#broadhorizons

[juliebalfourhnd2cphoto]

Exhibitions - Edinburgh, Part 1.

On the 25th September we visited both the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and the Stills Centre for Photography. 

The Cindy Sherman exhibition was the one I was particularly keen to see, it is always interesting to see the work of a now established artist in their formative years. The exhibition consisted of a16mm film, “Dolls Clothes”, her first published book “Untitled Film Stills 1977-80″ and a set of photographs “Untitled (Murder Mystery People)“ made in 1976 shortly after she graduated.

 Sherman is, as has become her trademark, every character.  The Black and white shots, taken with a medium format camera make no attempt to hide the shutter release cable and I particularly enjoy the honesty of this, it is a style which has been adopted by other contemporary photographers including Pixy Liao (1) and is a nod to the viewer that there is artifice within the art, and that we are colluding with this when we look upon it.

In Sherman’s first publication “Untitled Film Stills” again we can see the progression in her career, the cable is no longer visible but her images are clever pastiches of films we think we know, the vulnerable ingenue, the femme fatal, the downtrodden housewife; all of the photographs we discover in the book tug at the edges of our memory , almost familiar and yet unknown. 

The images have a strong cinematic quality as if they have been captured mid-filming, many are grainy and the subject is seldom looking to the camera. The key difference is in the detailed settings now employed in the shots, set up with great attention to detail,the angles and captures suggesting a paparazzi stalking the unaware “star”.

(1).   https://www.lensculture.com/articles/yijun-liao-experimental-relationship-2

[jennifersibbaldhnd1photo]

Linda McCartney - Exhibition report

Research – Linda McCartney Exhibition Review

Linda McCartney – Retrospective

When I went to the Linda McCartney exhibition, I felt even though she was most famously known as Paul McCartney’s wife, she was her own person and she had her style of work within in photography and her own life.

 Two of the pictures I am going to talk are:

Mary & Paul – Australia, 1993

on Black and White bromide print.

When I first saw this image, I fell in love with it because you can see how strong the father and daughter connection is, because how close they are together and how much they look alike. And their eyes are pretty much the same, which I find it kind of emotional because in Paul’s eyes I can see the career and all the amazing moments in his life from family life to being in The Beatles, I also feel they look old. And Mary’s eyes are must brighter and younger because she still has her full life ahead of her.

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Divided Window – Sussex, 1985

on Colour C-Type print.

When I first saw this image, my first thought was home or a family place in the country side. As in I felt comfortable and relaxed. I also find it interesting how the bottom right window square is different like if it opens. I also like how there is a person within that square to like if that’s the more important part of the image. The tree may relate to a family tree / you need to remember your roots and where you came from.

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The images in more detail:

 Mary & Paul – Australia, 1993

 Theory:

The Lighting:

The lighting in this image could be window light or it was taking outside as when you look at their eyes the white is much bigger than a normal size window, as it’s only highlighting one side of their faces and eyes.

The Capture:

I think this image was capture on a film because it is in black and white and Linda used film camera most than digital ones.

The Print (incl. size and format):

This image was printed onto a black and white bromide print.

 Aesthetic:

The Content:

The content within this Mary & Paul image is the relationship between father and daughter, and maybe the journey they have been on. I also think he is a proud father to Mary and this will inspire her to do what she wants to do.

The Approach:

Linda photographed this image up close / normal people talking diction. She wanted to show the connection between them.

The Equipment:

Equipment in this image would be a film camera.

 Context and Enterprise:

Who has influenced the photographer, have they in turn influenced anyone else?

Linda was influenced by family and her personality life, because she wanted to capture all the special moments.

The intended use: Was it personal or was it commissioned, does it matter and why? 

It was all personal, because she was a creative person.

The social and cultural significance: How did this allow the work to be conceived?

 Linda took a lot of photos for The Beatles as her husband was in the band, she also photographed another famous people.

