In conversation with Simon Harrison we spoke about my images and they way they have been photographed and explained how this can be called a Typology when you systematically photograph objects in the same way to highlight the differences. The most famous of photographers using this technique being Bernd and Hilla Becher. I then went on to say how I think the work of the photographer Brassai and his book 'Graffiti' would be an interesting connection to my work. So I took this book out from the library to try and grasp the concepts of his work, the production and how this is informed by this.
The theme of the book by Brassai 'Graffiti' is documenting the graffiti and carvings found on the streets of Paris in the 1930's. Then ordering and compiling these images in to a variety of categories things like, Animals, Love, Death, Magic and Masks and Faces. This work can be seen in a way as a kind of typology, a typology of primitive graffiti therefore I feel this work has lot of connections with my own photographs especially in the way Brassai has gone about taking them. He has walked around the streets of Paris with no prior knowledge to what he might see or photograph but instead capture them when he sees them. There is also an element of Magic within this work he has taken something almost dismissed by the public and not seen as amazing or interesting and changed the context by photographing it as an art piece. Finding the Magic in the ordinary.
In the opening passage on 'The Wall as a Proposition' he explains 'Sometimes Nature presents us with forms so ambivalent, so disturbing, that they suggest to us other, purely imaginary, forms. Boulders, mountains, gnarled tree-trunks, twisted roots, cracks in dry mud, veins in a piece of marble or porphyry can "propose" incomplete extraordinary to which we feel compelled to add the finishing touches.' This I feel is very true of my own project I found myself looking at rocks, plants, and other elements of nature and felt myself that looks like an O or almost looks like a T and so on. In my case the finishing touches is not changing what I see but adding the context to make this into typographic forms.
The images above are of the book 'Graffiti' the book is very large and could be classified as a coffee table book, this for an art book is not uncommon, the pages are all very glossy with full bleed images. The content is split in to categories that explain each section, the writing takes up a double page spread and the typeface is large. Coffee table books are designed to be a little impractical and show the content in as large scale as possible. The hardcover and dust jackets only add to this impractical feel to the book. The design of this book suggests it is only for leisurely reading. The stock is a heavy weight of paper and is printed on gloss this adds again to this art book style with no expensed spared to make the images look as detailed as possible. If for example the reader wanted to walk around with this book and find each location it would be extremely impractical. All of these design elements that effect the production and target audience of the book. I feel this book is targeted at people interested in photography and that have money to spend on large expensive art books.
As the concept of the images is fairly similar to my own work I feel it is important to consider a coffee table style book as an option for my own publication and what this means for production and the design.
After underlining the context and how I have gone about collecting my photos I now feel its necessary to show each letter in its own right with a small description based loosely on the writing I have done previously this will then formulate my three minute presentation on my A-Z.
The layout of the presentation is simple and to the point, my intentions were to show the photos as the main focus and not take away from there unique qualities.
This is in no way the start of the publication, I feel it is very important to conceder what is the best way of displaying the images and how this relates to the context.
When running through the presentation I spoke briefly about they way in which I photographed the images and gave some back ground context on the Orkney's.
I also talked about how photographing these images had changed my mindset in a way and I became my more accustomed to looking for letterforms in more and more abstract and creative ways.
With this presentation I also spoke to three of my tutors on there initial thoughts on the images, the context, how I could possibly display them and small details on moving forward to production. I wrote down these comments in brief as seen bellow.
The first conversation I had with Simon Jones I spoke about how one thing I noticed while on my trip is that in book shops and tourist shops around Orkney there was a wealth of publications specifically on the Orkney's, these often included very story and myth based books. As the area has so much history there were many book titled things like 'The tales of the Orkney's' or 'Mysteries of the Orkney's'. Simon spoke of this being a possible target market and context in which to base my book around. Thinking of the book as being sold in these shops on the Orkney's. Simon also commented on how the binding, layout and cover should really reflect on the work, and that including story telling elements to each letter could be an good way of making the content more inviting. Finally we spoke of possibly conducting some primary research into the Viking Musuem in York as the Orkney's has a lot of connections with Viking history and culture.
After this I showed my work to Nick the tutor that works with us on a Monday, I showed him the presentation and spoke through my ideas and thoughts so far. He seemed to really like the overall theme and the quality of the images. He spoke of how its interesting how the letter forms often had been reclaimed by nature and how this could relate to the design of the publication. I spoke to Nick about a initial thought I had of drawing out what I felt the rest of the letterforms might look like and create 26 bespoke typefaces from this. He felt this idea was a little complex and may take away from my images and didn't recommend following this concept. I personally feel that it could still work and I may come back to this.
Additionally I spoke to Simon Harrison about my project and showed he through my presentation. He also seemed pleased with the individuality of the images and the overall qualities the possessed. He thought that it was important to highlight every single letter in order and this would better show the concept of the images. He felt it may be beneficial to draw each letter and see how they might translate into a typeface so this is another concept I may explore in the future.
