Furthering my Fairytale ideas - based from DADA
For my personal study I'm thinking of researching animated Fairy tales, following a discussion with my teacher I knew I wanted to follow on my idea of fairy tales and Disney. I researched some artists and found the following artists to be very interesting, I also selected one piece of their work which inspired my to study them further:Artists:
Annie Leibovitz - American portrait photographer who has worked for various magazine's as well as producing a number of photographs based around the theme of Disney.
Louis Lander - London based photographer who works with fashion editorial, surrealism, album artwork, wedding and commercial photography.
Jan Svankmajer - Czech filmmaker and artist with work that spans different medias, surrealists know for surreal animations and features.
Polixeni Papapetrou - Australian photographer, captures themed photo series of personal identities including Elvis fans, Marilyn Monroe impersonators, drag queens and recreations of Lewis Carrolls photos using his daughter.
Eugenio Recuenco - Spanish photographer, working mostly in publishing and advertising with a style refereed to often as "cinematographic" (photographer who operates a movie camera) and "pictorial" (A newspaper or periodical with pictures as a main feature).
Proposal
Following my response to DADA and previous research I intend to follow the theme of animated fairy tales as I find it interesting to explore the different representations of fairy tales from the typical presentation to the bizarre and possibly truthful representation. I've decided to answer the question "How are fairy tales represented through photography?".
Many artists have represented fairy tales in diverse ways across many generations and I will therefore look at how the presentation of fairy tales is affected by the time period in which they were taken.
In my own response I aim to use photographs from both Paris and London to show how fairy tales influence everyone across the globe. I aim to use a lot of locations which we will be visiting to help showcase my idea of the truth about fairy tales as I will include my own photography in my proposal.
 |
| Annie Lebowtiz "Snow White" |
In order for my to explore this idea further I must research other artists, one artist I found hugely influential was Annie Leibovitz who created interesting responses to classic disney fairy tales in a series of photographs. As well as this she has taken other photographs which can be seen as responses to the fairy tales. Her photography is often taken in dark lighting which adds to the darkness of true fairy tales.
 |
| Lotte Reiniger "Hansel and Gretel" |
I also have explored more artists and will study them in detail further as I work on my proposal These include Louis Lander a young modern photographer who has captured many interesting photographs. He places subjects in dark lighting as well as capturing them in a position which adds life to the images posing many of his models in the air. A third artist is Jan Svankmajer who doesn't have a clear focus on fairy tales but his work can be seen to reflect the idea of grim fairy tales, with many of his photograph being similar to the ideas of Alice in Wonderland as well as links to other fairy tales. Another interesting artist is Polixeni Papapetrou is similar to Jan Svankmajer as they also photograph grim situations but present it with a lose link to fairy tales. Her photography has focused on Alice in Wonderland as well but made many links to other fairy tales. Eugenio Recuenco has worked in editorial and press photography much like Annie Lebowitz and created a series of photographs with a focus on fairy tales but subverts our typical expectations of them. Finally Lotte Reiniger is another artist I will be exploring however, unlike the other photographers she is a film maker and displays fairy tales through shadow theater which I found interesting and unique compared to the other artists.
I will study all of these artists in my proposal as well as more which I will research as I study this topic further. I felt these artists' work could be interpreted in different ways as well as compared and contrasted with each other. I also felt these artists would influence me when making my own photography portfolio to accompany my response to my proposal.
Summer Project
Over the summer I collected images relating to my personal study question "how are fairy tales represented through photography?". In order to do this properly I felt I needed to create some photography montages so I could explore other artists responses to this theme.
Below are some photo montages with photographs which I found off Google Images and I felt were influential, I will use these images as inspiration when taking photographs during summer to ensure I capture my theme in a professional way.
Taking my inspiration and analysis on board, I captured many photographs over summer. Below are some contact sheets of the images I captured over summer:
I have presented these images in three separate online virtual galleries which can be viewed through clicking the links below. To navigate around the galleries simply click the arrow buttons on the screen. As well as clicking on the individual images on the wall to enlarge them.
http://tamron.myphotoexhibits.com/exhibits/11579-once-upon-a-time
http://tamron.myphotoexhibits.com/exhibits/11581-when-you-wish-upon-a-star
http://tamron.myphotoexhibits.com/exhibits/11580-if-you-walk-down-to-the-woods-today
Additionally, I wanted to experiment with these images and have developed a few various ways of presenting these images in Photoshop.
