Last minute side project

Since getting the large print-outs made (previous post), I have considered what the collages would look like as billboard advertisements. Seeing the work in this way could bring about interesting questions about the context of the collage work.

I posted a few of my 'posters' around the Cardiff city centre area, trying to keep an eye on what happens to them - whether ripped off, covered, defaced etc.

A3 photocopy on Cardiff advertisement pod - H F M Jones, 2013.

 

x2 A2 photocopies on Cardiff advertisement pod - H F M Jones, 2013.

Partly just for fun at this point, I've made a 6x4ft billboard-type construction to just layer up large copies of the collages in both B+W and colour.

The first few layers were actually waxy paper, newspaper and fabriano paper before I was brave enough to start gluing down my own images.

 

Progression of image billboard - H F M Jones, 2013.

It got to a point where aesthetically I was pleased with it, but was concerned the piece did not link well to my original collages - due to the chaotic appearance of the board in comparison to the very controlled collages. The board was in a kind of limbo of finished/unfinished. After tutorials and peer chats, I've just stuck lots of material which isn't mine onto the board and other things e.g. tickets.

Continued image billboard - H F M Jones, 2013.

Ongoing image billboard - H F M Jones, 2013.

The piece could easily work as an interactive piece, where the viewer peals off sections to reveal my own images beneath the new junk.

Large collage prints - (March - April 2013)

 (Back image of collage) - A0 B/W Print - March, 2013. H F M Jones

As a suggestion to simply scale up with the collages, I had cheap black and white prints made; I was surprisingly pleased with the outcomes. I accidently left the dpi quite low when I scanned the images in for printing, with the result of grainy/dotty images.  The image above is particularly interesting as it makes the viewer work harder to decipher the sentences swirled around.

 

These prints, of course, remove the glossy appeal of the original images. This process of removing the image further away from the source is really interesting to me -

 

• Model beautified and photo shoot set up
• Photographs taken
• Photoshop editing of image
• Printed image in magazine
• Image selected by myself from magazine and manipulated
• Manipulated image scanned
• Scanned (usually colour) image digitally enlarged and printed as B/W image
• Large B/W image taped to the wall
• Image on the wall photographed and posted onto blog



Gold and Purse Print - A1 B/W, 2013.  H F M Jones





(Back of) Gold and Purse Print - A1 B/W, 2013. H F M Jones

'Beauty' Print - A1 B/W, 2013. H F M Jones

I'm extremely keen for these prints to feature within my degree show somehow - considering frames, tacked to the wall, montage pieces e.g. billboard style etc. The different options create a different context for the images.

Jan/Feb/March/April Collages - Part 1

Slightly late with posting up the images of this terms' collages -
 



Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

I found that throughout the term, the collages became more decorative - causing them to become less interesting to view. I needed to bring back that kick of disturbance to the image, so towards the end of March/April I focused more upon 'obliterating' sections of images. I've become interested in the concept of the ideal image creating a growing/contagious effect; the idea of one image influencing many viewers that what they see is essential to function within popular culture perhaps. hmm.

The work is also a vehicle to explore authenticity - not just the reality of the images we view, but of the work belonging to the originator (fashion industry), or myself as the one who selected and manipulated the image. Digitalising the work can only be seen as another action of authenticating the work as my own to some extent.

 

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2012/13

 

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2012/13

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

 

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

  

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

 

 

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013



Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

G + K, A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A5 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Gold + Purse, A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

[Back image of] Gold + Purse, A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Diamond Face, A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Beauty, A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

High, A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013



Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled A4 Collage - H F M Jones 2013

Untitled (Photo of E in progress) A4 Collage - H F M Jones, April2013

Solvent Transfer

Skirt and Dash images, solvent transfer on paper, 2013, H F M Jones

Yet another side project has spawned throughout this spring term. I've become rather hooked on this process of taking a magazine image - manipulate image - photocopy image - then solvent transfer the image onto cartridge paper etc. Authenticity still in mind, I am removing the image from it's original source and working into it again and again with the result (above)of a faded, un-glossy, yet still pleasant image. Because I have 'removed' the images in multiple ways away from the magazine, does it now make the images mine?

'selpooK ehT', solvent transfer on paper, 2013 H F M Jones

The prints have an ephemeral, past look to them - it looks great, but this could be a misguiding factor. I do find photographs from the past fascinating and they do inspire my work, but I am not aiming to create a nostalgia currently. It could be another offshoot to work on a bit later - the present will be the past, what we see will ultimately be ancient... etc. etc.

Couple/Girl, solvent transfer on paper, 2013, H F M Jones

Faint image on wall - solvent transfer on wall.
 

Mash up of images on fabriano paper - prep. for cutting up (March 2013) H F M Jones

I thought it might be interesting to just transfer as many images onto/overlapping on paper to then cut up and manipulate again. The disappointing factor was that the wall surface was not even so not all of the prints were as good quality as they could've been. There was no great plan of composition etc. due to the intention to cut up etc. so it isn't really a 'piece'.

Photographs

For a while I had considered recreating/ styling my own photographs of fashion and glamour magazines to work from - I wondered whether my work was authentically my own due to the source of the material etc. As a collaboration with my uni friend CC, we finally achieved this mini project. Here are a few examples of the photographs;


L - H F M Jones 2013

 

E - H F M Jones 2013

H - H F M Jones 2013

The aim is to, naturally, collage the photos - separately and perhaps with magazine images too. I doubt knowing the people I have photographed will affect the process of my work - brings about more questions really - is the source of the photos original because we took them? Are they original at all if we consider outside influences e.g. poses, clothes, styles of different origins? etc.

2013 / Term 2 Jan/Feb-

This new term has just been a continuation of this strange investigation of 'beauty'. Over Christmas I made a few more animations of the 3D figures and recorded the strange shadows cast from them. I have decided that I'm going to focus more upon my collage work for the rest of the term; hopefully bringing in hints of the 'puppetry' I am interested in.

Larry + Clown, 2012, H F M Jones



Stella, Oil on Board, 2013, H F M Jones

I considered painting from the figures and using images of them to keep a continuation of the 3D work in some form - it is still not a clear link between the two work forms for viewers. The example painting above of 'Stella'  was just a small study painting - visually it looks 'nice', but unless it was to be a realistic representation, the painting has no impact compared to the original object.

Why I must try out painting, films etc. within my practice is to create/feel an authenticity of the work. I source my material from photography, magazines - objects/materials which essentially have been created by someone else. I find myself questioning the work I make as to who has made it - myself ? Or the photographer, publishers etc. who have provided the image? Then there is the collective perception/view to consider; the images I select are 'beautiful' - how have we got to this conclusion of what is and isn't 'beautiful' ? To Be Continued...

Translating my 2D and 3D work into paint has not proved successful (again). The paintings lack the meticulous effort that was put into creating the orginals and lack the same quality. This could be down to poor technique or suitability.

Untitled (muddled collage), oil on paper, 2013, H F M Jones