My triptychs feature a strong contrast between the foreground and background, both in color and monochrome. I was hoping to create this effect because it is an abstract way that emphasizes shapes and lines, which I think worked out well because there is a jarring difference in all my pictures between the sky and the objects. My success criteria was looking at inspiration from my artist, called Keld Helmer-Petersen, and I think I was successful because I was able to emulate his style of having the objects be so dark it would focus more on the overall shape than its details, with an almost white background making it stand out. Even when I used color, the orange and red contrasts as a supplementary color against the blue and creating a similar effect with black as white.

My original theme was about impermanence, and I think I was able to capture some of these ideas. The objects I photographed were large machinery or old structures that haven’t been moved even after 798 has changed into an art district, and their functions resemble statues rather than working parts. Although they are large objects, they are now broken and unused, emphasizing the fleeting nature of objects. From this work, I hope viewers can both appreciate their magnificence in size and the powerful silhouettes they make while reminiscing on the memories it may once have held. To me, it is personal because my grandmother lived next to 798 in the 1970s when it was a factory. She used to work at another industrial complex nearby and would sometimes visit 798 for work reasons. Therefore, when we went there on the photography trip, I tried to photograph objects that I thought she might have seen fifty years ago, under totally different circumstances.

Finally, if I had more time, I would have liked to collect more sets of 3, as there are other triptychs I wish I could have finished. I think next time I would want to be more intentional with the idea of collecting triptychs and how my images connect to each other.

FULL 798 CONTACT SHEET – photos labelled with time and minute

YELLOW SELECTION – My 50 Photos

These photos have been chosen for my yellow selection for multiple reasons. Throughout the 798 trip, I had a strong focus on shadows and industrial silhouettes, but I also looked for the strong contrast of the orange architecture against blue sky. These styles were similar to my chosen photographer Keld Helmer-Peterson, who preferred sharp contrasts. Furthermore, I also selected two pictures inspired by Uta Barth, whose unfocused shadows I tried to learn from. I think this yellow selection was also able to identify photos that were successful, which means that they were the best one out of multiples I took.

GREEN SELECTION

With the green selection, I tried to look at how some photos would look in black and white as that had been the style of my photographer during that time period. Furthermore, I chose these photos with the intention of compiling into triptychs, so I focused more on ones that had things in common. For example, I looked at color, texture, and shapes. I noticed ones that had an architectural feeling to them, and also those that were more about shadows.

RED SELECTION

These photos are part of my final few and are the ones that I will use for my triptychs. I think that many of these photos are able to capture the architectural atmosphere of 798, while also featuring strong contrasts and shapes that bring out the style of my chosen photographer.

Keld Helmer-Petersen’s photography style is defined by distinct lines and shapes emphasized with high contrast and black and white color. The shapes of the photograph are most often isolated from the larger object that it comes from (the wires of a transmission tower, lines of a scaffolding). There is a high contrast between the shapes and the negative space/background. Additionally, some photos look at patterns and how shadows influence them.

His photography style is abstract because there is no clear subject or message. Rather, there is a distinct emphasis on the lines that are made and the way it contrasts with the background. The lines create an art of their own. I like the style because there are clear shapes that stand out prominently compared to the background. They are sharp and to the point, using the lines to craft a drawing of sorts. Furthermore, the shadows are taken in a really striking way.

This photography style relates to my vision because it does not look at a large area, but a small part of it, like a memory where you only remember the specific parts that matter to you. By isolating specific lines or shapes, they resemble memories of a place. I will adapt to this style by focusing on lines that stand out behind a background, and I think that this artist inspires me because he is able to look at small details and turn them into an art of their own.

One Image Analysis

I chose this image because it uses shadows in an interesting way that requires a very certain kind of sunlight to occur. I found the angle of the photo unusual as it’s not really aligning with the walls but with the shadows in the picture. There is also a significant amount of the ground photographed, rather than a balanced proportion. I think the formal element most important in the photograph is line because it is the most prominent effect created by the shadows. The lines create a pattern-like visual across the walls, repeating in all sorts of different directions and lengths. There are vertical and horizontal lines that change in direction depending on the wall surface that it is reflected on.

 

 

The title of this project will be “Ephemeral Moments”. The theme I want to explore will be the impermanence of things and how they remind us to cherish what is around us. The message of my triptych is appreciating small moments and staying in the present. 798 was a sprawling industrial complex in the 1960s to 1980s, and even though it’s been turned into an art district now, much of the factories still remain as memories. I want my audience to feel happiness and tranquilness from the beauty of the pictures, but also acknowledge that things in life are fleeting and could turn soon into a memory just like 798’s factory days. However, I don’t want them to feel downhearted about the fact that it will not last forever, but rather to feel like the impermanence allows them to be more capable of admiring and feeling grateful for the moment. For inspiration, I would like to try to find a photographer who explores the use of shadows and out-of-focus elements. Shadows are temporary because they rely on the sun’s movement, and pictures that are out-of-focus resemble memories which cannot be remembered as clearly anymore. In my opinion, these momentary moments should be treasured and can teach us a bigger lesson about life.

Abstraction Mind Map

 

In this photograph Peripheral Vision, Uta Barth might have been interested in capturing the sunlight, the colors, and the shape of the window. At first glance, the key subject of the photo is the shape of the window that is cast onto the wall by sunlight. The sunlight also lands on the sofa, which shows a variety of colors from where it is light and where it is dark. Although the entire picture is one color of yellow, the different tones make it visually appealing and more interesting.

Uta Barth | Peripheral Vision

If I had been the photographer of the photo, I would have given it the title of “Through Yellow Lens”, because it seems like the photographer had specifically manipulated this shot to be entirely yellow. It would be uncommon to see a living room painted yellow and fitted with a yellow couch, so the idea of ‘through the lens’ could represent the idea that the photographer had invited the viewer to put on glasses or lens that would cause everything to turn yellow.

Uta Barth masterfully uses the formal elements of photography as demonstrated with this photograph. Since the entire photo is yellow, her use of tones is what differentiates between the different subjects and their background. She is able to manipulate the shades of yellow using the sunlight, with how the sun casting on the sofa creates areas that are bright, and how the shadow creates areas that are darker. Furthermore, the sunlight coming through the window projects different shapes and lines onto the subjects in a way that gives them depth. The diagonal lines lead the viewer’s focus to the sofa, so even though it occupies so little of the image, it can still be seen as a point of focus. The window gives the photograph space to breathe, because amidst the yellowness of the image which could be suffocating at times, it acts as a reminder of the outside world and of nature.

“Uta Barth: Peripheral Vision.” Getty Museum, www.getty.edu/art/exhibitions/barth.