David Hockney.
David Hockney, (born 9 July 1937) is an English painter, draughtsman, printmaker, stage designer and photographer. He lives in London and is an important contributor to the Pop Art movement of the 1960s. He is considered one of the most influential British artists of the 20th century.
Critical Analysis.
I chose this is image because I like how he has created this photo, it makes it interesting and makes the viewer think. The composition and shape of this photo is unique, I like the way he has taken many photos of the same scene and has put them together to create one large scene. I also like the scene he has used, it makes you feel as if you are actually stood there looking onto the street.
Shape, light and composition are the formal elements I think he has used. The photo clearly shows that he has thought of how he was going to take each individual photo so that they all fit together. |
He has also thought about the shape of the road, by using the bend it gives the photo more of a 3D look and makes the photo stand out. Hockney also thought about the lighting in his photo, he has a good contrast of light and dark in each image. This makes the whole photograph more balanced as a whole, one photo isn't really dark and one isn't to light.
In the early 1980s, Hockney began to produce photo collages which he called "joiners", first using Polaroid prints and commercially processed colour prints. Using Polaroid snaps or photolab-prints of a single subject, Hockney arranged a patchwork to make a composite image. An early photomontage was of his mother. Because the photographs are taken from different perspectives and at slightly different times, the result is work that has an affinity with cubism, one of Hockney's major aims—discussing the way human vision works. Some pieces are landscapes, others portraits.
Creation of the "joiners" occurred accidentally. He noticed in the late sixties that photographers were using cameras with wide-angle lenses. He did not like these photographs because they looked somewhat distorted. While working on a painting of a living room and terrace in Los Angeles, he took Polaroid shots of the living room and glued them together, not intending for them to be a composition on their own. On looking at the final composition, he realized it created a narrative, as if the viewer moved through the room. He began to work more with photography after this discovery and stopped painting for a while to exclusively pursue this new technique. Frustrated with the limitations of photography and its 'one eyed' approach.
In the early 1980s, Hockney began to produce photo collages which he called "joiners", first using Polaroid prints and commercially processed colour prints. Using Polaroid snaps or photolab-prints of a single subject, Hockney arranged a patchwork to make a composite image. An early photomontage was of his mother. Because the photographs are taken from different perspectives and at slightly different times, the result is work that has an affinity with cubism, one of Hockney's major aims—discussing the way human vision works. Some pieces are landscapes, others portraits.
Creation of the "joiners" occurred accidentally. He noticed in the late sixties that photographers were using cameras with wide-angle lenses. He did not like these photographs because they looked somewhat distorted. While working on a painting of a living room and terrace in Los Angeles, he took Polaroid shots of the living room and glued them together, not intending for them to be a composition on their own. On looking at the final composition, he realized it created a narrative, as if the viewer moved through the room. He began to work more with photography after this discovery and stopped painting for a while to exclusively pursue this new technique. Frustrated with the limitations of photography and its 'one eyed' approach.
My Attempt.
This is my attempt at a joiner. I choose a scene and took photos of the smaller details to make one big photograph.
Critique.
For my first attempt I feel as though this joiner went okay. However, If I was to do it again I would do it in better lighting, perhaps a more interesting scene, and take more photos.
Hockney Project-Statement of Intent.
David Hockney creates joiners because they create a narrative. He noticed that photographers in the late sixties were using cameras with wide angled lenses, he thought that the photos looked distorted, and didn't like the one-eyed approach. He says photography should be more like an art form, that more time should be spent analyzing the scene and taking the photo. Hockney said that you can look at the object you are photographing for four seconds, however the camera looks at it in less time than that. He likes creating joiners because it is one big photograph made up of lots of little ones, focusing on the smaller details. Joiners also allows him to create a sense of time and to create a story/meaning.
Some of my themes/ideas are nature, places, objects and people. Within each of these themes there is a broad range of ideas which I can photograph. For example for nature I have put down forests, rivers, plants and animals; and there are many points I can photograph within those categories as well. It allows me to explore and experiment with a wide choice.
Some of my themes/ideas are nature, places, objects and people. Within each of these themes there is a broad range of ideas which I can photograph. For example for nature I have put down forests, rivers, plants and animals; and there are many points I can photograph within those categories as well. It allows me to explore and experiment with a wide choice.
Narrative.
Narrative is the art, technique, or process of narrating, or of telling a story. It is a connected event.
in photography a narrative could be:
- favourite pass time
- a memory
- a birthday
in photography a narrative could be:
- favourite pass time
- a memory
- a birthday
My Inspiration.
For my project I want to recreate family/childhood photos. I like this style of photography because it links in with narrative and it clearly shows a story. I am going to pick out old photos and then try to recreate them with my family, however I am going to choose photos that hold a lot of meaning to me and my family.
The Luxton Brothers are my inspiration, they recreated family photos to make a calendar for their mum for Christmas, and the results were funny and held a lot of meaning for their mother.
The Luxton Brothers are my inspiration, they recreated family photos to make a calendar for their mum for Christmas, and the results were funny and held a lot of meaning for their mother.
Luxton Brothers Moodboard.
Mindmap For My Project.
Shoot 1.
Here is my photograph. I was trying to recreate photos or my brother from when he was younger to now. He has had a big impact on my family's life, and the comparison of the photos shows just how far he has come. Showing his story.
