My Starting Point

My first idea was to experiment with part of my idea, which is the idea of animals and humans. To the left is the result of my ideas and my first photoshoot for this exam unit. I created this image using PhotoShop, carefully removing the head of the dog from the photo below left, and placing over the head of the girl, below right. I've tried carefully using my editing skills to combine the images seamlessly. To extract the head from the first image I used the selection tools, with a slight feathered edge to cut it out of the picture. Then, I took this in to the open window of the second photo and pasted it on a new layer. In order to make the image fit I had to rotate it to the correct position following the posture of the subject within the second image. One thing I had to adjust within the second picture was the hair of the main subject. I knew that when the dog's head was placed over the top, there would be hair sticking out, so I decided to use the clone tool to change this. 

In the background I have covered over any visible hair using the clone tool with the cabinet behind. The same has been done with the front of the subject, and her chest. I have extended the neck of the t-shirt that she was wearing, and have also used the clone tool to select colours from the first image of the dog to replace the bare chest area, and create the idea that the neck continues down further.
The levels of light within both the images were slightly different so I have tried my best to adjust these accordingly too to make the head fit in better with the background surroundings. 


I think the message I have aimed and have achieved portraying within this image is that of animals being a very focal part of our everyday lives, that pets are almost more than that, they are more like family members. Maybe we groom and look after them too much, they have become more like accessories in modern society.

This has proved a really effective starting point and a way to express and show my ideas that I have. There isn't a great range of examples here, however it does create a good starting example from which to further my ideas. I will now go on to develop further with more combinations of animals and humans, and will develop this idea. I am going to try out double exposures with film, combining images in the dark room through old fashioned methods, as well as more digital combinations. 

Artist Research: Salvador Dalí

Salvador Dalí is an example, and probably the leader in surrealist art. His works are bizarre but bold representations of the theme. As an artist he is a fantastic starting point for my research as he was somewhat at the forefront of the surrealist movement. 


The image on the right is one of his most famous paintings, which is composed of melting clocks in natural surroundings. The painting doesn't necessarily make a lot of sense, however it is a striking piece. Surrealism is all about mixing the real with the surreal which Dalí demonstrates perfectly. The surrealism demonstrated within Dalí's work is usually what he has adapted from his own dreams. 

The painting to the left is an expression of the body's collapse into the realm of sleep. This continues this dream theme within his works. The "body" within this painting is almost melting, but is still supported by the sticks. The environment in which it is in is open and vast like the world of dreams. Dalí has said the inspiration behind his work is the "cosmology of Dalí". Dalí says this encompasses 

Artist Research: Jerry Uelsmann

Jerry Uelsmann is an American born photographer who's work is incredibly majestic, and shows exactly what Surrealism is. The above image is a film photograph and was manipulated in the dark room environment. It is an outstanding peice of work and shows a large amount of skill in pre (in planning the photograph) and post (in manipulation) capture. The image above is so well put together that it is hard to tell that it has been manipulated at all, and that the impossibility of the tree is reality.

Ulesmann works with multiple negatives over one enlarger, and creates his images through experimentation. So in a sense combining two images to create one. This concept is very similar to what I would like to do, however mine will be created digitally using PhotoShop, as opposed to dark room techniques and I will be using different subjects.

 A key element of Uelsmann's photographs I have noticed is that they have a realistic look and everything within his photographs has been captured naturally and therefore looks natural. This is an important element within surrealism, I think, in order for the viewer to really believe what the photographer is trying to capture.

A further erray of images can be found in the gallery of his official website, here.

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Artist Research: Christophe Huet

Christophe Huet is another example of a fantastic surrealist photographer who uses "touching up" photographs as an artform. He "composites computer generated art and photography in order to melt the barrier between waking life and the dream world within his wonderfully surreal advertisements". (Creative Tempest, 2009) He uses a large amount of heavy digital manipulation in order to create his final images. There is a lot of planning however that goes into his ideas before capturing the required subjects. Below is a break down of step-by-step how he created the above image, taken from his website. It shows how the photo has been taken and developed on several layers and manipulated digitally using software. 

   


   


  

Obviously, when creating my images I am not nearly as skilled as Huet in using PhotoShop software, but I will push and develop my skills throughout this process. A lot of his photos tend to have a hidden meaning or comedic, slightly ironic angle behind them. For example, the photo below is Superman shown to be extremely vulnerable and weak. The hidden meaning behind this photograph then could be that not everybody is indestructable.