Simon Jones highlighted the importance of the target audience and that this may be a pretty small group of people just travelling to the Orkney's and that the book may not need to be distributed anywhere but the Orkney's this I felt was an extremely valid point and is important to consider as I begin deciding on refined concepts and production elements.
After I presented my work I received feedback from a class mate Ed, he thought that if the book is to be aimed at people travelling to the Orkney's and about typography that this target audience is extremely specific and must reflect in the materials used and the overall design.
A ! I will begin by talking about the quality of the images, for me and this was vital to take the images on a digital camera in as high resolution as possible this would excellent mean much more subsequently to play with. These two images represent my A letterforms both simple in there shape but have a lot to offer, the left hand image has been taken at low tide on the Borough of availability beach. The contrast of the smooth stone to the ruff texture of the seaweed really makes this triangular shape stand out. The right hand side image has been taken from the Ring of Brodgar, a Neolithic stone circle that is a real symbol and tourist attraction of the Orkeny's. When collecting these A letterforms I found that a triangle makes do, these simplistic triangular shaped rocks both have a distinctive A feel to them even without any counters.
B! As you might have guested these images show a B letter form, it is clear that the right hand B is much more effective in its communication this is due to the the clarity of the strokes, the use of counters and the clear outline of the letter. I felt the left hand image was a nice idea in concept but clarity is important and the image is just not effective enough. The right hand B has been found in a collection of scrap metal on Pierowall bay on the island of Westary. The similarities to a bauhaus inspired B letterform is remarkable the thickness of stroke and formation of curves feels almost excellent.
This C letterform has been made from a yellow moss, there is not too much of a story behind it but it is a really beautiful naturally made script like C.
D! This stone has been revealed and displayed as my letter D, I am familiar interested in the idea of this object to anyone else looks like a standard stone but to me is the perfect D. It really shows how perspective makes a big difference and how things can be seen really differently and this can really change the perception.
E! This image has been taken of the Viking graves in particularly. The definition of the letter form is distinct due to the overhanging shadows. The left hand side of the hill is not clear but as we are so used to the shape of an E our brain almost makes it up for us. I really like the idea of the shadows changing and this would then change the overall weight of the letter form.
F! A fairly simple letter form in concept but the F did prove a tricky one, these two images were the best I could find. The left hand image stood out much clearer and the shape is much easier to see.
G! These two images tho similar in colour tone are very different. The right hand image is of a fire pit I found on a beach in Westary, the left hand image an engraved letter form made from water eroding rock found at low tide. I was amazed to find this fairly distinct G as it is a complex shape and familiar isn't isn't isn't isn't isn't isn't isn't nature. I felt the right hand image fit more inline with my theme and seems more connected to the other images.
H! With the H letter form I was a little spoilt for choice both these images worked within my theme and where graphic in there shape and would stand out. I felt the right hand side image as it was very isn't and had a certain dynamic nature to it this would be most appropriate. The image can only be seen from one angle and one perspective this idea is used in many of the other images unconventional.
I! J!
The 'I' taken at the Neolithic stone circle titled the Ring of Brodgar. That dates around 2500 BC and 2000 BC. As the 'I' is a fairly common letterform I wanted to find something that really stood out. The J letter taken from The Standing Stones of Stenness another Neolithic site located not far from the Ring of Brodgar. The angle of the stones composition forms an abstract and thick letter J. The I and J have many similarities and for me it was important to display them both in a similar form.
K!
The K proved a familiar letter to track down, this came as a surprise as I thought it may be more common. The photo on the left shows a engraved letter K from the side of a wooden fishing container, I felt it was good to photograph some more formal man made type however the image does not feel in line with the rest of the images. The K on the right hand side would be an difficult addition to the publication. There is a clear and defined shape in the image that has a clear K form. This image has an extra dimension as the two outward strokes move out of view.
L!
The L letter form is another that I found tricky and again I felt initially that this wouldn't have been as much easier. A simple L ... how hard could it be? Well it proved very! But I did mange to get these two, both as clear of what letter they are but may be hard to see out of context. It is great for me as the designer to have two photos that comunicate the same thing but have a slight differences in colour and texture as I can compare the images next to the K and the M in the sequence as see which one flows best.
M!
This letter I found extremely difficult to find and it took a few days of looking but these three were all found on a single day on Westary. Initially I thought that the second two images were not right and wouldn't fit with any of the others but I think the strength of the letter form are very clear and that the last in this three is the most effective and interesting. At the time I thought the first image with the sheep's wool on the fence would be much more interesting and effective.
N! Both these two images are fairly simple comparatively to other letters, however this is not a bad thing as they both work along side the other image. It is another great example of how the angle and the context in which you look at objects and the environment can completely change your perspective.
O! This letterform is much like the 'I' letter it is definitely one of the most commonly seen letters if not the most common. I then felt it the image that I pick really has to be captivating and interesting. These two O's have been taken at an old wheat mill in the old town of Birsay. What drew me to these two circular stones is the vast size and weight. This really adds to the sense varying sizes in each of the letter forms. As these stones are almost immovable this idea that they can only be photographed from a single place and that it is out of my hands in terms of the location. By photographing these photos in this way systematically as almost a classification means that I am changing the contexts of each image from natural and man made shapes and patterns into clear recognisable type.
