Miranda Richmond: Proposed speaker for OCA North Group

Miranda Richmond: Proposed speaker for OCA North Group

The three students who organise meetings for this group invited others to help and I have volunteered to improve my knowledge of and involvement in the activities of the OCA more peripheral to my course.

I have found that this gives me a forum for discussing and considering other art disciplines, for example when planning speakers for forthcoming meetings.

One suggestion has been the artist, Miranda Richmond who is currently exhibiting at Dean Clough. This meant that I needed to research her work in order to be better informed as to what to get out of the next study day.

I am not sure what I would want to know about precisely but thought her residency on Iona sounded interesting
https://ionaartresidencies.wordpress.com/2019/03/03/jan-feb-2019-miranda-richmond/ (Accessed 17-11-2019)

Also her entry on the gallery site
http://colonyart.co.uk/artist/miranda-richmond/ (Accessed 17-11-2019)
says
“Her works are usually produced on location, which enables a direct and immediate response to the subject. “
I would be interested to hear how this immediacy relates to her works and how that might be relevant to us photographers who also produce the main part of our work on site.

I will add an update to this following the study day.

The Decisive Moment – Assignment Notes

The Decisive Moment – Assignment Notes

“Submit assignment notes of between 500 and 1,000 words with your series. Introduce your subject and describe your ‘process’ – your way of working. Then briefly state how you think each image relates to the concept of the decisive moment.”

These notes should be read in conjunction with my learning log at
https://ap231photography.com/
where I have expanded much more on the background to my approach to the assignment and the other subjects covered here. I have also included there the references to my sources for my research and conclusions.

My Approach

Having researched the subject I have concluded that an image which might be considered to show a Decisive Moment (DM) shows the following characteristics:

A: The compositional elements of the image produce balance, harmony, simplicity, and unity with meaningful figure/ground relationship and may incorporate a visual gap, interval, or suspension of some kind. Overall the effect of this composition is to create an element of ambiguity, uncertainty, and even contradiction.

B. The image is captured at a unique, fleeting, and meaningful moment in a precisely timed, unrepeatable, one-chance shot using an unobtrusive, candid, photorealistic image of people in real life situations

C: The final image arouses meaning and emotion about the human condition
This last criterion refers to a narrative aspect to the DM such that each picture is a whole story in itself and the past present and future of the story can be read, summed up at a ‘glance’.

Methodologically I chose to complete this assignment using film cameras and developing and printing my own images. I did this in part as a learning exercise to better understand how Cartier-Bresson and contemporaries worked and to improve my skills of observation and timing. I have sought locations with strong geometric features against which I could capture the “unique, fleeting, and meaningful moment”.

My images
2019-07-30 #01-14
A. In terms of the compositional elements of the image there are strong framing elements of the rear wall, road, railway arch to the side and the railings in the foreground. The girl is positioned in this frame and the blurring shows the urgency of her walking. Her foot is about to strike the ground – she is clearly in motion.
B. Because of her movement, the image is certainly captured at a unique moment in time, and the setting shows an unobtrusive location – she seems unaware of the photographer.
C. Whether the image arouses meaning and emotion about the human condition is debatable, however it does capture the tendency to rush from appointment to appointment characteristic of modern society.
Is this a story in itself? It raises more questions than it answers – where is she going? Why is she in a hurry?…

2019-09-17 #01-13
A. Compositionally there are strong lines across the frame – the beach and the lines of the waves, against these two people watch two dogs in the breaking waves; The people are stationary, huddled against the wind while the dogs run and jump on the beach – clearly in motion.
B. As the people are moving and the pattern of the waves changing, this scene is constantly changing, and the image is one moment in that change. Like the previous the subjects are unaware, and the flattening of perspective suggests a telephoto lens has been used to observe at a distance.
C. This image shows two people indulging in a typical British pastime of enjoying the beach in inclement weather and indulging their dogs who clearly ignore the weather.

