Object and Body

Hannah Broad Assessment Presentation

Body Concept
Kent Police Force Stereotyping Self perception How do they identify themselves? Is there a change when the uniform goes on? What are they without the uniform? Do we look at them the same? When they're at home, do they they stills see themselves as an 'authority figure'?

Stereotype
A stereotype is a thought that may be adopted about specific types of individuals or certain ways of doing things. May or may not accurately reflect reality. Infer that a person has a whole range of characteristics and abilities that we assume all members of that group have. Lead to social categorization

prejudice attitudes

Police Stereotyping
Top 10 general perceptions and stereotypes of the UK police force Corruption within some police forces, leading to injustice. Spending too much time on minor cases and not enough on major ones like rape and murder. Police will treat you with respect when approached. Police can be relied on when needed. Not enough justice in the police system. Not enough positive local interactions between the police and community. A lot more police officers available in urban areas than rural ones. Make you feel intimidated. Enforce some unnecessary laws and regulations. They dont get paid enough for what they risk and the stress their families go through.

Medway police
Target offenders who commit crime and display anti-social behavior Aim to bring them to justice Lead to a safer society Preventing crime means working effectively in partnership. Seek to increase the visibility of their officers reducing the fear of crime improving public confidence identification of the locations where best use can be made of their resources balancing visibility with other policing objectives

Key policing policies tackling anti-social behaviour and disorder; reducing street, drug-related and violent crime in line with local and national targets; fighting serious and organised crime across force boundaries; increasing the number of offenders brought to justice. The success or otherwise of this plan is dependant on the performance and drive of all police staff, the partnerships they forge with other agencies and most importantly, the support and assistance of the communities they serve.

Artist Research
August Sander Citizens of the 20th Century, Officials

Artist Research
Thomas Ruff
Charles Frger

Passport like Emotionless Plain (sometimes colour) background

Artist Research
Rineke Dijkstra Olivier (2000-2003)

- The change/transition - Expression gets harder - Neutral - Identity and uniformity

Lighting Test

Final Reference
I really like evenness of lighting The slight shadow you see emerging under the subjects chin and around the jaw line. I will try try to recreate this effect for my final shoot in the studio.

Rineke Dijkstra. The Nugent R.C High School, Liverpool, England, November 11, 1994

Contact Sheet and Editing Process

Final Images

Contact Sheet

Final Images

Critical Appraisal
For my body series of images I chose to photograph members of the police force and to convey their own feelings of self-perception. I conducted various research; primary and secondary to gain an insight into the UK police force and their stereotypes to try and get my own ideas and thoughts about how they could perceive themselves. The issues representing the police in Britain are subject to a lot of different stereotypes thanks to the media and its various different outlets. Concerns such as corruption, bigotry and laziness are often peoples first thoughts when you mention the police, but sometimes people think more positive characteristics such as respectfulness and thoroughness in their mission to reduce local and national crime rates. To help me gain a deeper understanding of other peoples perceptions of the police, I constructed a survey to give to friends, family and people at university. It asked general questions about what they thought the police did for their area, if they thought they were successful, how they could improve etc. I could have improved on this by getting a larger amount of feedback, through asking more people, to get a more varied response. I have never done a survey before, but felt it was necessary to get other peoples opinions on it, other than just straight from a book or the Internet. My secondary research consisted of looking at photographers such as Thomas Ruff and Charles Freger who produced interesting image series focusing mainly on portraits. Ruff inspired me through his passport-like images, with the upper edge of the photographs situated just above the hair in front of a plain background. Even though I wanted to portray the policemans self-perception, I took inspiration from Ruffs subject matters emotionless expressions; sometimes face on and sometimes in profile. My chosen photographs were selected because I felt that they most represented my concept of their own selfperception; some of the officers expressions were quite stern and serious, whereas another looked more jovial and happy. This created a nice contrast, which looked effectful when all four images are placed next together. Again with this unit I think that I have managed it a lot better than last year, I chosen my topic quickly and pragmatically began researching and organizing. I think that one aspect on which I could improve/ reflect upon my 4 images in the studio is the fact that I thought they would look better on a larger colour format, however as this wasnt in the brief it would not have been possible. Also, regarding my location based image I would have preferred to capture my police officer in a location comfortable to them, where they perceive themselves to be. However this was quite difficult as they were always so busy and didnt have much free time, but I did expect this when I first went into the project. This was literally down to the police officers busy schedules; I could maybe have improved upon it by getting into contact with more police officers, giving a wider possibility more time.

