Title; My Nine
Medium: Photograph
2017
Exhibition Text
"My Nine" is a series of nine photographs that represent the last nine years of my life. Each picture represents a year, a story and a feelin; each texture represents the journey that I took in one year. The story of these photos is open to interpretation to each single individual, to create a connection between the viewer and the photos is the goal of "My Nine".
Meaning
Life is a hard word to define, I decided to use photographs to represent the last nine years of my life. "My Nine" represent my story, my life and my mood. Each photo exhibits a different feeling, journey and texture to lead the viewer into connecting to their past and reflect on their actions and thoughts. Nature is all around us, and I decided to use natural elements to represent my life because each year nature decreased from my life and technology filled the gap; not only am I disappointed of my actions I am hurt, this the whole as the last picture, the end of my story.
Experimentation
From the beginning I decided to explore all of the types of cameras and settings that they provided. Not only did I try to take different pictures of the same object, but also different angles and settings.
The first thing that I experimented on was the type of camera that I would use to create the photos of my final piece. I firs tried to take close up and far away pictures with my phone, which I had previous knowledge that it does not have a very god quality camera. The pictures from far away did not turn out as I wanted them to look, however the pictures that I took from close up looked fascinating for my first trials.
Then, I decided to take pictures with a camera. This was a challenge since I have never used a camera to take detailed pictures. I decided to start by taking pictured from far away, since this was where I felt the most comfortable; the pictures looked as I predicted them to look like. Afterward I began to take close up pictures. The close up pictured did not appeared to be as focused or amazing as the pictures from the phone.
After taking some more pictured with both cameras I decided to use my phone to take close up pictures as my final piece.
The first thing that I experimented on was the type of camera that I would use to create the photos of my final piece. I firs tried to take close up and far away pictures with my phone, which I had previous knowledge that it does not have a very god quality camera. The pictures from far away did not turn out as I wanted them to look, however the pictures that I took from close up looked fascinating for my first trials.
Then, I decided to take pictures with a camera. This was a challenge since I have never used a camera to take detailed pictures. I decided to start by taking pictured from far away, since this was where I felt the most comfortable; the pictures looked as I predicted them to look like. Afterward I began to take close up pictures. The close up pictured did not appeared to be as focused or amazing as the pictures from the phone.
After taking some more pictured with both cameras I decided to use my phone to take close up pictures as my final piece.
Process
1. Finding inspiration
Photography is something that I have always been longing, but my lack of experience interfered with my desires to photograph anything. To overcome my challenges I decided to create a project based on only photographs, just to begin to enforce my skills and create something relevant to me.
In order to create photographs I looked for inspiration, I wanted to find someone who would take pictures of their daily life, their things and their habits. While I was doing research I came across an artist who took picture of architecture in nature and I liked that idea of industrial mixed with organic materials. His pictures looked like textures of industrial objecs and that I just what inspired me to create my own work.
Photography is something that I have always been longing, but my lack of experience interfered with my desires to photograph anything. To overcome my challenges I decided to create a project based on only photographs, just to begin to enforce my skills and create something relevant to me.
In order to create photographs I looked for inspiration, I wanted to find someone who would take pictures of their daily life, their things and their habits. While I was doing research I came across an artist who took picture of architecture in nature and I liked that idea of industrial mixed with organic materials. His pictures looked like textures of industrial objecs and that I just what inspired me to create my own work.
2. Planning
My desire was to take pictures of the texture from objects of my daily life, therefore I decided to sketch some of the things I wanted to exhibit.
I wrote down a list of different things that I either use of see everyday and decided to see different ways on which I could take these pictures; the angle, the position and every factor that had to deal with the outcome of the picture.
I sketched different sketches to see or plan how each picture would look like, I decided to make the decisions of what angle to take and how to take the pictures based on these sketches.
3. Taking pictures
Based on my sketches I took the appropriate pictures that were destined for each object. Without any real experience I experimented a couple of ways listed above.
Once I developed a technique to take pictures I began to take photos for the final piece. With different angles and up close photos of each of the objects previously decided.
4. Arranging pictures into a story.
The overall meaning of this piece was to create a story, not an obvious one but with the help of the texture from each picture help the viewer see a connection. I chose nine pictures to represent the last nine years of my life, each photo representing a year and each texture representing a different mood; depending on color, size and expressions each photo will be open to interpretation of the viewer, since one year of my life can not be reduced to one single picture.
