Day 19

All images subject to copyright. Do not reproduce.

Another Walls of Education piece, this one an overlay of my main image from my last project with looked at my mothers breast cancer.

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

Pre 3rd Year Artists – Bob Carey – The Tutu Project

The mission of The Tutu ProjectTM is to support the fund raising efforts of The Carey Foundation for women with breast cancer. We strive to bring laughter and understanding to a community that has endured far too much.

Homepage Collage

Letters to the Careys July 17, 2012 For every breast cancer diagnosis there is a wife, mom, daughter, sister, aunt – that has a loved one pulling and praying for their well-being. After just a few months of being a new – uhm, “face” – in breast cancer awareness, we have met so many wonderful people that want to honor a loved one by sharing their story. We’ve heard stories about all types of cancers – its triumphs and so many courageous journeys. They have all touched our hearts. We are especially proud to be an inspiration to the husbands, sons and other men in the lives of the women that are diagnosed with breast cancer.
http://www.thetutuproject.com/category/letters-to-the- careys-2/

Taken from – http://pinterest.com/thetutuproject/

Taken from – http://www.thetutuproject.com/#!prettyPhoto

The Tutu ProjectTM began in 2003 as a lark. I mean, really, think of it. Me photographing myself in a pink tutu, how crazy is that?
But nine years ago my wife, Linda, and I moved to the East Coast and, as odd as it may sound it, the self-por- traits proved to be a perfect way of expressing myself. Why? Because even though the move was exciting, exhilarating, and inspiring, it was 180 degrees from what I knew. So I took the old, mixed it in with the new, and kept the tutu handy.
Six months after the move, Linda, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She beat it, only to have it recur in 2006. During these past nine years, I’ve been in awe of her power, her beauty, and her spirit. Oddly enough, her cancer has taught us that life is good, dealing with it can be hard, and sometimes the very best thing—no, the only thing—we can do to face another day is to laugh at ourselves, and share a laugh with others.
Enter Ballerina, the book.
Not only is it a collection of my tutu images, it also shares many humorous stories about the adventures of a guy and his pink tulle. So far, there has been a tre- mendous response to the series of photos—people are particularly moved by the images. And their interest and enthusiasm have made us want to share that experience with as many people as possible in the form of a book, so that we can raise money to help other women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
This autumn, I will self-publish Ballerina. The net pro- ceeds from the sale of the book will go directly to breast cancer organizations, including Cancercare.org and the Beth Israel Department of Integrative Medicine Fund, that make significant differences in the lives of women with breast cancer and in the people who love them. Our goal is to raise $75,000. But we need your help to seed the book project so it will take root and grow—and positively affect these families.
Support our Project
Thank you for finding a way to support the much-antic- ipated Tutu Project. We want you to know how grateful we are. By joining us in this effort, you are making a real difference for women who have to endure far too much.
After years of talking about the project, it’s really hap- pening—and I’m tickled pink.
Sincerely, Bob Carey

About The Tutu Project™

I think this project is beautiful and if only I had the money I would contribute to this wonderful cause. It is amazing that I take a man dressed in a tutu so seriously but without knowing the cause a viewer knows that the artist is trying to make a statement.

Pre 3rd Year Artists – Jo Spence

All images taken from – http://arterieandco.blogspot.co.uk/

Jo Spence is an interesting artist to me, the way she photographs is so raw and brutal. It leaves nothing to the imagination. Although this is not a style i would like to recreate in my work I believe it shows an interesting contrast with David Jays work. Neither reveals the truth about what it is like to be in a situation as horrible as going through this terrible illness as everyone experiences it differently, however each project offers an insight into the subjects experience with the illness and all I can hope for in my own project is offering insight into my mums experience with breast cancer and my experience of having a mother going through breast cancer.