Rationale for Practical Work / Identity

The images explore ideas surrounding the theme of national identity. National identity can be described as an individuals sense of belonging to one nation or state, regardless of citizenship (Ons.gov.uk, 2014) or at a fundamental level as "an awareness of difference, that is, a feeling and recognition of 'we' and 'they'" (Lee, 2012, p.29). It is not an inherited trait, or as Bauman describes an "old-style stiff and non negotiable" identity (2004, p.25). It has been suggested that an individuals national identity stems directly from the existence of common points in people's day to day lives; national symbols, national colours, language and culture, to name a few (Wikipedia, 2014). National identity tends to be most apparent at times where the nation in question is vulnerable, whether it be economically, culturally or militarily. I have chosen to investigate this theme because it ties in with the research I am doing for the  Photography as Representation module.

The triptych depicts signs of national identity in my sisters room. She holds a British passport but was born in Ramat Gan, a city in the Tel Aviv District of Israel, and has spent much of her life living outside of both these countries. The collection of German and British fighter planes reference the times in which national identity becomes most prevalent. 

With regards to display context, the images will be printed on a single sheet. 

  

Bibliography 

Ons.gov.uk. 2014. National Identity - ONS. [online] Available at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/measuring-equality/equality/ethnic-nat-identity-religion/national-identity/index.html [Accessed: 18 Mar 2014].

Lee, Y. 2012. Modern Education, Textbooks, and the Image of the Nation: Politics and Modernization and Nationalism in Korean Education: 1880-1910. Routledge.

Zygmunt Bauman, 2004. Identity: Coversations With Benedetto Vecchi. 1 Edition. Polity.

Wikipedia. 2014. National identity. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_identity#cite_note-1 [Accessed: 18 Mar 2014].

Rationale for Practical Work / Consumerism

The image is a response to ideas surrounding the theme of consumerism and has been influenced by the work of Danish photographer, Per Johansen. I have chosen to investigate this theme because it has been discussed in great detail as part of various modules this year and it's an issue that effects all of us. 

Below is a selection of still life images from a series entitled Mæt (full) by the aforementioned Per Johansen. The work deals with the notion that we as human beings find it increasingly difficult to know when we've had enough.

Johansen has chosen to address our vast consumption, by stuffing everyday foods into plastic containers, which ascribes to our consumer mentality and excessive consumption. I do however question how he has managed to stuff some of the food items into the plastic bottles. The image featuring numerous chicken legs for example, can not have been filled in the implied manner, that is through the top of the bottle. It’s possible that a suitably sized section has been cut out of the back of each object. Unfortunately, that somewhat defeats the concept. 

http://www.copenhagenphotofestival.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/maet_stor.jpg

http://www.oitzarisme.ro/wp-content/Johansen1.jpg

My images are in a sense a visual opposite to those by Per Johansen, but deal with issues similar to those mentioned previously. The empty shopping basket reflects the indecision individuals can be met with when confronted by a vast range of consumer products. This is the final outcome; selected for its framing of the subject, a happy medium between the two developmental images that can be seen below. 

Here are the developmental images. 

Bibliography  

Enandenside.dk. 2014. En anden side. [online] Available at: http://www.enandenside.dk/maet.php# [Accessed: 25 Mar 2014].

Rationale for Practical Work / Globalisation & Sustainability

This image deals with ideas surrounding the theme of sustainable transport. I have chosen to investigate this theme purely because it interests me. As a whole, sustainable transport can be defined as a mode of transportation with "the capacity to support the mobility needs of people, freight and information in a manner that is the least damageable to the environment" (Rodrigue, 2014). If appropriately promoted and encouraged, modes of non-motorized transport such as cycling, can provide unlimited access to work, schools and shopping for an increasingly large proportion of the overall population. In cases where cities are suffering from excessive air pollution and traffic congestion, cycling is a highly beneficial alternative to the driving of cars. It can prove to be somewhat challenging to promote, due to undesirable weather conditions i.e. cold winters. But, in relation of urban architecture and design, an effort to better meet the needs of pedestrian movements should be made (Rodrigue, 2014).

Bibliography 

Rodrigue, D. 2014. Transport and Sustainability. [online] Available at: http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch8en/conc8en/ch8c4en.html [Accessed: 18 Mar 2014].   

Rationale for Practical Work / Voyeurism & Surveillance

The featured images look at voyeurism and surveillance. They depict a range of scenes taken through a window, the idea being, they represent an interest in and certain pleasure derived from watching the world go by. Essentially, the images serve as a form of rapid, visual note taking. The idea is partially supported by the following extract from Susan Sontag's On Photography: 

“The photographer is an armed version of the solitary walker reconnoitering, stalking, cruising the urban inferno, the voyeuristic stroller who discovers the city as a landscape of voluptuous extremes. Adept of the joys of watching, connoisseur of empathy, the flâneur finds the world 'picturesque.”  

