At the start of the week, I decided I needed to make an effort to find out more about self-learning with regards to my soldered, glass photo box, and bookbinding. I have called so many times both the Creative Glass Guild and the bookmaking workshop provider but still, no definite dates confirmed for the workshops. I've managed to find some great online tutorials along with what looks like a couple of very informative books that are currently on order. My glass and solder are expected for delivery sometime next week, I'd hoped to have the box created in time for the webinar on June the 25th but that doesn't look likely given the lack of staff they have at the distribution center.
In the meantime, I have decided I really like the idea of creating a small book in the style of Ed Ruscha. I enjoyed the task at the start of the module and as part of an experiment, I would quite like to create a book for each module as a keepsake reminder of my time studying at Falmouth. I've found a great company online that has paper and a style I love. They are a provider of photobooks and paperback books at a reasonable price, I have one of their books here in my studio and look forward to creating more over the coming year or so. The books are made using 100% recycled interior pages and 120 lb matte, textured cover stock. I will need to source a glassine dust jacket myself to protect the matt paper finish from damage and dust.
I have been giving a lot of thought to my FMP and need to investigate print methods using translucent papers or maybe acetone transfers onto silk fabric. I just need to experiment with some different techniques and assess the outcome. It should be a fun few weeks!
I have been giving a lot of thought to my FMP and need to investigate print methods using translucent papers or maybe acetone transfers onto silk fabric. I just need to experiment with some different techniques and assess the outcome. Should be a fun few weeks!
the start of week three
Terms such as participatory, collective, cooperative, and collaborative are often used interchangeably when talking about methods or methodologies. For this task, please provide an example from your own practice or elsewhere that conveys your understanding of these terms. Remember to cite where necessary.
Collaboration or participation?
An important part of my current practice is the voluntary time to photograph babies who have been born sleeping. I am unsure if you could describe this as collaboration or more of cooperation. Having researched the difference between the two its a difficult decision or maybe my work falls under both categories.
What is collaboration?
First, let’s define collaboration. Collaboration is when a group of people come together and work on a project in support of a shared objective, outcome, or mission. It’s a photographer working with a designer to create a cover image, or the technology department working with the marketing team to improve their customer journey.
Here’s an example:
You and I work in different departments. You’re the lead developer on the tech team and I’m a senior product designer. We get together to discuss the product we’re working on and decide together that we need to make it more efficient for our users. This is our shared vision for the product. Together we design and implement a major change to the product that accomplishes this. In this respect, we’re co-authors of this particular project. We share credit.
What is cooperation?
On the other hand, cooperation is when a group of people works in support of another’s goals. It’s a teammate helping you put together your presentation. Or a developer helping explain how to word the technical details in your monthly product email.
The key point to note here is that there isn’t really a shared vision. Collaboration implies shared ownership and interest in a specific outcome. If you and I collaborate on a project, we have shared authorship. Cooperation, on the other hand, could just mean that you've given me help on something I'm working on and that I'm ultimately responsible for.
With this work you have to remember that the owner is equally the family as it is me, I go into the situation knowing this would be the outcome. Images can sometimes be edited by another volunteer but they know the outcome desired by me as a photographer and the parents. To enable parents to view an image of their baby without being left horrified. Babies are edited in such a way to flatter the appearance should any deterioration have already occurred, it's my job to ensure that photographs are capturing every tiny detail and also to allow the family to look at these images in years to come and be drawn back to the emotion of the event and allow these images to help with the grieving process. The objective of myself as a photographer, the editor, the midwives, and the health team along with any counseling groups required in the near future are all the same, to help the families with the healing process. We are all working towards the same shared objective so I guess it could be seen as both a collaboration and a cooperative
Over the past few weeks, I have been in contact with an art psychotherapist who provides perinatal mental health support to mothers having experienced infant loss. I have requested taking part in several workshops where the women will stay anonymous. My aim is to photograph their artwork which has been created using objects that relate to how they feel about themselves, this could be anything from a creation they've been working on for several weeks to a piece of rubbish that's been found on the street. along with their words relating to how they currently or have been feeling which will be mixed into the image. From my experience, I can imagine these parents want to share their story along with building a friendship group and connecting with others experiencing the same grief and heartbreak. This will be a collaboration of artwork from a group of women where I will be photographing and documenting this time in life for them as a memory of the journey they've been on, experiencing the worst days of their lives coupled with so much love for a baby they will never have again.
Some people think that to contemplate such photos is morbid and will make the bereaved parents sad, but they misunderstand; love is a two-edged sword, but looking at the loved ones only releases the sadness that is trapped within. It is a wound that heals, because it is, at the same time, a celebration of the one you love.
It is proof that they existed and that they mattered– no, it is proof that they still exist and still matter!
Moreover, these pictures help make your baby more real for their siblings who came before them or may come after. Their lost sibling is no mere idea or vague memory, but a person whose picture they have seen many times–always a part of the family.
I had chance to read through some posts from other students and couldnt help but have passion towards the issues that Laurence had discussed. His comments and my reply are shared here for you to read.
Laurence Cawley
'This next of one of artist Elsa James, was a collaboration because it was our shared and negotiated response to a white man's (me) attempt to see a black woman (her). (I had been shocked to learn how miasmic racism could be - how whenever she shops she always demands a receipt in case she is later accused of theft, how she is often followed around shops by store detectives, how the seat left next to her one a train or bus is often the last one filled. All aspects of her life of which I had no idea).'
Louise Fullbrook
'I can totally relate to the issues surrounding covert racism which is a huge problem even in Bristol where we are seen as such a multicultural city. I am married to a man who's great grandfather was a slave trader, a father from Ireland, and another grandparent from India. His mother was sent to the UK at just 13 years old from Barbados. Our daughter has been sent to a school which we selected based on the surrounding area and a desire for her to grow up oblivious to the fact that she or her family are any different, in her eyes, we are all just people. I love that her first year at school, reception class had only two white Caucasian children with a mix of children with parents from all over the world, they had such varied names, she's never laughed at a name or a choice of clothing. To her, these are her friends, people are people, in her eye's there is one race, the human race, and I'm pleased to say my decision has worked out well. Of course, I'm not shielding her from the knowledge of history and her family or equally the issues of racism. She is only 8 years old and plenty of time to learn her family history but we do want for her to grow into a young adult without any views towards skin colour or have any prejudice against people from different backgrounds. My husband has been pulled over many times for driving a fancy company car, his white colleagues driving the same car have not been pulled over once, that speaks volumes about the police officers here in the UK, I remember an old family friend asked me why I couldn't find a nice white man to marry? I didn't speak for a while as I was gobsmacked, it had never occurred to me that he was black, he was just Gary who I loved'