The western world is a society that continues to grow in wealth where we desire a greedy lifestyle. I have chosen to reflect upon the beauty of our survival in its wasteful culture of consumerism.
Researching Keith Arnatt’s ‘Pictures from a Rubbish Tip’ series of decomposing rubbish and food, his photographs challenges viewers understanding of what it could represent.
Upon closer inspection does it only become clearer and quite disgusting to see. These low quality items become desirable through the lens where Arnatt uses the medium of photography to represent an idea than to appreciate it for its creativity. From this I wanted to state the use of everyday recyclable waste and started collecting objects at home that would otherwise have been thrown away and began experimenting in composing my photograph.
At this point my ideas were still very vague but this experiment helped me to consider the texture and colours of my objects in which my research into traditional still life helped me develop my concept further. I looked at photographer Roger Fenton’s ‘Still Life with Fruit Decanter’ and painter Jan Davidsz de Heem’s ‘Vase of Flowers’.
These still life’s are not just beautiful objects but were structured with symbols and meanings reflecting the historic culture and commenting on our transient life. I was inspired by how these objects was more than a ‘pretty’ picture and wanted my own objects to have such powerful messages beyond what the eye can see. Thinking over my original idea of recyclable waste I realised that a mass of litter was not effective enough in expressing the issue of our careless culture. It was from studying ‘Vase of Flowers’ by Jan Davidsz de Heem that I decided to incorporate flowers into my objects to represent how wealth is a desirable quality and just like waste lives a temporary life. Jan Davidsz de Heem uses these flowers to show the Dutch’s prosperity being a symbol of their riches but also the shortness of life itself. Using flowers to represent our wealth that’s just as short lived as our consuming culture was to communicate a hidden message to viewers.
My final research into Photographer Chris Jordan’s ‘Intolerable Beauty’ made me consider how to make waste beautiful in which he ‘glamorises’ the waste in rubbish tips into desirable objects that confronts society’s consuming habits.
I was inspired to actively engage viewer’s attention where the comparison between waste and flowers acts as metaphors for my concept. My final image is a construction of a hanging basket of plants dropping down where their ‘faces’ cannot be seen. This plot is layered with plastic and paper waste materials that when put to words describes an infesting parasite to the roots of the plants. It sounds disgusting but here it is actually quite beautiful to look at.
My study of the object unit has made me reflect on a new way of representing messages and symbols. The Still Life paintings that favoured much of the Art in the 17th Century are more than just objects, they tell a narrative to the viewer. I feel I am beginning to understand how objects can be used just as photojournalism to inform a story or confront an issue. I was very influenced by how Artists like Fenton, and Chris Jordan made these objects desirable where behind the door there is much more meaning than initially realised. I wanted to have the same effect in my own photograph where at first this sculpture seeks an adoring relationship with the viewer camouflaging the leak concealing the message behind it.
Developing stages of my object:
