Assignment 2 - 1984 - Concept / Draft Images - 2

As I continue with the conceptualisation it is becoming clearer that I need to be more aware of Orwell and the thesis he was portraying within the work. I have worked on a few designs that went nowhere and I will show them here to demonstrate how they may have aspects of "1984" they became too literal and maybe somewhat cliched.

An early concept was the "Big Brother is Watching You" theme. I would rather not go along these lines as there is too much similarity with a TV show and the intent is to produce a design that has underlying Orwell. It is too messy and offers none of what I was looking for.

Early Design "Big Brother is Watching You"

On the basis that the assignment is a mock up of me producing a design for a client (my tutor in this instance) I will work towards two that I would show as finished work. In a real world assignment if the brief wasnt too specified (as it isnt here) I think it only reasonable to offer more than one design.

The original feminie shape, the 101 binary theme image from the previous posting has developed without the 11111000000 binary number for 1984 which I now consider too geeky and for the vast majority of people would mean nothing. The 101 theme continues and the arrangement of text has changed. The spine has now been added. The choice of Font is again taken from the theme of the book. In 1984 there are fewer words in the dictionary, there is fewer of everything so I am assuming The Party would by now have removed most of the Fonts in common use. The Stencil Font is however utilitarian and easy to apply to anything, so for now it is chosen.

Preferred Option 1

The second option I will show to my tutor (client) is based on a small object in the story that links a number of the characters together and has a symbolism on a number of levels.

Preferred Option 2

Preferred Option 2 ver 2

The paperweight is significant as it is the only thing Smith owns, is purchased from Charrington's shop where he and Julia have there affair away from the gaze of the telescreens. I photographed it on an old piece of wood similar to the general appearance in Charringtons shop and upstairs room. It is about 50mm diameter and was shot with a FF DSLR and 105mm macro lens. Lighting was a LED torch with snoot painting the object for 30 seconds, with lens at f45.

Writing Analytically - Exercise - Analyse a Photograph

Following on from the introduction and the 10 point check list this exercise requires that one of my own photographs be subjected be tested and analysed. I have taken one from Landscape Assignment 2 - One Acre. Within the assignment set it didn't have a title, but for here I will call it "Marram"

Marram

To achieve some detachment from the image I will write in the 3rd person. 

First impression

A minimalist approach using a small monochrome image on a large white mount. Within the frame there is very little except grass and sky, although we know by the grass that the wind is blowing and there are stormy clouds.The content is producing power and energy with an overwhelming feeling of foreboding.The graphic content is prominent.

The genre

It is clearly outdoors and is a landscape image. The 4:3 aspect ratio is not a contemporary format for the genre as one would generally see 3:2 for this type of image. As a result the image has a dated analogue appearance.

The intended use

The intended use is not obvious. It is demonstrating the energy of the wind and the strength of the rough grassland. It could be an illustration for grass but unlikely in monochrome and is more likely to offer something through the symbology of the wind or dark sky. As a single gallery print it would be successful, especially if part of a larger portfolio. It is not a "pretty" image and therefore unlike to be advertising for the coast. 

The immediate situation facing the photographer

Although there would appear to be all the time in the world to make the image I can imagine that with the wind and stormy sky there would be only have been a small window of opportunity. Moving grass needs a fast shutter speed and a quick reaction to get the maximum deflection and create the symbolism of energy and to be in context against the dark sky.

Unplanned or Planned

Unplanned but maybe in an organised way ? Unlikely that this individual shot was planned although the location and timing would have been considered to produce work of this genre. A sky with no detail would not have the same impact and therefore I can assume it is at least planned for the time of year and weather.

Technical Details

The image is a tight crop and shows only a small piece of grass so I assume a short telephoto lens. This has the effect of foreshortening the perspective and with a large aperture reducing the depth of field. The result has the grasses in the distance out of focus and allows me to concentrate on the sharper curved grass. A fast shutter speed has frozen the grass with its strong curve.

