I have kept a journal, here is the link:
Here are the links to the various techniques I have experimented with:
Tag: Collage
Assignment Images & Reflective Commentary
Assignment Images & Reflective Commentary
For this assignment I have been progressing and developing my ideas. I am still following the pilgrimage as a method of looking into the gender inequality in landscape photography and comparing it with the greater scope of inequality in world religion.
After experimenting collages for one location, I have decided to keep this aspect. I like the effect that collages produce, it adds another dimension to the image. By cutting up and combining the images, it allows a new image to form with a new meaning. This image will combine different aspects of the same location but in all will emphases the inequality using aspects of the location. By using small images at a time, it allows a bigger picture to be built, in contrast to seeing the bigger picture in our world regarding inequality. I like the use of collages as it is an art form that has been disregarded as art, probably due to it’s associations with being a art done by women. This brings another dimension to my work. I, as a woman, am following a pilgrimage designated for men, and presenting it a way which is associated with women, whilst drawing attention to gender inequality.
I have created collages from the three sites that i have already visited. I have also visited a few more sites, and have also created collages out of them.
Here is the link to the contact sheets for all the locations.
Location One Location Two Location Three Location Four
Location Five Location Six Location Seven Location Eight
Here is a link to how I experimented with collages.
I have created two sets of collages from each location. One simpler and one slightly more complicated. My reasoning being, is that I still have the option from here of how I develop my series. Depending on this, will depend on the direction and thus which image will be suited for that particular direction. I have thought how to develop this further. I have thought about including the sites locations somehow, maybe in map form, or the co-ordinates, and somehow incorporating this into the image. I have also thought about bringing another aspect of femininity into it. I got this idea from my tutor who recommend looking at anthotype. This process involves using emulsion made from plants, then the paper is soaks in it, then items or positives can be placed on it to ‘print’. This paper is then exposed in the sun, the result will vary depending on the sun, materials, and plant matter used (Fabbri). The results can be unpredictable and is heavily reliant in the sun exposure, in a very similar way as Chlorophyll printing is. Chlorophyll printing is where an image is ‘printed’ onto leaves. This may be good for my work as i could use leaves from the locations. But my main concern would be the exposing of the leaves. This process uses photosynthesis. You also need a positive print and a suitable leaf. You need to press the positive and the leaf tightly together in a frame made of glass. This frame should be placed in direct sunlight, the time for exposing will vary (Pereira). This is the part the does concern me and I am unsure if it will work. I live somewhere high, our weather is very unpredictable. It is either misty/fog, raining, overcast or cloudy, we simply do not get a lot of sun here, so I am doubtful where these methods would be of any use to me. I can try them when the days get longer, but an not holding out much hope. I wondered whether to take a similar approach to Stephen Gill, in his series Hackney Flowers. This could I evolve including flowers or foliage form the actual sites in the images, not as a distraction but to compliment and to strengthen the link to the sites location. I was thinking about using a technique such as pressing or even preserving the foliage. I believe this will add another element, and in general look better instead of including images of the foliage in the collage. Again this is another form of craft that is associated with women. I was also thinking of a way of including the locations, maybe incorporating a map or co-ordinate somehow.
I have looked at several artists including those who use collages.
Her image stood out to me the most as it is very similar to my work and my methodology. Edelson is addressing global patriarchal religion and contrasting it to the inequality in the arts. She uses the image of the last supper and utilises collage techniques to complete her goal. Her work is very influential in mine as it holds practically the same methodology and meaning.
Her images are often very colourful and visually interesting. I like the way she combines her history and culture in her work, this seems to be a recurring theme, so also uses text in her work, usually in Spanish, which gives another elements to her art. She looks at gender, which is helpful for me to see how various artists look at this topic.
Rosler’s images are quite striking. In certain series, she takes images of naked women and places them on kitchen appliances to look at the expectations and representation of women. She is using feminist art to address issues surround gender, commodity and representation.
Walker uses silhouette figures to make her art. Her images are interesting and use collage techniques whilst addressing issues surrounding race and gender.
Barbara Kruger is a well-known artist, who uses her art to address issues including gender, power and politics. Her images are very noticeable but simple. They are thought-provoking and do make the viewer think. Her use of text is interesting as it done in a bold way but the wording is strong and uncomplicated. But the wording doesn’t explain the image, it makes the viewer think.
Fulton is a walking artist. His art is made from the journeys he undertakes. His work has been influential to me as I am also undertaking a journey, so it is useful for me to see other artists who do this.
Harrison is a radical artist, who tackles issues surrounding feminism. Her images usually contain a bit of humour. She looks at how women are represented and creates her art with a twist on this.
