Unusual Portraiture -
I chose this project as I was inspired by the work and quote of Phillipe Halsman. I want to see how I can portray certain emotions or create a certain atmosphere. I also would like to know why this is. The way human emotions can be shown through colour, motion and expression. I am going to experiment with all of these things to see how I can make my work more interesting than a normal portrait. I also chose this project to make personal, relatable images that everyone can relate to as we are all human, I'm not trying to show something amazing, I'm trying to find the abnormalities and in some cases, the beauty of the human expression and how we naturally make assumptions based off of previous experiences. We all do it, without realising.
In this photograph you can see a face distorted through layering and duplication. We can see that the photographer has taken special care in where they placed the distortions. In this photo we immediately recognise the subject of this piece which is the face itself, I'm not sure what seems new to me in this photo. This photo reminds me of maybe an idealised explosion and how the face has even fragmented to create this strange result. This is quite an abstract image as it's not immediately obvious what it is, however after looking you can visualise the face but not whats surrounding it. The shapes are very random, however seem to fit each other. They have been used to create levels to the image. The colours used are that of the human skin and a pale blue. The rosy pink of the lips and the pale pink of the skin contrast well with this. It's a very textured image with layers. The photographer hasn't done anything in particular with light, however the original image is very purposely done with a plain background to make the sole focus on the subject. In this image there is no particular background or foreground with the distortion creating varying ground on which the image lies on. There is no negative space in the photo, there might have been in the original, but in this distorted version there is noise everywhere. This creates a cluttered composition that isn't pleasing to the eye, this evokes a certain emotion.
We can't tell what is in focus or out of focus due to the distortion, however I can make the calculated assumption that the subject was initially in focus and the background was out of focus, this is a conventional way of taking a portrait. That's what makes this an usual portrait, it does not follow the tropes of a normal one. The subject has not been cropped and her face is entirely in frame. The use of layering has created a 3D response. This changes the way we view the image as we focus on the 'deeper' layers more than the ones at the forefront of the image. This image is far from reality, the face is unrecognisable and has been distorted. The eyes, lips and many other facial features have been changed to create an abstract portrait that is very effective. There is no single area in the photograph that invokes a sense of misery, captivation or a puzzling feeling. Instead I would say that the entirety of this photograph triggers all of these emotions due to it abstract nature. This is in large part due to the noise and lack of negative space in the image. This gives the viewer not much room to 'breathe' as we're constantly looking at something rather than focusing on an empty space. I would ask the photographer many questions such as: How did you distort this photo? Did you do it on a digital software or did you do it yourself? This question would add a new feeling to this piece as say it was done on a digital software it may not be as special or significant. I'm not sure why it being conducted on a digital software would revoke this feeling.
I can discover many things through research. I can develop an idea of context and the motive of the artist and how they obtained the idea and what techniques they used in the work to reach the end results. This new knowledge may build a new idea behind the image and change what sort of emotions the image may evoke. I'm not sure what title I would give this image, since it isn't my piece of work it has no attachment or special connection to me that is significant enough to title it that. I also don't know particular contextual information about this work making it more difficult to title it. For me to title it I would have to understand the ins and outs of the image. It to me portrays a very broken emotion, maybe I could title it with something relevant to that. I think this image has many core themes however it might have been created to not have a core theme but instead create a feeling that depends on the viewer, if this was the case it would mean that there is no core theme as say the viewer reads what the core theme given by the artist is, it may change the view of the viewer. I think it would be strange to live in a fragmented reality like this, but if I grew up in a reality like that it would be normal to me. The photographer might have wanted to present an emotion that may not be immediately visible but after looking deeper you can see the emotion. We can infer this as when you fragment them you may see deeper and see new sides of someone.
