Final Portfolio

Artist Statement

For many people, the choice to get a tattoo is an important one. This decision is generally followed by carefully considered rationale, followed of course by the pain endured to obtain these permanent marks. There are, however, societal stigmas associated with tattoos and those who have them. While this has shifted somewhat in recent years, certain presumptions persist. My work seeks to redirect attention from common, reactionary responses to a more reflective consideration of those adorned with tattoos. Rather than suggesting tattoos define an individual, my photographs demonstrate how tattoos serve as a supplement to whom that person already is.

            Presented as diptychs, each photographic pairing contains a large-scale, black and white portrait of a single subject accomplished by a smaller scale color image of their tattoo. The larger size gray scale image draws out a raw realness in each person, while the depiction of the tattoo suggests an addition of vibrancy. Comparisons are inevitable drawn between the two, leading one to consider what the portrait represents in relation to the permanence of the tattoo. While the ink of a tattoo is permanent, the meaning of that tattoo is not a permanent reflection of who a person is.

Feedly #13

I chose this blog entry, A Tender Portrait of the Third Sex in Bangladesh, because this is something that I have been studying a lot recently and I enjoy learning about and I also think that it is a very important topic that is not talked about nearly enough. I know that the gender binary and transsexuality is something that exists worldwide but it is not a topic that I have studied beyond domestically. I like that this was something that I could compare to what I already know about the topic to what is happening is Bangladesh and how this impacts their lives.

The photographer Raffaele Petralla went with a completely different direction of his work but his movement made him change that. After gaining the trust of the individuals he photographed, this allowed for him to be able to capture moments that can accurately represent what their lives are like. It stated that many people who identify as homosexual, transsexual and a transvestite often live together because they act as their own family since they are considered outcasts among the "norm" and I think that many of the photographs represents that notion of family. I also think more importantly that this work of Petralla clearly shows the distance these individuals live with and how they are outcasts from the general population in Mirpur-Ek, Bangladesh.

http://feedly.com/i/entry/LRio6qZGEtpfcq8H8SmqgQJ0Pk60HGBbRjXzD2SbIYk=_1587332c9c5:bfadc:641ff4cc

Emerling Chapter #5

In this Emerling chapter, time is discussed in a way that explain and express how time is a construct that contributes to the way that photography is perceived and even created. Time being something that I have previously had talked about in a way of how it is an influence to art, this was an explanation that furthered that much more. I actually enjoyed this section more than the previous because of the way Emerling chose to use the text in a way that made me think differently about a part of the process that is involved in photography. Most of what was being said I agree with but it was written in a way that better put into words a definition of what photography has the potential to do way above how I would be able to articulate all that it could do. Essentially I got from this section that photography is more than just a photo but much more, which I think many would agree with but this furthered that by explaining how it is not a visual but an experience, a sensation, the influence it has on memory, the language it creates, which connects to the universal language we previously discussed, and "how a photograph is always simultaneously here and there, now and then... and gives us an experience of dislocation in space and time; a temporal sensation traverses space."

Question: In relation to when Emerling states photographs can be narratives but some argue that they can't be taken as narratives themselves and 'aspect' allows for an approach to photography that admits the complexity of the relation between an image and time, a relation that is traveled by memory, new uses and narration, how does a photograph act as a narrative or does it not act as a narrative?

Feedly #12

For this blog entry I chose to focus on the work Anxiety Made Visible in Photos. I chose this because it is something that I can completely understand and can relate to so when I look at the photos I can understand what they mean and the impact that they potentially have for viewers. I think that one of the first things said "just because it's not seen, doesn't mean it's not there" is an extremely important point to make when talking about metal illness to any extent and I think that the way the photos that are displayed can express this a lot.