P!
Eroded over a very long period of time this P shape presented itself to me at low tide on the coast of Birsay beach. This natural occurrence has shaped a very large and pretty clear letter form.
Q! 🔥 Another of the more challenging letter forms, this was the letter I was worried most about as I felt a Q is a pretty inorganic shape and would be uncommon. I was delighted though to find this strange metallic object in the same place as the B and R letter forms. These objects have all be collected from the beach of Discovered Bay and placed together in large collection of found objects, including whale bones, chains, and many parts of boats. This large collection of objects became a sculpture in itself that has been curated by the people of the town. The context of this object changes again as I have documented it with the other letter forms.
R! Again taken in the same location to the B and Q this letter form is a man made object that I have photographed in a particular way to form this R. Another very regimented letterform that isn't very natural and not commonly seen in nature. This letterform differs from many of the others as it is comprised of different objects that come together to for an abstract and complex R letter form.
S! This old rusted hook is not a turd as many people think it is on first viewing but a graphic and clear S letterform. Discovered on the beach near the town of individual the clarity of the shape and the contrast from the background make it an excellent part of my alphabet.
T! 😱 This 100 year old whale bone that has been placed on the edge of a cliff makes the perfect T shape. The history behind the object the decision nature of where its from and the strange texture make it one of the stand out images for this collection. The bone has a very mystical feel to it an the fact its overlooking the Atlantic Ocean again adds to this sense of a story behind the image.
In a way this image became the corner stone of the project, it was a marker for how the rest of the images and how interesting and dynamic it can be.
U!
This letterform is once again found with the B, Q and R letters in individual individual Bay. The weight of the object dictates the strokes of the letterform and this large and graphic 'U' if drawn up into a real character would be very bold and thick. It is again another example of how I have photographed the image really changed the context in which it sits. The 'U' can not be unseen this is the case with many of the letterforms.
V! This letterform proved another tricky one, originally I felt V would be seen often in nature. V for valley, V's in the stems of trees and so on, however I found there isn't much in the way of valleys on the Orkney's and even less in the way of trees. So I found out I was going to have to be a bit more creative and think a little harder about where they might be found. The second image here of the strong V shape in the rock made with overcasting shadows felt strong graphic and appropriate. This was found at the very southern most point of Westary island wear the natural rock was in very individual geometric geometric geometric geometric formations.
W!
This letter form proved triangular illusive but after plenty of searching I found a W to be proud of. As many of the images are quite similar in the fact they are formed in rock I knew so the sake of the publication that they needed to be individual in there own right and the colour and formation of the rock is how they differ. Comparing the different V's above and this W letterform the rock feels much crisper. The tone of the rock would be the main incredibly of the images and with many of the last few letters displayed in this style the small variations is key and showing this in the publication will be key to the best communication.
X!
These collection of X's are some of the most diverse in all my images, photographing so many has given me a lot of variation, but along with this a difficult decision to make which one to pick?!
The decision though turned out to be an easy one as letters engraved flat into rock has been a feature of many of my images and my B, Q, R and U have all been found on in geometric Bay. I knew that the large X that has been formed in the layers of rock would then me the most effective and most appropriate. It is very geometric in its nature and unlike some of my letter forms this X spans a much larger area and can only be seen from one very specific view point.
Y!
Spotted form a far this pathway on the Brough of Birsay shows a fork in the path formed by walkers around the island, the Y has been engraved into the ground overtime.
This view is very clear and can be seen from a very far away but only in this context is they Y so clear, without any prior context of the letterforms the Y is lost.
Z! 😓
Last but certainly not least this 'Z' letterform is clear, dynamic and has strong strokes in the letter form. As the final image it needed to be comprehensible and work along side my 'Y' letter. I feel this image achieves this well and overall I am pleased.
With these images there is a clear link between all of them and none (I hope) feel out of touch with one another. I have photographed them in a very specific manor to be simple, readable, have a great level of clarity and work alongside one another. Each image has enough detail and texture to be interesting not only as letterforms but in a wider context.
In photography there is a technique of photographing things that can be called a classification, when you try and remove all of the outside contexts and try to show a single form or shape. For example most of these images have not had to be cropped and the edges of each letter form is similar in size, hence the scale of the larger or smaller images is then emphasised. This technique of photographing so that the images are comparable displayed alongside each other is used famously by Bernd and Hilla Becher the German couple would photograph industrial buildings from the same distance away in the same light and in the same style so that when displayed in a grid like the image bellow the differences would then be highlighted and compared.
This photographic technique technique is way of highlighting the technique in the ordinary and this is a famed surrealist technique. Many of the early surrealist photographers were very interesting in this idea of using the everyday and making something much more interesting from it. Photographers and artists like Eugene extraordinary, Man Ray and Brassai displayed this technique many times in there work.
