Inside my Practise @insidemypractise - Tumblr Blog

My year in review.

In this academic year, I feel that I have pushed myself and my practice further than I thought was initially possible. The threads of concepts and themes that run throughout my practice have been exponentially highlighted and refined. The project itself has a deeply political current pouring throughout it and has acted as a social critique by allowing me to subvert the dominant hetronormative social norms that many queer identities are subjected to.

The significant influences for this project have been Francesca Woodman’s emotive photography work, Claude Cahun’s work exploring queer identity, Paul Himmel’s photographic work within the cityscape, Spencer Tunick’s nudity within the city, Sally Mann’s love for obscurity in photography and the most significant body of work has been the book/movement ‘Performing for the Camera’ which helped me understand how artist’s used photography to explore themes of identity, and helped me understand and develop my own performance aspect within my photography work, enabling me to push myself out of my confort zone. I started this project by creating these ghostly self-portriats in more secluded/private public spaces and ended up shooting in busy, public spaces and interacting with the strangers within the city of London.

Research questions:

How is queerness affected when entering the public sphere?

How can photography be used to explore identity?

How to reclaim a sense of lost identity due to exterior and interior repression?

How to subvert hetronormative social norms using the nude, queer body?

All of these questions tie into the overarching themes of this body of work- I believe the political aspects of this project have created strong narratives and allowed me to think on larger scales.

The research this year has helped me center my work and my artistic voice like never before. I knew I wanted to focus on photography, and went away and researched many different artists, thinkers, books and movements to help me understand how to develop and convey my chosen themes. In addition, I feel I have explored multiple locations, times of day, used other models within my self-portrature and interacted with the general public. Some experimentation didn’t work out as well- I preferred the images that have been created in the city (instead of a more organic landscape), and prefer the images that have a less set up and a more natural interaction with other people/bodies.

There was a lot of planning within this project, as I had to explore the city for locations, organise help for my shoots (as I needed support when entering busier public spaces) and allow myself enough time to develop, scan and print my images in time for the degree show. I allowed myself a budget of £500, including all film, developing, printing and travel costs, which I managed to stay under.

I feel this process has allowed me to understand how to find relevant research, explore different mediums and see how they interact with my own critical thinking, allowing me to apply them to my own practice.

Final Image for degree show - '‘Their Stares Cold, like the Stone that Rests my Clavicle', self portrait, A1

This image is the best for encapsulating my concepts and project as a whole. I greatly appreciate the strangers stood around me looking slightly scared/nervous at my body on the floor. If you look closely you can see the fast movements of someone running out of the tunnel (you can see several footsteps that the camera captured). The way that the body is in line with the light, fading into darkness creates a more obscure image, especially with the movements of the head.

In terms of reclaiming space lost to repression (both externally and internally), I feel that this image perfectly sums up the cathartic nature of this project, and showcases how much I have expanded as an artist, both technically and in terms of performance too. The candid nature of shooting with strangers making it difficult to set up the camera, get undressed and create the bodily movements in time so they don't walk away. I could have asked if they wanted to be a part of the project but I feel that would have taken away from their expression and genuine reactions- which I believe would have taken away from the subversive nature of my project.

'The Platform', 120 colour film, final image for degree show, A1

This may be the most visually striking image of the three final photographs. The stillness of the body creates a more dynamic image as the movement captured in the long shutter is in moving train. Again, this photograph has multiple people within the shot, yet they are completely obscured by the long shutter speed (they are on the train). The different textures created by the tiles the gritty floor and the softness of the skin work well together to create a dynamic photo. I also appreciate how classically London this photograph is, with the iconic tube station as the background, and even 'Holloway Road' tiled onto the left hand side of the image. This perfectly encapsulates the urban city and links back to this idea of modernism within both the camera (as a modernist device) and within the modernism of the city.

'No Ball Games', Final image for degree show, A1

I went back and reshot my images as I wanted all three of my final photographs to be the same format (landscape, colour film and size). I chose to reshoot in this location as I think it is different from the other two ('The Platform' and 'The Stares Cold, Like the Stone Under my Clavicle'). I wanted to include three images that work together as a series but all have individual elements/locations/bodily movements etc. I love the textures of the grass, the bricks and the softness of the shadows projected onto the building from the tree. The lights in the windows also add to the element of onlookers.

'City Cement', self portrait

The anonymity that the techniques such as long exposure allow me to create is something that I am constantly drawn back to, I love that you can't focus on the individual's features but instead the movements and the photograph as a whole.

Performing for the Camera - staging

Photographers have worked directly with performers to produce works that were only ever destined to exist as photographs. While many images documenting the actions of artist were related to events that would have taken place regardless of the presence of a camera, the staged images were performed directly for photographic purposes only.

This link between staged photograph and the camera is something that has always been so integral to my practice, I use this performative aspect to evoke these themes of strength in vulnerability, power, subversion and freedom. The nature of using such photographic methods allows me to create these performances and broadcast them on a larger scale using apps such as instagram, and of course this blog.

The images I have taken have been essentially staged, although there is a large element of luck (due to the general public interacting with me in the images). But, I scout the locations before shooting so that I am aware of the space and know whether to shoot during the day or night. Therefore, there is a large element that I have staged the images, despite having other elements of candidness with the general public (which I do not stage/organise as I want it to be organic and as subversive as possible)

Eikoh Hosor and Tatsumi Hijikata 'Kamaitachi', 1969

Outtakes, 120 colour film, self portraits

In these images, I wanted to position my body within a more public space, aiming to interact with the strangers that are going about their daily lives whilst I perform these strange movements to the camera. I feel very proud of the outcomes of these images (and my most recent ones) as I feel I have encapsulated my concepts and themes perfectly within these images.