We can't tell what is in focus or out of focus due to the distortion, however I can make the calculated assumption that the subject was initially in focus and the background was out of focus, this is a conventional way of taking a portrait. That's what makes this an usual portrait, it does not follow the tropes of a normal one. The subject has not been cropped and her face is entirely in frame. The use of layering has created a 3D response. This changes the way we view the image as we focus on the 'deeper' layers more than the ones at the forefront of the image. This image is far from reality, the face is unrecognisable and has been distorted. The eyes, lips and many other facial features have been changed to create an abstract portrait that is very effective. There is no single area in the photograph that invokes a sense of misery, captivation or a puzzling feeling. Instead I would say that the entirety of this photograph triggers all of these emotions due to it abstract nature. This is in large part due to the noise and lack of negative space in the image. This gives the viewer not much room to 'breathe' as we're constantly looking at something rather than focusing on an empty space. I would ask the photographer many questions such as: How did you distort this photo? Did you do it on a digital software or did you do it yourself? This question would add a new feeling to this piece as say it was done on a digital software it may not be as special or significant. I'm not sure why it being conducted on a digital software would revoke this feeling.
I can discover many things through research. I can develop an idea of context and the motive of the artist and how they obtained the idea and what techniques they used in the work to reach the end results. This new knowledge may build a new idea behind the image and change what sort of emotions the image may evoke. I'm not sure what title I would give this image, since it isn't my piece of work it has no attachment or special connection to me that is significant enough to title it that. I also don't know particular contextual information about this work making it more difficult to title it. For me to title it I would have to understand the ins and outs of the image. It to me portrays a very broken emotion, maybe I could title it with something relevant to that. I think this image has many core themes however it might have been created to not have a core theme but instead create a feeling that depends on the viewer, if this was the case it would mean that there is no core theme as say the viewer reads what the core theme given by the artist is, it may change the view of the viewer. I think it would be strange to live in a fragmented reality like this, but if I grew up in a reality like that it would be normal to me. The photographer might have wanted to present an emotion that may not be immediately visible but after looking deeper you can see the emotion. We can infer this as when you fragment them you may see deeper and see new sides of someone.
Philippe Halsman -
Philippe Halsman was an American portrait photographer. He was famous for his unique portraiture of artists/celebrities, such as Salvador Dalí. I really like Halsman's work as it has some sense of humour to it, with strange angles and weird expressions. I may incorporate some of his humour with the expressions into my own work, the humour also makes it unusual.
"This fascination with the human face has never left me... Every face I see seems to hide and sometimes, fleetingly, to reveal the mystery of another human being... Capturing this revelation became the goal and passion of my life."
I like this quote as I understand and can see what Phillip Halsman is trying to say. It fascinates me how a slight change or movement on the face can create a whole other impression on us, and how we perceive certain expressions differently in different cultures.
Hendrik Kerstens -
Hendrik Kerstens is a Dutch photographer and visual artist, he is known for his portraits of his daughter Paula. I really like his portraits as they seem to inspired by portraits of monarchs. I like the stone cold expression which ties well with the black background, however the blue and white creates contrast. This contrast emphasises the colour. This black background also gives an eery feeling to the photographs that are also portrayed through the lack of emotions on the subjects face. The image is framed very simply, with the subject being centred in the middle of the frame to make it the focus. The formal elements in this photo is that there is a lot of contrast and, with the objects on the to head contrasting with the black background and the skin tone too. There isn't many lines and textures which creates a simple composition as it's simply the subject and a few other formal elements. This relates to my project as it is unusual portraiture with someone who has a bag over their head. The image is not manipulated in any way.
This is an unusual portrait by Hendrik Kerstens, a Dutch photographer. This is a simply composed image of a subject against a black background. The subject is in the centre of the frame and has what looks like a white tablecloth on top of her head and this is the unusual aspect of the photograph. Your eye is immediately drawn to the subject as there is nothing else to really look it. Our eyes are not naturally drawn to the backdrop as there is simple nothing there, and the white of the skin and cloth all stand in contrast to draw our attention and focus. The colours are very dull and her skin is very pale giving an almost ghostly feel to the photograph that is both eery and captivating. There are not many patterns and the texture is only the roughness and coldness in the skin.
