Transformations – Unit 1: Pt 2 Research Commences

Where to start?

My first task is to  research artists who have used ‘transformation’ within their work. By analysing the way materials & techniques have been used I will build on this & utilise it in my own practice throughout this particular project.

As Zig pointed out (again!) it’s difficult to come up with something totally unique & uninfluenced by others. By researching, studying, analysing, adapting & crediting others’ work, this will enable me to develop my particular style, what I produce & how I create it. There’s no point churning out a poor copy of somebody else’s work of which you aren’t aware.

The suggested photographers for research are:

  • Cindy Sherman
  • Gregory Crewdson
  • Duane Michals (Study of Holograms series)
  • Sam Taylor-Woods
  • Francesca Woodman
  • William Eggleston
  • Wolfgang Tillmans
  • Sarah Moon
  • Bernd & Hilla Becher
  • Joel Sternfeld
  • Arno Rafael Minkkinen
  • Nick Waplington
  • Martin Parr

The fine artists suggested are:

  • Claes Oldenburg
  • Anish Kapoor
  • Andy Goldsworth
  • Henry Moore

Some of the above I’ve previously researched, such as Cindy Sherman, William Eggleston, Bernd & Hilla Becher & Martin Parr, so I thought I’d look at some of the less-familiar ones.

Wolfgang Tillmans

While going through the names, the one which first jumped out at me was Wolfgang Tillmans.

Tillmans is a German fine-art photographer (born 1968). His work ranges from portraits, magazine covers, still lifes, sky photographs, astrophotography, aerial shots & landscapes

However, it was abstractions that caught my creative eye. These collections of images reflect the reaction of the photographic paper to light, as well as mechanical and chemical processes.

The ones I really liked were from the series ‘Blushes’. These are a collection of images featuring fine, delicate fluid threads which could almost be moving & swirling over the paper.

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Sarah Moon

Sarah Moon (born Marielle Warin in 1941) is a photographer who originally started her career as a model. Looking at her work, there is a lovely feel to Sarah’s images. Again, the ones that jumped out while looking at her work were the ones with sensuality, movement & trees.

Interestingly, the last one featured here was billed as a ‘homage to Rackham’.

Arthur Rackham (19 September 1867 – 6 September 1939) was an English book illustrator. I’m very familiar with his work, having read the books he illustrated as a child. Looking at his work, one can see why.

 

Anish Kapoor Untitled 1986 Anish Kapoor born 1954 Presented by the Weltkunst Foundation 1988 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/T05491

Lastly, I looked at the work of Anish Kapoor (born 12 March 1954) is a British sculptor.

I initially liked Kapoor’s images, but the one that made me go ‘wow’ is Descension. This is a continuously spiralling funnel of dark water with a 26 foot diameter. The swirling black-dyed water represents the destabilisation of the physical world, one of Kapoor’s standing interests & themes within his work.

Not only is it visually mesmerising, the sound of the water itself darkly gurgling is quite disturbing.

That’s the first bit of research delved into. I have to admit that the idea of transforming movement is starting to prick at my brain. Time for a bit of reflection & retrospection…

Tasks 1 & 2

 

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