A few photographs from a small fashion shoot, please comment and give feed back.
A Little Out Of Control
Wednesday 31 August 2011
Wednesday 26 January 2011
Lens Base Photographs
During my Lens Base workshop in ND1 I played around with some images and styles, these are some of my outcomes that I done on Photoshop.
Tuesday 25 January 2011
Contextual Studies Assessment task III: Identity.
Melissa King
1063 Words
The two artists that portray Identity in more than one form are Kara Walker and Tracey Moffatt. The pieces of work I have chosen express different problems within society when it comes to Identity.
Kara Walker’s piece of work I have chosen is “Untitled” from her exhibition “My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love”[1] which was her “first full-scale American museum survey” [2] Kara Walker creates her artwork using black-paper silhouettes, which is Walker’s signature technique. Tracey Moffatt creates her work by using photographic cameras, the photograph I have chosen is “Doll Birth, 1972” from eh series scared for life, the medium Moffatt has used photolithograph. The caption underneath quotes, “His mother caught him giving birth to a doll. He was banned from playing with the boy next door again”[3].
Kara Walker’s work represents her view on slavery, “race representation in the context of discrimination, exclusion, sexual desire and love”[4] Walker has used one block colour against a white background, this techniques that Walker has used express how Identity is taken into account when it comes to labelling someone. The way she shows her opinion on racism, slavery and stereotypes within her work provides the viewer of the history and emotion of Walker’s piece. This particular piece of Kara Walker’s work gives the whole image a feeling of identity, the given title compels how in history race and colour has, and always will be, an issue because the way Walker has represented the block image shows two women dressed in straw clothing, being controlled by two men. The image reminds me of a circus as the women are the main attraction and the men are the ringleaders in control calling all the commands, in similarity to how society can be.
The use of the block image against the white background expresses the pain and suffering of Walker’s ancestors, she uses theses distinctive and simple colours because they best show the history of slave labour, violence and racism to the strongest possible impression. A quote from Kara Walker shows the meaning behind her work; “It’s interesting that as soon as you start telling the story of racism, you start reliving the story…You keep creating a monster that swallows you. But as long as there’s Darfur, as long as there are people saying, ‘Hay, you don’t belong here’ to others, it only seems realistic to continue investigating the terrain of racism.”[5] From this quote, Walker is trying to prove the violation of others by giving them a label, classing them as different when we are all the same.
Tracey Moffatt’s photograph, ‘Doll Birth, 1972’ represents how colour is taken into condense back in the 1970s and still partly today. The caption underneath the photograph quotes, “His mother caught him giving birth to a doll. He was banned from playing with the boy next door again.”[6] Because the boy was caught acting in a way that was unacceptable, he had then lost his right to have an identity of his own. The other concept of this photograph represents how when roles are changed between men and women, even when young children are playing, it isn’t permitted for two young boys to be playing a game such as the one in ‘Doll Birth, 1972’.
Tracey Moffatt expresses how identity is, “…about the murk in all of us, the subconscious.”[7] Moffatt is expressing with in the photograph the way identity, stereotype and racism is taken into conception when children begin doing particular things out of their ‘nature’. Stereotype is the strongest of the three because Tracey Moffatt has shown beautifully that due to the young boy giving birth to a doll/ baby, when that is what women are ‘created’ for, ahs then made the child as a person question his sexuality, in some form, the photograph is asking the same question of the viewer. I believe Moffatt has some what forces the viewers to question themselves in the way they act, she is getting them to ask themselves to how they come across when identity, stereotype and racism comes across the table. When looking at Tracey Moffatt’s photographs, the main aspect she refers to is identity, as within the photograph the boy’s mother is choosing his identity for him and the way the young boy should be leading his life compared to how he may want his childhood, lifestyle and experiences to be like. With Moffatt’s photograph, the significant item, for me, is the doll the boy’s are playing with as it refers to racism, femininity and most of all identity because the doll, as a reference, shows that colour and sex are the biggest problems when it comes to identity as in my opinion, Moffatt is saying people are judgemental with race and sex in other people identities. As an overall photograph Tracey Moffatt refers to the image by using identity to say, “…the intricate web of thought, action, words and image capturing the chasm of ongoing trauma are presented.”[8] Moffatt expresses to the public that our thoughts and actions come to a whole through our identities, these are what play the biggest roles when comes to presenting ourselves to others. The actions and thoughts we have do provide reprocucions, even if they are ones we don’t consider, they do have a major production in our life’s and of others around us, Tracey Moffatt has shown this perfectly in her photograph ‘Doll Birth, 1972’.
