More artists in depth required!

I got my latest comments back from my tutor, and while generally good, he suggests I am lacking in more in depth analyses of other artists. I have been adding posts to this blog detailing artists I like but not doing much delving, mostly due to lack of time, which is of course just an excuse! I am enjoying using the blog more diaristically lately but appreciate the need to delve deeper into critical analysis of others work.

I received my copy of Michael Frieds book in the post this week (why photography matters as art as never before). So far I have read the first few chapters and found it quite engrossing. He discusses the influence of Jeff Wall and Cindy Sherman (and others) on the change of photography from something held in the hands or seen in a book to being on the wall, and some of the implications of this, including how we can gaze at something on the wall in a different way to flicking pages in a book (in the privacy of our own home for example). He analyses some of Walls photos in great detail, considering the careful composition, the fact the are pseudo-documentary in a way -- organised but not constructed. And the way he places his figures in a cinematic manner, occupied or self absorbed within the frame, not looking out at the viewer. I need to sit down and analyse some great photos in this manner... In fact I think there was a blog posting on the oca recently... on this exact topic (and using a Jeff Wall image also).

Actually, I'll be in Melbourne next month on our road trip and I have noticed the NGV is showing a Jeff Wall exhibition which I will be sure to check out. I will attempt to do some more research whilst on the road travelling, otherwise soak up the exhibition and do some more reading afterwards. I am putting my course work on hold whilst travelling as I won't have access to the computer and will just be depending on my iPad.

References:

Fried, M (2008), Why photography matters as art as never before, Yale University Press (New Haven and London)

http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/whats-on/exhibitions/exhibitions/jeff-wall-photographs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Wall

http://www.weareoca.com/photography/beneath-the-surface/

Project: Roadtrip

So I am leaving Brisbane with my family, packing up and moving to Adelaide. We are taking a road trip on the way, about 5 weeks travelling along the East coast of Australia, over to Melbourne and then straight to Adelaide where I start a new job towards the end of March. It’s an exciting and busy time packing up our house and planning the big changes ahead. And explaining it to our 3 year old! We are planning on camping for the majority of the trip, which should also be interesting with aforementioned 3 year old and our 6 month old. But we are up for the challenge and will add it to our list of accomplishments when we make it safely to Adelaide.

I need to prepare photographically for this once in a lifetime trip! I need to be bold and take lots and varied photographs. A few notes below for myself:

• Frame the picture – car/tent/kids bike
• Capture the emotions – good and bad!
• Get in the frame myself sometimes – use my new Gorrillapod tripod
• Time of day and light and weather – capture it all
• Stop the car often for photos, even if annoys my husband!
• The banal – meals, tent, packing up, setting up, long straight roads, roadsigns
• The beautiful – but try not to be clichéd if possible! Only stunning sunsets allowed!!
• Family/friends – part of the trip will be to see people – capture them uniquely
• Try to be quirky
• Think about different/interesting angles and juxtaposition

Artists who inspire travel:

• Martin Parr
• Trent Parke
• Alex Soth

What is the aim of the project – to capture it for us to remember – perhaps in the form of a book? I will be keeping a diary with my son with drawings and postcards pasted in as we go along which may also be included with any photo book which I create as a result.

Since I typed up the above post we have been flooded and delayed our departure by a week, but we are all safe and getting ready a second time for departure, hopefully nothing further delays us! Unfortunately it’s a week less on the road, so we won’t really see much between here and Sydney, but the rest afterwards will be well deserved. Interestingly, when we were flooded I didn’t take any photos (the mother was in full-speed mode, not the photographer). Lucky we didn’t lose anything sentimental and the damage to the house should all be fixed by the insurer. The timing was pretty terrible, but at least we are all OK and didn’t really lose much.