I really enjoy how the photos have this simplicity about them and they are not to much. I think that if there was a lot happening in them it would be distracting and I think that the fact that there is this simplicity to them it works for such a complicated subject matter. I think that probably my favorite part is that each photo has a caption underneath that just fits perfectly and how that makes a statement to the viewer by saying this is what I want to be known about this photo, this is what it's like and how it feels. I think that a picture is more than capable to capture such a meaning like that but when you add words it makes a pointed statement with an accuracy that no one can deny which I feel is extremely important for this because what I felt from viewing this was that there was a want for there to be a better and wider understanding of metal illnesses like depression and anxiety, especially because they are so much more common than many realize.

http://feedly.com/i/entry/LRio6qZGEtpfcq8H8SmqgQJ0Pk60HGBbRjXzD2SbIYk=_158638b8583:443e5f:bdd46999

Emerling Chapter #4

In the chapter The Archive as  Producer introduced the idea of the photographic archive. With varied opinions and definitions of what the archive consists of includes that of socio-political, ethical, propagandistic and aesthetic values. Beginning with the example of Muybridge's representation of photographing movement introduces a new transformation of photography. Sekula holds a strong opinion on what he believes the archive to be. He refuses to view the archive as an art historical sense but a materialist cultural history while insisting that the archive is organized and controlled by bureaucratic means. Steichen on the other hand views the archive as not historically based but a stand on a contrived understanding of history. Using the example of The Family of Man, Steichen ultimately fails with his view of the archive because he stripped the photos he used of their authorship and independency to attempt to "contract a fictional, ideological utopian statement about the so-called "family of man, which goes against the concept of the "naked image". I think that the example of the  Crystal Palace is a much better representation of the archive. This reflects what is considered to be the "archive" without breaking what has grown in photography. The work of Dijkstra and Opie led the archive in a direction of cultural discourse and a documentation of culture.
I think that the definition of what the archive is can be flexible because I understand there to be multiple works of art that differ from one another that all can be a part of a photographic archive.

I found the views of Barthes in the discussion of the archive to be a interesting and different view, so I would want to know if there is an agreement or disagreement with Barthes and that we must interpret and read images to understand how the could be used to make the cultural, historical or political appear as if it were natural.

Feedly #11

I chose this entry because I think that it is a very relevant topic that a lot of people can relate to or have dealt at some point in their past. I also think that this is extremely relevant right not in politics and society and that it should be talked about. The way Ali uses her work to attack this issue can be described as less than typical but the impact still stands. With herself included Ali wants to show, through fashion, how an individual can find themselves and fully express their personality however they may want to.

I think that fashion may not be the first thing that people may think of as a way to find and establish your identity but it is actually something done today in many cultures and in the past as well. Being able to chose a fashion sense or style allows for people to be who they want without having to be so extraverted if they do not wish to. Clothing and accessories is a way for people to understand who they want to be with endless possibilities. I think that it is a great way for Ali to show this and it is in such a way that just about everyone can relate to. Everyone has a fashion of their own, no matter what that may be.

http://feedly.com/i/entry/2KA5kNF6Lw/3e9wK0XufshQO4l9u8ZS5bHJ528Zz+9E=_15834783768:7483fa2:297c8405

Feedly Response #10

I chose to respond to the blog titled Love, Lust, and Loss: A Photographic Memoir of the 80's. I first thought that the title including love, lust and loss was so broad and covered just about anything but at the same time it is basically all inclusive and are topics that can connect a large amount of people, which appears a goal of the photographers. The photographer mentions wanting to capture moments of humanity while being able to completely ignore society and the institutions that were created about society that causes the separation between each. I read as though the main goal of was to photograph the realness of the 80's and what was happening but also what came of that, the good or bad didn't matter it was just the truth.

I think that this was very accurately captured in the photographs. I think the black and white gives the appeal to a sense of reality and the truth, very similar to something I am trying to capture in my own work which kept my attention the more I looked at this. All kinds of people from different, cliques, backgrounds, areas or society and essentially any other differential label is included, which gives this a reality of the 80's. I think the title is perfect because no matter what is being photographed it is very true that love, list and loss is a huge connector for what is being displayed. There is so much happening in these works that hold so much content that you simply can't just look at them for a few seconds and move on. The photographer did a great job at being able to entice the viewer in the photographs which would essentially make them think further about what he wanted to get across.


http://feedly.com/i/entry/LRio6qZGEtpfcq8H8SmqgQJ0Pk60HGBbRjXzD2SbIYk=_1580bf167e0:290f386:3c1dfc7b

Work-in-Progress #4

Since the last critique I have decided that I really like the portrait photos in the black and white rather that in color. Having the black and white portrait in comparison to the color photo of the tattoo I think gives it a feel that I really like. The portrait gives a documentary, rawness, very real type feel with the tattoo in color gives a vibrancy that I think gives the idea that the photo is the reality and the tattoo is just an addition to that reality of the person. I think that with the two different looks it breaks up multiple photos together and really gives an importance to each of the portraits with their tattoo and that way it doesn't look like too much at once. 