Object Concept
For my object still life I wanted to capture the fragility of euthanasia. By using a small selection of modest objects, I want to convey a neutral message referencing the preservation and loss of life. By referencing the photographers Laura Letinsky and Vici Watkins, I chose to create a minimilast image, with white being the main colour. I wanted the main focus to be on the composition of the objects and not make their purpose within the photograph too literal.

Chosen Topic: Euthanasia

Regular media coverage Freedom Controversial Immoral Against most religious beliefs Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide Relief from Suffering

Illegal in the U.K

Help Peace Dignity Prolonged

Contextual Research
Arguments for euthanasia and assisted suicide There are two main types of argument used to support the practices of euthanasia and assisted suicide. They are the: ethical argument that people should have freedom of choice, including the right to control their own body and life (as long as they do not abuse any other persons rights), and that the state should not create laws that prevent people being able to choose when and how they die pragmatic argument that euthanasia, particularly passive euthanasia, is already a widespread practice (allegedly), just not one that people are willing to admit to, so it is better to regulate euthanasia properly

Contextual Research
Arguments against euthanasia and assisted suicide There are four main types of argument used by people who are against euthanasia and assisted suicide. They are known as the: religious argument that these practices can never be justified for religious reasons, for example many people believe that only God has the right to end a human life slippery slope argument this is based on the concern that legalising euthanasia could lead to significant unintended changes in our healthcare system and society at large that we would later come to regret medical ethics argument that asking doctors, nurses or any other healthcare professional to carry out euthanasia or assist in a suicide would be a violation of fundamental medical ethics alternative argument that there is no reason for a person to suffer either mentally or physically because effective end of life treatments are available; therefore, euthanasia is not a valid treatment option but represents a failure on the part of the doctor involved in a persons care.

Contextual Research
The association DIGNITAS To live with dignity - to die with dignity was founded on 17 May 1998 at Forch (near Zurich). The organisation, which pursues no commercial interests whatsoever, has in accordance with its constitution the objective of ensuring a life and a death with dignity for its members and of allowing other people to benefit from these values. DIGNITAS pursues these objectives by assisting its members everywhere in word and deed, within the limits of the possibilities available to the association and as appropriate in individual cases. In accordance with this purpose the activities of DIGNITAS comprise, amongst others: Counselling in regard to all end-of-life issues Cooperation with physicians, clinics and other associations Carrying out Patients Instructions and patients rights with regard to doctors and clinics Suicide- and suicide-attempt prevention Support in conflicts with the authorities, with the management of nursing homes and with doctors not chosen by the patient Further legal developments in regard to questions about the last issues Accompaniment of dying patients and assistance with a self-determined end of life. DIGNITAS invests any and all accounting surplus in the expansion of its services and in suicide prevention.

Media Coverage
The characters involved in this episode are Dot and her friend Ethel. Ethel is elderly and very ill with a brain tumor. Dot has made a promise to look after her old friend. The problem is that Ethel wants Dot to help her commit suicide and Dot, a devout Christian is opposed to this believing it to be sinful. She argues that as we do not come into the world at a time of our choosing, we should not leave the world at a time of our choosing. Ethel at one point asks Dot, How can it be wrong to help a friend? Eventually Dot is persuaded to help Ethel commit suicide.The episode explores issues such as euthanasia, friendship, and principles.At the time of this broadcast, many people were campaigning to have the law changed in this country to allow assissted suicide to take place.

Artist Research- Harmen Steenwyck

Still Life: An Allegory of the Vanities of Human Life
The stoneware jar at the right hand edge of the picture probably contained water or oil; both are symbolic elements that sustain life.

The purple silk cloth is an example of physical luxury. Silk is the finest of all materials, while purple was the most expensive colour dye.

The shell, which is a highly polished specimen usually found in south east Asia, is a symbol of wealth. Shells are also traditionally used in art as symbols of birth and fertility.

The skull, which is the focal point of the work, is the universal symbol of death.

