A1: Tutor Feedback

The following is the feedback received from my tutor Gary Clarkson following my submission of Assignment 1: Two Sides of The Story.

Overall Comments

A well progressed experimental submission whilst honest and aware of limitations and
descriptive tendencies. Some teething trouble with submissions – putting them on the blog first rather than sending as files to then revise – but really quick response to the request and refined already. Broad ‘discourses’ surrounding narrative strategies and storytelling for this level are being researched and engaged with (of course more to do). Honest self-reflection and engagement with more difficult concepts ( strait v expressionistic visual language and linear/associational modes of storytelling), as well as apt critical references (Azoulay) self-aware constructive and an imaginative interpretation working within the constraints of a reportage.

Assignment

Awareness of a good breadth of contexts and debates supporting your growing knowledge and understanding. Work through the various techniques and problems – such as use of photoshop v a more useful software such as Lightroom (if available) and consider a third person write up which also draws from the blog as research (even referencing your own blog) this will give you the building blocks for a good written proposal and self-evaluation for the formal and conceptual elements of the assignment. I’ve enclosed your reflection write up with annotations (which include artists to look at further) so won’t repeat them here but summarise below the main points.

Assessment potential

Assignment 1

You may want to get credit for your hard work and achievements with the OCA by formally submitting your work for assessment at the end of the module. More and more people are taking the idea of lifelong learning seriously by submitting their work for assessment but it is entirely up to you. We are just as keen to support you whether you study for pleasure or to gain qualifications. Please consider whether you want to put your work forward for assessment and let me know your decision when you submit Assignment 2. I can then give you feedback on how well your work meets the assessment
requirements.

Feedback on assignment

Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Quality of Outcome, Demonstration of
Creativity

• Development of good visual and technical skills, and use of the reportage storytelling.
• Consider other modes (see – readings) but don’t negate the fact that it’s a worthwhile
endeavour and well handled.
• Caption images and begin to use a file name which is easier to both reference (for me) as well as in line with practice for submission to libraries/agencies etc. eg instead of
‘_K3P9811’ try ‘Neil Williams exhibition (gallery?) HK001 (where the is the first in series and HK is your initials. This will encourage and interpretation by the viewer as well as have currency in the future if it was sent to a publisher/library.
• Layout of images on the blog doesn’t do them justice. Use comparison of inner/outer
outside/behind the scenes juxtaposed perhaps?
• Would be good to see all the images you shot (if there are more) in a contact print and
show why you selected them. Eg, _K3P9656 and _K3P9892 are essentially saying or about
the same thing. Similarly _K3P9659 and _K3P9661 (do you need the close up – its about
context). Stepping back (if able) to show the champagne in context with the gallery space
too would have worked (_K3P96860)

Coursework

Demonstration of technical and Visual Skills, Demonstration of Creativity

• Use the study of others to influence your own work and self-reflections of that work.
• For example, you could have shown your work for this assignment in the same way as the Sarah Pickering to show comparisons.
• It looks like you have read Barrett’s contexts with your statement that ‘external context is, I think, intrinsic to how these images are viewed’. Do reference these in your self-reflection
• Include an indication of process records in your blog such as contact prints (annotated)
and lightroom/photoshop records of how you corrected selected images.

Research

Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis

• There are two levels of research here: visual/process and contextual/historical.
• They are both working well and well documented in your learning log.
• I would encourage you to engage with your peers via OCA’s discuss site if not already done so. OCA blogs: an outline of the different storytelling modes such as Chloe Dewe Matthews using a more associational visual language rather than a strict linear narrative: https:// http://www.oca.ac.uk/weareoca/creative-arts/photography-that-gets-people-looking-thinking-
and-talking/

Learning Log

Context, reflective thinking, critical thinking, analysis

• Your reflections on the blog are critical and appropriate.
• Particularly enjoyed your reflections on ‘Do images of war provoke change?’ it was
insightful and shows confidence with critical references. Use this similar research to delve into debates or processes particular to the assignment – such as storytelling modes, process/selection or representation of the ‘artist’. You can then reference this in the self-
reflection. See ‘visual stance’ below.

• Make comments on the OCA blogs which match this on going research so that you are
talking part in the discourse. See weareoca in ‘readings’ below.

Pointers for the next assignment/assessment

• Continue Learning log that records your ‘artistic journey’ and matches assignment with
critical readings.

Strengths Areas for development

Strong technically with considered formal
coherence.

one or two images ‘say the same thing’ so include
other contextual images

Reportage storytelling is well formed use your research (such as David Hurn and Joel
Colberg) to discuss alternative narrative.

Links with your own work Consider third person writing for the essay showing an analysis of why the practitioners you mention use the strategies they do.

