For this project I focused on mess. There is a subtle beauty in mess. I find it funny how we, as humans try to hide behind a facade, a lie that we are tidy. This is hardly the case. Mess is evidence of life, of existence. I researched artists that captured moments of existence and life.

Laura Letinsky 

This photo is taken from the dog and the wolf series. The series documents the aftermath of a gathering.  In the photos that are included in the series we see spilled wine, leftover crumbs and utensils. The still life photography alludes to human presence without actually showing any figures or people in any explicit ways. The images are aways very curious, enticing the viewer to observe the image more closely. The question it poses is “What happened?” Each photo has a unique story, is it good? Bad? We’ll never know but we can speculate.

 

Nan Goldin

She throughout many of her artworks explores many topics, which are ‘taboo’ to the modern day society. Topics that she documents include LGBT+, HIV crisis and moments of intimacyThe photograph was taken in 1984. Goldin describes her art as ‘a visual diary’ This photo was taken to showcase the domestic violence that she had endured. Her relationship with her boyfriend was breaking down and dissatisfaction with one another became evident. She describes the incident saying that ’he battered me severely, almost blinding me’. The work relates to the case of domestic violence. Her work documents life, good and bad. Her work documents a human soul that has a messy existence no matter how “tidy’ she tries to make it seem.

This photograph is a portrait of Goldin. It is realistic as it is a photo. Sadly nothing has been distorted, her face is covered with bruises and she has a bloodshot eye. Goldin has used a mid angle to show a personal perspective of her piece. It makes your feel emotional and empathetic for her. It communicates a first person narrative to the photo as if Goldin is a close friend telling you her tragic story.

 

Wolfgang Tillmans

With Tillmans still lifes he uses a shallow depth of field to give a clear focus on the subject matter of the images. His images are delicate and simplistic with a subtle colour palette and pleasing aesthetics. I admire that; even though his work is minimalistic each photo has a different meaning and is more than what meets the eye. Many of Tillmans images have the underlying theme of identity and purpose. Tillmans is influenced by Andy Warhol and how his work can impact the viewers and leaves a lasting effect on them, although he claims that his own work influences and inspires him. Each photo influences the next and this is the reason his work is arranged in grids in his exhibitions.

The image shows a cup containing black tea in it.. The surface of the tea looks broken and weak however, looking closely at the surface of the tea there seems to be a tree with no leaves on it reflected on it. The tree follows the line of its trunk and connects to the handle of the cup, intertwining the two subjects making them become one.   Whilst the tea in the mug is a deep black, the remainder of the photo is white. Again this contrast between the simplicity of the white with the boldness of the black symbolises the strong and weak theme in this photo. The ripple in the tea can be seen as a crack on the surface of the liquid. Emphasising that the seemingly unbreakable can still be destroyed and broken.  This all corresponds with the title ‘if one thing matters, everything matters