Gyöngyi's Electronic Journal

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Lush bomb test contacts

The waves and whirls and burst of colours can represent orgasm?

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Mix of 2019 and 2021 photos

Self-love, self-acceptance, internal conflict, tension

Maybe one image amongst the dildos? 

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Visual research - Alma Haser

http://www.haser.org/pseudo

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https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/still-life-photographers

‘Vanitas vanitatum et omnia Vanitas" was the writing each of these artwork carried, reminding the viewers of the transience and brevity of human life, power, beauty and wealth, as well as of the insignificance of all material things and achievements. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, the profound philosophic message, led the paintings to ooze in symbolism and to depict allegorical compositions in which every element had a deeper, hidden meaning. Through this particular kind of narrative, these works warn about the irrelevance of all the beautiful, earthly pleasures, and provide us with a certain kind of unique aesthetics that many contemporary still life photographers picked up on.‘

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Latest test shots using a piece of white cardboard and hanging the object to emphasise it’s glass quality - all edited in Lightroom

Cinnnamon - another aphrodisiac. Another boring set up. 

I quite like these abstract close ups - but I’m not sure what I’m going do with them? I’ve printed out everything and I’ll start to play around with some layouts.

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Test shots and feedback

I’ve bought some amazing silks to shoot the dildos on, as the material is lush and reflective, which I thought it would work well with the glass objects, but unfortunately they stole the show, and boh Eugenie and Ulrike agreed to use it more flat or don’t use it at all, as the creases and the reflection of the fabric is to distracting. Also, they both said that maybe I should try out different ratios, to experiment with different crops, as the 35mm format is just...to wide? I was shooting with my 24-70mm lens I need to try the fixed 50mm lens, also, maybe hire a 16-35mm from ProCentre?

Eugenie also said that I need to take a more focused approach when I’m shooting - Ulrike agreed, and she also recommended to emphasise the sculptural element of the objects,as they seem a bit too lost in the background - they need to be in the center of the attention. Eugenie seemed to like the more abstract photographs visually and she recommended to have a look at Jo Ann Callis’s and Laura Letinsky’s Suspended realities work for further reference. Ulrike recommended to keep close attention to the relationship of the objects and the background to create a coherent body of work. Staging, framing, a unique technical and visual style would help me to achieve this coherence. 

cocoa powder / chocolate - aphrodisiac

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Symbolism and Felicien Rops

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/nstl/hd_nstl.htm

Exercise in composition, colour and texture

butterfly - salvation

cherry & strawberry - souls of men ( fruits of paradise)

dragonfly - devil

lily stands for purity

broken glass - swiftly passing day

dead animals and skull - memento mori - reminder of the transience of existence

lucious items + skull or hour glass -  little use in afterlife

table with oysters, lemon, beer - associating with pleasure (Willem Claesz Heda)

clock - life is fleeting

flowers - gluttony of modern type (in contemporary circles)

fruits and wine - pleasures

Pieter Aertsen 

Biblical motifs, market and kitchen scenes - warning sign of excessive consumption

Francisco de Zurbaràn

Still life with lemons, oranges and rose - Holy Trinity

Pieter Claesz 

Limited colour palette 

‘A half wine-filled Roemer, a goblet similar to a rummer, is a frequently recurring motif in willem Claesz. Heda's still lifes.In this panel he has painted the glassware, the silver bowl (tazza) that has been knocked over and the pewter plate with opened oysters, against an empty background rather devoid of colour. The lemon - an exotic, expensive fruit in the 17th century - gives it a dazzling touch. This still life is a superb example of Dutch realism. But it may still contain a hidden message. The half-full Rummer could symbolize the virtues of moderation, whereas the one lying in shatters on the plate with oysters would seem to be a warning against leading a sinful life. In the 17th century oysters were associated with frequenting brothels and intemperance. Heda seems to be warning: look where intemperance leads - everything is smashed to smithereens.’

Juan Sanchez Cotàn

Quince, Cabbage, Melon and Cucumber, 1602

Use of negative space & hanging objects

BONUS

Objects of Decadence 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decadent_movement

Decadence movement (decadence - decline)

self-disgust, sickness of the world, general skepticism, delight in perversion, employment of crude humour, belief on the superiority of human creativity over logic and the natural world.

decline - moral decay - loss of cultural standards

 ‘men sacrificing their craft and their cultural values for the sake of pleasure’

Felicien Rops

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%A9licien_Rops

Le bibliothécaire

Holocauste,Naturalia Non Sunt Turpia (What is natural is not dirty)(1895)

L'idole (1882)

Beneath the Cards in a Game of Whist (1886)

Prehistoric Coupling (1887)

Sentimental Initiation (1887)

The Abduction (1882)

