RITUALS
ritual ˈrɪtʃʊəl/ noun
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The reason why I was attracted to this topic is because people have different ideas of what a ritual is. Personally a ritual is an everyday routine such as waking up, eating, brushing my teeth. But there are other types of rituals. People who follow religions have different rituals such as prayer and visiting a religious place. Everybody has a ritual in the sense that everyday they do something the same, but everybody's rituals are different. I want to explore the natural rituals of human nature, and disrupting these rituals.
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Martin Parr
I chose to research about Martin Parr as many of his photographs depict some type of ritual.
This photograph shows three people simultaneously posing for the same photograph; an optical illusion of them "holding up" the leaning tower of Pisa. There are millions of different versions of pictures of people holding up the leaning tower of Pisa. It has become a ritual in its own sense. There are many rituals within the idea of traveling; the journey to the airport, going through security, packing. And in that many people have their own rituals. For example my family always buys sweets to have on the plane, and we always take the train at night. I like this image, as it portrays a number of different people performing different acts, and each of them are doing different things, but at one point outside this photo they were doing the same thing at the same time but still differently in some way because no rituals are the ever done the exact same and no ones actions can ever be the same.
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IDEAS
Image analysis
Martin Parr: from the seiries ' The Last Resort'
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Martin Parr's photograph depicts an image of a mother and her daughter sunbathing on a concrete ramp, possibly leading down to the beach. The woman is wearing next to nothing, lying on a towel on the cocrete floor. I think that she as chosen this spot due to privacy, as she is behing a wall, sheletered by a digger. The daughter is playing with a bucket and spade, yet there is no sand around. A man wearing a suit is walking by, holding a bag. He is wearing a coat even though it seems as if its a hot day. thi is unusual as he is at the beach and peope dont usually wear suits to thebeach. In this photograph i can recognise the towels and bucket and spades and the peir in the distance and the bag but at first i couldn't recognise the digger, as half of it is cropped out.
This photograph reminds me of going to brighton with my family. It s similar in some aspects, for example the fact that were at the bech, but different in terms of what were doing and where on the beach were located. When i go wth my family, we normally go on the pier and play on the 2p machines. . However we rarely ever go on the actual beach, similar to the people in this photograph. In my opinion, this photo is both abstract and natural, in the sense that it has abstract concets and natural objects. The beach for example is a natural object, whereas the idea and rituals that people perform at the beach are abstract concepts. The most important formal element in this is
This photograph reminds me of going to brighton with my family. It s similar in some aspects, for example the fact that were at the bech, but different in terms of what were doing and where on the beach were located. When i go wth my family, we normally go on the pier and play on the 2p machines. . However we rarely ever go on the actual beach, similar to the people in this photograph. In my opinion, this photo is both abstract and natural, in the sense that it has abstract concets and natural objects. The beach for example is a natural object, whereas the idea and rituals that people perform at the beach are abstract concepts. The most important formal element in this is
Visit to an exhibition
For this homework, we were asked to go to a gallery and creatively document our journey and time there. I have decided to go to “The Great British Seaside” exhibition at the national maritime museum in Greenwhich, as i believe it links in to my theme of Rituals, due to the ritualistic aspects of going to the seaside.
Photographers
This instalment included the works of Tony Ray-Jones, David Hurn, Simon Roberts and Martin Parr.
My favourite photographer in this exhibition was Martin Parr. I enjoy looking at his photos as he photographs the little things, and brings attention to ordinary yet surreal aspects of life. However I really enjoyed looking at Tony Ray Jones' photographs as many of his were of large groups of people. I like imagining each groups stories, how they got there, what they were doing, if they were one big group or individuals who happened to be clumped together at the moment the photo was taken.