The overall mood of the painting is a very cold one, the cold, ghostly tone of the images and the deathly stare of the subject all add up to make a very eery image. It also makes me curious to know more about the subject and the context. |
Lucas Simöes -
I really like his work as it is abstract and highly conceptual. I also like how, in the photo, by way of how he obscures the subject, being the face, it can portray or embody a different emotion. For example, the third one feels very lucid and liquid to me, however, the first feels more cold and evokes more of a sharp, painful emotion. What inspires me most about the work is the way the artist can show emotion through varying his techniques and how he can abstract/obscure the face. I planned on responding by using either digital methods, such as Photoshop or Illustrator, however, I'm under the impression that they have done this by hand, but I believe that I have nor the technical skills or the expertise to know how to conduct myself to get a response like that of Simöes. I feel like one way I could experiment with to distort the face is through water, this is as water can aid distorting light and this will help me find a non-digital way of doing it.
This is a unusual portrait by Lucas Simöes. This is my personal favourite photography by Simöes. It depicts something recognisable, a human however, it's been heavily distorted to remove the recognisability to the facial characteristics. You can't immediately identify the mood of the subject due to the distorted nature. Your eye isn't immediately drawn to anything in particular. The different layers and heights in the image form different types of textures and you can't immediately focus on anything in particular, like the eyes or the mouth as they aren't visible. The shapes in the image are rounded and are all layered at different depths. The different tones are created by the way light acts on the varying depths of the image. In the original we may not have darker areas, however with the distortion and depths we get darker areas where we wouldn't naturally. The colours aren't exaggerated, however the reds and pinks of the lips are the colours that draw our attention. The different textures are formed by the different depths.
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Lucas Simöes Responses -
In these responses, I used the Polygonal Lasso Tool to cut out triangular fragments out of people's faces and I changed the positioning and orientation to create an usual image that is subtle. Through this I adjusted the positioning of the eyes and other facial features. I really like these responses as I achieved what I set out to do; a response to Simöes that isn't a copy of his work yet is directly and visibly influenced by his work
Alexander Mendelevich -
I really like Mendelevich's work as it is extremely unusual yet very simple. It portrays no emotion in particular but is very humorous and interesting to look at. The very simple compositions and palatable colours also add to the strangeness and it forces you to look at the subjects and whatever they are doing. For example, in the third photo the blue of the bowl is the only colour that stands out while the other colours are just very muted and simple, e.g the skin and the white walls. In the first one, we see a regular setting, in contrast to the demeanour of the woman who is in a helmet, a trench coat and underneath is barely clothed adding to the unusual aspects of the image. In the image in the middle, there's a man who is doing a strange facial expression next to a woman who is clinging onto the man. This is strange, yet like the third has a simple colour palette and a very simple composition. This to me adds to the unusual aspects as it treats it as normal. I'm going to experiment by creating weird scenes of my own, through weird poses and odd props.
Mendelvich Responses -
In these responses, I replicated Mendelvich's use of a simple background, with weird poses and strange expressions. In the one of Harkeerat, I began to experiment with a prop. One way that I could improve these is through more props and more unusual poses.
Mendelvich Responses (2) -
These are my responses to the unusual portraiture of Mendelvich. In my responses, I experimented with unusual poses, props and outfits to create an appropriate response to Mendelvich. One way that I made it my own work is through using setting that are more natural, than the white minimalist background in Mendelvich's work. I really like these responses as they are unusual and I like the colour palette in the images. I also refined these from my first as I used more props and outfits to make it more unusual.
Wolfgang Tillmans -
Wolfgang Tillmans is a photographer I admire very much. I chose this photographer as his portraiture relates to my theme of unusual portraiture. My personal favourite thing about his photography is that you in certain photos, you can't seem to tell wether they are staged or just a completely natural photo. I see these two sides blurred very well in the photo of Peter Saville, middle image, where there's a very natural setting and it seems to be a setting that he is accustomed too. Another one of my favourite aspects of his is the way he uses colour and specific colour palettes that create this image that is very easy to look at. In the first image, we see these muted reds and navy blues that all compliment each other.
