Tuesday 10 June 2008

Navigation & Contents of Blog

Contents of Blog – Energy and the Environment

Artist’s Statement Posted
Artist’s Statement Kerik Kouklis 28 May
Ingredients for Artist’s Statement 4 June
Own project statement & rationale 10 June

Exhibition Layout – suggested for 10 images 10 June

Proposals for shoots 6 May
Industrial advice 10 June
Quotations – to accompany final selection 4 June

Shoots
Coalclough Wind Farm, Burnley – shot February 2008 16 May
Nuclear Power – shot 12th April 2008 16 May
Powerlines & Pylons - shot 12th April 2008 16 May
Hydropower – shot 3rd May 2008 16 May
Refineries – shot 4th May 2008 23 May
National Coal Mining Museum – shot 8th May 2008 23 May
Coal fired power stations – shot 8th May 2008 23 May
Biofuels – oilseed rape – shot 8th May 2008 23 May

Shopping list for exhibition
Frames 4 June
Mountboard 28 May
Mountboard – black core 4 June

Visits- Museums, Galleries etc. Posted
Rhyadol Hydropower Station, Wales 3rd May 2008 16 May
Centre for Alternative Technology, Wales 4th May 2008 23 May
National Coal Mining Museum, Wakefield 8th May 2008 23 May
Amber online & Side Gallery, Newcastle 28 May
Bronte Parsonage, Haworth-Fay Godwin 28 May

Work of other photographers
Bourke-White, Margaret 6 May
Davies, John 7 June
Godwin, Fay 6 May
Kenna, Michael 23 May
MacDonald, Ian 6 May
Renger-Patsch, Albert 7 June
Sheeler, Charles 7 June
Van Dyke, Willard 7 June
Weston, Edward 6 May

Choice of inkjet papers

Having seen some of Joe Cornish's images printed up on an Epson printer with Epson Premium Luster Photo Paper at the 'Focus' exhibition at the NEC, I took the bit between my teeth and purchased Epson Stylus Pro 3800. As I liked the results with Epson paper I decided to use that for the exhibition.

I did email Michael Kenna to ask what paper he used but he still hand prints all his work on silver paper in the darkroom. The following is the correspondence:

Dear Pat

Thank you for your kind e mail

I don't do any digital! Sorry I cannot help you there. All my work is hand printed in the darkroom on silver paper

There are lots of interviews posted on my website for additional info

All the very best for your work and final exhibition

Michael
________________________________
From: pat@carrhousef.fsnet.co.uk
To: kennaphoto@hotmail.com
Subject: student query
Date: Mon, 9 Jun 2008 20:32:50 +0100

I have only just become acquainted with your work and I love it.

As a student approaching my final exhibition for a degree in photography and having shot quite a bit on a Hasselblad I wondered if you could tell me what resolution you scan your images and what is your preferred inkjet paper for your prints.

I am particularly interested in the environment and find the Hasselblad particularly good for infinitesimal detail.

I look forward hopefully to your reply.

Thank you

Pat Butler

Exhibition suggested layout



I am hoping that there will be enough room on the wall allocated to accommodate my suggested layout. If there is not enough room I will make a 3 x 3 block and remove one of the Nuclear images

Project Statement & Rationale

Energy & the Environment



As a mature student I have seen many changes to our environment. Some, I must admit, are beneficial, such as the cleanliness of our rivers and the reduction in pesticides but unfortunately, on the whole and especially where energy is concerned we appear to be on a downhill spiral. We are the only species on the planet that expends energy, all other creatures and plants create a natural balance but our use of energy is escalating at an alarming rate. From the very first day we created fire we have abused the Earth and treated it as our own personal possession at the expense of nature. It appears to be universally accepted that we may have less than ten years in which to defuse an environmental time-bomb.
This has resulted in me treating this project with a great deal of passion and fervour which I hope shows in my work. I have aimed at making impactful photographs regardless of my views of the energy source and I would like to think that this is evident in my final selection. I believe public awareness to the energy problem in the form of images is stronger than text and it is for this reason that I have chosen this subject. It is through the quotes accompanying each image that I give the viewer an insight into my opinions. These quotes are broad and varied and add a further element for thought.
Of all the photographers work that I have examined relating to this project I must place Fay Godwin at the top of my list, not only for her excellent imagery and interpretations but also for her strong ethics on the subject of the environment and her love of the British countryside.
This project looks at a broad spectrum of energy used in Britain. There are other forms of energy such as solar, geothermal, wave and tidal, but taking into account my carbon footprint, I feel I have travelled far enough to obtain a good selection of energy sources. As a result the images and captions are left for the viewer to draw their own conclusions as to what is beneficial to the Environment and what is detrimental. People now have the choice of where their energy comes from by selecting their energy provider accordingly. I have no intention of trying to preach what is good and what is bad but I would be delighted if my images gave people reason to think about the subject.
Pat Butler
2008

Saturday 7 June 2008

John Davies

John Davies is synonymous with the British urban landscape and this industrial and rural image is one of his classics

Charles Sheeler

Again these are missing from the beginning of the blog but have been quite influential in my selection of images.



Willard Van Dyke

Another image that should have been at the beginning of the blog. I have not found any other work by Van Dyke that is relevant to my project but I find this image to be every bit as strong as Edward Weston. He was apprenticed with Edward Weston and it is easy to see the influences.