Man Ray's Le Violon d'Ingres (Ingres's Violin). I could have included several of Man Ray's images because, to me, he is one of the most important photographers of all time. Through tireless experimentation, he invented different and creative techniques of manipulating photograhic images before digital technology was available. Together with Lee Miller, they invented solarization. Another creation of his was the 'Rayograph,' or photogram, which removed the camera altogether from the process.
I have included this Dadist photograph as Man Ray is credited for taking the Dada movement to the Unit
ed States. One of his earlier works, it a visual pun, comparing a woman's body to that of a violin. He created the f-holes by painting them onto the print and rephotographing it, altering a classical nude. This piece also reflects a painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingress, whose hobbies were playing the violin and painting nudes, in the style and attire of the model. In this way, Man Ray has created a second, more high brow pun. The title is a french idiom for 'hobby', suggesting Man Ray's hobby is playing with the model. There is a humour in this simple transformation from woman to violin but the lack of arms adds an unsettling element. Man Ray's work was ahead of his time. He is ridiculing the photograph as a direct representation of reality at a time when photography was considered to be this, echoing the digital revolution of more recent years.
ed States. One of his earlier works, it a visual pun, comparing a woman's body to that of a violin. He created the f-holes by painting them onto the print and rephotographing it, altering a classical nude. This piece also reflects a painting by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingress, whose hobbies were playing the violin and painting nudes, in the style and attire of the model. In this way, Man Ray has created a second, more high brow pun. The title is a french idiom for 'hobby', suggesting Man Ray's hobby is playing with the model. There is a humour in this simple transformation from woman to violin but the lack of arms adds an unsettling element. Man Ray's work was ahead of his time. He is ridiculing the photograph as a direct representation of reality at a time when photography was considered to be this, echoing the digital revolution of more recent years.Lee Miller is an inpirational photographer and has had an outstanding career, particularly in a time when women were not as equal to men in society as they are today. As I mentioned, she participated in creating solarization with Man Ray and among her achievements has been a model, muse, documentary photographer, Surrealist photographer and worked for Vogue.
This photograph depicting a severed breast on a plate is perhaps an unusual choice to represent her work, as it is less known than many of her more famous pieces. It is fairly self explanatory. She was having an affair with a surgeon, and managed to obtain the breast from a mastectomy he had performed. The photograph was captured in the Vogue studio, making a strong statement about objectification of women and the portrayal of the female form, particularly in fashion. This is especially interesting coming from Miller, a famous model, whose own breasts had inspired the design of a champagne glass. It challenges the viewer, projecting a message along the lines of 'if you think it's so good then eat it!'. The image has a humour which I like.
James May does not call himself an artist, but his Plasticine Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009 became one of the most talked about gardens in the show. He received permission to submit a garden made entirely of pla
sticine (although it was "touch and go" as to whether this would be granted), and there was not one real blade of grass or plant. This caused controversy, although there is no rule which specified that the plants in the show must be real. May is a television presenter with hardly any gardening experience. He enlisted help from the public, aiming to encourage children to put down games consoles. School children made daffodils and Chelsea pensioners made poppies. Other participants included a Teletubbies designer and a Wallace & Gromit modeller. His garden was slated by critics. One gardening expert commented "If it's not going to have plants in it, then it shouldn't be called a garden. How can the RHS judge it on the same basis as other show gardens if there are no plants?" May challenged the gardening community and argued that they were plants. The public defended his work. He was outraged that his work was so condemned but eventually awarded a special award made from plasticine. This work pushed boundaries, caused controversy, and triggered public protest and participation at a major event.
The faked photograph of the Loch Ness Monster 1933 is one of the most
famous 'monster' photographs in the world. The images were captured and sold to the Daily Mail. Many declared it a fake from that time and over the consequent years, but it was still examined by NASA in 1972, who enhanced it on their computers to find evidence of whiskers, thus giving it more credibility. Among popular theories were that it was a plesiosaur, although sceptics claimed it to be an otter, or perhaps just rotting vegetation. It was not until 60 years later, in 1993, that the creators admitted to faking the photograph and constructing the 'monster'. This image caused controversy and debate over its reality for six decades. I have included it because it is an excellent demonstration of how the camera can lie. Society often assumes that it must be real because it's a photograph (perhaps less so now, with digital manipulation being widespread) but here we have a fine example of how an old, fake photograph can trick people and stand the test of time.
