Ben Richards
5.4 Critical Study
Self-Portrait
“Its not how good you are, its how good you want to be.” - Paul Arden
Briefs & Intentions For my self-initiated project I wanted to create something that would help better my own, and others, understanding of colour. My initial intentions were that I wanted to create a photography-based project centering around the CMYK colour model. This idea came from my love of both print and photography and I thought that I could build a strong project around the two. I initially wanted to create four books, one for each of the colours of cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The books would contain photography, specifically from 35mm colour film, and information about the colours in order to get people to notice colour around them, more so than they do normally. It was also a way of myself getting to grips with colour and also I started to notice colour everywhere I went.
? The initial plan was to have the four books housed in an outer case as a sort of box set. Each book would be hard-bound and would have a cover of the relevant colour. Within the books I planned to experiment with grids, layouts and type but in a consistent way so that the books could be viewed together. I wanted the design of the books to be one of the key elements and also finishing touches to be very important. By including things other than just imagery I could add extra depth to the project and hopefully make it more successful. Also by making mock ups on the way I could get feedback and help myself to visualise what the books were going to look like physically.
My initial idea for the surveillance brief was that I wanted to re-visit and build upon a project that I had started last year. The project was called “Reflections In Concrete” and it is a photographic documentation of derelict buildings around Leeds. I made a book out of the photographs that I had gathered from each building and, to try and differentiate from other similar projects, I included some information and research about the history of each building that I photographed. I wanted to build on this project in some way and after some conversations with Casey I decided that I could make the project an ongoing project where I could re-visit the same buildings year on year to document their change, for example, if they have been demolished or regenerated. A reference that I started off with was William Christenberry’s ongoing photography projects. Christenberry “values vernacular architecture and signs from the southern United States. And he continues to document these kinds of subjects year after year, to show the deterioration and changes brought about by time and nature and human intervention.” - Jim Casper on Christenberry’s work. The end context of the work created would hopefully form some sort of exhibition that would include both the original photographs and the newest ones to show any changes in the buildings’ conditions.
For the Time brief I wanted to try and end up with a piece of work in a different format than my other projects. I wanted to make a video that recorded a snapshot into a day, or a journey, of myself and a friend. I did not want to make a straight-forward calendar like a lot of people first assumed the brief was asking. Instead I wanted to explore the concept of time and form an investigation into my personal relationship with it. How do we use our time? How do we mark the passing of time? I wanted to create a sort of time lapse video out of photographs that documented what me and a friend did on a particular day. By using a series of pictures taken, for example, every minute or so, I could show a snapshot of time and present a different perspective than if I was to use real-time video.
The Pitch
A sample of my work that probably best represents my current practice is a zine that I made called “Accidentally On Purpose�. The zine is a collection of photographs, taken on a variety of different film formats, that at the time of development were not desired. These photographs were then collated into a new format to show that they have an element of beauty of their own. The zine makes use of experimental layouts and happy accidents. It was essentially a by-product of work that I had already created, meaning that originally unwanted photographs did not go to waste. Although I made good use of layout, the book contains no type, which for some people may be a downfall.
The creative practitioner that I chose, who’s intentions I most identify with and admire, was Erik Kessels. I first came across Erik Kessels at TYPO London 2012. Kessels co-runs an advertising agency in Amsterdam called KesselsKramer. They also publish books, for example, their “In Almost Every Picture” series. These books are collections of amateur photographs drawn from a particular source for each issue. Normal photo series are created to be viewed as a whole, but the photographs in these books were never intended to be arranged as a narrative. This gives the photographs a natural and unforced quality. By drawing collections of photographs together it creates links and forms new meanings. Example: In Almost Every Picture #7 focusses on a Dutch woman, whose life we see from the point of view of a fairground shooting gallery. Every time she hits the target it triggers a camera that takes her photograph. By viewing these portrait photographs together as a series it gives us a snapshot into the times that she lived in and also illustrates how photography formats changed over the years. The processes that I intend to use for my projects are: film photography, screen printing, book binding, video, various experiments and as always, allow happy accidents to happen and try to let the process inform the work as much as possible.
