Critical Evaluation
The process of my first long term project has not been easy but has definitely been rewarding. I didn't always feel on track to make what I was aiming for, but having re-read my proposal today I think I have achieved it, which is a great feeling.
I started off unsure of whether to go down a purely commercial route or make something more personal. I knew from the start that I wanted to work with still life as I really enjoy it, and thought for a long term project it would be more practical for me personally to work with objects rather than people. The first set of group tutorials helped me realise I didn’t want to be restricted by conventions or requirements that could come with commercial work so I adopted more of a personal approach.
When I solidified my idea I really enjoyed carrying out in-depth research into artists such as Scheltens & Abbenes, Sarah Illenberger and Daniel Gordon. I was hugely influenced by all three, but Scheltens & Abbenes’ work influenced me the most with their aesthetic and process. They are known for simplifying objects to purely visual elements that make up the composition meaning the final image is the most important thing, rather than the actual objects in the image. This rubbed off on me quite a lot and the cartoon theme became purely the catalyst for my series. The faithfulness of the images to the cartoon became less important, and how the objects visually made up the photograph became the priority.
When it came to the actual production of the series, I felt unprepared and the schedule I made before Christmas seemed very unrealistic. Despite feeling like I had a lot of time beforehand, the deadline suddenly seemed very close. This stage was definitely the most difficult, and although I had a clear idea of what I wanted to produce, the realisation of it was a real challenge. I think this was due to practical issues like gathering props, and after taking on too much in my second shoot I was feeling quite stressed.
The group tutorial helped me get around this as my vision had become quite narrowed and I needed to step back from my work. Getting help with my lighting setup and positive responses from other people, particularly the fact that they could recognise each cartoon, made me more positive and gave me more motivation to make work I was proud of.
Keeping the blog also helped me organise my thoughts, reflect and make realisations that I wouldn’t have otherwise. An example of this was the strong intertextual relationship between my Popeye photo and artists Rene Magritte and Andy Warhol.
After this spending more time in the studio, but taking on less was definitely a better way to work and I enjoyed the process more. I also collaborated with a model effects student who helped with the visual tricks and chemiwood blocks. This was a great experience as it helped me with things I would’ve physically struggled with, as well as forcing me to clarify what I wanted to achieve. I found the idea of collaborating quite daunting but I definitely won’t hesitate to do it again in the future.
In the future I’d love to make more work like this, and am basing my next fashion project on a similar aesthetic and attitude. I’ve learnt a lot about how to realise my ideas with this series so am excited to be more productive with the fashion project. For example, creating no shadows was difficult so next time I plan on accentuating them as another graphic element, by using light that’s still very even, but much harsher.