Visiting the Tate's
As part of my summer project I visited the Tate Modern and the Tate Britain, I chose these two museums as they display very different pieces of artwork so I knew I would get a interesting variation of work by visiting them. Below are a few pieces of work within both the galleries which I found to be interesting:
Tate Britain:
As well as finding interesting pieces of work I also found two artists which I felt were very inspirational towards my personal study.
Meredith Frampton:
This painter I saw in the Tate Britain I found to be very influential, the random objects being placed together in a unusual way I felt linked to the idea of Alice in Wonderland which is a fairy tale I'm focusing on. The use of the scroll and teapot link very well to the key themes of objects used within Lewis Carroll's story of Wonderland.
Meredith Frampton, was a British painter and etcher who lived from 1894-1984. His work has a main focus on portraiture with paintings which look very lifelike and is displayed in many different galleries and museums.
Keith Arnatt:
Keith Arnatt lived from 1930-2008 as a British conceptual artist and photographer. His work is unique and arguably gruesome, his work displayed currently in the Tate Britain (shown below) captures images of rotten fruit and a self burial. I found this to link to my idea of gruesome fairy tales as fruit is often used to tempt the innocent character as well as him disappearing into the ground links to Alice in Wonderland.
The above photographs are from a series of photographs called Pictures from a Rubbish Tip. The works were captured at landfill sites close to Arnatt's home, they were arranged into still life's that evoke the work of artists he admired.The landscape that holds the rubbish disappears leading the photographs to transform and reveal new equivalent for landscapes.
Next I investigated more specifically artists/illustrators/photographers which explore this theme, below are two grids consisting of 9 different artists which I felt produce work similar to my theme:
The first line of photographs are done my Thomas Czarnecki, he is a french photographer who produced a series of photos called "From Enchantment to Down" in which he alternate the classic endings of many fairytales. The second row are photographs by Nicholas Henri, a Swiss photographer who focuses on portraiture, fashion and editorial photography. Finally the third row are photographs from Kirsty Mitchell, a English photographer who has made many different collections of photographs one entitled "Wonderland".
The first line of this grid is work by American illustrator Erin Kelso who produces illustrations based on fairytales and other popular childhood films. The second line is the work of Cryil Helnwein who uses traditional photography tools such as lighting and movement to achieve high quality photographs, the photos displayed above are from a series of photos she produced based on the title 'myths and fairytales'. The final row in the grid is work by contemporary photographer Viona Ielegems who brings fairytales to life in her photographers.
The above grid is a collection of my own photographs and a quotation from Alice in Wonderland which I felt linked very well to all of my chosen images. The images represent fairytales with a strong focus on Alice in Wonderland but links to other fairytales have been included. The quotation explores the idea of being lost and not being able to find your way and the pictures I collected represent this. The bride in the first image has found her way which is why I used the image as it shows the goodness of fairytales and represents the purity. Then the photos gradually get more confusing the second image has a girls feet in the air and much like Alice in Wonderland she is falling into a new way. The forest images show fairytales on the other end of the spectrum as the girl hasn't found her way, she's lost in the forest but she doesn't look miserable as she doesn't want to leave.
These images were placed to show how fairytales can go from good to bad in a matter of minutes as the bride is wearing white as well as the girl lost in the forest. Representing the ease of going from one step to another.