2019-09-17 #01-28
A. There are compositional elements here with the path and the overhanging trees framing the cyclists. They are in motion and the front right cyclist is slightly tilted to the left in an unstable position.
B. They are in motion – not only coming towards the photographer, but also moving relative to each other – evidenced by the tilt of the front cyclist. The left-hand cyclist is looking at something off the frame to the left unaware of the photographer.
C. It looks a sunny day with fairly strong shadows, and they are dressed in tee shirts fitting with this – they look like they are out and having an enjoyable ride.

2019-09-17 #02-12
A. The figures in this image are positioned against a background with strong lines – the vertical lines of the architecture and the horizontal lines of the shadows. There is an unseen line – the line of sight of the two women to the left, watching the child run to the person we assume is its mother.
B. The child is running – any further and we could not see its face; the image has been captured at a moment to show that.
C. It is a sunny day, their postures are relaxed – they all look like they are enjoying themselves on a day out…

2019-09-17 #02-13
A. Here the subjects are set against strong architectural features, in the middle of an arch. The ambiguity appears to be that they may be a couple, visiting a historical site but they sit apart – each preoccupied with their own mobile phones.
B. There is less motion obvious in this image, but the subjects’ heads are down, and they have been captured at a time when they are engrossed in their phones.
C. Does this reflect on the human condition in what it suggests about the distance in their relationship – apart physically and emotionally, a stronger relationship with their phones than each other…

2019-07-30 #01-22
A. The subjects here are the vehicles on the road, the courier and the delivery van – they are positioned against the strong lines of the railway viaduct. These move relative to each other and to the photographer.
B. Meanwhile the train moves across the frame independent of the vehicles below. Overall the relative positions of the train and vehicles remain a unique instant in time.
C. To what extent this reflects the human condition is less clear and strong, however the best evidence of this is the comparison with the image from nearly 100 years earlier by Kertesz of Meudon. The urban environment is markedly different – roads busier and less pedestrians.

The Decisive Moment – Reflection

The Decisive Moment – Reflection

“Check your work against the assessment criteria for this course before you send it to your tutor.”
Assessment criteria:

Demonstration of technical and visual skills – Materials, techniques, observational skills, visual awareness, design and compositional skills. (40%)
Quality of outcome – Content, application of knowledge, presentation of work in a coherent manner, discernment, conceptualisation of thoughts, communication of ideas. (20%)
Demonstration of creativity – Imagination, experimentation, invention. (20%)
Context – Reflection, research, critical thinking. (20%)

Demonstration of technical and visual skills

Materials, techniques

I have chosen to use film and make my own prints for this assignment for reasons I have explained previously. The technical quality of the final images is rather variable. In particular the images I made with HP5+ film and telephoto lenses (such as 2019-09-17 #01-13) are not as high a standard as others. The contact sheets show there are many images which were not of a usable standard. However some of these have worked well and the prints are of a satisfactory standard.

Observational skills, visual awareness, design and compositional skills

These elements are crucial to my interpretation of the brief and I have described these in more detail in my description of the final images. However I think that the choice to use film for this was challenging to my observational skills and visual awareness and has helped me to develop this.

Quality of outcome

Content

Because of my reservations about the technical quality of the prints, I think the overall work is weak in this element.

Application of knowledge, presentation of work in a coherent manner, discernment, conceptualisation of thoughts, communication of ideas

I think that I have read and researched this topic and come up with a coherent approach to it. I also believe that my description of this communicates my ideas well.

Demonstration of creativity

Imagination, experimentation, invention

My approach has been to try an emulate the work of HCB and his contemporaries although I have examined the work of modern artists in this respect. As such therefore the work might be considered derivative rather than original. I have found going back to film has been very experimental for me – particularly to have to produce very specific output.

Context

Reflection, research, critical thinking

My account of my approach is based on research – although I am uncertain as to how much depth I need to go into about this.

I also believe I can reflect on my work – as evidenced by this post!

The Decisive Moment – My Final Prints

Subsequently I have taken more images which are in the same style as the earlier ones, (“locations with strong geometric features against which I could capture the ‘unique, fleeting, and meaningful moment’”).

