Guest Lecture: Vanessa Winship

“Vanessa Winship is best known for winning the prestigious Henri Cartier-Bresson Award in 2011which enabled her to undertake a new photographic series in the United States Set upon the backdrop of the economic recession and decline of the American Dream, she dances on Jackson(2011–2012) explores the basic human connection between people while tracing the history of violence that characterises the country, from California to Virginia, New Mexico to Montana, and still impacts the population today.

Vanessa Winship's practice focuses on the connection between chronicles and fiction, exploring concepts around boundaries, land, memory, desire, identity, and history. Black and white becomes her representation of series of photography that shows her evolution of thinking. Her way of looking allows her see something in person she is approaching to, it’s hard to explain but in theory, it’s something you have gained from past that trains you to find the things that interest you, it is sort repetition process to learning your own voice. I think it’s more like seeking the connection with your subject matter. I like what she said on the lecture: “Following your instinct, take it slowly”, if you can slow down, you see more. Like the project I am doing, if I wouldn’t slow down I lose the connection of deepest thought, I would miss to reflection of inner vision. Thus, I agree what she said when making images.

Reference:

Barbicanorg, . c2019. Press release: Vanessa Winship: And Time Folds. [Online]. [12 March 2019]. Available from: https://www.barbican.org.uk/our-story/press-room/vanessa-winship-and-time-folds

PC3: Competitions and Creative CVs

Enter competitions is another tool of marketing that people would see you and your practice. Most prizes are in the form of grants so everyone has the chance to win the money. Majority requirement of entering competitions is 5-20 images and a piece of writing statement.

There are competitions in every discipline, so ensure to choose the right competition that is suitable for your work and to avoid wasting time in progress. Do some research to look at major competitions, read through their discipline carefully, don’t miss any small words as they might have core details on it. If you are eligible to meet their criteria then do, if not, try to find another one. There always are some competitions that suits you. Get someone to help you, someone you trust or someone who don't know about your work. Print your images down and play around sequence to define the content and essence of the work. Showing your motivation in your writing proposal, clearly pointing out what you have done on your research to support your work.

Box-Making Workshop: Solander Box

                                   

In this workshop, we learnt how to make a A5 Solander box which the box can be used for presenting works such as books, prints, images as well as it can store items. The process of box-making involving measuring, cutting, gluing, covering and lining which you would use the same techniques in book binding as well.

                                 

After making loads of books. I started to think about box making as I have seen some of beautiful handmade boxes from my research. This workshop enabled me to learn the process and established skills to make my own box to carry with my works to any interviews or presentations. I prefer a personalised box so that it stands out my aesthetic of art craft perspective.

PC3: Future in the Photographic Landscape

Stepping into next level can be tricky and panic. Because it is unknown and it might be a risk if finding that the way doesn't suit you. This session focused on getting prepare to reality and how you choose your right path, providing some tips and useful information what you should be aware of if working in photographic workplace.

Working in imagery industrial can be diverse, you could be a photographer but also a picture research. However, working as a photographer needs to consider lots of things, such as thinking business plan, if you work as a sole trader, where to find your clients. You would also need your equipment like camera, laptop. The most important is what sort of photographer you are, have you seeing yourself as a fashion photographer or documentary photographer?

22nd International Contemporary Artists Book

                                     

The event features the work of bookmakers and small presses from around the world. It has established a great reputation as a relaxed and friendly event to meet and talk to book artists about their work and buy works of art.

I always plan to go to book fair to see different works and meet people to talk to them about their idea of book making. As a rep represents Bath School of Art and Design who is going to showcase works in BABE this year. we aim to collect student works to raise money for degree show. I thought before we meet the event, it was good to go to other fair and see how artists and publishers showcase their body of work. It could be reference for us to think about how to attract people to stop and pick our works up, not just look through then walk away.

PC3: Online Portfolio Development

            

A portfolio website presents ourselves and our work professionally, it shows the potential of visual practice and reflects who we are. We can use it to express our perspective as well as look back what we have done in past. Now artists use Instagram more often than personal website. Instagram is a mini portfolio that you could quickly show your work to clients. However, sometimes you have an image to show your client then you take ages to find because it may be sitting at the bottom of all posts, whereas the website is clear displayed in separate page so that you can find them easily.

Guest Lecture: Max Ferguson

Max is a photographer, writer and curator. He is the Founding Editor of Splash & Grab Magazine, the Director of Photography of Port Magazine and Port Creative and a freelance Photo Editor at the Financial Times Weekend Magazine. In the very beginning, he photographed people in London tube, exploring the possibilities of photography. Realised that he wanted to be a photographer documenting stuff in future. After that, he started to work for magazine and rethinking cooperating with people. He started to produce his own magazine, he producing works date-to-date, learning sessions from mistakes. Splash and Grab is his own publication bring photography from global, from different platform. Looking for photographers who are doing long term project. Thinking about images and texts how visual language to provide general information.

There is always not too late to think what you want to be. As I see myself as a book artist in the future, but I still work in multiple tasks in both photography and communication design. It’s hard to sit in one position because I like to explore different things. Through learning new things, I get a better sense of who am I. I think when you know who you are and what you want to do, you would find the direction. So, question yourself like Max does, it helps you to clear the way so that you would know what to do next. Similar when I do testing on my book, putting images on plain paper, folding, sequencing, this repetitive and practical process allows me to think what is the possibility to show my work in a book format. Most of time we work independently, however, relying on people isn’t a bad thing but do rely on people you trust. Thus, keep building your networking as you may use it at some point. I think learning from mistake is good thing and next time you would know how to avoid it or make the mistake smaller, if you don’t face the mistake you would lose the valuable experience. Another benefit of learning mistake is that you would easily remember it, because the experience attaches on you so that you won't forget about it.