Style

A typical monochrome image has been used in a style reminiscent of  many landscape photographers of the early 20th century and as such is not remarkable, but adequate.

Photographers Intent

A similar issue to The Intended Use above. In this instance the photographer is asking me to look in detail at a small area and by association ask what is surrounding it. The power of the natural elements,the compressed perspective and the intimacy of the cropping achieve this.  

Is there sufficient information available.

The image has strong graphic qualities, but little is known about its location other that it is Marram and it is poor weather. In this instance we don't need to know any more as we are being asked to think around the image and develop our own thoughts and conclusions.

Success

It is not illustrative in any way and as such does not need to justify itself in that context. As a conceptual image it is a success as it offers the viewer a number of alternative narratives. It is technically competent with no issues that need resolving although I imagine there are those who would like more contrast rather than the flat tones used. 

Conclusion

It is very difficult to be objective about one of your own images. I deliberately choose one from 2 years ago in order to try some detachment. Also an image that was never stunning as a stand alone piece and as a result struggles as an item in its own right. However as I looked at it and developed my thoughts through the 10 points I began to appreciate it and felt comfortable with my comments. It is a discipline that should be adopted with all work, especially when there is a brief and a deliverable. Thinking and writing analytically need not be saved until the end of the process and the 10 point list is a good aide memoir for a continuous critique in any image making situation.



Assignment 2 - 1984 - Concept / Draft Images - 1

Concept

There is no doubt that a book cover must do more than have on it the Title and the Authors name, although with The Classics this is eminently possible. Also an early decision is to whether make a 1947, 1984 ( both relevant dates) or a contemporary version. In this instance I will make a contemporary version suitable for publication in 2014.

From the previous journal entry I can form a list of the vital aspects of the book, all of which could be used as part or all of an image.

• Winston Smith
• The Party
• Big Brother
• Telescreen
• Goldstein
• Ministry of Truth
• O'Brien
• Julia
• Charrington
• Paper Weight (More prominent in Film Version)
• Thought Police
• Surveillance
• Proles
• 101
• Rats

In addition to the obvious opportunities presented from the list I am interested in some visual clues that arrive from the numbers 1984 and 101. Smith's world in 1984 is a place of no options. There is the way of The Party and Big Brother and that is the only way to live your life. There is no room for conversation or thought about another way that is not punished with torture and death. There is Right and Wrong, it is a binary situation. Room 101 is a puzzle. There may be hundreds of rooms, but why has Orwell chosen 101 as the final room ?. O'Brien tries to make Smith believe that 2+2=5, not 4.
101 in a binary code is 5. Maybe a curious coincidence, maybe room 5 or maybe something deeper.

Also the binary code for 1984 is 11111000000: a rather clean and simple looking set of 1's and 0's.

My initial thoughts are that I want to make a cover that uses binary code.  Potential readers will have heard of or seen the television programme Room 101 where objects or ideas are destined to that room as a punishment. They may not be aware of the connection to this book so I will make use of the 101 as a symbol in a binary environment to attract interest without referring to Room 101 in any overt way.

Early photography

The first image is of a computer screen with endless 10101010 numbers. I changed the screen resolution to 800x600 so that the numbers were larger and so that the screen dots formed a grain effect. This early image was taken with a 24mm tilt and shift lens so that I had control over the amount of the image that is in focus. It is a large image, 7360x4912 so that I have crop opportunities as the design develops.

Image 1 Binary Screen

Image 2 Modified to Portrait and early experiment with 101

Day 2 in conceptual design

Not entirely happy with where this is going and reverted to making some clichéd images of lenses and eyes (to be added) to capture the "Big Brother is watching You" theme, but they aren't really what I wanted.

In advertising and marketing there is one certainty "Sex Sells" and to be fair to the story and the film (which made the most of it) this is about an affair between a man and a woman who manage a romance for a while despite Big Brother. The female form is therefore a useful shape to encourage at least half of the potential buyers. The text is temporary and the binary 1984 is not working yet and may be deleted as being too complicated. Perhaps something for the rear of the cover.

