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Due to the change in circumstances, I’m now only able to take photographs from inside my home. This means I’m limited in regards to ideas, and of course, subjects’, and in this instance, will have to rely on my family for participation. The theme will remain the same – Coronavirus – but instead of documenting how this has affected other people, my images will depict specific moments and events, during my family’s time in isolation. I have made the conscious decision not to take candid style portraits, as I feel most of our activities that are undertaken throughout the day, aren’t worth documenting, and as a result, the final images wouldn’t work together as a series. Instead, I’ve chosen to approach this similar to that of assignment three, from the ‘Context and Narrative’ module, where each image was fundamentally staged. From carrying out research into photographers’ who use this method in their photographic process, I have rediscovered Canadian photographer, Jeff Wall. As a result, I have been inspired to adopt his chosen practices and techniques for this assignment, which I feel will not only lead to a more, well-constructed piece of work, but show evidence of my photographic development and learning.
Describing his work as “near documentary”, in that his images aren’t ‘snapshots’, but rather “contemplations of its characteristics”, Wall’s approach to his photography is different to many others, in that he remembers a memorable scene or moment, and photographs it at a later time. In an interview with the ‘Louisiana Channel’, Wall says one of his best attributes is his ability to observe things naturally, and his experiences – which ultimately are produced into photographs – come around by being observant. Using this method, I will spend a week observing situations involving myself and my family – what Wall calls an ‘occurrence’ when people are involved – and make a mental note of memorable moments that I think will be worth photographing later. A big part of Wall’s process, is ensuring that the composition is perfect. And, though he doesn’t like the term ‘staged photography’ to be associated with his work, he will in fact add and subtract objects within the frame, to help achieve the composition he feels is best, ultimately resulting in a finer photograph – in his eyes anyway. Again, this is a technique of his that I will adopt, however, will ensure that any objects purposely added or removed, are done so for the greater good of the composition and won’t affect the underlying message surrounding each image. I will try to work having a similar mind-set to that of Wall, where he will always consider three key elements within his process – preparation, organisation and collaboration – reinforcing the fact that his images are not ‘snapshots’, even though they have ‘candid’ qualities. In a talk, aptly named ‘We are all actors’, Wall debates if individuals that feature in his work are “performing” or “behaving”. He goes on to say that after some time – as he usually works with his subjects for many days – people stop ‘performing’ and their behaviours become more natural. I’m well aware that this occurrence won’t happen when photographing my subjects’, and appreciate there will be an element of ‘acting’ involved that I’m hoping won’t lead to a lack of authenticity surrounding my images. However, Wall beautifully describes his photographs as not being representations of his memories alone, but memories of many others. He believes that if his work “feels true to your own experiences then it has to have some authenticity to it”. Ultimately, with the theme I have chosen and the way I would like to create my images, I hope to achieve authenticity by forming a personal connection with the viewer, surrounding the events taking place within the photograph.
References
WSJ Magazine. (2015). ‘Jeff Wall’s Unique Photographic Vision’ [Online] Available from: https://www.wsj.com/articles/jeff-walls-unique-photographic-vision-1441375796
Art Times. (2020). ‘Jeff Wall Interview: Pictures like poems’ [Online] Available from: https://arttimes.co.za/artflix-feature-jeff-wall-interview-pictures-like-poems/
YouTube. (2015). ‘Jeff Wall Interview: We are all Actors’ [Online] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8P9S6FeAuU
YouTube. (2010). ‘Jeff Wall: “I begin by not photographing”’ [Online] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yG2k4C4zrU
YouTube. (2014). ‘Jeff Wall: Tableaux Pictures Photographs 1996-2013’ [Online] Available from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNWWrKXNeBA
Dream Idea Machine. (2020). ‘PHOTO: Jeff Wall-Appearance’ [Online] Available from: http://www.dreamideamachine.com/en/?p=36808
Iain Barbour - BA (Hons) Photography 