Assignment 4 Tutor Feedback

The tutor report was accompanied by an annotated copy of the essay. The overall comments were good with some comments that require my attention before assessment (which will be in November).
The main concern was the title. As can be seen from previous postings, this was also a concern for myself. I knew what I wanted to say, but as with a lot of images, a title is not the easiest part to make.
I now see, with the help of the comments how I can change this and the new title will probably be: "How does Postmodernism impact photographic theory and practice ?" A simpler and far less cryptic version than previous. Much of the content will remain the same however. I had shown examples of Modernism and Postmodernism through the work of three photographers. This needs to be expanded upon and I will include something on The New Topographics and Mirrors and Windows: two major exhibitions of the 1970s. There was the inevitable problem of using "sweeping statements" without backing them up with sources and the praise you get for citing your own opinion. There is a fine line between the two. Upon reflection however I can see the error of my ways. Making a statement such as "It was a stark difference to the deprivation of the previous century" when describing changes from the eighteenth to nineteenth century does need to be backed up with some examples. Another example is when I have said " Artists said ..... etc" need to cite somebody as an example. The tutor suggestions on what should / could be included will have to be edited and a corresponding number of words removed from other parts of the essay. I had gone over with the word count but I am never sure if the end notes are counted or not. Also the bibliography will be included in the count but is not a part of the essay as such.

On a general note my tutor is pleased that I am visiting exhibitions and reflecting on my work. There is room for improvement in reading. This is always true but my lack of writing about what I read is at the nub of this. For this essay I guess I have read 3 books but only a handful of words get cited in the end product. With something as notoriously complex as Postmodernism there has to be background reading (that never gets cited) just so that a general level of understanding is gained, especially with a subject that is being learnt almost from scratch.

What the process has done, is given me an appetite for more, especially towards Post structuralism and a deeper understanding (maybe too ambitious) of how I am working in my practice and how concepts are formed and cemented. I was talking to a fine arts graduate a few weeks ago about her sculpture/installation work in an exhibition. We talked about postmodernism for a while and critical theory studies and I was interested in her comments that without that level of understanding she could not make any of her work. That was her base from where the work started, comments that I found very interesting and inspirational.

Critical Review - Reflections

So, the critical review essay is complete and set to my tutor for feedback. On reflection I am wondering why I chose to deal with issues around Postmodernism as it has not been an easy subject. Its not that I am looking for easy in an academic sense (I like to be stretched) but any other subject may have not had so many layers, so much uncertainty when researched. There are many sources, some I consider primary such as Lyotard and his seminal work The Postmodern Condition: A Report on Knowledge 1979 and the writing of Baudrillard, Derrida and Foucault. Other books and websites are secondary providing opinion and vary considerably, even to the extent that there is disagreement on what the word means and whether it has ever occurred. My question was Is Postmodernism a Theory, Practice or Ideology?. Research threw up the disharmony so the title was set to be able to show this and it is no surprise that there is no objective answer. Prior to the research and the essay writing I had only touched upon it in small doses and was not aware of how the subject produces so much passion in those who profess to knowing the subject. If we go along with the mainstream opinion we are coming to the end of this "ism". Some say it never happened and some say it will continue, but I wonder what it means to me as a photographer. All I know (I have to be careful in saying what I know, "I think therefore I am", the worry of the simulacrum etc.) is that being contemporary with the postmodern period has me defined as a postmodernist by default. A lot of my work however does try to be "Real" in the style of Weston, Strand etc. so is "modernist" and I am not adverse to the "pictorialists" who pre-dated it. Current practice of the overtly postmodern is of little practical interest to me. I am interested in looking at it, reading it and trying to analyse what the author is telling me. On the other hand my practice is not likely to go down that route for some while.  

Assignment 4 - Adjustment to scope.

The research reading is going well, but has made me consider another possible change in the context of the essay. It will still be based entirely on Post-modernism and the critical theory associated with this fascinating and at the same time difficult subject. I feel though a need to refer to more photography and photographers rather than use all the words on the French philosophers and the academic thinking of the late 20th century. The subject clearly spans across literature, religion and other humanities based subjects but in order for me to connect with this I must bias my research towards photography. In doing so I will attempt to analyse how the works of Sherman, Wall etc may influence my own practice.
An issue that is puzzling me at the moment is how I came to be the owner of a Kindle version of Postmodern Art-Photography: A Mediatheoretical Approach by Andreas Lohmann. It isnt advertised as a Kindle book and I have no recollection of how it came to be on my iPad. The paper version sells for over £150. Senior moment perhaps but thank you to the techno gods for my present.