I chose to use the photos I did for this critique to adjust the size when printing because I feel like they are photos that are at the quality of what I want the final images to look like. I went with the larger size for printing because I felt that it would work well with what I really want to get across to the viewers. I felt that the larger size almost draws a viewer into seeing them as a person and can draw from that when comparing it to their images of the tattoos. I went a little smaller with the tattoos because the larger images felt almost too much and were a bit overwhelming. I tried some different sizes but I know I will just have to see which ones just kind of work together the best. Overall I think for this critique I have been able to better understand where I want to go with this project for the final of it with a more clear idea of what I want it to say to the viewers and how I might do that. 

Feedly Response #9

For this blog response I was really interested in the signs of life exhibition blog post. I think that there is an extreme of amount items and things in life that are passed by and forgotten about or not given any attention to that shouldn't be. Not to say that all things have a huge importance or significance but I feel like there are definitely parts of life that do. A example in the blog posts are sign seen in everyday life. There can be a huge array of what they could mean. They could hold a historical or political significance or could be humorous, important to community or a business or anything, it can really be limitless. Some of the works that I like more are Love Written In Aluminum Blanket Foil, Hell Is..., and Field Trip. There is just something about these works that shows a raw truth and a sense of realness that not matter what is unavoidable. I think that art like this really shows how so many people are consumed in their own lives and are completely unaware to their surroundings at almost any given time and they can be missing so many things that art limitless to making a difference in their life, but only if the to the time to play attention to it. I am always drawn to work that is on the lines un bordering unacceptable or inappropriate especially if it is for something that is so true. I think that art is a perfect way to push boundaries and show the real world and what really happens in life even if it is unconventional.

http://feedly.com/i/entry/hhgjQjkJaVrnUQRr9QkANmHRxPQ+aEqHDab8hs9bMzQ=_157e6b8860c:27428c:27c28db

Emerling Chapter 3

So far I have enjoyed this chapter much more than the previous two. I felt that this chapter was much easier to deconstruct what Emerling was trying to say and what he wanted the readers to pick up on. Admitingly Emerling stated that the definition of documentary photography is not an easy one which I agree with but he later, I feel like, tries to put very strict boundaries and guidelines on what is considered documentary work which I felt essentially defines it in a way. I also did not necessarily agree with his argument for the relationship of artwork and documentary. Emerling states that a photograph exists between both but later insists that artists work is either one or the other in which he poses the question of which is documentary and which is art. What I really like about this chapter was how Emerling states and doesn't shy away from the idea that a photograph is more than a photograph and how important the context is to the artist when creating their work.

The question that kept coming back to me while reading that I think is specifically important is, Is the a definition of documentary photography and what would you explain and describe it as?

Feedly Response #8

I chose to do the article about how artists respond to criticism about their work. I chose this because I think it is very important for artists and I think its great that this was talked about through the perspective of an artist while it happened to them. When most people and artists receive criticism in a way that redirects their work they let it change what they're doing when they have a reason why they're doing that subject. The first example used is a great way that many people should follow yet I feel like most don't. Basically if you don't like the criticism and you feel like it wasn't helpful to your work in a way that can help improve it and only discourage simply ignore those comments. It's commendable to people who can just disregard something said about work that they are working hard on and care about. For my work I would like to think that I can follow along these lines when presenting among my peers. To obviously listen to all that has to be said and analyze it, whether or not I find it helpful but in the end if thats not where I want to go with my project then I don't have to comply. The responses that help aide my work in the direction I want to go are the ones that I can listen to.

