Upon reviewing my work and research so far, it seems to lack some footing. Although I aim to photograph these homes, in a sense document them in this abstractive style, it still feels like it needs some extra application. The images were 'OK', abstractive and soft in tone and lighting; and although achieving what I was after, visually, I feel the projects incentive needs something else.
Some research has given me more incentive to take to Still Life. With Sarah Palmers' series The Village of Reason, she searches for tranquility and reason amongst the tumult of contemporary life, but at the same time acknowledges the imminent chaos that exists within it. This series in particular emerged not within the usual means that traditional photographic projects are born from; rather it emerged from what she reads and discovers about the world, and from what she brings back to her studio.
The objects appear to be random, and photographed with minimalist style. To me, the images thus are presented bluntly, but they obviously carry some sort of metaphor to be solved, much like a poem. As for labelling a photographic style? Many say its a mixture of straight and experimental photography...
( http://www.featureshoot.com/2013/06/sarah-palmers-the-village-of-reason-searches-for-tranquility-amongst-chaos/
http://constructofthemind.com/2013/09/15/sarah-palmer-how-to-disappear-completely/ )
... and I agree. I particularly shine to the mix, especially when playing with conceptual and abstract themes.
Connecting my current work to this new twist, I still aim to visit these homes but my angle will play on Still Life. So, focusing on objects in particular - e.g ornaments, objects on shelves. Obviously it'd be a struggle to ask a stranger to take their possessions out of their home, so using the natural available light and positioning will be my first objective. If I'm lucky enough to take objects out, I will be using the studio and use artificial lighting. Between location/home shoots I will be using my own personal/family "household"-esque objects of mundane nature, photographing in the Still Life style.
The Village of Reason fits, perhaps awkwardly, into various photographic genres, with images ranging from the seemingly straight to the experimental. The possible disjointedness of these studies is purposeful: I hope that the viewer will question the connections and contradictions within the works as I present them. The series asks questions but does not necessarily provide answers. It is rooted in metaphor and meant to be interrogated, as one would read a poem. Herein, one can view desires both personal and universal, as well as uncertainties and doubts about femininity and identity.—Sarah Palmer
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