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minimalistic, stark contrasts images with background

refer back to Sophie calle/tracy emin

zine format perhaps

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traces of people (wall markings, graffiti etc)

family + friendship

Sentimental objects

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cultural transmission through objects

identity through domestic settings

momentos (nostalgia, mementos)

hometown visits

family

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Exploring Practice in Photography 1 - Truth is Stranger than Fiction - Assessment Brief - 2024-25

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In this project ill be using the camera as a tool to navigate different perspectives on identity. My initial approach may lean toward a documentary style, drawing inspiration from artists like Daido Moriyama, Nan Goldin, and Corinne Day. I also want to experiment with symbolism and metaphor throughout the process.

As a starting point, I could use my time back home to gather initial material. This could include documenting significant places for me growing up, focusing on the changes I observe and reflecting on what once existed. While home will serve as the foundational setting, As the project progresses I want to explore more conceptual interpretations.

To add onto my personal exploration, I want to look at identity as a broader concept, considering the factors that influence it, such as the rise of individualism in contemporary culture. In addition to this id like to hear different interpretations. engaging with others will be important for this project; Ill conduct interviews with family and friends to understand what identity means to them.

I also plan to experiment with moving images and still photography, inspired by Chris Marker’s “La Jetée.” Im interested in developing a narrative structure that could easily translate onto paper. Additionally, incorporating pieces of text alongside the imagery, drawing from Sophie Calle's work, experimenting with different approaches of visual storytelling.

Throughout this project, I will document conversations and insights about identity to create a richer network of perspectives in the effort to form a comprehensive understanding of the subject.

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For this series, I chose Sophie Calle as a reference, drawn to her distinctive approach to exploring themes of identity, privacy, and the balance between the personal and the public. Calle’s work investigates the boundaries of intimacy, surveillance, and human experience and I felt her exploration of these themes was especially well suited to the direction I wanted to take in this project.

I was particularly inspired by her 1981 project L'Hôtel . In L'Hôtel, Calle worked as a chambermaid , and during her time there, she began photographing the rooms after guests had checked out, capturing not only the physical remnants they left behind but also the traces of their presence—objects and personal belongings.. The project is an intersection of voyeurism and a search for meaning in the mundane.

What I found compelling about this project was her way of revealing the hidden aspects of people's lives - small, personal details that are unintentionally left behind yet speak volumes about the persons identity and behavior. Through the act of documenting these seemingly insignificant things, she raised questions about the way we leave fragments of ourselves in public spaces. This resonated with the themes I wanted to explore in my work, particularly in terms of how identity is both shaped by and revealed through the spaces we occupy.

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Bertien van Manen began her career as a commercial photographer but eventually found herself unfulfilled with the medium. Her turning point came when she discovered Robert Frank's photobook, The Americans, which inspired her to adopt a more documentary approach. Van Manen's work often centered around her children and various aspects of home life, capturing an emotive and intimate portrayal of motherhood.

Her first independent publication, Easter and the Oak Trees, is a black-and-white series that explores a mother's perspective as she watches her children transition into adolescence . I was drawn to the spontaneity and sketchiness of her style; while her photography feels instinctive, the subjects are depicted with great intentionality.

Later in her work, Van Manen’s focus shifted to closed cultures, photographing individuals whose lives were vastly different from her own. Her photographer-subject relationship remained consistent. The use of point-and-shoot cameras enhances the intimacy of her work, eliminating the barrier of a big, intimidating camera between the viewer and subject.

I want to carry Van Manens instinctive approach to photography into my work. I feel the subject of identity can be explored well through a relaxed, instinctive approach especially with my interview series im planning. I liked her way of translating individual expeience/way of seeing.