For myself, Moffatt is providing her opinions and feelings towards racism, stereotype, feminism and sexuality, which all of these then link to identity because of having the young boy in the photograph giving birth to a doll, Moffatt has opened the viewers mind up to think about how we portray ourselves and each others. The young boy giving birth to the doll also opens the door to sexuality and stereotype as many people judge others for who they are and mainly for what that person want to do or be. From the quote, “His mother caught him giving birth to a doll. He was banned from playing with the boy next door again.”[9] I get a better understanding of how and why Moffatt is expressing identity in the photograph because of the boy’s mother banning him from playing with the child next door, she is then controlling her sons actions and childhood instead of allowing her son to mould his own identity.
[1]http://artnews.org/gallery.php?i=706&exi=7634&kara_walker
[2]http://artnews.org/gallery.php?i=706&exi=7634&kara_walker
[3]http://www.artgallery.nse.gov.au/work/128-1996-5+doll-birth-1972
[4] http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/karawalker
[5] http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/karawalker
[6]http://www.artgallery.nse.gov.au/work/128-1996-5+doll-birth-1972
[7]http://www.abc.net.au/rn/arts/atoday/stories/s229128.htm
[8]http://www.artgallery.nse.gov.au/work/128-1996-5+doll-birth-1972
[9]http://www.artgallery.nse.gov.au/work/128-1996-5+doll-birth-1972
Tracey Moffatt - Doll Birth, 1972, 1994
Kara Walker "Untitled”
1063 Words
The two artists that portray Identity in more than one form are Kara Walker and Tracey Moffatt. The pieces of work I have chosen express different problems within society when it comes to Identity.
Kara Walker’s piece of work I have chosen is “Untitled” from her exhibition “My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love”[1] which was her “first full-scale American museum survey” [2] Kara Walker creates her artwork using black-paper silhouettes, which is Walker’s signature technique. Tracey Moffatt creates her work by using photographic cameras, the photograph I have chosen is “Doll Birth, 1972” from eh series scared for life, the medium Moffatt has used photolithograph. The caption underneath quotes, “His mother caught him giving birth to a doll. He was banned from playing with the boy next door again”[3].
Kara Walker’s work represents her view on slavery, “race representation in the context of discrimination, exclusion, sexual desire and love”[4] Walker has used one block colour against a white background, this techniques that Walker has used express how Identity is taken into account when it comes to labelling someone. The way she shows her opinion on racism, slavery and stereotypes within her work provides the viewer of the history and emotion of Walker’s piece. This particular piece of Kara Walker’s work gives the whole image a feeling of identity, the given title compels how in history race and colour has, and always will be, an issue because the way Walker has represented the block image shows two women dressed in straw clothing, being controlled by two men. The image reminds me of a circus as the women are the main attraction and the men are the ringleaders in control calling all the commands, in similarity to how society can be.
The use of the block image against the white background expresses the pain and suffering of Walker’s ancestors, she uses theses distinctive and simple colours because they best show the history of slave labour, violence and racism to the strongest possible impression. A quote from Kara Walker shows the meaning behind her work; “It’s interesting that as soon as you start telling the story of racism, you start reliving the story…You keep creating a monster that swallows you. But as long as there’s Darfur, as long as there are people saying, ‘Hay, you don’t belong here’ to others, it only seems realistic to continue investigating the terrain of racism.”[5] From this quote, Walker is trying to prove the violation of others by giving them a label, classing them as different when we are all the same.
Tracey Moffatt’s photograph, ‘Doll Birth, 1972’ represents how colour is taken into condense back in the 1970s and still partly today. The caption underneath the photograph quotes, “His mother caught him giving birth to a doll. He was banned from playing with the boy next door again.”[6] Because the boy was caught acting in a way that was unacceptable, he had then lost his right to have an identity of his own. The other concept of this photograph represents how when roles are changed between men and women, even when young children are playing, it isn’t permitted for two young boys to be playing a game such as the one in ‘Doll Birth, 1972’.
