photographer research
Tim Noble and Sue Webster
for my first photographer, i have chosen Tim noble and Sew Webster. these are two British artists who have worked together for over 17 years and are internationally recognised for the art that they create. they both have received honorary doctors of art degrees as well as many other prestigious awards. they usually work with pieces of rubbish (but have been known to work with scrap metal and taxidermy) that they use to make sculptures. the sculpture i will be looking at are the shadow sculptures. these are sculptures made of things like rubbish or in some cases, metal casts of dead vermin and other strange materials, that cast a shadow of an object, usually people, when a strong light is directed at the right point.
in this photo, there is a pile of rubbish that when the light hits it, creates a shadow of two people with their backs to each other. one is holding a cigarette and the other is holding what looks like a glass of wine. the thing that i immediately feel when i see this picture is that these two people are at the end of a relationship and are using smoking and alcohol as a way of making themselves feel better. they are sat with their backs to each other but they are leaning against each other. this could suggest that there are still feelings of affection between them but for some unknown reason, the relationship is coming to an end. i like this photo because of the feelings it can provoke from something as simple as a shadow.
similar to the photo above, there are what looks shadows of a man and a woman facing away from each other and leaning. their expressions look like ones of frustration and exasperation. there may be a common theme through these artists's work of heartbreak or the reality of real life relationships as many of their pieces involve a man and a woman close to each other but facing in opposite directions.
in this image, there are what looks like there are two heads on spikes. these heads have been made of what looks like pieces of dead animals, including a dead crow sat on one of the heads and picking out an eye. this is quite a disturbing images on both levels as the shadow is just as morbid as what has been used to create it. this piece could be used to signify the reversal of roles. the shadow shows two human heads on display, where as some humans enjoy making taxidermy animals by killing them, preserving them and putting them on display. in this case the shadows are what strike you first , but the more you look at it, the more you notice the materials used to make the piece. further more, this signifies how people are usually first to notice when something brutal is done to a human, but when it happens to an animal, it is looked at as a hobby.
in this photo, there are two human heads made from the shadow cast by sculpture made from rubbish. both heads are pointed downwards, one with their mouth open and the other with their brow furrowed. by the shape of the faces, one looks male and the other looks female. the woman looks like she is shouting or talking loudly. the man looks contemplative or possibly angry. this could suggest that an argument has occurred between them. they are both facing away from each other which could also suggest that there's tension. however, both the heads are connected which could indicate that they are emotionally close to each other but don't want to look at one another.
this image shows the back of a woman's coat being lifted by a giant shadow hand. the message behind it could be that she is being harassed by the hand. it looks like quite a masculine shadow, compared to one of a woman's hand, which would usually be more dainty and slender. this could link to feminism/patriarchy and how women have been seen more as objects to be looked at than as people.
this photo shows a woman stood next to a dog shadow puppet. she has her arm out as if she is petting it. this image includes a clever detail in the way that the leash is suspended in mid air as if it was attached to the dog. this obviously is impossibly as a shadow isn't a physical object. there may be a hook on the wall or a piece of string attached to keep it suspended. i like this image because it is simple at first as it just looks like a lady pretending to pet a shadow dog. but as you look closer, the small detail of the leash adds subtle sophistication to the photo.
this image shows a woman who appears to be picked up by a huge shadow hand. this hand could represent something that is controlling her. this could further represent the way women were treated as objects rather than people in the past. the hand could show the patriarchy and how it isn't letting her go where she wants to go. the lady in the photo doesn't look alarmed however, which could be a sign of her accepting how shes being treated, just like many did during those times.
to achieve this photo, they probably used a very harsh light such as a model light with a reflector. the hand would've been held close to the light source to make the shadow bigger. to make it look like shes being picked up by the hand, she could have jumped to make it look like her legs are off the ground.
this image is of a woman who looks as though she is trying to fight off or get away from a giant shadow hand that is looming over her. this was most probably done by holding the hand close to the light source so that it appears much larger than it actually is in the shadow. the hand in this photo could represent many different things, such as a physical embodiment of a fear she has or something she is worried about that she feels is following her and is out to get her. furthermore, this could could represent modern patriarchy or unrealistic beauty standards. she could also just be actually running from a giant which is a sightly comedic way of looking at it. i chose this image because it shows how you can give the impression of someone interacting with a shadow even though it isn't a physical object that you can touch or move.
