InstructionsIn order to take a photograph you have to make choices. Artists like John Baldessari used instructions whilst teaching young photography students to test their creative lengths.
What happens when these choices are made for you? When taking photos you have choices like;
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The Mona Lisa was so famous because it was painted sometime between 1503-1506, making it extremely old, therefore historic. It includes a mysterious grin that Da Vinchi created through his use of shadows work, which leaves room for interpretation for others. It was also stolen from the Lourve in 1911 by a former employee, and wasn’t recovered for another 2 years, which was news for many, therefore became extremely well known to the whole world.
Duchamp took a courageous risk when he decided to mock the most well known painting during 1919 across the world. He wanted a surprising reaction from the public, by defacing the most famous painting to exist he would achieve that. The title in French means “Elle a chaud au cul” translating too “she has a hot arse”. He drew on her a moustache and beard. I think this may have been to represent her as ugly or unladylike, as she was seen as a very beautiful woman during her time. 'Readymade': I think if something is readymade, it means although it has been made already for your use, you must complete the final step yourself to use it. For example, readymade food is premade, but you must cook it to eat it. ‘L.H.O.O.Q.’ is readymade in the sense that it has been created but is up for your own interpretation. Marcel Duchamp created a platform for other artists to take readymade paintings or photographs, and edit or remake them into something entirely different. This is revolutionary because it allowed for much more creativity, and made a new gateway for other types or artists to produce work. A good example of this is Kensuke Koike. |
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Klavdij Sluban works with many different teenage or younger inmates through photography, sharing his skills and knowledge. He sees them as his 'students' rather than inmates. Part of the reason Klavdij decided to do this was because of his concern on the harshness of prisons and how they can deteriorate people, and also how hidden they are from us. Using photography he was able to ask inmates to explore there creativity, help them imagine all sorts of possibilities. I think this would be a great distraction and motivator for prisoners to look forward to the future and develop their skills, considering the confinement they live in.
Sluban gives his 'students' disposable cameras to begin the workshops. However many seem to feel as if there is nothing to photograph. They work together to understand each other more and push themselves. Many begin to photograph themselves or others first, is what Sluban has observed. As they learn more and expand on their creativity some produce amazing work. This release of creativity gives back a sense of purpose and freedom despite their incarceration. Klavdij hopes to leave them inspired and to see prison and life from a more imaginative point of view. |
Six Frames
We watched another one of Klavdij Sluban's films, this time one with footage of him inside a Georgian prison active in a workshop. We were challenged with choosing 6 screenshots from the video. These were the ones I chose.
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