The Fast Dry Project

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bTheFaST Dry ProjectVThe Fast Dry projecthas been a progressive development in thought, idea and concept

throughout. The premise was to bring extra emoon and depth to my images via an

unconvenonal and abstract technique. I wanted to do something that was fresh and in-

novave and outside of the realm of my normal pracce.

Photography on a whole is sll rather new to me. Having only picked up a camera 18

months ago, I am sll geng comfortable with the medium in terms of shoong and

struggle somewhat in condence. This project enabled me to ponder over the many pos-

sibilies obtainable and I can now say I have embraced a new form of understanding; that

photography can encompass so much more and there is a potenal to push boundaries

and create my own form of documentary that feels comfortable to me. Furthermore, Ihave become increasingly aware of how photojournalism and art are becoming more

readily combined and can debatably add newfound gravitas or magnitude to an image.

Doing something that concerned myself with this ideology seemed appealing.

Now to explain the project itself in further detail. For The Fast Dry ProjectI aempted to

ulise the technique of double exposures using a digital camera but with an addional

twist. I have brought an element of self into each image through applicaon of a colour

in the second of the two exposures, each dierent colour representave of my emoon

or mood toward the subject in or of that of the rst exposure. For example, in one image

I have captured a couple sharing a kiss, which is then layered with the colour yellow as

an expression of happiness. In another, I have taken an image of angry protesters dur-

ing a demo and then layered it with a dash of red as a representaon of the general air

of ire and passion in the scene. I feel the unique aspect in all this is through my use of

spray paint; a tangible, analogue medium contrasted/crossed with the digital medium of

photography. When rst contemplang what it was I wanted out this my re-think project,

I envisioned supplying something that accompanied the images. Something extra per-se

to add context and further depth. Each colour seen in the nal set of images is a direct

snapshot of a spray paint mark from the large piece of A2 card. The result on the A2 card

is a direct representaon of all emoons felt and explored, standing alone of the photo-

graphic images and represented as one. My thought was that if ever there be a chance

to exhibit, having something more than photographs may also be an aracve, unique

feature or selling point which compliments the body of work.

b Exploration and production

Since exploring photography in further depth and increasing my awareness of other pho-

tographers and their pracce, I have become aracted to those that combine other prac-

cal mediums as a means to enforce a message or visual aracveness alone. For example,

Maurizio Anzeri, whose prints I rst saw at the 20 Years of Dazed and Confused Magazine

exhibion, Somerset House (2012) was of inspiraon to me. Maurizio Anzeri is an Italian

arst who turns vintage photographs into canvases. Using dierent coloured threads, he

traces portraits with stches and transforms ghost like images into eye catching, intricatedesigns. (Cook, 2011).


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Bernard, Giovanni and Barnaba. Embroidery on print.

Maurizio Anzeri (2010)


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I was also keen to make colour the crux of the project. The idea to correlate image colour

with my moods was something Id had at the back of my mind for some me so took the

chance to think further expand on this. I believe myself to be hypersensive to emoons

and circumstances so building this into a body of photography felt like something worthy

of exploring.

An image fromAdam Broomberg and Ollie Chanarins collecon, People in TroubleLaughing Pushed to the Ground, resonated with me.

Polical 1 sheet 19, People in Trouble Laughing Pushed to the Ground, 2010.

Although the concept behind the duos photographic set is very dierent they looked

at a picture archive in Belfast and analysed the coloured dots and marks that appeared,

denoted in the formal eding process the impact, the emoons aroused and tensions

that are stresses was the eect I wanted to bring to my own work.

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Ideally, I wanted to move away from working digitally; I nd working with analogue to be

parcularly therapeuc and of a slower, more thought provoking pace. I quesoned how I

could manipulate lm to induce colour, ie, burning the negave or exposing it to light but

aer looking online at the results others had achieved, I felt the outcome to be too ran-

dom, which was not what I wanted. Id wondered also about applying a colour cast over

an enre image and how this could be achieved. I asked some of my peers and the conclu-

sion we came to is that this could be done in the colour darkroom but the technicalies

were far beyond any of our knowledge and perhaps be too ambious for this moment in

me. In addion, I was not even convinced an all over colour was what I desired and was

sll keen to explore other opons.


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Ironically, in the process of researching, I came across a photographer who is actually

using this technique already. David Benjamin Sherry, whos work is currently on

exhibion at the Saatchi Gallerys Out of Focus: Photography, casts colours at exposure or

later during prinng, with the kind of colour and cast dependant on his mood. Stumbling

upon his collecon was both encouraging but frustrang; a disnct reminder many ideas

have been done before but that theres room for reinvenon.

All Maerings Of Mind Equal One Violet

Hyperborealis

Lemurian Morning Wood. All David Benjamin Sherry, 2011.


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I concluded that the results didnt show the colours strong enough, nor were the results

were sasfactory reliable. I opted to sck with digital.

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At this point I began to research colour psychology to get an idea of which feelings were

supposedly related to what colours but found opinions varied.

While percepons of color are somewhat subjecve, there are some color eects that

have universal meaning. Colors in the red area of the color spectrum are known as warm

colors and include red, orange and yellow. These warm colors evoke emoons ranging

from feelings of warmth and comfort to feelings of anger and hoslity. Colors on the blue

side of the spectrum are known as cool colors and include blue, purple and green. These

colors are oen described as calm, but can also call to mind feelings of sadness or indier-

ence. (Cherry, 2012)

Ulmately I drew up my own set of colour codes:

RED Passion, anger, ire, brutality.