(Sontag, 1977)

The difference being I haven't strolled around the city to acquire my images and thereby haven't fully taken on the role of the flâneur.    

The Unseen Photographer

Photography possesses the ability to depict individuals caught with their guard down, and reveal, to it's audience, "the world unawares". This notion stems from the technologies that have allowed image making to occur covertly (Tate.org.uk, 2014). My images don't rely on technology to be discreet, instead they are the result of me being on the side of a window, opposite to that of my subject.

Surveillance

According to the Oxford Dictionary, the term surveillance refers to "close observation, especially of a suspected spy or criminal". With regards to origin, it's an early 19th century derivative of the French word 'surveiller', which upon translation, essentially means 'over watch' (Oxforddictionaries.com, 2014). Surveillance techniques are intricately linked to the development of photographic technology (Tate.org.uk, 2014).

Voyeurism

According to the Oxford Dictionary, a voyeur is "a person who gains sexual pleasure from watching others when they are naked or engaged in sexual activity" (Oxforddictionaries.com, 2014). Voyeurism of the aforementioned kind is the most frequent association of the word. However, it is not an entirely accurate definition, in that, it neglects to mention that there are forms of voyeurism that don't necessarily have sexual connotations. A better definition would be; a person who gains pleasure (not necessarily of a sexual nature) from watching others. 

I have chosen to investigate this theme because I enjoy watching people and the world go by from my window. The images are also a slight expansion of a project I completed for another module.

This is the final outcome (image above). It best represents the view from the window and provides a sense of movement that effectively describes the environment from which it was taken. Additionally, the combination of colours work in each others favour and the dirt on the window pane gives the image a slight grainy aesthetic. The abstraction of the image as a result of a reasonably slow shutter speed, helps communicate the intended idea; an image that serves as a form of quick, visual note taking. It will be printed on A4 standard matt stock.  

Here are the developmental images. 

Bibliography 

Sontag, S. 1977. On photography. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Tate.org.uk. 2014. Exposed: Voyeurism, Surveillance and the Camera, exhibition guide, The Unseen Photographer | Tate. [online] Available at: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/exposed/exposed-voyeurism-surveillance-and-camera-exhibition-guide-0 [Accessed: 25 Mar 2014].

Oxforddictionaries.com. 2014. surveillance: definition of surveillance in Oxford dictionary (British & World English). [online] Available at: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/surveillance?q=surveillance+ [Accessed: 25 Mar 2014].

Oxforddictionaries.com. 2014. voyeur: definition of voyeur in Oxford dictionary (British & World English). [online] Available at: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/voyeur?q=voyeurism#voyeur__10 [Accessed: 25 Mar 2014].

Task Five / Identity / Zygmunt Bauman

Zygmunt Bauman is one of Europe's leading sociologists and Emeritus Professor at the University of Leeds (Social Europe Journal, 2014). The following is a paraphrase of Bauman's ideas surrounding identity, from an extract of his text of the same name. 

When identity loses it's "social anchors" (Bauman, 2004, p.24), that is to say the traditional ways of identifying oneself, such as gender, place of birth and class (to name a few), it is no longer preordained. For this reason, individuals seek new groups to which they can experience a sense of belonging and which thereby facilitate the creation of an identity. A personal example of this would be my participation in the Yorkshire Universities Naval Unit. 

Nowadays, the aforementioned groups tend primarily to be Internet communities, which are both easy to enter and abandon. As a result, Clifford Stoll states that we are "losing the ability to enter into spontaneous interaction with real people", while Charles Handy claims they create "an illusion of intimacy...a pre tense of community...[and] are not a valid substitute for...real conversation" (Bauman, 2004, p.25). If anything, these "electronically mediated" (Bauman, 2004, p.25) societies, make it more difficult to come to terms with one's self than it need be. 

Technology as a whole has seen the removal of moments of introspection and with the invention of the mobile phone we no longer have to interact with others in the street. In an era such as this, the unambiguous, "old-style stiff and non negotiable identities simply won't do" (Bauman, 2004, p25). The appetite for an identity is derived from the desire for security, which is an ambiguous feeling in itself. Therefore, in "our liquid modern times" (Bauman, 2004, p.29), that is to say where nothing is fixed and individuals can more or less mutate into anything they wish to, the "unencumbered individual is the popular hero" (Bauman, 2004, p.29).  