The Human Parody (1878-1881)

The Supreme Vice (1884)

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Food for thought

Symbolic vibration: A meaning-based framework for the study of vibrator consumption by Cornelia Mayr

Abstract This article explores the creation process and the subsequent meaning development of vibrators within a framework consisting of various theories of material culture. The conceptual scheme is based on the view that four underlying junctures of meaning creation and vibrator consumption, namely (1) vibrators as a medical implement, (2) vibrators as a household appliance, (3) vibrators as a liberating political object and (4) vibrators as a post-feminist ‘toy’, interact to (re)produce and change the meaning of this sexually imbued product. First, existing research is reviewed on the history and consumption of vibrators, and findings are synthesized concerning product functions. Theories of material culture and product meaning are then incorporated as a means to gain ontological and epistemological insights into the nature of this sexual product. Finally, a framework is presented that builds on these foundational theories, including a discussion of its benefits for the sociology of consumption. The article concludes that the meaning of vibrators can be seen as being intricately bound up with processes of social movements, individual interpretation and identity politics as well as with historical, economic and cultural phenomena.

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Still life VR

https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20180318-secret-symbols-in-still-life-painting

‘More subtle imagery can be found in paintings such as Osias Beert’s Still Life With Cherries and Strawberries in China Bowls. Educated collectors would recognise that the luscious fruits in their fine china bowls actually represented a fearsome battle between good and evil over men’s souls. The butterfly was their symbol of salvation whilst evil took the form of a Dragonfly, considered a subspecies of the fly and thus close to the devil. Cherries and strawberries were considered the fruits of paradise and thus represented the souls of men.’

Still life with oysters on a pewter plate and wine glasses in a niche

Still life with a dish of chestnuts and walnuts, a glass of red wine and sugar canes

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Neon Vanitas - Visual research

#6IMAG001W.1https://www.danbannino.com/neon-vanitas/

‘Dan Bannino’s approach to Behind the understanding of death are all the moral values of existence. Thus, with the appearance of materialist thought which, it is said, is located towards the Renaissance period, spiritual values fall into oblivion, death is evaded, feared, and superstition is born. Ephemeral pleasures, being more tangible, predominate. It is not surprising to see that crime, suicide, addictions and all such problems are on the rise.What our world needs is to be educated in true knowledge: “The great problem of humanity is ignorance at all levels” (Dalai Lama).’

Jesus Christ

CAUSE OF DEATH: CRUCIFIXION LAST MEAL: - UNLEAVENED BREAD - CHAROSET - LAMB - WINE

Napoleon Bonaparte

CAUSE OF DEATH: STOMACH ULCER LAST MEAL: - GARLIC BREAD WITH TOMATOES - SAUTÈED KIDNEYS IN SHERRY - LIVER AND BACON - SHIRRED EGGS

Marilyn Monroe

CAUSE OF DEATH: BARBITURATE OVERDOSE LAST MEAL: - STUFFED MUSHROOMS - MEATBALLS - CHAMPAGNE

Jim Morrison

CAUSE OF DEATH: HEART FAILURE LAST MEAL: - CHINESE TAKE-OUT - WHISKEY - BEER

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Flagged post from October - visual research : Pixy Lao

A quirky artist with a visually striking imagery. I like how she combines simple thoughts (eg her opinion about female breast as a sexualised object a weapon for robber) with minimalistic visuals and a humorous tone.

Here are some pictures from her project “For your eyes only”

‘For Your Eyes Only is a visual love letter to an intimate lover. I am interested in the mundane life, in finding things and making fun of it, liberating it from what it is. This project is a combination of daily life and performance with a naughty attitude. It’s an extension to my “Experimental Relationship” project, which portrays a female dominant relationship.’

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New visual research

This new direction I’ll be taking will need a lot of organisation, time, props and space to experiment with/in. Luckily I might be able to use the studio of the  photographer who I’m working with (even during lockdown), so I won’t be scrammed in my own bedroom.

I am not sure how I will be able to write a budget for this to be honest, as a lot will come with only just trial and error.

https://trendland.com/sophie-leng-still-life/

https://www.sophieleng.com/

Here there are a multitude of light sources being used, so once I’d have the right concept I would need some technical help! 

‘New York based set designer, Sophie Leng introduced us to her latest editorials shot by Will Styer. Both are gorgeous still lifes with the first set influenced by elements of Dutch Masters still life paintings...’

The first test shoot will definitely involve some fruit and vegetables.

I took some test shots a few months ago (very rudimentary results, but I was just simply enjoying myself taking pictures), just to play around with some textures and colours, they might be useful for future reference. 

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Is it enough just to take pictures of beautiful objects? ...

...hearing myself asking on the group crit.

