Aicha Sommer

Aïcha Sommer: Read another students blog and provide some comments (May 11)

Project Outcomes and Personal Development – John Bloom

JOHN BLOOM 27th April 2020

At the very beginning of this portrait photography class, I felt eager to diversify my practice. I was keen on learning technical skills, theory, conventions, and how this class might influence how I navigate this messy knot of an industry. I can certainly say at the end of this project, I have shifted the way I see how powerful a portrait can be and the ways in which I can manipulate the camera in order to evoke a meaningful message. Portrait photography has the ability to highlight subtle nuances we may not see at first glance. 

My journey began with reflecting on my own feelings and emotions during the pandemic. Using this time for introspection was something I felt was important in an age like this, and I would frequently have ongoing conversations and debates with my friends regarding mental health and their own experiences during this time. Many are spread out throughout the world, others are just ten minutes away. But with just a quick click of a button, regardless of how far they are, I am able to see their face in the palm of my hand. I can hear their voice, see their facial expressions, and see if I’ve said something that they disagree with from their body language. To be connected in this digital age is something we take for granted, no longer the need for sending lengthy letters or complicated telegrams. For a majority of my conversations with my friends, we all agreed on this – we feel completely overwhelmed by the number of media news outlets we have access too, to a point where it feels drowning. It is a complete data overload, considering how fast case numbers are updated and written about in the press. We all feel lost, and pulled in thousands of different directions. What do we believe, and where do we begin to navigate this daunting path of forming our own opinion? Having these conversations and this continuous reflection assisted me in developing my project. I wanted to express these emotions I was feeling, and really evoke this in a highly considered portrait. When bringing awareness to the medium of my photograph, I wanted to juxtapose the digital age we live in – by presenting my outcome in an analogue style. This doesn’t mean shooting in analogue, it was about making it feel dated and non digital.

In my own personal development, I really valued the lecture which explored portrait photography as a performance, and using the space to bring upon sensory feelings or transport the viewer into a different place and time. As explained in Daniel Treacy’s lecture, “…practitioners transform and blur our understanding of what is reality and fantasy, by incorporating styling, props and set design in quite simplistic ways.

The camera’s position is very important with regards to perspective – the camera becomes a participant in the performative act” (Treacy, 2020). Treacy’s lecture inspired me to challenge myself to capture a moment that considered these factors. I came to understand the real power I have as a photographer behind the lens, and my ability to develop these visualizations.

Fig. 1. Portrait Photography Outcome Better Lives (2020)

References: Treacy, D 2020, Performance in Photography, lecture notes, Better Lives Unit FU001708, London College of Fashion, delivered 20 April 2020.

Figure 1. Bloom, J. (2020) Portrait Photography Outcome Better Lives [Photograph]

This blog post was refreshing to read because not only is John an eloquent writer, but his reflections were introspective and honest. It was important to include how John’s thinking changed throughout the course, and how his outcome reflected that. In his lectures, Daniel shared numerous sources that altered our perception of portraiture and encouraged us to think differently when it came to our projects. Furthermore, our new working conditions constructed a new meaning for the project, which John seemed to approach with curiosity. Sharing the ongoing dialogue with his friends and their reflections on isolated working added greatly to the moment I first saw his outcome. It was a surprising portrait because it wasn’t obvious, but of course, the longer I looked at it, the more powerful it became.

What I love about this image is that it is so strong by itself and begs for examination without any explanation, although it is nice to have one. As a portrait, the faint drawings of people beg the question of the identity of the subject. It seems to be printed on clothes (a fitting location as we consider the relationship between fashion and identity) and submerged in a pool or bathtub, judging by the white linoleum bottom. Without it being said, the audience feels a certain suffocation, be it from the water or from the grid placed on top that divides and shrinks the image into smaller compartments. Finally, the moving surface of the water adds an element of uncertainty to the narrative. All the elements of ‘feeling drowned’ in self isolation, loneliness, and the inclination to utilize the camera as a participant of a performative act are effective aspects that make this work so strong.

I say this without irony, but this is a very good portrait. Nevertheless, I think it would have been appropriate to mention a few of the Better Lives themes or the intention of this unit and address their relationship with his outcome. Otherwise, I am very impressed and am happy to have had the opportunity to see John’s work. Well done!