My desire was to take pictures of the texture from objects of my daily life, therefore I decided to sketch some of the things I wanted to exhibit.
I wrote down a list of different things that I either use of see everyday and decided to see different ways on which I could take these pictures; the angle, the position and every factor that had to deal with the outcome of the picture.
I sketched different sketches to see or plan how each picture would look like, I decided to make the decisions of what angle to take and how to take the pictures based on these sketches.
3. Taking pictures
Based on my sketches I took the appropriate pictures that were destined for each object. Without any real experience I experimented a couple of ways listed above.
Once I developed a technique to take pictures I began to take photos for the final piece. With different angles and up close photos of each of the objects previously decided.
4. Arranging pictures into a story.
The overall meaning of this piece was to create a story, not an obvious one but with the help of the texture from each picture help the viewer see a connection. I chose nine pictures to represent the last nine years of my life, each photo representing a year and each texture representing a different mood; depending on color, size and expressions each photo will be open to interpretation of the viewer, since one year of my life can not be reduced to one single picture.
Inspiration
Roy Staab is a photographer who was born in 1941, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He studied painting and graphics at the Layton School of Art and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Throughout his life he traveled and lived in Europe where he learned to appreciate structures and art. Afterwards he decided to come back to Milwaukee and live there once again.
Most of Staab's work is exhibited by photos due to the fact that his art is ephemeral and photos are the only way to take a picture of time where his art is at its best. "Nature Belle" (2006) was the picture that inspired me to take photos of the textures of my daily life. This sculptured was created by using natural local materials such as reeds, willow shoots and bamboo. The work itself is amazing, however the angle and position of the photo was my inspiration to create my own photos. |
Reflection
"My nine" is a success because I was able to learn a new skill that I truly enjoy; which I found out that is a beautiful was to capture a moment in time. Most of the photos were taken as the final piece which means that I successfully created the meaning in the pictures to capture my meaning in the best way possible. The goal of my photos was to create an opened to interpretation story, which exhibits the last nine years of my life or the last nine years of the viewer. If I were to recreate this project I would choose a different camera and experiment more with filters and use Photoshop in a more constructive way, I would not change the pictures themselves but the materials to take the pictures. Overall I am please with the final piece because they represent my life and a story that only each individual can built based on these photos, which was the goal for this project. Letting viewers see my life through their experiences.
ACT Questions
1. Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
"My Nine" was inspired by "Nature Belle" created by Rob Staad. The emphasis that Staad had on taking the picture was the same emphasis that I developed on my photos. Staad would take picture of his ephemeral work, causing him to take pictures to remember that moment, which is what I did however I did not create the objects on my photos.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author of my research talks about "Nature Belle" as a sculpture and how it affected the community and the space around it, how it involved people into appreciating art and ephemeral work.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Throughout my research I found that there are many creative people who use natural and local materials to create art that is significant. Some artist relate their materials to their work and that is a fascinating way to create art. Not many appreciate ephemeral art, but when its gone they realize how meaningful it was.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The theme that I focused on was structure in nature. I based my research on photography techniques, but the final piece focuses on life in general, how one might relate to a certain picture and be directly connected to it.
5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
The inferences that I made while doing my research were that there are many ways to preserve art, but one of the best ways to preserve art it photography. Not only do photos last longer, they also preserve the art at its best, without any obstacles or errors, photos take the purest views of the work.
"My Nine" was inspired by "Nature Belle" created by Rob Staad. The emphasis that Staad had on taking the picture was the same emphasis that I developed on my photos. Staad would take picture of his ephemeral work, causing him to take pictures to remember that moment, which is what I did however I did not create the objects on my photos.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author of my research talks about "Nature Belle" as a sculpture and how it affected the community and the space around it, how it involved people into appreciating art and ephemeral work.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Throughout my research I found that there are many creative people who use natural and local materials to create art that is significant. Some artist relate their materials to their work and that is a fascinating way to create art. Not many appreciate ephemeral art, but when its gone they realize how meaningful it was.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The theme that I focused on was structure in nature. I based my research on photography techniques, but the final piece focuses on life in general, how one might relate to a certain picture and be directly connected to it.
5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
The inferences that I made while doing my research were that there are many ways to preserve art, but one of the best ways to preserve art it photography. Not only do photos last longer, they also preserve the art at its best, without any obstacles or errors, photos take the purest views of the work.