James May does not call himself an artist, but his Plasticine Garden at the Chelsea Flower Show 2009 became one of the most talked about gardens in the show. He received permission to submit a garden made entirely of pla
sticine (although it was "touch and go" as to whether this would be granted), and there was not one real blade of grass or plant. This caused controversy, although there is no rule which specified that the plants in the show must be real. May is a television presenter with hardly any gardening experience. He enlisted help from the public, aiming to encourage children to put down games consoles. School children made daffodils and Chelsea pensioners made poppies. Other participants included a Teletubbies designer and a Wallace & Gromit modeller. His garden was slated by critics. One gardening expert commented "If it's not going to have plants in it, then it shouldn't be called a garden. How can the RHS judge it on the same basis as other show gardens if there are no plants?" May challenged the gardening community and argued that they were plants. The public defended his work. He was outraged that his work was so condemned but eventually awarded a special award made from plasticine. This work pushed boundaries, caused controversy, and triggered public protest and participation at a major event.The faked photograph of the Loch Ness Monster 1933 is one of the most
famous 'monster' photographs in the world. The images were captured and sold to the Daily Mail. Many declared it a fake from that time and over the consequent years, but it was still examined by NASA in 1972, who enhanced it on their computers to find evidence of whiskers, thus giving it more credibility. Among popular theories were that it was a plesiosaur, although sceptics claimed it to be an otter, or perhaps just rotting vegetation. It was not until 60 years later, in 1993, that the creators admitted to faking the photograph and constructing the 'monster'. This image caused controversy and debate over its reality for six decades. I have included it because it is an excellent demonstration of how the camera can lie. Society often assumes that it must be real because it's a photograph (perhaps less so now, with digital manipulation being widespread) but here we have a fine example of how an old, fake photograph can trick people and stand the test of time.
chosen to represent each day, and, of course, could take hundreds of pictures every day. In a way, this is doing the exact same thing as everyone else, but in a chosen time frame. She is using a different context, but may still draw attention to any aspect of herself she chooses. However, it provides an interesting alternative and an insight into how the availability of such technology provides society with tools to portray themselves. Previously, it was upper class society who could afford to have their portraits painted or photographed, but the digital revolution provides nearly everyone in our society with the means of documenting any aspect of their life they choose, making some interesting history.I have included the H20 series by Adam V. Albrec as he works in such a creative and experimental way with underwater photography in contrived environments. It is as though he is utilizing photographic tecnhology available today to create innovative ways to paint surreal portraits. In a world where most photographers are retouching and using digital manipulation, Albrec creates these strange and unusual effects with light and water in the capturing of the image, not necessarily the editing.
Miss Lala at the Cirque Fernando by Edgar Degas. This image por
trays Miss Lala suspended from the rafters, holding on only by a rope clenched between gritted teeth. The artist typically sought out modern subjects in arresting poses. Degas was creating art at a time when cameras were becoming available and he used photographic equipment to help him capture poses for other works. This work, however, was created from pastel sketches recorded over successive nights in the audience. I have included this as it portrays a moment in time which would not otherwise have been recorded. I also think it is a masterpiece which always lures me into the National Gallery for a peek when I am in London.
Light Fields by Nadav Kander, an Israeli born photographer, who is currently based in London. This
series refers to the art movement which emerged in the 1950s after abstract expressionism, characterised by large canvases primarily painted with solid blocks of colour, as seen in the works of Rothko (although this series was not inspired by Rothko). The series portrays eerie looking landscapes illuminated by found, artificial light sources, almost a study of light pollution. Kander is interested in human impact on landscape, such as, for example, a footprint in a desert, and he is inviting the viewer in this series to consider that without the found light source, the image would just be an entire block of black. He falsifies the world in a studio contrived looking fashion and the pools of light drop suddenly into the abyss. This reflects the human condition - only seeing what is around our feet, as we stand in a dark ocean of the unknown. Kander was trained in the 80s, narrowly prior to the time digital re touching became popular. This series made my top ten as it is aesthetically strong and interesting and communicates important issues about the world today.