YELLOW Love, happiness, joy, humour.

GREEN Intellect, prosperity, creavity, wealth.

LIGHT BLUE Calm, peace, serenity.

DARK BLUE Sadness, confusion, alienaon.

And so I set to work, sll at this point experimenng (my Dad is a great sport!)


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Next I took to the streets; here were some shots I took whilst out and about. I carried the marked pieces of paper

round with me (pictured before) to see how realisc the possibility was to double expose on the spot. Id hoped to

conduct the enre process in a guerrilla style fashion whereby I carried my large A2 card (or ideally a large canvas),

took a photo of something, then marked the canvas immediately and took the second exposure. This, I felt, would

add to the authencity of the process and be an immediate depicon of emoon from that moment. What I found

however, was that this is quite simply highly impraccal and inconvenient. Note, colours codes somehwat irrelevant

here.


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b Achieving the nal resultBy way of somewhat failure, what came next was an intent understanding that I needed to have a beer, more solid

plan by way of a shot list. This itself caused me to re-think my pracce as a whole so as not to work with such haste.

To stop and think a bit more, to consider the imagery and message I am trying to convey.

As a result, I drew up a list of places to go in and in turn was direct and strategic in the shots I desired. Whats includ-

ed in my nal set of images adhere to the list I drew up. The only dierence is that I had planned to include images

of landscapes for the light blue colour. However, once I began piecing the project together, the images did not work

as part of the collecon and so I opted to omit them.

Over the re-think period, I collected these images and admingly ended up having to delve into my own photo-

graphic archive for images to use such as the demo shots. I felt there was no way I could have found some of these

in me and they were too specic in type. This is the kind of imagery I could acquire over the course of my photo-

graphic career with less me constraints.

The images I decided to use all put onto my CF card, which was then put in my camera. I would double expose one

picture at a me, marking the A2 card with spray paint as I made my way through the set.

Connue to the set


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Anarchy.


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Summer solstice.


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Te Saatchi Gallery.


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Where a homeless person sleeps.


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A used gas canister red by Greek police during a demo.


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Father and child.


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V is or Vendetta.


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Rush hour. Victoria Station.


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Te raising o batons, London.


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In a world o their own.


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Refecting on the Brixton Riots.


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ur wars, SE26.

A teenager was chased through a park in South-East London and killed

when he was stabbed with a knie, which pierced his heart. - BBC, 2011.


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b Conclusion

I am conscious now o how there is little punch to the images as a set; the subjects simply arent strongenough. I would have liked to have produced something more controversial and hard hitting, more thoughtprovoking, but alas I ear I was sidetracked by the technicalities o the project than the story or message itsel.Coming to acknowledge this has been, I believe, part o the lesson and learning curve. I see now that toooen I am hung up on the technical practice and so the main point, the narrative, suers. I have taken romthis to be more confdent in my ability at a competent photographer and instead ocus on strengthening mysubject matter.

I intend to peruse this project urther and take it to the next level, my aim being to use the same concept butadd political context. I believe the methodology itsel to be good, but needs development. Finding appropri-ate photos is something I will work on over a long period o time and could be an ongoing task whilst work-ing in the feld.I aim to get stronger rames, stronger subject matters and overall strengthen the set as a whole.

b Synopsis (idealistically!)

Te Fast Dry Project is a creative collaboration o mediums that explores and evokes emotions within animage. Using double exposures and armed with spray paint, photographer Mary Stamm-Clarke attempts to

depict the eelings in a moment in a guerilla-like style. Each colour is a mark to capture the overall emotionand all marks are seen as one on the accompanying A2 canvas.Via the images, one is taken on a journey o happiness to sadness, anger to calm, urging the viewer to thinkabout what it is they personally might eel toward that moment and perhaps challenge the photographersinterpretation.

(Supplied with project)


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b References

20 Years o Dazed & Conused Magazine Somerset House. Somerset House, Strand, London, WC2R 1LA.[exhibition] 4 November 2011 - 29 January 2012

Barnbaum, Bruce. (2010). Te Art o Photography: An Approach to Personal Expression. [book] Santa Bar-bara, CA: Rocky Nook Publishing

Broomberg, Adam and Chanarin, Ollie. (2012). People in rouble Laughing Pushed to the Ground. [online]http://www.paradiserow.com/exhibitions/50/

Cherry, Kenda. (2012). Color PsychologyHow Colors Impact Moods, Feelings, and Behaviours. [online] Available at:http://psychology.about.com/od/sensationandperception/a/colorpsych.htm

Heinrich, Christoph. (1998). Emotions and Relations Foto Series. [book] Berlin: aschen GmbH

Hirsch, Robert. (2011). Exploring Color Photography Fih Edition: From Film to Pixels, 5th Edition. [book]

Waltham: Focal Press

Out o Focus Photography Saatchi Gallery. Kings Road, London, SW3 4RY. [exhibition] 25 April 22 July2012

Saatchi Gallery (2012) Selected Works by David Benjamin Sherry. [online] http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/david_benjamin_sherry.htm?section_name=photography

Wright, Angela. (1998). Te beginners guide to colour psychology. [book] London : Colour Aects LD.

Yatzer. (2011). Te Embroidered Secrets o Maurizio Anzeri. [online] http://www.yatzer.com/Te-embroi-dered-secrets-o-Maurizio-Anzeri

Documents

The Fast Dry Project