Storm Thorguson Research

Storm was a well known graphics artist that created images for well known artists and bands such as Pink Floyd. Thorgerson, who was of Norwegian descent, was born in Potters Bar, Middlesex (now part of Hertfordshire), and he attended Summerhill School, Brunswick Primary School in Cambridge, and the Cambridgeshire High School for Boys with Pink Floyd founders Syd Barrett, who was in the year below him, and Roger Waters, who was in the year above him. Storm has a very unique style with creating graphic images. His work generally includes large unu

Audioslave

This photograph is an album cover for the band Audioslave. This graphic art displays a metallic flame in what appears to be in a mountain like landscape with someone spectating the flame. This matches to Storm's unique graphic work of using oversized objects and giving them glimmering metallic effects since the flame used achieves that.

John Baldessari Research Notes

John Beldessari is an American conceptual artist known for his work featuring found photography and appropriated images. He lives and works in Santa Monica and Venice, California.

John burned his own paintings, put coloured dots over faces in photographs, and covered floors at the LA County Museum such as this picture. The dots on top of the peoples faces are actually conjured price stickers that John has collected. The aim of the image was to hide the peoples face and have the viewer focused onto the peoples clothes, facial expressions and surroundings to paint a scenario without using facial emotions. This photograph in particular connotes love and interest in one another  since they're very close to each other while also having a relaxed body language at the same time.

This photograph was a manipulation of paper and colours to piece together this image of the womanly figure onto of the man. In my opinion, this artwork gives a mixed impression of love and invasion of person space. The connotation of love is presented through the hand holding of this photograph. However, the connotation of invasion of personal space is connoted by the purple colour of the woman's leg, onto of the red male figure which would demonstrate some kind of authority. The green, blue, purple and pink colours of the womanly figure also demonstrate more emotion and variety to a woman's personality while the male only has the colours red and orange which could depict aggression to a mans personality.

This photograph also uses the manipulation of coloured paper as well as the collected price stickers collected by John. This photo displays an orange coloured tiger jumping through a flaming hoop with three other people behind the cage with the price stickers over their faces. This connotes the helplessness of the tiger since it is behind the cage while the other people spectate the helpless animal. The motivation to make this picture was to highlight the wrong that people are doing to these animals. Therefore this was created and adapted to John's style of artwork.

Henri Cartier Bresson Research Notes

Henri Cartier Bresson was a humanist photographer who captured his photographs in the 'decisive moment'. He pioneered in the genre of street photography and captured photographs to show the unnatural behaviour of those who were aware of being photographed. He explained "I suddenly understood that a photograph could fix eternity in an instant" when he started to take photography seriously.

The Decisive Moment

The decisive moment is the fraction of time that is captured by a camera that would show any action or gesture. The decisive moment is also a published book my Cartier Bressson which included a portfolio of 126 of his best photographs. 

Photo Analysis

Hyéres, France 1932

This is a black and white photograph taken of a street in the French town Hyéres in 1932. This was taken so that the black railing is composed horizontally and twisting into the centre area of the image. The photograph was taken on an elevated position being on top of the staircase

Simon Roberts Research Notes

Simon Roberts is a British photographer whose work includes our relationship to landscape notions of identity and belonging. His photographs are generally taken from elevated positions. These positions allow the relationship between the landscape and the people involved in the photo to be observed with ease. 

Simon travelled across England to construct a portfolio called "We English" which demonstrates the English leisure with the elements of warm colours and elevated landscapes. The resulting images demonstrate the beauty and relationship of people, place and connections to the landscapes around us.

This photograph from his portfolio, "We English", is a photograph of a beach in Cornwall from an elevated position. This landscape has a huge skybox with a crashing wave which creates the rule of thirds in this photograph. The wide depth of field also brings out an aesthetic look to the photograph because it brings out every detail  This photo connotes human sociability and wellbeing since the people involved in this photograph are positioned in a way that they are communicating with each other. This photo was from his portfolio which demonstrates the English leisure with the relationship of people taken in landscapes.

This photo is also from Simons portfolio "We English". It shows elements of nature as well as human structure which do not necessarily match together. It also shows elderly people walking in this environment. The rule of thirds are also seen in the composition of the photograph from the similar height of the power chimneys and the ground which covers the bottom third. This photo connotes how human industrialisation can destroy naturalistic landscapes. This photo was also taken from his portfolio which demonstrates the English leisure through landscape photographs.

This photograph by Simon shows many people gathered around Chatsworth House in Bakewell, Derbyshire. The rule of thirds can also be found in the composition of the photograph. This photograph connotes human sociability and unity since all of the people in the photograph are together in a friendly fashion. The colours also connote comfort and happiness because of their bright colours.

Overall this photographer had a great influence of my landscape photography, especially my project since his photographs are all taken on elevated positions and incorporate the rule of thirds. His photographs also influenced me to explore the urban environment which has been presented in my project. 

Lee Friedlander Research Notes

Lee Friedlander is an American photographer and artist born July 14th, 1934. In the 1960s and 70s Friedlander evolved an influential and often imitated visual language of urban 'social landscape' with many of his photographs including fragments of reflections, structures framed by fences, posters and street signs. He studied at the Art Centre College of Design in California. He moved to NewYork city in 1956 to begin his career in photography.

Lee Friedlanders 'reflections of the street'

Irving Penn Research Notes

Irving Penn

Irving Penn was an American photographer known for his fashion photography, portraits, and still lifes. His career included work at Vogue magazine, and independent advertising work for clients. His work has been exhibited internationally such as in 1975. His photographs of cigarettes was placed in the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Irving Penn portrait of Al Pacino

Bibliography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irving_Penn

Ansel Adam Research Notes

Ansel Adams

Ansel Adams was an American photographer and environmentalist. His black and white landscape photographs of the American West have been widely reproduced in calendars and posters. In 1927 he produced his first portfolio in his new style: Permelian Prints of the High Sierras. This included high famous image Monolith, taken with his Korona camera using glass plates. He spent his life capturing the american continent and had a consistent message in his pictures being that this earth is beautiful. His original photos were taken in Yocemity near California, a national park.

Monolith by Ansel Adams

In his later career, he was a guest of honour at the Rencorntres d'Arles festival at France where exhibitions were screened. His photographs were included in museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art during the 1970s and onwards.

Bibliography: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansel_Adams