PORTRAIT AND SELF-PORTRAIT PROJECT DECONSTRUCTION
- Understanding Project Guidelines and Creating Sketches
This portrait and self-portrait project involved several guidelines. The project had to be in black in white and incorporate one accent color. Each portrait had to include text from our own seminar work, and pieces of your our partner’s work. We were also given the challenge of having to use 8 pieces of 18×24 in material in our project.
I decided to sketch out the basic images I had in my head. I let the creation process give the project life, but I wanted to make sure my sketches and notes were precise enough to buy the correct materials. I had to think out exactly how much of everything, so I wouldn’t have to spend unnecessary money on mistakes.
2. Photo Inspiration (Researching)
A segment of this project was to visit the MET with my class. This was a good opportunity to get inspired by other pieces of art, and get to know my assigned partner. The picture above was taken that day at the museum. I had already brainstormed the idea of using/creating photo mats (to use up the 8 pieces of material) prior to the museum visit, but this was a perfect chance to see how they are crafted.
3. A Quite Place to Sit
After the field trip, I decided to sit in the park with my project partner, and take some time brainstorming. The whole class seemed to be a bit overwhelmed with the idea of having to use 8 pieces of 18×24 material. I needed a quite place to sit and think. I knew that I wanted to create some kind of frame system, but I was still unsure about the content within. The first idea that seemed to come to everyone’s’ minds was to create something to show their partner’s culture. My partner was from India. I thought it would be interesting to involve traditional dress within photography. However, my partner seemed to feel strongly about showcasing my Russian heritage and her Indian heritage. I decided to step away from that idea because it wasn’t really what I wanted to do.
There were many representations of self (and their partner) in the class. Some groups focused on their interests, heritage, sexuality, etc., but I decided to work with the fact that I really knew nothing about Avita, besides the few things I had learned while developing this project. I wasn’t interested in trying to show the class how much I had learned. I wanted to show her essence.
4. Using Background Information to Brainstorm Concepts
My dance background tends to creep into my photographic work. I am usually interested in capturing the delicacy of the human form, as well as documenting emotion through movement. I wanted to take a minimalistic approach to this project. I learned that my partner had spent time studying a form of dance called Odissi. I wanted to use this information to tie our portraits together. There is a contrast between the sharp, structural appearance of Odissi hand gestures in comparison to the hands of a ballet dancer.
5. Music Inspiration
I am heavily influenced by the music I listen to. At the time I was most likely listening to Chopin, Ella Fitzgerald, Jake Bugg, and Royal Blood. Although I do not dance anymore, I am still very interested in classical music. I feel very focused when I listen to classical music. I try to listen to as much music as possible when walking around the city.
6. Deciding on Process
I was fascinated with the idea of transferring my images onto paper. We had learned how to do so in studio, and I thought it would be a good opportunity to display my photography in a new light. There is a rough quality to transferred photography. Some ink was left behind, and some of the photo was distorted due to the acetone.
7. Bringing Ideas to Life
Transferring photos was a quick process. There was little playtime. I had to redo the transferring process a few times, in order to gage what outcome I really wanted. I ended up using the first set of transferred pictures. The photos were transferred too well in the later versions. I liked the messy quality of the first set.
8. Trying to Solve the Paper Problem
I still had a lot of material left behind. I knew I needed a way to set these up within the classroom. I decided to created stands to prop up the pieces. This took more time than I had originally intended. The stands had to use all the remaining material, as well as be strong enough to hold the somewhat heavy photos.
9. Cutting the Frames
This is a picture of me cutting out the photo mats. The hand photos fit into the larger picture below. The person was revealed after the ribbon was pulled. I decided to have my project be black and what and Avita’s be white and black. I think it made the pieces look more like a set, rather than the same project repeated.
10. Final Project
This is the final product. I was quite happy with the way my project turned out. I was able to create what I had brainstormed. I subtly included our dance backgrounds as well as including random text from our seminar writing. It was one of the first projects where I was able to work within my own style. I didn’t feel pressured to use unfamiliar materials, and I usually like to work in black and white.
11. Reflection
I sometimes have difficulty expressing/explaining myself and my art in front of others. I used this project as an opportunity to put my ideas and poetry into my photo work, (without having to explain every detail). This photo series became an extension of myself, and I was able to learn a bit about how I viewed myself and new people in my life. While exploring the unknown about my partner, I was able to think about myself and how I wanted the class to see me. The idea of representing myself as if I didn’t know myself allowed me to step back and allow the work to speak for itself.