I like to work in quite a literal way, for example, documenting what is in front of me. This can effect the content of my work, for example, the themes could be architecture, people, travel etc. But mainly my work involves real things that exist in a physical form. I also like to experiment with various processes to allow me to figure things out along the way and inform the finished products. At the time I was not 100% sure what impact I wanted my work to have on an audience. I guess I want to try and intrigue people, to make them think about the work that is in front of them and the journey that was taken in order to get there, whether it be the making of a book, or the capture and development of a photograph in a particular way. I want to try and promote physical, tangible work and encourage people to have a greater appreciation of things such as printbased self-published work.
Process Process for me is very important and I like to try and use both analogue and digital methods, each to their strengths, in order to make the work as effective as possible. I started off by researching into various themes and subjects, looking at as many different sources as possible: library books, magazines, book shops, exhibitions, online etc. Also going out and about into the city on my bike and exploring. This initial research gave me a good starting point for my projects, whether it be deciding that I wanted to work with colour, or re-visit a previous project for the surveillance brief. I then started to go out with my camera, mainly a 35mm film SLR or point and shoot, to photograph what I thought was relevant, exploring, looking, and documenting along the way. For me, using film has always been a key part of my working process. By using a digital camera it can be so easy to just snap away at everything you see, going home with hundreds of pictures at a time. By using film, because you know that there is only 36 photos on each roll, each photograph must be thought about, framed and exposed correctly. This makes me think about the project at hand with a more concise attitude.
After building up some initial research, I started to experiment with other processes, such as screen printing. Experimenting with things such as colour, paper stock, textures and layers. I love screen printing because if you go in with an open mind there are so many possible outcomes that can be created. It is a perfect example of letting the process inform the finished product. “Happy accidents” are also something that I try to allow into my work. When screen printing I printed onto various digitally printed sheets from previous projects that had not printed correctly. I kept these sheets because I knew that I would be able to experiment with them later and not let them go to waste. Another example of this are photographs from my Accidentally On Purpose books. I find that it is sometimes these initial “mistakes” that can become the strongest work.
document for my project. Every time I got a roll of film developed I would narrow down the pictures in order to fine-tune the work. I started to generate lists of things that I needed to photograph and the only way I could do this was by constantly going out with my camera, researching and getting feedback. I feel external feedback has been invaluable because it gives me the opportunity to look at my work with a fresh set of eyes. For the colour project I made several mock ups of books, both printed and unprinted, thinking about binding methods etc. I experimented with layouts in InDesign, again, researching and getting feedback as I went along, constantly refining the work and making it more to-the-point in order to make the project successful.
With research and feedback constantly ongoing I could make informed decisions about various aspects of the work in order to make the projects more focussed. I found the visiting lectures an incredibly useful resource for the development of my work as a whole, with practitioners such as Craig Oldham and Ken Garland being stand-out favourites. As I sought out feedback, from both tutors and peers, I continued to photograph and
Colour
The Work As stated earlier, the initial plan for my colour project was to make four books, each focussing on one colour from the CMYK model. This idea came from my passion for print-based media and also my lack of understanding of colour. I wanted the books to be hard bound with covers of the according colour. I also wanted them to be housed in an external box, allowing them to be presented as a full set. After much trial, error, research and feedback I decided that the idea of using the CMYK model as a main focus was no longer appropriate. This was partly because the photographs that I had been taking were not of the specific shades of, for example, cyan and magenta, but in fact various shades of red and blue. This was also true of the research that I had been doing. I found that the CMYK colours, especially magenta and cyan, were far too specific for me to be able to base my photography on.
