Vandalism: Graffiti & Urban Life

Campbell Vincent and Christopher Maxwell

Theme: Vandalism

Sub-theme: Graffiti

Street art, more commonly referred to as “graffiti”, is something that is exposed to us every day. As people go about their days, taking care of their average business, they are surrounded by graffiti. On the buses, the trains, signs, seats, walls, posts, roofs; graffiti dominates the landscape of urban life. Whether it’s a huge artwork spread across a wall with spray paint, or an insignificant tag scribbled across the back of a bus seat, vandalism in it’s most recognisable form of graffiti will always be a factor in everyday life. 

Hence, the idea of this photo essay was based upon focussing on the insignificant vandalism that we walk past everyday. The idea was to try search for and then capture the graffiti that goes unnoticed - glanced at day after day, and then swept from the minds of the passers-by. This kind of vandalism is a true exemplification of the “everyday aesthetic” mentioned by Susan Murray (2008), highlighting the notion that the aspects of our lives that we seem to ignore can often be the most intriguing, and capturing these aspects can effectively open the minds of the viewer. By capturing this graffiti, it became apparent that while it might not seem overwhelming when experiencing the urban day-to-day grind, there are many aspects that are literally hiding in plain sight, just waiting to be noticed. 

References:

Murray, S (2008) Digital Images, Photo-Sharing, and Our Shifting Notions of Everyday Aesthetics. Journal of Visual Culture August 2008 vol. 7(2).

A Weekend In Sydney: Chadielle Fayad & Robert Young

Theme: Alcohol
Sub-theme: A weekend in Sydney

Taking photographs of an alcoholic drink can let somebody in on the facts of an entire story, situation and circumstance no matter how simple or amateurish the photo might appear to be. The lighting of a photograph can make the picture more beautiful, as well as tell us if it is indoors or outdoors, at a party or at home. The colours involved can be considered aesthetically pleasing despite it being a simple photograph of a cocktail drink. Photographs of drinks can reveal the expectations of people directly involved, for example whether a person could be expected to be drinking alone or with company. It can also tell the history behind the image and its most likely context. This photo-essay will take place in many different situations and settings throughout a weekend in Sydney. There will be photos of: drinks with the harbour and opera house in the background, alcoholic beverages in a backyard BBQ, wine at a restaurant or at a function, drinks at a house party, beer bottles that fill an entire esky, a cocktail at a nightclub, of shot glasses at a bar and various other places a person may be found on a weekend in Sydney. This essay begins as though the weekend has begun, with the music slowly building from calm to upbeat as the photo essay and simultaneously the weekend progresses. One of the final photos is blurred, to give the audience an idea of what the final stages of drinking on a week might be like. While the theme is alcohol, the sub-theme is a weekend in Sydney so there is a constant awareness of Australian atmosphere throughout the clip. Photography of alcohol might seem amateurish, common and simple, but it can also be beautiful and informative.

Photo Essay - Theme: Statues, Sub Theme: Cemeterial Architecture 

By Emma Jewell & Verneet Kaur

The everyday aesthetic that we have chosen to focus our photo essay on is statues, with a sub theme of guardians - cemeterial architecture.

We chose this particular theme for two primary reasons; the first being that statues are a typical element of an urban everyday aesthetic - they invariably exist in a public domain, however they are generally mundane and overlooked. This is an idea that Murray discusses - that an object can be brought to life and valued photographically if it is widely accessible and ostensibly banal (Murray: 2008). Secondly, we chose our sub theme specifically because we were looking to produce a distinctly ethereal and arcane tone to our essay; two qualities which cemeterial architecture undoubtedly afford. This was a creative decision designed to amplify the effect of the piece; putting an unearthly spin on what is ordinarily an everyday object – the statue.

Further, this particular sub theme had the potential to be significantly enhanced by music, which proved true as our use of the soft piano and strings instrumental in Van Syla's Wounded But Alive provided an eerie backdrop. Our essay is comprised of photos taken from various angles of different pieces of cemeterial architecture; providing a very wide range of content. Another crucial creative decision that was made was the use of black and white photos only; this was chiefly to retain the simplicity and haunting nature of the photos in order to more effectively communicate our theme. Soft transitions such as the cross dissolve were also used complementary to the music and content in order to sustain its mystical vibe; thus furthering the portrayal of the everyday aesthetic that is the statue, in a ghostly light.

