Here at the start of module 3 I would like to reflect briefly on my practice and the context in which it sits as well as where that sits in relation to my intentions in this module.
I have already laid out my intention to change my path towards Still Life photography in a previous post but would like to consider what that actually means. Is this an entirely new field / genre for my practice to go into? With a reflection on some of my past practice it would seem not.
The first steps in project development over this module will be to explore what we mean by ‘Still Life’ in general and what we mean, furthermore, by the term ‘Still Life Photography’. In the crudest sense I read still life to be about ‘stuff’ with a lack of, or reduced presence of, alive ‘stuff’. This brought me to consider the below selection of images I produced a few years ago. Initially as a triptych as part of a photographic collaborative I am part of. The single word remit was ‘decay’ so this was my interpretation of that remit. The images were captured in studio conditions using black backdrop and high key lighting. Focus stack was used to produce a ‘hyper deep depth of field’. The resulting images are stunning and even more so in print.
To consider this further, and as mentioned in the previous post, I would like to show more of my pre-existing and ongoing set of images ‘Signs of Life’. The intention of this work is to capture what is left behind in cafes, service areas and fast food restaurants. The people responsible for what is shown are not present in the frame but the signs that they were there are. Always from a high angle and always looking directly down at the arrangement, the images take on their own character and could serve as a commentary for single use products and food waste, both very current issues as we start the 2020’s.
Andrews Masters Journey 