I've been stressing over this and I just am not sure on what to do at all! Everytime I show my teacher my idea he says that there is no concept behind it.. I'm doing photography as my major but I have no idea what to photograph.. so far i've been taking photos of random objects/things, they're apparently good but has no meaning behind it yet.. I really need help because i'm losing my mind with this all and we're almost half way with our Body of Works
Still don't know what to do with my major B.O.W (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter jorie
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hey dont worry you have heaps of time left! im not entirely sure but ill just give it a go to try help. a concept could be that nowadays we are so obsessed with everything being perfect in our lives when we overlook the simple things in life, perhaps you could make it quite simple and express the beauty of even simple things. or there is a thing called bricolage art which is sculpture made from found/everyday objects which could be a comment on how wasteful we are today and how beauty/art can actually be made from things considered trash?? you could photograph these... im not sure but hope that helped!
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- 2018
Ask other students/friends/teachers what they think the meaning of your artworks may be. Then you can use those ideas as part of your "concept".
Take some time to stop and think. What are you interested in? If this was your only artwork you could give to the world, what would you wish to communicate? Why did you choose photography in the first place (what do you want to capture)?
Have faith and it'll come to you. Don't force it, and if you end up with a concept that you love but your teacher doesn't, flip him the bird.
Have faith and it'll come to you. Don't force it, and if you end up with a concept that you love but your teacher doesn't, flip him the bird.
Previous posters have already given you some good advice and the main point that resonates with me about their advice is to keep taking photos.
Take lots of photos (I mean lots), edit them down by categorising them into commonalities; People, women, men, places, trees, mundane objects, fast things, red things, black and white things, blurry things, close ups, macro shots, vibrant colours, landscapes, portraits, broken things, fixed things, wet things etc.
Print out a contact sheet of your categorised photos and write about them in your art book. Always write about what you've done. Even if your teacher doesn't think the photos have a theme or conceptual meaning that brings them together at least you can show him that you are looking.
Consider how cropping your photos can change their meaning, changing the colour or converting them to black and white.
Conceptual meanings you could pursue:
1. Collections: the idea of documenting a collection of things, or collecting things that are the same or similar.
What does 50 photos of similar objects mean?
2. Portraits: Set up a space to take photos and talk to your sitters (fellow students) while you are taking their photos. The goal here is to capture a particular moment when people are vulnerable, a slice of life, a split second. Ask the sitter "What are you going to do when they finish the HSC?". You have a split second opportunity to capture the moment of fear, apprehension, hope, joy
3. The Unseen: Capture the beauty in something that people discard or walk over or dismiss.
4. Set up something odd/interesting/out-of-place and photograph the reaction of randoms as the pass by.
5. 50 photos of the same thing. What happens if you construct a single image out of 50 polaroids? Print out and layer the photos over the top of each other to construct a single image. It reminds me of scales, or moments in time, fragmentations of an idea, piecing together identity.
PS, I would recommend against flipping off your teacher. Despite him frustrating you he is trying to guide your artmaking.
Good luck.
Feel free to ask any questions.
Take lots of photos (I mean lots), edit them down by categorising them into commonalities; People, women, men, places, trees, mundane objects, fast things, red things, black and white things, blurry things, close ups, macro shots, vibrant colours, landscapes, portraits, broken things, fixed things, wet things etc.
Print out a contact sheet of your categorised photos and write about them in your art book. Always write about what you've done. Even if your teacher doesn't think the photos have a theme or conceptual meaning that brings them together at least you can show him that you are looking.
Consider how cropping your photos can change their meaning, changing the colour or converting them to black and white.
Conceptual meanings you could pursue:
1. Collections: the idea of documenting a collection of things, or collecting things that are the same or similar.
What does 50 photos of similar objects mean?
2. Portraits: Set up a space to take photos and talk to your sitters (fellow students) while you are taking their photos. The goal here is to capture a particular moment when people are vulnerable, a slice of life, a split second. Ask the sitter "What are you going to do when they finish the HSC?". You have a split second opportunity to capture the moment of fear, apprehension, hope, joy
3. The Unseen: Capture the beauty in something that people discard or walk over or dismiss.
4. Set up something odd/interesting/out-of-place and photograph the reaction of randoms as the pass by.
5. 50 photos of the same thing. What happens if you construct a single image out of 50 polaroids? Print out and layer the photos over the top of each other to construct a single image. It reminds me of scales, or moments in time, fragmentations of an idea, piecing together identity.
PS, I would recommend against flipping off your teacher. Despite him frustrating you he is trying to guide your artmaking.
Good luck.
Feel free to ask any questions.