Saturday 11 December 2010

A Life in the Day



This is my final submission for the #phonar module at Coventry University. It is in two parts: firstly the above video which is a story of a man called Uriah John Lee - my great-grandfather, and secondly a piece of writing about the same man, which is below. This text has been uploaded to hitRECord.org in the hope that it may become part of a collaborative production, and can be viewed here. The photographs of the archive can also be viewed in this gallery.

He stood in front of the camera and glanced down to make a last check of his uniform. It was all in order, just as it had been a minute before, when he was waiting his turn to be photographed.

Fixed up behind him was the scenic backdrop – a painted image depicting what appeared to be an officers’ camp from the Boer War, or some other colonial crusade – supposedly there to impress some notion of military prestige.

“Hold still.” muttered the photographer.
He straightened himself – unsure whether to stand at full attention or at ease, and settled between the two, then held his gaze on the lens. A gentle click told him the picture was taken, and the photographer emerged from under the hood.
“Thank you Sergeant.”

He nodded and walked away down the road to where the men of his platoon had been watching. They had been temporarily stationed here – in some smelly French village whose name none of them could pronounce – waiting for further instructions.

“Nice picture eh Sarg?” called out Butler, grinning at him as he approached.
“Hope so.” He replied, inclining his head to the private.
Looking around at the 53 men gathered there, he saw many of the others were also grinning. They had grown to like him he supposed, and he had grown to care for them in return. From early on in training, after his promotion to Sergeant-Major, he had taken a personal decision not to command those below him with the same severity and unjustified harshness that many of his contemporaries deemed proper. Instead he had sought the men’s respect and discipline, through friendship. And they had proven to be as reliable and ordered as any other platoon – although they had not yet been in a live combat situation.

“Are you all ready to move out then?”
He addressed them casually, as he reasoned it to be acceptable when not in the presence of officers.
“Ready and Willing Sir!” jumped up corporal Browning. The men cheered their agreement.
“For King and Country” many of them called out. There was excitement around the Company today. Orders had come from up top, and it looked likely that they were to move out soon.  
“Good.” he said quietly once the cheers had died down.

But beneath his assured exterior, he did not feel that it was good. He turned to stare at the eastern horizon, and listen to the faint but steady rumble of the guns. He did not share the same eagerness as his men. This adventure – once thought to be ‘over by Christmas’, and now two and a quarter years later, still raging on – did not hold the same opportunity for thrills as when he had volunteered. The mutterings of incompetence and misjudgement of High Command, the unpredicted high casualties, the rumours from the upper class of a government at a loss with its war effort, the growing misgivings of a nation.

His thoughts were broken by a stirring amongst the men, as several officers emerged from the quaint cottage that was serving as Company head quarters. He walked forward to meet the Captain who was approaching their platoon.
“Sergeant Lee?” inquired the Captain.
“Yes Sir” he replied, saluting. The Captain returned the salute and then offered his hand.
“I’m Captain Gray. Number five platoon has been assigned to me. I’ve heard you’re a solid bunch.”
“We aim to do well Sir.”
“Good. Be ready to march in ten minutes.”
“Sir.”
Gray said no more, and strode off. Sergeant Lee assembled the men. He could sense them buzzing with anticipation as they lined up. He walked amongst them, checking gear, reassuring some, quietening others, and then fell in beside them, aware of, but not entertaining, his own trepidation. On the Captain’s call they began their steady march to the front.           

by George Rippon    

Tuesday 7 December 2010

Plan for Phonar Task 6

The feedback and reflection from the previous task and the plan for the final one is as follows:
Firstly, the archive is a strong resource, and an excellent starting point from which to tell a story, and so I have decided to take it forward and improve it, for my final task. The events that my great-grandfather was involved in and the connections he made with people, provide intriguing material. The images do not justify this story however, and need to be recaptured, in a way which better suggests their sentimental worth. In order to do this I will photograph them in a 'copy-stand' manner – give them the lighting attention (balanced from both sides to give sharp detail, and back-lit to have it stand out) they deserve. I will also consider photographing them with a large format camera (or digitally and then produce a border to mimic one) to reinforce the idea of the archiving of precious objects. This can be seen to great effect with Steve Pyke's 'Garden Tools' and 'Post Partum & Post Mortem'

'Border Fork' by Steve Pyke from Garden Tools

The audio of the project, is definitely a worthy addition, and adds a greater sense of meaning and emotional draw to the story. Although it would benefit from a re-edit to reduce my presence, as it is my mother's voice which is of real worth, and not my mumbling agreements. However I would still like to maintain it as a conversation rather than a monologue, because although the interest lies predominantly in my mother's recollections, it is also my learning of them which is significant. This decision is reassured by thinking of interviews from television or radio documentaries, where the occasional acknowledged presence of the interviewer helps to validate the interview by reassuring the viewer/listener of it's authenticity. I'm fascinated by the letter from King George, particularly as it seems to be very causal. It was suggested I could play with this, in some way leading the audience to believe that it is me writing the letter. I will consider this along with the other proposals outlined above for developing this artefact.

I feel inclined to take the story further, as I'm struck by how little of my great-grandfather's character I know, despite having this very rich archive. I want this character to grow into something more personable. I can piece together fragments of it from my mother's recollections and from the manner of the letters written to him, but I want to imagine it further. I've decided to write a short semi-fictional piece about him, which I will then share online with the creative collaboration production company hitRECord, and invite people to illustrate, use, adapt, mash-up, and add to it. I'm hoping that the interest of others, along with my own, will allow Uriah John Lee's story to go further.

