Fh2d02 specialist photographic practice 2015

FH2D02 Specialist Photographic Practice 2015 Strand 2: MOVING IMAGE

David Claerbout (from Sections of A Happy Moment (Algiers), 2007)

Module Leader (for this strand): Paul Appleby mrpappleby@gmail.com Submission Date: 8th January 2016

Module Delivery: Please note this module runs in Term 1 only. There will be weekly classes in CA228.

Please study the module schedule carefully and note the various DEADLINES, submission requirements and dates of assessed presentations.

FH2D02 Specialist Photographic Practice Project 2: MOVING IMAGE From module description: Through research and their practical work, students will explore the varied characteristics – rooted in notions of stillness, movement, time and space – apparent within the digital moving image. This essentially practical guided student enquiry will consider the nature of the moving image in relation to still photography. Students will complete a short moving image work that, informed by their research, experiments appropriately with moving image forms, whether fiction or documentary. Students will build their digital moving image skills respecting camera operation, sound recording and the use of editing software.

Aims of this strand of the module: Focusing on a diverse range of mainly contemporary examples, the project within this strand of study aims to provide students with a critical introduction to theories and creative uses of the moving image integrated with still photography – or still photography integrated within moving image.

To provide a platform for research and practical enquiry into the creative potential of the moving image considered within a range of photographic and art contexts and realized either within exhibition or within other forms of dissemination.

Synopsis of the project and supporting teaching content: This project is designed to allow you to build on the practical experience gained within the ‘moving image’ element of the module FH1D02 Concept Development last year. That assignment provided you with a practical introduction to the notion of montage in relation to both cinema and photography. This Moving Image strand of FH2D02 focuses primarily on contemporary practice and is based around an essentially practical assignment that encourages you to experiment with the varied forms and qualities of the ‘moving image’ as a photographic medium.

The work you produce on this practical assignment should question the nature of photography in relation to our experience of time and movement in particular.

What can an enhanced awareness of time or the dynamic of movement bring to the expressive or objective qualities of an image – or series of images?

You are encouraged to apply your own interests in photography to these concerns – a wide and diverse breadth of solutions to the project can be accommodated. Your work should be personally challenging and rewarding – extending your creative skills and your appreciation of the wider scope of the medium of photography.

Making extensive reference to a broad range of examples, with an emphasis on the contemporary, we will further consider the aesthetic and formal properties that either unite or mark out as different, the related media of still photography and film & video. Of particular interest will be examples of practitioners’ works that combine, in exhibition or other forms of dissemination, the still photographic image with the moving image, or stillness within the moving image. The specific form of installation art – employing photographic media – is the most useful area to study in this regard.

The teaching on this project will combine lecture content and screenings based around particular contemporary examples. Informed by this content you will embark on projects that will be further guided by technical demonstrations, taught workshop sessions and tutorials. You will also be required to write project proposals, construct a mock-up of your envisaged project and make presentations on your work, in-progress and near completion. All such elements of coursework will contribute to the assessment of your work on the module and will need to be submitted or delivered by the dates stated in the schedule for the module.

Key themes to consider: This new project continues to encourage you to think about, within the particular context of installation , the characteristics of the still photograph in relation to the moving image. We will explore, through the study of examples of photography, film and installation, what the absence of movement lends the still photograph – and how the strength of the still photograph may be specifically founded on the absence of movement. Conversely, we will explore the application of movement as it is appears, in forms however obvious or subtle, within the specific visual form of moving image (digital video or film) within installation. So, although the format of dissemination may be radically different, as represented by the (spatial and temporal) form of the installations you will

ultimately be concerned with, the essence of the project is still very much rooted in still photography.

Perhaps the main concerns of still photography considered in relation to the moving image, and relevant to installation, may be cited as those of: Meaning and interpretation – when we take, or make, photographs we are concerned with the creation of meaning: what the photograph may communicate to the viewer (the creation of meaning can only be imprecise as different viewers may interpret the same photograph in different ways) Sequencing – how one image follows another Editing – how sequencing is achieved through the process of editing Narrative – how the linear form of a sequence of photographs, or edited sequence of images within a film, can construct a sense of progression or ‘story’ Montage – how the placing of two images placed next to each other – or several images arranged in an extended sequence – can construct meaning in ways that extend beyond narrative and storytelling Representation versus Abstraction – the potential of non-representational (abstract) imagery employed within a montage of images The importance of Montage and the form of Installation: This project is designed to allow you to build on the practical experience gained within the ‘moving image’ element of the module FH1D02 Concept Development last year One of the key theoretical and practical themes or principles explored within the moving image project last year was that of montage . Montage is implicated within all the concerns listed above. This is because any juxtaposition of two or more images within a sequence is a process of montage. Montage, and indeed the individual projected photographic image, may operate differently within the form of installation. The various permutations of installation art therefore need to be considered. In particular the spatial and temporal possibilities of this mode of display or presentation of photographic imagery needs to be studied. The range of examples discussed in class, beginning with the work of David Claerbout, will demonstrate the purpose and potential of the installation form, as specifically relevant to the medium of photography.