Bibliography

Social Europe Journal . 2014. Archives for Zygmunt Bauman. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.social-europe.eu/author/zygmunt-bauman/. [Accessed 18 March 14].

Zygmunt Bauman, 2004. Identity: Coversations With Benedetto Vecchi. 1 Edition. Polity.

Task Four / Citizen Journalism / The Death of Muammar Gaddafi

The still refers to the death of Muammar Gaddafi on October 20th 2011 during the Battle of Sirte. Gaddafi was found hiding in a culvert west of Sirte and subsequently captured by the National Transitional Forces. Initially, the NTC claimed that Gaddafi died as a result of injures sustained during a firefight, when loyalist forces attempted to free him (Reuters, 2011). However, this still among others, depicts rebel fighters beating him before he was shot dead. 

My chosen image is a still from a video taken on the mobile phone of a rebel fighter (Mail Online, 2011). It features a profile view of Gaddafi covered in blood and grimacing in pain. Surrounding him are various freedom fighters who appear to be man handling him in a seemingly violent manner. 

The photographer, or more accurately, the videographer is a rebel fighter whose name, as far as I can tell, is unknown (Mail Online, 2011). 

The still was published on the Daily Mail website.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051361/GADDAFI-DEAD-VIDEO-Dictator-begs-life-summary-execution.html 

Bibliography 

Mail Online. 2011. Who shot Gaddafi? New video shows blood pouring from dictator immediately before death but mystery surrounds coup de grace. [online] Available at: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2051361/GADDAFI-DEAD-VIDEO-Dictator-begs-life-summary-execution.html [Accessed: 25 Mar 2014].

Al Jazeera English. 2011. Accounts emerge of Gaddafi's final moments. [online] Available at: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2011/10/20111020171225339666.html [Accessed: 25 Mar 2014].

Publicintelligence.net. 2011. Dead Gaddafi Photos | Public Intelligence. [online] Available at: http://publicintelligence.net/dead-gaddafi-photos/ [Accessed: 25 Mar 2014].

Reuters. 2011. Gaddafi killed in hometown, Libya eyes future. [online] Available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/20/us-libya-idUSTRE79F1FK20111020 [Accessed: 25 Mar 2014].

Wikipedia. 2014. Death of Muammar Gaddafi. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Muammar_Gaddafi [Accessed: 25 Mar 2014].

Task Three / The Gaze / Gender Ads

According to David Chandler, 'The Gaze' can take a number of key forms in visual media. The most palpable typology is based on who's doing the looking and is as follows:

- the spectator's gaze: the gaze of the viewer at an image of a person, object or animal.
- the intra-diegetic gaze: the gaze of one depicted person at another, object or animal within the visual media in question.
- the extra-diegetic address: the gaze of a person depicted within the visual media in question, looking out of the frame, as though it were directed towards the viewer.
- the look of the camera: the way the camera appears to look at the people, animals or objects depicted, otherwise knows as the gaze of the photographer or filmmaker.

Other forms include:

- the gaze of a bystander: the gaze of an individual in the initial viewers surroundings, catching the initial viewer in the act of viewing.
- the averted gaze: a depicted person's evident avoidance of the gaze of another, or of the camera lens or artist.

Finally, there are two more things to consider in relation to forms of 'The Gaze', and these are:

- the indirect address: represents an offer for the viewer in the sense that they are essentially an invisible onlooker and the depicted either doesn't know they're being looked at or act as though they don't.
- the direct address: represents a demand for the viewer (the object of the look) to enter into a relationship with the depicted, the type of which can be indicated via facial expression, among other things (Chandler, 1998).

http://genderads.com/page5/slideshow-18/

The featured advertisement is for Kellogg's Pep, a whole-wheat breakfast cereal introduced in 1923. Given that Pep became one of the first fortified cereals in 1930 (Wikipedia, 2014), it's likely that this particular advertisement is from that period. With the aforementioned forms in mind, this advertisement features an intra-diegetic gaze, that is to say that the depicted husband and wife are looking at one another. The spectator's gaze also comes into play, however it's an indirect address because the viewer's gaze isn't being returned.

Bibliography

Chandler, D. 1998. Notes on 'The Gaze'. [e-book] David Chandler. http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/gaze/gaze02.html [Accessed: 18 Mar 2014].

Wikipedia. 2014. Pep Cereal. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pep_Cereal [Accessed: 18 Mar 2014].

Genderads.com. 2014. Bodies. [online] Available at: http://genderads.com/page5/slideshow-18/ [Accessed: 18 Mar 2014].