October Artists – Nadav Kander

Nadav Kander is someone I was recommended to look at in my 1 on 1 tutorial with Lucy Levenne and I was also told in my group crit 11.10.12 to look at his project Road to 2012 because of the stories of the athletes.
(Saw some great images on this website but every time you hover over an image to save it information comes up about the image, great way to stop copyright but really rather annoying when researching)

http://roadto2012.npg.org.uk/timeline#/artists/na- dav-kander

“With the Olympics imminent, let the Olympic-themed art exhibitions begin!
The National Portrait Gallery brings us an exhibition that looks at the people behind the games. As well as featuring those who’ve been hogging the spotlight like Anish Kapoor and Boris Johnson, it also looks at the less recognised faces.
The photographs by Jillian Edelstein may be cheesily posed for but they’re effective at telling the stories of the multitude of people involved in the Games. From the catering director for the Olympic village to the composer responsible for recording all 205 national anthems — though you’d be right to wonder how many of them will actually be played.
[The best contributions are the two sets of portraits by Nadav Kander. His moody black and white minimalist head shots of athletes reveal a range of emotions. The youthful innocence of Jade Jones belies the fact that she’ll be representing GB in Taekwondo, while the sheer muscular presence and intensity of Lawrence Okoye (Discus) is intimidating. Kander has also photographed a set of torch bearers. Their full-length portraits hang next to the stories behind their selection. As these works project from the wall, they mirror the amiable and well- rounded presence of these individuals.]
Also of note is the multi-screen video training montage of Duncan Goodhew, so well presented that you’re almost waiting for the Rocky theme to kick in.
These portraits are of a mixed quality but they’re at their best when bringing to our attention the stories of the many unsung contributors and participants at London 2012″.
http://londonist.com/2012/07/art-review-the-road-to- 2012-aiming-high-national-portrait-gallery.php -above writing

The only issue I have with this project is I haven’t been able to find any stories about the people in the photographs be they torch bearers or athletes. This is also an issue I have with the SCAR Project. Although the SCAR Project photographs don’t need the stories as much I feel like even those photographs are lacking without the story. The only information is shown below.

Centenarian torch bearer Diana Gould photographed by Nadav Kander. © Nadav Kander – National Portrait Gallery/BT Road to 2012 project

Even though I didn’t see the exhibition in its intended order of being part of the build up to the Olympics and Paralaympics, I actually feel like I got more from seeing it this way round as both events were such a huge success in reaching out to the people of London/Great Britain/ the world that I really got involved in watching both of them on the TV, seeing the stories of the participating athletes online with BBC iPlayer and Channel 4 OD and physically getting to go see some of the Paralympics.
The portraits have captured the athletes as striving individuals in an amazing and different way to how the online video stories on the television and BBC & 4OD websites did. The interviews and adverts attempted and succeeded in showing the athletes as regular people and portraying their personalities, helping you emotionally connect with them and passionately want them to do well in their different events.
As well as shooting ten Olympic torchbearers for the exhibition, Nadav Kander took four black and white shots of rising stars including discus thrower Lawrence Okoye (above) and Paralympic cyclist Jon-Allan Butterworth (below). It was great to see who out of this lineup had actually achieved their goals and who you felt pangs of sadness for.
http://www.weareasilia.com/blog/road-2012-exhibition- national-portrait-gallery – Writing above

October Artists – Esther Teichmann

I was recommended to look at Esther Teichmann by Lucy Levenne in my 1 on 1 tutorial on 8.10.12. She takes photographs of her family including her Mother her Father and her Husband. My project is focusing on breast cancer because of my experiences and my Mothers experiences with breast cancer during my last year of A-Levels and my first year of University.

“[ Esther’s work centres around colours, echoes and emo- tional response. Much of her photography and moving image explores the relationship between the self and the body, flesh and mortality. She has always been fascinat- ed by the space between desiring and loving a person and being in love with the image, fantasy, projection of them. This difference between the fiction and the reality intrigues her and is present in both her fashion and art work. ]
Esther has recently completed her PhD at the RCA and made a short piece, In Search of Lightning, with a voice- over narrative that she has written. Drinking Air, pub- lished in 2011 as a limited edition interweaves several bodies of her work spanning the last six years, punctured by fragments of prose. Recent features have included an interview with 10 magazine by Skye Sherwin; an essay by Carol Mavor in Photographies, which concludes with an image from Mythologies and narrative based on the image; 100 New Artists edited by Francesca Gavin and published by Laurence King; and works included in Carol Mavor’s upcoming 2012 publications with Duke University Press and Reaktion Books. The next issue of Foam magazine includes new works alongside conversa- tion by Aaron Schuman and Charlotte Cotton.
Esther Teichmann was born in Karlsruhe, Germany in 1980. In 2005 she was listed in Art Review’s top 25 new artists and Creative Review’s Creative Futures, the year she received her MA in Fine Art from the Royal College of Art. Esther lectures widely; she lives and works in London.
Esther’s work has been exhibited and published inter- nationally, with group and solo shows in London, Los Angeles, Berlin, Mannheim, Modena and Melbourne. Clients include AnOther Magazine, Attitude, Dazed & Confused, Centrefold, Qvest, Swarovski and Topman.
http://www.webberrepresents.com/artists/esther_ teichmann”