The contact sheets for these are below.

I have printed a selection which I believe reflect the “Decisive Moment” (DM) as I have interpreted it. I have scanned these and the scans are included here. However these are large prints and the scan does not always fully reflect the printed image.

I selected these on the basis that they might demonstrate the concept of the DM as I have interpreted it (Decisive Moment – my conclusions).

To recap:
I suggested that the 10 characteristics of an image of a Decisive Moment proposed by Suler, fell into three groups:

A: The compositional elements of the image produce “balance, harmony, simplicity, and unity” (1) with “meaningful figure/ground relationship” (2) and may incorporate “a visual gap, interval, or suspension of some kind” (3). Overall the effect of this composition is to create “an element of ambiguity, uncertainty, and even contradiction”.

B. The image is captured at a “unique, fleeting, and meaningful moment” (5) in “a precisely timed, unrepeatable, one-chance shot” (6) using “an unobtrusive, candid, photorealistic image of people in real life situations” (7)

C: The final image “arouses meaning and emotion about the human condition” (8)

I stated my aim as to produce a series of images “whose composition possesses such vigour and richness and whose content so radiates outward from it that (each) single picture is a whole story in itself” and that I would test the effectiveness of my submission against the ten criteria of Suler and the principle of Bate, that “the past present and future of the story can be read, summed up at a ‘glance’”.

My Images

2019-07-30 #01-14

A. Unintended cropping during the scan has cut off the sides of this image. However in terms of the compositional elements of the image there are strong framing elements of the rear wall, road, railway arch to the side and the railings in the foreground. The girl is positioned in this frame and the blurring shows the urgency of her walking. Her foot is about to strike the ground – she is clearly in motion.
B. Because of her movement, the image is certainly captured at a unique moment in time, and the setting shows an unobtrusive location – she seems unaware of the photographer.
C. Whether the image arouses meaning and emotion about the human condition is debatable, however it does capture the tendency to rush from appointment to appointment characteristic of modern society.
Is this a story in itself? It raises more questions than it answers – where is she going? Why is she in a hurry?…

2019-09-17 #01-13

A. Compositionally there are strong lines across the frame – the beach and the lines of the waves, against these two people watch two dogs in the breaking waves; The people are stationary, huddled against the wind while the dogs run and jump on the beach – clearly in motion.
B. As the people are moving and the pattern of the waves changing, this scene is constantly changing, and the image is one moment in that change. Like the previous the subjects are unaware, and the flattening of perspective suggests a telephoto lens has been used to observe at a distance.
C. This image shows two people indulging in a typical British pastime of enjoying the beach in inclement weather and indulging their dogs who clearly ignore the weather.

2019-09-17 #01-28

A. There are compositional elements here with the path and the overhanging trees framing the cyclists. They are in motion and the front right cyclist is slightly tilted to the left in an unstable position.
B. They are in motion – not only coming towards the photographer, but also moving relative to each other – evidenced by the tilt of the front cyclist. The left-hand cyclist is looking at something off the frame to the left unaware of the photographer.
C. It looks a sunny day with fairly strong shadows and they are dressed in tee shirts fitting with this – they look like they are out and having an enjoyable ride.

2019-09-17 #02-12

A. The figures in this image are positioned against a background with strong lines – the vertical lines of the architecture and the horizontal lines of the shadows. There is an unseen line – the line of sight of the two women to the left, watching the child run to the person we assume is its mother.
B. The child is running – any further and we could not see its face; the image has been captured at a moment to show that.
C. It is a sunny day, their postures are relaxed – they all look like they are enjoying themselves on a day out…

2019-09-17 #02-13

A. Here the subjects are set against strong architectural features, in the middle of an arch. The ambiguity appears to be that they may be a couple, visiting a historical site but they sit apart – each preoccupied with their own mobile phones.
B. There is less motion obvious in this image, but the subjects’ heads are down and they have been captured at a time when they are engrossed in their phones.
C. Does this reflect on the human condition in what it suggests about the distance in their relationship – apart physically and emotionally, a stronger relationship with their phones than each other…

2019-07-30 #01-22

A. The subjects here are the vehicles on the road, the courier and the delivery van – they are positioned against the strong lines of the railway viaduct. These move relative to each other and to the photographer.
B. Meanwhile the train moves across the frame independent of the vehicles below. Overall the relative positions of the train and vehicles remain a unique instant in time.
C. To what extent this reflects the human condition is less clear and strong, however the best evidence of this is the comparison with the image from nearly 100 years earlier by Kertesz of Meudon. The urban environment is markedly different – roads busier and less pedestrians.

