The Commission- Initial Idea

Initial Idea
My idea for 'The Commission' project is too focus on recycled fashion. I came up with this idea after I researched into statics of waste in Medway, they showed that Recycling in Medway is there biggest problem concerning waste. After researching into recycled clothing, I became interested in how recycling garments can help the environment in many ways as it helps with the problem of mass consumption in the fashion industry. I began to look into photographers/artists that deal with consumerism and consumption, to gain inspiration on how I could represent this in my work. Next I began looking into photographers that use second hand clothing in there work, I became interested in the idea of the clothes telling a story as they once belonged to someone else. I was also interested in how someone had thought they were waste and had given them away. Making an item that someone thinks of as waste into some thing that people desire really appealed to me, so I looked into photographers that take images of waste in a way that makes them seductive and desirable. For my photoshoot I'm going to style a female model in second hand clothing that I have bought from charity shops in the Medway area. My idea is to layer different items of clothing to make a new garment, to represent how upcycling can also be used to recycle fashion. By layering recycled clothing on top of each other represents the mass consumption the fashion industry has because fashion is about the new trends which results in a lot consumerism and therefore waste. I'm going to style the model in dramatic make-up to modernise the idea of wearing second hand clothing. Having a model wear recycled clothing in a fashion photoshoot will raise awareness on how you can still be stylish by wearing second hand clothing.

Lighting plan
For the lighting I wanted there to be no harsh shadows so there was a softness to the picture as it represent an important environmental issue. To keep all of the focus on the clothing I'm going to use a white background as it is the clothing that is making the statement in the image. I found this image on the internet as a lighting reference, I like the softness there is to it and how it looks as if it could be a beauty image from a magazine.

To create lighting similar to this I'm going to use a broncolor with a a large soft box on it to diffuse the lighting. I'm going to position it directly in front of the model pointed slightly down at her so there is no harsh shadows. To stop a harsh shadow forming under the models chin I'm going to use a reflector underneath her face to bounce the light back up. I made a lighting plan using Sylights to show how I would like my lighting to be:

Equipment list for day of shooting:

- Medium format camera (Bronica)

- Colour film

- Tripod

- Sync lead

- Extension lead

- Broncolor light

- Large Softbox

- Reflector

- White background

- Light meter

- Make- up

- Second hand clothing

- Clips (to hold clothing together)

The Commission- Peer Research Task By Sacha Stevenson

 Peer Research Task By Sacha Stevenson

I'm looking into recycling clothing. My idea is to focus on clothing from charity shops and using it to create new clothes that I'm gonna put a model in, so my final image will be a fashion portrait.


Who 
would 
you 
look 
at 
and 
what 
ideas 
can 
you 
take 
from
 those 
photographers/artists 
in 
order
 to 
structure 
the
project?
 


Dan Treacy.

In this series of work, Treacy uses abandoned clothing to construct eerie suits, which he then wears in his life-sized portraits to become Them. Dressing up in the suits for the final portraits, Treacy appears faceless and enveloped, both threatening and vulnerable. Looming out of the black background the figures could be urban warriors or mythical beasts. The effect of these photographs is haunting and uncertain. The processes in this work add new layers and meanings to the idea of the self-portrait.


You could either use secondhand clothing from charity shops or recycling centres to create this 'eerie' models or you could make it more personal to yourself by using old clothing from your wardrobe (Ida Taavitsainen) to add depth to the images.


Ida Taavitsainen.

The background behind this series of photographs comes from the relationship between clothes and memory. The majority of the clothes used have been handed down through generations within the photographers family and therefore became interested in the stories behind the garments.
The research behind this project was sourced from interviewing the old owners of the clothing, gathering the stories of the use of the garment and how it has ended up in the same household generations after it was first bought. By not using models to dress the garments allows the thought of the absence of the previous owners of the clothing allowing the viewer to think about the stories that have come from each garment.

Jeannette Montgomery Barron.

