the final project //

the discursive prompt //

What is one way in which media has brought positive improvement to our lives, society, and civilizations?

This question is at first difficult to answer – I often view photography as somehow stressful or difficult, especially when the subject is people. I think I feel this way because of its use in social media, where often it is a push to attain the unattainable. I then thought of what media is – it can essentially be anything that is used to communicate between masses of people. The first thing then that came to mind was the video we were shown in class of forensic modeling in use to help understand a case. The idea of using photographs and/or video that was captured while a crime was committed, and then taking those images to create an entire model of a city with the layout of key parts of the crime is quite brilliant. The ability to look down on a model often gives a new perspective in comparison to walking an area in person. You can see how streets or rooms are laid out, quickly scan from place to place, and track routes such as those of the buses in the particular video we were shown. Models essentially allow investigators to explore a crime scene more freely and track connections between areas much easier than on foot. A forensic model can also be used to help police or other investigators to understand how a crime has happened in a smaller space. It is simple to move through a model where it is difficult on foot – such as climbing up through a window or going under a bed. A model can glide through windows and rooms, look down from the ceiling, or up from the floor. All of these options make crimes easier to piece together and understand.

the proposal //

  1. RESEARCH AND CONTEXT:

Start to develop your final project proposal and conduct research to  contextualize your work.
a) Portraits (Genres and Areas of Interest)

b) Nature and the elements (Subjects)

c) Art/storytelling through makeup (Formats and Methodologies)

 

Locate 3 artists/artworks/films/media related to your framework of ideas:

  • Martin Higgs, UK. He is passionate about shooting beauty and hair. He has helped salons reach the finals of 29 hairdressing competitions since 2011 and has been published many times. Online Portfolio: https://martinhiggs.smugmug.com/. I am particularly inspired by his creative beauty portraits, with messy brush strokes on the face and chest, curved opaque lines, or crackling colors that give interesting dimension to the model’s features. It appears that Higgs works primarily in a studio for his editorial makeup shoots.

 

  • Nikki Wolff, London. Nikki attended the London College of Fashion and began her work in 2004. The looks she’s known for are natural dewy skin (almost glass like), the unmistakable Nikki “boy brow” and the feature eye (http://www.luxury-marionette.com/nikki-wolff-makeup-interview). She has done makeup for shoots for MAC, olay, and estee lauder, and her work has been featured in multiple magazines such as MOD magazine and Huf magazine. Online Portfolio: https://nikkimakeup.com/portfolio/. I am inspired by her use objects that are not normally used as “makeup” for the face, her use of lines, pointed or blunt, and her use of color in her work. Her makeup is not meant to be “wearable” but rather a work of art on the face and body. Nikki also shoots her editorial makeup photos primarily in the studio.
  • Leonid Afremov, born July 12 1955, currently lives in Mexico. He grew up in Soviet Russia and later Israel. He is Jewish. I am attracted to the bright blues and oranges that he uses in most of his paintings, and I like the painterly brush-stroke style he uses. I am hoping to incorporate his style into my makeup for my final. I particularly like his paintings “Morning Sun of January,” “Mystical Alley,” and “Oakland Rain” which I feel are good representations of his work. https://afremov.com/ 

 

 

FINAL PROJECT PROPOSAL IDEAS & PROCESS:

I am interested in nature, the seasons, landscape, and the elements. I will be incorporating that into makeup and using lights to set the scene. My aim is to create and shoot an editorial makeup that is not necessarily beautiful as makeup but is in itself art. I am thinking of using my boyfriend to be my “canvas,” as male editorial makeup is not as common as female and I believe I can make a work that is interesting. 

To start, I will first come up with a few concepts for makeup looks and decide on colors and materials. I will select a few paintings for inspiration – I am drawn to Leonid Afremov’s work and will possibly use one of his. I will also try to determine what color gels I will be using for my lights and possible props. I plan to use three point lighting and will experiment to see if I like color also incorporated. In regards to photography as a medium, I will try to get shots that contribute to the story I am trying to tell with makeup as well as show the details of the work I have done. I am planning to create one unique look and take a series of seven portraits.

My overall concept is how pollution is damaging our planet. I will incorporate trash into my project, possibly used to cover the makeup I applied to my subject. It will be a metaphor for the trash and pollution on our planet covering up the beauty of nature.