Subject Project
I am interested in taking pictures that relate to architecture and structure but also symmetry and pattern, so I thought that Maths was a good subject for me to choose as it involves order and detail. I created a brainstorm of keywords about my subject, and researched two photographers who I think take amazing Maths-related photographs. I then took photographs around Muswell Hill and school, and edited them. However, I felt that this wasn't adventurous enough so wanted to explore other areas of London too. |
Analysis of a Gursky image -
'99 cent', 1999
This is a very vibrant and highly saturated image depicting shelves in a supermarket or mall. Everything that is on each shelf is coloured like the rainbow, and it is easy to make out packets of crisps, sweets and chocolate. The image is taken from a high perspective, but is not taken from a birds eye view. Most of the shop is visible in the photograph and there is a wide depth of field. The bright colours conjure up thoughts of childhood and consumerism. The ceiling seems to be made of a reflective substance, perhaps a mirror, as the images of food are cast back. The bright colours and detail of the image are very overwhelming to first glance upon.
The lighting inside the supermarket must have been very bright white light as the detail of the image is very high, and the colours are clean, not clouded by a yellow light. A fluorescent filter on the camera may have also been used to enhance this effect. It is also possible that a strong flash could have been utilised, as white light is reflected back off the food packaging. The image will have been captured using a digital camera, possibly on a high macro setting to achieve such clear detail. It will have also been digitally enhanced to bring out certain colours heighten sharpness. The shop seems to be relatively empty, only one person being captured in the second aisle. This effect is quite overpowering and gives a desolate effect to the image, which is ironic as the frame is so full of food and products.
The photograph is a chromogenic color print or 'c-print'. It is a two part work, also called a 'diptych'. The effect that Gursky has tried to capture is the topic of consumerism in society today. The colours and amount of detail in the image is eye-catching yet very overwhelming, similar to buying in civilization today. The ratio of products to people in this image is very meaningful, and seems to single out one person against this mass of goods. It seems to convey the idea that we are constantly being sold to and bought by products. The unaware shopper seems to highlight this idea, completely outnumbered by the shocking colour and number of items to consume.
This photograph fits very well into my theme of 'Maths' as is very structured and symmetrical. I like the straight lines in the photograph and the way that even though shelves are completely overcrowded, they still remain neat and ordered. I take inspiration from this photograph, and would love to take images of my own which contain the same over exaggerated detail.
The lighting inside the supermarket must have been very bright white light as the detail of the image is very high, and the colours are clean, not clouded by a yellow light. A fluorescent filter on the camera may have also been used to enhance this effect. It is also possible that a strong flash could have been utilised, as white light is reflected back off the food packaging. The image will have been captured using a digital camera, possibly on a high macro setting to achieve such clear detail. It will have also been digitally enhanced to bring out certain colours heighten sharpness. The shop seems to be relatively empty, only one person being captured in the second aisle. This effect is quite overpowering and gives a desolate effect to the image, which is ironic as the frame is so full of food and products.
The photograph is a chromogenic color print or 'c-print'. It is a two part work, also called a 'diptych'. The effect that Gursky has tried to capture is the topic of consumerism in society today. The colours and amount of detail in the image is eye-catching yet very overwhelming, similar to buying in civilization today. The ratio of products to people in this image is very meaningful, and seems to single out one person against this mass of goods. It seems to convey the idea that we are constantly being sold to and bought by products. The unaware shopper seems to highlight this idea, completely outnumbered by the shocking colour and number of items to consume.
This photograph fits very well into my theme of 'Maths' as is very structured and symmetrical. I like the straight lines in the photograph and the way that even though shelves are completely overcrowded, they still remain neat and ordered. I take inspiration from this photograph, and would love to take images of my own which contain the same over exaggerated detail.
An image that I took similar to Gursky's
Photographs taken previously to do with 'Maths'
Here are some photographs that I have taken in the past few years that relate the my chosen theme of geometry. They have inspired me to focus in on certain areas and experiment with different kinds of pictures.