Taken from: http://www.shanelavalette.com/journal/2008/07/30/esther-teichmann-an-impossible-place/ (Accessed May 2012)

Above is one of the photographs which shows her passion for colours, as in most of her images starring her mother her mother is looking away from the camera. Visually this photograph is not relevant to the kind of photographs that I want to produce but theoretically it is. The ideas that she portrays are intriguing to me, her mother looking away in the photographs show a distance and a struggle in the relationship between her and her mother. When my mother got breast cancer our relationship completely changed. Instead of her looking after me, I was looking after her and became the parental figure in our relationship.

“Loss and the Art Object This research project explores the relationship between loss and the production of the art object through both textual and visual works. The relationship between the fear of loss and the need to create, is one which is mirrored in the drive and desire reflected in an artist’s relationship to his/her work. It is the parallels between these relationships and the inevitably linked perception the artist has to reality and the alter worlds created, which I am examining, looking at the first experiences of the imaginary and desire linked for example to the maternal body, which mirror and determine our later perception of reality and fantasy and our relationship to the fear of loss.
“Teichmann’s utopian island-world lies somewhere between black and blue seas, between here and now and the fantasy of where one might go, or perhaps, even, where one has been. At the heart of the work is the experience of the primal loss of the mother, who necessarily turns away, as Teichmann’s mother does in some of the photograph.”
(Carol Mavor Love in Black and Blue)
http://folio.rca.ac.uk/user/view.php?id=769

The idea that the artist is caught between the fear of loss and the need to create is something that I feel I can connect quite strongly with. The fear of losing my mother is something I want to use as inspiration. I want to make something good from the terrible thing that affected my family and affects so many families like mine.
Ideas of loss and an impossible return, of grief and a sense of inherited home- sickness, are themes drawn upon repeatedly throughout my practice (from an early body of work, “Viscosity”, to the current work in progress pieces within “Mythologies”, whether bodies are submerged within thick viscous liquid, cloaked by an impenetrable darkness, or whether they float within wondrous dislocated landscapes, turned away). Central to the work lies an exploration of the origins of fantasy and desire and how these are bound to experiences of loss and representation.

“Drawing upon a range of references and source material, from Orientalist paintings to literature, “Mythologies” looks at the fantasy of the maternal life and that of the lover before we entered theirs, playing with ideas of an impossible return to a fictionalized, possibly primordial, imagined place.”
http://folio.rca.ac.uk/user/view.php?id=769

Taken from: http://forums.thefashionspot.com/f127/eugen-bauder-28376-7.html (Accessed May 2012)

These images are also by Esther Teichmann as part of her commissioned work. These are not theoretically relevant or inspirational but the poses and facial expressions are good inspiration and will help me when taking photographs. I have never been good at portraiture as
I am not good at directing people in a way that makes them look natural or interesting.
These photographs convey such emotion and feeling which is something that I will need to do well in order to communicate the stories of these women. One of the major concerns with my project that has come up in all of my tutorials is that without showing the scars it may be difficult to convey the stories and emotional upheaval that these women have been through.
One way to get around this issue is to Photoshop the stories over the photographs of the women however this could detract from the photographs instead of enhancing them.

October Artists – Bettina Von Zwehl

Bettina Von Zwehl – Rain 2003

Taken from: http://www.bettinavonzwehl.com/main.html (Accessed October 2012)

Above are photos from the rain series they have a beautiful raw quality to them because of the rain the women who are being photographed cannot pose in the same way they would in an average image

“Bettina von Zwehl has built an international reputation for her subtile and unnerving photographic portraits. Her concise series of images are highly controlled both in terms of their minimalist aesthetic and the exacting conditions she imposes on her subjects. Von Zwehl photographs them as they wake from deep
sleep, hold their breath, recover from physical exertion, are drenched in rain or listen intently to music in a darkened room” http://www.steidlville.com/books/441-Bettina-von- Zwehl.html

Her work seems to me to be about taking the poses out of portraiture and finding originality in portraiture which a lot of portraiture doesn’t have. It is rare for portraiture to be original and yet Bettina Von Zwehl manages to capture the humanity of her subjects with originality.
The addition of rain to a standard portrait prevents the addition of other influences like styled hair and make up. The standard clothing also sticks to their bodies meaning they cannot hide in their clothes

School of Professional Skills – Presentation Skills

School of Professional Skills lecture 2, Presentation skills

Enjoy Presenting

You cannot NOT communicate.