References:
Murray, S (2008) Digital Images, Photo-Sharing, and Our Shifting Notions of Everyday Aesthetics. Journal of Visual Culture August 2008 vol. 7(2). 147-163.

Photo Essay Rational: Theme - Lost and Forgotten Subtheme - The Beach

“Photography has become less about the special or rarefied moments of domestic/family living (for such things as holidays, gatherings, baby photos) and more about an immediate, rather fleeting display of one’s discovery of the small and mundane”. (Murray.2008)

The above extract describes how photography in the twenty first century has shifted from a way to capture memorable moments in time, to a concentration upon the beauty found in the everyday aesthetic. We have utilised this concept throughout our photographic work in order to show the beauty that can be found in things that one would otherwise overlook. For our main theme we have used the idea of lost and forgotten objects, with the subtheme of the beach. Our work consists of an array of photographs involving objects and creatures that are often lost within the scenery and overlooked. It is only when you go searching for such things that one can truly appreciate the beauty and aesthetical features that they may hold.

Our photo essay utilises the concept of the everyday aesthetic by capturing small details of the scenery that are usually overlooked by taking in the landscape in a larger sense. When one walks upon a beach, the common scene to take in is one of simply sand and waves, we envisage a stretch of yellow colour accompanied by blue and white water. If you look a little closer, into all of the nooks and crannies; behind beach houses, inside piles of washed up seaweed and within the sand you see that there is more to this landscape than just what meets the eye.

In our photographs, suddenly you not only see a stretch of yellow sand, but instead thousands of grains of sand below objects such as shells, rubbish and washed up sea life, the overlooked details of the beach. The items and creatures shown throughout the essay represent things that have been ‘lost and forgotten’ (items left behind, forgotten or washed up on shore far away from home). Some examples of this is the photograph involving a babies dummy and sock which have most likely fallen from inside a pram, or possibly tossed away by a small child during a tantrum. Another example is the washed up sea life such as bluebottles which we determined to have been ‘lost’ as the earth is clearly not where they belong. Similar to this is the dog and its footsteps representing a lost dog.

 

Muray, S, 2008. Digital Images, Photo-Sharing, and Our Shifting Notions of Everyday Aesthetics. Journal of Visual Culture, 7:147, p.151.

 

Stephanie Bailey: 42876761

Jennifer Rogers: 43034683

 

 

 

Everyday Aesthetics: Crumbling Corners

Theme: Corners
Sub Theme: Crumbling

Through Murray’s article, we explore the notion of everyday aesthetics. We learn that photography has shifted in both technology and accessibility (Murray, 2008. pg. 152). Whilst once an art from that focused primarily on careful framing and deliberate intent, it has progressed towards a virtual online community which mixes both professional and amateur enthusiasts, with both parties now having an equal say in the authenticity of photography. Photo sharing websites such as flickr and instagram champion this by providing an open platform that allow users to post, comment and discuss the merits of others users photos. It breeds a community of users that are bound by their love of photography, rather than their photography credentials (Murray, 2008 pg. 149).

 Our theme and subtheme of crumbled corners represents Murray’s ideas of everyday aesthetics by capturing the stagnant beauty of a dynamically powerful, but necessary structural element in modern objects, the corner. By focusing on crumbling corners, we have accentuated the fallacy that power is prone to, that is over time, power cannot last and subject is to the elements that surround it. Examples of this can be found throughout our photos in that nature is growing around and amongst the decaying corners, defiantly growing whilst the stones and bricks crumble.

We have chosen the instrumental track “Higher” By the artist the Honourable Sleaze. It’s a light, breezy hip-hop track that casually strolls across the photos highlighting the playful lighting and not so serious subject matter. The beat also begins with the sounds of a record crackle, highlighting the irony of a digital movie being accompanied by an analogue soundtrack. We have purposely mis-matched the photos with the beats to add to the disarray that often accompanies a structures downfall.