http://feedly.com/i/entry/LRio6qZGEtpfcq8H8SmqgQJ0Pk60HGBbRjXzD2SbIYk=_157d3534c5d:17a6e63:fa3d823c

Feedly Response #7

I was interested in this blog post because of the title Love and Debauchery because those are not two things that I usually think of that would go together. Once I began to look into the work and read what it was about I started to understand what that meant more. One of the things I like the most about the photos are that they are including everything. There are no parts of the life in Miami left out whether it would be typically seen as a positive or negative. It mentions how much the atmosphere and type of life shifts in Miami in the smallest times like from morning through the late night and how different scenes are typically seen during specific times. I think that the artist did a great job of capturing all of those because there is such a wide range of photographs that could include almost any event that might happen during a typical day or night out in the city.

http://feedly.com/i/entry/LRio6qZGEtpfcq8H8SmqgQJ0Pk60HGBbRjXzD2SbIYk=_157b4374aac:356c76:24904abe

Work-in-Progress #3

Since the last critique I have been able to define a more specific approach for what I am aiming to achieve in my project. I was struggling the most with how I wanted the series to come across in a way that wasn't stereotypical and gimmicky that made it seem like here is a person and here is there tattoos. I want the viewer to be very aware of what I am trying to do. I want there to be a comparison between the individual and their tattoo because I want to be able to make a point that this person has these tattoo for their own reasons and they make them who they are but are still able to look at their face and say they're still a person without their tattoos, or if they aren't visible they still remain the same person. I feel like its now important to include a small part about how tattoos are seen in society because it makes a difference and I want to explore that a little bit. Even though it has begun to be extremely better in terms of judgment from society, a stigma still remains. By saying that tattoos make a person who they are but are not al who they are is included in that. An individual can be presumed as one thing by their tattoos but is by no means defined by them and are not limited to what their body shows other people.

I have been working much more to edit the photos to how I want them. With trying a little bit more editing to the faces I decided that I want the pictures to look aesthetically pleasing by editing the contrast and brightness but I really want to keep the faces photos as natural looking as I can without diminishing the quality of the photo. Overall I exposed the photos a little bit more than what I would think a "natural" look is so they have a brighter appearance once printed. For the tattoos I'm struggling with deciding if I want to make some of the blacks and the colors darker and more saturated if the are a little pale in actuality or if I want to leave them closer to how they were when photographed for more of a true appearance and representation.

Feedly Response #6

For this feedly report I was interested in the work of the Unseen Photo Fair. I think it is kind of ironic because the actual work of what is being done is seen, just in the format of the final product. What they are exposing is everything 'behind the scenes' of the work of a photographer that isn't seen and usually not know by the viewer at all. By using the work of performance and interactive works, the viewers are able to actually experience and evaluate an artist process of preparation and forethought that goes into their work. I think this is important to show and is done so in a very productive way. an artist could just as easily create a project exposing this but instead the artist work together to create it in a live performance way. This will have the viewer really understand beyond any other means, I think that this could have been shown.

http://feedly.com/i/entry/PTohvPB9PxDcvke1VnoNh476yZb4ovjxcFXDsA/bnM8=_1577ae5ebd5:2a40c77:e3157ec0

Emerging Chapter #2

I found this chapter to be a little confusing at points or just hard to follow because Emerling uses so many examples of artists, their work and their ideas on different theories to make his points that further on in the chapter it got there was a lot to follow. Despite that, I did enjoy the majority of this chapter. There were many interesting points that I have never thought of before about photography or the becoming of photography that I enjoyed learning about. Enjoyed that throughout the chapter it was mentioned more than once that photography is not just a mimic of what it seen, there is more to taking a photograph than that and that it is more than the medium. In a counteraction of that point I liked how it included the example of Gregory Crewdson and how it seems he is almost diminished as a photographer because he uses so much of everything else and less of the raw or pure photography and was said to be more of a director. I just thought that this was an interesting point to be made. I also really enjoyed how the talk about the end of photography kept coming up. I personally took it in more of a way that it should be described as a change or development in photography instead of the end just because it has evolved so much since the beginning. There were many good point that were brought up in the chapter surrounding the discussion of frame in photography and Emerling did a great job of providing the reader with multiple sides to every point which I have felt is not usually the case.

