Structure
Brutalism
Brutalist architecture is a movement in architecture that flourished from the 1950s to the mid 1970s, descending from the modernist architectural movement of the early 20th century. The term brutalism means 'raw concrete' in French, the term was used by French architect and painter Le Corbusier. Brutalist buildings are characterised by their rough, unfinished surfaces, unusual shapes, and heavy-looking materials.
Brutalism emerged after the Second World War, a time of urgent need for large-scale, affordable residential architecture. The idea was rooted in functionalism and monumental simplicity that had defined earlier architectural modernism.
Our task was to visit one or more of these brutalist buildings and capture images of them.
Brunel University Lecture centre · Brunswick Centre · Royal College of Physicians · Centre Point · The Barbican · Trellick Tower · Southbank Centre and National Theatre · Camden Town Hall Annexe · Alexandra Road Estate · Institute of Education · Ministry of Justice · St Giles Hotel
Brutalism emerged after the Second World War, a time of urgent need for large-scale, affordable residential architecture. The idea was rooted in functionalism and monumental simplicity that had defined earlier architectural modernism.
Our task was to visit one or more of these brutalist buildings and capture images of them.
Brunel University Lecture centre · Brunswick Centre · Royal College of Physicians · Centre Point · The Barbican · Trellick Tower · Southbank Centre and National Theatre · Camden Town Hall Annexe · Alexandra Road Estate · Institute of Education · Ministry of Justice · St Giles Hotel
Simon Phipps - Brutalist Architecture
Simon Phipps is a London based photographer who captures photos of brutalist architecture. He brings beauty to what most people think are big, ugly, concrete buildings. Phipps grew up in Milton Keynes and began to be intrigued by rationalist geometries of the early modernist estates appearing . ‘The image provided by Brutalism, architecture of sensual extremes, is often an extraordinary and unfamiliar experience for the city explorer,’ says Phipps. ‘There can be something thrilling about the aggressive and brash vocabulary of concrete, exposed aggregate, hard-edged brick and heavy sectioned timber.’
In his work he manages to capture the scale of these brutalist structures, showing the bold shapes and heavy looking materials. But manages too create some really nice images that dont make these structures seem so big and ugly.
In his work he manages to capture the scale of these brutalist structures, showing the bold shapes and heavy looking materials. But manages too create some really nice images that dont make these structures seem so big and ugly.
My response -
For my response i decided to go around the Barbican to capture some photos of brutalist architecture. In the task we were set to take a series of images that followed these three sub-headings; negative space, form and pattern, and perspective. As i went around the Barbican i looked to capture images that conformed to these headings, focusing on capturing the huge scale of all the different brutalist parts. Below are all the images i took, and below that are my edits of some of my favourite images. To edit i went into photoshop and changed the images into black and white, i also played around with the contrast and brightness and i found that enhancing the contrast added to the gritty look of the concrete which i liked.
My edits
Form and pattern
Thomas Danthony - Brutalism project
The Brutalism project is a collabrative project with Black Gragon Press about brutalist architecture in London. Thomas Danthony creates these simplistic style photos that are not crowded or overwhelming, the tone and darkness of the images is almost relaxing as he has edited out all people and other distractions and just gets us too focus on the building. The images look surreal and they emphasise different parts of brutalism .
My response
For my response I used some of my images from the Simon Phipps task and edited them in the style of Thomas Danthony.
I beleive i created a seies of edits that resemble Danthonys work well, For the last image i couldn't decide if i preffered it with a black or white bachground. The black background resembles Danthonys work, but beacuse there is already so much black and darker greys i find the white opens up the image.
I am happy with my edits, but they are a bit messy and you can clearly see some areas that have not feel filled properly in the first two
I beleive i created a seies of edits that resemble Danthonys work well, For the last image i couldn't decide if i preffered it with a black or white bachground. The black background resembles Danthonys work, but beacuse there is already so much black and darker greys i find the white opens up the image.
