Tuesday, March 13, 2012

DSDN 144 Project 1: Precedents

So for my Photographics, I have to have a look at some precedents, some inspiring artists who inspire the project I'm planning to do.

My first precedent, my first inspiration is Mark Power, a British photographer who has a knack for capturing spaces as they appear. They don't tend to give off too many connotations usually, although a lot of his images speak about the urban environment we inhabit. He is regularly commissioned in the industrial sector.

Taken in Gdansk, copyright Mark Power

 Taken in Krakow, copyright Mark Power

His shots convey in my opinion a sense of the true space, as well as its textures and facets. I love the way he uses the space to illustrate the urbanisation of the area. The photos he takes, in particular these two, lack any colour or significant markers for a style or moment in history for when the photo was taken. They feel oddly timeless.


My next precedent is J Bennett Fitts. He presents the ides of space through various places, and conveys the sense of loneliness well through his composition, lighting, and location.
He also relies on how he presents perspective to convey what is actually in the image. Some of his shots are so bare they almost seem alien. The simplicity of the photos is truly beautiful, and aides greatly in terms of presenting the space itself.

 Alley, copyright J Bennett Fitts

Orange Machine, copyright J Bennett Fitts

 His way of presenting the everyday and making it that little bit more special is remarkable. The using the "Orange Machine" as a focal point for the rest of the composition to revolve around is fantastic. The simplicity of the building almost seems wrong. It seems "too new" and "too clean" to belong in our dirty industrial world. And yet this strangeness still breeds familiarity. It feels "special".


My third precedent is Andrew Moore, a photographer who has done a lot of travelling and explored a large amount of different settings and moods. Some of his work conveys desolation, and some of his chosen spaces are all about the secrecy and privacy of tucked-away sites. Some of his photos are about the people in said spaces, but mostly the spaces speak for themselves.

Calle Industria, copyright Andrew Moore

Courtyard of Castle Williams, copyright Andrew Moore

The colours of the shot from Cuba convey that sense of hidden life in an unknown, unheard of city. He almost conveys the ideals created by the original travelling Victorian photographers; namely showing those back home what life is like in other countries. In a way, him doing this makes some of his work feel very vintage, but also very artistic. The harmony created in the above image speaks of the old still living in sight of the new, but the emptiness speaks of an odd sadness.


These precedents all take fantastic photos, and I will endeavour to convey as much meaning through my project, my following of Anonymous' final journey through the spaces on his/her path.

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