We will begin the module by exploring the definition, in creative and artistic terms, of the notion of installation.

Please see the brief and the weekly schedule below to see how the form of installation is integral to the module and the practical project work you will undertake.

Assignment brief: Choose one title from the following:

Event: Moments and Spaces Action and Consequence Portrait: Still / Moving

Method: You are required to devise and produce a piece of moving image work which, through your exploration of the themes explored on the module.

The work should be designed to be physically presented, consider how this affects the viewers experience and interpretation of the film.

The images included in the work should combine the still and moving image, or stillness within the moving, to some degree – as appropriate to your idea.

To get started, you need to identify, in relation to your chosen title, the particular subjects or themes your project will address.

The installation can contain as many (or as few) separate images or shots as you think appropriate to your idea.

The film should be between 2 and 5 minutes in length.

It is possible to work in pairs but then the film should be a work that includes two screens.

It is important to note that the technical possibilities of the work may also be determined by the resources available – this will be discussed and addressed throughout the duration of the module and will be accommodated for within the assessment criteria.

Your work may experiment with, for example, notions of: •

Stillness versus movement

•

The relation of the image to notions of reality and truth

•

The representation of time

•

Montage

•

The construction – or deconstruction – of narrative

•

The relation of the audience to the image – including the consideration of the space of the installation and how the work is installed within that space

The work should engage with particular aspects of theory regarding the still and the ‘moving’ image, and the concept and forms of installation art. It should also be informed by your close study of examples introduced on the module – of photography, film and installation.

This is intended as an experimental project so the quality or aesthetic of the image may reflect this emphasis on experiment, as appropriate to your idea.

The images can, for example, be shot and edited using simple equipment – including mobile phones.

A written Proposal Form is required to be submitted by the date given in the weekly schedule.

You are required to write a 500 word evaluation of the work produced following the guidelines that will be given. This evaluation should be used to critically reflect on the work you produced. In your writing, you should align your work with the visual research and theory that has informed its ideas, form and appearance. Importantly, you should also consider the success of the completed work in relation to your original stated intentions for the project. Your writing needs to be very considered and concise to fit within the given word length.

You are required to submit the completed work in the format agreed and there is a requirement, for the purposes of assessment, to present the work – facilities allowing – as an installation.

Assessment Criteria for this project: Your work will be assessed according to the following criteria: Oral Presentation This will be a 10-minute presentation that describes your work and the process in which you arrived at your final piece. You will also illustrate and describe your final installation ideas and how you expect the audience to view the work. (10% of the final mark) Practical outcome: A completed films that is 2 – 5 minutes in length. If you are working I pairs then this should incorporate 2 screens. (60% of the final mark) 1. Demonstrated ability in applying research appropriately within your own ideas and their practical resolution.

2. Ability to apply visual approaches, as appropriate to your ideas, purposefully and creatively, using and incorporating the still and the moving image in ways relevant to the form of an installation work.

3. The success of the finished work in engaging with the concerns of the brief and your own statement of intent – concerning notions of stillness, movement, montage, duration and space etc.

4. Demonstrated technical competency, as relevant to the form of the idea.

Workbook and evaluation: A 3000-word research document that can take the form of a blog, work book or digital file. This should include your initial proposal, research and at least a 500-word reflective evaluation of your work on the module.

1. Depth of research – and coherence of annotation, brief analysis and interpretation applied to the research examples considered in the context of photography, the moving image and installation etc.

2. Depth and clarity of material evidencing the development of your ideas and your visual solution to the project – addressing, in particular, the form of installation.

3. Depth of reflection present within your written evaluation of your work.

FH2D02 Specialist Photographic Practice MOVING IMAGE: Schedule (Term One) We ek 1

Begins: 29/09/15

Introduction to the module and brief. Talk and screenings illustrating examples of practice in photography, film/video and installation.

2

6/10/15

The decisive moment – Screenings, discussion, tutorials Proposal forms completed (first draft)

3

13/10/15

The Installation – Screenings, discussion, tutorials

4

20/10/15

5

27/10/15

Screenings, discussion, tutorials

6

3/11/15

Workshop and discussion centred on the process of editing and the use of sound

7

10/11/15

Editing workshop conducted using students’ own material.

Submission of revised final draft Proposal Forms.

4pm Tuesday 20 th October 2014 – to Reception

Tutorials 8

17/11/15

Editing workshop concentrating on sound – using students’ own material.

9

24/11/15

Sign up tutorials

10

1/12/15

Student assessed PRESENTATIONS of near completed work.

11

8/12/15

Student assessed PRESENTATIONS of near completed work.

12

8/01/16

Coursework submission DEADLINE (of data files, workbook and evaluation.

Works either to be introduced on the module or which are relevant as further research: The introduction to the practical work will focus on the work of the Belgian installation artist David Claerbout – in particular the works under the title A Happy Moment.