Originally I think I was too hung up on what the finished product was going to be. So, as the project went on, I allowed the process to inform the finished work, which definitely helped
make it a much stronger and effective project. The project came about because I had visualised the finished box set as something that I could present in my portfolio. But as I continued to research, take photographs and seek feedback I started to realise that the project would work better as one book, including the same elements that I had been looking at, focussing on the more general reds, blues, yellows and blacks. Instead of simply focussing on what product I wanted to end with, I started to think about what I wanted to achieve in terms of my learning and progression as a practitioner but also in terms of how an audience would respond to the book instead of it just being something nice to look at. The reason that I originally decided that I wanted to work with colour was because I wanted to improve my own understanding of the subject, and by doing so, help others improve their understanding too. I started to look at books about colour theory as well as photography based books such as Colour Is Power by Robert Walker. At first I went out to photograph subjects of the particular colours that I was focussing on. But as I started to go through a couple of rolls of film and get some feedback I noticed that I had been photographing mainly inanimate objects. I started to ask myself: What am I trying to do with this project? What will make it a project
and not just a photo book? How do I want people to interact with the work? These questions helped me to refine the project. I did a lot of research into the colours, finding out facts about why certain things were the colours they are, for example, warning signs are red because red has high visibility and is also used to indicate danger. By using the information that I found it would give the project more depth instead of it being a solely visual publication. I also began to start photographing more natural subjects, people and also not just in inner city Leeds. This helped to give the photography a much broader content, which definitely strengthened the work.
"Because color is such a fundamental element in the human experience, a book about color ends up being a book about human experience itself. Part textbook and part fairy tale, part biography and part novel.�
Why film? Why a publication? As I stated earlier, by using film photography I allowed myself to be more specific about what I photographed. Digital can be too easy sometimes and I almost feel like I am cheating when I use a digital camera. I like waiting for my film to come back from the developers, not knowing how things may have turned out. I also much prefer how the photographs look once they are transferred into a publication.
By using film it also gives the publication more authenticity. People can appreciate the process and the work that has gone in. The reason I wanted to produce a publication is because I feel that it is important to create “something that exists in a tangible, thoughtful way. A printed format that could be kept, owned and even collected.� - Joshua Ogden, Justified Magazine.
Colour
- Pantone, A 20th Century In Color.
Colour
“The organic nature of real materials, real ink on paper, and tangible, physical things rather than it just being on a screen. There is a certain distance from your work when you can’t actually touch it.� - Simon Walker, Stuff & Things Collective Once I decided that I was happy with the pictures that I had selected over the duration of the project, I started to look into producing layouts and mock-ups of the printed book. I also researched into format and the technicalities of binding methods. I continued to research through books, both artist books, books about layout and grids, and other photo books. I went to the library and to various book shops, such as Village and Colours May Vary, to gain inspiration. I continued to make and print out mock-ups to be able to visualise the book physically instead of just looking at it on screen.
In terms of where the book could end up in the real world, I think that the main people that it could interest are people similar to myself, art and design students with an inquisitive mind and an interest in their surroundings in relation to colour. If it were to go in a bookshop I would say it is more than just a decorative piece and not necessarily just an artist book. I hope that the book can almost be used as an educative tool and be referred back to and interacted with over a long space of time.
To reflect is to engage and explore one’s past experiences through the means of intellectual activities in order to lead to a new understanding and appreciation. “In” indicates the inclusion within a space, place or limits. “Concrete” means that something exists in a physical form. This was the basis for my surveillance project. I wanted to continue to document derelict spaces in order to figure out their history and find traces of other people’s connections with them.
My initial plan was to re-visit the same buildings that I had documented in my original project last year. I would then be able to display the contrasting images together to see if there has been any changes over the space of a year. A good example is that one of the buildings that I had photographed, The Queen Hotel on Burley Road, is now a Tesco Express.
Surveillance
By taking photographs at the same places a year down the line, it meant that the project can be ongoing and I could potentially go back each year and do the same thing in order to build a really strong base of work for the project.
