Brief

Construct a stand-alone image of your choice. A​ lternatively, you may choose to make a series, elaborating on the same theme.

As the culminating assignment for the course you may wish to draw upon skills learned from Parts One to Four – using various forms of narrative, using yourself as subject matter, telling stories and reading images. The only stipulation is that you produce work that has been controlled and directed by you for a specific purpose. Remember to create a story with a specific context like the artists you’ve looked at in P​ art Five.​ This means you need to have an artistic intention, so a good place to start would be to write down some ideas. This could then form the basis for a 3​ 00-word introduction​ to the piece. You may find it helpful to draw storyboards to help you visualise your ideas. The aim of this assignment is to use props, costumes, models, location, lighting, etc. to contribute to the overall meaning of the image. (Use flash/lights if required but available light is fine as long as it is considered.) If the narrative is to be set in a different era then the elements of the image must reflect this. Also consider the symbolic meanings of objects and try not to be too literal in your approach. For example, don’t automatically use red roses in a love scene but try to be subtle in your ideas to obtain a more true-to-life scenario.

For this final assignment, you should also include an i​illustrated evaluation​ of the process you went through to produce your final image(s). Include snapshots of setting up the work and write about how you felt your direction went, how you found the location, props, etc. How did this process affect the final outcome? Write around 1,000 words in total (including your 300-word introduction).

Introduction

My artistic intention was to create an image that invites us to ask questions about the missing occupant of the bed and instigate a sense of anxiety as to their well-being.

The idea behind my  image came from a crime scene photograph taken in the 1990s. I  wonder about the incongruity between the “normal and the abnormal” elements in these kinds of images, particularly if they were taken in a domestic/setting.  I wanted the image to initially look like a cosy bedroom scene but to give a sense of anxiety due to the signs that the missing occupant of the bed is elderly and their glasses are lying on the floor. The dent in the pillow allows us to make them real – we can see where they have been resting their head. We start to wonder where they have gone and if something has happened to them or if there is a completely innocent explanation.

I wanted to make it clear that this was an elderly person by the type of bedclothes and any other objects that were in view. The time of night indicated by the colour of the light coming from the lamp and the dark shadows in the background as if the occupant has woken up in the middle of the night for some reason and switched on the bedside lamp. The glasses are not easy to spot which means that when we do spot them, they are at first a bit of a surprise and then we begin to realise what they might indicate.

The inspiration for the style and other aspects of the image have come from the research undertaken on Gregory Crewdson and Jeff Wall. Crewdson in particular and his references to the physiological, his own experiences and creating images that stimulate the imagination and memories of others highlighted my need to allow for a variety of narratives. The paintings by artist Nicolas Martin that I looked up during my research. They also helped me to see how  lighting and detail could be used to create a mood a feeling or atmosphere.

Final Image “The Nightlight”

After feedback from my tutor, I looked at making the scene less subtle. I changed the position of the glasses and the cup/suacer to make it more obvious that something was “afoot”

I really didn’t want it to be obvious and felt that knocked over cups and broken glasses made it too obvious. I think I prefer the original where one thinks all is OK but are slightly concerned by the glasses on the floor.  I don’t think an elderly person would go anywhere without their glasses and I don’t think they would put them on the floor.  Maybe I need to think about making  it more obvious that it is an elderly person.