Feminine Curves

More to follow


Assignment 2 - 1984 - A photographic book cover - Research

The Author

Eric Arthur Blair (1903 - 1950) known by his pen name George Orwell is considered by many to be one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. His novels "Nineteen Eighty Four" (1949) and "Animal Farm" (1945) are perhaps the better known works of a man who was born in India and educated at Eton although reports suggest he neglected his academic studies. Rather than a place at university he joined the Indian Police Service in Burma. While on leave back in England in 1927 he decided against a return to Burma (not being happy with his role in the work of the Empire) to become a writer. He drew on experiences in Burma for the novel "Burmese Days" (1934) and the essays "A Hanging" (1931) and "Shooting an Elephant" (1936). He moved to Paris in 1928, living in a working class district and relied upon an aunt for financial support while working as a journalist. He soon became ill, had all of his money stolen and undertook menial work in hotels. After 2 years he returned to England and lived a comfortable life, occasionally writing and researching the world of the poor and under privileged. It was 1933 when he adopted the name George Orwell, inspired by the River Orwell near the family home in Southwold.
In 1937 he published "The Road to Wigan Pier", a social investigation into the working classes of Lancashire and Yorkshire and his own upbringing with references to his political conscience and an argument for Socialism. During the period of the research for the book Orwell was under surveillance by Special Branch for 12 years, ending only one year before the publication of "Nineteen Eighty Four" in 1949.

The Book

I outline the plot and in doing so highlight words that have come to the fore for the cover photograph. I use the word photograph in its widest form as I am unlikely to use a single image, preferring to work with a construct using imagery metaphorically.

Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

Winston Smith is a worker in the ruling Party and lives in London. Winston (and everyone else) is constantly under surveillance by The Party through a device called a telescreen and through this device propaganda is delivered 24 hrs a day; often by the Party leader, Big Brother. Their slogan is "Big Brother is watching You". The Party controls the entire way of life in Oceania and to be at odds with this is illegal or to challenge it by thought is a crime and retribution is delivered by the Thought Police.

Smith dislikes the Party and is angered by the domination of his mind by others. Free speech and free thought are not possible, only hard work and poverty pervade in his life and he desperately wants to break free. He has the belief that there is an alternative way with the Brotherhood, a fabled organisation led by Emanuel Goldstein and sets about a journey to find a like minded person with who he can conspire.

Smith works in the Ministry of Truth, a curiously named organisation where the truth is in fact altered into lies to suit the political and social agenda of the Party. It is in there while at work he becomes interested in two people who he believes may have connections with the Brotherhood. O'Brien, an inner Party member has caught his eye and a dark haired girl who stared at him; an act that could be of suspicion from a member of the Thought Police, or from a like minded soul.

Smith writes his thoughts (illegally) in a journal bought (illegally) from a second hand shop in an area of town inhabited by the Proles. The Proles are a lower class, not controlled as closely as Party members. They live squalid lives and to engage in their company is dangerous and an act against Big Brother.

The dark haired girl (Julia) hands Smith a note saying "I love you", thus starting a covert affair with them meeting in a wooded glade and regularly in a rented room above the second hand shop, owned by a Mr. Charrington. The couple spends many hours discussing a future without Big Brother, albeit knowing that one day they will be caught and killed.

O'Brien contacts Smith and invites him and Julia to his home and there tells Smith that he hates the Party; is a traitor and wants them to work with him in the Brotherhood to overthrow Big Brother. Smith is however the subject of a conspiracy. Mr. Charrington is a member of the Thought Police and Smith has been under surveillance during his time in the rented room. The meeting with O'Brien a sham designed to lead Smith further into further acts of rebellion.

Smith is arrested and taken to the Ministry of Love where he is tortured and brainwashed (eventually agreeing that 2+2=5) by O'Brien. Smith loses track of time and is taken to the final stage of his torture in room 101. Smith’s greatest fear is of rats and a cage full of them is placed over his face with the prospect of them eating him alive. Smith cracks and pleads with O'Brien to torture Julia, not him. The torture is over, O'Brien has broken him, he is released back into society, accepts the Party and now loves Big Brother.