Surveillance
I began to look into the likes of William Christenberry, who I mentioned earlier. In his work Christenberry documents “vernacular architecture” and signs. I looked up the definition of vernacular architecture and it is “a category of architecture based on local needs and construction materials, and reflectioning local traditions”. This fitted in really well with my project because I am documenting local architecture that is no longer needed, for example, the Hunslet Mills are no longer in use because there is no longer a demand for locally produced textiles in such a large quantity. As a result of this, the buildings have been left empty and unused for several years, being affected by environmental deterioration and various human interventions such as vandalism and graffiti. Another reference that I looked at was American photographer Lewis Baltz. Baltz has an interesting take on photography. He describes it as “the only deductive art”. All other forms of art start with a blank canvas or a blank piece of paper. Baltz describes that “photography begins with a world that is perhaps over full and needs to sort out from that world what is meaningful”. Baltz photographs what is around him and what is normal in his neighborhood in terms of the industrial and suburban landscape. The subjects of Baltz’s photographs are things that other people take for granted. But Baltz sees these things in a different way and takes photographs of normal looking buildings that, years later, become works of art because it is no longer the norm.
“William Christenberry values vernacular architecture and signs from the southern United States. And he continues to document these kinds of subjects year after year, to show the deterioration and changes brought about by time and nature and human intervention.” - Jim Casper
“Photography begins with a world that is perhaps over full and needs to sort out from that world what is meaningful” - Lewis Baltz
In my surveillance project I have tried to do a similar thing to this. A lot of people drive past these derelict buildings everyday and do not stop to look twice. By me documenting the buildings year on year, it can show people how they have changed and that they can be beautiful in their own right.
One thing that I tried to do to make my project different and more thought provoking was to try and look at the derelict buildings from a different light. This was as well as taking similar photographs that I took last time around, to give the project consistency. Instead of simply documenting them as a whole, I tried to pick out certain sections, elements and textures of the buildings and create some work that is more abstract than standard documentary photography. Surveillance
Baltz says that to him “a work of art is something interesting to think about, more than something that is interesting to look at”. There are no people in his photographs but he describes how there is “so much evidence of human effort”. I think these notions are very similar to what I am hoping to achieve in documenting these abandoned buildings. There are no people in the photographs but a huge amount of human effort and interaction is evident. The photographs are be interesting to think about as well as to look at
because, to me anyway, it is fascinating thinking about what these buildings used to be used for and the stories behind them.
Surveillance
Although the project is ongoing, I would like to exhibit them somehow in order to show the changes, even if they are sometimes minor, over the past year. This is something I am going to try and do after the deadline. When exhibiting the photographs, like how I did last time around, I plan to show them in black and white. I feel that by using black and white it adds to the grittiness of the images and helps to give them a depth and tone that I do not feel you can get from a colour image.
“Photography, especially when it is presented in the bold contrast of black and white, offers heightened snapshots of what is around us. It often points out something that is obvious, but we might have missed the significance of somehow.� - Natalie Bradburyon, Liverpool Confidential
This project, I feel, addresses historical, ethical and social issues. There is clear historical evidence of the buildings in previous years and infinite evidence of historical usage and intervention in the buildings. I feel that the fact that I am exposing the buildings to people to try and get them to notice them, and maybe do something about the change of the buildings, are both social and ethical issues.
There are definitely sustainability issues surrounding these buildings. Instead of being simply knocked down or turned into supermarkets, they could be used to benefit the needs of the local community. For example, the signs surrounding the Royal Park Primary School fighting to keep the building for community use. This is maybe something that I could address next time around.
Last year me and my friend, James Starkey, made a similar video. For the first video he documented me walking around Leeds and taking various photographs. This time we switched roles. I was taking photographs of him, whilst he was taking photographs of the location that we were at, an abandoned tile factory near where we live back home in Cheshire. This can hopefully result in more future collaborations where we could cross over the photographs that we take on a particular day and form them into, for example, a publication or exhibition.
