Bored in 216

Recent Developments...

So...playgrounds. I decided I wanted to continue working with cyanotypes. I was toying with the idea of drawing with the cyanotype medium but I decided I also wanted to continue using it for printing photographs, but I needed some sort of concrete subject matter. I really like photographing spaces from different vantage points, from within the space and outside of it and I particularly the way light effects our relationship to certain places. In thinking about this for some reason playgrounds kept coming to mind. I realized swingsets/slides/playground equipment/etc are things I always seem to be drawn to when I'm out in the world taking photographs. (As evidenced by the photographs below, among others, that I have taken for various other photographic projects over the last few years).

I realized I'm drawn to the image of playgrounds for 2 reasons: 1. because they are places that I think trigger memories of childhood and thus imply a sense of memory and time passage in general. and 2. because I love the way you can give kids such a loose framework for entertainment and from it that are endlessly amused and create an entire imaginary world.

These ideas of imagination, creativity, transcience and memory that playgrounds stir up for me all seemed particularly appropriate for the cyanotype medium and the way I can control the framing of a photographs and create a sense of a wash or maybe a few streaks of a memory.

Photographer Billy Mandle spoke to our class last week right when I was toying with these ideas. One of her projects involves photographing confessionals and something she said really resonated with me. She mentioned wanting to work with the idea of forgiveness but struggling to figure out how to convey such an abstract idea through photography which is such a literal art form. That's how she landed on confessionals as something concrete that represents such an abstract concept. This is something I've definitely been struggling with as I've gotten into photography so hearing her solution to this problem was really valuable and is definitely influencing the way I'm approaching this project.

Anyway, that's enough for now. But I've begun shooting some and am excited about the various possibilities playgrounds afford. But yet unsure how watercolor/drawing/any other media will play into this project (see goals below). I do know there will be no people in the playground shots. Though they may be incorporated through drawing...

The False Mirror by Margritte

Just discovered (or rediscovered?) this piece by Margritte during my art history class. Thought it was funny in relation to the cyanotype I made a few posts below.

New Goals

1. Post long-overdue explanation of my new cyanotype/watercolor/drawing project involving photographs of playgrounds that I've begun (and--shocker!--am sticking to...for a while at least) before this Wednesday.

2. Test various options for combining gestural drawings with the photographs and figure out what works best. This will help move toward creating at least 2 final works for the upcoming critique. Think about making piece that includes a few pieces as a set (diptych/triptych/etc).

3. Finish shooting.

4. Acquire (and use) larger water color paper. Also try cyanotyping on wood panel.