trays Miss Lala suspended from the rafters, holding on only by a rope clenched between gritted teeth. The artist typically sought out modern subjects in arresting poses. Degas was creating art at a time when cameras were becoming available and he used photographic equipment to help him capture poses for other works. This work, however, was created from pastel sketches recorded over successive nights in the audience. I have included this as it portrays a moment in time which would not otherwise have been recorded. I also think it is a masterpiece which always lures me into the National Gallery for a peek when I am in London.Light Fields by Nadav Kander, an Israeli born photographer, who is currently based in London. This
series refers to the art movement which emerged in the 1950s after abstract expressionism, characterised by large canvases primarily painted with solid blocks of colour, as seen in the works of Rothko (although this series was not inspired by Rothko). The series portrays eerie looking landscapes illuminated by found, artificial light sources, almost a study of light pollution. Kander is interested in human impact on landscape, such as, for example, a footprint in a desert, and he is inviting the viewer in this series to consider that without the found light source, the image would just be an entire block of black. He falsifies the world in a studio contrived looking fashion and the pools of light drop suddenly into the abyss. This reflects the human condition - only seeing what is around our feet, as we stand in a dark ocean of the unknown. Kander was trained in the 80s, narrowly prior to the time digital re touching became popular. This series made my top ten as it is aesthetically strong and interesting and communicates important issues about the world today.I would like to mention a friend of mine, Alana Yee, and her Dance Bo
mbing performances. She is an Auckland based dancer/performance artist currently performing in works created by other artists in the Living Room Festival and the Triennial. She has experimented with social situations in the context of clubbing and nightlife. Bouncers would often refuse her entry to nightclubs due to her non mainstream, artistic appearance and attire, informing her it did not fit with the dress code. In response to this, Yee would dress in bright leotards with a fashionable disguise over the top and enter the clubs, before removing her disguise, jumping on any stage or surface in her bright spandex, and make her statement performing improvised dance routines, which the audience reacted to positively. She has shunned people's attempts to prevent her from expressing herself. Her work is important as it challenges social rules and boundaries and imposes art upon the public, rather than bringing the public to art.
For me, Leonardo Da V
inci is a necessity in any top ten because he was perhaps one of the greatest minds of all time, and his combination of art and science furthered both fields greatly. As an anatomist, he was permitted to disect bodies in order to carry out studies, and here is a demonstration of how sight works. It is far ahead of its time, and an example of one of the many ways in which he furthered knowledge. He was also the first to discover that the heart has four chambers, not just two. This particular drawing is to demonstrate how sight works.
mbing performances. She is an Auckland based dancer/performance artist currently performing in works created by other artists in the Living Room Festival and the Triennial. She has experimented with social situations in the context of clubbing and nightlife. Bouncers would often refuse her entry to nightclubs due to her non mainstream, artistic appearance and attire, informing her it did not fit with the dress code. In response to this, Yee would dress in bright leotards with a fashionable disguise over the top and enter the clubs, before removing her disguise, jumping on any stage or surface in her bright spandex, and make her statement performing improvised dance routines, which the audience reacted to positively. She has shunned people's attempts to prevent her from expressing herself. Her work is important as it challenges social rules and boundaries and imposes art upon the public, rather than bringing the public to art.For me, Leonardo Da V
inci is a necessity in any top ten because he was perhaps one of the greatest minds of all time, and his combination of art and science furthered both fields greatly. As an anatomist, he was permitted to disect bodies in order to carry out studies, and here is a demonstration of how sight works. It is far ahead of its time, and an example of one of the many ways in which he furthered knowledge. He was also the first to discover that the heart has four chambers, not just two. This particular drawing is to demonstrate how sight works.
Superb! I'm particularly impressed by the way you have already developed a critical perspective on photography. And I really appreciate the way you are obviously involved in a milieu of like-minded people who are actively involved in cutting edge practices of art-making. I only hope the year one course will be interesting and advanced enough for you!
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