Linder Sterling uses collage to look at feminist issues. She uses images from porn and lifestyle magazines to create a new image. It is interesting to see how artists are using collages to make statements surrounding gender.
His images are often political in nature. He disassemble and reassembles images to create a new image, which are quite thought-provoking. He has collaborated with Cat Phillipps on more than one occasion, together they has created some politically note worthy images; including one of Tony Blair taking a selfie in front of an explosion.
Bibliography
Fabbri, M. Anthotypes – step by step instructions to making a print using plants. At: http://www.alternativephotography.com/anthotypes-making-print-using-plants/ (Accessed on 6th of January 2020).
Pereira, T. The Chlorophyll Process. At: http://www.alternativephotography.com/the-chlorophyll-process/ (Accessed on 6th of January 2020).
Assignment Images
The images will be in order of location and will be marked whether they are the simple version or more complex version.
Please Note: These are not the final images that will be submitted. They are a guide and an experiment which will allow me to print, cut, and glue the final images with more care. These are to get a rough idea of where the image is taking shape. I had some issues with my printer on some of the images, which I have now sorted. The glue has made a bit of a mess on some, which I will be a lot more careful with on the final images. I photographed the collages and then cropped to get the images in one frame. They are not perfect but I see them as a working drafts, which will help me when I make up the final images.
Location One
Location Two
Location Three
Location Four
Location Five
Location Six
Location Seven
Location Eight
Coronavirus – Update – 1st of April 2020:
Collage
Collage Research
I decided to do some research into collages and how it can fit with my body of work. The first thing I found was historically, collage was seen as a pursuit for women. The was because it was a craft often done at home, it was seen in the same league as mosaic, quilting and needlepoint. This could be a good fit with my body of work as I am looking at highlighting the inequality in the art so by using a method associated with women would contrast the inequality. Collage became popular in surrealist art, as it was “a form of inspired correction, a displacement of the banal by the fertile intervention of chance or coincidence” (Agari quoted in Thorpe). It was during the 1970s when artists were addressing issues surrounding race, gay rights and feminism, that collage began to take a central role in art. Many feminist artists used this due to its roots as a female pursuit. The bringing to light of these issues needed a new method of portrayal in order to highlight and fight them, many artists turned to collages, as by cutting and rearranging the images it creates new images, new perception, and new identities. Collages have the ability to pull apart and restructure an image, it offers a new view on a subject. They are used to challenged the order and expectations that have become ingrained in our societies. To Penny Slinger, “collage is not just a technique, it represents an approach to reality” (Slinger quoted in Thorpe). Many feminist artists using this technique look at the female body and how they are seen or perceived. They also contrast the view of women against men, women are often forgotten whereas men are ‘heroes’. In an interview, Zhanna Kadyrova stated that “the discrepancies between images of men and women struck me for every three images of women, there were a hundred images of men. I then noticed how their roles are depicted. Men are shown shaking hands, women are shown in adverts, in the cultural sphere, or with a baby and that’s all’ (Kadyrova quoted in Svitlytska). Collages has the ability to re-shape an image and form a new narrative. It’s historically perception as a female pursuit makes it a perfect platform for my work. It has been interesting looking into the history and how other artists have approached this method, it has been inspirational and has helped me form a few ideas.
Bibliography
Cross Art. Feminage: The Logic of Feminist Collage. At: croissant.com.au/99-2012-exhibitions-projects/169-feminage-the-logic-of-feminist-collage (Accessed on 20th of November 2019).
Svitlytska, O (2015) Can Feminist art free women from patriarchy in Eastern Europe? At: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/can-feminist-art-free-women-from-patriarchy-in-eastern-europe/ (Accessed on 20th of November 2019).
Thorpe, G. Cut and Paste: 400 Years of Collage at Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, Edinburgh. At: https://www.thefourdrinier.com/cut-and-paste-400-years-of-collage (Accessed 20th of November 2019).
Collage Artists
I have also looked into artists who have used collages in their artworks. Here are the links to their dedicated pages:
My Collage Experiments
Following my recent conversation with my tutor, it was suggested that I spend some time trying some collage work. I decided to keep it simple initially to try it out. I choose one location to concentrate on and spent time looking at the images. I did some research into collage work and then narrowed down my images. I tried several approaches, the first being quite simple. I have had to take a photograph to show my experiments, as they won’t fir in the scanner very well. If I do use collage for my body of work. I will either send the actual collage in or re-photograph it.
I started by cutting the bars out here and then glued the bars on top of the main image.
I tried two different background images. It is simple yet represents how women are excluded and not allowed behind these ‘bars’.
Here is the first:
Here is the second:
I like the first image as it is quite simple but I believe the bars portray how women are barred or excluded. But also the wall shows how solid and impenetrable this is, there is also no doors in the image, hinting how women are seeing things from the outside and not allowed in.