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Inspired by sophie calle, i wanted to experiment with the idea of exploring identity through domestic spaces. I liked this idea of someones identity being held in tangible things, also how it prompts the viewer to form their own idea of who the person might be, showing them a room and leaving them to fill in the gaps sort of thigng As a test shoot i decided to photograph parts of my room a long with my flatmates, as its a student accommodation block all the room layouts are the same so i thought itd be interesting to look at how different people fit differently into them. In doing this shoot i found theres a big distinction in where different people attribute parts of their identity i.e wills room is covered with posters of his favourite musicians and films and mine is mainly sentimental photos and books. the objects and visuals people surround themselves with are almost like fragments of their identity, but also suggests that identity is fluid. The way a space evolves, especially over time or in response to changing circumstances, reflects changes in a person's sense of self.

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For my final response i wanted to incorporate the individual into the shoot while keeping them somewhat concealed, allowing the viewer to fill in the gaps. My aim for  this shoot was to further explore this idea that a person's identity can be embodied in the objects they surround themselves with, and how these objects invite viewers to form their own interpretations of who the person might be. For this shoot i used a friends bedroom - another student accommodation bedroom. As i was shooting my focus gradually shifted to piles of mess and imprints/traces of the subject (i.e the indentation on the duvet)I was drawn to the idea of these traces as evidence of the individual’s presence, alluding to the relationship between the person and their belongings. I used 35mm b+w film for this shoot, i like the experimental nature of film and the lack of control over the outcome, i thought as this shoot is a documentation of identity i wanted to preserve an authentic quality to the images without over-curating too much. Im generally pleased with how it turned out, but if i was to revisit this or develop this i think I’d broaden my focus to include a wider range of features, creating more of a ‘map’ of the person’s identity. I’d also like to experiment with collage techniques, perhaps arranging the imagery in a contrasting format, similar to Sophie Calle’s work like taking images of mess and organizing them into a neat grid with annotations.

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Last weekend I spent the weekend back in my hometown, whilst there i decided to have a look around Ramsgate emporium, its vintage goods market which I felt would serve as a great source of inspiration for this exploration of identity through objects. When I got there the first thing I saw was a box titled ‘albums’, inside there were handwritten postcards, framed drawn portraits, sports posters, wallets, diaries, jewllery and more. This prompted me to think about how culture is passed along through objects ,objects in which we can live amongst and share through generations and how now, with the advancement of technology, objects are loosing significance and technological forms are overtaking them. Joachim Triers film ‘the worst person in the world’ touches on this subject, in the scene where two characters are discussing cultural transmission through objects - “I grew up in a time where culture was passed along through objects, (...) we could live among them. hold them in our hands(… )compare them.” Id like to further investigate this idea through my project, perhaps conducting interviews with people of different generation to discuss their thoughts on the topic.

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Chris Marker was invited to visit North Korea, shortly before the border was closed. Coréennes (translation – ‘Korean Women) is a photobook containing this trip, combined with poetry, maps, Korean folk tales, comic book images, and even anecdotes.The books narrative isn’t traditional chronological storytelling, marker uses a range of mediums to create a mosaic style portrait of the women of korea. "A testament to Marker's abiding fascination with human encounters and his desire to push away the constraints of political and racial stereotyping”- Catherine Lupton. His

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Photobook

- scans of written notes + bday cards + shopping lists

- Photo Booth portraits

- scans o jewelry

- written annotations

— scrapbook minimalist feels

-archve b+w pics too

-handwritten annotations

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CHRIS MARKER:

focus on details to paint a picture,

NAN GOLDIN:

warm,sentimental hues

SOPHIE CALLE :

focus on objects/domestic spaces

DAIDO MORYAMA :

b+w harsh contrasts

portraits concealing face , abstract portraiture, street photography

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 ‘Why We Need Things’ (1993)- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

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 ‘Why We Need Things’ (1993)- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

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‘Artefacts help objectify the self … by demonstrating the owner’s power.’ They ‘reveal the continuity of the self through time, by providing foci of involvement in the present, mementos and souvenirs of the past, and signposts to future goals… objects give concrete evidence of one’s place in a social network as symbols… of valued relationships.’ As such, they stabilise our identities, giving permanent shape to ourselves ‘that otherwise would quickly dissolve in the flux of consciousness’.