Tracey Moffatt expresses how identity is, “…about the murk in all of us, the subconscious.”[7] Moffatt is expressing with in the photograph the way identity, stereotype and racism is taken into conception when children begin doing particular things out of their ‘nature’. Stereotype is the strongest of the three because Tracey Moffatt has shown beautifully that due to the young boy giving birth to a doll/ baby, when that is what women are ‘created’ for, ahs then made the child as a person question his sexuality, in some form, the photograph is asking the same question of the viewer. I believe Moffatt has some what forces the viewers to question themselves in the way they act, she is getting them to ask themselves to how they come across when identity, stereotype and racism comes across the table. When looking at Tracey Moffatt’s photographs, the main aspect she refers to is identity, as within the photograph the boy’s mother is choosing his identity for him and the way the young boy should be leading his life compared to how he may want his childhood, lifestyle and experiences to be like. With Moffatt’s photograph, the significant item, for me, is the doll the boy’s are playing with as it refers to racism, femininity and most of all identity because the doll, as a reference, shows that colour and sex are the biggest problems when it comes to identity as in my opinion, Moffatt is saying people are judgemental with race and sex in other people identities. As an overall photograph Tracey Moffatt refers to the image by using identity to say, “…the intricate web of thought, action, words and image capturing the chasm of ongoing trauma are presented.”[8] Moffatt expresses to the public that our thoughts and actions come to a whole through our identities, these are what play the biggest roles when comes to presenting ourselves to others. The actions and thoughts we have do provide reprocucions, even if they are ones we don’t consider, they do have a major production in our life’s and of others around us, Tracey Moffatt has shown this perfectly in her photograph ‘Doll Birth, 1972’.
For myself, Moffatt is providing her opinions and feelings towards racism, stereotype, feminism and sexuality, which all of these then link to identity because of having the young boy in the photograph giving birth to a doll, Moffatt has opened the viewers mind up to think about how we portray ourselves and each others. The young boy giving birth to the doll also opens the door to sexuality and stereotype as many people judge others for who they are and mainly for what that person want to do or be. From the quote, “His mother caught him giving birth to a doll. He was banned from playing with the boy next door again.”[9] I get a better understanding of how and why Moffatt is expressing identity in the photograph because of the boy’s mother banning him from playing with the child next door, she is then controlling her sons actions and childhood instead of allowing her son to mould his own identity.
[1]http://artnews.org/gallery.php?i=706&exi=7634&kara_walker
[2]http://artnews.org/gallery.php?i=706&exi=7634&kara_walker
[3]http://www.artgallery.nse.gov.au/work/128-1996-5+doll-birth-1972
[4] http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/karawalker
[5] http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/karawalker
[6]http://www.artgallery.nse.gov.au/work/128-1996-5+doll-birth-1972
[7]http://www.abc.net.au/rn/arts/atoday/stories/s229128.htm
[8]http://www.artgallery.nse.gov.au/work/128-1996-5+doll-birth-1972
[9]http://www.artgallery.nse.gov.au/work/128-1996-5+doll-birth-1972
Tracey Moffatt - Doll Birth, 1972, 1994 
Kara Walker "Untitled”Monday 24 January 2011
Time and Space
For our Photography workshop, we had to pick between three different themes: Memories, Everday & Time and Space. The reason I choose this theme was because I found it fasanating how within the images I researched the photographers had managed to have an item or person in the photograph that looked slight like a ghost, as if someone or thing wasn't meant to be there. The other technique I found was Panorama, which is capturing more than one image side by side so you are getting the movment clearer.
Monday 13 December 2010
Monday 6 December 2010
Contextual Studies: Task II Conceptualising your own work
Name: Melissa King.
Tutor: Matt Mosley.
Word count: 564
Black and white portrait photography is a theme I like to play around with in most of my work. The concept of shadows helping to express the emotions on faces and the depth of the surroundings is something that has an impact on me. From an extent study of emotion and simple colour I have managed to create a relationship that confronts the viewers.