this photo shows a piece of wire that has been bent in a way that projects a shadow when a light is shone at a certain angle. it says "everything in life is a metaphor for everything else". i like this piece because it is a very blunt way of looking at the world but it makes perfect sense. it means everything can be related in someway to everything else. if you try hard enough, you can relate to almost anything. it could also mean that true messages get lost in what people decide to project around them. what they're saying is a metaphor for something else. the use of the bent wire is especially important in this one because it looks like a tangled mess from the front but when you look at its shadow, it makes perfect sense.
the wire in this photo says "we are strangers in utopia". this could be interpreted as someone saying, when were in a good place, mentally or physically, we tend to forget about each other and only pay attention to what were feeling. i like this phrase as it looks at how we think but may not realise it. it shines a light on how easily humans can become unintentionally selfish and disregard other. the fact that this was written in a wire and can only be read by looking at its shadow could signify how its hidden from our immediate thoughts, but subconsciously, it is plausible and definitely something most people have experienced.
the question you never asked yourself. this piece can be used made to make people think about what their question could be. the use of the wire in this photo could be a way of representing the need for a new perspective. you have to see things from an alternative angle for them to make sense.
found something i wasn't really looking for. much like the other photos, this was made to provoke thoughts in the viewers. it could make them reflect on something they may have found unexpectedly. this could be a person, object, song etc. the way that this has been presented could represent how something unexpected was found. the light representing something becoming more clear or uncovered.
for my first photographer, i have chosen Tim noble and Sew Webster. these are two British artists who have worked together for over 17 years and are internationally recognised for the art that they create. they both have received honorary doctors of art degrees as well as many other prestigious awards. they usually work with pieces of rubbish (but have been known to work with scrap metal and taxidermy) that they use to make sculptures. the sculpture i will be looking at are the shadow sculptures. these are sculptures made of things like rubbish or in some cases, metal casts of dead vermin and other strange materials, that cast a shadow of an object, usually people, when a strong light is directed at the right point.
in this photo, there is a pile of rubbish that when the light hits it, creates a shadow of two people with their backs to each other. one is holding a cigarette and the other is holding what looks like a glass of wine. the thing that i immediately feel when i see this picture is that these two people are at the end of a relationship and are using smoking and alcohol as a way of making themselves feel better. they are sat with their backs to each other but they are leaning against each other. this could suggest that there are still feelings of affection between them but for some unknown reason, the relationship is coming to an end. i like this photo because of the feelings it can provoke from something as simple as a shadow.
similar to the photo above, there are what looks shadows of a man and a woman facing away from each other and leaning. their expressions look like ones of frustration and exasperation. there may be a common theme through these artists's work of heartbreak or the reality of real life relationships as many of their pieces involve a man and a woman close to each other but facing in opposite directions.
in this image, there are what looks like there are two heads on spikes. these heads have been made of what looks like pieces of dead animals, including a dead crow sat on one of the heads and picking out an eye. this is quite a disturbing images on both levels as the shadow is just as morbid as what has been used to create it. this piece could be used to signify the reversal of roles. the shadow shows two human heads on display, where as some humans enjoy making taxidermy animals by killing them, preserving them and putting them on display. in this case the shadows are what strike you first , but the more you look at it, the more you notice the materials used to make the piece. further more, this signifies how people are usually first to notice when something brutal is done to a human, but when it happens to an animal, it is looked at as a hobby.
in this photo, there are two human heads made from the shadow cast by sculpture made from rubbish. both heads are pointed downwards, one with their mouth open and the other with their brow furrowed. by the shape of the faces, one looks male and the other looks female. the woman looks like she is shouting or talking loudly. the man looks contemplative or possibly angry. this could suggest that an argument has occurred between them. they are both facing away from each other which could also suggest that there's tension. however, both the heads are connected which could indicate that they are emotionally close to each other but don't want to look at one another.