I decided to add images of the leaves and trees for extra dimension, to me they also add another element of showing the inequality and oppression but also bring a feminine aspect to it. I could probably reduce the size of these, so they fit better:
I took another approach which involved cutting out specific parts of the images to make a completely new image. I used a similar approach to Hannah Hoch. I choose my main image as the background and then printed out others in various sizes to work with.
I started by cutting the images out:
I arranged them and kept moving them around until I was happy, I then glued them down:
Here is the finished image:
I like the path leading up to the door which is ‘locked’. The base image of the wall, shows also how impenetrable it is. I tried to keep the leaves and trees are outside the bars; as to me the foliage and flowers are a feminine aspect and as such aren’t ‘allowed’ behind the bars or behind the walls, to represent their exclusion. The images of the leaves and the branches to me feel almost dark and oppressive.
I created the next image using the leftover cutouts, but I feel it can hold its own. It features a path with a door that you can’t get through, symbolising the exclusion. But it could also represent the journey or pilgrimage that this is. This image also reminds me to be more careful with the glue, as you can see on the door how I got it on the picture side. Here is it:
The next image was the last one I made. The idea for It came suddenly and i just went with it. I actually really like the result. The had the main image of the trees, which I then cut horizontal segments and choose images to show through. I like how you get snippets through the lines; this way it still contains important aspects. Aesthetically I like the design. I did think how I could incorporate somehow showing the locations through maps maybe. With this image one of the segments could be a snippet of a map. Here is the image:
I also tried a digital montage, I drew inspiration from David Hockney. I tried arranging the images so they were wonky and overlapping and also with them straight and in line with each other. I decided to replace a few images to bring in various images. Here are what I came up with.
I like the result of the digital montage. Personally I prefer the one with the images arrange straight and in-line. I just feel it is easier to look at and make out. I am not 100% sure on replacing a few images, I am not sure if it looks right, perhaps keeping it with the correct images would be better. This image I choose was quite complex, a simpler one would probably have been more effective.
Here is a simpler image, with it arranged wonky and straight:
I like the simplicity of the image with just the bars, as it does show a deeper meaning but so does the detailed collage image. I liked making this image, it was quite fun moving things around and I found it quite therapeutic. I really did enjoy this process and think it would be appropriate for my work. But I also found the digital collage fun and interesting to view. I do think a simpler image is better. I can visit my locations and do re-shoots if necessary. I also need to be careful assembling the image as the glue can get on the actual picture and ruin it. Another thing which I hope will improve with practise is the actual cutting the images out. The images aren’t the problem, the knife is. They are very sharp, which I found out the hard way!
I have been thinking also how to move forward. Once I decided on a collage format, I will try and keep this consistency throughout my series. As my work is in the psychogeography genre, I was thinking of incorporating the places locations in somehow. This could be in the form of text, for example the handwritten coordinates. Another idea would be to use maps, this could form the background base image on which the final collages sit. It could also provided a link between the images as you can follow and see the journey unfold. I was also thinking about the foliage and flowers representing a female aspect. Instead of cutting out the images and putting the in the collage, I could include the actual leaves and flowers from the actual sites. This would bring the female aspect but also creates a strong link to the sites, the images would be quite unique, as the flora and fauna would vary. I could position them on top of the collage and then re-photograph or scan it. These are just a few ideas about moving forward, somethings to explore.
Kara Walker
Kara Walker
Kara Walker is a collage artist who investigates issues surrounding gender, sexuality and race. She is known for her silhouettes on a white background. Her techniques reminds me of shadow puppets in a way. This could be seen as womens’ art, which also draws attention to the gender issues.
Bibliography
Walker Art. Kara Walker. At: https://walkerart.org/collections/artists/kara-walker (Accessed on 18th of November 2019).
Walker, K. Biography. At: wwwkarawalkerstrudio.com/biography/ (Accessed on 18th of November 2019).
Woodward, D (2016) Three Radical Female Collage Artists You Need to Know. At: https://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/8849/three-radical-female-collage-artists-you-need-to-know (Accessed on 18th of November 2019).
Martha Rosler
Martha Rosler
Martha Rosler is another artist who I have come across in my research. Her work takes many forms including performance, video, text, instillations and photomontages. The majority of her work in made from the perspective of a woman. Her feminist art looks to challenge the representation and expectations of women. In her works entitled Cold Meat I, Cold Meat II, Damp Meat (see fig. 1) and Hot Meat (see fig. 2).