OCA North Meeting, Halifax 10/11/19

OCA North Meeting, Halifax 10 November 2019

Venue: Fletcher’s Mill, Dean Clough, Halifax

The plan for the day was:
• a presentation on his work by tutor, Andrew Conroy (photography tutor)
• general discussion
• presentation by participants of their OCA work

Presentation by Andrew Conroy
Andrew described several aspects of his work. These included a project he has been undertaking for some time about Orgreave, documenting the present state of sites of significance during the period of an active mining industry in these areas. To this end he also showed images of a series of walks he did around Barnsley including former coal mining sites. A theme here was the “re-greening” of these areas – often with little reference to their former uses.

He also described his collaborations with other artists and how his work has then been modified and adapted to create something new.

General Discussion
There was a helpful discussion about “research”, and writing, with particular relevance to the more advanced courses.

Presentation of OCA Students’ work
Several students presented their work). I presented the images I had prepared to date for Assignment 3, Decisive Moment.

Other photography students (Level 2 and 3) presented their work, and there were a set of 4 paintings by another student.

My Aims and What I Learned
I had similar aims from attending to those for previous meetings;

To gain a greater understanding of studying with the OCA
A major point I learned is that there is a librarian for the OCA who is available for advice regarding literature searches and databases of journal etc. This is something I have struggled with greatly since studying with the OCA. I am familiar from bio-medical research with various search techniques but have failed to find these for the arts discipline and resorted to general search engines such as Google, which I think does not have the academic validity of other methods.

Practice my assessment and appraisal skills
I was able to give feedback on four abstract paintings. Of note was that the student presenting the work has four very specific questions to structure the feedback around. I found that I was able to make, to me, apparently sensible and it seemed helpful comments for her. I relied to some extent also on criteria described by Grayson Perry in his book “Playing to the Gallery”, albeit I think a little tongue in cheek.

Gain a better understanding of other art disciplines and influence on photographic work
The collaborative work of Andrew Conroy demonstrated to me how other arts disciplines can use elements of photographic images to create new novel artworks, probably classifiable as “visual art” rather than any more specific discipline. However, his collaboration was not limited to visual art, but also included images as part of a work with a poem, analogous to the collaboration between Fay Godwin and Ted Hughes, Remains of Elmet.

To present my own work and get feedback on it
I took contact prints and prints of the six images I have shown on here.

Suggestions were to crop image 2019-09-17 #02-13

– my own thought is that cropping closer to the couple on the seat implies they are more important than the setting and pattern of the arches, and I will leave as it is for now.

There was a comment about the “tactile” quality of the prints, perhaps particularly because of size and the texture of the paper (pearl finish). This highlighted to me the significance of the uniqueness of a hand printed image.

The image 2019-07-30 #22 was described as “having a lot going on” to the lower left side and I agree this does make it difficult to work out where to look at the image. Its composition does not lend itself to easy examination.

EYV Zoom Meeting – 31 October 2019

EYV Zoom Meeting 31 October 2019

“Portraiture”

Led by Robert Bloomfield

The topic for this meeting was “Portraiture”. Robert explained that although previous meetings had been around the topics of assignments he thought this more general topic was relevant to many parts of the EYV course.

Robert gave a presentation based on some theoretic aspects of portraiture drawing on examples of the styles of various artists/photographers.

These included Irving Penn, notable for his studio portraits using ambient light with reflectors.

Jean Baptiste – referred to in the notes for the course.