In 1999 Lewis Carroll's book "Alice in Wonderland" was re-published with illustrations completed by Helen Oxenbury. I found her work to be very different and more traditional than the other artists I had researched, her illustrations present the original story of Alice in Wonderland as opposed to more recent artists who present it in a darker way. Her illustrations are created for children and very basic yet beautiful. Below are a few examples of her work from this popular book:
I used the object tool on the top toolbar and selected image trace then make. I liked the sketch effect as it worked well but wanted to add colour to the piece, therefore I took it into Adobe Photoshop. Using the magic wand tool and fill tool I added colour to small sections of the piece. Wanting the photograph to make Alice stand out so it was obvious what the photo represented I only made her colourful and left the backdrop black and white. The cards on the floor didn't represent cards well so I added small love hearts to the corners of the pieces as the cards of hearts link well to Alice in Wonderland. Below is a larger copy of my final piece:
I have made a timeline of my theme of how fairytales are presented throughout the ages. My timeline spans from 1899 right up until current artists. It shows a variety of artists which presented their work in different ways including; film makers, animators, illustrator, painters and of course photographers. The first timeline I created is full of information about the artist (please view bibliography and bottom of post for websites I got information from) and the second timeline showcases both the artists work and in some cases my interpretation of their work.
This image depicts a key scene in Cinderella where the Prince has given Cinderella the glass slipper. The bold use of contrasting colours she has used displays this scene clearly. She has created this through physical shadow puppet creations as she created shadow animations/films. I chose this as I liked the use of an alternative way to present the story of Cinderella and like the idea of creating shadow photography as opposed to colour photography of real human subjects.
2) Annie Leibovitz - Cinderella.
This image also depicts a key scene in Cinderella when she loses her slipped. I like how it's clear it's telling a story and has an obvious narrative. The dark colouring used reflects the dark side of fairytales. I have chosen to look at this photo in more detail and have annotated it in detail below.
3) Kirsty Mitchell - The Ghost Swift.
This image doesn't have a clear fairy tale narrative but it is a dark image and has many links to fairytale photography which other photographs have done. I chose this photo from Kirsty Mitchell's collection as the contrast between the red lips and pale face made the girl stand out which was emphasised by the dark background she has her head laid on. The use of cards and random objects shows a link to Alice in Wonderland and the flamboyant costume the model is dressed in reflects the extravagant nature of fairytales.
4) Louis Lander Deacon - Surrealism
This piece has a link to surrealism more than fairytales but as I have researched the true meaning of fairytales I have found many pieces to be surreal and many stories to be surreal. The dress the girl is wearing is vey old fashioned which reflects how fairytales are old fashioned and women used to dress like this. The fact the girls face is being hidden by smoke gives off the impression something dangerous is about her as the smoke is harsher around her head than the dress. Showing she is to be observed but not too look into too much detail about.
5) Cyril Helnwein - Fairy
This is a more bright photograph but the model is dressed seductively and has a seductive expression which reflects the idea the female protagonist in the fairytales aren't as honest as they seem. The repetitive colour the photographer used makes it all very similar and highlights how fairytales are very similar.
From the photographs above I found Annie Leibovitz photographic representation of Cinderella to be very interesting, therefore I placed it in Photoshop and began to deconstruct it to show the core parts of the photograph.
I chose the theme of fairytales as I felt there are many different ways of presenting them, the childish way, the sketched way and the darker way. Each of my artists are unique and present it in their own style. Helen Oxenbury, for example creates basic illustrations for childrens books and shows fairytales to be simple and childish. As opposed to Thomas Czarnecki who presents bizarre and dark versions of the fairytales in a edgy and grown up way. There are a few other artists which I like, and they produce a large variety of work.
Film makers: Jan Svankmajer and Lotte Reinger.
Painters: Meridith Frampton
Illustrators: James Cooper and Mia Maria Overgaard.
Photographers: Annie Leibovitz, Eugenio Recuenco, Keith Arnatt, Kirsty Mitchell, Nicolas Henri, Louis Lander Deacon, Polixeni Papaetrou, Cyril Helnwein and Viona Ielegems.
I hope to produce either a photographic peice of an illustrated piece as I would like to explore more illustration and found Helen Oxenbury to be a huge inspiration as her work is so different to the other artists I have researched. However, I also like how many artists have explored the dark side of fairytales and how this is communicated to the audience, an artist which I felt did this well was Annie Leibovitz due to her fashion background she produces editorial styled photographs with a darkness behind them.
