Studio work

Abstract

Seeing the visible through the invisible explorer

Suburban space has allowed me to become invisible due to its failures in concept. Creating opportunities to become an explorer without affecting the subjects through the use of the camera. Allowing a truer photographic documentation on life in suburban space through the visible medium. Discussions on photography about the impact the “camera” has on the subject has been very important subject among the development in fine art photography, in the use of this exploration we can find what the impact is when invisibility of the camera is taking place in space, where it further examines and compares similar works from “New Topographics” and how other photographers document suburban space compared to this investigation on the invisibility of the viewers impact the visible subjects through solid and void spaces. The investigation takes place during evening hours, as the population, and lifestyles adopted by the concept of suburbia creates the highest concentration of people in the area which allows more chance of events in this region. Furthermore allows myself to blend into the space, and see what I will encounter during my journey through the late nights in suburbia.

Studio Progress

The past few weeks were terrible, as the weather didn't allow me to shoot on location, and I have finally found one night where I can start to explore again.

Progress dealing with weather

The only person I have seen during my exploration. I look at this image and thought to myself, "am I invisible to him?" and does my visibility matter? I think that our culture has changed to a more inclusive community while looking around spaces, and reflecting on my upbringing, there are a lot more fencing, and barriers to see living things. we hardly socialize with people anymore, as we have technology to do that for us. I think the built environments we use today have separated us socially, here is an image I felt reflected this feeling of separation.

Our built environment has hidden due to our society and obsession with property and ownership, they there is clear separation between everything. I think that is how humans have created areas where they can be safe and invisible. However I feel that the light then brings back visibility of something living, the light allows us to imagine life, and ctivities inside those houses.

A reflection

While reflecting on my progress, and my studio works, I had to step back and ask myself "what does my work say?" I felt that was I was capturing is not the invisibility of space, but the visible story inside the image. I am drawn to the suburban space where there is no sight in human activity yet, I still feel the presence of them even when I am not present. When we talk about photography, in terms of street photography, we always ask does the subject realize the visibility of the photographer, and how does our presence affect the outcome of the image. Why does street photographers alway strive to capture images where the subject is not aware? They would say that by being invisible is when we actually see the truth of something, if we are visible, they pose for us, and it alters the essence of what the photographers what is the "decisive moment". I think in my work, I look for something that I am trying to find, I am exploring space and activities, yet I feel I am still lost, but I know I can find something that I find meaningful, as I enjoy walking around at night finding new things to see and capture.

Presence of the photographer in the unknown

I have been going around suburban spaces this week, and I came across a very interesting debate with myself. I saw my shadow in the photograph, and asked myself "do I leave it in, or try to avoid myself in the photograph?" Does the shadow even matter? I read about the photograph representing the presence of the photographer even without himself being inside the photo. I also ask myself does the existence of myself activate the space? Since I have a background in architecture, I have a strong school of thought about space activation, while studying this particular book "Bernard Tschumi event cities" this book explains how space create is not alive without the human to activate it.

I find the presence of me the photographer, creating this image, which then activates the space even without having myself inside the photograph.

I look at this image, and I feel myself inside even though I am not present, since this space is empty without light to guide us anywhere, or any sorts of human activity, I still feel myself in the space. I think that I want the audience to feel the same space, and printing it rather large could captivate the audience into feeling the suburban space.

Furthermore, I will be looking into the presence of myself as the invisible visible subject, taking my work into the extreme, and see what I am able to explore.

What am I thinking

Thinking about invisibility and visibility, I went out and captured some images for my research on the relationship between the person and space. I wanted to see what becomes dominant and what isn't.

Looking at this image of the void, we start to look for traces of human activity instead of the natural surroundings. It could be the way I shot the image, or we could be trained to look for human activity. The car becomes the main object of the space, and then the light which cast on the tree. Even without the human subject, we still apply ourselves into the image, and not looking at the void.

My second attempt was to apply a human figure into the image, however, when I look at this image the figure still does not attract my attention, but the remanence of human activity inside the house. I am drawn to the obscurity of the house, and the dark spaces it is surrounded by. I find that space become increasingly visible even when they are present, and I think this is because of our curiosity to find or to explore what is unknown.

I am very drawn to this image due to the fact, and I am very interested in the absence of an image than the presence of something tangible. The present of a person is less important when they are present. I feel that the absence of a person actually makes the person more visible through the invisible.

Proposal

My project proposal is works which I have been working on for the past year. My project is about the suburban landscape at night where space is most occupied, however, while documenting this space, I realized that the space I am in is populated the most, but yet I see no one on the streets. I would like to explore aspects of the invisible space in the suburbs, but capturing remnants or evidence of human activity. This Space is changing rapidly, as the suburban space is changing drastically due to the rise in property prices around greater Vancouver, It would be my interest and curiosity to document and study these spaces before they are transformed into condo's, or townhouses. I am greatly inspired by Todd Hido's work and his series of house photographs, as well as looking into a book called New Topographics.

http://www.americansuburbx.com/2009/09/theory-todd-hido-art-of-darkness.html

© copyright Todd Hido http://www.toddhido.com