When I first began this module I was extremely lost on the direction I wanted to take with it. The first idea I had was to focus on the weird. I decided that I would do a mind map focusing on the word weird, and I came up with a few different ideas from that.
Although there were many different paths I could go down I decided that I would look into horror and the use of masks.
I began looking into the history of masks and photography, looking at artist Ralph Eugene Meatyard and his work "The family Album of Lucybelle Crater". Then began looking at how masks are used in cinema. When thinking of horror movies my mind jumps straight to books from Stephen King. With works like The Shining, IT, Carrie and Pet Semetary coming to mind. From here I decided upon my first test shoot. I bought a pig mask from a fancy dress shop in plymouth and sorted out getting myself a model and a location. I learned alot from my first shoot as although I liked the images they did not quite fit the image I had in my head.
Initially I wanted to use masks to create a still from a horror or thriller movie, this is where the inspiration from Gregory Crewdson came from. I was inspired by his devotion and precise ways of working. Therefore I decided exactly what I wanted to do for my second shoot. I began by looking at models and costumes. This time I decided that I would use a male model wearing smart attire. I then moved onto finding a location I wanted to shoot in, this was extremely difficult. Finding somewhere that fitted my scene and being able to incorporate using my drone as part of my moving image piece was challenging. Just finding somewhere I was allowed to use my drone was a nightmare. Finally deciding that I needed to travel a little further out I decided on Bodmin Moor. I had to be extremely careful with how I flew my drone as there were many factors to consider, wind, obstructions and limitations of a small drone in the middle of nowhere.
Although rewarding I felt there was just something missing from my work, it didn't feel very original.
Consequently I decided that I would go down a different route all together. Still using the theme of masks and horror I started looking at alternatives. In a one to one tutorial I was told that one of my shots at Bodmin Moor reminded them of a Gainsborough painting. This stuck in my head as a possibility I could somehow look into. Closely after this I had a GCOP100 lesson where I was reminded of the work of Tom Hunter and immediately decided that I would recreate a famous painting in his style. The painting I decided upon was Whistler's Mother, a famous oil painting from 1871. I chose to use a rabbit mask for this piece as when researching masks I found that the history of the rabbit was more interesting than most. In China, it is one of the astrological animals and linked too good fortune and the moon. People born under Rabbits sign are believed to be artistic and sensitive. The Rabbit is also linked with the goddess Hecate. In some Native American traditions Rabbit is known as the Fear Caller, due to it projecting its fear of those wishing to eat it, and thereby attracting the predators it fears.
I really liked the outcome of the image however again it didn't feel very original. I then had the idea of editing my mask into the painting itself. I felt as though this was a path I could carry on down. From there I researched into famous paintings and chose a selection that I thought I could edit easily, but that also worked well together. I wanted also the images to be broad and not be from the same period. These were the final images I narrowed down.
I then began the process of taking photographs of the rabbit mask in many different angles so I could fit them to the paintings above. These are my final images.
When researching book ideas I wasn’t sure where to start. I remembered having a workshop with a tech from illustration, who demonstrated for us different types of stitchings we could use if we wanted to make our book by hand, I found this very useful.
I found it difficult trying to find the right type of book that would fit around my idea. I also had difficulty my book being so few pages. I then decided upon making the book myself. I wanted it to have a handmade feel, like how an artist has a sketchbook.
There were a few companies that I looked at to get paper printed from however I decided that I would go for a company called Doxzoo where I ordered a booklet which had the paper type and feel I liked. This was the process of how I made the book.
Overall, I am happy with how this project turned out, I feel as though making the book myself added a real personal touch and made it more unique. I have learnt many things over this module, mainly time keeping. This was extremely difficult when needing to have my final images printed over the christmas period. I managed to order early so that I could make a few books for practice, this was a relief as the first print came back with a spelling mistake. Stitching and binding the book in leather was more challenging than I originally thought so I am glad I could also have a few attempts at making that.
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