Choose a topic that interests you and produce a small portfolio of five colour images in a surrealist style. Share your portfolio with the OCA communities in OCA/student and ask fellow students to comment. (Open College of the Arts, 2014:66).
These were the images that I shared with my peers, they are all personal images that I already had; but I’ve brought them together as I thought they were all surreal to varying extents and was interested to see what others thought:
These are the comments that I received:
Consenus was that images 1 and 4 though good shot s are the least surreal.
Image 2 and 5 were found to be surreal to a degree and humorous
Opinion was varied on image 2
My conclusion is that context ahs something to do with surreality. Image 3 was thought by all to be surreal but because I know the context it seems the least surreal to me!
Read the article ‘Seeing and Believing’, written by Max Houghton for Foto8. Core resources: Foto8#4.3_SeeingBelieving.pdf
Select two bodies of work from Eight Ways to Change the World that show different conceptual and visual styles and write a short reflective commentary in your learning log. Both bodies of work should be in colour. Discuss aspects like information, aesthetics and expression. Core resources: Panos8ways.pdf(Open College of the Arts, 2014:64)
Ami Vitale
Her work shows us various types of maternity care for tribal women. The work highlights the increasing but still lack of medical birthing help for tribal women; the decreasing but still high percentage of maternal deaths and the reliance on traditional birth attendants. The images are centred around the mothers and new-borns which are represented in a variety of ways from the romantic “Madonna” style to the more hard hitting factual. I am particularly drawn to the image of the new-born baby and mother by paraffin lamp with the umbilical cord still attached also the image of the mother birthing a breech birth. Both these images are full of emotion but are contrasting. In the image of the birthing woman the hands around and on her indicate the care and concern around her; in contrast the image of the mother who has given birth at home emits serenity.
(Houghton, 2005)
(Houghton, 2005)
The work of Dieter Telemans is completely different. His subject matter is the collection of water from wells, either for domestic use or for sale by the 20-litre barrel. He highlights the danger and hard work in this work mostly done by women and children, hauling water from deep wells and carrying it distances to home.
What struck me initially was the varied perspective he uses in this work; it does seem to be used to emphasise the message in each image, in this first one the difficulty in carrying the water and water lost along the way, and the second the precariousness when hauling water out of the deep wells.
(Houghton, 2005)
(Houghton, 2005)
Of these two works Ami Vitale’s offer more of a view of people transitioning from traditional methods to safer medicalised pathways; whilst Teleman’s seems to focus more on their current hardships. Both works do show how work can have a gravitas whilst not being in the traditional black and white documentary style and that in fact colour enhances their message.
I don’t normally post my documentary journal in this thread, however as it has been a while since I finished assignment 2 and am now going to post Part 3 and assignment 3 and I thought it would be good to show the context I have been working in over this time:
28.10.20
I have been finishing the coursework intensely the past couple of weeks, between funeral planning and beginning probate work, and grief.
Today I’ve had an e mail from OCA telling me that my tutor will need to be replaced; this sent me into a spin as I’ve not heard from the course director who I ws advised to write to to explain my circumstances and request some breathing space. I hope to have a dialogue with student support today. My intention is to press on now to meet my end of this course deadline, but with all I’ve been through the past few months and now probate, selling and clearing my mother’s house and facing a final house move from Hampshire to Pembrokeshire in December myself, I think if I don’t have a lifeline of some extra time I may self combust!
I would like to continue from Part 3 and Assignment 3 in a manner in which I can enjoy what I’m doing.
20.10.20
Back at last. Its been a very difficult few months. Subsequent to submitting my assignment moved house to Wales and my Husband has also been in and out of hospital. Just when I thought things were settling down my Mother (in England) was taken ill, so I rushed back and was there for a few weeks; she subsequently died.
I am now back in Pembrokeshire and hope to get going again. I did contact the OCA to see whether I could take time out if needed but have not had a response. I would rather try to get back on track so I’ll try to carry on and catch up. Throughout this period I have been working on assignment 3, joining in with forums and study days and sharing work and ideas. I have attended many virtual events, it is just that its been rather stop/start and that my coursework came to a halt towards the end.
Onwards and upwards!
10.8.20
I submitted my assignment on 6th July and I’ve had my feedback (24th July) which is useful and incisive. In the last month I’ve moved house and studying and photography has had to stop, but I hoping to be able to start again this week.
Photography 2: Documentary 