Idea's and Research

FINAL MAJOR PROJECT IDEA'S

I am aiming to document the changes within the small historical town of Blackburn from before the 1900's up until today 2014, I am aiming to explore and document some of the biggest changes which have happened over the years between before the 1900's up until now. These changes are big and small within this town some of these changes include the era of the trams changing to buses, The cotton and weaving industry as the cotton and weaving mills were thriving within this time in Blackburn and was the main hub of this small community town. I am also focusing on how pubs which were once the main social meeting places for the men to relax after work has now been transformed into other means of buildings such as house's,schools,youth clubs. I will be looking closely in to the architecture and artifacts within the old buildings and how it has changed over the many years.

I am wanting to use audio within my work using a voice recorder to record the older generation of people which have worked in the cotton and weaving industry to use within the experimenting and presentation of my work. I am wanting to capture images of the cotton and weaving mills which are no longer working mills but are still standing today, I will be interviewing men and women who have worked in the weaving and cotton industry in times gone by to see how Blackburn has changed over the years and also ask there opinion on how they have watched it changed over the years. I will be working on this project in depth I will be fulfilling this by going in depth and exploring and research within the town such things as; architecture, the change of public transport and how it has affected peoples lives over the years.

Some of the photographers I will be researching are: 

• Ian Beasley 
• Denis Thorpe 
• Richard Billingham

I chose to look closely as a starting point looking at these three main Photographer as they are documentary photographers, Denis Thorpe also has a great amount of landscape images that have helped to inspire me and give me a starting by developing my ideas.

Richard Billingham. 

Richard Billingham Born in 1970, a photographer and video artist. He graduated from the university of Sunderland in the year of 1994 where he took part in his first group exhibition at the Barbican art gallery in London. The project that Billingham became best known for the project where he photographed activities at his family home where he photographed over a period of time from 1990 were it began to intend for paintings. The photographs that Richard Billingham captured was often humerus documentation of the emotional and sometimes violent relations ships between his parents and brother. They are known for there extraordinary sympathy they explore there subject and the domestic environment. All Billinghams prints Black and white and colour prints are mounted on aluminium unframed and untitled which suggest that they should be looked at within a series rather than solo images. The photographs were published as a series for the first time in book form in 1996. Billingham also produced videos that explore his family life and equally equivalent to the series of the photographs he produced of his family.

                                1995, Fuji long-life colour print on aluminium   80x120cm

                             1995, Fuji long-life colour print on aluminium 105x158cm               

     

   

Evaluation
I chose to use the photographer Richard Billingham in my research as he is a documentary photographer who inspires me with his work these two photographs i chose to use in my research show composition within both images the bottom image is very symmetrical which I really like within a photograph.
and in the photograph above shows how his mother and father lived and as you can see its very meaningful and the photograph can be looked at many different points.
I have looked at the documentary's of Richard Billingham and in my opinion the photographs are very strong and make you feel as though you know more of the story than you actually do. 
Martin Parr. 

Martin Parr started his professional photography in the early 1970's. He was first seen for his one of his pieces of work first one being his black and white bad weather photographed his second piece being as well as a fair day in North England.

In 1984 he began working in colour photography parr's documentary work is often described as intimate Digital Photography technologies has let him closely experimented with subjects within their own environment.

When Parr created his signs of the Times a portrait of the Nations treat in 1988 he started to document ordinary peoples house to capture images of them doing their everyday activities. He then combined there photographic images with different quotes that came from the subject he captured. The outcome to this was the subjects viewers had different responses some said they didn't know if to cry or laugh. 

I chose to use Martin Parr within my work as he produced document work which I took great interest in I chose to use these two images as photographs number one tells a story about Martin Parr himself as he is well known for wearing sandles and socks and as you can see in this image he has captured his foot with the sock and sandle on as the subject and used the busy beach behind to set the scene showing were he is. In the second photograph it looks as though there are two sisters possibly twins with what looks as though the one behind in a bit more timed and shy than the one in front and she is investigating the situation.
Martin Parr started his professional within the early 1970's they were first seen for his piece of work first one being his black and white bad weathered photograph and his second piece being as well as a fair day in North England. 

Ian Beesley  

Ian Beesley worked in a mill as a laborer after he left school in 1972. The mill was associated wavers of Dudley hill Bradford.

It was at Estolt in 1973 that Ian Beesley purchased his first camera and started to photograph his work mates with there encouragement he then decided to apply for the foundation course in art situated at Bradford Art College  and started this course in 1974.

He then went on to further his studying at Bournemouth and Poole college of art where he then graduated with double distinctions in documentary and editorial photography in 1977.

Evaluation 

I choose these two photographs as i favored them more than any of the others he had produced he is also another documentary photographer, these two photos are completely different one being of children playing on a street corner with an old bicycle, also there is a man in the background which looks as though he is waiting to cross the road. The younger boy which is looking at at the camera is inspecting the situation he also looks the oldest child there and may have the responsibility's to keep the other children safe. I chose this second photograph as it fits into my work with documenting Blackburn as this mill town and this photograph shows the mills and chimneys working. 

Mary Ellen Mark. 

Mary Ellen Mark has achieved world wide visibility through her many books and exhibitions and magazine work. Mary Ellen  contributed her photography to the New Yorker and has published many photo essays  and portraits in various publications such as LIFE and New York Times. For over 49 years Mary Ellen traveled extensively to capture images that reflect a high degree of humanism. Today Mary Ellen Mark is known one of our most influenced and most respected photographer, Her photographs of our world's diverse cultures have become landmarks in the field of documentary photography. She produced a photo-essay based on runaway children in Seattle became the basis of the academic awards nominated film STREETWISE, directed and photographed by her husband, Martin Bell. 

    

I chose to use these two images from Mary Ellen Marks photography as they really stand out to me. Photograph number one tells alot of story's when you look closely into this image it looks as if this is a poor family including mother, father and two small children they all have very black, sad,upset expressions on their faces as if they could be homeless or very poor the car they are in is scruffy and tatty this is shown through the tatty seat which is ripped and looks as though the stuffing is coming out of it.
I choose image number two as this shows the love this women has for this dog its pure also the background wallpaper looks very retro and old fashioned maybe this is the only dog that this women has to rely on to be her best friend.

Denis Thorpe. 

Denis Thorpe was a guardian photojournalist between the years of 1974 and 1966 whilst Thorpe was in this job he was well placed to record the upheaval in the British, Political and cultural landscape from the reporters of the miners strikes and strange ways not to celebrity portraiture and travelogues, he captured photograph's of the essence of the age as a new retrospective demonstrates. 

In Denis Thorpe fifty years work span he had behind him through a combination of sheer professionalism, discipleship and artistic merit had achieved more than most of his early role models, Thorpe  had won many awards which included the 1979 world press photo gold medal Ilford photographer of the year in 1988

''In Denis Thorpe every working photographer has a living inspiration to look more closely at our crazy world in which each portrait, every scene has a story to tell''. 

                                            

                                                        Ribble Head Viaduct 1986

                                                         Perugia Italy 1993

Denis Thorpe's work is also documentary i chose these two as the Ribble Head Viaduct i really like how he has used the natural lighting to his advantage making harsh shadows which really make this photograph come to life. and also the second image is very good composition which really caught my eye as its almost symmetrical this is shown with the two signs with the two signs on either side of the walls the two men and the other two people which are in the upper area of this building. I also like the texture within all the brick work it really makes the buildings stand out from this image.
Also the bottom photograph looks as though it could be a corner shop based in Italy and it looks like it is based under an empty apartment.