Monday 6 December 2010

David Gray at Coventry University

I'd like to point out that many of the words here are in reality David's, which I have tried to write up as best as possible and still do them justice.

David Gray’s talk on self publishing was given in two parts – relating to the two differing perspectives he had to adopt: as the photographer, and as the publisher.

As photographers, he encouraged us not to worry about attempting to ‘meet a market’. With the opening and freeing of the medium, and crucially the accessibility of the technology, self-publishing is now a valid and worthwhile venture, and one that can give conventional books a run for their money – if done well enough. It is important that artistic practitioners recognise this potential, and consider it when undertaking their next project. You don’t have to rely on a magazine/publishing house/high street gallery anymore, nor you should you feel the need to put all your hopes with them.

David talked through his projects, and the self-reflection and criticism that was necessary to allow the work to progress; aiming to each time improve the delivery to the viewer, whilst still maintaining and celebrating the ideas which he felt were key to his style. A good example of this can be seen from the progression from the Cunawabi book to The Dream that Days Break series; where the use of writing in consideration with the narrative, went from caption-less images, accompanied by a sheet of fragmented poetry – thereby giving a very un-prescribed (and open to viewer interpretation) story; to a more formally delivered piece of writing at the front of the book which gave a greater sense of meaning to the images that followed. This idea of photography and writing as equal – as aspects of a publication which do not rely on, but support each other, as well as standing alone – was something that David strived towards after finding that people weren’t quite ‘getting’ the narrative of Cunawabi to the extent he had hoped.

From the series Drift. ©David Gray

When it comes to publishing, a very different and much more disciplined mindset, than that of the free-working photographer, is needed; particularly as money is now of prime concern. David identified four predominant areas to be considered for production: design, the product package, paper, and printing. And he had many tips on how to tackle them; the sum of which was firstly to keep organised, and secondly to build a strong relationship with those that can provide these services. Here the idea of trade for trade was highlighted – all companies need pictures, pictures we can provide in return for discount, paper and printing manufacturers eager to test out their paper and keep sample copies. An additional third point would be to consider learning things yourself, becoming self-sufficient, it’s not possible in all circumstances but David taught himself how to frame his prints.

The next difficulty for an independent publisher is that of distribution. The way to tackle it is to aim for a smaller, more direct audience; and this involves targeting a small number of key distributers (bookshops, book-fares, galleries) and again maintaining a strong relationship with them. One of the greatest advantages a self-publisher has – and should make use of – is their quality of customer service. Personalised messages, handwritten responses and the like go a long away in keeping purchasers not only satisfied, but then interested for the long term. David also stressed the power of the third party, the benefit received when others are responding to and reviewing your work, because of the community of interest that builds up around that.

Overall, David provided a talk which emphasised the necessity for hard work and disciplined effort with projects, but at the same time the importance of enjoying the projects and pursuing the ideas that you are passionate about. In short, and as David summed up – be strict with yourself, and have fun.

Following the talk and the questions, the class had more of an informal conversation with David. A few other things that he mentioned as important to a photographic practitioner, was the significance of finding something untouched and with a personal connection to explore. Also the advice to keep up with self-driven projects after graduation – even if they’re not selling they will be profiting – try to think of it as commissioning yourself. The brilliance of working this way, is the freedom from commercial pressures. As Ansel Adams puts it: “There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs”. David points out that the same applies with books and so, provided there is enough motivation, confidence needn’t be lacking when self-publishing. David has been greatly assisted in his publishing endeavours by his acquired knowledge and confidence of graphic design (which has also provided him with an income to support his creative work). But this should not detour others who don’t have the skills, simply look to David’s approach to new challenges: one of not accepting defeat easily, and a willingness to learn even when against the odds. All in all David was a very encouraging practitioner to talk with, especially from a student’s point of view. His ability to relate to a student’s position with positive advice was incredibly beneficial to a group soon facing the uncertainties of graduation.

David's photographic work can be found at 76degreesandclear.

A reduced version of this piece can be found at CU Photography.

Thursday 2 December 2010

Feedback and Development from Proposal

The feedback that came back from the proposal seemed positive. It was stated that the direction I was pursuing with these ideas seemed strong and well reasoned, but I acknowledged that the research will likely need to be narrowed down further as I progress with it. Overall the proposal is good, and Ed was happy for me to continue without any major alterations.

A particular point that Ed responded to and that enthused me also, was the notion of an oscillation between narcissism and self-mockery, a relationship which can be found within the humourous self-portrait. The two behaviours, although opposite, are both inward-looking and seem to have a supportive relationship whereby one allows and justifies the other. I can recognise this characteristic within my own work, and I'm hoping to track it down in other practitioners also.

Ed suggested that the Bibliography be widened - which I am hoping to accomplish as I 'circle inwards' around my topic, and locate further resources. Also he thought that the concept of humour should now play a significant part in the research, and in the presentation as well seeing as my own practice relates to it. Then the notion of self-mockery is something which I can really play with, and it could potenially assist to liven up the talk.

The following resources were suggested by Ed:
  • Staging the Self - a book on self-portrait photography (1840's - 1980's)
  • Mirror mirror - a book by Liz Rideal which accompanied an exhibition of self-portraits by women at the NPG.
  • Emmanuelle Levinas's philosophy on the 'face to face encounter' and 'face to image encounter'. Possibly titled Beholding the Other.