stevenson.snaps

Daisuke Takakura is notorious for his clever use of cloning in his images casting the illusion of multiple versions of a model, although looking identical they all seem to vary personality wise.

The subtle interactions between the different versions of the model gives the image that little bit more liveliness to it and adds a bit more character to it.

In most images the blurry effect can be quite a nuisance however in this instance it helps give it a more “homemade” feel to it, by this I mean it makes the image feel like a group of friends taking some fun photos which is exactly what it depicts.

His work doesn’t seem like the generic “cloning yourself” into an image and that’s it, he makes them feel a lot more lively and almost personal.

This image is another great example as this image doesn’t look as though it’s been cloned, once again it feels like an image of just some friends having a good time. I really enjoy looking at his work as it has a different atmosphere to other clone photographers.

As I mentioned before, his use of subtle interactions in the images makes it so much more believable that there are multiple people in the image. Even down to minor details such as the various facial expressions or the person by the projector at the back of the theatre.

During an interview with IPA (International Photography Awards) he revealed he first discovered his passion for photography after he entered some competitions which took no notice of his work. He also disclosed the fact that he was inspired by American photographer Ryan McGinley. Daisuke said his work represents communication to himself as well as the numerous faces and capabilities humans have, he went on to add that it also shows the people who provoke him.

He later went to say in an interview with PetaPixel that he wanted to “harness the expressive power of theatre in still images” as although he is a photographer and a designer, he is also involved in theatre- something he enjoyed ever since he was young. The style/theme he uses is classed as “Monodramatic“.

Red House (2012)

Ryan Schude’s photography can tell numerous different stories which vary depending on where you look in the image. At first glance his piece “Red House” simply looks like two young girls sitting outside of a small house. However, once you take a closer you look you can see the two older figures looking as though they are in a heated argument, the child on the steps wears a bored expression but also seems transfixed on the object in her hand. The older girl has a bottle clutched in her hand whilst she stares off into space, clearly both girls seem accustomed to this behaviour.

The Saturn (2007)

This image  from his piece “The Saturn” also has many stories to be told, the first thing that caught my eye was the woman tossing a suitcase from the balcony. Below the balcony stands a man half dressed, to me that could be due to an argument or possibly something more serious. Further in the back is a figure sat alone almost spectating the couple’s argument up ahead. There’s a child who is simply sat on the pavement which could be the man’s child or she belongs to a different family who lives there.

Ryan Schude is known for his staged images, they all have different themes to them but all tell a story nonetheless. The way he lights up certain models shows he wants you to see them, not all are as obvious for example; the man on the first floor seems to be watching TV, the dim light from the screen is the only source of lighting on him but it still makes him visible.

Dream Nostalgia

Schude’s piece “Dream Nostalgia” personally, feels like it’s what he wishes his childhood was like. A beautiful house in a secluded area, the family seemingly enjoying themselves without a care in the world. However I believe everyone has that dream location in their head, or that wish that a certain time could have ended differently.

Jeff Wall produced his first backlit staged image in 1977, he experimented whilst an undergraduate at UBC. He later presented at his first exhibition in 1978 where he then had his piece “The Destroyed Room” in the front of the store.

The Destroyed Room (1978)

Picture For Women (1979)

Another piece of his, “Picture for Women” released in 1979, was considered one of his pieces to really kickstart his success, as well as “The Destroyed Room” which also became one of his recognised pieces. It’s quite an interesting piece as it seems rather simplistic; two figures within a rather bare setting of what looks to be some kind of studio. The room is practically empty besides the few desks and chairs. The woman appears to be wearing a serious look, almost in deep thoughts whereas the man; Jeff Wall seems to be watching something behind the camera. Art critic, Jed Perl described the image as his signature piece.

A Sudden Gust Of Wind (1993)

Jeff’s piece “A Sudden Gust Of Wind” was heavily influenced after Katsushika Hokusai’s piece “Yejiri Station, Province of Suruga” which was originally a woodblock print created in 1832. The image has several actors which had been cloned into the image to create the illusion of several people in the image.

Yejiri Station, Province of Suruga (1832)

Erwin Olaf first started his journey by documenting the nightlife during the 1980’s. Since then he has done a mixture of series; in black and white (squares, chessmen and blacks) as well as some in colour (rain, hope, mind of their own, dusk and dawn).

Olaf developed his theme after starting these series, where the image seemed average until you start to dissect it. For example, the image above seems like she is simply at a hairdresser’s however they both wear a look of deep concentration or possibly sadness. This then makes you question, do they know each other? Have they had an argument?

He has done commission work for big companies such as Louis Vuitton and Vogue.