Feedly Response #5

The initial picture I saw of this series immediately got my attention because it was not a wartime photo most are used to seeing. Once I began to read into the project I enjoyed it very much. The artist Vladimir Vyatkin, a Russian photographer created the series called Soldiers on Duty. Being very passionate about his work, I saw a type of photography I've never seen before. Focusing on the conflicts and humanitarian consequences of war, a series emerged showing a different side of soldiers lives. Thinking that photography as mysticism and a way to identify and exploit problems of the world, Vyatkin gives viewers a look into soldiers, from multiple counties, lives beyond the fighting and the brutality that is usually seen.

I very much enjoyed the wide variety of photographs that are included in the series. I like that most of the photos aren't of fighting in the moments but more of the aftermath, soldiers changing, smiling or sleeping, or of other events like protests and meals for the poor. It is a very real aspect of life during wartimes but not what most people think of and is often over looked. These moments are just and important to see as citizens at home. Soldiers fighting for our country aren't just fighting but they are having to live and survive like they would if they were at home. I think that it shows that war effects more than those fighting for a victory and more of themselves are involved in war that many think and Vyatkin shows that in his work, in an admirable way.  

http://feedly.com/i/entry/2KA5kNF6Lw/3e9wK0XufshQO4l9u8ZS5bHJ528Zz+9E=_1574de714c3:1801a8b:eede4bae

Work-in-Progress #2

Over the last two weeks I have made, what I feel like is much progress on my individual project. After the last critique I realized that I had a lot of thinking to do about specifics of my project that I had not gone into enough detail yet. Most of the questions were about what my goals were to achieve. I thought about whether or not have the faces were important to me or if the tattoos would be justified and I decided that they both are critical to my project and that I felt that the project would not go in the direction that I would want if it were just the tattoos. I also think now that a side-by-side approach might be how I want them presented. It makes a viewer immediately think about them together but also separate as they are different images. That is what I want; the viewer to look at them as one and as two that way it appears as part of their identity but not purely. I am extremely undecided on what face I want, a neutral of expression. They give different directions to the project but I don't know which one I feel like is the one I want to take. I also realized that all the photos I have are of females. I realized I like that and want to continue with that but I have not pin-pointed down the reason as to why that is yet. I have made progress but I also have gotten more questions by doing that, but now I have a clearer direction of where I want to go in general.

Feedly Response #4

When I first saw the post about Hillary Clinton and her fashion I was instantly interested. For a reason I never really understood, the fashion choices of Clinton have been documented and commented on very frequently once she gained the public's popularity in the Presidential race. I think the article puts it perfectly by saying that this is only occurring because most of her political life and achievements, especially her political career now with the possibility of being the first woman President have been plagued with sexism and her wardrobe is now included with that. I believe the fact that she is a woman makes a statement on the behalf of progression in the United States that this is even a possibility but I do not think it decides whether she is a good politician or leader. By stooping to the level of debating her clothing choices, I feel enables that type of conversation. It does not matter for men politicians and therefore should not matter for women politicians.

I thought it was perfect the way that there were the comparisons of outfits, especially that there are comparisons to all sorts of celebrities, including President Obama, Beyonce and Jacqueline Kennedy. I just thinks that these comparisons provide the opinions of the mindset that something life fashion is not defining and that expectations surrounded with fashion choices should not be labeled to a person.

http://feedly.com/i/entry/LRio6qZGEtpfcq8H8SmqgQJ0Pk60HGBbRjXzD2SbIYk=_1572e819a36:1f5a353:a3db1bc9

Emerling Chapter 1

I very much enjoyed this chapter because of how it didn't just tell the reader the history but rather explained older views, theories and points of view of the new art style at the time and compared that to the more modern views of photography today. I think it was extremely important that at the beginning the question of what is photography is posed and through essentially the entire chapter they attempt to answer that. personally I enjoyed how the chapter showed the progression of photography so well. There was a smooth flow from is photography just a replication to the narratives that are potentially behind all photographs to the movement of postmodernism. How Emerling delivered the information alongside with the multiple artist theories and ideas, it made me as a reader think more about how there was such a large shift in photography more than just knowing when it all happened.