By Amelia Dwyer: 42460581 and Paul Chekaluk: 42765390

Murray, S, 2008. Digital Images, Photo Sharing and Our Shifting Notions of Everyday Aesthetics. Journal of Visual Culture, V. 7 (2), 147-163.

Pens

Megan Gaudry and Stephanie Colacino

The theme our group chose was pens with the sub theme being contrast.

Our group decided to use pens to represent the everyday aesthetic and themes of transience as they are used up to quickly and are a typically small and mundane object. The pens transitory nature are displayed in the first half of the video through their lonesome position, only one or two are shown at a time paired with the antique lighting. They are then contrasted with many colourful pens to show how nothing is ever mundane and ordinary. The sheer number of pens and the innovative way in which they are sold makes up for their ephemeral nature and reflects ideas of consumerism. The use of perspective in our photos were important in highlighting the structural elements of these usually banal objects. 

The very process of photographing such attainable objects creates a decentralization of domestic and professional photography causing the hierarchy of amateur to professional to not really exist. There is also a communal underlying aesthetic as a pen is something many people usually “share” much like photos. The song we used was especially important in conveying our idea of contrast as it begins slow and “eerie” emphasising the transient lonesome pens in the first half. It then builds up to a fast finish which parallels the bursts of colour in the second half. The music changes when the photos do, with the photos changing to the beat of the music creating further coherence for the sub theme of contrast.

Stairs - Old Steps, by Tiara Maceri and Jake Morcom

The theme for our photo essay is stairs with the sub-theme of old steps. Our choice of subject matter was specifically chosen to capture that of the everyday aesthetic by bringing valuable qualities to the mundane character of the steps. Murray (2008) notes that in order for an image to by valued by the community it should focus on everyday objects, 'the subject can be mundane or typically domestic in some way and still be valued'. In this regard, the location chosen to capture in specific our sub-theme of old steps was the inner city of Sydney. Through the manipulation of lighting and the variation in angles, we were able to capture a diverse range of images varying from single steps to staircases. Further, through the use of a series of editing tools in iPhoto, we carefully edited each photo by experimenting with the contrast, brightness and saturation, to create a sense of cohesiveness through the slideshow. The photos follow a logical, yet non-specific pattern throughout the slideshow, where the careful editing and colour contrasts from one photo to the next accentuate their detail. The ambient accompaniment compliments the slides, where the main beat smoothly coincides with the photo change. In turn, by capturing the mundane characteristics of stairs, we have brought life and value, through a variety of techniques, to the everyday aesthetic of old steps and made something that is usually overlooked and taken for granted, interesting.

References

Murray, S (2008) Digital Images, Photo-Sharing, and Our Shifting Notions of Everyday Aesthetics. Journal of Visual Culture August 2008 vol. 7(2). 147-163. 

Colour. Everyday Habits. iPhone 4S. Samsung Galaxy S III. iPhoto. iMovie. The Theme. The Sub-Theme. The Tools. The Editors. Murray (2008) says that the 'Everyday aesthetic' in photography is 'fleeting, malleable, immediate...'. Through the specific use of black/white photography with a colour focus spot, we aim to add evidence to this perspective of photography. We use colour spots to highlight everyday objects in the bathroom setting to chronicle the everyday habits of a person(s). The music 'Rebirth' by Red Indian is also chosen for its fast pace and uplifting beat, this is done so that the audience finds the photos to be fleeting and immediate. The transitions and pace of the photos are also chosen to provide this same effect. Through our manipulations, alterations and production of the photos we hope to impute the photos with a sense of story and time as well as the everyday aesthetic.

By Minhaj Hossain & Mohit Koduri

Clothing - Shoes By Craig Beatty & Karvya Kalutarage

The founder of Flickr, Catherine Fake, describes that the nature of digital photography has drawn professional and amateur photographers to the “immediate, rather fleeting display of one’s discovery to the small and mundane” subjects of life (Murray 2008: 151). On the Flickr website, photographs of everyday images  have become a way for individuals to construct narratives about themselves and the world around them (Murray 2008: 151).

