Looking back at my Documentary Fact & Fiction module, I can seen how certain concepts that I first explored there have continued to percolate throughout my Body of Work. Fontcuberta’s introduction to Pedro Meyer’s Truths & Fictions | A Journey from Documentary to Digital Photography poses the following questions: “What matters in a document – the intention that originated it or the effect it elicits? What is important – its aesthetic status as evidence or the social function that is assigned to it?” (Meyer, 1995:8). I believe that Shuswap Lake Tales leans towards the effect the work elicits and the social function I want it to address. As I mentioned in my A3 tutor feedback reflection when questioned about the function of my book, Shuswap Lake Tales is about a conversation between the current landscape, oral history obtained from my interviewees and myself. It thus has a historical function. It is a conversation that has been ongoing over the last two years and will continue into the future.
I had used Affinity Publisher to create my PDF book dummy, originally A5 size. However through not quite understanding this new software, I discovered after I had submitted A5 to my tutor that the changes I thought I made to resize the book to A4 had not been effected. I ended up recreating the PDF book in A4 format (See Affinity Publisher and Bookmaking post).
Since submitting A5 two opportunities have arisen for me to exhibit my work. One instance at the local art gallery, but is limited to three images (Séwllkwe Exhibition), and the other in a wellness clinic for about three months. Being in such a rural community, I’ll take advantage of any opportunities I can to get my work out into the public. This should be good experience for SYP.
Looking back to the beginning of my L3 journey some issues/concepts/ideas my tutor and I discussed over the course of this module have stood out.
- Mixing idea of archive and own images is very now and also engages with the idea of photography of over and beyond the idea of a single author (Barthes’ Death of the Author is probably going to feature in my CS work quite prevalently). The archive switches the power dynamic away from the dominant photographer.
This concept formed the backbone of my BOW, and fed my Contextual Studies via the prism of heteroglossia with which I used to examine memory and the archive in photography. I found there was definitely a power shift from the photographer (me) as I was reliant on the choice of photographs my interviewees made to share in this project. To a certain extent this drove me to seek out those locations in their photographs for my contemporary landscapes, allowing me to blend my authorial voice with theirs. And yes, Barthes’ Death of the Author did feature prominently in my CS, as well as a few of his other texts too.
- Chance is important – because its one of the defining themes of photography.
Chance played a huge role in finding my backgrounds for my photomontages. I just happened upon a long road with lots of snow and ice and vegetation in the first stage of a thaw and photographed various scenes in desperation really. And it worked.
- Best way forward is to let the work take its own shape organically.
The best laid plans don’t always come together properly. Its far better to be led by the work and follow the strands it is revealing to you.
I have learned so much from all the research I’ve done, artist talks and panel discussions that I attended and the guidance of a fantastic tutor. I am indebted to the three lovely ladies who shared their stories and photographs with me for this project.
Bibliography
Meyer, P. (1995) Truths & Fictions | a journey from documentary to digital photography. New York: Aperture Foundation.
Lynda Kuit Photography Level 3 