Moving towards Relationships

After much deliberation about what I wanted this project to do/say I decided that at present the ideas would probably result in images that are only relevant to quite a select audience. Some useful comments from fellow MA students made me re-think my aims and I decided that actually relationships are not only at the heart of all the biblical texts I have been looking at but the subject is something everyone can relate to. Also the re-focus has got me a lot more excited in the project as formally I found it very interesting as an intellectual exercise but now the subject affects me more emotionally.

First Trial Images

These are the digital versions of the medium format images I shot today. I intend to eventually use large format but thought I'd start with something I am more familiar with. After spending some time chatting with Anne about her faith and how it affects her life it became clear that she spends a large chunk of her time offering hospitality to people, often in the form of wonderful high calorie meals! (Today she offered me chocolate pud with cream and 'special topping', which turned out to be a bottle of Amaretto plonked on the table! I highly recommend the combination!)

Anyway since the kitchen where she prepares these meals is rather dark and I had no lighting equipment with me we continued our discussion. Another thing that arose was the amount of time Anne spends on the phone listening to people who often pour out their problems to her. We decided use this activity to base the photos on. I asked Anne where she generally sat when on the phone and she suggested the sofa. When she sat down I noticed the beautiful batik of two people greeting each other with a kiss that hung on the wall above her and decided to include it in the image as it worked well as a symbolic nod to the way Anne opens hr arms to all and any who come to her door (Or phone!). I now think the composition may have worked better if I had placed Anne in the bottom left had corner so directly mimicking the composition in the batik. 

For the second photograph I asked Anne to sit in the chair by her computer in the study and used the open archway through to the sitting room to frame her. Whilst this is another place she often sits whilst on the phone I also chose the position as it reminded me of archways half remembered from Renaissance paintings of the annunciation. The light falling on Anne's face also brought a painterly feel with it. Behind her is a list of words she has painted on the wall which the New Testament cites as fruits of the Holy Spirit. Two of her paintings are also visible in the foreground of the image.

When we spoke of which female Biblical character she could relate to she suggested Tabitha, also known as Dorcas a 'well healed widow' as Anne puts it, who spent a lot of time caring for the poor. As Anne reminded me not all of those she helps could be considered poor, however she has told me many stories of random situations where people she only just met (including a young who sold her a TV in Tescos and his family) were invited for a meal and more often than not they come finding a warm welcome and an open heart.

OTHER INFLUENCES

HANNAH STARKEY

AGNES EVA MOLNAR

TOM HUNTER



INFLUENCES: PAULA REGO

INFLUENCES: ADI NES

ADI NES

PROJECT 2

For my next project I will be continuing the theme of faith but photographically it will look quite different. The idea is to create inages which connect Christians today with certain character from the bible. Whilst these people are separated by time, location and religion they all have a deep belief in God.

My visual concept is to create constructed tableux's with a nod to traditional religious painting. I will be using a large format camera on location.