Tutor name Garry Clarkson
Date 01 August 2019
Next assignment due 10 October 2019

A1: Two Sides of the Story

Assignment:

This assignment is designed to give your tutor a feel for your work and won’t count towards your final grade if you decide to have your work assessed. However, the assessors may wish to see it so that they can gauge your progress across the course.

Create at least two sets of photographs telling different versions of the same story. The aim of the assignment is to help you explore the convincing nature of documentary, even though what the viewer thinks they see may not, in fact, be true. Try to make both sets equally convincing so that it’s impossible to tell which version of the images is ‘true’.

It might be interesting to consider the project as evidence for a court case. What conflicting stories can you make your images convincingly tell? Would it stand up in court? However, you choose to interpret the brief, ensure the images are candid and ‘taken from real-life’. Be experimental and take some risks. Perhaps you could make a list of ideas and choose the most challenging or absurd option to stretch yourself.

Send your sets of images to your tutor by the method you’ve agreed to. Include an introduction of 300 words outlining what you set out to do and how you went about it. Also, send to your tutor the relevant pages of your learning log or your blog URL.

Approach:

I struggled with the use of the word “truth” It suggests that there is only one truth and the alternative is lies. The world contains many “truths” all of which may be an accurate summary of events but from a different perspective or a different time. Ariella Azoulay (B. 1962) establishes in her work “Civil Imagination – A Political Ontology of Photography” that whether an individual, seen as a terrorist or as a freedom fighter, is merely a judgment based upon the perspective of the observer, or upon the time within which events take place.

I have avoided differentiating between truth and falsehood. Both of the sequences shown are, from my perspective, true, but I have to leave it to the viewer to take from the images whatever they perceive as the truth. I will have subconsciously created connotations or suggestions within the compositions which expose my thoughts and feelings about the subject matter.

The objective of this work is to contrast the opening of a brand new gallery space in the center of Cowes on the Isle of Wight and its pomp and ceremony with the “behind the scenes” reality of the hard work necessary to make it happen. Both sets of prints are the truth, but the perspectives are very different.

The gallery space was created within three dilapidated buildings on Cowes High Street and required significant physical effort, financial risk, and determination on Neil’s part in order to make it happen. The buildings have been combined and transformed over a period of six weeks into a functioning gallery, printing and framing space.

The intent was to capture the physical effort and stress involved in creating the gallery but also to include a subtext about the daily workload of a local fine art photographer. The work includes images that show the making of frames and stretching of canvases as these are a major part of Neil’s workload. Images of Neil with his family provide background context and an image of the entire team responsible for the work is included for further context.

The Opening Event images capture a party atmosphere but also attempt to show the necessary gloss applied to the underlying hard work. It was equally important to capture the celebration and pride in the achievement of Neil, his family, and a small team.

Revised Image Selection:

Contact Sheets:

Bibliography:

Azoulay A. (2015), Civil Imagination: A Political Ontology of Photography, Verso, London.

Barrett T. (1986), Art Education, Vol. 39, No. 4. pp. 33-36, National Art Education Association, Available from http://terrybarrettosu.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Barrett-1986-Photographs-Contexts.pdf Last Accessed 19/08/2019.

A1: Two Sides of The Story (Draft)

https://holliwomble2.home.blog/

Assignment:

Approach:

When I read this brief I struggled with the use of the word “truth” It suggests that there is only one truth and the alternative is lies. I believe that the world contains many “truths” all of which may be an accurate summary of events but from a different perspective or a different time. Ariella Azoulay (B. 1962) establishes in her work “Civil Imagination – A Political Ontology of Photography” that whether an individual, seen as a terrorist or as a freedom fighter, is merely a judgment based upon the perspective of the observer, or upon the time within which events take place.

In my assignment, I have avoided differentiating between truth and falsehood. Both of the sequences shown are, from my perspective, true. There may be connotations or suggestions in the images that I have subconsciously created within the compositions. I have to leave it to the viewer to take from them whatever they perceive as the truth.

Last month I started a new job, working for a Neil Williams, a landscape photographer based on the Isle of wight. This fantastic opportunity allowed me to be involved in the creation of a new gallery space in the center of Cowes. The building was very dilapidated and required significant physical effort, financial risk, and determination on Neil’s part in order to make it into a functioning gallery, framing and printing space. I took my camera to work over the first month and photographed the preparatory work and the resulting gallery at its official opening.

My objective has been to compare the perspective of those looking at the completed gallery and the pomp of the opening night with the behind the scenes reality of Neil’s hard work to make it happen and to make it a successful business. Both sets of prints are the truth, but the perspectives are very different.