Surveillance/Time
For my time project I made a short video, compiled of photographs, documenting a trip that me and a friend took one day. I did not want to use a straight forward video but instead create a sort of time lapse where I took a series of photographs every minute or so. This gives a different, and in my opinion more effective, point of view into the time that was spent at the location and the journey that was taken. The brief specified to form a “personal investigation into our own relationship with time�. This is what I tried to do, through the form of photography. But this time instead of the photographs being collated into a book or prints, I wanted to make them into a video. This was a way for me to experiment with a different format of work, using different software and produce a variety of end products.
Time
After I had made the video I went back through all of the photographs and selected a photograph that was taken from every five minutes. I then added a time code into the corner of each to show what time each one was taken. This gives a more precise feeling of the time on that particular day and can show how long we were at a particular part of the factory grounds.
The work created was a personal investigation into how we use our time. Using photography is a way in which we can mark time, or record a specific moment in time. By taking a picture you have captured a moment that can be kept for as long as you live. That is one of the things I like about photography and is the reason that I will continue to take pictures for hopefully as long as I can.
Other ways that I could have marked the passing of time on a particular day would be to make sound recordings, or to maybe illustrate a picture of what I can see in front of me at every hour of the day, for example. I think there are many ways in which we can explore the concept of time but forming a personal relationship
Accidentally On Purpose
Dรถts Printhaus Placement & Book
XVI Records Artwork
External Work
The Mango Club Identity
Critical Review Event: Small Town Ink Traditional Print Day Date: Wednesday 24th April 2013 Venue: University of Leeds, The School of Design, Grass Studio The aim of the event was clear from the start: to promote and introduce traditional printing methods and printbased work to young designers and students, all for free. And the event did exactly that. With the opportunity to have a go at letterpress printing, supplied by The Print Project, watch live demonstrations and hear talks throughout the day I think it was a very well structured event. There was a vast variety of work on display and for sale such as screen prints, books, zines, posters, t-shirts and various craft pieces. The event had stalls from local organizations, such as Dots Printhaus, Village Bookstore and Hope House Prints, providing information on what resources are available in the local area. The fact that these local organisations were invited to show and promote their work was great. Not only did it give a chance for students to be introduced to the organisations in an informal, relaxed environment, it also helped to promote the organisations themselves. Because of this it benefitted both sides. Sometimes at events like this and there are just boring rectangular tables, set out in rows, in some sort of open hall space. The tables at Small Town Ink were shaped so that they could be
arranged in a circular shape that flowed around the room. Around the outside of the room were boards that displayed various print work. This made the space much more fluid and appealing to walk through. Also in one corner was, for me, the stand-out feature, the letterpress. Again, the letterpress was arranged in a friendly looking, colourful way that was easily approachable. Upon first entrance into the building it seemed a bit dingy and dull, but once you got upstairs to the grass studio, all was changed. The room itself was beaming with natural light and the artificial grass floor helped add to the comfort of the event, as well as a selection of very modern looking sofas on one side of the room.
Critical Note Taking Computer Arts Issue 213 Handmade: What’s Next? 2013 Written by Angharad Lewis Page 47 - 58 An investigation into handmade processes in design practice today. “It doesn’t feel as satisfying just doing things on-screen anymore. I like the long process of making work physically.” - Anthony Burrill - page 48 “It’s easy to make things look perfect on screen, so when things look handmade it intrigues people.” - Anthony Burrill - page 49 “There is a sense of honesty in the handmade process that can be absent in design created mechanically” Handmade process gives integrity. “Imperfections are natural, human, and signifiers of a narrative that discloses how an object has been made.” - relevant to my book making. “it’s the areas in which digital and analogue intersect that are the most experimental and innovative.” “While digital-aided design can create cheats and illusions, there is no substitute for the quality of the end product and the satisfaction in the making of a well-executed piece of handmade work by a practitioner who has mastered their craft, and this includes those working digitally.” These are some quotes and extracts from an article in the newest Computer Arts magazine. I like how they don’t take a side on handmade/analogue or digital but they say that the work that really shines through is the work that incorporates both sides to their advantage. I think this article is relevant to my work at the moment because I try to use both digital and handmade to my advantage. I like to use film photography (analogue) but then i digitalise these prints in order to collate them into a book format. After the book is digitally printed it is bound and cut by hand and finishing touches made. I try to use analogue and digital processes in harmony and each too my advantage.
