Tuesday 18 November 2014

Portfolio: Final Installation. (WK 8)


I really do love the outcome of my final installation. I think the photographs and the presentation works well together. I chose this format because of the two different orientations and because it was something a little different. I wanted the photographs to feel like equals, like no two photographs were competing with each other. I think the format works extremely well for the photographs. Had I had more than four photographs this wouldn't have worked. I like the close link between all of the photographs, there aren't two that go together, they all go together. I also really like the photographs sitting up off of the wall, I think it works better for the photographs. I am extremely happy with the way the photographs look as well, the faded almost dated look and the contrast between the more modern presentation and the older looking photographs, it worked so much better than I thought it would.

I was afraid that the sepia tone wasn't going to come out on the bottom image, the tone doesn't stand out as much as it does in the other three, but it is visible and it ties it all together even if it is a little softer. There were a lot of struggles in putting this project together. I had the problem where I couldn't get all of the paper off after the transfer, rubbing it too much and the ripping of the edges, which turned out okay. I used paint to cover the white paper and it worked to an extent, it wasn't completely invisible as I'd hoped, but it worked in making it less visible. I do kind of like the slightly scruffy look it has, it adds to the dated feel I was going for. I was careful when I re-transferred one of the images that I didn't rub too much or too little. I needed to get as much of the paper off as I could, while still being able to clearly see the detail in the photograph. When I accidentally ripped the edges, I was a little put out at first, until I saw the final result. I liked how the edges of the pictures weren't perfect, adding to that aged look as you wouldn't expect an aged photograph to be in perfect condition. All of these little mishaps in my experiment led to me finding new ways to better my photographs and the ways in which they were presented. It will be good for future reference if I ever decide to try a gel transfer again.

I think the more intimate feel I was hoping for has really come out in this series. The connection between the people in the images and the photographer is strong. The close up photographs work well to portray this feeling and it has a strong anonymous feel to it. The people in the photographs could be anyone and they could have no connection to each other or they could be as close as anything. The viewer is left with questions and that's how I wanted it to be, I wanted the photographs to cause a little conflict within the viewer, I wanted to them to stop and think about the photographs and their relationship to each other, to feel like they knew something about the person in the photograph while not knowing who they are.

All in all, I am really happy with the way the photographs came out. The presentation was an added bonus. I did numerous photo shoots to get the perfect photographs for my final installation and the photographs above were the top four out of all the photographs I took. I don't think there is anything I would've done differently in this case. The outcome was so much better than I could've hoped for and I really do love the gel transfer as a way to present photographs, it's something a little different and interesting.

No comments:

Post a Comment