My first idea for this project was to explore the mental risk in Self-portraiture in Isolation, and as a starting point I wanted to use a series of self-portrait photographs I took a couple of years ago. For me there is vulnerability in them, and at the same time there is confrontation with the viewer as a response to the intrusion, a kind of self-protection act.
I did some research on the work of Ligna group - Radio Ballet, where they broadcasted various instructions for the audience to do certain gestures in places where they wouldn’t normally do those gestures. I adapted the idea to doing gestures with my body body in unexpected places, starting the experiment with a series of self-portraits in the alleyway at the side of my house, changing lighting colours and changing poses to try to create unusual gestures with my body and using a colour-changing lamp so I could see which looked better.
I also took some photos indoors to see the contrast between the photos outside and the photos inside.
And I also experimented with an outdoor Christmas lamp which projects a flashing laser beam, though that didn’t work well as I wore black and you can barely see my body in the photographs. It was an interesting experiment however, so I’ll try again, with the lamp in different positions, including behind me, to see how I can be seen better in the pictures.
Reflection on the task and on Group Crits
I’m not sure if the outcome really fulfils the brief of ‘Risk’, but It was interesting to hear the feedback from the group.
It was said that the work had a sense of isolation and the character of a moment frozen in time, which I agree. Also, that the cinematic feel of the work came across very well, which I think was achieved by the effort I made with the lighting. This was in fact my main difficulty with the project, because of the cold, wet weather, and because I only had a small time-window to take the photographs. I wanted a combination of natural light and artificial light for the effect I was aiming for, and at this time of year that meant from 16:15 to 17:00 for the full process – including setting up my camara, tripod and the lighting, experimenting and developing the poses, and taking the pictures – before it got too dark for my camara to focus well enough to take the pictures.
The space between – Looking at the photographs, some with the gate open and some with it closed, side by side by side, the space stands out very effectively. The photos work well together, there is a sense of escape or of being trapped in them. Although individually the ones with the gate closed are more intriguing, with a sense of an unknown location in suburbia in them, giving a scarier feel, the ones with the gate open reveal a nice neighbourhood - which I agree.
Also the most effective photo was the one bellow as there is a sense of an unknown danger on it. which I also agree.
It was suggested that I should think about bringing other people into the work, which I’ll consider when we are out of lockdown. They suggested l continue with the idea of a domestic location, which I like, and I’ll develop the project further. I will however wait until the weather gets better as it was very hard to take the pictures lying on the ground in freezing cold weather.