I am happy with my edits, but they are a bit messy and you can clearly see some areas that have not feel filled properly in the first two
How I made my edits:
1) Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select a certain part of the building
2) Then use the eyedrops tool to select the colour you would like too fill in the selected part
3) Select the paint bucket tool too fill in and repeat
(see slidehsow)
1) Use the Polygonal Lasso Tool to select a certain part of the building
2) Then use the eyedrops tool to select the colour you would like too fill in the selected part
3) Select the paint bucket tool too fill in and repeat
(see slidehsow)
Break in the structure
Thomas Kellner
Kellner is a fine-art photographer, he became known above all for his large format photographs of famous architectural monuments. Thomas Kellner's fine art photography changes the object of the image and makes us question what we see. He uses the traditional process of film photography to create montages. Using just one roll of film, he takes images of the same landmarks or buildings of significance from different angles to later re-arrange them on a contact sheet and create a unique composition.
My response
For my response I used images from my Simon Phipps project again to create similar work to Kellner. I did this using photoshop, I got a template of a film contact sheet online and put it over one of my photos, I then used the magic wand tool to select each box and make it so you could see my photo through, as too begin with there were white squares in the way. I then made a copy of the background photo so that I could move it at an angle, so when I cut out different squares the image would become jumbled up creating the same effect in Kellners' work.
Below are 4 responses, at first I used a template that was very blurred and the squares where much smaller so I then changed to one that was much more clear.
I am pleased with how my responses turned out and i think they capture the same effect like in Kellners work. I
Below are 4 responses, at first I used a template that was very blurred and the squares where much smaller so I then changed to one that was much more clear.
I am pleased with how my responses turned out and i think they capture the same effect like in Kellners work. I
Twisted Structure
Nicholas Sitton
Nicholas Sitton is a San - Francisco based photographer who creates distorted and twisted images of architecture. He manipulates the look of a building or street by cutting and rotating the image to create intriguing looking images that give us that uneasy, hypnotic - inception like feeling. The edited photos create an illusion of the building almost falling in on itself, like capturing a moment of demolition, pitting reality against fantasy. The images encourage us too use our imaginations and question what is real and what is not.
My response
Structure of Architecture
For this task we were asked too go around Muswell hill and photograph St James Church and The Everyman Cinema. These two buildings are very opposing pieces of architecture, the Everyman cinema interior is in Art Deco style embodying the 1930s cinema styling. And St James Church, originally built in 1842, is very traditional style you would normally see in a church. However these two buildings surprisingly have some similarities that not many people would first think of when thinking about a church and a cinema. For example they both evoke some sort of worship, in both a cinema and a church the seats are sat facing one way in a church this is facing an alter and at the cinema it is the screen that you are watching and in a way you are worshiping the film.
During the task we were asked to think about how the camera works according to the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture settings and how they effect the photo result. ISO, shutter speed, and aperture all work together in a camera, the key is too balance them all to ensure you get a well exposed image. Depending on what you are photographing and where you can adjust these values accordingly.
ISO - This controls the noise and graininess of the photograph. This is written on the camera in 100s. The bigger the number the brighter the photo gets however thismean the image gets grainier (has more noise) which can be an issue. Shutter Speed - This controls how long the lens is open for. This is measured by per second, e/g 1/8 of a second or 1/200 of a second. The image will appear more blurred ,if you are photographing something moving, the longer the second (1/8). There will be less motion blur the quicker the second (1/200). This also effects the brightness the higher the second is. Aperture - this controls the focus of a subject and the depth of field in an image. this is done in F/ stops |
The Everyman Cinema
St James Church
Structure in nature
Myoung Ho Lee
Myoung Ho Lee photographs solitarty trees framed against white canvas backdrops in the middle of natural landscapes. He seperates the tree artificially from nature by using the white canvas,
His work is largely composed by following four procedures:
1. Selection of the subject
2. separation of the subject (meta - subject)
3. Photographing
4. Conformation of the separation
His work is largely composed by following four procedures:
1. Selection of the subject
2. separation of the subject (meta - subject)
3. Photographing
4. Conformation of the separation
My response
For my response I bought a large A2 piece of card to use as my white canvas as i'm unable to create the same large scale photos that Ho Lee captures. To take the images i went into my local woods and looked for interesting looking trees, branches, or leafs that could potentially work. I didn't necessarily have to look for things that were already completely isolated as the white card could easily do this for me. However most of the parts of nature i captured were already by themselves, the white background adds to the sense of isolation and separating these plants artificially from nature.
When taking my images i had my camera set on manual so i was in control of the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture and got to figure out what worked best.