The Film (Directed by Michael Radford)

Released in 1984 with John Hurt in the tile role is the second film version, the first being a rather unexceptional attempt in 1956 directed by Michael Anderson with Edmund O'Brien as Winston Smith.

The Radford version is very true to the book and in many scenes the dialogue is exactly the same as the text. Radford's London is much dirtier than I had envisaged and the decay in living standards much lower than my perception. Photographically the film is superb; with a sympathetically reduced colour gamut and lighting that invokes menace and danger.   

Analysis

"Nineteen Eighty Four" is not a piece of work made in isolation. There is evidence of the "1984" society in a 1946 essay by Orwell "James Burnham and the Managerial Revolution" Here he talks about James Burnham's theory of a planned centralised society, devoid of democracy. A world dominated by people who control production, technicians, bureaucrats and soldiers, all lumped together as "Managers". This theme closely resembles the workings of the Inner Party in 1984 who crush the working classes and establish large super states who fight with no prospect of winning a war.   

Throughout the book there is an overwhelming feeling of fear. Everyone is watching everyone to spot the slightest anti Big Brother gesture. Children watch their parents and have them arrested for minor infringements. Smith has to lead his life in a covert style, dodging the telescreen, hidden microphones and the gaze of officialdom with a constant fear of death by a single bullet in the back of the head. There is only right and wrong, there are no grey areas where discussion occurs in this society. Truth and Lies are the same when it suits the Party, and although the individual can be seen to be conforming they will eventually give themselves away and be removed from society. No record will exist of you ever having been born, no record of your work and no record of your death.

My analogy to this is the binary system and the 1/0 representation in computer code. In this code there are no grey areas, there is On and Off, Black and White; in Oceania there are no grey areas. The Party only recognises the good and the bad, the 1 and the 0.

There have been very few book covers produced for past reprints that use photography. Most it seem use typology in a graphic representation to portray a Communist / Stalinist regime with the use of an eye, to represent the "Big Brother is Watching You" theme. The colours of early versions include a lot of red, again a communist theme.

Cover Design

The first question I need to answer: Will it be contemporary or suitable for first edition? This is interesting because since it was first being published in 1947 our attitudes towards communism have changed and the "Reds under The Beds", associated with the Cold War during the 1950's has softened. This gave the original cover designers plenty of opportunity to use red and black with rather austere typology, and that may still be a way forward. The current Penguin Modern Classics edition is light and bright, with a hint of menace in the poorly written graffiti. The small photographic element of a couple in a semi naked embrace (one assumes its Winston and Julia) does nothing to attract attention and only becomes identifiable after one has read the book. The first impression and the one that the publisher is relying upon to get our attention is the authors name "George Orwell" written large and in white on a dark blue background.

 

Current Penguin Cover

 

 

The next journal entry will deal with my conceptualisation and the various photographic ideas and how they develop. 

 

 

 

References:

 

Orwell, G The Road to Wigan Pier 1937 http://gutenberg.net.au

Orwell, G Fifty Essays. 1946. http://gutenberg.net.au

Orwell, G Nineteen Eighty Four, 1947, Penguin Modern Classics

Radford, M Nineteen Eighty Four (Film), 1984, Twentieth Century Fox, Itunes

 

 

 

 

 



Project: Writing Analytically

At the heart of every photograph is a message, something is being transmitted to the viewer by way of a visual statement. The variety is endless and will range from the sublime to the ridiculous and at some point a selection will have been be made, whether by the photographer or by an editor / curator to include an image and not others. The selection process will vary and at some point the question will be asked "Has the Brief been met", Did it succeed" "Iwill use this one, not that one because ..." etc ?. The course notes offer some help in reviewing this by way of an initial 10 point check list to bring some structure to how we should think analytically about our own work and then at a later stage the work of others. Prior to working on the next exercise I will run through the list and add some comments.