The answer was yes.  The biggest feedback was that I have been talking myself out of doing things before I even try them. Therefore I always wants to know why I’m taking pictures for, and I totally miss enjoying the act of photographing. Most likely as I read too much theory these days.

I was also recommended to do research on Dutch still life inspired editorial and fashion photos to take inspiration. I was encouraged to keep playing with bold colours and textures. It’s also a good idea to stick with the still life projects, specially that we’re keep jumping in and out of lockdowns. It’s an abstract representation of self-preservation during these days of our lives. 

The next step will be to take pictures of these lovely glass dildo objects upon my return to England. ( at the moment I’m currently ‘stuck’ in Hungary, currently on antibiotics, hopefully I can fly back to London next week). I’ve ordered all of these plus a green pepper one, they look lovely and I cannot wait to take pictures of them. 

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Iskren test shoot

I have wanted to take pictures of my boyfriend for a while, it’s hard that I hardly ever see him as he lives in Liverpool. I now realised that having him included might counteract the whole point of the project, but nevertheless I have enjoyed embarrassing him by taking pictures of his awkward hair cut. As usual he was late catching his train to London and haven’t realised how oddly he cut his hair - such an adorable klutz! 

Also, wanted to follow the previous shoots vibe by asking him to position himself in uncomfortable positions, scratching himself on the back, to bring forth, visible an unusual internal pain, which he did actually experience, even though I was only taking pictures of his back...

Also using Kodak Portra , ISO 160

I still don’t see how this shoot would contribute to the project...but it was good to test it and get it out of the way.

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Claudia test shots

I have a basic Prolinca kit with 2 flashlights, different light modifiers back at home to practice with, as I thought I will be experimenting with self-portraits for the time being of lockdowns and lack of people interaction. I also took Kodak self-release cable to the self-portraits, but the cable is old and doesn’t work all the time (doesn’t press the exposure button on the camera everytime), and the cable mounting on the flash heads are a bit damaged (old equipment used by many students over the years) AND I wasn’t able to focus on myself properly with the Hasselblad I have, so the results are terrible and I have wasted a lot of negatives. Of course I have some pictures but I don’t see the point of uploading them here: they are not related to the project, I was just experimenting with the kit. The only good came out form this 2 shoot is that I am sure that I don’t want to use Ilford HP5 / 400 film and that I am quite happy to use one single light for simple abstract body parts in a small bedroom, until I am ready to get into a studio (bigger space to use) with more clear concept in my head.

I wanted to follow this article on “How to deal with skin hunger” in the times of covid, following some tips on how to conform ourselves these days when we lack physical intimacy:

‘Some types of solo intimacy could be giving yourself a hug, self-massage, cuddling your pets or a stuffed animal/soft pillow, taking a long bath or shower, swaddling yourself in a blanket, masturbating, playing with textures like feathers or silk or leather against your skin, and slathering yourself in lotion’

I asked my classmate Claudia to help me out with setting up for the pictures but I ended up taking pictures of her, mostly of her torso.

I was more drawned to these awkward poses, to see different shapes and the waving skin textures, and the feedback from the last group tutorial did drawn light to these interests. I am very happy with these results, but how do they relate with my project? What is essentially the meaning of the project? Is it enough just to take pictures of people’s nude bodies to reflect on how I’m feeling at the moment, away from my loved one? But how am I getting in contact with people these days?

We took some picture of this bullet stimulator and it’s green metallic surface looks amazing on this gold velvet material. This is another take on the vibrator adventure I started earlier, and it’s a minimal but a pleasant looking start.

I used Kodak Portra film, with 160 or either 400 ISO, using one main light with a strip softbox on the right side. Again, we’ve been in a small room and there was no need for more light. As much as I want to use more than one light, the concept of the pictures are not so complicated and it doesn’t require me to set up a second light.

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Toys - test photos

The reflection of the glass object looks brilliant. I bought some colour paper to play around with and there’s no particular reason why I choose this green/teal colour and the neon orange background. The green stick was meant to be used to hang the object from it, but at the end I have managed to incorporate it successfully. Using one light was a relief as I didn’t need to overthink  this aspect of the shoot and it works well with the shadows.

Using the glass object had a lot more successful outcome, as using a silicone toy just looks very raw and even a bit muck, while changing the background colour highlights the pink bottom part of the glass object.

This is a silicone plug. It’s form is more interesting than it’s texture so I was trying to emphasise it while still using a single light.

For the next round I'll need larger surfaces as base and bigger / wider pieces of paper to have more space I could play around with.

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Inspiration for still life...

Gary Smith commissioned by Coco De Mer 

https://www.garysmithphoto.com/

https://www.instagram.com/cocodemeruk/?hl=hu