This is my personal favourite photograph of Wolfgang Tillmans. This is a piece of portraiture by Tillmans. It is a simple composed image with the subject, person, being the focus of it. The subject has a very simple pose and is simply staring into the camera. To me it is a very blank expression and Tillmans doesn't seem to be trying to convey a particular emotion when taking the photo.
Your eye is drawn to the subject only, due to the simple background which is a cream and a muted reds that create a simple look. The only shape or form in the image is the outline of the human. The tones in the image are very muted. The colours are neither warm or cold and this creates a very dulled down tone rather than an extreme emotion on either side of the spectrum. For example, extreme happiness or sadness. Tillmans has used a simple colour palette of these muted reds and navies. The colours compliment each other too. The only patterns that are present are the stripes on the subject of the shirt. The overall mood is that this is simply a portrait, but is easy on the eyes. |
Responses to Tillmans -
These are my responses to the work of Wolfgang Tillmans. In my responses I tried to experiment with depth of field and angles and strange positioning. For example, I took a photo of someone behind a ladder or someone climbing up it. I tried to create a natural, yet posed feeling in homely or strange settings. I also muted and saturated the colours a bit, like the work of Tillmans. I also experimented with how the subject is standing or in this case, lying on the floor (last image). I tried to use very natural settings, like the work of Tillmans, and work with simple colour palettes, with neither bold nor dull colours, but more neutral colours that are natural or commonly seen. I also used weird facial expressions and poses to create a slight humour to my images. For example, in some images I made the subject strain their face or smile a bit over the top.
Initial Responses -
These are the first results of my first idea with the project of unusual portraiture. I used Photoshop to overlay images of Jett to create the result we see above. I purposely made it have a simple backdrop for the sole focus to be on the subject, Jett. I'm very pleased with these results and may use this idea in my final piece. In this I was exploring how I can blur the features of the face and how I can also show movement.
Second Response -
This is my second response to my project Unusual Portraiture. In this I experimented with using a projector to create these images. I used some previous work for the backdrops. I also experimented with shutter speed and text to create some visuals. This is my favourite of the two responses I have so far as in this I stretched myself and experimented. I like the way I played with movement and light. I'm very proud of the backdrops as they give a technological feel with the bright colours and the occasional static.
Second Response (Edits) -
In these re-edits I darkened the images and increased the contrast to make a more eery image. In the first image, I gained inspiration from the way you can reflect light and shape it around your subject. I really like how in the last image you can see the letters on the subject's eye which emphasises that it's there.
Final Experiment -
In this image, I layered two different images of Thanh. I really like this response as the colours are highly saturated and the facial features have been layered on top of each other. This creates almost movement in the image. I also like how the projections in the first image and the projections in the second have merged into each other to form the projection above.
Green Screen Response -
In this response, I experimented with the green screen, to create a different backdrop. In this one I purposely made movement apparent in certain areas to show the movement that is actually happening, for example, the brush, Harkeerat's head turning and then the jumping. In this response, I tried to make the most of what I had and it was a lot of experimenting to see what I could do with the camera.
'Leap Then Look' Responses -
In the workshop, we were told to change the way we take photos, vary the way we hold or use the camera or hold the camera at varying angles or strap it to a part of our body and record a video. I tried to disrupt the way we can interpret of view colour through the use of filters and flash. I used interesting textures and fabrics and played with the depth of focus to make the person in the back of the image, or the person in the rear, or the fabric. I enjoyed the workshop, it made me think about how I can vary the ways I use a camera, instead of the conventional way. With this new knowledge, I can experiment further and find new ways I can develop my photography and how I can think of a new idea or aesthetic. I can link this all back to my project of unusual portraiture as I can create more unusual responses.
