Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Monday, November 24, 2008
Assignment 6: Conceptual Portraiture Review
I retook my set of photographs because I was told that the subject's clothes and the background are too close in colour. Thus I managed to get my subject to put on several set of clothing that contrast images.
The photographs have a similar concept as compared to the previous one. The only changes were made to the photograph of the alarm clock and the one that shows the laptop. The alarm clock is now skewere. It is like a portable snack but now it is a kebab. The laptop was replaced by the mouse which makes it look like a plate of spaghetti.
The photographs have a similar concept as compared to the previous one. The only changes were made to the photograph of the alarm clock and the one that shows the laptop. The alarm clock is now skewere. It is like a portable snack but now it is a kebab. The laptop was replaced by the mouse which makes it look like a plate of spaghetti.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Assignment 6: Conceptual Portraiture
The topic this time was to come up with a concept and take a series of 6-10 pictures of what we know as conceptual photography. I found the idea of conceptual photography very wide because you can take very common scenes and call it conceptual photography if there is a deeper meaning underlying the actual images.
The theme given was " Everday living". I wanted to do something representative of the world. Perhaps like the depletion of resources by our daily consumption. I thought of representing consumption in various ways, like perhaps a lot of shopping or just piling a lot of waste in a room around my subject. But after a while, I decided to really make my subject 'eat' all these daily objects which represents the amount of resources we are using up.
This first picture is based on the feasting on power. Man have been troubled over the depleting fuels on the planet. Yet we continue to feast on energy, represented by the batteries in the picture. The subject, throughout this series is supposed to look relatively happy consuming these 'items', just like how Man is happily consuming all the resources.
This 2nd picture shows how man likes to take up a lot of time. Time is yet another resource that is often neglected. The more time we take to solve an issue, the more the time has been wasted in the process. I wanted to use the analog clock to show how we have been wastefully taking up too much time.
In this picture, I try to position the communication tool in such a position that it is a main course, a part of our life that we cannot run away from. Like it or not, communication technology have become a deep part of our lives and we cannot live without it. Thus, instead of positioning the mobile phone as a snack or a little titbit, I prefer to position it as something which looks like a main course, something that we have to 'consume' everyday.
Portable technology is also very important in our society. In all the cafes around Singapore , it is very common to spot at least a few laptops around and people doing work on them. I wanted to portray the laptop as a portable snack, and the key point to this is to show mobility. Thus, the portrayal of the laptop as a sandwich.
In this one, I waned to show how cultures or different ways of eating might not affect what is consumed. Be it in America, Singapore or even China, the consumption of the iPod is very significant. The little music player had globalised these countries under its reign. Even in Asian countries who uses chopsticks, the iPod can be 'consumed'.
In the current world, light is everywhere. It is taken for granted that in the mall, in the school or anywhere you are, you assume that when night falls there will be light to light up your way. This is why I decided to put the lightbulb as a snack, something small to be eaten anywhere ,any time.
The last one is where the CDs represents stored information. They are like light titbits that we consume everyday, be it via Internet, reading or looking through databases for information. We consumer information everyday to such an extent that it is becoming an addictive snack, similar to a donut which was what I was trying to portray in the picture.
The theme given was " Everday living". I wanted to do something representative of the world. Perhaps like the depletion of resources by our daily consumption. I thought of representing consumption in various ways, like perhaps a lot of shopping or just piling a lot of waste in a room around my subject. But after a while, I decided to really make my subject 'eat' all these daily objects which represents the amount of resources we are using up.
This first picture is based on the feasting on power. Man have been troubled over the depleting fuels on the planet. Yet we continue to feast on energy, represented by the batteries in the picture. The subject, throughout this series is supposed to look relatively happy consuming these 'items', just like how Man is happily consuming all the resources.
This 2nd picture shows how man likes to take up a lot of time. Time is yet another resource that is often neglected. The more time we take to solve an issue, the more the time has been wasted in the process. I wanted to use the analog clock to show how we have been wastefully taking up too much time.
In this picture, I try to position the communication tool in such a position that it is a main course, a part of our life that we cannot run away from. Like it or not, communication technology have become a deep part of our lives and we cannot live without it. Thus, instead of positioning the mobile phone as a snack or a little titbit, I prefer to position it as something which looks like a main course, something that we have to 'consume' everyday.