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Bas Jan Ader
Baz Jan Ader was a dutch artist. He worked making short conceptual films and as a performance artist. A lot of his work was to do with the concept of falling. I think that he chose this idea as a way to take control and choose when he fell or when he failed, instead of him being taken by surprise when he fell and got hurt. However, there is a mystery surrounding him and his death, as in 1975 he disappeared after taking sail in a small boat across the ocean in an attempt to sail across the atlantic sea, from the US to England. He had always been intrigued in trying to see beyond horizons and had always been in search for mysteries. His boat was found off the coast of Ireland, however he was never found and no one knows what happened to him.
Bas Jan Ader's father was executed by the nazis for helping many jews to escape the holocaust.
Bas Jan Ader's father was executed by the nazis for helping many jews to escape the holocaust.
Thailand
Recently I went on holiday to Thailand. We visited Bangkok and Koh Samui. I have never been that Far East and the difference in cultures was very interesting. People live so differently and with these photos I tried to capture the lives of people and the different rituals they partake in.
I think that to portray the lives of people living in such a vast city is quite difficult as I feel you would have to live there and grow up around the places and the culture to really grasp what it is really like. I was particularly intrigued by the difference in clothing, and food and the way people presented themselves. Another interesting thing that I noted was the respect for authority, especially for their king, as there were shrines everywhere and paintings of him. However photographs of these shrines are not permitted.
The Indecisive Momento
The indecisive memento is a book in response to another book named The Decisive Moment. The Decisive moment focuses on the big moments in life or in the world, the ones with the potential to change the world. The Indecisive memento is more about the boring, in-between moments in life, the ones that arn't payed enough attention. A human life is made up of many small boring days, nights, weeks, and very little extreme moments, and in a way that makes every single boring part as interesting and monumental as everything else.
"we live in a post-modern age where non-moments have become as relevant as moments... every and any moment works." - Nick Waplington |
I took this quote from this passage in the introduction/interview with Nick Waplington, at the beginging of his book. I found lots of what he had to say very interesting and i like all his ideas about photographhy. one other thing i like that he was talking about was the way he talked about how he chose the starting photo of his book.
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Diptychs and Triptychs
I took a series of photos in different days at different places and from these i picked the ones that went together the most and made them into a triptych and a diptych. Triptychs were used in the middle ages as ways to transport and show biblocal stories through paintings. There would be three panels, each depicting a biblical scene that linked to the next phtot. The panels would fold in and therefor it would be easily transprotable. They could also be propped up as mini shrines, and prayed towards.
In photography, triptychs and diptychs are used to display photos side by side. Most photos used are similar or linked in some way, either by the subject of the photograph or by the formal layout or use of formal elements such as shadows. |
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The Decisive Moment
Henri Cartier-Bresson's book, the decisive moment focuses on the important moments in a persons life or a persons day. He captures the interesting things in life, the deciding point. These photos are different from The indecisive memento because they are all purposely taken they are all clear and have a structure, you can tell they all have a lot of thought put into them.
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Image Analysis
Nick Waplington On Isaac Mizrahi. From a collection of photographs taken backstage at a fashion show.
This depicts two models backstage at a fashion show, fixing their hair in a tall body length mirror. The mirror stands in the midground, and the photograph is at a slanted angle making the mirror seem almost about to tip over. Through the mirror, you can see a flurry of people, all hairdressers, models and makeup artists. On the right hand side of the photograph, you can see a
This depicts two models backstage at a fashion show, fixing their hair in a tall body length mirror. The mirror stands in the midground, and the photograph is at a slanted angle making the mirror seem almost about to tip over. Through the mirror, you can see a flurry of people, all hairdressers, models and makeup artists. On the right hand side of the photograph, you can see a
Typology
typology
/tʌɪˈpɒlədʒi/
noun
- 1.
a classification according to general type, especially in archaeology, psychology, or the social sciences.
"a typology of Saxon cremation vessels"
- 2.
- the study and interpretation of types and symbols, originally especially in the Bible.
