Reflection on Edward Burtynsky's 'Manufactured Landscapes'

Video Link: www.bing.com/videos/search?q=manufactured+landscapes+hulu&&view=detail&mid=E577D90839791D246A37E577D90839791D246A37&FORM=VRDGAR

I learned a lot from this piece. It really opened my eyes into the way in which consumer goods are manufactured on a large scale. Typically I don't consider all of the previous steps leading up to the object that I've purchased being in my hands. I also thought that Burtynsky's ideology and rhetoric surrounding his work was admirable. He mentioned early on that his intention was not to 'glorify or damn' the portrayal of landscapes, rather his desire and goal was/is to just show or document without casting judgement. I thought that this approach to photography was interesting because of the countless images that exist to sell ideas and values about things. 

I recall watching the opening shot/scene from this documentary and being amazed by the sheer size of the warehouse that the people were working in. There was a particular shot of irons moving in opposite ways along a conveyer line along the ceiling which made me think about our society as a whole and our desire to collect and consume as much as we can. 

In addition to this, I thought that the conversation that Burtynsky's crew had with a company representative outside the factory was also thought provoking. This is primarily because the crew were trying to persuade the company rep to let them shoot in the area. I recall the representative mentioning that the weather wasn't good enough for images - this as a result led me to consider the amount of planning/spontaneity that occurs on a photoshoot. I considered spontaneity  as being more 'truthful' and planning for certain types of weather more 'fictional'. I recognise that this is a minor point, but it is something that resonated with me that directly links to the lecture about fabrication. 

I found this documentary informative and enjoyable, I thought that Burtynsky's working style was both admirable and improbable in terms of trying not to influence or cast judgement which would perhaps alter the way the viewer interprets the image. I think that it is improbable even because of the small things like framing which could drasticatly alter the way in which things a are perceived.

Reflection on Dick Blau's Talk

Dick Blau's presentation was memorable for me for numerous reasons. Firstly, I was surprised by the variety of work that he showcased throughout. His first film entitled 'Up The Block' was very personal and intimate. I felt like I was present in the moment with the people on screen because of the way the camera moved and the access he was granted into their lives during their time at Church. However his second film about the fairytale was visually different in the way it was presented. In comparison to his first film that had long shots on screen his second was sporadically edited which created a completely different feel. The narrative was chopped and edited in an 'unconventional' way that captivated me during the videos. 

Another thing that I took away from Blau's films was the importance of the sound in telling the story. His use of sound in all of his pieces was an integral part of the final product and I think that the outcome would've be totally different had focused on the sound less. I could have just listened to the audio alone and still got similar feeling from his films. Overall I learnt a lot from his talk.

Reflection of George Rousse's 'Contacts' Documentary

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GTEMvvsJec

This piece was very informative because it revealed Rousse's techniques and mentality as creates his installation pieces, from conception to completion. Part way through the video he mentioned how photography has the capacity to act as the memory of a place which I thought was quite interesting. He was particularly referring to the abandoned buildings that he sometimes worked with. 

Another thing I found intriguing was the meticulous approach he described taking toward each and every one of his figurative paintings. He mentioned that he imagines the buildings and rooms that he works in as being two-dimensional spaces instead of three-dimensional because the final image that he creates will be two-dimensional. This stood out to me because I haven't approached a space before with this outlook and perspective. 

In addition to this I thought that the way he integrated his travels into his art pieces was unique. He began to include various 'objective' maps into the artwork itself based on the areas that he travelled to. This created a blend between things that are essentially objective and subjective with relation to his work.

Reflection on the 'Still Moving' Exhibition

I enjoyed seeing the Still Moving exhibition because It was an experience that I'm not totally used to. It was the first exhibition that I've been to that was entirely made up of video pieces. I found myself experiencing and negotiating the space in a totally different manner. Typically I experience art installation pieces relatively quickly, so this was a change of pace for me. I can distinctly remember each of the pieces that were on display, particularly Charles Gick's 'Hand With Cloud', Stephen Hilyard's 'Waterfall' and Walker Pickering's 'Esprit de Corps'. 

I remember Gik's Hand With Cloud because it made me laugh as I watched it. I'm not entirely sure why but I infer that it was because of the repeated motion of the finger poking the cloud's surface, it reminded me off children playing with each other and 'poking fun' at one another. Additionally, I remember Hilyard's Waterfall' for two main reasons: the first is because of the orientation in which the video was presented. It seemed like the camera was recording the waterfall in a portrait orientation because the projector was positioned sideways. Viewing the projection made me question why video is so often presented in a landscape format. Watching the video seemed both wrong and right simultaneously because of this. Finally the Waterfall piece was memorable for me because of the editing that was applied to the video, I remember avidly watching as the people on the cliff moved around and then suddenly they faded into the waterfall which startled me somewhat. 

Lastly, I remember Pickering's 'Esprit de  Corps' because of the feeling I felt whilst I watched it. I felt feelings of determination and perseverance just from watching the piece. In addition to this the choice to present the video in black and white stood out for me. I liked the wide ranging camera angles and perspectives shown throughout. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the Still Moving exhibition and I'm looking forward to going to another exhibition soon.

Reflection on Vik Muniz's 'Wasteland' (2010) Documentary Video

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUAavzJsTBw

I thought that this documentary was powerful because it dealt with some issues that I haven't really considered before. It also alerted me to the possibility of art having the capacity to alter the way people think and feel about their surroundings and ultimately change their lives. I particularly appreciated how in depth the documentary went into showing Muniz's process in creating his pieces from inception to completion. I think that this documentary highlights the ability art has to momentarily take people out of their situation to be engaged and engrossed in the image.

However, the thing that stood out to me most from the documentary was the conversation that Vik was having with Janaina (his wife) and his assistant about bringing the pickers from their familiar environment in Brazil to the foreign environment of London. Janaina was making the argument that removing them from their surroundings and showing them a 'better' life in London, only for them to have to return home shortly to continue working with garbage could be problematic because it may cause them to feel depressed. While Vik focused on the positive outcomes that could arise from the experience. I thought this was very interesting because it showed the power that they had in potentially changing the people's outlook on life.