As I’ve not been well this past week my practice has been somewhat slowed down. However this did offer me the opportunity for some self reflection. Looking back over the Surfaces & Strategies module, what I’ve learned and how I make use of this in my practice.

One aspect that has made me step back is collaborative working. As my project has progressed one of my aims was to include collaborative ideas from participants, to interview and photograph them. However there have been a couple of major factors as why this is on hold. The first being Covid-19 and the restrictions of entering people’s homes. I wanted each participant to be relaxed in their personal space but I feel that this cannot be achieved until there is a more national easing to the pandemic. The other major factor to holding off working with others is my need to understand where I’m coming from, why is space and the use of space so important to me and how do I want to convey that to the viewer. Over the past five weeks I’ve been looking at how other photographers portray themselves and experimenting with self portraiture.

The image ‘Corners:trapped’ looks at my personal space and how external influences (outside of our control) can manipulate the space. During lock down, my home which is normally a place of refuge became more like a prison. I felt trapped and isolated, separated from friends, family and colleagues but also there was a sense of guilt for not going out and doing something. The use of stark, harsh lighting and contrast give the image a cold and unwelcoming sense, I want the viewer to feel uncomfortable.

This is in stark contrast to ’30 years on: Bedroom window’ where I used natural lighting just before sunset to offer a little warmth. This image was taken outside mt parents house where I lived some 30 years ago, we see my bedroom window on the top right. The image aims to portray thouht and memory.

These images are clearly very different in approach and the context differs somewhat. In the first image I look at how I perceive a space changing in response to my emotions whilst the second image have more of a narrative that both conveys emotional response to a space but also show’s the viewer what is special about that space.

What I has aimed to do with the ’30 years on’ images is to use multiple shots of the space that I’m in to build up an almost sculptural image that allows the viewer to immerse themselves into the space. They are drawn in to look at finer details or have to move away to see the whole. This interplay with space is a very important part of the project.

This where the S&S module has helped me to look beyond the act of taking photos, through to the act of displaying and how I want the viewer to interact with the images. Considerations towards how an exhibition will look, the location and access to the images will play a crucial part in this project. Are this images going to benefit from a ‘white cube’ gallery or somewhere that has a logistical meaning? The context of this project is aimed at illustrating the link between space and the human psyche or mental well being than a space, as such the space that they occupy should be somewhere that has a clear link. Spaces could be hospitals, respite centres or external spaces. The final size and print materials may then be partially dictated by the exhibition environment.