Blog 2 – Reflections on the Better Lives themes
The Better Lives themes of Sustainability, Diversity and Social Responsibility have never been more important than in these uncertain and unclear times. Over the last few weeks, we have delved into our Portrait Photography lectures and have learnt about many iconic photographers whose themes explore the behaviours of our society and the ways in which us humans are. Not only has this broadened my perspective on Photography but has also educated me on the diverse range of subjects to interact with in this subject matter. The themes have also emphasised the importance of hidden meanings and symbolism within my work in order to make the audience more consciously aware of the world around us and what I am trying to portray.
I have particularly enjoyed the works of Photographer and Archaeologist Danny Treacy, our lecturer. Through his use of found material he is able to create a legacy for those who left the objects behind and create a ritualistic space in a forensically styled way. I particularly enjoyed his Ritual (River) Thames findings, where he collects the remains of past Londoners and their clothing when the riverbank is on low tide and presents them through sculpture and other mediums before photographing them. For me, the notion of collecting the objects for Photography projects is therapeutic and is something I will take away when researching and finding objects of my own. It’s easy to speculate at the darker stories from these findings, and this is perhaps because I am fascinated with the peculiar and dark notions that derive from dark mysterious places. Observing these projects definitely brought the bar up for my interpretation of Portrait Photography in the Better Lives themes and has made me think about my future projects and what the meanings behind these will be.
In the future I will definitely be exploring themes such as Social Responsibility, how we interact with one another and how my body interacts with itself and my mind. The Better Lives themes have allowed me to explore the three topics within my work and use them as an anchor for inspiration and meaning behind the pieces. For example, we are currently working on Self Portrait Photography within the home during quarantine, and it will be interesting to see how everyone else has explored this concept and their Interaction with one another.
It’s important to be aware of what’s going on in the world and how this can affect our artwork, as it can be a source of new inspiration and opportunity as I’m sure this time is a rare occasion for us all. It’s definitely made me realise the importance of how I project my social responsibility onto other people and how the world at present as well as the industries that we will go into have explored the Better Lives themes and the examples they have set. Exploring these themes have definitely made me realise that we all strive for deeper meanings within our work and how the audience views our art as something to connect to and that these themes do exactly that. If we hadn’t have had these units for Better Lives, I don’t think I would have a higher consciousness to delve into these topics, so I’m thankful that we have this opportunity to make our future work better and more connected to the artists and people around us.