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The images in more detail:

 Divided Window – Sussex, 1985

 Theory:

 The Lighting:

The image was taking inside but photographing the outside. The lighting within this image is bright within the window frame because it’s outside and it’s an over cast / comfy day. The edge of the frame inside / the picture edge is dark because it’s inside and the camera settings is expired to the window.

 The Capture:

I think Linda photographed this on a DSLR camera, but I don’t know what one as there is so many of them.

The Print (incl. size and format):

This image was printed as a colour c-type image.

 Aesthetic: 

The Content:

I think the content is about home, that might be a family home or something away for the main city were it’s busy all the time. I also feel that Linda McCartney was a family woman and like to have quite time with her family.

The Approach:

The approach could be eye level viewpoint. I personally like how there is stuff happening in the bottom right square of the window, where the people are standing. 

The Equipment:

Just a camera, maybe a tripod because its dark inside the house.

Context and Enterprise: 

Who has influenced the photographer, have they in turn influenced anyone else?

Within this image I think it was her family and her as a person that influenced her to photograph this image.

The intended use: Was it personal or was it commissioned, does it matter and why? 

Personally, I would say the personal because who Linda is as person.

The social and cultural significance: How did this allow the work to be conceived?

As her husband was Paul McCartney, I think Linda was thinking family is important and you also need to get away sometimes and just chill and relax and spend time with your love ones and make happy memories. 

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 Overall, I found this trip to Kelvingrove to see Linda McCartney very interesting and amazing to see her work in a gallery / exhibition instead of online, because I feel a better connection was the person’s work and the meaning behind it.

[leocoffieldhnd1bphoto]

The Life & Work of André Kertész

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New Photographer, André Kertész. 

[georgeeskdale]

Linda McCartney

Linda McCartney was an American photographer and was known to be married to Paul McCartney from the Beatles. She had photographed major music bands in the sixties and she was known as one of the most talented celebrity photographers. Linda stated that she was a hard core vegetarian due to her extreme love for animals, and she became a part of many campaigns for animal rights. Before sadly passing away from cancer in 1998, Linda had published many books of her photographs such as: ‘Sun Prints’ and ‘Roadworks’. Linda co-founded and had a partnership with her husband Paul for Linda McCartney Foods Company.

Linda McCartney was born in New York City on 24th September 1941 to a famous lawyer, Leopold Epstein, and Louis Sara. Linda grew up with her siblings at the Scarsdale town and graduated from Scarsdale high school in 1959. By that time, she had her mind set to become an artist and was determined to pursue a career within art, but her father was wasn’t supportive of her decision. He wanted her to take an interest law, like him. But Linda listened to her heart and went on to get a degree in Associates of Art in 1961. This also helped with kick starting her career as a photographer.

Paul McCartney by Linda (Los Angeles - 1968).

This photo shows the shy side of Paul, which is rather odd due to Paul being a very outgoing person. I really like this picture's simplicity because the cold tones in this image are simple and works so well. The atmosphere in this shot feels very relaxed and reserved, and even as If paul is shy in the moment. I really like this shot's composition and the way it's framed. The colours in this shot have a nice cool contrast of colour around the subject and the carpet and the cold tones make the subject look so warm and give a calm atmosphere. Linda has very fascinating photographic techniques that I like in her photography, which seems to be very much on accident. This shot shows her lack of planning, without worrying about getting the exposures right, as she liked to point and shoot.

[aidanhnd1bphoto]

Decade..1960's

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[aidanhnd1bphoto]

Robert Mapplethorpe

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[dagmaradudajek-hnd-1b-photo]

National Portrait Gallery and Still

25th September it was day when the HND and NQ  photography classes went to Scottish National Portrait Gallery and Stills Gallery in Edinburgh. We could see photographs taken by Francesca Woodman, Diana Arbus, Robert Mapplethorpe and Cindy Sherman in Stills. My favorite part of this exhibition was photographs produced by Francesca Woodman. I like her photographic style. Link something pretty with something unkempt. It usually are self-portraits in the abandoned rooms. It creates an interesting visual effect. Delicacy and beauty of the female body (often it’s naked body) in compare with stark or shabby room. I like her ideas and sensitivity in photography. In her works, it is something mysterious, moody and even dark sometimes. I perceive her photographs and these ideas like finding kinds of errors in something pretty what can refer to her way of thinking or her private life. But it is just my opinion and what I feel to view her works. She uses the slow shutter speed so that we often deal with movement. Francesca’s way of presenting nudity is new and nonobvious, he depicts a naked body without much sensuality or intimacy on the contrary as something completely natural, which should not be shocking or surprising.