Below is a mood board I created which displays a combination of artists, my own and googled images which are based around my theme.
For my personal study it must consist of many different chapters, however as I have a strong interest in Journalism and love magazines I have decided to produce my personal study a little differently I will create a magazine but it consists of mostly columns about each artist.
Mourning by Gotscho in the Maison Europeennee Photographie Gallery. Therefore within my personal study chapter of Paris I will focus on this short film. I felt this could be compared well to Jan Svankmajer's film 'Alice', so instead of doing a chapter based on this artist alone I will incorporate them into my Paris chapter. Please see below for my short introduction to my Paris chapter:
Tate Britain:
 |
| Rose Finn-Kelcey (1945) The Restless Image - A different between the felt position and the seen position. (self portrait) |
 |
| Mona Hatoum (1952) Performance still - Photograph, gelatin silver print on paper, mounted on aluminium. |
 |
| Henry Moore Sculpture |
 |
| Henry Moore Sculpture |
 |
| Henry Moore Sculpture |
 |
| Phil Collins (2003) |
 |
| Nigel Henderson (1952) Wig Stall, Petticoat Lane - Photograph, black and white, on paper. |
 |
| Rose Wylie (1934) City Road - oil paint on canvas |
Tate Modern:
 |
| Pinot Gallizio (1964) Industrial Painting - Monoprinted oil and acrylic paint and typographic ink on canvas. The paint was applied on long rolls of canvas the Gallizio cut off sections to be scrolled. |
 |
| Maria Helena Vieria da Silva (1992) The corridor - Oil paint on canvas, The elaborate mosaic and tiled surfaces recall the domestic architecture of her native Portugal. |
As well as finding interesting pieces of work I also found two artists which I felt were very inspirational towards my personal study.
Meredith Frampton:
Meredith Frampton, was a British painter and etcher who lived from 1894-1984. His work has a main focus on portraiture with paintings which look very lifelike and is displayed in many different galleries and museums.
Keith Arnatt:
Keith Arnatt lived from 1930-2008 as a British conceptual artist and photographer. His work is unique and arguably gruesome, his work displayed currently in the Tate Britain (shown below) captures images of rotten fruit and a self burial. I found this to link to my idea of gruesome fairy tales as fruit is often used to tempt the innocent character as well as him disappearing into the ground links to Alice in Wonderland.
The above photographs are from a series of photographs called Pictures from a Rubbish Tip. The works were captured at landfill sites close to Arnatt's home, they were arranged into still life's that evoke the work of artists he admired.The landscape that holds the rubbish disappears leading the photographs to transform and reveal new equivalent for landscapes.
The three photographs displayed above are a series he called "self burial" was linked to Arnatt's idea that photographs served to document or reveal an act.Which is why when exhibited this series of photographs is often placed next to the following quotation "the content of my work is the strategy employed to ensure that there is no content other than the strategy"
This trip around the museums helped me explore my idea further as I found that many photographers and painters produce works which although don't directly link to a specific fairy tale they relate well to the theme.
Photographic Grids exploring Fairytales
In planning for my personal study I have investigated further inspirational photos of fairytales so I can have a strong background knowledge of how other photographers explore this theme. I have created three grids in planning for my personal study, the first grid is inspirational photographs which I found to be very unique and interesting, they mostly include pictures of people as I feel they are a good subject and represent well the theme of fairytales. Mostly women are used as they possess the character of a damsel in distress which can emulate the theme of purity and being a fairytale persona.
The first line of photographs are done my Thomas Czarnecki, he is a french photographer who produced a series of photos called "From Enchantment to Down" in which he alternate the classic endings of many fairytales. The second row are photographs by Nicholas Henri, a Swiss photographer who focuses on portraiture, fashion and editorial photography. Finally the third row are photographs from Kirsty Mitchell, a English photographer who has made many different collections of photographs one entitled "Wonderland".