I want to explore typologies because i feel as though they are a good way of exploring the human condition, through a series of similar photograph, linked through the subject of the picture. A good example of typologies is a book called People Of The Twenty-First Century, by Hans Eijkelboom. He explores the fashion of the streets, and how people express themselves daily. Clothing plays a big part in personal ritual, because one thing that everybody does, one ritual is getting dressed. And the clothes you wear tell people a little about yourself, about the rituals you perform, and the people you are performing them with. For example, if someone is wearing a uniform, most likely they are either a student or someone who is going to work. Own clothes and the way you style them is interesting to see as clothing is a big part of subcultures and style, a way of expression.
Photography Rituals
When I normally take photographs, I do the following things:
- The first thing I do is find something that I find aesthetically pleasing, normally people or the urban environment. Most of my photographs are taken with my friends, and the places we usually go to are the school, the Royal Standard in blackheath, or my friends houses.
- Most of the time I'm taking photos using my phone and I use an app, called Huji. If not I use my film camera, which is an Olympus trip
History of British subcultures
To fit in to a subculture you have to wear certain clothes hang out with certain people listen to certain music and perform similar rituals to other people . But at the same time, who you befriend does not define tour subculture or what Music you had to listen to or what you have to do because people can have many different rituals, at different times and people change and friends change and music changes and ur clothes change but you can be friends with one specific group of people while performing rituals that generally fit in with other peoples subcultures. Not everyone has to be the same but traditionally punks will be with punks and goths will be with goths but with the way society changes and develops groups sink in with other groups and the line between each becomes less and less defined as there is less of a need to stand up to anyone and less of a need to make a point or not make a point or to try and be cool and popular or to be smart and unpopular, because now smart people are also popular and jocks and nerds and freaks and geeks are not defined as now it is more dependent on personalities. |
In the 70s there were punks, who were all about statements and proving something. The style was very diy, ripped jeans and tops, leather gloves and jackets and jewellery made from safety pins. The music was loud and a form of expression, and it was a movement, a way of defining yourself. It was about not conforming.
Another style in the 70s was glam rockers, who focused on bright colourful clothes and makeup and glitter and it was all about experimenting with music and combining many different aspects of other subcultures to create one big new theme. David Bowie was one example of a glam rocker, and although this culture of non conformity to gender roles and flamboyancy died down in the mid 70s, it has still managed to influence other music genres today. Elements of it can be seen in the pop music of now. |
Mods and Rockers 1960s-1970s : Rockers subculture was focused on motorcycles. They listened to rock and roll and wore clothes that reflected their mode of transport; protective outerwear such as leather jackets and motorcycle boots. The conflicting youth movement of the time were the mods, who travelled on scooters and dressed in smarter, more cleancut clothes, such as suits and ties and listened to music of the 60s, like ska and soul, and bands such as The Who, whose album entitled quadraphenia inspired a film based on the physical conflicts between the two subcultures.
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Edward Ruscha Twenty Six Gasoline Stations
This video is a compilation of some videos i took whilst in Thailand, on the BTS, or the skytrain. even when boarding the skytrain, Thai people do it completely differently to British people. For example, instead of rushing to bard the trains, people line up and board in an orderly fashion. The mood on the trains is quite sombre and tranquil and nobody talks on their commute to work. There are adverts playing on little screens and the trains are freezing in comparison to the boiling hot outside. i loved boarding the skytrain, as there was so much to see outside of the windows. The atmosphere on British transport in my opinion is a little more relaxed, and comfortable. I think this is due to the fact the the seats are covered in cushions, and the buses and trains are less cramped, and even the on the tube, most times it will be so loud you cant hear yourself think.
Twenty Six Gasoline Stations is a photography book. It is composed of photograph after photograph of gas stations, all depicted in the same black and white, devoid, dead way. The sheer number of images he creates says something about the landscape of America, the vast amount of gas stations and convenience store, how at every turn there is a source of food or somewhere to spend money. It says a lot about the daily rituals of an American and the face of capitalism that is everywhere. It also shows the extent of people that drive everywhere in America, and how the most used mode of transport has become the car and this . turns it into a ritual. The ritual of driving to the gas station, of filling up your car, of walking inside the station to pay. Theres also many interesting rituals in travelling.
