Visual Research 2

As an on going (visual) investigation into the importance of space, place and location I have been doing some new photoshoots.  Part of this was on a recent trip to Italy and France.  Click on the image to view some more images form a number of locations.  The most notable of which is a number of forts and buildings associated with the years of battles fort along the italien and french border.  This goes back centuries and right up until the last World war.  The spaces I came accross belonged to both Italian and French armies and many of the spaces had received a severe bombing and were scattered with bullet holes.

Unlike my recent work in Iraq with the recent war there, these spaces had also witnessed dramatic histories, however, much more time has passed since the events happened.  This led me to think about how important it was that the dramatic events had to be contemporary.  Or is it just as important to make sure we dont forget things such as World War II?  Its quite interesting that two of the people on my MA class are working with the ideas surrounding the Holocost.  I think this is becoming important again as there are increasing reports of people pretending that it never happened.

This visual research again helped me refine what my growing interest is in spaces and how photography can reveal a space to the viewer.

I will continue to undertake short photo documentations of spaces, places and locations until I feel satisified I have figured out what is drawing my to them and the concepts surrounding them.

Visual Research

Space 27

As part of my on going investigation into what subject areas most interest me.  I have been creating a number of images.  These images are based round the ideas of space, place and location.  This is definately one area of interest for me, however, as I have been creating these images I have come to realise that it is certainly not the whole picture.  

I have been going into spaces that have been abandoned or are no longer viewed by people.  This has meant some climbing over fences, but I have not forced my way into any space.  There are a large number of old factories and warehouses in Luton (where I live) and this has provided a rich source of content for me.  I spent time walking around looking for spaces which engaged/interested me and then photographed them in a very documentary style.  I did not affect the spaces and my presence there appears to be less important then in previous work I have done (Amna Suraka).

Click on the image to view other images from a number of sites close to where I live.  These images dont appear to be bringing me any answers about where I am going with the work, rather it has made me pose more questions.  Some of these questions include:

Is space important to me?

Whats the difference between space and place and location?

Is it important that I have been in the space?

Does the space need to have had a dramatic history?

Do I need to know this history or a narrative?

How important is narrative in my work?

These questions and many more will slowly become either clearer or maybe even answered as I progress with the research.  I find this form of visual research very helpful as it helps refine my intentions and link some of my theoretical reading/understanding to what I am creating.

Book Non-Places by Marc Augé

In doing some more research into space, place and location I was recommended by a tutor to read the peice by Marc Augé 'Non-Places'. It introduces the idea of spaces that aren't destinations, spaces where people travel through and not too. This concept interests me, as a lot of the work I have been doing involves the notions of space and destination.

Augé talks of spaces such as hotel rooms, bus stops, train stations even hallways.  Places where we tend not to think too much about, rather pass by.

In my own practice this relevant to my desire to understand if it is the space I am interested or the narrative in which the space reveals.  Choosing 'non-spaces' as a subject would certainly force me to refine my intentions and better understand what it is I am trying to get out of the work.

I found the book engaging, some of the language was heavy, but the basic concept was explained well.  It did leave some further questions in my mind about the ownership of these spaces, which feeds a litle into some of the work that has been presented to us in the "politics of space".

Research: Visual research.

Here are some images which have captured my imagination.

Rut Blees Luxemburg

Gerard Byrne