The above grid is a collection of my own photographs and a quotation from Alice in Wonderland which I felt linked very well to all of my chosen images. The images represent fairytales with a strong focus on Alice in Wonderland but links to other fairytales have been included. The quotation explores the idea of being lost and not being able to find your way and the pictures I collected represent this. The bride in the first image has found her way which is why I used the image as it shows the goodness of fairytales and represents the purity. Then the photos gradually get more confusing the second image has a girls feet in the air and much like Alice in Wonderland she is falling into a new way. The forest images show fairytales on the other end of the spectrum as the girl hasn't found her way, she's lost in the forest but she doesn't look miserable as she doesn't want to leave.
These images were placed to show how fairytales can go from good to bad in a matter of minutes as the bride is wearing white as well as the girl lost in the forest. Representing the ease of going from one step to another.
New Artist - Helen Oxenbury
In 1999 Lewis Carroll's book "Alice in Wonderland" was re-published with illustrations completed by Helen Oxenbury. I found her work to be very different and more traditional than the other artists I had researched, her illustrations present the original story of Alice in Wonderland as opposed to more recent artists who present it in a darker way. Her illustrations are created for children and very basic yet beautiful. Below are a few examples of her work from this popular book:
Experimenting with presenting Fairytales
I wanted to begin experimenting with Adobe Illustrator and took a photograph into the program to make it into a sketch styled illustration.
I used the object tool on the top toolbar and selected image trace then make. I liked the sketch effect as it worked well but wanted to add colour to the piece, therefore I took it into Adobe Photoshop. Using the magic wand tool and fill tool I added colour to small sections of the piece. Wanting the photograph to make Alice stand out so it was obvious what the photo represented I only made her colourful and left the backdrop black and white. The cards on the floor didn't represent cards well so I added small love hearts to the corners of the pieces as the cards of hearts link well to Alice in Wonderland. Below is a larger copy of my final piece:
I again experimented more with Adobe Illustrator, I selected an image off Google images and began working with the Image Trace tool but this time on a more advanced level. I firstly Image Trace -> make the photograph. Next I worked with the advanced settings keeping it black and white and adjusting the threshold to make it darker on some parts and lighter on other. Then I used the Direct Selection arrow to select parts of the image and then added colour using the fill tool, by selecting none then filling it with colour turned the image from a raster image to a vector image.
Next I selected the image I had worked on previously and this time worked on it more using the advanced techniques I had learnt to make it better than before.
Firstly I used the Image Trace -> make tool
From this it made my image have a sketch black and white effect, the post before this entitled "Experimentation" shows the effect this tool can give before I add colour. I used this as a base to give the photograph the effect I wanted before I began playing with the colour elements.
My next step was to use the advanced adjustments on this effect to add colour and make it look more cartooned. As Alice in Wonderland is originally based on a innocent childhood book I wanted to add a lot of colour to reflect this, in keeping my work with my theme. The photo has many different colours in it so it is still obvious what the image is displaying. I made the corners high so that it was a crisp image with sharp edges to keep it looking good.
This is what my final outcome looked like, this will help me when it comes to producing more work as I can use these tools and skills to create more
cartoon illustrations rather than just having lots of photography pieces.
Wider Research - Books
I have been looking at books too seek inspiration from different formats as opposed to just discovering artists online. Below are a few I found to be very interesting.
The above images are from various books all of which I found to be inspirational. Each photograph which I liked from the above pages I have selected and analysed in detail below:
 |
| Fairy-ality Book |
 |
| Illustration 3 book - James Cooper |
 |
| Illustration 3 book - Mia Maria Overgaard |
Also I have read John Berger's "Way of Seeing" in which I found a inspirational quotation which links to the idea of perception:
"Yet the knowledge, the explanation, never quite fits the sight. The surrealist painter Magritte commented on this always-present gap between worlds and seeing in a painting called 'The Key of Dreams. The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe."
 |
| The Key of Dreams |
I chose this quotation because I felt it linked to theme of fairytales "the explanation, never quite fits the sight" this quotation professes the idea that the explanation of art doesn't fit what it looks like. Much like the fairy tale photography I have been looking at as they have the theme and backstory of being based on a childhood fairytale but the photograph itself is far darker than the explanation it provided. As well as"always-present gap between worlds" this idea is expanded upon with regards to the work I have been looking at as the made-up world of fairytales is shown in a realistic manner proclaiming that the gap between reality and imaginary isn't as large as previously thought. The final part of this quotation "the way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe" links to my theme also as it suggests that we don't all see things the same way, some people may read a classic fairy tale story and comprehend nothing more than it being a loving story for children. Alternatively others may look at it and believe it has a far darker meaning and that there is a dangerous meaning behind the tales, proclaiming that it's a warning as opposed to being a lovely childhood story.