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For my response, I wanted to capture the warmth and candidness that characterizes Manen's work. I chose to shoot during a weekend back in my hometown, using my friends and familiar surroundings as my primary subjects. I wanted to create a sense of intimacy and nostalgia, so I decided to shoot with Kodak Gold film, which is known for its rich, warm tones. I felt the film would complement the feeling of familiarity and warmth I wanted to convey in the photos. I'm pleased with how the colors turned out, they have a soft quality that enhances the overall mood.

In the image on the left, where two girls are lying in bed, I like how the yellow and orange hues from the lamps create a warmatmosphere, and how this light contrasts with the subjects. The soft, muted tones of their figures against the background gives the photo a feeling of both calm and intimacy.

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Tracey Emin gets even more personal - in pictures

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This is an old collage of mine I found, I want to experiment further with collage in this project. I think the fragmentary nature of identity could be articulated well using this technique. The ways in which we are products of ou environments and little pieces of the people we surround ourselves with. In this collage I used imagery from my families photo albums, one from a Christmas dinner and the other from my parents wedding. I think I chose to pay these two because I like the contrast of the white grid with the colorful busyness of the dinner scene. Going back to my tracy emin research, using a more abstract approach in making a photo album I think could be interesting. Each fragmentary collage creating an overall sort of map of identity.

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Daido Moryama is a Japanese photographer best known for his black and white photography of post war Japan. In his work he depicted the contrast between traditional values and modern society at this time. I was initially drawn to his work from his interesting choice of subject matter. Moriyama's style is often categorized as street photography, with frequent motifs of Japan’s society and culture, but his work also feels personal and diaristic. His photographs evoke a sense of witnessing the world through his own eyes, reflecting his inner state of mind as much as the external environment. One aspects of his work that intrigued me was his approach to portraiture. Rather than focusing on typical “key” aspects of identity i.e the face or full body ,Moriyama often omits or crops these features, using body language, fragmented compositions, and awkward framing to convey a deeper, more nuanced sense of identity. This indirect approach to portraiture invites the viewer to form their own interpretation of the concept of identity, suggesting it can be understood by less than recognizable features , but through subtle gestures, fragmented moments, and negative space.

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Tracy Emin's work is entirely autobiographical ,using her emotional life as a source of inspiration for her art she creates diaristic pieces exhibiting her internal being. I admire her attitude towards creating art , she stated ‘it's not what you inherit. It's what you do with your inheritance’ (From her applique words on a chair inherited from her grandmother ). Her art being so vulnerable gives the viewer a look into where her consciousness focuses, where her memory has decided to stick. Her work ‘My Photo Album’ takes the shape of a standard photo album, taking the viewer through a journey of the artist's life using photographs and bygone busspasses. What I found interesting about Emin's photo album is the details she decided to include and her choice of words in her descriptions, it is a physical representation of her memory and how she interprets it now at a different point of life.

This acts as a great piece to study to gain a bit more of an understanding of the purpose of mementos ,being someone so open with their emotional life means there is so much material to investigate the links between.

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In my response, I wanted to draw inspiration from Moriyama's distinctive shooting style, aiming to evoke a diaristic, spontaneous quality to the photos. His work often captures fleeting, personal moments, and I hoped to reflect that same sense of immediacy and intimacy my work. In terms of subject matter, my approach was primarily intuitive. I didn’t have a rigid plan or specific narrative in mind whilst shooting. I spent time walking around my hometown and Bristol, observing the spaces and people around me. My goal was to collect imagery that reflected the subtle traces of life—things like the marks left by people, the worn objects they left behind, graffiti, and moments with friends and family.

This kind of shooting style allowed me to pay attention to details I might otherwise overlook, the way a mark on a wall suggests a story behind it or how an object could evoke a personal memory. It also gave me the freedom to explore the emotional weight of these places and objects, not just as visuals, but as symbols of experiences. I enjoyed the process as it encouraged me to think more about the use of symblism and how I could emulate the significance of these experiences/ fragments of identity and how to convey that in a way that felt authentic and meaningful.

