Assignment 1 - Experimental Practices

Assignment 1 - Experimental Practices

Corrie Mahon

Project Plan Proposal

My proposed project is to work collaboratively with the ED Art & Design Academic team at Plymouth College of Art to produce a promotional film for the course. This will be used on the college web site, for their course area, and in other advertising media including a potential presence on a city centre screen.

Planning – Arrange a meeting with the Art & Design team to discuss content and use of the video. Arrange inductions for equipment & software. Produce a story -board and script. Book/ Arrange film shoots with course leader and staff. Arrange editing time.

Solo work - I will need to carry out an induction into the use of Video cameras and the related editing software.

Collaborative work – Working with the ED Art & Design team and students currently on year 1 & 2 of the course.

Experiment – I will need to carry out experimental shoots to familiarise myself with the equipment and software. I will then need to carry out a test shoot using staff & students.

Multi-disciplinary – This project would be a ‘multi-disciplinary project’ as the outcome would make use of the various disciplines available from the academic team.

Assignment 5b - Contacts Map

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Assignment 5a - Research Proposal

Assignment 5a – Research Proposal - Corrie Mahon

I would like to research into image manipulation in portraiture and ask if this acceptable to the majority of people. This is a ‘hunch’ as I feel that the majority will say that it is unacceptable to manipulate to the extent that a portrait is untruthful but controversially I think that most people would rather see themselves altered. Perhaps an alter ego is preferred in reality.  Alter ego – “a perfect substitute” (dictionary.com, 2011)

One person in particular that stands out as experimental in alter egos or stereotypes is Cindy Sherman. She used “photography to explore the meaning of identity”. (Newton and Rolph, 2003, p.64)

Images have been manipulated in photography and art for many years, initially seen in classical artworks, but more intensely in recent years. Garcia has also noted this when she said, “Photography is commonly associated with fact, yet it has been a medium for fiction from the very beginning. Since it’s inception in 1839, artists have explored photography’s vast creative potential, which included the capacity to convey deliberately crafted “untruths.””  (Garcia, 2010, p.6)  

I feel that this investigation is needed to enable people to be more accepting and positive about image manipulation in portraiture and to diminish conflict in it’s use. Image manipulation is prolific in glossy fashion magazine covers (Vogue, etc) right the way through to contemporary family portraiture now commercially used. My practice as a portrait photographer in a commercial setting has caused me to question my use of image manipulation and contextually it’s wider use in public media. How much is too much? How much is acceptable? And why is its use frowned upon? Can this be damaging to certain social groups or can its use be for a positive therapeutic outcome?

In a Socio-economic context such glamorous portrayal of people attracts the majority. Many people buy into an idealised notion. This is emphasised by David Bate whilst discussing Victorian Portraiture when he wrote “To be pictured holding a learned book, or photographed in front of the backdrop of a stately home, revealed the aspirations of the sitter more than their own actual status. Carte-de-visite photographs typically emphasized these social aspirations of the sitter, while more ‘up-market’ social portraits emphasized that sitter’s particular ‘personality’” (Bate, 2009, p.70) But from a Critical-philosophical view is it acceptable to be shown or seen in a way that is not truthful. 

In order to answer this I will research critical sources along with the context in which I work and the wider context of imagery used in media. I feel that it will be valuable to carry out a public survey according to gender, age and social background in the form of questionnaires. This research will also have validity in my commercial portraiture work as the area of ‘alter ego’ portraiture is of great interest to me.

References

Bate, D., 2009. Photography the Key Concepts. Oxford: Berg.

Garcia, E. C., 2010. Photography as Fiction. Los Angeles, CA: J. Paul Getty Museum.

Newton, K. and Rolph, C. 2003. Masquerade: Women’s Contemporary Portrait Photography.  Cardiff: Ffotogallery.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ater ego

Bibliography

Bate, D., 2009. Photography the Key Concepts. Oxford: Berg.

Garcia, E C., 2010. Photography as Fiction. Los Angeles, CA: J. Paul Getty Museum.

Newton, K. and Rolph, C., 2003. Masquerade: Women’s Contemporary Portrait Photography.  Cardiff: Ffotogallery.

Doy, G., 2007. Claude Cahun - A Sensual Politics of Photography. London: I.B. Tauris & Co. Ltd.

Angier, R., 2007. Train Your Gaze – A Practical and Theoretical Introduction to Portrait Photography. Lausanne: AVA Publishing.

Adams, R., 1996. Beauty in Photography. New York: Aperture.

Ewing, W A., 2006. Face – The New Photographic Portrait. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.

Ewing, W A., 2000. The Century of the Body. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd.

Cotton, C., 2000. Imperfect Beauty – The Making of Contemporary Fashion Photographs. London: V&A Publications.

Wells, L., 2003. The Photography Reader.  Oxon: Routledge.

my mind map

http://www.mindmeister.com/122690190

What is Practice Led research?

What is Practice Led research?

Initially this question may pose some confusion over the difference between ‘practice based’ research and ‘practice led’ research.  A paper from the ‘Creativity & Cognition Studio’ (University of Technology Sydney, 2011) describes the difference between the two as ‘practice based’ being “to gain new knowledge partly by means of practice and the outcomes of that practice” and ‘practice led’ research as being “concerned with the nature of practice and leads to new knowledge that has operational significance for that practice. The main focus of the research is to advance knowledge about practice, or to advance knowledge within practice.” Both descriptions are still firmly rooted in the fact that this method of research is initiated by the ‘practice’. Schon describes the approach as “involving practitioners through creative ‘action’ and ‘reflecting in and on action’ ”. (Schon, 1983)

The benefit of practice led research is that the researcher is “inquiring as a reflective practitioner, acknowledging the complexity, dynamism and unpredictability of the real world”. (Visualizing Research, 2004). An example in case of this is provided in the book ‘Visualising Research’ (2004) whereby it describes the experience of a Ceramicist who was particularly interested in using firing techniques that produced visually exciting glazes but then came to the realisation that the technique was environmentally unfriendly. His experiences within his practice therefore led him into research on producing work that would not be harmful to the environment.

In conclusion I would describe ‘practice led’ research as a method which is used by a practitioner, working within his/her discipline and using a reflective approach as an initiation or justification for enquiry.   

Corrie Mahon, 2011 

           

My Learning Style

I have completed a learning style survey to ascertain my dominant learning mode. The survey result indicated that I am a multi-modal learner but to my surprise it also indicated that I am a very strong ‘activist’ and ‘reflector’.  This is surprising to me because I always thought of myself as a very strong ‘pragmatist’.  I feel that I have always understood a concept much better when given a model to copy or have been shown a link to the wider context of a subject. None-the-less I still scored ‘strong’ as a ‘pragmatist’ and ‘theorist’! Of all the styles of learning I think I am least like a ‘theorist’ as I have never thought about myself as a perfectionist. My conclusion is that I use some aspects from all four learning styles and this can depend on what I am learning, the context and what mood I am in on the day!