Creative Timeline - key artist representing fairytales in art
I have made a timeline of my theme of how fairytales are presented throughout the ages. My timeline spans from 1899 right up until current artists. It shows a variety of artists which presented their work in different ways including; film makers, animators, illustrator, painters and of course photographers. The first timeline I created is full of information about the artist (please view bibliography and bottom of post for websites I got information from) and the second timeline showcases both the artists work and in some cases my interpretation of their work.
 |
| Information Timeline |
For my second timeline I wanted to show my favorite work from each artist however I also wanted to add my own response to some artists work. Therefore I did a location shoot in which I took photographs in the style of four of my artists: Annie Leibovitz, Kirsty Mitchell, Cryil Helnwein and Louis Lander. Below are annotated contact sheets of my response photos and the bottom image is my second timeline.
 |
| Photographs in response to Cyril Helnwein and Louis Lander |
 |
| Photographs in response to Annie Leibovitz and Kirsty Mitchell |
 |
| Photographic timeline |
Venn Diagram - Comparing Two Key Artists
I feel these two images are very key as the present the good and evil side of fairy tales. They have similar compositions but present opposing ideas, which is why I want to study them further.
5 Key Works
Throughout my planning process for my personal study I have found many artists which link well to my theme. Below are 5 key pieces I found, each from a different artist and I aim to use these pieces in my study. Although I have already used some of these images previously when discussing inspirational artists I have selected them again as they are key pieces by the artist.
1) Lotte Reigner - Cinderella.
This image depicts a key scene in Cinderella where the Prince has given Cinderella the glass slipper. The bold use of contrasting colours she has used displays this scene clearly. She has created this through physical shadow puppet creations as she created shadow animations/films. I chose this as I liked the use of an alternative way to present the story of Cinderella and like the idea of creating shadow photography as opposed to colour photography of real human subjects.
This image also depicts a key scene in Cinderella when she loses her slipped. I like how it's clear it's telling a story and has an obvious narrative. The dark colouring used reflects the dark side of fairytales. I have chosen to look at this photo in more detail and have annotated it in detail below.
3) Kirsty Mitchell - The Ghost Swift.
This image doesn't have a clear fairy tale narrative but it is a dark image and has many links to fairytale photography which other photographs have done. I chose this photo from Kirsty Mitchell's collection as the contrast between the red lips and pale face made the girl stand out which was emphasised by the dark background she has her head laid on. The use of cards and random objects shows a link to Alice in Wonderland and the flamboyant costume the model is dressed in reflects the extravagant nature of fairytales.4) Louis Lander Deacon - Surrealism
This piece has a link to surrealism more than fairytales but as I have researched the true meaning of fairytales I have found many pieces to be surreal and many stories to be surreal. The dress the girl is wearing is vey old fashioned which reflects how fairytales are old fashioned and women used to dress like this. The fact the girls face is being hidden by smoke gives off the impression something dangerous is about her as the smoke is harsher around her head than the dress. Showing she is to be observed but not too look into too much detail about.
This is a more bright photograph but the model is dressed seductively and has a seductive expression which reflects the idea the female protagonist in the fairytales aren't as honest as they seem. The repetitive colour the photographer used makes it all very similar and highlights how fairytales are very similar.
From the photographs above I found Annie Leibovitz photographic representation of Cinderella to be very interesting, therefore I placed it in Photoshop and began to deconstruct it to show the core parts of the photograph.
