Human presence: Inspiration

During our initial introduction of this topic we got introduced to a whole bunch of photographers relating to the theme of human presence but considering there were so many I thought I would just focus on the few that really stood out to me such as…

 

• Jason Vaughn – Hides

Within Vaughn’s images are tree houses that really stand out regardless of the beautiful landscape surrounding them, as can be seen in these images an effort was made to blend them into the surroundings yet it is still the main focus for the viewer. These images are showing that humans must have been there to make the structure but they can’t be seen in the actual shot and so embodying the brief of human presence. I was pleased when we were introduced to Vaughn as this isn’t the stereotypical idea that springs to mind when you think human presence and so by looking at images likes these it really opened my eyes to the endless possibilites we have with this somewhat more open brief to what we are used to.

 

 

• John Gossage – The Pond

I was intrigued by the way human presence can be shown without the inclusion of man-made objects such as in the photograph below as it is showing how humans have worn away the natural environment to show the presence of humans but not in the obvious way. I was really interested by this approach as it is far from the obvious and shows this theme in a more subtle way as these images still appear very natural such as the cutting down of trees or the pressing down of grass and the litter left behind from humans. From being introduced to the work of Gossage I am now more aware of the possibilities available in terms of this task, and inspired to look at trodden down grass, footprints and mud tracks from vehicles.

• Ed Burtynsky – Oil

This body of work also stood out to me and I think the body of work by Gossage contrasts nicely to that of  Burtynsky in terms of surroundings but goes to show the variety of work that can be produced in relation to this theme and so demonstrating the different routes I could go down in when it comes to my work. I like how it is obviously very man-made with a lot of human input and so showing the effect humans can have on our landscape. I feel that Burtynsky goes for the shock factor within his work looking at quantity and scale to shock people such as in the tyre image below as well as the industrial impact humans are responsible for on our environment.

 

• Richard Nicholson – Analog, Last One Out, Please Turn on the Light

I find this body of work really intriguing due to the fact not in any photograph is there a person present but the essence of that person is and a lot is being said about the person regardless of the fact there are no images of them, no personal information  just their personal darkroom space. I say this because as can be seen the two latter images are a lot neater and more organised especially the last image in comparison to the first photo and so linking into our theme as we get a sense of the person behind the room such as the more, laid-back maybe hoarder approach to their photography and equipment. This contrasts to the other images which show organisation, the stacking of objects, placing things on the shelves in height order such as in the last image and the way the shelves are organised is showing the minimalist and clean approach to the people responsible for the darkroom, maybe representing something about their slightly obsessive personalities. This demonstrating how possessions can say a huge amount someones personality regardless of the person being present.

 

• Harry Watts – Finds

I am really inspired by this type of photography as I actually haven’t seen anything like this before and the modern, minimalist approach to this type of photography really appeals to me and the reason for this is due to its simplicity as it’s showing what humans leave behind but goes about it in an artful modernist way. I interpret this as the litter representing the person that dropped it so the viewer is able to come up with their own conclusions as to who is behind the objects or what the objects are representing. These images just come across really sleek with the colours all working well together and each piece for me is showing a mini art instillation that would typically be seen in an art gallery but with Watts creating this illusion on the road.