Is the view of Susan Sontag, about photography not being art but merely a medium, a popular one? Emerling mentions many views on if photography is art for both answers but not another in alike to Sontag.

Feedly Response #3

The work done by Melissa Kreider is extremely important but often over looked. In this work she captures photos of sexual violence sites and further explores how these situations are handled and documented with public information from the police force. I found this work to be moving and because almost all of the sites she captured were of homes, whether houses, apartments or condos of sorts. By her photographing this brings awareness in a different form than usual that most sexual abuse and violence happens in an individual's home, where they are supposed to feel the safest and most comfortable. Unfortunately her photos show that in many cases that is not the truth.

I also felt that there was and underlying effect of her photos touching on the fact that whats on the outside is not the same as what is assumed on the inside. From her photos of the homes, a viewer would have no idea that they were site of sexual violence, which I feel is a large part of Greider's reason for this work. I think this is so important because it shows this in a different way than sexual violence usually is and it has just as much of more of an impact as when statistics are just stated as facts to raise awareness.

https://www.aint-bad.com/article/2016/09/09/melissa-kreider/

Work-in-Progress #1

For my individual photography project I am going to use tattoos to show that they are a way to express individual identity and self expression. I want to show that tattoos are more than the stigma people associate with it. I plan to photograph individuals, a close-up of their face, and their tattoos. By having the images of multiple people and multiple tattoos in comparison you would not even be able to tell by their faces what tattoo belongs to whom and that they even had one in the first place. That is what I want to exploit. Tattoos are a recent phenomena and there has been an increase in the attitude toward them but it still exists especially in the business world. I want to make a point by saying that people are more than their tattoos and that they express identity and expression but they are not defining of who they are completely. Just merely a part.

Feedly Response #2

Under the blog Photoworks, a project called Instagram Takeover was created. Photoworks, an organization dedicated to the work of photography focuses on trying to target individuals that are possibly aspiring artists or art enthusiasts by holding exhibitions, tours, talks and other public events both domestically and internationally. The project Instagram Takeover is compiled of multiple artists, over the span of five days, posting to Photoworks Instagram page showing their current work or what they are currently intrigued in.

This work is so interesting because there are multiple different artists involved in this project which means that there is no limitations to the work that is seen. There are people and objects of all kinds covering many ideas and themes. Some of the artists works that I found most interesting were Juno Calypso, Delphine Fawundu and Sara Shamsavari. All are their works aim to different theologies but all grabbed my attention. Calypso plays with and even tests the role of femininity by photographic women in uncharacteristic roles that would not typically be seem as their feminine role. Fawundu attempts to breakdown the political and social constructs of race, gender and class and explores the distance and connections between internal and external identities by photographing both African American males and females in challenging images that combine a common cultural element with a modern one to counteract. Shamsavari tackles the ideals of judgement and equality of diversity with a photograph of a women who exhibits multiple fashion choices that evidently shows she is a blend of more than one and not subjected to limitations of diversity. I think this is a great project that can easily explore a wide variety of photography with ease but not simplicity.

http://feedly.com/i/entry/P/mDAwbVXRyRBdKWrzgWjq8n0yQSueh5svtDpAX3Upw=_156dbe07721:dec87a:6e6aa88a

Superblock Response

I really found this work of art very interesting because when I first looked at it I almost completely didn’t notice that anything wasn’t in order. It looked like a normal city street corner but as I actually looked at it I realized it was anything but ordinary. The different images used are put together in relatively normal spots as though to make the overall composition of the image seamless. To me some of the images used architect from different periods of time as they create a different type of imagery to me. What I found most interesting was the ground and how the compositional make up was of all objects and items that are found there but put together in a way that almost seems like graffiti art. The more I looked at the details the more I discovered and found more enticing to understand the aesthetic choices.

            Is there a specific reason to the images chosen to be used in this work or where they just used to make the image flow correctly with the other components of the piece used?