Below is an extended list of the various works I will either screen, discuss or refer to within the classes. I have placed them under approximate headings but you will need to look them up and interpret them for yourselves within the process of your research. This is a fairly eclectic range of material that may be relevant to differing degrees, and in differing ways, to the idea of installation.

Some of the works I will only shown brief examples or clips from, or may just mention them in passing – so you may want to study further examples or watch complete films to get a fuller understanding of the works and their relevance to the themes of the module. The list is here to spur your further research. I can answer questions via email about this material but you should have the curiosity to follow these notes up. Your research needn’t be restricted to this list. You should also, as you begin to research your own ideas, find further examples of work to study. I will be able to help you with suggestions for this.

Examples of work about time, place and event: David Claerbout’s A Happy Moment (single screen installation) Michelangelo Antonioni: L’eclisse (film) Alain Resnais: Last Year at Marienbad (film) Tsai Ming Liang: What Time is it There? (film) Yasujiru Ozu: Late Spring (film), see also Tokyo Story (film) Jeff Wall, Gregory Crewdson, Hiroshi Sugimoto (photographs) Chris Marker: Sans Soleil (film) Chris Marker: La Jetée (film) Wim Wenders: Paris Texas (film) Edward Hopper (paintings) Examples of abstract documentary film compared to photography: Gary Tarn: Black Sun (documentary film) Philip Lorca di Corcia, Uta Barth, and Hiroshi Sugimoto (photographs) Examples of experimental documentary film using still photography and found video footage: Jonathan Caouette: Tarnation (documentary film) Julian Temple: London: The Modern Babylon (documentary film) Patrick Keiller: Ruins of Memory (documentary film) Examples of reinterpretation involving photography and film and other m edia: Jeff Wall (photographs) David Claerbout (single screen installation) Philippe Parreno: 8 June, 1968 (single screen installation) Paul Fusco: RFK Funeral Train (photographs) (source)

Examples of other artists creating installation works incorporating photography and the moving image: Pipilotti Rist: (including: I'm Not a Girl Who Misses Much (single screen installation)) Christian Marclay Bill Viola Tacita Dean Examples of durational and observational documentary works compared to photography and their form considered as installation: Jurgen Bรถttcher: Raingiere (Shunters) (short documentary film) Dziga Vertov: Enthusiasm (documentary film) Wang Bing West of the Tracks (documentary film) Edward Burtynsky (documentary photographs) Examples of films, related to installation, applying technique in particular ways to describe space and to construct or deconstruct narrative: Douglas Gordon and Philippe Parreno: Zidane, a 21st Century Portrait (film) see also Douglas Gordon: 24 Hour Psycho (single screen installation) Alexander Sokurov: Russian Ark (film) Example of two screen video installation reinterpreting other works: Anthea Kennedy and Ian Wiblin: For Children (two screen video installation) Rainer Werner Fassbinder: Fear Eats the Soul (film) (source) Pier Paolo Pasolini: Porcile (Pigsty) (film) (source) Examples of other photographers whose work, either through its content, m ode of depiction or sense of scale, m ight be (re)considered represented in the form of installation: Joel Sternfeld, Rineke Dijkstra, Tom Hunter, William Eggleston, Paul Graham (New Europe) etc. Michael Schmidt (Waffenruhe and Lebensmittel photographs) Other examples of artist filmmakers: Maya Deren (Meshes of the Afternoon in particular), Stan Brakhage (Moth Light), Michael Snow (Wavelength and La Regione Central, James Benning etc.

Book List: Ades, D. (1976) Photomontage, Thames & Hudson Barthes, R. (2009) Camera Lucida: Reflections on Photography. Vintage Classics Barthes, R. (2009) Mythologies. Vintage Classics Beckman, K. (2008) Still Moving: Between Cinema and Photography. Duke University Press Campany, D. (2012) Art and Photography, Phaidon Press Campany, D. (ed) (2007) The Cinematic, Whitechapel Gallery / MIT Campany, D. (2008) Photography and Cinema, Reaktion Books Frizot, M. (1998) A New History of Photography, Könemann Green, D. (ed) (2004) Visible Time: The Work of David Claerbout, Photoworks, Brighton Harbord, J. (2009) Chris Marker: La Jetée, Afterall/MIT (One Work Series) London, B. (ed) (1995) Video Spaces: Eight Installations, Harry N. Abrams Lupton, C. (2004) Chris Marker: Memories of the Future, Reaktion Books McTighe, M. (2012) Framed Spaces: Photography and Memory in Contemporary Installation Art, University Press of New England Rees, A. (2012) A History of Experimental Film and Video, British Film Industry Rosenthal, M. (2003) Understanding Installation Art, Prestel Journals: Photoworks; European Photography; Sight and Sound; Journal of Media Practice; Frieze; Art Monthly Websites: Lux online; UBU web; Tate Modern; Youtube; The Photographers’ Gallery (London); Museum of Modern Art (New York)