Evaluation

For this unit I have photographed portraits and used physical manipulation to make new images. These images will be used as postcards which act as the souvenirs of my project. It is a study as to how a portrait can be used in different ways and still be distinguished as a photograph.

At first I simply wanted to use black and white images and use ink or paint to colour the image. After a visit from Luke Waller I thought that monoprinting was the method to take because I really liked the style of his image. However after giving monoprinting a go I realised that it wasn't the right method to use. It was then that I was recommended to use screen printing just like Andy Warhol.

I have used a lot of equipment to complete this project. To just take the images I used an Olympus trip 35 and Bronica ETRS; the lighting was a bowens ceiling mounted lighting set with soft boxes. Since as I was using black and white film; I was using the developer, stop and fix for black and white film. To create the mono prints I had to use a board, roller and ink. Finally to make the screen print I used the printers to print and copy onto acetate, the screen, light sensitive emulsion, the light box, paint scraper and the paint.

I think the main difficulty of this unit was the time scale I had when I was actually able to start producing physical prints with the mono printing. I don't think I had enough time to experiment with screen printing, however this is something that I will continue.

One practitioner that influenced a lot of my work is Andy Warhol. The style of image production and composition is highly influential. However I have switched the colours and the black and white the opposite way around. I have also used a similar idea to how he displays his images by using multiple images in an organised shape. Another influence is Karl Lagerfeld who uses simplistic portraits, these simplistic images allows me to work with and add colour very easily. 

I am very pleased with the outcome considering the little experimentation I was able to have with screen printing. I feel that I have created a set of very strong images and researched relevant practitioners for the techniques and style in which I have photographed.

Third Shoot

35mm

 Here are the best images from this roll with only simply edits like crop and levels in an adjustment layer.

Medium format

All of these images show strong contrast and a lot of detail. However sometimes the shirt is blending in with the background due to being the same tone. I think if I have time to shoot again I am going to use a dark backdrop which will define the model better.

Screen Printing

Screen printing is a method of print making. Using paints and a screen which a pattern has been exposed on to, you can slide paint across the top and through to create the image.

First I printed my image onto an A4 sheet of paper, postcard size in black and white.

This is the original template which will be flipped in the next step of the process.

 I then photo copied that image onto a piece of acetate which was then given to a technician at my college who helped my with the making of the screen. Similar to creating a photogram we used a light sensitive liquid and the acetate, the dark areas of the acetate meant that light didn't get through to the paint so it could be washed off at a later time with water.

I can now use this screen multiple times to create multiple prints with different colours on any flat surface. First create a line of paint above the image and using the slider; slide the paint down over the image, lift the slider, spin it around and slide it back over the image to the starting point. You can then lift the screen and the print will be on the surface.

I am going to start simply by using black paint and the whole template.

 Some detail is lost using this method however it has a very rough look and I can still tell what the image is meant to be of. I am going to jump straight into blocking of certain areas of the screen now in order to create a style similar to that of Andy Warhol.

First I started with the purple of the shirt which was very effective considering the original darkness of the shirt. I then moved on to the orange of the face. I covered the hair so it wouldn't get coloured; however I forgot to cover the shirt. Not realising this till afterwards I only dragged the paint half way across the image which is enough for just the face, which explains the curved line across the middle. However I think this works really well, especially as they don't match up completely and there is an orange outline. Everything but the hair was then covered and I finished it with the blue paint.

I was also offered a piece of semi transparent paper by a tutor to try it on.

The image is of similar quality to the normal paper that I have used; however the paint seems to be a lot thicker. This might be because of the papers plastic feel which prevents some of the paint being absorbed. I was going to try another print over the top of the image although I think that due to the density of the paints it would simply cover the pink, hiding it.

Second Shoot

I wanted to try the same style again however I want to see how it would work if the model wore a lighter or even white shirt.

 

None of these images met my expectations. This is because I forgot to set the aperture correctly on Olympus Trip 35,  instead of being on f16 it was still on auto. Therefore the images are all too dark and there is a minimal amount of contrast; making the images look very flat. I will have to try this again however I think I may also shoot medium format film as well to see if I can get any better results.

Karl Lagerfeld

Born 1933; Lagerfeld was the son of a wealthy German businessman. The wealth his farther had allowed him to study in Paris at the age of just 14 and become an artist as well as designer. Since his 30's he has been taking part in prestigious competitions and worked for many top designer brands like Chloe and Vogue. He also used his own fashion and style to produce his own label which he eventually sold but kept all design control of.

The model in this image is Abbey Lee, one of the most sort after models of the fashion industry. With recent work being completed for the likes of Hugo Boss and Gucci. To me this image feels like Lagerfeld is trying to make Lee look fragile and delicate. A lot like a china doll. Her bleach blond hair is decorated with an array of flowers and translucent materials. Gold has been used as the main jewellery material probably to match the hair and similar pale yellow tone of her skin. The reds and purples used for the lipstick also matches other areas of the image including the cloth she is wrapping herself in and dark tones of the eyeshadow used. 

I think that Lagerfeld has used two lights to create this image. It looks like a snoot was used on the light for the background due to the gradual fading in tone outwards from the centre of the dense area. I also think that he has used a form of flash ring that has created two clear lines down the face and their reflection is visible in the models eyes.

 

            

 

Lagerfeld has made his own fashion/style into a brand. He uses his name, face and distinct blacked out glasses as the label for his designs, many know who he is and his work because of the massive amount of unique branding. All of these images shows how he would normally dress: the sunglasses, white hair in a pony tail, high white collar, dark suit, jewellery on the tie or necklace and finally the gloves. Lagerfeld has also created extra areas on his website which publicises his lifestyle. Karlism is an area where himself or assistants would post sayings/quotes from him. There is also an area called The Karl Daily which to my understanding is a newspaper that is about Lagerfeld, his latest designs and stories that is of interest to him and his brand.

This might be something that I can think about, using repetitive imagery to communicate awareness of a style or brand, maybe even create a brand. I would then have to think about typography and what the brand would be. I would also have to consider what the continuous theme would be since as I wanted to experiment with different colours and styles.

Initial ideals

When I first heard that I would have to make postcards I came to the conclusion that I would have to take landscape images. However this turned out to just be the final image format and souvenirs was the real theme. The tourist shops in cities like London came to mind straight away. As the true meaning of souvenirs and examples of postcards were shown I saw images that used block colours in specific places of the image. I wonder if I can use block colours to excite portraits. 

That actually makes me think of Warhol's Marilyn Monroe images using consistancy and defined colour to define the image. An illustrator names Luke Weller recently came to give a talk and explained how he uses mono printing to give a rustic and rough look to what would have been a boring block colour. Maybe this is something that I could look into. 

I feel that still life would be too easy to achieve because the objects and the lighting is fully adjustable however controlling a model is a lot harder especially if I am working alone because I have to get the model right and adjust the lighting to match that position all myself. I find this challenging and that's why I enjoy taking fashion and organised portraits. Initial thoughts lead to taking black and white film photographs and then using prints, ink, paint etc to manipulate the image. This could possible change the whole image entirely. 

The shaded areas are there to show the use of colour or manipulation. Possible shapes and different uses/positions of the colours.