The lighter versions of my prints do have a luminosity about that that really makes them pop. My tasks for the next week include, printing printing printing, buying more paper and searching for the perfect frames. I better get busy!

Framing and Presentation

We experimented with various types of presentation and framing ideas. Below are the examples used for class last week. I have decided that I like the idea of a black frame the best but not the particular one I choose for critique. I bought three square frames this weekend and am going to print and frame some work this week. The frames I bought have various options: you can set the photo and mat back into the frame or up against the glass and you can use the mat and frame (photo will be 4 3/4'' on all sides) or no mat and just use the frame (photo will be 9'' on all sides). I also plan on printing a ton in the darkroom the next few days (if UC ever opens again). I will bracket when printing to experiment with a dry-down factor. I have decided to stop shooting for now and to focus on printing, perfecting the prints and decide on a presentation manner.

Boarders and Paper Type

We experimented with boarders around our photographs and I decided against them. I tried a black, a medium gray and a light gray border. If I absolutely had to pick one, I would go with a thin to medium black border because it brings out the rich blacks in the photos. Generally, I think any other type of boarders besides a simple colored line are tacky and distract from the work itself.
I also tried out a few new paper types, printing the same photo on each. I tried a glossy, a matte and a textured paper. I found that with the matte and the textured papers, the blacks did not appear to be black enough. With the glossy paper, the blacks were at their blackest and were very rich. I believe that that type works best for the nature of my work because of the formal quality I am going for.

New Scans

I scanned in some more of my negatives, however, these are not my newest work. I will post those soon!

Rotating the Image

Many of my photographs can be viewed and made interesting from many different angles. I have spent time turning my photographs upside down, and on either side to make a new composition from the same photo. The square format allows me to do this without much problem and without the viewer knowing which way is "correct". I have toyed with the idea of the viewer being able to physically turn the photographs any way they choose, as an interactive aspect. I would have to devise a plan on how to make a rotating frame or device, somewhat like a "lazy susan". A classmate also gave me the idea of making my photos into circular formats so they could be seen from even more angles. I think these are all things I would like to explore and play with.