First Impression

With photography being ubiquitous it is important that the first viewing of an image is striking and captures the viewer. This is the most important of the 10. How difficult this is will depend on where the image is being shown, and to who. In a Gallery with 100 images the competition is less (having overcome the initial barrier of being selected for a gallery) than perhaps a Flickr group showing wildlife images where there are many thousands. Bold colours, striking graphic monochrome with deep blacks may have the edge on a delicately toned image with a reduced gamut or the subtle mid tone greys of a high key monochrome portrait. Similarly how the image attracts the viewer by its content is important. Robert Capa (1913-1954) is quoted as saying "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough" and that may well be true as a measure of capturing attention. The casual viewer will have a different need from an image than a fine art magazine editor or museum curator. The later will be interested in how the image will meet an academically inspired audience and will be looking for substance over style. The casual viewer will be captured by a first impression as their reference for remembering the work and the photographer.

The Genre

Genre should be obvious. Landscape, architecture, portraits, still life etc. Lines and boundaries are often crossed and sub genres such as environmental portrait have developed. Historic genre in the guise of pictorialism and straight photography were prevalent during the 1920's but the terms are rarely used today in contemporary work.

Intended Use

This should be an easy concept to understand and in some instances such as advertising there can be no doubt. Fine Art work for gallery sales can of course cross the divide and Stock images at an agency can find uses across a wide spectrum.

The Situation Facing the Photographer

Photographers make decisions and being in the right place at the right time is paramount, especially when working in News and Sports coverage. It is essential to anticipate the situation facing you on the street or at sporting event and be thinking ahead.

Planned v Unplanned  

Planning is essential (If you fail to plan then you plan to fail) and the degree to which this is carried out will be evident in the final work. In News and Sport it is essential to have researched the topography of where you will be working. Being able to navigate around the subject, gain good lighting etc is all a product of a plan. Planning for a Studio or Location shoot requires a check list and once again it is essential. Knowing you subject and anticipating what is likely to happen enables the photographer to be one step ahead and in position for what may only be a fleeting moment when the right shot can be made.
Note: I have worked as a Planner in the Construction Industry for 30 years, so tend to be quite positive about the subject.


Technical 

There are a number of Technical issues that can enhance or degrade the image. The actual craft practice of ensuring correct focus, no dust on the sensor or marks on the film, sharpening etc have to be correct and if not achieved should result in rejecting the image. Choices of technical matters such as format, lens selection, shutter speed etc are needed to be correct to suit the image and its genre. Incompetence should be easy to see, although with some genre the photographer will be deliberately avoiding a "normal" outcome in order to enhance the image. This can be difficult to spot and careful attention should be given to any statement of title where the artist is deliberately using poor technique as a metaphor for an underlying narrative.

Style

Experienced photographers, especially when working in a single genre will develop a style, to the point where the viewer can identify them without attached text. A consideration of Style is subjective and is unlikely to be seen in a single image, but more so from a body of work. The work of Michael Kenna (1953 - )for instance has a distinctive style.

Intent

Without a Statement of Intent it is difficult to judge an image on this alone. Critics and commentators spend a lot of time writing about work referring to an assumed intent, especially of the works of the Masters. The intent is closely linked to use.

Sufficient Information

Information on the image may be available, although more likely not. Images with any journalistic intent should always be captioned and the basic, Who, What, Why, When,Where and How will enhance the user experience and justify the image. The course text suggests that images that have been Photoshopped are worth less creatively, a comment that I don't understand. Photoshop is a creative tool associated with digital imaging and is a replacement for darkroom techniques, all of which are valid if used with care.

Success

Within a frame of reference, the points above being taken into consideration and it being accepted for use an image will be a judged a success. An image being chosen for exhibition may have to undergo an extended selection regime, whereas an image for illustration on a website for one day may not be so exhaustive. The brief is the starting point for measuring success and the ability of those making the selection to be objective is an important combination