The brief for this project was to use strange or unexplored angles to create an interesting series of photographs. Something I discovered during the process of taking these photographs is that although instructions can be limiting in some respects, they can also alleviate the pressure of the endless possibilities presented when taking photographs. Photography is not about the person or thing we are photographing, it's about moments and how freezing those moments in time gives them new meaning. When we are given an instruction we are not being held back because we will always find a new way to capture that moment and find new meanings in it. we were instructed to "Photograph backs of things, underneath's of things, extreme foreshortening, uncharacteristic views. Or trace them." for the foreshortening task, I took pictures of an empty drinks can and used different angles to create an interesting perspective. I used the camera zoom on some of the photos because I found it made the object look larger and helped me in creating a warped perspective.
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Erwin Wurm is an Austrian artist based in Vienna. His artworks include an array of different media including sculptures, photographs and drawings. His primary focus is around everyday life and familiar objects which he manipulates to create images which are often disturbing and sometimes humorous. The photographs he takes are reflective on the physical, psychological and political aspects of a person, encapsulating the entity of a human being. Wurm is also known for his humorous approach to formalism, as he juxtaposes formal attire with strange and malformed shapes. While humour is often disregarded in arts as juvenile and is usually not taken seriously, Wurms photographs give us the ability to view society in a constructive way without falling into the same biases which we would if we were to view it from a more serious perspective.
I chose these 12 photos because they all show different ideas while still conveying the same overall idea: human behaviour. |
Can an idea be a work of art?
In art, the concept is often far more important than the finished product. an object can exist separately from the conceptual idea meaning that even without a finished product you can still have art. Is good art always skilful? If you don't make works of art can you be an artist? Why might artists ask other people to make work for them? What makes an instruction interesting? Does a photographer always have to be the one who presses the shutter? |