FINISHED 

COP FINAL PIECE

http://issuu.com/laurenrachael/docs/test


My finished photo-campaign is on the link above, my aim 

is for my piece to feature in a magazine such as Love, Vogue, 

Harper bazaar or Elle. I want to reach a high class market to portray 

my meaning of 'do you see' This has all originated from my culture

 research in Vietnam, although you can apply this to everything

The aim of my piece is to question my audience, i have done so with

 simple, easy to read sentences throughout my 16 page photo- campaign.

MAGAZINE PHOTO-CAMPAIGN IDEA

I have condsidered illustrating the masks onto the models faces with
makeup/eyeliner or paint but have come to the conclusion that it just wont
 work if the camera angle is not right, Using illustrator to place the masks on
 gives me more freedom to edit the masks and chang the shapes etc.

FAVORITES

At the moment I am thinking I want to do a 10 Page spread for a

magazine to raise awareness, to my idea, 'Do you see' This would

feature in a high end magazine, eg; Vogue, Harpers Bazaar or Elle

The photographs will as I mentioned before, gain colour and involve

my adobe illustrator mask. The images will be mostly headshot of a

single model thinking, remenising and remembering. I would like to complete

 this and upload it as aPDF file, Therefore it will give me a better idea of

 how my layout and images will work in a magazine, and how best they

can be incorporated. I would even like to put a short article, words, 

 Quotes & poems throughout my photo-campaign.

aT

MASK EXPLORATION USING MY OWN PHOTOGRAPHS, ILLUSTRATOR & PHOTOSHOP

 My mask composed on illustrator, this is the one i will impose

 onto my own photographs but slightly alter the pattern & shape

 each time.

BELOW:

Here are some of my photographs where i have played with my mask ideas, by changing the shapes, pattern and layouts of the mask.

MOVING AWAY FROM PROJECTION

Other ideas i had at the start of my Context Of Practace module
was to create a mask, The mask would be a symbol of the meaning
 behind my idea; Culture & how much do we see. The mask will be
an object representing something blocking our view, stopping us see
beyond certain things. Such as images the media project upon us,
 preventing people from seeing the bigger picture & finer details, like
the people working dawn until dusk in Vietnam.
 (Refer to earlier COP blog posts)

INITIAL IDEA:

Using photoshop i overlayed a mask idea onto my photograph. There
is too much covering her face though so iwill need to alter this.

IDEA 1: Using illustrator, I could create a magazine article in
 order to convey my message, I Could have a range of photographs
all with something in common; A mask, There could be a series
of 10 or so, as the viewer flicks through the coulour of the photograph
can gradually grow from black & white to strong intense vibrant colours,
This will indicate the process we as peolpe engage in as we see
 the world, slowly realising and seeing more of what is around us.

IDEA 2: A advert campaign. to go on billboards,

I wwill re-do the above image with a photograph

and my own model, possibly use a different pose.

An idea I have attempted already but failed with, is to create this mask (above) I would like to have another go where i use a lazer cutter, the only problem is deciding which material to use. Previously i used 3mm thick copper wire but it was too difficult to bend into the intricate curved and swirls i wanted by hand and plyers

FRITZ LANG'S

METROPOLIS

 Although having never seen the film, Metropolis, classed as a

masterpiece, I am familiar with the famous images, for example,

 Brigette Helm's dance, and the scene with the eyes. It crossed my mind

that some of my recent developments with my projection and these scenes

 have some similarities; unusual yet striking poses, high contrast which

captures the audience.

One amazing thing about Fritz masterpiece is there were no video editing software

 such as adobe after effects, which I am currently using, showing how genius

 the moving eye scenes are.

Brigette Helm



OTHER PROJECTION IDEAS

I have composed an image that I could also project, At first glance it appears

 to be a model with an Afro, but looking closely, her hair is made up of daily

activities carried but by the Vietnamese people. I have taken these from my

 own photographs.



ANIMATED PROJECTION

FOR THE FLOOR OF A SHOPPING CENTRE OR BACK SCREEN OF A CATWALK

 

 

FINAL

Using Adobe Aftereffects, which was new to me, a programme

 used for many animated films. I have created a short animation

which will be played in a continuous loop, this will be projected

onto a wall, or floor in a shopping centre, busy shopping street or

the back of a catwalk.

I want t see if people stop to look at the projection or

work out what the projections of. Will they look at the models

rings or just briefly look and walk on.

1ST DRAFT

FINAL PROJECTION

Here are some of my final projection ideas, i am going to animate them rotating

PROJECTION IDEAS

using photoshop ive played with the opacity, to compose some mosaic like
 images, My idea is that i Will project these onto the floor of a shopping centre
or the wall of a busy street in a hot shopping destination to see if anyone pays
attention to the details of the projection.

