Idea
After visiting the Herbert Art Gallery and looking at the V&A Exhibition, one piece caught my eye for how bizarre the subject was, Stephen Gill, and a piece from his series Billboards. The photograph was one of the back of a bill board, a type of anti spectacle, ‘what lies behind’. I have found this approach interesting as it is not something I have seen before or would have considered doing, looking at the ‘mess’ behind the spectacle that everyone is looking at.
Billboards usually have there backs to car parks, building sites or are placed on the sides of buildings, this means not many people would not take the time to look at the back of them as they are more interested in looking at what the front of the billboard is advertising, the latest fashions, new beauty products and many other attractive buys. Therefore taking photographs of the back of these becomes intriguing as it is not something the audience has really seen before and would find it strange to look at, it would also become captivating to find out what the front of the billboard is actually advertising. This in turn makes the anti spectacle become somewhat of a spectacle.
I have found this approach very interesting and would like to try and out it into practise.
My idea is to take photographs of a performance from the back, the audience can see what is going on and see the performance of all the actors/dancers as they should be seen, whereas taking the photos from the back I wouldn’t be able to see the expressions of the faces or bodies of the performers. The photographs would therefore show a different side to the performance to that which the audience would see, creating an anti spectacle but adding the spectacle through the viewer of the photograph being drawn in, wondering what it would look like form the front.
Taking photographs from the back of an empty stage looking out at an empty auditorium, or the wings looking onto an empty stage would be just as much of an anti spectacle as it is not a view the audience would necessarily have ever had, as if they have never been a performer, it is very unlikely they have ever stood in an empty theatre and looked out from the stage. This would look good and interest the viewer of the photograph as the photo would hopefully stimulate them into thinking what was performed on the stage, as without a set on the stage, most stages look the same.
I like both these ideas, and would like to try both ideas. I think I will try taking photographs of a performance first as I think this will be the harder of the 2 ideas. I have chosen Cheerleading as the performance I will focus on. I have decided this as most people will never have seen a stunt from the back, as when they are performed it is generally the front or side which the audience will see. Also I have decided to use a training session to take the photographs as this will be something the viewer will never have seen as most peoples impressions of cheerleading are what they have taken from American films such as ‘Bring it on’ where everyone is perfect all of the time and mistakes are very rare. I will therefore focus on the back of stunts and when a girl is falling from the stunt, with the reaction of the stunt group and the girl.
Photoshop
I have been looking at what it is possible to do whilst using Photoshop, as this is what I would be using if I decided to use photo manipulation for my final piece. It is good to see what can be done when it is used to its full potential, so I have an idea what I can do once I get to grips with the software.
I have only used the software once to create a graffiti art flyer, which was really good to see what basic knowledge can achieve, but wanted to see what could be done when a person has a lot of knowledge of the software.
These pictures are some examples of what can be achieved, which I really liked. I like the way in which the photographer has combined fruit and animals together, to create such funny pictures. After looking at the pictures I am even more determined to use Photoshop as part of my final piece.
I would put these photographs in to spectacle, this is because of the audiences reaction when they see them. The photos will catch the audiences attention due to how wierd the subjects and contents of the photographs are. I hope that whatever i create can have the same influence and catch the audiences eye as well as these photographs did mine.
http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/amazing-photoshop-skills-27-images-1-video/
Simon Webb – Photo Shop animation
A lot of the research that I have completed has been photography based, with the use of photo shop. I have been really intrigued by some of the work that people have achieved in photo shop, and am really considering using it for my final piece in some way.
After looking at mainly photography for ideas, looking at video animation produced through photo shop was the obvious next area to look at.
In our screening lecture on Friday we looked at some video animation created in photo shop, by Simon Webb.
The first animation we looked at was a bookcase piano. The bookcase had been photographed many times, with the books on it at different stages of being pulled of the shelves. When this was put together with the sound recordings, it worked really well and looked as though the bookcase was the piano. I liked the way this worked and would consider creating something like this.
The second animation was of a tower block, many photos had been taken of the tower block with the lights of the building all being turned on and off. This was then photo shopped to make it look like the lights of the building are being turned on and off to make the building look like a piano.
After watching both of these animations, it has made me think about how I could create something like this with the photography I have been taking. I will now think of how I could incorporate this into my ideas and try and develop them.
I have also looked at some of Michel Gondrys’ work with the video animations that he has produced, especially the work he has done on the White Stripes videos.
Cibo Matto – Sugar Water
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=WVpHHnG-xpw
I think this music video is very effective, I liked the use of split screen throughout this video showing the 2 separate lives but once they have collided they swap sides of the screen. I also liked the use of reverse motion used in the video. One of the girls is in reverse motion until the collision takes place then the other goes into reverse motion. I like the overall effect of this music video and would consider using a similar style in my final piece
Michel Gondry also worked with the White Stripes on the production of fell in love with a girl. After looking at the work produced by The Little Artists, working with Lego. The pieces they produced were still photography portraying famous artists work. Michel Gondry produced a stop motion animation using Lego for the video to the song, Fell in Love with a Girl. This video works really well with all the different and flowing movements throughout the piece, however after trying to produce a piece of stop motion animation before; I do not think I will try to produce anything along the lines of this.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=XRDi67G0Siw
Other videos that he has produced with the White Stripes are Denial twist and Hardest Button to Button. Both of these videos used video animation in very different ways. Hardest Button to Button use animation to see the drummer and other instrument players moving along the street and a long line of instruments trailing. The jumpy style of this video works really well with the song. It also makes the animation look as though it has been rushed or done by someone who has never done anything like that before.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sudk3ZdMsVA
Denial Twist is a really interesting video, due to the use of manipulating the individual people and items within the shot. I really liked the effect that this gave to the video but know I would not be able to produce anything of this standard as I have no previous experience of this style of manipulation, but would like to keep it in mind when I am producing ideas for my piece.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CS8Y9kLsyCo
Idea Development
For my anti spectacle, if I was going to exhibit these as a collection I would probably do so with a photograph of the team during a performance at the centre of the piece, surrounded by photographs of the anti spectacle. Photographs from training, sitting around at training sessions, going out after training and walking round at competitions with hair half done and uniform half on. I think this would work well as it would show the spectacle that is created from all this mess before.