In these portraits of Harkeerat, I experimented with how I can create unusual textures on Photograms as I find that one thing that holds back basic exposed photograms is the lack of the third dimension. I like how the space in between the areas of the net creates a gradient which helps show depth and shadow.
Photo Copier -
This is some more experimentation by using the photo copier. I really like these as the quality is poor and that adds to the look of it. The way the flesh is pushed up against the printer adds this feeling of being trapped inside of something that I really like. It's a very claustrophobic image. I like the methods that goes into these as it's fun to do and the responses are funny to look at also.
Half-Term Responses -
In my half term responses, I tried to respond to the work of Tillmans again and this time experiment with motion and movement to help portray a narrative or that something is happening. In the 5th photo, I tried to show an almost ghostly, surreal experience through motion. I also experimented with focus to not follow the regular conventions of a portrait and that the subject should always be in focus. I also tried to work with different colours of light and how I can use it and how it can vary the mood and atmosphere of the photo. For example, the blue creates a more dull mood than the aggressive red.
Thanh Eating a ____________ -
This is my video response to the topic of unusual portraiture. I tried to make an uncomfortable video that shows a basic human act in an odd way. The uncomfortable angles and zoom and the use of playing back the video in different direction makes a strange atmosphere. His stare, the way he dressed and the way he is conducting himself in an oddly formal video, all adds up to evoke an emotion that'll vary between person. I've improved from the first to the second one, by experimenting with clothing and the glasses and a stranger demeanour. This has made the emotion evoked stronger and this will effect the audience more.
Video Experimentation -
This is my third video response to the theme of 'Unusual Portraiture'. In this video I experimented with the colour of the light and how I can use the absence of light to create an eerie sense. I purposely tried to create this abstract video which I've left for the viewer to decide. However my own interpretation, is the gradual loss of your sense of reality and how I've made my subject appear insane. The red and weird demeanours all accumulate to create this feeling. I also feel the long periods of black and then the sudden appearance of the subject yet again all creates this sense of tension that helps create an odd viewing experience.
Favourites -
In the 'Unusual Portraiture' Project, I explored, with different techniques and methods, how I can create an unusual image while still following the conventions of a portrait. One of the main artists that I explored was the photographer Lucas Simöes. I discovered their work by browsing a Pinterest board that is about Unusual Portraiture. Through researching his work I have learnt about his techniques and processes and how he creates an unusual portrait. The way he creates an unusual portrait is through cutting out fragments and distorting certain areas of the face. He would then layer the different fragments, to create a morphed human face where we can't distinguish the facial characteristics. In response to Simöes, I had a go at cutting out fragments of my subjects faces. I did this experimentation on Photoshop, where I used the polygonal lasso tool to cut out triangles out of people's faces. I repeated this several times and layered the sections and adjusted them a few points off the original position. This distorted the face, however my responses are more subtle and not as immediately obvious as the others. Another artist that I researched was Alexander Mendelvich. Like many of the artist I research, I discovered his work browsing on Pinterest. His work caught my eye as his work is made unusual mainly through props, poses and expression. This is in stark contrast to the morphed and distorted work of Simöes. Through research and analysis of Mendelvich's work, I learnt his processes and techniques. In his work, we see one or more people placed in a simple backdrop, doing something unusual. For example, naked in a bucket, pulling a weird face or someone on the floor. In my initial response to Mendelvich, I made more of a direct response to his work, by using a simple white background and experimenting with poses and props. These responses, in my opinion aren't particularly strong as I've simply replicated his work more or less, rather than adding something of my own taste. I built on this and used this criticism and in my second response to Mendelvich, I incorporated some of the things I would have done. In my second response, I experimented more with props and pose. For example, I took some of my friends to pose in masks and trench coats while keeping a straight face. To me this added to the unusualness of the portraits, as I used natural settings and normal poses, while they are doing something strange or dressed in something strange.