Aïcha Sommer: Once finished project, reflect on how your outcome and personal development (May 4)

When thinking about fashion in the ways it has bettered my life I am reminded of the power of escapism, world creation, and fantasy. Fashion, alongside books, films, and music, enabled me to disregard reality. In the Realms of the Unreal: Insane Writings electrified me. “Written by those whom society has deemed mentally unbalanced” it is described as “a window on alternative ways of seeing, a beginner’s guide to what the ‘insane’ can offer those of us with more conventional outlooks”. The concept for my portraiture was prompted after reading the prose, poetry, and writings of these individuals who had been institutionalised. The incoherence of their work was interesting to read as I understood none of it, as if it were another language. I came to question and explore my own sanity through a series of portraits. 

I began to explore my states of consciousness that were incoherent and experimented with lucid dreaming. This is when the dreamer is aware during their reverie and able to observe the decisions and story of the unconscious mind. I am able to swing between ‘reality’ to write down things I see and feel. Upon waking and facing the scribblings of the night before, I see detailed similarities between the ‘insane’ letters of many ‘insane writings’ and myself.

            As part of the process, I allowed myself to experiment without pressure of executing a visual representation of my concept. As a reflection of my state of mind, its projection onto others, and what I conceived as the sanity of others, I wanted to create without hesitation or commitment to a certain aesthetic. This allowed me to produce a variety of work, none making sense with each other, only that they were produced as emotional and psychological responses to the external stimuli. I experimented with family members, strangers, collages, reflections, shadows, still lives, and self-portraiture. Similar to organizing one’s music in order of when it was as defining track in one’s life, looking back at the chronology of the portraits I am able to reflect on the nostalgia of each moment. The very first image was taken two weeks before the term break and was when coronavirus was a mere whisper. Personally, it was taken at a time of extreme emotions and, for me, it the image is a striking way to remember the moment. I chose to present it at the crit for our ‘best image’ because it is a memory from the moment right before our lives changed unimaginably. I look at all the images I produced and conclude that this one is the one I respond to most emotionally.

            The series of images I now am in possession of feel incoherent and unorganised. I feel it necessary to conclude the project; to punctuate and make sense of the work I am in possession of. While I am considered ‘sane’, I certainly feel a camaraderie with the isolated and misunderstood individuals who were featured in the book. Perhaps their imagination was too grand for the rest of us.

Treacy, D 2020, Performance in Photography, lecture notes, Better Lives Unit FU001708, London College of Fashion, delivered 20 April 2020.

Oakes, G. (ed.) (1991) In the Realms of the Unreal: Insane Writings. New York City: Da Capo Press.

Aïcha Sommer: How better lives themes might change how you work in the future (April 20)

As a student of UAL, it would be abnormal to not already have a direction in one’s creative practice. It is the school’s task to refine our voices, not create them, and instil a passion for this greater objective. The Better Lives themes are not restricted to the unit itself and must continue throughout our academic and professional practices. Furthermore, these themes must be made non-negotiable.

However, these are themes millions of industry professionals and companies already employ. But tokenism, ignorance, and green washing remain popular among even the most well intentioned. I believe it is a lack of research and worldliness that is the root of all of these issues. Research, specifically research done from well-chosen and intelligent sources, allows the maker to approach each project with a clear intention. It builds a strong foundation for subsequent work. If the research is well executed, the communication will follow. 

As an example, my Better Lives portraiture is and will be a place to explore how my research establishes a thoughtful response to the Better Lives themes. I start my work by asking the unit question: how can my creative work have a wider influence in society? By framing my answer in each theme, I can establish a few rules to go by. 

Diversity is so often called out for being forced or tokenistic. I believe that being inclusive is not always a visual response but rather, begins with the inclusion of thought and resources. For example, the creator should not be ignorant of the plethora of international sources they may employ as research. Additionally, this curiosity should come second hand and must be accomplished with the utmost critical eye to avoid any ignorant appropriation.

Social responsibility speaks to me as a personal call to what I feel is most relevant to my identity. Another pitfall of brands and creatives is the attempts to be everything to everyone; to be a social justice warrior on every issue. I am not going to attempt to tackle all issues in fashion and society because it would detract from the energy I could spend on things I am most able to speak on. It is my responsibility to use my experience and knowledge to help others empathise with my work, as do the other artists who are different to me. Fashion has one of the strongest influences on wider society and therefore it is of utmost importance that I begin to establish my voice and purpose while I am at LCF so that when I leave, I can produce work that is powerful and intelligent. 