In our photo essay, branching from the subject of clothing, we chose to explore the place of shoes within our everyday lives. As well as being a practical clothing item – shoes provide an insight into a person’s character, the choice of one’s footwear is connected to requirements of a particular occasion. From joggers to casual sneakers, the collection of photos brought together in our photo essay explore different varieties of shoes and how they reflect different lifestyles, purposes etc. The choice of music, Beauty Full by artist, SideCarTommy, translates “the sharp and the grainy, for the ‘perfect’ and the imperfect” aspect of shoes – the rhythmic beat reflects the actions of footsteps and brings these still images to life (Murray 2008: 161).

As Murray describes, traditional photographs concerned the need to encapsulate a memory before loss and or death could disrupt that memory, however, digital photography shifts the meaning of photographs. The ability to observe the photo immediately emphasises the transitory essence of contemporary photography. Sites such as Flickr engages us in the fleeting, mundane and small things of everyday life such as, shoes.

By Craig Beatty and Karvya Kalutarage

References:  

Digital Images, Photo Sharing and Our Shifting Notions of Everyday Aesthetics, Susan Murray, Journal of Visual Culture, Published by Sage, 2008.

Senses.. Up-close and Personal- Michaela Davies

The theme I have chosen for the photo essay is ‘senses’ with the sub theme of ‘up close and personal’. My idea of senses relates to Murrays concepts of amateur photography and everyday aesthetics in that senses are a necessity in everyday life that are disregarded or unappreciated by the everyday individual.

I have focused on all five senses by using extreme close-ups in order to utilise the hidden, less obvious features of the five senses, which brings in to play my sub-theme ‘up-close and personal’. To incorporate artistic elements I have used the same “effects” theme in iphoto and the available “video adjustments” on ‘imovie’ and applied them consistently through out my movie. The vigerette theme has allowed my images to share common aesthetics that is metaphorical for the way in which all work in conjunction in everyday life.

Each sense has a series of 4-5 different photos exploring a different angle to that specific sense. To capture these I have used a cannon digital SLR camera to which allows me to take quality macro images. I have also photographed a range of people to widen the spectrum of how senses are experienced from person to person. The eye, ear, mouth, nose and skin are only partially what construct a sense, so I have photographed elements that react to the senses.

The music I have chosen is ‘Slow Motion Strut Version Two’ courtesy of Dexter Britain. This easy listening tune, I believe, was the most appropriate music (with a retro crackle) in order to compliment the images in a way that the viewer can appreciate the visual more with just the assistance of the music.


By Michaela Davies

Shadows/Angels by Josh Shelley & Tara Ferguson

Our chosen theme shadows and our sub-theme Angles, are communicated through the aesthetic of everyday shadows. Shadows are formed unintentionally in our reuccuring lives casted from a diverse range of objects. Murry’s concepts of the persuasiveness of photography support our theme of shadows and angles, whereby one can depict a photo in an individualistic manner through different thematic concepts. We chose to capture shadows at different angles, thus communicating the theme. We desired to illustrate and emphasize urban areas and objects, where the shadows and the angles created our photo story i.e day to night. Our music consisted of Autumn Breeze, a calm, consistent, instrumental piece which assisted in our theme of shadows as the day turns dark. Iphoto was our main editor for images produced via our cameras. By using the adjusting tool in iphoto, including the shadows alteration button we were able to draw our shadows out of the images originally taken. In conclusion, through the emphasis on the theme and numerous angles the mundane perception of shadows is captured and revealed in a perspective that is not usually perceived. 

Example Credit

Music – “Runaway By The Past” courtesy of PeerGynt Lobogris: Available at http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/596332/runaway-by-the-past,  published under a Creative Commons Attribution, NonCommercial, ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Licence, http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/, accessed 5.10.12

Please note that if you use share-alike media that means that you also have to publish share alike.  To do so just say in your credits...This work is published under a whichever licence you need to quote e.g. Creative Commons Attribution, NonCommercial, ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/