Portable technology is also very important in our society. In all the cafes around Singapore , it is very common to spot at least a few laptops around and people doing work on them. I wanted to portray the laptop as a portable snack, and the key point to this is to show mobility. Thus, the portrayal of the laptop as a sandwich.
In this one, I waned to show how cultures or different ways of eating might not affect what is consumed. Be it in America, Singapore or even China, the consumption of the iPod is very significant. The little music player had globalised these countries under its reign. Even in Asian countries who uses chopsticks, the iPod can be 'consumed'.
In the current world, light is everywhere. It is taken for granted that in the mall, in the school or anywhere you are, you assume that when night falls there will be light to light up your way. This is why I decided to put the lightbulb as a snack, something small to be eaten anywhere ,any time.
The last one is where the CDs represents stored information. They are like light titbits that we consume everyday, be it via Internet, reading or looking through databases for information. We consumer information everyday to such an extent that it is becoming an addictive snack, similar to a donut which was what I was trying to portray in the picture.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Blog Exercise 4: Biennale 2008 Review
General Impression
I felt that going to the Biennale was a very fresh and interesting experience for me. Personally, I have never been to an art exhibition at such a huge scale before. The artworks were all unique, some a little more gory or scarier, while others are just so interesting and made you wonder why you have not thought looking at things from this perspective at all. I find that overall, the Biennale changed my perception of what art actually is. In fact, I will never look at any objects the same way again because of the Biennale.
Successful work
There were many great pieces of work but I had to select one which I thought was the most successful of the lot. I liked this piece of work
titled " Teratoma II: Digmaan ng mga Mundo ( Terotoma II: War of the Worlds). The main idea was how aliens arrives on Earth, letting our imagination to be straddled between the past in future while being caught in the concerns of the present.
The use of the High Court building's structure like a back drop to the aliens is ingenious. I never thought that it would turn out looking like that if you added a few aliens onto the building. The colours and blob-like structure did make me feel like it is out of this world.
The use of space as distance was very good because wherever I am in the building, I could still not reach out to these aliens, unless I manage to get up to the rooftop. This way, the distance can create the same impression that man and these creatures from the future will always have a distance between them, be it far or near.
Unsuccessful work
Maggots by Pham Ngoc Duong
I liked the actual artwork that was at the Biennale but I think that this is one of the artwork that did not convey its message as well as the rest.
The key message that the artist was trying to convey was that of decomposition, rotting of the system as represented by the presence of maggots. Maggots are creatures that feed on rotting organisms. This artwork is supposed to tap into our subconscious of disgust but most of the people who were there found the maggots adorable to play with.
And the position of the maggots along the City Hall's corridor to the restaurant only occurred to me after I read up on the location. Most people who don't find the maggots disgusting, but in fact found it quite adorable and endearing. I think the crafting and the comfortable setting of the location has caused the message of 'disgust' to not get through at all.
Nonchalant visitors of the Biennale. Who don't seem disturbed by the maggots at all.
Perhaps if the location was a bit older, like the South Bridge development, the setting would be better to portray the message of disgust.
I felt that going to the Biennale was a very fresh and interesting experience for me. Personally, I have never been to an art exhibition at such a huge scale before. The artworks were all unique, some a little more gory or scarier, while others are just so interesting and made you wonder why you have not thought looking at things from this perspective at all. I find that overall, the Biennale changed my perception of what art actually is. In fact, I will never look at any objects the same way again because of the Biennale.
Successful work
There were many great pieces of work but I had to select one which I thought was the most successful of the lot. I liked this piece of work
titled " Teratoma II: Digmaan ng mga Mundo ( Terotoma II: War of the Worlds). The main idea was how aliens arrives on Earth, letting our imagination to be straddled between the past in future while being caught in the concerns of the present.
The use of the High Court building's structure like a back drop to the aliens is ingenious. I never thought that it would turn out looking like that if you added a few aliens onto the building. The colours and blob-like structure did make me feel like it is out of this world.
The use of space as distance was very good because wherever I am in the building, I could still not reach out to these aliens, unless I manage to get up to the rooftop. This way, the distance can create the same impression that man and these creatures from the future will always have a distance between them, be it far or near.
Unsuccessful work
Maggots by Pham Ngoc Duong
I liked the actual artwork that was at the Biennale but I think that this is one of the artwork that did not convey its message as well as the rest.
The key message that the artist was trying to convey was that of decomposition, rotting of the system as represented by the presence of maggots. Maggots are creatures that feed on rotting organisms. This artwork is supposed to tap into our subconscious of disgust but most of the people who were there found the maggots adorable to play with.
