Project JFJ: "Bittersweet Beginning"

JFJ Project- "Mom" Progress

The progress that I've made on my project thus far has been figuring out how I want to depict my different visuals to help convey my message and illustrate my letter to "Mom". Examples of some of my image ideas are as follows:

• To create imagery of a child standing in a lit doorway (background) over looking a dark room. In the foreground, the camera will be shooting from on the floor and you will see a hand laying lifeless off the side of a couch with an empty bottle of vodka on the ground.
• To create imagery of a child standing on an old chair in front of a stove, stirring steaming pots. 
• To create metaphorical images using hills/steep inclines, etc, with positive icons at the top and negative icons at the bottom, all relevant to my original statement. The age of the person hiking/struggling up these inclines will vary in age depending on the visual "goals and struggles".
• Perhaps in all of the above images, hide the actual hand written letter in the photo.
• Write the original "letter" on paper by hand, and photograph the letter in elements relevant to the contents of the letter. 

I would like to do a small series and/or narrative to express this piece. I will post supporting images here in a little bit to help visualize my ideas. Please feel free to ask me questions, I'd love to answer them!

-EB

JFJ Project- "Mom"

Although it hasn't been an easy trip, I've somehow managed to stay by your side, love you, and respect you. Through your hardships I have learned tbe best lessons of my life, so no mistake went unnoticed. Our friendship has grown so much over the years, and while sometimes I wish you were more mother than friend, I still don't feel as though I should complain. Between the barricades, vodka, the occasional hot dinner, and the "forgive me" vacations, I don't feel as though I would change it if I could.
Thank you, Mom, for giving me a bittersweet beginning.

                         "A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts."  

- Washington Irving

Revisionnnnnn

After our discussion in class today, I have to say that I didn't realize that the panel one must be pattern and that panel two must be texture. After going back to the assignment sheet, I clearly did see that in the instructions and I apologize for not reading it in more depth! I went back and corrected my mistake by taking your advice and flipped the sides of the diptych. I hope this is better and I apologize for my error.

Finished!

Hello! I finally completed my final diptych. After a lot of thinking, time, and debating, here is my final piece. The texture dominant portion is the segment on the left, and the pattern dominant segment is on the right. I look forward to discussing this and explaining it further in class tomorrow!

Progress!

Alrighty, well I have made quite a bit of progress on this assignment since my last post. What I have decided to do portray three images for the texture diptych and three images for the pattern diptych. I will be displaying these images in a stacked fashion. For the textured images, I plan on photographing images of things that are rough, dry, and/or just plain nasty, but close enough so that you can see the rust, or cracks in the dirt, etc. In other words, things that make you feel icky and/or uncomfortable.)

For my pattern diptych, I will be photographing patterns in materials that are soft, comforting, moist/earthy, etc. For example, things like vintage wallpaper, old blankets, lawn furniture, lace doilies, etc. (AKA things that remind you of good/happy things)

To tie these two diptychs together, I will be having something rough, like barbed wire or a jagged stick, run across the textured diptych over top of the three photos, and on the pattern diptych I will have something soft with a pattern, like yarn, going across the screen as well. While there will be a break in the page between the diptychs, to create a little brain-breathing room when looking from piece to piece,  these two objects (barbed wire & yarn) will appear to meet in the middle to appear as though one is becoming the other.

I have attached a photo to give you an idea of what I will be doing! However, the images will be different, but like I said- just to give you an idea. :)

Enjoy!

Project Helen Hoffelt

For my panels, I have considered quite a few ideas for both the texture piece and the pattern piece.

For the textured piece, the idea of using "opposite textures" appealed to me. Like using something fluffy with something sharp and jagged, and/or something soft like a blanket with something rough like sand paper. If allowed, I think I would like to do my panels with photos. Perhaps a collage of a bunch of photos that reflect these opposite textures.
For the patterned panel, I was thinking about photographing a scene with tons of clashing patterns. Perhaps every surface is that of a different pattern, such as cups, clothing, furnature, wallpaper, table cloths, etc.

I haven't quite decided on if I want to do a series of portrait photography with a fashion flare, or a series of shots that are so close and so focused on these patterns and textures that you can hardly tell what is actually being photographed. I am very excited to execute this project and I look forward to posting my progress! :)

-EB