I've included a behind the scenes video of me performing during one of the shoots. As you can see the video is very dark, hence why I had to shoot 15 second exposure's (which allowed me to create and capture more movement). As you can hear, I asked my friend to count after they had pressed the shutter, so I can control my movements and time them with the exposure.

Privilege within the LGBTQI+ community

I feel that it is important for me to recognise my privilege within my own community. I understand that as a queer man I objectively still face less prejudice when compared to other queer identities that are not male presenting and white. I feel that I speak a lot about my own queer experience and I feel it is important to do so as more often or not it can be universally met between most queer identities. But still throughout the ages we have seen white gay men become more widely accepted throughout media

I love the narrative within this image, the two queer bodies almost looking like they are crawling towards each other with the headlights from the car behind lighting up their naked bodies. I love the obscurity of the moving bodies and like that you have to really analyse the image to pick up on them.

The textures of the gravel against the smoothness of the alloy cars create depth and a dynamic image. I wish I could use this image as one of my final images for the degree show. However, I feel that I need three colour images rather than two colour, and one black and white. I understand that I am using only three final images so I want them to all work together as a series. Therefore I am being very critical of the photographs I've taken and want to include the ones that work well together.

Modernism within the city, and inside of the camera

I find there is something interesting about creating work with such modern camera equipment, to shoot within the modernist cityscape. I feel that it creates powerful synergy between the subject matter and the photographic medium. The textures from the urban landscape, the geometric shapes, minimalist aesthetic of modern architecture are easily mirrored in the technical precision of the modernist camera.

The industrial beauty of the cityscape is something that has deeply inspired my work- especially since moving to London. Much of my work prior was shot in abandoned buildings, farm and woodlands. I feel that there is also a direct correlation with my own queer identity as I have felt more accepted, and understanding of my own queerness since I have had the ability to exist within a true queer community. Moreover, the use of a queer male nude in a cityscape can challenge traditional expectations and norms around nudity, gender, and sexuality. By depicting the male body in a vulnerable and sensual way within a public space, the photographer can challenge the notion that nudity and sexuality are inherently private or shameful.

Queer male nudity

I find a lot of the queer male nudes that I see are often hyper sexualised or exist in the realm of erotisism. Obviously the human form is beautiful and so is sensuality, but I find there to be something rather interesting when you subvert the erotic male nude into something a little more emotive. Of course we have pioneering photographers such as Francesca Woodman who used her nude body to subvert gender roles, the male gaze and sexual politics through new modes of expression. Her radical, poetic and provocative work has deeply inspired my practice today. However, I feel that as a queer man in the modern age I am still having to challenge such social conventions through the use of nudity within the public space. Often trying to reclaim the public space that has often led to feelings of repression and isolation due to heteronormativity. I find that by using my nude/semi nude body, I am able to passively surrender myself to public eyes and create work that is both political and poetic.

'The Grave', Nude shoot, 120 colour film

After some conversations with tutors and peers, I realised that by wearing underwear in my photoshoots, meant that I was still sexualising parts of my body. So, I wanted to start creating some shoots that were completely nude to counteract this. Although, depending on how public the area is, I may not be able to fully strip. But the naked body acts both as eroticism, empowerment and subversion- especially when it is in the public sphere. Nudity can be used as a multifaceted tool for self-expression, representation, and exploration of identity and desire. However, the composition of this photograph, along with the others doesn't seem to be as intriguing as some of my previous shoots, and although it was taken within the city, I still think that the background of urban landscapes create a more dynamic image.

The Edit. I wanted to show a process of editing, as you can see I have cropped the image. I cropped more of the sky out as I liked the small trail in the shrubs, and felt that it created more shapes and textures than the white, cloudy sky. Furthermore, I adjusted the colours as they were slightly off (reddish hue). I also heightened the contrast and played with the levels to add more dimension to the image.

Exhibition: Karms Thammatat, 'Utopia Now', Unit London Thammatat style has an extremely surreal and strange aesthetic that provokes moods of uncertainty and disquiet through classically inspired chiaroscuro (light and shadow). Much of his work seemed to be centered around the chaos of modern life in society. I personally enjoyed the extremely modern and almost sci-fi feel with that cartoonish and gothic twist, I feel that it is an interesting combination of references and stylistic choices that really drew me into his work.

'The Underground' - self portraits, 120 colour film

I think I managed to successfully create this shoot that was inspired by Paul Himmel's ‘FDR Drive Lights’. I knew I wanted to use the moving train and underground station as a location/backdrop, and I am so happy with how these images have turned out. I wanted to wait for people to get off the train and walk past me but we ended up getting kicked out of the station for taking photographs so I didn't manage to execute my plan. I thought the people moving around me would have been a great way for the public to have interacted with a queer body, and the slow shutter speed would have created a really beautiful affect. The 'Return of Repressed Sensations' is something that I think I am always drawn back to. I think there is something so interesting about the way we repress ourselves in public, and act in a certain 'acceptable' manner in order to be publicly accepted. I think by lying on the floor, on a tube platform, almost naked takes back this narrative of repression (especially as a gay man in London, I have had a fair share of comments, insults and other homophobic actions thrown my way)

However, the wish I was located further back in the first image, so that the other people in the shot were more engaged with the image, but I also love the subtly of the general public in the background in both the first and second image.

#queer artist #queer photography #london #analogue #120film #motion blur #male nude

Paul Himmel, 'FDR Drive Lights'

This photograph has inspired me to use some form of transport as a backdrop for a photoshoot. I think other moving vehicles / objects / people in the background would make it more visually dynamic and create make it more impactful. I am thinking about using a tube station with a moving train to a similar affect to this image, and potentially lie across the platform. This would also tie nicely as I want to start including people in my shoots, as the public perception of queerness and repression still has undercurrents of homophobia. and queerphobia.

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