EXPERIMENTAL PHOTOGRAPHY

 I want to focus on the eyes of my model, this imagery suggests, seeing
 & sight, hopefully drawing my audience in to look closer. I was thinking i

Could enlarge these images for an ad campaign or the back of a catwalk.

The reason for the colour changes (below) and repetition is to ask the
viewer what they see, do they notice the slight changes, do they see the
pattern in the eye.

Again using the eyes, i want to try something surreal. this has presence
 and is guaranteed to draw in my audience because of its unusual
 appearance. the one enlarged eye is to show how we only see half of the
 bigger picture. I would use these images as a large poster or possible a projection.

As I want to look into technology in fashion, I would like to experiment with
projections, or fashion film, The above image would be good to use as a large
hologram as a display in a shop or window, The only problem being it would
 be expensive to produce and  would need to use a laser cutter.

PHOTO SHOOT

My choice of model changed, Instead of using a white model with
 innocent and soft features, i have used someone with a Jamaican ethnic
background, The reason for this is because I wanted someone with dark hair
 and bold features for when i come to edit  my photographs, this mean the
contrast Will be bolder and more effective on my final artifact.

She wears rings made in India and eyelashes coated in caviar beads
 (made by me) The rings and tiny beads represent different people, i
want my audience to look at the details on my model, hence why i have
used a white background, this makes my model stand out, therefore
 following the conventions of a fashion shoot, it is predictable and expected
 because we expect the model to be the main focal point in a shoot, normally
advertising garments or fashion labels. I want my viewers to look past this and
look into the details.

Another reason for using a Jamaican model is because I dont believe
there is enough diversity of models in the fashion world, We rarely see black
or other ethnicity's on Magazine covers, so i would like to present
this idea to my viewers ,about how much we see or pay attention.

Eyelashes dipped in caviar beads

IDEA

I will conduct a photo shoot using bold makeup to enhance the
 eye, just one eye, this way i will be able to question what my audience
 is seeing. Using the one eye i will be suggesting that people don't see the
bigger picture, we see what we want to, we don't see the finer details.

I will use jewelry from different cultures to represent the different people and role in the world, I want my audience to see the model and jewelry, to see how they re from different worlds different.

DO YOU SEE?

From looking at my photos from daily life in Vietnam,I want to pinpoint showing my audience the details, I want my audience to be able to look past the big bold focal point, normally featured in a fashion photo. and want to create a large chaotic image to draw in my viewers.

 From looking further into my photos, Ive come up with several ideas:

 -Do a 3D photograph which is easy to create in photoshop by altering the perspective and colour levels.

-Do a 3D photograph with a fashion photograph overlayed to blur the model from being the main feature, therefore enabling my viewer to look at the busy Vietnam streets

-Print a fashion photograph onto A3 acetate, & print a Vietnam street scape onto acetate, they will be 1cm apart so the images are see through and blend together.

 PROBLEMS:

- 3D photograph- will require glasses and people needing to stop and look in order to take in the image

-A3 Acetate, would i need to make a frame, how will the acetate be supported because its quite thn and not sturdy

CONCLUSION

Ive come to the conclusion that i want to do something that isnt directly presented to the audience, maybe a projection, somethng that blends into the enviroment, this will help me answer my question, do people notice? Do people see?

COP - CONTEXT OF PRACTISE

THEME: COMMUNICATION, CULTURE & TECHNOLOGY

How is technology used to communicate, how do we communicate ideas, meanings, how do we raise awareness to cultural aspects, problems & differences?

In my research I'll research these questions, and produce my own product or campaign based upon my findings and theme.

IDEAS SO FAR

My recent visit to Vietnam was not only an amazing holiday but gave me the chance to explore and discover about different cultures, I was shocked and in awe most of the time. Using my own photos as research I want to ask the question

DO YOU SEE?

Do we/the public/individuals see, do we pay attention to the finer details. One way i could show this could be through photography, posters, a fashion film or a product.

At the moment I'm considering a chameleon idea; to conduct a fashion photo shoot but then merge the image with a busy street from Ho Chi Minh, this way I could record peoples reactions to the photograph, I can see if they notice the model blending in or if they actually notice the people going about their day to day business.

My point being, If I were to present to you a clean cut immaculate image of a model, would you look at the white background behind her/him? no probably not, this is because my model would be the focal point the point which the photograph is pulling you in, it would be the reason why your looking at it. I want to blend the model with their surroundings like a chameleon as see how my audience would react. would they look at the finer details or just look and see a 'busy street'

the busy streets

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

HIGHLAND RAPE

A/W 1995-6

Breasts on show, low crotches, torn clothes, flesh flashing in every direction. This could only be a recipe for one of the most controversial catwalk shows. And controversial it was, as Alexander McQueen’s Highland Rape collection strutted its way down the catwalk in 1995, a year when people didn’t go out in just bandeau's and hot  pants.