Assignment 4 Critical Review - Title fixing and research

For some time (4weeks) I have been working on an idea for the essay, in conjunction with my tutor. Good practice suggests that you choose a subject that you are interested in, but in this instance I have chosen a subject that I am curious about rather than intrinsically interested in. Postmodernism or PoMo as it seems to be refereed to in some quarters (although you will be a long way into a Google search before it comes up) is a term often used but I guess seldom fully understood, simply because it defies understanding in a way we like to understand things. My lack of in depth knowledge came to light in the exercise on the Liz Wells essay when asked the question "To what extent does the writer rely upon Postmodernist doctrine?". Doctrine seemed a strange word to use and perhaps as I have had pointed out to me is just semantics and could equally be taken as belief, concept or tradition. With this in mind I have researched Modernisn and Postmodernism enough (?) to suggest to myself a few titles. The title may seem less than important but in fact that is untrue. Once the argument has been established and fixed in the introduction, it is then my responsibility to argue or defend than statement. 

1. Postmodernism - Doctrine or Theory ?
2. Postmodernism is a Theory not a Doctrine.
3. Is Postmodernism a Doctrine or a Theory ?
4. Postmodernism - Doctrine v Theory
5. Within contemporary photography is Postmodernism a Theory or a Doctrine ?
6. Is Postmodernism only a Theory ?
7. Postmodernism is not a Theory

They are all similar but I am cautious about having to prove it is not a Doctrine because I am sure there are those who think it is and if my research doesn't cover them I will be marked down. In addition there is a limit of 2000 words and to cover more than one aspect of the subject this will not be enough. It is more likely that I can provide enough cogent argument to argue that it is a theory with considerable weight and suggest it may have a doctrinal following, but not within the main stream.

I will pick one during the next few days.

My reading list to date for the essay includes or the whole or parts of the following.

Butler, C., 2002. Postmodernism: A Very Short Introduction.(Kindle Edition) Oxford University Press.

Belsey, C.,2002. Poststructuralism: A very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press.

Wells, L., 2003. The Photography Reader. Routledge.

Bate, D., 2009. Photography - The Key Concepts. Bloomsbury.

Clarke, C,. 1997. The Photograph. Oxford University Press.

plus various You Tube videos and reference to Wikipedia for secondary sources.

To illustrate the essay (2000 words without something to look at on a subject which is abstract could be boring) I will use some images that will act as visual statements.
In particular I am thinking of Cindy Sherman and Jeff Wall.

Exercise Part 4 - Words and Pictures - Essay Review

Part Four of the module and this part is designed to hone our skills towards Assignment Four - The Critical Review.

Within the course reader the essay Words and Pictures: On reviewing photographs by Liz Wells is to be read and a number of questions answered.

1. What is the basic argument of Wells' essay

Her argument is that although the pictures are the essence of any exhibition it is not possible when preparing a review to include all the images. There may be a space for one or two and that would be all. There is therefore a requirement from experienced writers, reviewers and critics to use words to describe what was there and how the experience of being at the exhibition can be transmitted to an audience. It is possible that the words will outlive the images and in the long term act as a testament to the broad cultural discourse appropriated by the images.

2. Is the essay's title a fair indication of the essay itself

The title is in two parts, almost a title with a sub title.

WORDS AND PICTURES
On reviewing photography

I feel that it should be written the other way around.

ON REVIEWING PHOTOGRAPHY
Words and Pictures

The essay is essentially about her work as a reviewer and its contemporary practice, with reference to her early work and that of others, so the "reviewing" element is the dominant word. Beneath the title she quotes Edward Weston from 1930.

"Art is an interpreter of the inexpressible, and therefore it seems a folly to convey its meaning afresh by means of words."

By using this quotation from Weston she is saying that her work is (maybe others too) is a poor equivalent to seeing the work for yourself.

3. To what extent does the writer rely on Post-modernist doctrine

Post Modernism is a way of thinking, a movement incorporating the theory and practice of art from around the end of the second world war that treated all art with the same value. It removed the hierarchy and work was taken at its face value. Wells does talk of the changes in photography due to PM influences hijacking modernist ideals and how that PM freedom of debate included the work of writers. Her essay was written in and around 1992 and as such is contemporary with PM thinking and methods. Her work shows no signs of pandering the Modernist way of thinking, nor is it overtly PM. So, to the extent that she relies upon PM doctrines I wouldn't say it is no more or less PM any other contemporary essay.

4.The essay raises the issue of the qualifications and duties of a critic. How important do you believe it is for a critic of photography to have a deep knowledge of the practice of photography.

I don't believe a critic needs any "deep knowledge" of the practice of photography. The reason I say this and highlight deep knowledge is another question. What is deep knowledge. Photographers (including myself) have only a basic grasp of the technical aspects of how a digital camera works, or how film emulsion is applied to film. If the critic knows too much it distracts them from their real work. This is to see the finished art and interpret it, describe it, become emotionally aware of it and write about those aspects. I wouldn't think it necessary for them to comment on the process or technique, other than to say it has worked for the image or not. The detail of what paper, ink, camera format, developer etc. is for the judges of camera club competitions (where the author is waiting for praise of technique) but not in the world of fine art photography.