When taking my images i had my camera set on manual so i was in control of the ISO, shutter speed, and aperture and got to figure out what worked best.
Sanna Kannisto - Field works
My response
For my response i used a clamp stand from the science departement to hold my plants, also used white card for the background and floor like in Kannistos photos.
Body and Nature - Alicja Brodowicz
Brodowicz is a Polish photographer who focuses on the similarities that the human body and nature have. She looks closely at textures, lines, and compositions and then places them next too each almost like they're in' unity ' , humans are apart of nature and lots of body parts can have a strong resemblance to parts of nature and the structure of it. She then puts the images in black and white which really enhances the detail and textures in the photos. The black and white also adds a sort of eerie feel to the images.
Brodowicz is a Polish photographer who focuses on the similarities that the human body and nature have. She looks closely at textures, lines, and compositions and then places them next too each almost like they're in' unity ' , humans are apart of nature and lots of body parts can have a strong resemblance to parts of nature and the structure of it. She then puts the images in black and white which really enhances the detail and textures in the photos. The black and white also adds a sort of eerie feel to the images.
My Response
3 Strands : structure
Strand 1 - Robert Holding
Structure of someones life - Burning House project
The burning house project is a series of images by American photographger Robert Holding. This project documents the precious items we would takw with us in the unfortunate event of your house burning down.
His images are captivating and provoke the question of what would you actually take with you? His photos also allow you to gather information about a person with out even knowing them personally, the more you look at the image the more little details of random objects and things you see.
His images are captivating and provoke the question of what would you actually take with you? His photos also allow you to gather information about a person with out even knowing them personally, the more you look at the image the more little details of random objects and things you see.
My response
For my response i took inspiration from Holdings work, but decided to change it a bit. Instead of items i would take in case of a fire, i put out objects that represent the structure of someones life. i chose to photograph items that represent my mum and brother. To do this i tried to choose things that i felt in some way summarised different parts of who they are. You can tell a lot about the structure of someones life through their things. When placing the items down i carefully placed them so that each object fitted with the ones next to them, like a puzzle almost. When taking my images i stood on a chair to get higher up and therefore being able to get a better birds eye view shot that wasn't slanted.
Strand 2 - Lee Friedlander
American photographer Lee Friedlander captured images on mannequins in shopfront windows, while also capturing the reflection of the buildings and roads opposite.
My Response
For my response I went around Canary Warf to capture my images, I decided to go here as there are so many glass buildings with massive structures where it is easy to get many reflections of the opposing buildings. In my response i didn't capture images of mannequins but instead just focused on the buildings, but also incorporate the reflections of people
Strand 3 - Tom Hunter
British photographer Tom Hunter using his photographs to comment on the contemporary social realities of specific sub-cultural groups, predominately in East London such as squatters and travellers. He reconstructs stories and memories. Hunter creates stylised compositions based on historic paintings mainly by painter Vermeer.
'His work aims to break stereotypes, provoke thought, raise debate and shed light on the communities in this area of London and the issues they face. Hunter seeks to create a new visual language in fine art practice, which blurs the boundaries between staged photography and documentary'. - Purdy Hicks
I was drawn too his images as, much like Robert Holdings work, the images tell a story and we can gather parts of the structure of these peoples lives.
'His work aims to break stereotypes, provoke thought, raise debate and shed light on the communities in this area of London and the issues they face. Hunter seeks to create a new visual language in fine art practice, which blurs the boundaries between staged photography and documentary'. - Purdy Hicks
I was drawn too his images as, much like Robert Holdings work, the images tell a story and we can gather parts of the structure of these peoples lives.
Tom Hunter vs Vermeer comparison
My Response
For my response i decided too take photos of my grandma, I tried to stick to the same style of Hunter and tried to take images with the same compositions as Vermeer paintings. I did find this quite restricting but i feel that i managed to capture some similarites to do with lighting and compositions. I chose to photograph my granny as her flat is filled with colours and lots of little interesting things to do with her life much like in Hunters work. The image i like the most if the ones of her sat on the sofa reading as the light shines through the window, I like how the paintings behindd her match up with those in Vermeers paintings, you can also see the shadows of the trees from outside being refelcted onto her wall which i think adds another nice detail into the image.
When photographing her while in the kitchen we had to have the lights on which adds a yellowness to the images that i dont particually like, so next time would take my photos at a time where the natural light reaches there.