Again, this is similar to the previous photographer Ida Taavitsaineen in the way that the clothing has memories and history behind it creating an in-depth and strong feeling about the images. 
In My Mother's Clothes, Barron creates a poignant and enduring portrait of her late mother through still life images of her cherished clothing, shoes, and personal possessions. As her mother's struggle with Alzheimer's progressed, robbing her of any remembered past, Montgomery Barron began this unique visual album as a way of both sparking her mother's memories, and coping with her own sense of loss. Poetic, riveting, elegant, My Mother's Clothes is part fashion diary, part personal memoir, part loving memorial, and part life celebration.


Miyako Isuichi.

This powerful exhibition features 48 photographs by Ishiuchi Miyako of clothing and accessories left behind be victims of the 1945 atomic bomb at Hiroshima. Unlike the black-and-white images most often associated with Hiroshima, showing devastated landscapes emptied of humanity, Ishiuchi's colour photographs represent her own deeply personal, intimate encounters with the everyday objects that, unlike the people whim the once belonged, continue to exist in the present. These images create a shock factor about them as the clothing photographed is of those who have died in a tragic event. This provides a powerful story to the pictures and possibly allows the viewer to relate to the images if they were somewhat involved or effected by Hiroshima.

David Zimmerman.

His project Last Refuge, in which he photographed piles of clothing and remains from an off-the-grid community. As the economy took its toll on broad swaths of American life, Zimmerman increasingly saw groups of people who had either lost their jobs or houses, and were, as the photographer describes, “increasingly desperate to survive.” These aren’t drifters who might be expected to live a transient lifestyle, he says, but teachers, firefighters, musicians and other blue and white-collar professionals.

In my opinion the images taken should represent the story behind the clothing whether it be from a loss within the family (Jeannette Montgomery Barron) or from a personal experience. The clothing should be that of importance and significance to the photographer to make the story behind the image stronger and more interesting to the viewer.

I would personal shoot the clothing using a medium or large format camera using colour film to obtain full detail of the clothing and shoot it in an environment or location, rather than a studio based image, so that it also relates either to the story behind the clothing or of importance to the photographer, perhaps their childhood bedroom for example if that were to fit the concept. I would play with natural light for the shoot as I feel it would give a nicer effect on the material using a wide angle lens so that the viewer can see the location to the full explaining more about the story behind the image.

To continue the progression of the project I would look further into the specific photographer(s) or artist(s) that have inspired the concept behind the  images to gain a greater understanding of why and how they took there images and gather the relevant items you wish to photographer to begin planning where and how you are going to hang the garments.

The Commission- Recycling in fashion

Fashion Photography

Next I looked into fashion photographers that style there models in second hand clothing. I found these images to be very inspiring as it shows second hand clothing in a way that would appeal to a lot more people as it makes recycled clothing seem desirable by having it included in a fashion shoot. 

Adam Bouska

Photographer Adam Bouska was inspired by 'Green Week' in America and decided to create a fashion shoot that would fit in well with it. He styled his model in recycled materials and then photographed them in a way that looks like they could be from a fashion magazine. The dresses the models are in are made out of old newspapers swell as the background and all of the accessories. Bouska has made using recycling materials in dresses look very fashionable with the way he has made the images into a fashion editorial. The dramatic hair,  makeup and poses makes the clothing very desirable, I was inspired by this as it makes recycled clothing look very fashionable.  

Rory Lewis

Photographer Rory Lewis has used only recycled clothing in this photoshoot. The model is styled in second hand clothing that has been put together in a very fashionable way. By styling the model in this way ignores the fact that they are second hand and makes them seem very new and fashionable.

S magazine- Todd Hiro
Todd Hiro photographed an editorial called 'Call, Chase, Follow' for S magazine, No. 13, Fall/Winter 2011. The editorial is of a female model dressed in vintage clothing and styled in way that makes her look as if she is from another time. She has also been photographed in what looks like a vintage car which also adds to the vintage feel of the images. By using second hand clothing makes recycling fashion trendy and desirable which is a good way to stop mass clothing consumption which will help the environment. The editorial is also printed on recycled photographic paper which adds to the theme of recycling.

Bless
Bless is a clothing company that reuses clothing and other objects to create new items. In there no. 04 series they make bags that can be transformed into other items such as a jacket. Another series called no. 10 is scarves all made out other clothing items, regardless of the price, size or colour of them. Bless have created clothing that has been recycled and up cycled, by doing this will open up recycling to a wider audience and make more people aware of it.