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To develop this further, I could organize the photos into series' i.e one could be focusing on the remnants left behind by people, another on intimate, meaningful items and people , one on environments - exploring the relationship between individuals and the spaces they occupy. Each of these series would emphasize how objects and places shape and reflect our selves. As well as this, I could incorporate anecdotes or excerpts from the interviews alongside the images, connecting the photographs to the lived experiences. I.e brief anecdotes/conversations about the significance of particular objects or spaces could add an extra layer of meaning and context to the images.

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I could experiment with mixed media, incorporating text or collage elements to create a fragmented/layered sense of identity. Experiments with audio or video such as ambient sounds or moving image, allowing the viewer to connect with the atmosphere and emotion of the spaces and objects captured.

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The W* Library_ flick through June's top ten titles

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I also want to further investigate this idea of objects role in cultural transmission. This would open up a conversation about the way memories and personal histories are now stored digitally, compared to the past when physical objects played a more prominent role in preserving and sharing culture. The contrast between physical objects and their digital counterparts could be an interesting route to explore, reflecting the shift in how we experience and relate to our pasts and the effects on identity.

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Hotel Room 43, February 28 | Sophie CALLE (1981)  | PERROTIN

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Why I love my possessions as a mirror and a gallery of me | Aeon Essays

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I am my things and my things are me. I don’t want to give them up: they are narrative prompts for the story of my life

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'The comfort of things' 2008 - Daniel Miller

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'The comfort of things' 2008 - Daniel Miller

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Daniel Miller, The Comfort of Things, has written about the importance of focusing on what we are becoming instead of what we think we used to be. He also wrote about how material things can be a way for people to express who they are and how they relate to others. He looked at this by creating an ethnography of a London street, Looking into the lives and domestic spaces of 30 different London houses.

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Going into the interview, I didn’t have any clear expectations. I initially tried to ask myself the first question posed to the participants (what has been one constant in your identity) , but I found it difficult to come up with anything other than physical constants like my house or the color of my hair. It was a question I hadn’t really thought about before.

What I found particularly interesting was observing how others approached this same question. Some people had an immediate sense of who they were temperamentally, offering insights into their character and internal lives almost instinctively. Others, however, struggled to identify anything beyond physical traits, and when prompted to consider temperamental aspects of themselves, they seemed uncertain. This made me reflect on the role that physical characteristics play in our sense of identity. It was intriguing to see how much people gravitated toward material, tangible aspects of themselves—like appearance or possessions when asked to define who they are. When probed further, many found it difficult to articulate their inner selves, which made me wonder if our identities are in some ways more attached to the things we can physically hold or see.

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Their reactions prompted me to think about how much of our identity is rooted in physical materials. On one hand, this could be a sign of materialism or an attachment to the external world. On the other hand, it might suggest a psychological need to anchor our memories and sense of self in something stable and unchanging. Perhaps it’s easier to recognize aspects of ourselves in things that have always been physically present, especially when those things remain constant in our lives. There's a certain comfort in knowing that the objects around us are a reflection of who we are, or at least who we’ve been.

This led me to refer back to the idea of the evolution of identity in the digital age where we were able to physically hold our identities in our hands `(photographs, letters, or personal mementos). These objects allowed us to store and relive memories in a tangible way. But now, with the rise of technology, the way we remember and perceive our identities is changing rapidly. We no longer rely on physical objects to encapsulate our experiences. Instead, memories and aspects of ourselves are stored on social media and in digital archives.

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Another aspect that intrigued me during the interview process was the generational difference in responses. The older participants seemed to reflect more on personal qualities i.e character traits, values, and temperaments as key aspects of their identities. In contrast, the younger participants tended to focus more on physical attributes, whether that was their appearance, possessions, or other external factors. This generational divide made me consider how different eras influence our understanding of identity. In an age where social media and image are so prevalent, younger generations may find themselves defining their sense of self through more visual and material means. Meanwhile, older generations may have been more inclined to view their identities in terms of internal qualities, shaped by experiences rather than outward appearances.