Plans for my next set of observations
I would like to further focus in on intricate detail of pattern and order, and think that this could be found in nature. I will set my camera to macro mode and search for symmetry and sequence close-up.
Key words for my project:
-regularity
-structure
-systematic
-alignment
Key words for my project:
-regularity
-structure
-systematic
-alignment
Exhibiton Visit - Junya Ishigami: Architecture as Air
I visited this exhibition that took place at the Barbican. You entered a long, curved white room and were asked to take your shoes and bags off to walk along the path.
At first, it seemed as if there was a long stream of wire suspended about 4 metres from the ground, supported by only beams of other wire, probably about 4 metres apart as well. However, as you turned the corners, it was easier to make out a minuscule structure of thinner wire that made the thicker wire stand up in such a way.
The structure was impossible delicate and it seemed to create architecture from space not substance, and in this way, made the invisible possible. It tricked the eye, and the structure appeared as light and as thin as air.
This is what the artist had to say about the exhibit:
"A cloud is one new image for architecture. Clouds appear as a phenomenon of nature. Architecture that floats lightly in the air, soft and fluffy like and cloud, transparent and intricate like and airflow, vast and enormous, but even then having no substance. Such is the kind of architecture I pursue. In something lying between natural phenomena and built structure there may be new potential for architecture.The columns serving as the compressions members are 0.9mm thick, and the beans 1mm thick. The wire acting as tension members is 0.02mm thick. Raindrops measure approximately 1mm. Cloud droplets, 0.01mm. Here we have architecture from columns and beans on the scale of raindrops, and wires of cloud droplets." Junya Ishgami
At first, it seemed as if there was a long stream of wire suspended about 4 metres from the ground, supported by only beams of other wire, probably about 4 metres apart as well. However, as you turned the corners, it was easier to make out a minuscule structure of thinner wire that made the thicker wire stand up in such a way.
The structure was impossible delicate and it seemed to create architecture from space not substance, and in this way, made the invisible possible. It tricked the eye, and the structure appeared as light and as thin as air.
This is what the artist had to say about the exhibit:
"A cloud is one new image for architecture. Clouds appear as a phenomenon of nature. Architecture that floats lightly in the air, soft and fluffy like and cloud, transparent and intricate like and airflow, vast and enormous, but even then having no substance. Such is the kind of architecture I pursue. In something lying between natural phenomena and built structure there may be new potential for architecture.The columns serving as the compressions members are 0.9mm thick, and the beans 1mm thick. The wire acting as tension members is 0.02mm thick. Raindrops measure approximately 1mm. Cloud droplets, 0.01mm. Here we have architecture from columns and beans on the scale of raindrops, and wires of cloud droplets." Junya Ishgami
You can see that in the first picture, the structure seems invisible to the camera lens. This impossibility surrounded the exhibit with mystery. I made a few sketches in the exhibition as I went along, and recorded some drawings similar to those that Ishgami based his structure upon.
What this exhibition has inspired me to photograph - Final Ideas
I plan to create a structure of my own and photograph it. I would like to create a web of some sort, using thin thread, perhaps. I will photograph it from different angles and experiment with the patterns it creates. I may encounter a similar problem to that that occurred in the exhibition, an invisibility of wire, so I plan to use black thread to hopefully overcome that problem and create some decent photographs.
I would also like to experiment with the use of mirrors, and I have researched photographer Alvin Langdon Coburn for inspiration.
I would also like to experiment with the use of mirrors, and I have researched photographer Alvin Langdon Coburn for inspiration.
I would like to create a structure of mirrors surrounding my camera in a similar crude way as Coburn has done and experiment with the different reflections and patterns they cast. This is similar to an effect that kaleidoscope causes. Another word for the images I would like to take is 'fractals'. A 'fractal' is a rough or fragmented geometric shape that can be split into parts, each of which is (at least approximately) a reduced size copy of the whole. Here are some examples of fractals...
Mirror Observations
In this set of photographs, I set up a structure of mirrors facing each other and positioned my camera so that different reflections of light and pattern were shown. I like the mixture of focused and unfocused substance, and I think that the light on the mirrors produces an interesting effect.