20/02/19
Today I went to the Still Life exhibition at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery, I thought this exhibition was a beneficial show for me to see, to get some inspiration and information about still life photography, printing techniques, hanging techniques and other artists ideas about subjects.
I first looked at the displays about traditional still life photography and painting. Looking into the lighting, composition and set up of subjects in the photo. Because I'm doing some still life within my project, it was important for me to get ideas and research about lighting and composition.
Then looked at work by Dawn Woolley and her project "Relics", this project shows a series of still life objects which has been made by Woolley from packaging and it shows the vast range of products that are available to buy these days. The Subjects in "Relics" are all objects that are often discarded in today's society.
The photos were printed digitally and then mounted on MDF. This idea of how the images have been shown is also what I have had in mind for my own images so it was great to see how this actually looks in person.
NEXT, Simon Ward's work "Signs", 2018. His worker photographic but he doesn't take them with a camera, instead he uses a very high resolution scanner. By scanning these things rather then photographing, all contextual information is taken away and the small depth of focus concentrates the viewers attention on the surface textures.
The project communities moralising messages relating to wealth. The large scale of these prints can replicate that of billboards which are using for commercial advertising. This transforming small requests for money and food which could be easily passes by when see on a high street. The project reminds us that the pleasures of consumption aren't all enjoyed equally by every member of society.
The way Ward has exhibited on the wall is 'vinyl', the artwork is literally flat against the wall, like a sticker which I thought looked great. Makes the artwork be almost apart of that wall and with the size of the print anyway it really looks effective and eye catching.
NEXT, Nicole Keeley, her project 'Tide Mark', 2017, demonstrates viewers to consider environmental crisis and polluted landscape and if it's such a norm that we pass not be a threat. Her project seeks to make plastic pollution visible. Showing various plastic items in tanks where we would normally see aquatic animals, and it shows items which are damaging, damaged and forms of litter. The project presents a warning of what will become of the worlds rivers and oceans if we don't reduce our polluting consumer habits. All objects were collected from UK beaches.
All image were digital photographic prints, framed.
AND finally, Caroline McCarthy, "Vanitas", 2007. Her work shows firstly a canvas covered in
of dots and also a hold punched bag. With Keeley's work showing a skull and a extinguished candle, "Vanitas", symbolises death with it made from plastic and it acts as a warning of environmental threats.