Critique.
WWW: I clearly showed narrative in my shoot and my photos have a strong meaning behind them. I have thought about the composition and shape of my photos, trying to recreate the same positions my brother was in when the original photographs where taken.
EBI: I had used a shallower depth of field so you can"t see anything in the background. Also if all my photos were in the same tone, because they would together better, and my presentation would look better.
My Next Steps: To continue experimenting with different techniques when taking my photos and to continue recreating family photos.
EBI: I had used a shallower depth of field so you can"t see anything in the background. Also if all my photos were in the same tone, because they would together better, and my presentation would look better.
My Next Steps: To continue experimenting with different techniques when taking my photos and to continue recreating family photos.
Shoot 2.
Critique.
WWW: The style and composition of my photographs have improved, and the recreational photos resemble the origional photo more.
EBI: The equipment e.g the watering can, had been the ones in the origional photos, and to try and get the distance at which I am taking the photo from more accurate.
My Next Steps: To recreate my photos from different places, not just in the house, and to take more of other people, for example my sister.
EBI: The equipment e.g the watering can, had been the ones in the origional photos, and to try and get the distance at which I am taking the photo from more accurate.
My Next Steps: To recreate my photos from different places, not just in the house, and to take more of other people, for example my sister.
Experiment.
I experimented with cutting and layering photos. Using photoshop I uploaded two photos that are from my page, and placed one on top of the other. Making sure that they are as closely lined up as they can be. Then using the marquee tool I vertically cut strips out of the top layer, trying to make them the same size and the same distance apart. After doing that I chose a third image and sandwiched it between my first and second layer. Then using the marquee tool again I cut out strips but going horizontally this time. Finally I edit the image by tweaking the contrast and levels of the image, being careful not to over edit.This technique makes you think harder about what the image could be, it makes the image more interesting.
Shoot 3.
Critique.
WWW: My photos show a passage of time, and how fast people can change. I have also taken a photo of my sister which shows an even bigger passage of time.
EBI: Some of my photos are faded/ a bit blurry, they could be more in focus.
My Next Steps: To think about the placement of the people I am taking pictures of, because my middle bottom photo has the window in the background, where as the origional didn't. Also to double check my photos are in focus.
EBI: Some of my photos are faded/ a bit blurry, they could be more in focus.
My Next Steps: To think about the placement of the people I am taking pictures of, because my middle bottom photo has the window in the background, where as the origional didn't. Also to double check my photos are in focus.
Shoot 4.
Critique.
WWW: The distance and angle of my photos are more accurate this time.
EBI: The backgrounds were as dark as the origional, on the left hand side the origional had a black background, where as my recreational photo has a white one. As well as that some of the facial expressions were not as accurate as my last shoot.
My Next Steps: To think more about the background, and to spend more time perfecting the facial expressions.
EBI: The backgrounds were as dark as the origional, on the left hand side the origional had a black background, where as my recreational photo has a white one. As well as that some of the facial expressions were not as accurate as my last shoot.
My Next Steps: To think more about the background, and to spend more time perfecting the facial expressions.
Shoot 5.
Critique.
WWW: The facial expressions were more accurate and the shape of the photos were. I also like how they are at different distances from the lense and are in different positions. I think it makes my work more interesting and helps to emphasise how much he has grown.
EBI: It would look better if I had managed to get him to look in the same direction each time. A couple of the photographs are slightly off. Also the photos are quite bright and I could have done with spending more time in photoshop to improve the quality.
My Next Steps: To capture the right angle ( composition ) and to spend more time in photoshop. Also I want to try and recreate photos in different locations, and with more than one person.
EBI: It would look better if I had managed to get him to look in the same direction each time. A couple of the photographs are slightly off. Also the photos are quite bright and I could have done with spending more time in photoshop to improve the quality.
My Next Steps: To capture the right angle ( composition ) and to spend more time in photoshop. Also I want to try and recreate photos in different locations, and with more than one person.
Shoot 6.
Critique.
I have experimented with a different way of presenting my work because the way I was presenting it before was a lot like how the Luxton Brothers had presented theirs. I wanted to create a slow transition because it emphasizes the change/difference of the photos more and I believe it works better. I used photoshop to fade out one photo and fade in the other, and then put all the photos together in one sequence as a slide show. However to improve on this way of presenting, I will experiment with the time it takes for each transition to happen and how each slide appears.
Shoot 7.
Critique.
WWW: The facial features are more aligned making the transitions more smooth, also there are more photos making the change longer giving the viewer more time to look, it also emphasizes the change.
EBI: The background had been the same colour, it starts of black and ends white and I think that it distracts the viewer from the person, and the small changes in each shoot.
My Next Steps: To recreate a photo making it as accurate as it can be, thinking about the background, the facial expressions, and making sure the facial features line up. I could also think about the clothing and objects trying to either use the same ones or to use ones similar.
EBI: The background had been the same colour, it starts of black and ends white and I think that it distracts the viewer from the person, and the small changes in each shoot.
My Next Steps: To recreate a photo making it as accurate as it can be, thinking about the background, the facial expressions, and making sure the facial features line up. I could also think about the clothing and objects trying to either use the same ones or to use ones similar.