Inspirational Animation
I found on YouTube a inspirational animation based on the story of Alice in Wonderland. Using a minimalistic approach to animation the artist has told the story of Alice in Wonderland through digital means. It was very interesting and I felt it linked well to my theme. It's short and very simple, it's fast pace and doesn't make much sense as many of the phases written appear on the screen quickly and you don't have time to read them. Yet it does have a clear narrative. Below is a link to the video, as the creator is Japanese I can't find much information on them but I will look at them further as I explore of mediums of presenting fairytales.
Below are some screen shots I took from the animation which I felt were interesting:
My Theme: How Are Fairytales Represented
For my personal study I come up with the question "How are fairy tales represented through photography?".Since my proposal I have found more inspirational artists and artwork and decided to compile them into one post. I will study many different variations of fairytale stories but have a main focus on Alice in Wonderland, personally because it's a beloved story of mine and I find it interesting how many people have managed to turn it into a dark book.I chose the theme of fairytales as I felt there are many different ways of presenting them, the childish way, the sketched way and the darker way. Each of my artists are unique and present it in their own style. Helen Oxenbury, for example creates basic illustrations for childrens books and shows fairytales to be simple and childish. As opposed to Thomas Czarnecki who presents bizarre and dark versions of the fairytales in a edgy and grown up way. There are a few other artists which I like, and they produce a large variety of work.
Film makers: Jan Svankmajer and Lotte Reinger.
Painters: Meridith Frampton
Illustrators: James Cooper and Mia Maria Overgaard.
Photographers: Annie Leibovitz, Eugenio Recuenco, Keith Arnatt, Kirsty Mitchell, Nicolas Henri, Louis Lander Deacon, Polixeni Papaetrou, Cyril Helnwein and Viona Ielegems.
I hope to produce either a photographic peice of an illustrated piece as I would like to explore more illustration and found Helen Oxenbury to be a huge inspiration as her work is so different to the other artists I have researched. However, I also like how many artists have explored the dark side of fairytales and how this is communicated to the audience, an artist which I felt did this well was Annie Leibovitz due to her fashion background she produces editorial styled photographs with a darkness behind them.
Below is a mood board I created which displays a combination of artists, my own and googled images which are based around my theme.
Personal Study: Chapter Ideas
As I will soon need to complete a personal study which answers my question "How are fairy tales represented in photography?" I needed to come up with a basic outline for all my chapters so I have a starting point. However I have decided to change my question to "How are fairy tales represented in art?" as I feel many artists present fairy tales in interesting ways not just in photography. This way I'm not narrowing my work down too much and am also looking at different medias.For my personal study it must consist of many different chapters, however as I have a strong interest in Journalism and love magazines I have decided to produce my personal study a little differently I will create a magazine but it consists of mostly columns about each artist.
For my chapter ideas, or column ideas I will go through time and explore how the representation of fairy tales has developed over time. Starting from the 1900s through to current artwork. A base for this idea is my timeline which explores ten artists which I find incredibly influential and how there work links to my theme. I will therefore have ten parts to my magazine and end the magazine with a spread of my own fairy tale work. Below is a list of all my chapters and a brief introduction to each one.
Introduction:
Introduction:
- What is my proposal about?
- Little bit of info on Brothers Grimm
- Why I choose this?
- What lead me to this?
Chapters:
- Lotte Reiginer:
- I have chosen this artist to begin with as her work dates back to early 1900s when she began creating fairy tale shadow films. This interesting interpretation of fairy tales reminds the viewer of the innocent nature of the fairy tales. This could be due to the date in which her work was created as it was thought that fairy tales were innocent and sweet.
- Annie Leibovitz:
- This was one of the first artists I found and she was the reason why I pursued the theme of fairy tales. Annie Leibovitz is an editorial photographer who creates absurd photographs which are unique and have been displayed in many magazines including popular mags Vogue and Rolling Stone.
- Kirsty Mitchell:
- This photographer, much like myself, draws on her childhood to influence her adult photography. Kirsty Mitchell creates colourful yet dark imagery which shows a harshness to the typical presentation of fairy tales. Placing eccentric models in unique outfits which are over the top yet show a strong story.
- Jan Svankmajer:
- One fairy tale story which is very close to my heart is Alice in Wonderland, one thing I like most about it is how it has been changed over the years. Czech filmmaker Jan Svankmajer is one of these people who have taken this fairy tale and twisted it into a strange and subversive film.