When photographing her while in the kitchen we had to have the lights on which adds a yellowness to the images that i dont particually like, so next time would take my photos at a time where the natural light reaches there.
INSPO
Development 1
Lewis Khan - Georgetown
For my development I decided look at the work of Lewis Khan and his project called 'Georgetown', the project is a series of images telling the story of southlondon resident George and the structure of his life. After taking images of my granny for my Tom Hunter strand i thought it would work well to look further into her life and document images of her, her life now, and her life in the past from when she was younger. I also chose to do the same thing with my Popa and document parts of his life from when he was a bit younger.
My grandparents and the structure of their pasts
For my response i decided to look into the pasts of both my grandparents ,from different sides of the family, and how they're old jobs and what they did structured they're lives now.
Granny
My granny is from America and travelled around the world with a contemporary dance company performing until she met my grandpa who was a set designer for theatres. In my response you can see images of my granny younger self dancing and the programs from her shows, you can also see a vinyl CD of the musical 'guys and dolls' which my grandpa designed the set for the first time it was done at the National theatre. My Granny now lives in a flat that is part of my house, so she is very close by, she still enjoys dance and does yoga lessons all the time
Popa
My Popa has lived in London his whole life and now works in a Ralph Lauren clothes shop on brick lane. Before this he worked for Arsenal ,when the stadium was still at Highbury, he was part of the merchandise department. In my response you can see all the football shirts he got throughout the years, many of which are signed by the players or were the actual players shirts. My popa is still a huge Arsenal fan and goes to almost all the home games.
Development 2
my family tree
For my second development I chose too look at the lives of my immediate family and the structure of their everyday lives, and the things that make them them. I decided to take my photos of them doing either doing everyday things, and of they're belongings that allow for some insight into their lives. When taking my photos I wanted to focus on
Mum : Jess
My mum is an artist and uses the back room in our house as her studio. In her work she paints detailed illustrations of different bugs and butterflies and creates hybrid paintings of them, by putting different parts of the bugs together. I decided to take my photos of her completing a painting as well as some of her things like jewellery and clothes
Brother : Zach
My brother goes to UCL and studies biology, he just finished his second year so i took some pictures of him in his student halls before he moves out. I decided to take pictures of some of his belongings that were still out as he had already packed up most of his things to move out. In the images you can gather a sense of who he is and the structure of part of his uni life, what books he reads, movies he likes and what he studies.
Dad : Paul
My dad lives in a flat above Planet Organic with my sister and dog (Dora). He used to work on adverts, music videos, and organising photoshoots for Asos as a producer. In my response you can see different parts of the structure of who he is, for example her has little Snoopy figures dotted around his home - snoopy was a big part of his childhood. I also captured images of books he is reading and other parts of his flat that highlight things about him.
Sister : Kiki
My younger sister Kiki is 14 and in year 9, she lives with my dad. In my response about her a captured photos of items in her room that tell you a little bit about her.
Development 3
Kaylynn Deveney - The day to day life of Albert Hastings
For my third development I looked at a series of work by Kaylynn Deveney, in this series she followed the day in the life of one of her neighbours and captured images of him going about his day and what structure his day has, as well as this she got Albert to write on pieces of paper about what he was doing in the images. I really like how this gave the images a more of a personal touch as it is his handwriting telling you what is happening, it makes the images feel more authentic and allow for a more personal feel to the series of images.
My response
For my response i took a series of images of my dad and got him to write little captions about what i was photographing. Instead of following my dad around for the day i decided to take photos of things that make him him and mean a lot to him personally. For example his tattoos, he has got both arms covered in tattoos and majority of them have a meaning behind them. I decided to let him decide what tattoos he would like to say something about - you can see these below.
Granny 2
As an extension of this i also wanted to add the captions to my previous images of my granny as i liked how they turned out, however I chose i few different images. I showed my granny the photos and got her too write what she wanted.
Final Development
For my final development i chose to put put different aspects of the work i had done all together. I played around with adding a background of the individual portraits of each person but felt that it looked too cluttered and also my dad and granny don't have similarities so felt it didn't all fit together. In the end, i decided to create one big picture and use only 3 from each of the Kaylynn Deveney inspired work.
Idea 1
Idea 2
Final piece