Even in silence you are communicating something, communication can be broken down into three areas – Body Language, Tone and Words. Each sentence can have as many meanings as however many words in the sentence multiplied by how many ways there are of emphasising each word. Take “I didn’t say he beat his wife” as an example, put emphasis on a different word each time you say the sentence. If you put the emphasis on the first word “I” then you are saying you are not the one who said that he beat his wife but someone else. Put the emphasis on “Didn’t” and you are offended by the notion that you would say such a thing implying that he doesn’t beat his wife etc.

All presentations are trying to convince someone of something or to do something. In my university presentations I am trying to convince my lecturers and fellow student that my project is interesting and I know what I am talking about but many other presentations are convincing people to buy something or give them money or hire them.

Effective Communication

Words = 7%

Tone = 38%

Body Language = 55%

(How accurate this theory is I don’t know, i have looked for the original research and i am unable to locate it BUT it is a theory that emphasises enthusiasm in presentations which is much more important than people think)

If a person is unenthusiastic when presenting a product then people will not want to buy it. Simple.

Eye contact is very important not for too long but not too short either you don’t want to seem like you’re staring but you don’t want to seem like you are afraid to meet their gaze.

Things do not always mean what you assume them to mean, a person who has their arms crossed in western culture would most likely be interpreted as a hostile or defensive gesture when it could just mean that person is cold.

When presenting stand upright looking at your audience with your hands by your side, if you don’t feel comfortable with your hands by your side use them. Point and gesture and use props.

Rapport – a connection of trust and understanding.

We like what is similar and dislike what is different. We did an experiment and the presenter told us to each choose a number; 1, 2 or 3 and then told us to shake hands with as many people as possible shaking their hand using the number we had in our head. I chose 2 and felt shunted everytime i shook hands with someone who had a one in their head and truly uncomfortable when i wanted to let go but because the person i was shaking hands with had a 3 in their head they were still holding on to my hand.

Where do you want to lead your audience? Pacing and leading; Start where your audience is (sometimes literally i.e. sitting down) and then lift them to where you are i.e. stand up and bring their spirits and interests with you.

Drink water while you’re presenting, you lose a pint of water an hour when you’re talking

Prepare and feel confident

When you start preparing do not start with a blank PowerPoint, ask yourself 3 key questions

1 – Who are my audience? – Research the audience, its easier to hit a target you can see.

2 – What do I want my audience to think, feel or do differently following my presentation? Your audience will be asking ‘what is in it for me?’ Show them.

Can use mind mapping software to do this step, also start collecting information in an envelope as soon as you find out you have a presentation  then 2 weeks before the presentation start making it and you’ve already got lots of information

3 – What does my audience get from listening to me?

don’t forget the structure – Tell them what you are going to tell them. Tell them. Tell them that you have told them

Abraham Lincoln – ‘When I get ready to talk to people i spend 2/3rds of my time asking what does my audience want to hear?’ (common quote used in presentation speeches although can’t find source but if its true it says a lot about American politicians…)

Always answer in threes, easy to remember e.g. “The good, the bad and the ugly”

Engaging the audience

– Eye Contact

Change who you make eye contact with about every half a sentence

– Ask a question, get them thinking

Whenever you ask a question and you don’t expect an answer wait a few seconds anyway so they can answer in their head and feel engaged (2-3 seconds depending on the question)

The moments of impact when speaking/ presenting is not when you are speaking its when you’re not and the audience are thinking.

Story telling techniques

Don’t use “I” use “If you can imagine it, you’re…””You know what it’s like””Picture this”

e.g. “I was in a warm room, I was comfortable” becomes ” Imagine it, you’re in a hot room, you’re comfortable”

Don’t ‘tell a story’. Don’t call it a story and definitely don’t call it a “true story” it makes it seem like everything you’ve said up to that point is not true

Paul Barnes

Paul Barnes is a typographer. He was named as one of the 50 most influential designers in Britain and has worked and consulted on many publications including The Sunday Times Magazine and many others.