And the position of the maggots along the City Hall's corridor to the restaurant only occurred to me after I read up on the location. Most people who don't find the maggots disgusting, but in fact found it quite adorable and endearing. I think the crafting and the comfortable setting of the location has caused the message of 'disgust' to not get through at all.
Nonchalant visitors of the Biennale. Who don't seem disturbed by the maggots at all.
Perhaps if the location was a bit older, like the South Bridge development, the setting would be better to portray the message of disgust.
Blog Exercise 5: Ethics
What are the ways readers can judge the credibility of an image even in this era of digital manipulation?
Readers should be aware that things might not be what it is even in photographs. There are many photograph manipulation softwares and a lot of other factors have to be taken into consideration before ou assume something.
One way from which the credibility can be determined could be from the source of the picture. If the picture is taken from a random photographer which might have manipulated the photograph for his own benefit, then the photograph should not be trusted. But if the photograph is from a reputable news photographer or a photojournalist, it is highly possible that the photograph is real. If there is a watermark or and icon of the news station from which the photograph is taken from, it will increase the credibility of the photograph.
The other way could be cross referring the information on the photograph with that of other sources. If the photograph is the only source of information, it might not be 100% correct and thus this information should not be taken as the truth even if the source is credible.
Basically, in this age of digital manipulation, photographs should all be taken 'with a pinch of salt'. No truth should be taken with only the picture as the only source or evidence.
Imagine yourself as a reader representative for a newspaper. What would you tell a reader who complained to you about a picture of a car wreck that was particularly upsetting?
I would politely write a letter of explanation on the photojournalist's ethical role in bringing forth what exactly has happen. Of course, through processes like cropping and choosing another angle to take the pictures, the picture of the car wreck might not convey the loss and seriousness of the accident as well. Should we water down the news just because the viewers do not want to see it?
I would tell the reader how important it was for us to take a good picture of the wreck to convey the gruesomeness of the accident. If the photograph cause the reader to be upset, it is just intended because accidents like this are supposed to make the readers upset over the wreck. I would then quote the example of what if all the car wrecks or accidents that involve blood were all self censored to not show any disturbing images, no one will ever know how serious traffic accidents are until they witness one for themselves. Wouldn't that be too late?
Photographs in the news have to portray what it would feel like to be there at the event himself. If the readers do not want to look at such images, they would then have to ignore such pictures because for the sake of the general public and to be an ethical photojournalist, the raw truth have to be reflected in the photographs.
Readers should be aware that things might not be what it is even in photographs. There are many photograph manipulation softwares and a lot of other factors have to be taken into consideration before ou assume something.
One way from which the credibility can be determined could be from the source of the picture. If the picture is taken from a random photographer which might have manipulated the photograph for his own benefit, then the photograph should not be trusted. But if the photograph is from a reputable news photographer or a photojournalist, it is highly possible that the photograph is real. If there is a watermark or and icon of the news station from which the photograph is taken from, it will increase the credibility of the photograph.
The other way could be cross referring the information on the photograph with that of other sources. If the photograph is the only source of information, it might not be 100% correct and thus this information should not be taken as the truth even if the source is credible.
Basically, in this age of digital manipulation, photographs should all be taken 'with a pinch of salt'. No truth should be taken with only the picture as the only source or evidence.
Imagine yourself as a reader representative for a newspaper. What would you tell a reader who complained to you about a picture of a car wreck that was particularly upsetting?
I would politely write a letter of explanation on the photojournalist's ethical role in bringing forth what exactly has happen. Of course, through processes like cropping and choosing another angle to take the pictures, the picture of the car wreck might not convey the loss and seriousness of the accident as well. Should we water down the news just because the viewers do not want to see it?
I would tell the reader how important it was for us to take a good picture of the wreck to convey the gruesomeness of the accident. If the photograph cause the reader to be upset, it is just intended because accidents like this are supposed to make the readers upset over the wreck. I would then quote the example of what if all the car wrecks or accidents that involve blood were all self censored to not show any disturbing images, no one will ever know how serious traffic accidents are until they witness one for themselves. Wouldn't that be too late?
Photographs in the news have to portray what it would feel like to be there at the event himself. If the readers do not want to look at such images, they would then have to ignore such pictures because for the sake of the general public and to be an ethical photojournalist, the raw truth have to be reflected in the photographs.
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