During this project I have done a lot of experimentation, by trying different methods and techniques. One way that I experimented was through Photoshop. Through Photoshop, I made more images with varying aspects of distortion, wether it's the colours or the facial characteristics. Through this I made unusual portraiture as it would remove the recognisability of the face. Another way that I experimented was through video. For unusual portraiture, I made three videos. One of my videos I made was the 'Thanh eating a _____' videos. In this I experimented with demeanour and the way Thanh ate things to create an unusual video. For example, I made Thanh eat a sandwich with a knife and work or eat a watermelon in an oddly coloured shirt and sunglasses. I developed this idea as after the first video, I realised that I could make it more unusual, so then I added things to make it more unusual. For example, the sunglasses and gloves in the second video. Another way that I experimented was through using a projector. With the projector, I would project a pattern or text onto the subjects face. For the projections, I used some of my older work from 'Abstraction' for the backdrops. I used a lot of my glitch work and projected it. I really like these responses as the way the projections form around the face is very interesting to me.
For my final pieces, I have created two final outcomes. One of my final outcomes is a book, documenting my unusual portraiture. In the book, I chose to lay out my work very neatly and organised. I added information about the image next to it, such as the date and the title of the book. While I like this book, it's not very unusual. Since the work in the book is slightly older, the work is not as unusual as my responses closer to the deadline. This is as my understanding for what an unusual portraiture was has grown. For my second outcome, I made an Unusual Portraiture mount, where I placed my work layered with a backdrop. In this mount I used my Lucas Simöes responses and my Mendelvich responses. These in my opinion are the best images I made and while I feel the book was well made and well designed, it did not capture Unusual Portraiture for me. Whereas for the images on my mount, they are subtly unusual which is what I am striving for.
In conclusion, this personal project was a fun and interesting exploration of portraiture. My favourite responses, were my second responses to Mendelvich. In these responses, I successfully created an unusual portrait through incorporating some aspects of an artist I researched, yet I incorporated some of my own ideas.
During this project I have done a lot of experimentation, by trying different methods and techniques. One way that I experimented was through Photoshop. Through Photoshop, I made more images with varying aspects of distortion, wether it's the colours or the facial characteristics. Through this I made unusual portraiture as it would remove the recognisability of the face. Another way that I experimented was through video. For unusual portraiture, I made three videos. One of my videos I made was the 'Thanh eating a _____' videos. In this I experimented with demeanour and the way Thanh ate things to create an unusual video. For example, I made Thanh eat a sandwich with a knife and work or eat a watermelon in an oddly coloured shirt and sunglasses. I developed this idea as after the first video, I realised that I could make it more unusual, so then I added things to make it more unusual. For example, the sunglasses and gloves in the second video. Another way that I experimented was through using a projector. With the projector, I would project a pattern or text onto the subjects face. For the projections, I used some of my older work from 'Abstraction' for the backdrops. I used a lot of my glitch work and projected it. I really like these responses as the way the projections form around the face is very interesting to me.
For my final pieces, I have created two final outcomes. One of my final outcomes is a book, documenting my unusual portraiture. In the book, I chose to lay out my work very neatly and organised. I added information about the image next to it, such as the date and the title of the book. While I like this book, it's not very unusual. Since the work in the book is slightly older, the work is not as unusual as my responses closer to the deadline. This is as my understanding for what an unusual portraiture was has grown. For my second outcome, I made an Unusual Portraiture mount, where I placed my work layered with a backdrop. In this mount I used my Lucas Simöes responses and my Mendelvich responses. These in my opinion are the best images I made and while I feel the book was well made and well designed, it did not capture Unusual Portraiture for me. Whereas for the images on my mount, they are subtly unusual which is what I am striving for.
In conclusion, this personal project was a fun and interesting exploration of portraiture. My favourite responses, were my second responses to Mendelvich. In these responses, I successfully created an unusual portrait through incorporating some aspects of an artist I researched, yet I incorporated some of my own ideas.