Rosler combines images of naked women with domestic appliances. These works show how the female body is commodified, she compares it to food. “I was always interested in addressing people, primarily women but not only women, with the idea that you recognise me for other human beings” (Rosler Quoted in Murg). She uses images of women in magazines from the 1960s and the 1970s. She believes the tradition views of women still have a startling hold on women today. One image that stuck out was Cleaning the Drapes (see fig. 3), it shows a women vacuuming the curtains, whilst the spilt reveals a scene of soldiers. This contrasts the domestic view of women with the way the media showed people images of the Vietnam war, these images came to people through televisions which were relatively new.
Figures
Fig. 1. Rosler, M. Damp Meat [Photograph – Online] At: www.martharosler.net/photo.body/damp-meat.html/ (Accessed on 18th of November 2019).
Fig. 2. Rosler, M. Hot Meat [Photograph – Online] At: www.martharosler.net/photo/body/hot_meat.html(Accessed on 18th of November 2019).
Fig. 3. Rosler, M. Cleaning the Drapes [Photography – Online] At: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/150123?artist_id=6832&locate=en&page=1&sov_referrer=artist (Accessed on 18th of November 2019).
Bibliography
Murg, S. Interview with Martha Rosler, the Artist who speaks softly but carries a big shtick. At: https://pinupmagazine.org/articles/interview-with-brooklyn-artist-martha-rosler-jewish-museum-nyc-survey-show (Accessed on 18th of November 2019).
Woodward, D (2016) Three Radical Female Collage Artists You Need to Know. At: https://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/8849/three-radical-female-collage-artists-you-need-to-know(Accessed on 18th of November 2019).
Paula do Prado
Paula do Prado
Paula do Prado uses various techniques and materials including painting, textiles and photography. She addresses several issues in her work including identity, stereotypes, and race. Her work contains references to her culture as well as her experience of living in Australia. She is originally from Uruguay and often combines her heritage and language with her art. Her works often contains Spanish phases and sayings, this is an advantage in her art as “this tension between exclusion and inclusion is important” (Prado quoted in Madeleine). “Art provides a vehicle for me to explore, scrutinise, decipher and tease out these interconnections between culture, race and identity…dealing with some of these issues is hard…I’m not an activist by any means…It”s more about seeing things differently” (Prado quoted in Madeleine). Her work on gender is helpful for my work, I am looking at gender, and much of her work does too, she sees gender “like race, as another category that is socially constructed, that I don’t think anyone truly fits into neatly” (Prado Quoted in Madeleine).
Bibliography
Madeleine, A. Paulo do Prado. At: https://wwwartistprofile.com.au/paula-prado/ (Accessed on 18th of November 2019).
Mary Beth Edelson
Mary Beth Edelson
In Some Living American Women Artists (see fig. 1), Mary Beth Edelson replaced the heads of the figures in the Last Supper with female artists. The image of the Last Supper is still recognisable, the structure of the image is unchanged. Edelson has only added images of the heads of female artists in place of Christ and his disciples. When I first looked at this image, to me it appears to be drawing a comparison between the patriarchy in the art world with the patriarchy in religion. Edelson shows women in the roles of men, it represents how women struggle against tradition, expectation and inequality in their work and lives. It shows just a small amount of female artists there are, but they are often overlooked and dismissed. This is similar to what I am trying to do. I am attempting to look at the inequality in the art world by using a male dominated pilgrimage route. This artwork is influential to my work, as it has the same principles and aim behind it. Edelson also uses collage techniques to accomplish this, which is what I want to do. It also links religion and art together. This work is quite symbolic, Linda Aleci believes it “honors the ecumenical ideals of communion and community” (Aleci quoted in Greifen). Edelson compares the historical systematic omission of women in art and in aspects of religion. Edelson explains why she choose to challenge religion, as “the most negative aspect of organized religion, for me was the positioning of power and authority in the hands of a male hierarchy that intentionally excluded women from access to these positions…[The work] gave me a double pleasure of presenting the names and faces of the many women artists who were seldom seen in the art world of 1972 as ‘the grand subject’—while spoofing male exclusivity in the patriarchy” (Edelson quoted in Dang).
Figures
Fig. 1. Edelson, M. B (1972) Some Living American Women Artists [Photograph – Online] At: https://www.moma.org/collection/works/117141 (Accessed on 18th of November 2019).
Bibliography
Dang, F (2016) The Art of Storytelling. At: samblog.seattleartmuseum.org/tag/some-living-american-women-artists-last-supper/ (Accessed on 18th of November 2019).
Griefen, K. Considering Mary Beth Edelson’s Some Living American Women Artists. At: https://brooklynrail.org/2019/03/criticspage/Considering-Mary-Beth-Edelsons-Some-Living-American-Women-Artists (Accessed on 18th of November 2019).
Georgina's Body of Work 