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I’m eager to explore these further in my project, as I believe it speaks to a significant shift in how we understand identity, memory, and cultural transmission. To further investigate this shift, I’d like to conduct interviews with people from different generations to explore their thoughts on how the role of objects in cultural transmission has evolved. By comparing perspectives, I hope to gain a deeper understanding of how technology is reshaping our relationship with our own identities.

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Continuing with a diaristic approach, I spent time walking around Bristol, focusing on trying to capture motifs from the mood board. I focused on markings on walls, interactions between families and friends, and intimate domestic scenes. Over the course of two weeks, I shot instinctively, allowing my observations to guide me while reflecting on the meanings behind the images. One particular shot that stood out to me was of the 'Luca' graffiti. The way it seemed to hint at a personal story behind the mark I found intriguing, and as I continued shooting, I found myself drawn to similar pieces of urban symbolism, each carrying its own untold narrative.

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I was drawn to the idea of keeping the series somewhat anonymous, opting to conceal or crop out faces, or keep them out of focus. This approach allowed me to shift the focus away from the individuals themselves and onto the objects and environments that surrounded them. By removing the identification of the people, I felt the viewer would be invited to engage more deeply with the objects, spaces, and gestures that subtly convey the subjects' identities. In this way, the objects themselves would act as the markers of identity, speaking volumes about the people they belonged to without the need for explicit representation.

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At the same time, I knew I wanted to include people in the series, as much of our sense of self is shaped by the relationships and interactions we have with others. Human connection, family, and friendship are central to the way we define who we are. However, I was keen on presenting this in a way that left room for personal interpretation, allowing viewers to read between the lines and form their own understanding of the dynamics at play. I wanted to convey the complex, multifaceted construct of identity that can only be partially understood through the objects, spaces, and relationships people inhabit.

This approach was inspired by the work of Daidō Moriyama, whose photography emphasizes details that evoke a deeply personal connection to his subjects while also maintaining a sense of ambiguity. Moriyama's ability to capture fleeting moments, focusing on the intimate, almost invisible details of the everyday, resonated with me. Like Moriyama, I wanted to imbue my photographs with that same sense of personal, tactile detail, while also allowing the viewer the freedom to interpret the narrative in their own way.

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For this series, I chose to shoot with Kodak Gold 35mm film, in my desire to replicate that same warmth and candidness that characterize Bertie van Manen’s work. The rich, golden hues of Kodak Gold naturally created a soft, nostalgic effect. This warmth,gave the photographs an intimate, nostalgic quality, reflecting the fleeting and personal nature of the moments I was capturing.

One of the aspects I particularly appreciated about using film was its experimental nature. With film, there is always a degree of unpredictability. This lack of precision ultimately contributed to the authenticity of the series. The unpredictable outcomes of film, whether due to light exposure, developing processes, or subtle imperfections, mirrored the spontaneous, real-life quality I wanted to preserve in the moments I was documenting. It helped reinforce the idea that identity is not always clear-cut, but rather shaped by nuance and imperfection.

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As I began planning my photobook, I decided to curate a selection of my favorite images from throughout the project. The process of shooting was largely spontaneous, with many of the photos responding to different briefs . Despite this I found that, when viewed as a whole, the images formed a cohesive narrative. The varied contexts in which I shot each image somehow seemed to complement one another, creating a broader, more organic exploration of identity.

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My goal was to have a balance between still life and portraiture, allowing both elements to inform each other. I was particularly drawn to the idea of arranging the images in a photo album format, which felt both intimate and accessible. This format allowed me to create a sense of continuity and flow, mimicking the way personal albums often weave together seemingly unrelated moments to form a larger, more complex story. In this sense, the photo album is a tool for storytelling, where fragments of identity- whether through objects or people - are compiled together to reflect the multi faceted nature of the self.

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I liked the contrast between the enduring nature of these objects and the fleeting quality of the photographic medium I was using. While objects serve as anchors of identity/symbols of who we are/who we’ve been, film captures a brief moment in time, a fleeting impression of light and material. The nature of my shooting style, which emphasized spontaneous, instinctual moments, contrasted with the subject matter I was photographing.