This picture has quite a dull theme despite the yellows, but combining the yellow with the brown leaves the image with quite a bland theme. The two models within the room are quite tense; she’s looking away, almost avoiding eye contact with a brooding look whilst he looks at her. The door is left open which could mean she has only just entered the room meaning this was a quick interaction.

Following his common theme, it appears as though they have had some form of argument due to the serious look upon the woman’s face, whilst the man in the back seems to be lost in his thoughts. They could have been recovering from a previous fight and she is trying to convince herself to enter the room.

The majority of Erwin’s series involve similar lighting giving the series something to link them together. He mainly has quite dimmed lighting which gives the scene a darker feel to it.

Patrick Hughes is an artist who is renown for his optical illusions. The majority of his work consists of 3D surfaces where you can see different aspects of the artwork from different perspectives.

He had his first show at the Portal Gallery in London, 1961. Making it the first one-man show by a Pop Artist, a few years later he created two pieces ‘Infinity‘ and ‘Sticking-Out Room‘, two seminal reverse perspective pieces. During the 1970s his name was becoming recognised due to his unique pieces leaving people perplexed when looking at the optical illusions. A big part of some of his pieces are rainbows which gained popularity and became stamps but to Patrick, it had a somewhat of a sentimental meaning.

Infinity| Patrick Hughes 1976

The purpose of those confusing pieces is not to bemuse the viewer but to “experience unreality and the paradox of illusory space and movement“.

My initial idea for my final piece was to create something similar to his pieces as I thought it was an incredibly creative way to create art, although I am no longer planning to continue with that piece I still want to incorporate his style into my new piece. This is because I thought the 3D aspects of his pieces give the piece so much more depth and does allow viewers to stop and stare in astonishment as it is not something you usually expect.

In 1975 Patrick teamed up with George Brecht and collaborated on ‘Vicious Circles and Infinity, A Panoply of Paradoxes‘ the first book on the paradox sold 100,000 copies followed by being translated into Japanese, Spanish, German and Dutch.

During his younger years, Patrick found himself taking refuge within books to escape his problems. In his biography (found on his website) he says “A book is a way out, they are little doors – you open the hinged rectangle of the book and step out.” He continues by saying, “I escaped my suburban hell hole of an upbringing, through a book.”

The Institute for Contemporary Art invited 10 artists to take a room in 1970, Patrick Hughes was one of them. There he created a 12ft by 8ft sticking out room within that room, he met Angela Flowers later that year who was setting up her own gallery. She asked him to be the first artist to have a piece showcased in said gallery.

During the beginning of 1970 he spent his time painting rainbows which became largely popular; people believed them to be quite cheerful and uplifting but Patrick said “they were acts of subversion, visual puns“.

Szymon Roginski is a Polish photographer, he graduated in 2000 Artistic Photography Studies after studying there since 1999 . In 2005 he began a series he called “UFO” where he traveled to different locations and used artificial lighting to create an eery atmosphere.

He also did a series in which he turned his photography into geometric shapes, completely transforming them into something new. To do so, he manipulates the image by folding it until he gets the shape he wanted or the shape he feels suits the piece.

Although the image is slightly distorted, the detail remains intact and the image itself is still easy to make out.

In my opinion the two images can contrast each other, the first image almost looks as though there are boulders falling onto the person laying in the centre or they are trapped under them. The boulder-like shapes almost look as though they have just been thrown down onto them which can give a sense of heaviness almost like doubts and worries, which are weighing them down.

The boulders could represent their anxious thoughts; holding all their fears that seem to prevent them from continuing their life such as the fear of failing, failing their friends, family or even just failing themselves.

Whereas the other image is very carefully pieced together; the main focus being the model in the centre who looks almost at ease, so each piece of image stuck down can symbolise a part of their life falling into place. The missing pieces could be the parts of their life they have left in the past or had no choice but to leave it behind.

However on the other end of the spectrum, it could be the polar opposite and the pieces are being torn off almost like somebody mistreating them and it is slowly wearing them down but they don’t fight back, they just let it happen which only makes them prone to more of the abuse.

This image gives off a similar feeling as the image with the boulders, the pyramid shapes placed in such close positions makes it seem as though she is trapped, like she is held hostage as the spiked tips create the illusion that they are sharp. With her in the centre, it makes her the primary focus and also gives the sense that she is being held against her will.

On the other hand they could symbolise protection. Her facial expression seems cold rather than fearful, so on the contrary to my previous point those “spikes” could be protecting her from something or someone. Although, it also seems as though she is waiting for something as if she is completely aware of the inevitability of the danger but instead of fearing it she is waiting patiently.