These are some polytychs i made from photos from the BTS skytrain. I put these photos together because they fit together and the tones compliment each other. All the buildings in it are very industrial and similar looking
Tom Wood: Bus Odessey
Experiments During Exam
To make my photos on the bus interesting, I made sure the images were distorted in some way, and as they were mostly taken through the bus windows, the reflections on the windows provided that. I decided it would be interesting to distort these through more reflections, and to do this I used a mirror and windows and water. They didn't come out as clearly as I had hoped at first because I was just using a mirror, and so I decided to try using a window aswell, to add to the affect of the bus. I liked how the window created a frame for the photos. I then realised that the light wasn't bouncing off the mirrors and windows in the way that I wanted it to, and so I added some water drops onto the mirror, creating a third type of distortion.
The Final Piece
I liked these outcomes, however I wanted to try making my final piece more interactive. At first I was going to enlarge some of my favourite photos and display them, and have sounds playing in the background, such as the music that I always play on my journey, but the I realised that I could enlarge my ottos in a different way, and make the viewer really see the bus as I saw it.
For this, I wanted to use virtual reality.
In an ideal situation, if I had a million pounds and lots of time, I would have 20 VR headsets in a room, where people could come in and use a headset. In the background, a compilation of people talking and quiet, calming music would play through speakers. As people used the headsets, a video of photos would play in their vision, each a different scene from my journey on the bus.
However, as I do not have these things, I had to make do. I used a cardboard headset, and took photos of my photos displayed on a white background, and the music playing was from my playlist of "bus songs" which is a compilation of happy yet relaxing songs, which I listen to every time I travel on a bus, playing through head phones from my phone.
For this, I wanted to use virtual reality.
In an ideal situation, if I had a million pounds and lots of time, I would have 20 VR headsets in a room, where people could come in and use a headset. In the background, a compilation of people talking and quiet, calming music would play through speakers. As people used the headsets, a video of photos would play in their vision, each a different scene from my journey on the bus.
However, as I do not have these things, I had to make do. I used a cardboard headset, and took photos of my photos displayed on a white background, and the music playing was from my playlist of "bus songs" which is a compilation of happy yet relaxing songs, which I listen to every time I travel on a bus, playing through head phones from my phone.
Teddy: I think its an amazing way to present an exhibition.
Astrid:I found it extremely unique and loved how immersed you could become in it, with the music helping that.
Astrid:I found it extremely unique and loved how immersed you could become in it, with the music helping that.
Throughout component one, I have researched many photographers, for example Martin Parr and Tom Woods. These photographers have helped me get an understanding of how to develop my work further and my ideas in terms of each theme and project, and how to get my ideas from point A to B. I particularly like exploring Tom Woods collection "bus odessey ", because I found the way he used the reflections in the bus widows to alter and distort his images of a common everyday occurrence (taking the bus). It tied particularly well into my theme of rituals as it can be seen as general ritual, one that everyone does, but at the same time a more personal thing. Because everyone does different things to make their journeys more tolerable and suited to them as a person. In some ways the music you listen to, the clothes you wear, the phone games you play, all tie together and combine and make up a new ritual, one devised entirely subconsciously and through personalised experience. I used this theme of bus photos in my final piece, and tried to particularly focus on the use of reflection to distort my images. I have also used the work of Dafna Talmor, a photographer who works with projector slides. She takes these slides and abstracts them, by cutting them up and sticking things on and overlapping, and the end result is extremely distorted and twisted and altogether a surreal version of reality, especially as she photographs nature and landscapes that are different to the norm such as deserts, which are already difficult to relate to reality if you're from an urban area. I chose to study her work as I thought that her photographs were the best examples I've seen of abstraction.