Bibliography Books Ambrose, G & Harris, P. 2005. Basics Design 02: Layout. 2nd Ed. London: AVA Publishing De Sausmarez, J. 2008. Basic Colour: A Practical Handbook. London: Herbert Press Dorosz, C & Watson, JR. 2011. Designing with Color. New York: Fairchild Books Eiseman, L & Recker, K. 2011. Pantone: The 20th Century In Color. San Francisco: Chronicle Books John Kane, J. 2011. A Type Primer. 2nd Ed. London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd Meseguer, L. 2010. Typography In Magazines. 2nd Ed. China: TypoMag Walker, R. 2002. Colour Is Power. London: Thames & Hudson
Magazines Lewis, A. 2013. Handmade: What’s Next?. Computer Arts Issue 213, p46-58.
Web Pages Casper, J. William Christenberry. http://www.lensculture.com/christenberry. html Loechner, E. 2013. A Printed Artifact. http://www.designformankind. com/2013/03/a-printed-artifact/ Smith, K. Color Quotes. http://www.squidoo.com/colorquotes, Smith, K. All About Blue/Red/Yellow/Black. http://www.squidoo.com/allaboutblue / red / yellow / black Smith, K. Origins Of Color. http://www.sensationalcolor.com/color-messages-meanings Color In Advertising. http://library.thinkquest.org/08aug/01276/colorsanddesign/colorinadvertising.html Color Meaning. http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html TateShots: Lewis Baltz. 2012. http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/video/ tateshots-lewis-baltz
Where I Work
Practitioner Interview A short conversation between Alice Withers and myself:
BR: Please can you introduce yourself and briefly describe your practice? AW: I am a socially engaged practitioner, who works with a multi-disciplinary approach. I produce ambitious ideas and concepts with the intention of instigating thought, discussion, and learning. In particular learning in non-educational environments and outside of regular curriculums. My role as the facilitator stands to construct a set of rules and restrictions for a situation. I work to research a topic, find a niche angle to approach it. It must make it accessible and playful, whilst also provoking intelligent thought.
BR: Do you have a set way that you usually work (processes/formats/end products etc) or do you feel it is important to experiment from project to project? AW: My approach includes conducting experiments, researching, making connections. It might be collecting anecdotes or trivial facts, and dialogues. The design of publications or ephemera are used as tools to collect information. Alternatively as a means of displaying the effects and outcomes of a project.
BR: Do you prefer handmade or digital work, or work that uses strengths of both? And why? (Tangible vs. on-screen) AW: I think you would call it tangible because it’s actually a live event rather than a piece of print or a handmade object. But most of the documentation takes the form of digital work which is then made into publications.
BR: Do you feel that colour is an important factor in your work? AW: No. Although I tend to use bright colours.
BR: Any tips for the future/third year? AW: Be in the studio, a lot. You’ll get to know everyone’s work, get your friends to help you out. Tutors are around all the time. It helps you build a support system around you.
Thanks!
Future In the immediate future, i.e. over summer, I hope to travel as much as I can, continuing to document and learn along the way. I feel that by exploring new places and visiting new countries it can help me to think in different ways and form a different approach and understanding of my work. I hope to continue to further improve my practice and try to think of some strong projects that I can take forward the third year. I also hope to be able to gain some more work placements at various design studios. I will continue my research and try to build up a portfolio that I can be proud of. I will continue to network as much as I can both by sending and swapping work and meeting people in person either off my own back or at various events.