Mona Hatoum

Recently visiting the Tate, I stumbled across this specific photograph by Mona Hatoum:

Mona Hatoum - Performance Still 1985

Concept thinking again it would seem. Again and again my path leads me past this concept of conceptual thinking. The concept here is to conceptualise ideas and thought into concepts that speak and talk. Concepts. 

In conceptual art the idea or concept is the most important aspect of the work. When an artist uses a conceptual form of art, it means that all of the planning and decisions are made beforehand and the execution is a perfunctory affair. The idea becomes a machine that makes the art.

This quote by John Suler illustrates exactly what I'm experiencing lately. But to take it further, does that mean images can be ugly but still attract an audience if the concept is right? I think that this is the debate here, ugly versus pretty photographs. Everyone likes pretty (pretty here is aesthetically pleasing) visuals, but is it not so much more important to also find your way to at least appreciate the ugly? 

Over-share

I'm scared, scared to write something again because it was so long ago. It's like I see this entry window where I am writing this in for the first time and it feels strange, but I can't decide who is the stranger of us two.

In the last couple of weeks I had some great and some pretty studpid ideas and thoughts and will try to give a quick run down of some of them here:

Before I start, I must say I was a little reluctant to post my ideas in such a free giving manner where everyone has access to them, and I still think it's a little silly, but I realised that today I want to inspire people and give them ideas for their own ideas.

 

Please understand that all ideas and rough drawings above are my personal work (and thus fall under my copyright) and the concepts depicted will be completed by photographing them as part of an exhibition series.  

What I'm saying is please don't steal, be inspired!!!

When is time-over?

The question, what is time? can not be answered (I forgot, yes, the scientific world can of course...)... because everyone has a different answer... and anyone can disagree with the concept or understanding someone else has... but I think the one thing everyone agrees with is the feeling of having "lost" time... that feeling of fear and anger, or rather self-hatred or sometimes disappointment and sadness... that piercing stick which hits you in the stomach and folds you up like an umbrella.

I find it comes in many different forms, a few being that inner turmoil, namely purely forgetting things and having that "ohh sh.." moment but also realising after having done something that it was done wrong... or it did not work out the way you wanted it to. But why do we feel emotions leaning towards the not so positive side when noticing the loss of time? We should be happy for having at least done something with our time (for example being a living being in it)... some would say.

These thoughts, even though just incomplete little notions of firing neurons led me to a concept I would like to approach in photography, namely the combination of "negative" circumstances with "positive" emotions. It would be based on the same principles as body language... or rather how much you play with that phenomenon. What I mean is that if your verbal expressions don't coincide with your bodily gestures the person you are speaking to might feel a little confused about what you are talking about as we obviously consider both when interpreting communications. This concept is a very easy and basic idea of something that has to grow into something meaningful, and yes, again I refer to the development within my own thoughts, as always, but I guess today I just use it as an escape or rather excuse... as I find myself not inspired. But, I remind myself of the purpose of this blog, of using this platform as a guide to overcome these situations, and with time and effort they will return.

And as a little extra... this yummy liquid might help?!*

*Please understand that I don't encourage anyone to consume wine, including the one depicted below as it is an alcoholic beverage which can be harmful so some people.

Medium Format Photography

An assignment: Medium Format Photography.

And I love it! The colours, the aspect ratio, the detail... I could go on... It is by far the best medium I've used so far to capture images. Just testing it with a black and white Ilford and seeing the results... it opened a little door in my head to a new room... where the light bulb was already on. 

Here an example of a photograph I've taken with the test film which was scanned as a negative:

Isn't the detail incredible? And the contrast... I could go on!

I have realised by seeing the images I've taken with a medium format camera that this is possibly the only medium I know so far which would accurately represent the concepts I have in mind photographing, criticising or cherishing.... essentially sharing. I feel I have reached a breakthrough of epic proportions (isn't the word epic just epic?!) with regards to being inspired. This medium inspires me. And it feels like it won't be a temporary thing... but a choice I've made or rather a choice that happened.

...just a pity that thing is so bulky... *


*you do get smaller awesome medium formats but I don't have access to them yet.