Typography is very interesting to me and although it is not a career I intend to pursue I do understand how important typography is, the creation of fonts is a much more complicated process than many would believe and the way different fonts affect the mood of a publication or a photograph or piece of art is very interesting to me. Last year when I was creating a magazine article I experimented with many different fonts in the process and although I had to choose the font that was most similar to the font I needed I enjoyed the experimentation process. I have also done a project in the last few years that looked at the lettering in old books and the fragile feel that the font amplified.

The project I most had to consider typography was ‘The Body” which I completed at the end of last year. I looked specifically at hands. We also had to create and write a mock article for a magazine. I chose the Sunday Times Magazine as I felt it was upmarket and reputable

Alumni

Below are some of the artists that came to the alumni session and a few brief notes I took when we were given as part of the Professional Practice unit.

Tim Bowditch – Graduated 2008

http://timbowditch.com/

Photographer/Filmmaker

Internships are great, pick one or two that you know will help. Commercial galleries didn’t work but contemporary galleries were. Assisted editorial photographers.

http://timbowditch.com/projects/firedive/

Go to the Format Derby

Vicky Chiswell

http://www.exploration-online.co.uk/profile.php?profile=28

Aspex Program Manager – Gunwharf Quays

Contemporary Art Gallery

Right now they are exhibiting work by John Minox – 81 and been working on this project for 30 years

The gallery aims to widen access to the contemporary visual arts but don’t go on a Saturday as its full of toddlers.

Recommends volunteering

Chris Butler 2004

http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/chris-butler/1b/189/ab7

Portrait photographer

Worked at Venture

Director at The Photography Lounge – http://www.thephotographylounge.co.uk/

Sync everything!

School of Professional Skills – Finance

Although most of this blog will be about my Professional Practice unit I have also decided to include my professional skills work which in just one session has taught me a great deal more about the business world than my university life so far. The first session was about basic financial understanding and was led by a business entrepreneur accountant. Here are my notes from the session that i have elaborated upon.

A better understanding of finance = a better position in any company. If you understand how finance flows through a business then you are in a much better position than if you don’t although as long as you know the companies input into the bank is bigger than its output then its on the right track. If you want to know whats is happening in the company you work for the first person to get chatting with is the accountant, they know!

Understanding Finance – Cash in must be grater than cash out. Westernised nations can’t keep spending more cash than they are getting in. Most businesses that fail do so because they run out of cash.

businesses keep an eye on money by keeping ‘accounts’ including

‘Profit and Loss Account’ – Frequency depends on the size of the business

‘Balance Sheet’ – Assets and liabilities, Owns and Owes usually once per month

‘Cashflow Statement’ – Where money came from and where it went, control of ‘Working Capital’

‘Statutory Accounts’ – Annual set of accounts – Shareholders, Creditors, Providers of Finance eg Banks. Filed at companies house as public record

‘Management Accounts’ – More detail will get exposed to management accounts will also contain more information like volume of stock

Most businesses do not want to borrow money at the moment and it is not just the banks that are the problem but also the businesses. The banks aren’t lending to risky Businesses

There are key performance indicators that businesses look for:

Sales per employee, % prime margin, employee costs as % of sales, bought in services as % of sales, Days of sales owed by customers, inventory as % of sales.

Recommended Research –

Start with ‘Why’ -http://www.startwithwhy.com/

Ted Talks – Simon Sinek

What are employers looking for?

To get an interview you need – Vocational and Technical skills PLUS Relevant Experience (if possible) AND a Rounded Education. All this needs to be made clear by your CV. In an interview employers also look for an understanding of life, society does not owe you a living (Personally I think this is a key message for other students, do not expect to come out of uni with a 2:2 in bum scratching and go straight into a managerial position… IT DOESN’T WORK LIKE THAT!) also a rounded knowledge helps. Read the news (BBC News homepage works for me, being of ‘Generation Web’ I find it easier than reading a newspaper plus it tends to provide a much fairer and balanced view of events than many newspapers).  Have a can do attitude and don’t over egg. When asked about Facebook and what employers would think if their potential employers didn’t have Facebook the lecturer said if a person didn’t have facebook it meant they were a sensible person using himself as an example and stating that he didn’t have facebook.

If a company is looking for leaders the will look for people that can – Enlist willing cooperation and get desired results. If a company is looking for employees it will look for people who can hit the ground running and will be useful from day one. Employees need to understand the ‘What’ and the ‘How of the position they are employing for but the employees who become leaders also understand ‘Why’. Just knowing the ‘What’ of the position is all a low level employee needs to know. To move up the corporate ladder a person needs to know the ‘How’ so they can tell others ‘What’ to do and to become one of the top people in a company or create a company they need to understand the ‘Why’ and ask ‘Why’ are they doing it.