My idea started as just wanting to take photos of still life to make them look commissioned, to then be used for advertisements. As this was very broad, I started by looking at glass objects. Although I started with perfume, it quickly developed into my work with drinks. This allowed me to have more control over artistic designs, the main being able to light through the clear bottles and liquid. I was trying to understand how professional photographers created their product shots, which led me to experimenting with ways I never thought work such as spraying liquid on products. These objects are meant to be perfection and I wanted this to show in my images.
For this project I wanted to focus on the ideologies of feminism, more specifically the mistreatment people receive due to their gender identity. I wanted to raise awareness about issues that have affected me personally, or the close people around me. My work aims to evoke emotion, it aims to shock the audience into paying attention to the topic at hand. I produced this work with sensitivity and want the audience to relate to the issues and engage with the intended message. Some of the subjects are considered ‘taboo’, however photographs often speak louder than words…so what better way to start this well-needed conversation?
This project was created on a trip to Devon. Whilst in Torquay, I wanted to take images that would sell this location. I focused on creating landscape photographs of nature and the scenic environment. I wanted to show these hidden gems the UK has to offer. The grainy aesthetic to the work adds a timeless/vintage feeling complemented with warm, summer tones. The images look as if they were taken in a subtropical climate, further promoting UK holidays as ideal tourist destinations.
I have always had a passion for documenting emotions through my work. As well as this I also enjoy using photography to explore my interests in fashion. This was something that I wanted to portray in in my final project. I have taken inspiration from the album “all distortions are intentional” by the band Neck Deep, who explore the concept of the word sonder meaning all people have their own complex life paths.
Take yourself on an immersive experience through my exhibition as you’re surrounded by my work in an eerie atmosphere.
For the first time in history, men are more likely to kill themselves than each other. In 2012, about 56 million people died throughout the world. Of those, 120,000 were killed in war, 500,000 in crime. Whereas 800,000 committed suicide, more than all war and crime combined! (Homo Deus, A Brief History of Tomorrow, Yuval Noah Harari, 2016). The title of my FMP is Men’s Mental Health. I aimed to focus on the stigma that is still around, attempting to explore the important issues relating to men being taught to never show emotions because it’s “unmanly”. I hope to raise awareness and encourage a debate around changing this problem but also looking further into the idea of constantly comparing women’s mental health against men’s, with phrases such as “stop crying like a girl”, “you hit like a girl”, “man up” and so many more. This behaviour and conditioning encourages only women and young girls to be able to ‘wear their hearts on their sleeves’, through being taught it’s okay to show emotion and it’s okay to not be okay. Why can’t it be the same for men and young boys growing up? It should be equal. 1 in 4 men are affected by mental health problems or illnesses and male suicides have consistently accounted for approximately three quarters of all suicides. I feel that the media and in particular social media is a very toxic place at the moment and it makes young people of today view themselves and their bodies in a negative way – constantly comparing themselves – which can then go onto create all sorts of mental health problems including anxiety and depression.
The title of my final major project is “we are the youth of the modern age.” In this project I have explored the lifestyles and culture of the youth of 2021. I have done this by photographing people who are of a similar age to me. I have also included my collection of candid images that I have been creating on a disposable camera whilst out with friends over the past two years. For this exhibition I have created a bedroom installation, heavily inspired by the work of Tracey Emin. For this I wanted to recreate the bedroom of a teenager, so I have chose objects that not only compliment my images well but also are things that would be found in mine or a typical teenagers bedroom. Throughout the installation, my images are dotted about on objects such as T-shirts, mouse-mats, posters and mugs.
My project ‘Divided’ aims to confront notions of mental health disorders specif ically those such as MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder) and DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). The mental health disorders are characterised by two or more distinct personalities living with in one body. This disorder is usually diagnosed when people have previously experienced traumas in their life. The disorder is commonly accompanied by memory gaps in which the host doesn’t realise they are living as another persona. When experiencing this it can
confuse the host. This confusion is what I wanted to communicate in this display. The work that I have created shows a variety of di erent faces that have been collaged to make one unique piece. Even my work is compiled using a variety of di erent subjects. It represents how there is multiple personalities in one body. The aim is to confuse the viewer, which directly relates to how someone who su ers from this disorder may feel. The deadpan style of portraiture creates a photographic identity similar to those used in passports and for driver’s licences.