The idea for my project came form the topic slavery from my Digital art and design lessons, I began to experiment with shadows around an object and eventually, around a model. I then added text to influence more of a meaning, impact and allowing the viewers to ask more questions. The artist that influenced me during this project was Victor Palagano because of the way shadows have an effect on the background and the object/model. Also it’s how he places him models that have inspired me most as he doesn’t put the camera to the centre if the model or too close, Palagano allows the surrounding to come thought the photograph as well. I believe Palagano does this to get the viewers attention and to make his work, some what, versatile.
Victor Palagano communicates through visual means by contrasting the darker and lighter tones throughout his photograph, which then helps the subject become even more of a main attraction, compared tot eh rest of the photo. In some respects Palagano is communicating to the viewers by wanting them to think about the image in more depth. Instead of seeing someone sitting in a dark room, he wants them to ask questions, i.e. Why is he there? What has happened? And how would the viewer feel if they were in the position of the model? To me Victor Palagano uses visual means to encourage the public to look at every aspect of the photograph and to understand his meaning behind his idea, instead of stating the obvious.
The materials Victor Palagano uses are those that interest and inspire him. The exaggeration of dark and light tones make his work more interesting because he almost makes out that the background is hiding something, this then creates the model to show more emotion. The lighter and darker tones bring in a slightly softer aspect to the photograph, although they do help make the photograph seem chilling and afraid of the darker tones of the background. Palagano’s materials within the photograph have communicated these ideas because of the use of the darker shadows encourage the public eye to see his photograph in depth and have a better grasp on his meaning.
Palagano’s work has multiple angles of how it can be viewed. His photographs manage to influence the viewers to take a different aspect towards the content of his work. The main point of Palagano’s work that interested me most is how he arranges his model as he has created as many tones as possible within his photograph by using very little light that is shone above, mainly on his model. Palagano contains lighter tones onto the facial features; this gives the photograph the ‘detached’ feel around the content. Within my own work, Palagano has inspired me to use plenty of tones and to think, in detail, where to place my model in my surrounding area. I believe I have achieved this in the photograph below. 
Tutor: Matt Mosley.
Word count: 564
Black and white portrait photography is a theme I like to play around with in most of my work. The concept of shadows helping to express the emotions on faces and the depth of the surroundings is something that has an impact on me. From an extent study of emotion and simple colour I have managed to create a relationship that confronts the viewers.
The idea for my project came form the topic slavery from my Digital art and design lessons, I began to experiment with shadows around an object and eventually, around a model. I then added text to influence more of a meaning, impact and allowing the viewers to ask more questions. The artist that influenced me during this project was Victor Palagano because of the way shadows have an effect on the background and the object/model. Also it’s how he places him models that have inspired me most as he doesn’t put the camera to the centre if the model or too close, Palagano allows the surrounding to come thought the photograph as well. I believe Palagano does this to get the viewers attention and to make his work, some what, versatile.
Victor Palagano communicates through visual means by contrasting the darker and lighter tones throughout his photograph, which then helps the subject become even more of a main attraction, compared tot eh rest of the photo. In some respects Palagano is communicating to the viewers by wanting them to think about the image in more depth. Instead of seeing someone sitting in a dark room, he wants them to ask questions, i.e. Why is he there? What has happened? And how would the viewer feel if they were in the position of the model? To me Victor Palagano uses visual means to encourage the public to look at every aspect of the photograph and to understand his meaning behind his idea, instead of stating the obvious.
The materials Victor Palagano uses are those that interest and inspire him. The exaggeration of dark and light tones make his work more interesting because he almost makes out that the background is hiding something, this then creates the model to show more emotion. The lighter and darker tones bring in a slightly softer aspect to the photograph, although they do help make the photograph seem chilling and afraid of the darker tones of the background. Palagano’s materials within the photograph have communicated these ideas because of the use of the darker shadows encourage the public eye to see his photograph in depth and have a better grasp on his meaning.
Palagano’s work has multiple angles of how it can be viewed. His photographs manage to influence the viewers to take a different aspect towards the content of his work. The main point of Palagano’s work that interested me most is how he arranges his model as he has created as many tones as possible within his photograph by using very little light that is shone above, mainly on his model. Palagano contains lighter tones onto the facial features; this gives the photograph the ‘detached’ feel around the content. Within my own work, Palagano has inspired me to use plenty of tones and to think, in detail, where to place my model in my surrounding area. I believe I have achieved this in the photograph below.
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