Too often do I hear the word sustainability in conjunction with environmental issues in fashion. While this is an important subject by itself, I apply this theme to all aspects of the Better Lives themes. Not only must the work I produce be environmentally responsible, all intentions (social responsibility, diversity, and eco-friendliness) need to be executed in ways that will maintain their presence for as long as I work and beyond. It is not sustainable to demand a brand represents everyone in their campaigns at all times, that we stretch ourselves thin being everything to everyone, and go to great lengths to tell everyone who will listen that our products and services as environmentally friendly (green washing). These themes must be so ingrained in our practice that we do not think of them as themes but do them without thinking. 

Kirkland, T. (2020) ‘Representation’ [Lecture]. Better Lives, London College of Fashion, 19 February.

Toth-Fejel, K. (2020) ‘Sustainability and Society’ [Lecture]. Better Lives, London College of Fashion, 19 February.

Aïcha Sommer: Reflecting on one of more than one of the lectures you attended and describe how it has shaped your thinking on how fashion can create better lives (24 February)

In her lecture, Kate Fletcher wondered: how is it possible for us to recognize brands more than we do flowers? From a Darwinian perspective, knowledge of our environment is what allows us to survive in it. Now, more than ever is nature remote, distanced, and unknown to the majority of our population. By straying so far from the organic world, humans have reconstituted what has long been defined as the ‘natural world’. As we detach ourselves from nature, our perception of being one with the unaffected earth disappears. This separation is what Descartes described in his theory of mind-body dualism: that the mind and physical world are separate. In simpler terms, out of sight, out of mind. Practiced distance from nature is what manufactures man’s sense of ownership, power, and dominance towards the remote other. Exclusion from nature allows its objectification; to see it as an unfeeling, un-alive resource or an obstacle in our way of achieving total dominance and greatness. 

The fashion industry has long upheld two ideologies in reference to the relationship between it and the natural world. The first is that nature provides unmatched inspiration for the creative mind. The second, and more practical application of nature, is to encourage sustainable practices. A stronger connection to the outdoors correlates with a greater respect for treating it kindly. Without a doubt, both these reasons are valuable.

However, the most profound relationship between nature and fashion is about the sublime. Although sublime is defined as “of the most exalted, grand, or noble kind; awe inspiring… the part of one’s personality outside conscious awareness”, it is arguable that no words can accurately interpret it; that its denotation relies on the inarticulable experience itself (1214). Swimming far into the ocean; looking up at a menacing mountain; watching as lighting strikes an ominously lit sky: the sublime makes us aware of something beyond human comprehension. It is a moment in which we become conscious of our insignificance, mortality, and weakness in the vastness of the world, and by extension, universe. That is nature’s true relationship to humans: a reminder that life and all we create is transient and mediocre.

The self-controlled and sophisticated anthropic ideal outlawed natural tendencies such as gluttony, lust, avarice, and murder thousands of years ago, despite being widespread practices throughout the animal kingdom. Sophistication is what we proudly employ to suppress all which connects us to our most primal iteration and mortality. Since the sublime reminds us of both, we obsessively structure, shape, and oppress its omnipotence. Bridges tame the water, houses the weather, tunnels the mountains. But these desperate attempts to control the natural environment are feeble and self-congratulatory. In time, a bridge will be swallowed by waves, houses worn down by the elements, and a tunnel shattered by an earthquake.

Despite the apparent pessimism of the sublime, awareness of it shall be our liberator. In a subliminal state – say, in the middle of the ocean – one understands that reality is a construct. Government, law, expectation, social and societal etiquette do not exist. Nature reminds us to unfetter ourselves from these established constraints to create our own world.

Fashion, in its present iteration, is an example of ultimate elevation above the ‘natural’. One could argue that this departure from ‘nature’ is but another attempt to suppress it, however, the opposite rings true. The most profound and compelling work in fashion is that created with the sublime in mind; that which challenges what we know or deem to be ‘truth’. Fashion’s contemporary existence already practices questioning heteronormativity, and prompts world creation and rebellion.

On a personal note, I am more encouraged to welcome vulnerability and confront the sublime. I see it now as a process through which I can find my voice to create meaning and purpose in both my life and work.

Fletcher, K. (2020) ‘Nature’ [Lecture]. Better Lives, London College of Fashion, 12 February.

Ginsborg, Hannah, “Kant’s Aesthetics and Teleology”, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2019 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2019/entries/kant-aesthetics/>.