LONDON TRIP2 8 T H J A N UA RY 2 0 1 6

TRIP SUMMARY• On the 28th January 2016, we took a trip into London to visit a photography

exhibition at the Science Museum. Then, we went on to Trafalgar Square to photograph London for our 4th Plinth project. Beforehand, as I had no lessons prior to the visit, I went up to London early and went to Camden. Whilst there, I decided to carry out a documentary-style shoot as the culture and aesthetics of Camden are unique to anywhere else in London and so I felt that it would make an interesting photo series.

• The exhibition we visited featured the work Alec Soth and Julia Margaret-Cameron. Alec Soth is one of my favourite photographers and so I found his exhibition interesting and informative as it explained the reasons and motivations behind his photo series’ and showcased his wide variety of pictures. On the other hand, I personally did not enjoy the Julia Margaret-Cameron exhibit as her work was not in the style of what I enjoy.

ALEC SOTH• The exhibition showcased four of Alec Soth’s major works.

• The four pieces exhibited were Mississippi (2004), Niagara (2006), Broken Manual (2010) and Songbook (2014).

• The title of this exhibition was Gathered Leaves. This refers to just one level of photography being as simple as sheets of paper being brought together.

ALEC SOTH – ARTIST STATEMENT• Alec Soth is a magnum photographer. He explores

different forms of photography in the world and works to create different types for his audience to encounter, from museums to live workshops led from his Winnebago.

• Like many great photographers and writers from the American canon – such as Robert Frank, Stephen Shore and Joel Sternfeld – Soth takes the open road as his subject, but brings to it his own unique and modern twist.

• Through haunting, intimate portraits, desolate landscapes and wide open wildernesses, his work captures a profound sense of what it is to be human. Tenderness, joy, disappointment, fear or pride – his striking portraits capture the rawness of human emotion and the tension between our conflicting desires for individualism and community.

• The exhibition is aimed to show the evolution of Soth’s work and his movement from page to wall.

SLEEPING BY THE MISSISSIPPI• The picture on the right is from Soth’s

Sleeping By The Mississippi collection.

• I like this image because of the high contrast in colours. The background to this image is quite dull as it is made up of only grey tones, but the woman herself is colourful due to her bright hair, clothing and tattoo.

• On Alec Soth’s website, it states that this picture was taken on Ash Wednesday. The woman has a cross drawn on her forehead, which could symbolise her faith and religion. It could also suggest that she was baptised as this is an element of baptism.

SONGBOOK• The picture on the right is from Soth’s

Songbook collection.

• I like this image because of the simplicity of it. The picture uses just a garden and four women as its aesthetic, but it is successful in creating a message.

• The four women in the picture are all ‘Miss Model’ contestants. As we can see in the image, each girl is unique and different from the other. As they are all models, this could connote how there is not one definition for ‘beauty’.

NIAGARA• The picture on the right is from Soth’s

Niagara collection.

• I like how the colour red is projected onto Niagara Falls in this image and how it slowly graduates into the ordinary blue as it creates a beautiful effect and also makes it pop against the colour of the sky.

• Niagara is typically a ‘city for love’ as many people go here to get married. As red symbolises love and passion, this could be the intent behind it.

BROKEN MANUAL• The picture on the right is from Soth’s

Broken Manual collection.

• I like how the man in the centre of the image is so small in comparison to the trees, yet still manages to stand out because of his dark clothing.

• The way that the man is being hidden by the trees and the way that they tower over him could suggest that he is lost and feels overwhelmed. The fact that he is wearing black could also connote sorrow.

JULIA MARGARET CAMERON– ARTIST STATEMENT• Cameron took up photography in 1863 at the

age of 48 when she was gifted a camera. Her photographic career only had a span of 15 years but she is recognised as one of the pioneers who established photography as an art form in its own right.

• Cameron’s photographs combined unorthodox techniques with a deep personal vision.

• She used a lack of sharp focus which became her hallmark style despite criticism at the time.