Thursday 27 September 2012

Assignment Two Update

In my last update I mentioned two approaches for assignments two (and three). The first was Easdale Island and the second was Home.

i. Easdale Island










So, this is a small selection from our week in Easdale...a fascinating island which if you're interested here is a link...no cars, streetlights or roads...wheelbarrows are the mode of transport!! So, I have a set of fairly nice images. But 'nice' is boring. I'm asking myself 'so what?' 'why bother?' 'what did I learn from taking these?'  There is no interesting narrative or intention behind them. They're sadly cosmetic and shallow!! How could this series inform my practice? In my view it doesn't. So I won't be submitting these for assignment, I don't want to waste my tutor's time advising me how to improve on a series of essentially holiday images that I have no interest in developing or reproducing. I tried...

ii. Home
This was the series I envisaged having more scope for development. An early setback was the lady I was hoping to speak with, the dweller who has lived in the village the longest has health issues and has been unavailable. Without her, my knowledge is limited. I'm not in a position to force this issue.  In addition the symbiosis of landscape/place/inhabitants both historical and how to present this in a photograph is still unresolved in my head. So for the time being, I'm not in a position to pursue this, but it may be something I come back to.

4 comments:

  1. I think you have to do things that really engage you or there's little point in it all. The home project sounds really interesting. I'm not sure exactly what you had planned, but is there anyone else you could talk to to get the ball rolling while you wait for your main contact?

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  2. Penny, I liked images5-8—thought that there might have been something there that could have been developed further? But if your heart is not in it; then agree that it seems wrong to try and push it. Good luck with the Home project

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  3. At one of the degree shows there was a series by a photography student who had found some old negatives. He traced them back to the subjects' descendants and also took modern portraits in the same style.
    Is there someone who has lived in the village the next longest or maybe the lady who isn't well has relatives she might have told about the old days.

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  4. Thank you Catherine, Vicki, John and Eileen for commenting. With regards the home project, there are other ways I could take this on and will probably pursue these. It is a very small village and I am very fond of the lady I want to do this with, so ideally I want to start with her...but the idea is evolving so won't necessarily put a hold on it forever.

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