I want to create photos that don't necessarilly have hidden meanings, but where I'm using certain objects and people I could perhaps link the animals traits with that of the human. For example, maybe pigs and greediness.

Artist Research: David Chan

One of my ideas I want to try is that of combining animals and humans to create a hybrid. Below are images from Chan's recent exhibition "Hybrid Society -- Schizophrenia". Within this he has created works combining both animals and humans in various pieces. David Chan works to explore the "unpredictable nature" of human behaviour, and uses the animals as a sort of metaphor for this. This is an interesting message which can be interpreted in various ways. Chan himself says that he is inspired by well-composed stories from novels to films, to again this can be where the ideas of having a message can develop from. The idea of hybrids comes from the idea of genetic engineering, and the articles he would read. Chan says that it is "precisely this diverse combination of human personalities that make it an ideal form of representation." (David Chan, 2009, CNNGo.com)

 

The paintings here show the combination of the human and animal, but share characteristics with each other. The face of the eagle matches that of the position that it the human body is in, sort of annoyance. The same is to be said with the other images. 


The sculptures to the right are also part of his exhibition. They are quite large pieces that again merge the idea of hybrids together. The lions in these are reflective of a stereotypical family group. The man seems to be bringing back food, whilst the woman holds the baby. 


The idea of merging the positions and moods of the animals within the human posture or the expressions is something I would like to try and achieve within my photographs. Obviously, with painting and sculpture achieving something when you are in creation of the mood the face can have is easier than making an animal pose in a particular way. Therefore digital, or film, manipulation is necessary in order for the photos to look like one image as opposed to two combined. Also, there must be an order in which to take the separate images, with the unpredictable animal to be taken first, before working the human model around this. Taking into account the idea of double exposure employed by Uelsmann, I can experiment with the same shots as I have tried with digital on film, broadening the experimental level of my development, trying out new things I haven't tried in previous Photography ideas. 

Surrealism

For my exam question, I have decided to chose the surrealist theme, creating images of that nature. I have chosen this because I think the way in which images can be combined and manipulated is interesting and can portray a manner of themes and messages from the artist.


"Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members.


Surrealist works feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and non sequitur; however, many Surrealist artists and writers who regard their work as an expression of the philosophical movement first and foremost, with the works being an artifact. Leader André Breton was explicit in his assertion that Surrealism was above all a revolutionary movement.


Surrealism developed out of the Dada activities during World War I and the most important center of the movement was Paris. From the 1920s onward, the movement spread around the globe, eventually affecting the visual arts, literature, film, and music of many countries and languages, as well as political thought and practice, philosophy, and social theory."


[Wikipedia, 2012 wikipedia.org]

To the right are some examples of surreal images to demonstrate the kind of thing I will be expected to create within this theme (best viewed in a new window). They show the vast variety of perculiar combinations of objects and people in order to create striking and breath taking images. I think they all portray particular messages and ideas of the artists that have created them, with great effect. My favourite of the below is the image top left of the man within the man's head. I think this is a message related to the idea of a conscience or maybe the idea that sometimes we don't control our own thoughts, or maybe what we say. Within my work I would like to create, or portray, a certain message that I would like the viewer to interpret. 

[Compiled from Ozone11, 2011 ozoneeleven.com.]

I have decided that my focus within my surrealist photography will be to try out the idea of combinations. This will entail mixing photographs together, whether it be through the combination of people and objects, or people and animals etc. From research I have already started, I can tell that what tends to be powerful work is that of that portray a certain message or idea, maybe ironically or for a higher purpose. I will develop my ideas thoroughly, experimenting with various influences as I go along. 


One idea (for example) that I want to try is combining animals and people, the idea of personifying the animals in human form, reflecting human emotion and activities. As well as this personifying objects and other things too, with this idea of personification being the key. I will now investigate further, and draw inspiration from various artists and photographers that have worked in and around this theme.My main effort within this will be that I will further my skills in Photo editing and PhotoShop software, as well as setting certain situations up for capture.


One idea that I want to try is combining animals and people, the idea of personifying the animals in human form, reflecting human emotion and activities. I will now investigate further, and draw inspiration from various artists and photographers that have worked in and around this theme.