... and here it is! Now that that's over, time to remember how to make photographs.
(Thesis title: The Poetics and the Politics of Imagery: National Geographic's representation of place through Instagram)
College
Visually Pleasing /
Another blog of interesting things I have seen recently.
I find myself having evenings where half the art world seems to be connecting with me. It could possibly be related to the fact that I have started creating work again (the end of the thesis tunnel is visible), and just feel overly motivated. Whatever the case, I'm cool with it.
Daisuke Yokota: Colour Photographs
"With this series, as Yokota explains, he “tried not to take pictures,” and instead sought to “draw out the physical aspect of film.” Yokota layered sheets of unused large format color film and applied unorthodox developing methods before scanning the results. Here, documentation is replaced with darkroom alchemy in order to show that the essence of photography rests not necessarily with the camera, but in film itself."
Source.
Lars Mortensen - In Search of Habitat
"In Search of Habitat looks at the expansion of Indian cities. Like in other Asian countries, this expansion is quite rapid and disruptive, but what is more interesting is how ambiguous and contradictory it often proves to be. Unfinished building sites, a permanent insufficiency of infrastructures and the so-called ‘slum rehabilitation schemes’ – which are sometimes more harmful than useful – are just a few examples of the contradictions in the India’s development. So the series is about the country’s promise of modernity or, more precisely, the discrepancy between the promise and the reality.
The In Search of Habitat book offers two parallel narratives of this development: 45 photographs and an essay on urban planning and geography. Together they expand and inform one another, the essay explaining mechanisms the images cannot show, and vice versa. My ambition has been to capture a glimpse of what these emerging cities look like and how the so-called New India is actually materializing. But, of course, my work only shows an absolutely tiny bit of that reality."
INTERVIEW WITH PAINTER, CESAR BIOJO
"How did you get started doing what you do?
Painting for me has never been something I started at some point; it has always been a part of me. I have been painting ever since I was able to hold something in my hand. During my student years, I did all the wondering and experimentation that every student does, and should do. I went through a period where I swore I would never paint figurative again, since it was only a display of talent and the true form of “reality” (if it even exists) must be something abstract to the human brain. Later I had to swallow my words when I felt that in order to study human nature I had to use the body as a reference to address the subject. So I went back to figurative, but the result of it was the very thing I had sworn to avoid- a display of talent and nothing else. Being terribly frustrated with the result, I ran a spatula through the painting to start it over, and the result was a phantasmagorical image of a human being that was there, and at the same time wasn’t. I fell in love with the idea of creating a character to later destroy it leaving behind an evidence. I became addicted to the necessity of partially erasing my characters. I feel it is the most respectful, sensible, and accurate representation of human nature.
How would you describe your creative style?
I define my work as the compilation of controlled accidents and I would say it is highly influenced by impressionism, and abstract expressionism. Although my painting is about humans, I have discovered recently that the main characters of my work are not humans, per se, but the “accident” and “time” as concepts. Regarding my style, I would not really know how to describe it. I think the definition of a style is a bit creative incarceration.
What’s your inspiration?
Inspiration, I believe, is a concept a bit overrated in the artistic community. I will not deny it for everybody, but it does not exist for me. I like better the word “motivation.” There are images, splatters on the ground, ideas, the work of other painters, music, my studio, and many other things that will get me going. Motivation can come from any source, I have even gotten the need to paint from watching a pile of garbage, but again for me it is “motivation.” Inspiration is for amateurs, professionals show up to work, as Chuck Close kindly put it."
Three ways to avoid Thesis reading on Mondays /
Cleaning:
A simple manoeuvre, but quite effective. Meticulously washing dishes takes time.
Inviting your mother over for Lunch:
Even when she lives 3 hrs away. She should be here in 34 minutes.
Take photos of a project you haven't finished:
More commonly referred to as "Work in Progress"'s, these can be a handy escape to feeling like you're being creative and doing something vaguely useful, while being completely pointless. An extra hour can be added if taken to the editing and blogging stage.
If you follow these three handy steps you successfully avoid all thesis reading on a Monday.
Currently making a small light box installation of my "Aesthetics" Project
Twenty-Four Days in Tallinn /
It's been twenty-four days since I arrived in Tallinn (and 10minutes actually if we want to be exact), and I am unsure where to begin.
In this time I have joined Instagram (just for fun), I've lost my bank card (not so fun). I am in the process of joining Swedbank, and I managed to only fall on my ass once. I have learnt two words of Estonian (hello and thank you), but have had a full conversation with an old lady who thought I was someone else.
I have not gotten lost.
I think people need to appreciate how big an achievement that is. On a slightly related topic, I have become an expert at Google Maps. I've fallen in love with both Old Town's towering churches, and the industrial forced beauty the rest of the city projects. I've seen ice sculptures and large format linocuts. I have not attended a "photography" class yet. I am eating a lot of chocolate, but I'm blaming the long nights for that. There is strong coffee! I get to shoot as much film as I want as it cost €4.80 to have a roll processed, scanned and emailed to me. I have visited the old Palace and seen the most amazing ball room. And I have learnt it is really hard to photograph falling snow.
Now that I've tried to type some words, here are the photos.