Works by Diana Arbus was not something new for me because I knew and liked her works before. In her works presented in the exhibition, I like the special moments in everyday life. She shows in her photographs variety and alterity of people beautifully, also showing a new view of people on life and who they are and identifications with what they are when she live and photograph.  She also was a person who changed the documentary photography. She liked photographs her models in their natural environment. Besides, her images are characterized by harsh light and high contrast.

Robert Mapplethorpe, I need to admit that his style is not something that speaks to me. I do not understand his works and it is for me too odd, offensive and perverse. Whereas the more usual is a little boring to me. I cannot see something special and something that would make me interested in this image although I am aware that there are a lot of people who love his work, unfortunately, I do not. In his work I see extreme and I would prefer can see something between, the middle of that. But it is one image which I like and there is his self-portrait where he held the skull. I think it is quite an interesting image. The contrast in size between his face and the skull looks very interesting. Besides, created two plans and keep this image in low key it is really good.

Cindy Sherman’s works are very simple, she used the same background for every image. The framing also remains the same, but I still like it. I admire her that although looking at the photo we can have the impression that we are looking at the same photo, however, you can see that he has a different approach to each model, this is not the same style, the same pose. She pulled souls out of each one so that the models let us get to know each other better and I think it was a difficult task, that’s why I appreciate this series so much.

-EXHIBITION

[dagmaradudajek-hnd-1b-photo]

Street level photoworks

Street level photoworks

The first exhibition which we visited in that course it was Street Level Photoworks in the Trongate Gallery. I need to admit I like the exhibition the least of all we visited. The exhibition includes works of two artists- Doro Zinn’s and Robert John Henderson’s. Robert John Henderson has named his exhibition “In Praise of Darkness and Light”. I think there is a great tittle for this exhibition because accurate describes what his photographs presented. His images have dark exposure but also in every photo, we can see one source the light which focuses mainly on one subject. I like his way to pay our attention to using the lighting. For example, he has taken a photo of building with beautiful details, everything is quite dark but the details are brighter than the rest of the image so this part of the image makes us focus on that part the most. Moreover, if I am talking about that image, we can see a lot of guidelines in the photo and they are also the lighter part of this photograph. I think that this kind of lighting is very characteristic for him but also I saw that he often uses low angle shots, which is make simple photos more interesting. His photographs present daily objects it is not something new but through using certain techniques like playing with light or perspectives he shows it in a quite interesting way.

Photojournalism is one of my favorite part of photography but this kind what Doro Zinn presented on the exhibition wasn’t to my taste. It is not my esthetic and not my colours I just need to feel something when I am watching photos and this image didn’t awake my feelings but I appreciate how truly the images are. If I would have chosen one image it would be the portrait of the woman below. I like the natural light in the image beside the texture of skin is really nice, I am aware that there are some people who think it is not appropriate to emphasis age, wrinkles, etc. but in my opinion, it is wonderful to see natural people in real life. I think that naturalness is charming.

After all, it was an interesting experience to see how does street photography can be varied. Either Doro Zinn and Robert John Henderson taking the same kind of photography but their work is so different from each other. Robert’s work is black and white and we can observe playing shadows with light in his photos then Doro’s images are more consistent. In her photos, we cannot see many shadows or highlights. Also. He is focused on architecture, places, and objects while Doro shares her attention to both people and places where they live or work. Her photographs are kept in colour. Most of them are not high saturate quite the opposite are soft. However, we can find also a few photographs with saturate colours which have high contrast as well.

-EXHIBITION