He also described the concept of “Rembrandt Lighting” , a style of lighting the face with one side lit, and one side in shadow. This in turn gives prominence to the nose shadow. This lighting arose because of the design of Rembrandt’s studio with a single high window, which was north facing so gave a diffused light, diffused even more on occasions by translucent paper across it.

The other concept he referred to was styles of pose for the models, including the classical style “contraposto” where the model’s weight is more on one leg than the other, leading to a curve in the body with the hip thrust out. This is exemplified in the Venus de Milo from classical times and Michaelangelo’s David.

Overall these were the key things I learned from this, but the main lesson was that formal portraits are very much a constructed image, the dress and pose of the model, together with the lighting and background establish an image the photographer wishes to create. This is in distinction to me from the candid images of people taken by street photographers. Although there is clearly an overlap, as the documentary showing Don McCullin working (which I have described elsewhere) demonstrated his rapport with the subject by which he was able to create the image he sought.

The Decisive Moment: My Approach to this assignment

The Decisive Moment: My Approach to this assignment

Brief

Send a set of between six and eight high-quality photographic prints on the theme of the ‘decisive moment’ to your tutor.

You may choose to create imagery that supports the tradition of the ‘decisive moment’, or you may choose to question or invert the concept. Your aim isn’t to tell a story, but in order to work naturally as a series there should be a linking theme, whether it’s a location, an event or a particular period of time.

Submit assignment notes of between 500 and 1,000 words with your series. Introduce your subject and describe your ‘process’ – your way of working. Then briefly state how you think each image relates to the concept of the decisive moment.

Check your work against the assessment criteria for this course before you send it to your tutor.

In my previous post I indicated my view that the “Decisive Moment” relies on a compositional style and reflects a particular moment describing the human condition; and my aim for this assignment is to produce a series of images “whose composition possesses such vigour and richness and whose content so radiates outward from it that (each) single picture is a whole story in itself”.

The work of Cartier-Bresson and his contemporaries was made using film. For an exercise like this where the aim is to capture a particular moment and composition, this presents certain challenges over the use of digital cameras. With the latter, it is easy to use a fast continuous shooting mode and subsequently choose an image where the compositional elements and subject meet the photographer’s aim. While the setting and overall timing is determined by the photographer, there is an element of randomness and chance (or luck) involved in this. This is similar to the work of Jon Rathman, Nine Eyes of Google Street View, (https://9-eyes.com/ accessed 11/09/2019), which has been described as a “conceptual meditation on the state of photography in a time of automated imagemaking” (https://anthology.rhizome.org/9-eyes accessed 11/09/2019). There is an element of automated image making involved in the use of continuous shooting.

Thus as this assignment is primarily a learning exercise for me, I have decided to use film for this. In this way I hope to gain an insight into the work of Cartier-Bresson, and the significance of the timing of releasing the shutter in the creation of this image.

Technical Information

I have made most of the images using 35mm film with Olympus OM-1 and OM-2 cameras, although for some I have used a Hasselblad 503CXi medium format I used Ilford FP4+ and Ilford HP5+ film, the former rated at 125 ISO, and the latter at 800 ISO. This allows both films to be developed with the same development times and gives a slightly wider range of ISO than would the standard rating for HP5+.

Film has been developed in Ilford Ilfotec DD-X, and Ilfostop and Rapid Fixer. Prints have been made on Ilford Multigrade RC paper, developed with Multigrade developer (and Ilfostop and Rapid Fixer).

I have scanned these images for inclusion in this learning log, but will submit the prints to my tutor and for final assessment.

Initial Approach

As an important element of the final image is the compositional elements of the image to produce “balance, harmony, simplicity, and unity”, I have sought locations with strong geometric features against which I could capture the “unique, fleeting, and meaningful moment”.

My contact sheets for the first shoots, aimed at identifying suitable locations are shown here.

Larger prints of some of these show that I should be able to capture people against these backgrounds and in a way that provides a compositionally attractive way, incorporating the meaningful moment. This dam wall and other sites near my home have strong lines against which subjects can be photographed.