- Helen Oxenbury:
- Continuing with the idea of Alice in Wonderland, another very inspiration artist for me was Helen Oxenbury. As a child I was given her illustrated book of Alice in Wonderland and loved the way she presented this classic tale. Presenting her version of the story to be classic and elegant aimed primarily towards children.
- This artist can be linked to a animation I found on YouTube: 'Bestmadsofalltime - Alice (motion graphic)' as they both use simple illustrations yet gain different results with one showing a happy childlike view and a opposing one showing a dark and truthful aspect.
- Polxeni Papaetrou:
- This artist presents bizarre images which are incredibly good quality. He produces fairy tale themed collections but presents his subjects in a unique way. Rather than using human faces he replaces them with animal heads but somehow manages to make it look interesting rather than terrifying.
- Cyril Helnwein:
- This artist, much the Brothers Grimm presents her idea of fairy tales in a dark and Gothic way. Compared to other artists she is far more dark with strange images which may not directly relate to fairy tales there is a clear link. She created a collection of images which relate to the concept of myths and fairy tales.
- Louis Lander:
- This artist is far more surreal than the others, however that may be due to the fact he has a clear focus in all his artwork on surrealism but combines it with fashion editorial and commercial photography. He has done some interesting pieces of artwork which I was drawn to as soon as I began to research my proposal question.
My work:
- Here I will place some photographs which I have captured that link to the work which I have displayed throughout my personal study magazine.
- They will all be original photographs however they will link to all my artists which I have shown throughout my personal study with my own interpretation added as well.
Change for Paris Chapter
For my personal study the artist I chose to discuss were based on my timeline as I felt those artists were the most influential. However, since being to Paris I saw some interesting artwork, in particular- In October I undertook the fabulous experience of going to Paris, a place I had admired for years. With artwork dating back centuries holding exquisite elements of history behind each piece. Some pieces I saw included; Mona Lisa, Les Maionnettes,
Mourning, Olympia and The Thinker. As well as experiencing Parisian lifestyle which honestly, felt like London just in another language with prettier buildings.
In the space of Jan Svankmajer I will put a chapter about Thomas Cznarckie, a French photographer whose work is unique and interesting. I will compare his work to a photograph called 'Upper Xingu, Mato Grosso, Brazil, 2005' which I came across on my trip around Paris. Due to his work being so modern he will be the final chapter in my personal study, as I aim to show how fairy tales have changed over the years and his work is the most modern. Please see below for my short introduction to this chapter:
- Thomas Cznarcki, much like Louis Lander has a clear surreal aspect on life. His collection of works entitled 'enchantment to down' display fairy tale princesses in a dark and evil way. He uses single spotlights to almost cast shame on the girls and make them the most important part of the image. His works explore an alternative ending to the once classic fairy tale - imposing that after all these years, the Brothers Grimm stories are still evident in people's minds.
Biblography:
http://www.kirstymitchellphotography.com/galleries.php
http://www.weareoca.com/fine_art/tate-britain-is-changing/
http://www.cyrilhelnwein.com/bio.php
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/arnatt-self-burial-television-interference-project-t01747
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meredith_Frampton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Arnatt
http://www.biography.com/people/annie-leibovitz-9542372
http://www.louislanderdeacon.com
http://www.jansvankmajer.com/bio.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_(1988_film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotte_Reiniger
http://www.google.co.uk/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi
http://www.polixenipapapetrou.net
http://www.weareoca.com/fine_art/tate-britain-is-changing/
http://www.cyrilhelnwein.com/bio.php
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/arnatt-self-burial-television-interference-project-t01747
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meredith_Frampton
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keith_Arnatt
http://www.biography.com/people/annie-leibovitz-9542372
http://www.louislanderdeacon.com
http://www.jansvankmajer.com/bio.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_(1988_film)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotte_Reiniger
http://www.google.co.uk/imghp?hl=en&tab=wi
http://www.polixenipapapetrou.net
No comments:
Post a Comment