During our seminar we discussed this collection, many of my peers shocked me with their views towards the flesh on show and title ‘Highland Rape’ to them this was offencive, as if the show was mocking rape. The catwalk scattered with leaves set the grim mise-en-scene as models not only walked or grimaced down the catwalk, but played a part, acted out a character. This, shock factor quickly became a trademark for McQueen shows, that and his amazing showman ship.

To many the word rape creates images of violence, malice, forcefulness and unwilling, it’s easy to see how the clothes presented to us in this show are tormenting the rape idea. The torn tops suggest violence and fearfulness, the short, or should I say extra short, hemlines of the dresses look as if someone has slashed them from the women, as if the women whom the models are portraying are vulnerable and delicate.

What many didn’t realise when making these judgements and assumptions is that ‘Highland Rape’ as a title is much more than the violence and force we associate with the word, it represents the invasion of Scotland by the British, the way Britain invaded the Scottish people, who evidently lived in the ‘highlands’, The tartan worn by some of the shows characters give us a slight clue to this. In my opinion I see this as art only using fashion to present the idea to its audience, in the same way an advertising campaign or painter would do.

‘[With bumsters] I wanted to elongate the body, not just show the bum. To me, that part of the body- not so much the buttocks, but the bottom of the spine- that’s the most erotic part of anyone’s body, man or women’ (Alexander McQueen, Savage Beauty, 2011)

I couldn’t agree more, the body is a work of art and McQueen recognised this, he created garments based upon the silhouette. When it came to his shows he used shock tactics to communicate current issues and ideas, playing out the scenes and emotions he wished the audience to experience. Even now I believe people are uptight about nudity and the body, maybe this is due to it being exhibited wrongfully. We see life drawings and nude paintings as a work of art, yet when someone like McQueen shows a breast here and a peek of the nipple there, outrage, debate and discussion sparks.

The kilt and tartan as we all know is traditional Scottish dress, Could McQueen not be trying to convey another meaning, suggesting how we take the prints from cultures and ‘rape’ them, in other words we use items, symbols and prints from other cultures we do not know enough about. Do we use them wrongfully or inappropriately, or with the wrong meanings?

McQueen whose background comes from working with Savile Row tailors; Anderson & Sheppard shines through his designs, his perfectly composed garments and avent garde styles not only break many conventions, but use innovation and imagination.

Above some of McQueen's outstanding designs & shows

Its devastating such a talented person like McQueen has died, his label will live on and show the world what he brought into this world for all to enjoy. He is an ispiration to me and many more thousands of people all around the world.

CREATIVE ADVERTISING

Having just seen this Chanel Make up advert on TV, I was so impressed I had to share

It just got me, theres no faces, no cliche'd beautiful models to make the audience feel bad or aspire to be like them.

Theres instead a beautifully performed 'show' its memorable and different, creative and captivating.

Rather than a falsified photoshopped mascara advert with models wearing false eyelashes, we are presented with a piece of art. A short film that should be seen this way.

YAYOI KUSAMA : ARTS NEVER OLD

The spot inspired 85 year old's exhibition hit the Tate Modern in London, on until 5th June 2012

Yayoi Kusamas Tate exhibition

Kusamas's work has ranged from foraging for materials in the 50s and 60s to huge light installation's now (below). A reason I'm a fan of Kusamas work is because she communicates her ideas and visions through interactive visual installations, she has a strong USP, by using dots in every piece of her work. I admire her for her consistency and the identity of her work, how its so easy to recognise the artist from on glance.

RIGHT OR WRONG?

SISLEY banned ad campaign

During my class discussion today, this image caused quite a stir...The big question was; Is this ad campaign by Sisley right? Is it okay to put this image out into the public eye, a suggestive image that we can all depict what it portrays, but the ad isn't actually carrying out the act it portrays.

In my opinion this is a very clever advert, and cleverly thought through. once the viewers looked at this, its hard to forget, don't you agree? the image will stick in the audiences mind therefore the brand name will be easier to recall and remember. Not only is this a strong image but it anchors the brands slogan 'fashion junkie' as the two models sniff the tops as if they're drugs, this suggestion will imply that once you purchase Sisley you'll never be able to let go of the brand.

Some people might argue this advert is unsuitable, especially for a younger audience, but if placed in the correct media such an adult fashion magazines children wouldn't have to witness this campaign. Also a child wouldn't understand what the two models are doing, unlike the ad below.

Tom Ford banned ad campaign

Here's an example of a banned advert, this would be disgraceful if shown in print media, only because the image is so graphic, almost pornographic, its suggestive so anyone of any age could understand this. whereas the Sisley one isn't obvious to a child.