However first attempts at capturing subjects in these settings have not been particularly successful technically, mainly due to not having suitable telephoto lens for the location.

However I have some images which appear promising and I will discuss later in my final submission.

I particularly like this in which I try to emulate Kertesz’s image, Meudon and bring it to a contemporary setting with the man and parcel replaced by the motor cycle courier and Amazon delivery van, and steam train by electric suburban train.

Darkroom Workshop: 31 July 2019

Darkroom Workshop: 31 July 2019

Led by Dave Butcher

I had identified a need to refresh and improve my film and printing skills. From the Ilford website I located Dave Butcher who runs darkroom workshops and arranged to complete a workshop day with him.

His background is described on his website:
https://www.davebutcher.co.uk/darkroom-workshops/ accessed 1/08/2019

“Dave Butcher is a black and white specialist with a worldwide reputation for his landscapes and city shots. He is an Ilford Master Darkroom Printer and still exclusively uses medium format Mamiya 7 film cameras and makes traditional silver gelatine darkroom prints.”

Dave “worked for Ilford Photo Ltd. for 21 years… This included as a photographic research scientist, technical service manager, regulatory affairs manager and project management… (he) managed the Ilford photographic printing department, and setup and edited some Ilford technical newsletters.”

Dave began the workshop with an overview of the techniques he uses for printing. These included various types of toning which are techniques I have not used before. He also described the main technique he was planning to demonstrate in the workshop – that of split grade printing. This is a technique new to me, and involves making a print on multi-grade paper with two exposures using different contrast settings. In this way the high contrast exposure can ensure the black parts of the image have a dense black, while the low contrast exposure ensures an adequate range of mid-tones in the image.

In the darkroom, Dave demonstrated printing one of his images in this way and then we printed some of my negatives.

These included these two images I have shown before:

I had identified a need to improve the quality of the printing and am very happy with the greater contrast and range of tones in the final 14×11 inch prints. I have scanned these and reproduce them here, although the quality of the reproduction in this way does not show the detail as well as the actual print.

Hague Lane 2. Silver Print 28cm x 33cm

Towards Pingot Lane 2. Silver Print 28cm x 33cm

I think that my objective of improving my film processing and printing skills has been met and now I need to practice and review any further learning in this area. I have also been able to print some images which I may include in my next assignment “The Decisive Moment” and aim to submit this in this medium.

The Beauty (?) of Artificial Light – first thoughts

I have recently become very aware of how ubiquitous sources of artificial light are in our environment. I have recently re-started developing and printing film. As I was about to load a film into a developing tank, I saw that I was wearing fitness tracker on my wrist which lit up as I moved, and had a green light displaying all the time, my phone was on the worktop and would light up if I was called. All round my darkroom were battery chargers and other items with LED displays.

This prompted my to do two things. The first very practically, was to remove all the light emitting objects and put them in a metal box, and cover up others with black tape; before loading my film…

The second was to remember images of “Rayographs” which I had seen in the Peggy Guggenheim collection. His technique for producing these is described on the Metropolitan Museum website. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/265487 (Accessed 1/08/2019).

“Man Ray made his “rayographs” without a camera by placing objects-such as the thumbtacks, coil of wire, and other circular forms used here-directly on a sheet of photosensitized paper and exposing it to light.”

Another Rayograph is shown from their collection, here with those from the Peggy Guggenheim collection:

Rayograph, untitled. Man Ray. Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Rayograph 1922, Man Ray. From the collection of the Metropolitan Museum

I wondered how a similar technique might be applied to modern everyday objects which themselves emit light.

Method

I selected some of the common objects which had so concerned me in the darkroom (including mobile phone, “Fitbit”, bluetooth earphones, phone charger) and arranged them on a sheet of photographic paper (Ilford Multigrade IV). I made sure the displays and LEDs were illuminated, and then exposed the paper with the objects to the light from a tablet. I then developed the paper normally.