Russ and Reyn
Russ and Reyn are two photographers who have been working together since 2007. they met and the Uni of Utah, and moved to NYC. their style of work is witty, minimalist and highly organised photos that have many different styles and have had work in fashion and furniture. they said that the believe something has been lost in modern digital photography, which they would like to try and get back.
this image shows the back of a woman's coat being lifted by a giant shadow hand. the message behind it could be that she is being harassed by the hand. it looks like quite a masculine shadow, compared to one of a woman's hand, which would usually be more dainty and slender. this could link to feminism/patriarchy and how women have been seen more as objects to be looked at than as people.
this photo shows a woman stood next to a dog shadow puppet. she has her arm out as if she is petting it. this image includes a clever detail in the way that the leash is suspended in mid air as if it was attached to the dog. this obviously is impossibly as a shadow isn't a physical object. there may be a hook on the wall or a piece of string attached to keep it suspended. i like this image because it is simple at first as it just looks like a lady pretending to pet a shadow dog. but as you look closer, the small detail of the leash adds subtle sophistication to the photo.
this image shows a woman who appears to be picked up by a huge shadow hand. this hand could represent something that is controlling her. this could further represent the way women were treated as objects rather than people in the past. the hand could show the patriarchy and how it isn't letting her go where she wants to go. the lady in the photo doesn't look alarmed however, which could be a sign of her accepting how shes being treated, just like many did during those times.
to achieve this photo, they probably used a very harsh light such as a model light with a reflector. the hand would've been held close to the light source to make the shadow bigger. to make it look like shes being picked up by the hand, she could have jumped to make it look like her legs are off the ground.
this image is of a woman who looks as though she is trying to fight off or get away from a giant shadow hand that is looming over her. this was most probably done by holding the hand close to the light source so that it appears much larger than it actually is in the shadow. the hand in this photo could represent many different things, such as a physical embodiment of a fear she has or something she is worried about that she feels is following her and is out to get her. furthermore, this could could represent modern patriarchy or unrealistic beauty standards. she could also just be actually running from a giant which is a sightly comedic way of looking at it. i chose this image because it shows how you can give the impression of someone interacting with a shadow even though it isn't a physical object that you can touch or move.
Fred Eerdekens
this photo shows a piece of wire that has been bent in a way that projects a shadow when a light is shone at a certain angle. it says "everything in life is a metaphor for everything else". i like this piece because it is a very blunt way of looking at the world but it makes perfect sense. it means everything can be related in someway to everything else. if you try hard enough, you can relate to almost anything. it could also mean that true messages get lost in what people decide to project around them. what they're saying is a metaphor for something else. the use of the bent wire is especially important in this one because it looks like a tangled mess from the front but when you look at its shadow, it makes perfect sense.
the wire in this photo says "we are strangers in utopia". this could be interpreted as someone saying, when were in a good place, mentally or physically, we tend to forget about each other and only pay attention to what were feeling. i like this phrase as it looks at how we think but may not realise it. it shines a light on how easily humans can become unintentionally selfish and disregard other. the fact that this was written in a wire and can only be read by looking at its shadow could signify how its hidden from our immediate thoughts, but subconsciously, it is plausible and definitely something most people have experienced.
the question you never asked yourself. this piece can be used made to make people think about what their question could be. the use of the wire in this photo could be a way of representing the need for a new perspective. you have to see things from an alternative angle for them to make sense.
found something i wasn't really looking for. much like the other photos, this was made to provoke thoughts in the viewers. it could make them reflect on something they may have found unexpectedly. this could be a person, object, song etc. the way that this has been presented could represent how something unexpected was found. the light representing something becoming more clear or uncovered.
Tomas Maly
Unfortunately, I was unable to find much information on this photographer apart from, he belongs to a website called Getty Images, which is a website for royalty free images that people can use. I found the image through a website showing different forms of shadow photography, and his piece is one that stood out.
In this photo, there is the chess piece of a knight in the foreground, with the shadow of a rearing horse with wings behind it. This photo could reflect what the chess piece represents in the game and how it is supposed to defend the king. When a horse is on its hind legs, it usually means it is attacking or scaring off an enemy. In this image, this shadow could be used to represent the loyalty of the piece and how it is supposed to be used as a line of defence against the opposing players pieces. I like this image because it uses a shadow to represent a deeper meaning behind the pieces in a chess game and how they are used to defend each player's king.
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