Assignment 5: Creep

Theme: Creep
One subject, three intentions: Realistic, formalistic and expressionistic interpretation.

Be it creeping vines, an irritating/elusive/scary individual or a state of mind, Creep to me has a negative connotation. For this assignment, I wanted to show how changes around us usually sneaks up on us slowly, often without us noticing.

Decided to shoot around the Telok Blangah area as it was an old estate. Managed to get some shots that suited my intentions. I decided to colour treat the photos so the huge amount of green will not be overwhelming. Instead, creating the impression that while colours are absent, their presence is still felt. Wanted to create the “i can’t see it, but i can feel it” illusion often associated with creep.

Below are my three photos presented.

Realism

This is a realistic shot of the estate sign located at the traffic crossing.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Blangah Court.

Formalism

Algae was smothering the entire tiled monument. This shot is a close up of some of the tiles. The very basic thing that the monument is made of. The form of the monument.

Expressionism

While I set out trying to portray how decay and rot creep up on us slowly but surely, a small plant at the monument caught my eye. And for my expressionistic shot, I chose to end with a somewhat optimistic shot. I wanted to portray that amongst adversity, life still triumphs. Just like how decay and rot can sneak up on us, life can creep up on us too.

I showed the photos to some of my friends and some one read the last shot differently. Man marks his territory by placing a monument there. Yet, nature claims it back eventually by wearing the monument out. Nature has time on its hand. It may take centuries, but eventually it will reclaim everything.
And so, the little plant seems like Mother Nature’s mocking and cheeky retort with the finger flashing.

Critique
Was the first up for presentation and took quite a bit of heat from Mr Reddy. No no no, it’s not like I did something wrong, but we were trying to set the direction for the session and I happen to be the designated collateral damage. (:

One lesson learn was that there can never be images that fall cleanly, irrefutably into realism, formalism and expressionism. (in my opinion, realism is just theoretical, by looking through a view finder and subsequently capturing it, realism is no longer there. Insofar as to say that every image is captured through someone’s lens- their point of view. And the same goes for film, journalism and how we look at people around us) Coupled that with the fact that our audience are not monolithic and we get…. a migraine. Hahah.

Just joking. (:

In my case, by choosing to colour treat all three images. They already have a certain degree of expressionism embedded in them. Other than that, I guess this assignment went rather well. Most of my tutorial mates agreed that the photos were generally clear in expressing the theme appropriately. Being selected for display came as an unexpected surprise. It was pleasant nonetheless. Thanks Natalie for your support!

Self and Peer Appraisal
I felt that Paul, Ivy and Jillyn presented the three most interesting sets this week. Paul’s cemetary shots were true to his style. Dramatic and breathtaking. Ivy’s shots of the wall graffiti were vocal manifestations of her strong concepts as usual. Jillyn’s work would have been the best. But her comments that she shifted the snail kind of gnaws at the back of my head.

With that, Paul and Ivy gets full marks from me! Jillyn gets 99.9! (:
In comparison, I would rate my work 97/100 (47 for creativity and 50 for effort).
Other great works this week includes Steph’s, Mei mei’s and Jasmine’s. Check them out yah?
Do feel free to comment! Thanks!!!!

Attached is one of the photo sans photoshop…

~ by crankymike on October 15, 2007.