I conducted a series of test exposures to ensure the exposure from the tablet light gave a mid-grey tone, and left the objects in place for long enough to produce a darker tone. (I was surprised as to how sensitive the paper was to the light of the tablet display (it only required a 4 second exposure from a distance of 120cm).

The final images are shown below:

Overall I think these show an interesting contrast to the approach by Man Ray, and show the effect of the intrinsic light of the objects. The images of Man Ray have much sharper edges to the shadows, and I think this is due to them being closely in contact with the paper. If I try this technique again, I might try to put the objects closely in contact to the surface of the paper, perhaps by pressing them down with a sheet of glass.

EYV Zoom Meeting – 30 July 2019

EYV Zoom Meeting – 30 July 2019

The Languages of Light: Robert Bloomfield

This meeting was led as usual by Robert Bloomfield and the topic was “ Languages of Light” and Robert planned to discuss Part 4 and the 4th Assignment.

There was a presentation of work by two students who were about to submit their work for the 4th assignment and had both chosen to do this on “The Beauty of Artificial Light”. There were two aspects of the discussion about these images which I found particularly interesting as they had themes which I have been considering.

The first of these was an image of someone looking at their mobile phone at night, illuminated by the light from the screen and the reflected light from outside lights. The quality of the two types of illumination was strikingly different, in particular with regard to the colour temperature of the light, the phone was a very blue/white light and had a stark quality to it, whereas the external light, although from an LED light had a warmer, softer quality as it was reflected off other surfaces. I had previously been considering how ubiquitous objects with light sources have become and how these influence our environment. I have started a consideration of this in another post and may develop it further for my assignment.

The other aspect of the student work which I found interesting was an image of a tower block with a sign across the windows. The wording was very prominent and gave a strong message in the image. However there were other aspects of the image which could be interpreted in many different ways. The incorporation of words into images is something I have considered before, and an area I need to research and consider more.

Robert gave a presentation about the concept of “Beauty” with the aim of making it a less subjective concept. He gave a historical view of the classical construct of “beauty” which equated to “perfection” and as such had a generally agreed definition and was not therefore subjective. However he then described the attack by the suffragette, Mary Richardson, on the “Rokeby Venus”, a painting by Valaquez in the National Gallery. My understanding of the rationale she gave for this was that the picture was an depiction of “beauty” but her own concept of beauty included the concept of “justice”, which she saw as missing from the contemporary treatment of women.

My own thoughts on this are that while the incorporation of other constructs besides perfection are important, there remains then an element of subjectivity as across societies, different people and groups are likely to have different understanding of concepts like “justice”, and value other constructs as defining beauty. For example in many elements of modern society, an artificial light source could only be considered to demonstrate “beauty” if it does not harm the environment.

Following the meeting I have briefly researched more about the attack on the Rokeby Venus by Mary Richardson. A description of this is at:

http://www.artinsociety.com/from-the-rokeby-venus-to-fascism-pt-1-why-did-suffragettes-attack-artworks.html (Accessed 1/08/2019)

Richardson is quoted as saying “I have tried to destroy the picture of the most beautiful woman in mythological history as a protest against the Government destroying Mrs Pankhurst, who is the most beautiful character in modern history. Justice is an element of beauty as much as colour and outline on canvas”

There are other aspects of this painting and its subject which may have made it a target for such an attack as Richardson is quoted as saying several years later “I didn’t like the way men visitors to the gallery gaped at it all day”. Furthermore in the article, the authors cite descriptions of the painting as “’a body for Don Juanesque fantasies’ in a country (Spain) in which extreme machismo was the hallmark and women were regarded as ‘inferior, voiceless and … easy prey’”. This suggests to me that at the time of its painting the concept of beauty in that society included these aspects too. All of which shows how the subjectivity of the concept is influenced not only be an individual’s taste, but also societal values.

Other sources and writers to which Robert directed us in the meeting include Susan Sontag, “On Photography” in which she examines the development of the photograph beyond being a idealised image, and thereby a development of a set of aesthetic values by which a photograph can be judged. This is something I need to read more about.