The books represent the range of human knowledge, while the musical instruments suggest the pleasures of the senses. Both are seen as luxuries and indulgences of this life.

Artist Research Laura Letinsky

I did not remember I had forgotten

Continued her stylized photographic translations of the mundane With the remains dispersed thus, spatial tensions are pushed to their limits, affixing notions of loss and temptation to their subjects.Like the 17th Century painters before her such as Harmen Steenwyck , Letinsky invites viewers to ponder the perishable nature of all worldly things, and the evanescence of sensual pleasures.

Artist Research Edmund Clark

Still Life Killing Time

These powerful and poignant images fuse large format documentary photography with still-life symbolism to explore the world of the ageing lifer (life imprisonment) Still Life Killing Time is not simply a reportage about a particular prison. Clark explores the experience of long term incarceration and the passage of time, and touches on how ageing and physical decline affect the prison environment. The claustrophobia of these close up, deliberate and regular compositions reflects both the nature of the place and the experience of working in E Wing.

Artist Research Victoria Watkins

Chapter Two

Chapter Two is a project that explores the transition between childhood and adulthood. Through her arranged compositions, Victoria plays with the sense of fragmentation and development often felt through teenage years. Her work explores universal human experiences and is often situated within familiar locations. Working primarily with still life on 6x6 format, using natural light, she draws on autobiographical moments, to create work that is both personal yet pervasive. The subtlety of these images and colour balance is something that I want to emulate in my final image.

Chosen Final Objects

The Rotten Strawberry will represent ageing and fragility, of such a delicate object.
A vase represents the transcience of life, and the contents can be full or empty highlighting the life or spirit of a human.

A clock represents the passing of time and can be linked to the passing of life, and the fact that it can come to a standstill just like a persons life.

Grapes are often the gift of choice visitors bring patients in hospital and when they are ill. They also represent wealth of life, therefore by placing dead ones will illustrate loss of life.

Dead flower petals drying out/end of life left from mostly empty vase

Lighting Test

Final Image

Critical Appraisal
The sensitivity surrounding euthanasia and self-assisted suicide Is something that first came to mind when I chose it as my contemporary topic. The majority of the general public (and myself at the beginning of this unit) only really see it documented via the media, often with negative or pitiful connotations. The research that has gone into this part of the unit has only confirmed my initial thoughts. I wanted to represent euthanasia delicately and produce an image that remained neutral, in the arguments for and against euthanasia, not visually portraying my own beliefs or anybody elses. By using a small selection of modest objects, my main aim was to produce a still life photograph that not only referenced the loss of life, but the preservation of life also. I could perhaps have researched more into global views on euthanasia, as I only looked at Europe and the U.S, this would have enlightened my ideas and concepts a lot more and given a wider knowledge base. I think that I chose a good selection of photographers and artists to take reference from. From Laura Letinsky and Victoria Watkins series I took away technical inspiration such as composition and colour balance. Whereas from Edmund Clarke and Harmen Steenwyck, I took away the importance and necessity of object meaning and symbolisation. I did not want my objects to be too literal of euthanasia, therefore I chose items which subtly referenced it; the clock represented the passing or stopping of time, the vase represents the transience of life etc. Overall I think that my visual choices had potential but did not turn out how I would have liked. My main disappointment with the image is the sharpness and depth of field as the table cloth and edge of the table is in focus which I would have wanted. This is easily achievable to make right by turning the power pack up which would have given me a higher aperture reading on the light meter and a fully sharp image. My main aim was to neutrally convey euthanasia neither positively nor negatively. Therefore I want to leave the viewers to interpret it themselves and generate their own opinions on the subject. I have managed my studies a lot better this year, I have learnt the importance of time management and worked to a set structure. I chose my subject quite soon, thus began conducting research quickly and generated ideas for a shoot and create an image. The aspect of shoot production that I need to reflect upon is set up; I failed my first shoot because I discovered that the negatives were entered incorrectly to the dark slides, thus causing a failed exposure. Little things like this are often the most important, and should never be overlooked. The most significant challenge on this unit so far had been actually choosing which objects would constitute my image, as they couldnt be too literal, yet still needed to represent euthanasia. I could overcome this sort of issue in the future by widening my research material, allowing further interpretation and inspiration.