I get by with a little help from my friends...
I have an assignment for my class due on the 21st. The assignment is an interview. On myself. I have answered a few questions that one of my classmates gave me, but I think I need some more questions. It would be really helpful if some of you could go check out some of my work (look under Foundation Photo and Architecture, Culture and Photography.. I wish I had more up on the site..) and ask me any questions you might have.
Here is a copy of the interview-in-progress:
Q: My first question is: I noticed two main themes in your work, one which is very personal and one very conceptual.
Your personal work seems to grow from a need to work though life issues or personal growth as well as family and other personal relationships. Your work appears to be some what therapeutic. I am wondering if through your work, you find the answers you may searching for? Does the therapy work?
On the other hand your conceptual images are much more based on shapes, textures and movements. The subject matter for your images seem random, and I wonder if they are. Are you seeking out certain 'images' before composing a piece or are you letting the randomly found image dictate your composition. In other words do you speak for your image or does your image speak to you?
A: I'm not sure "finding answers" is exactly the right way of putting it. My personal work is very therapeutic, but rather than helping me find answers, I think it helps me to see my world with a new perspective. I do think my work has helped me cope with a lot of stuff that I've had to deal with.
The conceptual work is a little harder to explain. Most of what I shoot in my spare time is capricious. It tends to be about the specific moment of the photograph, capturing the light or the lines of everyday objects in ways that may never happen again. This type of shooting is very passive for me. I let my eyes do most of the work, and I tend to think consciously only of the framing and composition. I tend to find this type of work more delightful. My autobiographical work tends to be more cathartic.
Q: Your new work is also personal - uncovering the layers of your boxes in storage. Can you explain the inspiration for this work.
A: Originally I'd planned to do "Anonymous Self-Portraits" this semester, an idea I'd had a while ago which I wanted to try out. I was also looking to get away from my comfort zone - the personal work - and try something I'm not so familiar with. However, after my first shoot, although I got some images I was happy with, I didn't feel that the project was going anywhere.
When I had my individual meeting with Susan, we talked about some of my past work, including the project I did on my former homes. I mentioned how the stuff I'm storing in my mother's basement is a sort of link to that address for me. While I've never lived there - and most likely never will - I'm still storing things there.
We discussed how everyone reaches this point in their lives where they have "left the nest" so to speak, but since they may be moving around a lot, as I tend to, there are certain items that get left behind. These are items which tend to be important, but not so important that you need or want to keep them with you.
So I decided that while it is sometimes good to get away from one's comfort zone, perhaps this is not the time for me to be doing so.
Q: Which artists and/or photographers inspire you?
Would you say you follow a certain style in your work?
A: My knowledge of art history at this point is somewhat limited. There are some artists whose work has inspired me, but for the most part I get my inspiration from the people around me. I'm a fan of a lot of the photographers from the early 1900s, such as Walker Evans, Ansel Adams, Eugene Atget, and Lewis Hine among many others. I enjoy the work of the f64 group, and the exploration of motion in A.G. Bragaglia's work. All of these artists have had an effect on how I view photography as a medium, and the technical mastery I aspire to.
I wouldn't say I follow any particular style. Perhaps that's just because I'm still exploring my own preferences, or because I haven't settled into a niche, or any number of other reasons. Maybe one day people will be able to look at a photograph of mine and say "yes, that's a Lauriston," but I don't think I've reached that point yet.
Here is a copy of the interview-in-progress:
Q: My first question is: I noticed two main themes in your work, one which is very personal and one very conceptual.
Your personal work seems to grow from a need to work though life issues or personal growth as well as family and other personal relationships. Your work appears to be some what therapeutic. I am wondering if through your work, you find the answers you may searching for? Does the therapy work?
On the other hand your conceptual images are much more based on shapes, textures and movements. The subject matter for your images seem random, and I wonder if they are. Are you seeking out certain 'images' before composing a piece or are you letting the randomly found image dictate your composition. In other words do you speak for your image or does your image speak to you?
A: I'm not sure "finding answers" is exactly the right way of putting it. My personal work is very therapeutic, but rather than helping me find answers, I think it helps me to see my world with a new perspective. I do think my work has helped me cope with a lot of stuff that I've had to deal with.
The conceptual work is a little harder to explain. Most of what I shoot in my spare time is capricious. It tends to be about the specific moment of the photograph, capturing the light or the lines of everyday objects in ways that may never happen again. This type of shooting is very passive for me. I let my eyes do most of the work, and I tend to think consciously only of the framing and composition. I tend to find this type of work more delightful. My autobiographical work tends to be more cathartic.
Q: Your new work is also personal - uncovering the layers of your boxes in storage. Can you explain the inspiration for this work.
A: Originally I'd planned to do "Anonymous Self-Portraits" this semester, an idea I'd had a while ago which I wanted to try out. I was also looking to get away from my comfort zone - the personal work - and try something I'm not so familiar with. However, after my first shoot, although I got some images I was happy with, I didn't feel that the project was going anywhere.
When I had my individual meeting with Susan, we talked about some of my past work, including the project I did on my former homes. I mentioned how the stuff I'm storing in my mother's basement is a sort of link to that address for me. While I've never lived there - and most likely never will - I'm still storing things there.
We discussed how everyone reaches this point in their lives where they have "left the nest" so to speak, but since they may be moving around a lot, as I tend to, there are certain items that get left behind. These are items which tend to be important, but not so important that you need or want to keep them with you.
So I decided that while it is sometimes good to get away from one's comfort zone, perhaps this is not the time for me to be doing so.
Q: Which artists and/or photographers inspire you?
Would you say you follow a certain style in your work?
A: My knowledge of art history at this point is somewhat limited. There are some artists whose work has inspired me, but for the most part I get my inspiration from the people around me. I'm a fan of a lot of the photographers from the early 1900s, such as Walker Evans, Ansel Adams, Eugene Atget, and Lewis Hine among many others. I enjoy the work of the f64 group, and the exploration of motion in A.G. Bragaglia's work. All of these artists have had an effect on how I view photography as a medium, and the technical mastery I aspire to.
I wouldn't say I follow any particular style. Perhaps that's just because I'm still exploring my own preferences, or because I haven't settled into a niche, or any number of other reasons. Maybe one day people will be able to look at a photograph of mine and say "yes, that's a Lauriston," but I don't think I've reached that point yet.