Actualities of making work Feb post 1
Hello and welcome to February, this year is already speeding by…………..
As discussed this is the first of the new regime of blogs whereat the beginning of the month it’ll be more informal and towards the end of the month its form will attempt to take more of an essay stance, that will make around 2 posts a month going forward, which should help with the load, regularity and production.
What to write for the first one then? Well, what about the actuality of making the work, after all that’s why UT was set up and what I’d like it do, as a separate arts-based practice, I will add in that I’m still in the infancy of this practice, yes I do bring a number of years work in photography into it, but the specifics and ideas of actually producing work in this manner is quite new so that comes with the making of (obvious) mistakes, working on blind turns, using cliches, travelling well-trodden paths and some absolute cringe moments…It’s the make-up of a usual naivety of a newly established practice which I think anyone suffers from.
I truly believe that you have to engage in this process tho, there’s no shortcuts in making work this way, I don’t believe you can’t sit on things till they are so ultimately developed that they are ready and fully formed. I’m not sure that making things in that way is a healthy practice for me (for anyone), I need to get the work to a certain point then it’s either closed, completed or opened up to other directions. (You also run the risk of being usurped if you’re not careful)
With that in mind, I do have to mention two (extra) ingredients that I’m bringing into this mixture, namely ideas of my previous incantations of work and where UT fits within this.
and
a need/ a want to make images that a) at least attempt to produce a different effect or narrative and b) add some value to some part of the process.
Think this can be summed up with the ‘2 sides of the same coin’ argument where you could ask two seemingly opposite questions but ultimately they are both of the same.
For example:
What’s the point?
In answer to this I think you have to ask what you’re doing in regard to all the other images being produced, as with the sheer amount of work that is out there, could it lead you to ask…why bother? What are you adding here?
If I didn’t do this then what would I do?
In answer to this, I’m reminded of a Friedlander quote, when asked what he would be if he couldn’t be the sort of photographer he is, he replied that he would be taking pictures somewhere, it was unfathomable that he couldn’t be a photographer.
On that note of work, I’d like to talk more about what I’m currently working on, I have paired the number of projects back just recently, so only have a few projects ‘on-the-go’ so to speak and which are at various stages of fruition.
This has happened in my other image producing channel which desperately needed to be freed up, so the whole process flowed backwards and forwards to move things around to give some space. The outcome is that it’s keeping a few of the long terms projects which you’ll see over on other outputs and Urgent Temporality is currently concentrating on producing a few mini projects alongside the reading and writing of the PhD proposal. You’ve already seen some of this type of work with the project on 100 Masks, which is on the site and in a blog as well.
Finding the balance of identity has been one of the more difficult tasks of this output. As I realised that one or two of my earlier ones (some that I’d set some much store in) could be confused for what was out there already, so I engaged with where they are at, reflected upon them, reassigned some and moved on from others which had freed up new spaces to work in. These upcoming projects are, which I’ll mention here and possibly discuss further at a later date, they are:
1) Blue Bag.
As I was working on the 100masks project I started to notice the discarded blue bags (the ones that you only get from very specific types of shops) then I stated to place these concerns within a socio-economic angle about where they are seen and their placement in the landscape. I see these bags as distinctive as some of the high-end shopping bags, yet so very different in character.
2) Umbrellas
Specifically, the discarding of them. We have a unique set of weather conditions in this part of the north, which do not lend themselves to be conducive to the long-term usage of an umbrella, the wind, attitude and driving rain all lend themselves to having a more study hooded coat rather than this extra appendage which you need to carry. The incidental symbolic nature as a symbol of the south, where they are much more manageable with their southern rain conditions and goes well with bowler hats. Which reason is it that we see them so often discarded on our streets? Have a look at where they end up…
The pictures for each of these are mounting up, the plan is that these will possible both be publications in the near future too so let me know if you’d like to see a copy.
Hope that gives you some insight into how UT arrives at the point of producing work. This is part of a process of making headway, readily accompanied by all the baggage, ingredients and ideas that produce the whole package of Urgent Temporality.
-
Whoops in all that I nearly forgot to say, and continuing on from the opening…
I’d like to announce that its’ Urgent Temporality’s second birthday as of February the 3rd !!!
And I would like to say look at how bloody far we’ve come!!!
Think its right to say that I feel very proud of the advancements we’ve made and the work that’s been done, I couldn’t have done it without the love and support of my partner whom I thank very much, as often as I can…so here again is another public Thank you.
Sooo what’s the picture???
Well with the image discussion, how could I not put up the most recent from both projects.
Hopefully they’ll give a flavour as to what’s being produced, as ever I would love to know your thoughts on these images, as well as any other thoughts, feedback, work request or questions, so if you have any then please get me via the usual channels.
Thank you for reading and here’s to February.