Oyster magazine

In Oyster magazine they re used pictured from old magazines to make an editorial called 'Cut & Paste'. This editorial was made by Maya Villiger and styled by Sasha Kelly. The images have been set out so they look like a collage. This idea recycles fashion as it shows you old trends that you could wear now. The editorial also encourages you to look into second hand clothing for new trends. 

Fashion Shows
I also researched fashion designers who have used 'waste' to create new clothing. 

Junk to Funk 

Junk to Funk is a project by a collection of artists that makes clothing out of items we see as 'waste'. The call there clothing 'Trashion' as it mixes fashion with trash. They're fashion shows make you think differently about waste and they address soiciety's mass consumption habits which makes you think about items you dispose of. By making the clothes visually striking raises awareness about the impact of consumption. The collection is very inspiring as it shows you what solutions could be done for a more sustainable fashion choice. When talking about waste they said:

Imagine a world in which there was no such thing as trash; that everything that we “threw away” was perceived as a valuable resource, used to create something new or as a nutrient for the earth.  What if long-lasting and repairable purchases ruled over cheap prices, durable was more convenient than disposables, and we valued doing stuff instead of buying stuff? Consider that low-impact doesn’t mean sacrifice, but is a means to reclaim our time, money and pursuit of happiness. What if the ultimate measure of coolness was how little you bought, how much you shared and how much you creatively reused?

   

The Sustainable Fashion Show
On the opening day of London fashion week, there was the first every Sustainable fashion show. The fashion consisted of fashion designers such as Vivienne Westwood and Stella McCartney showcasing work that used recycled materials and materials that was ethically fashion. Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, was there at the fashion show he had to say this about it, 'This fashion show proves that eco-fashion and sustainable-chic, which are often associated only with macrobiotic yogurt, hemp skirts and raffia work, can be funny, elegant and commercial'

Martin Maison Margiela 

Fashion designer Martin Maison Margiela creates clothing made out of items many people would consider as waste. By creating beautiful clothing out of 'waste' makes you aware of how many uses it can have and at the moment most of it is being taken to the landfill and is not being recycled. 

Mask Bolero by Maison Martin Margiela, made of latex hair masks..

Shades Of Denim by Maison Martin Margiela

Christopher Raeburn 
Fashion Designer Christopher Raeburn uses unwanted materials to create futuristic clothing. Everything Raeburn uses is recycled which means his clothing is very ethical. He uses redeployed military fabrics as the material is functional and waterproof and because the military has so many warehouses full of the clothing as they have to overproduce there clothing. Raeburn says that giving the clothing 'a new lease of life is very interesting'  I also find this idea very interesting. 

The Commission- Peer Research Task

Peer research task- For Sacha Stevenson, By Sophia Chippett
When speaking to Sacha she told me she was looking into derelict buildings. I think the concept of derelict and abandoned shops should be looked into as I feel it will represent waste in a very effective way as once the subject wasn't seen as waste. I also feel that by looking at abandoned stores will shock the audience as it would make them realise the amount of abandoned stores in the Medway area. The audience will also be able to relate to the pictures as the recession has effected everyone so they would realise what has happened to the shops. First I think research should be done into derelict/ abandoned shops around the Medway area so the shoots can be organise and so you can choice a location that looks the most derelict. 

Who 
would 
you 
look 
at 
and
 what 
ideas 
can 
you
 take
 from
 those 
photographers/artists
 in
order
 to
 structure
 the
 project?

- Photographer on Flickr who is interested in derelict buildings in Medway, can help with choosing locations to shoot at. (http://www.flickr.com/photos/briand36/sets/72157603202906300/) 
- Steffi Klenz, Nummianus, looks into abandoned houses.

- Mark Blundell,  looks at derelict buildings.

- Brian Ulrich, 'Stores that are no more' explores American retail stores that are no more.

- Jane Samuels , 'Samuels Explores abandoned houses, schools, hospitals and asylums, and takes with her a cast of costumed characters. Her team use the suggested narratives found within the buildings to create disconnected, ethereal and often unsettling images, that play with ideas of memory, story-telling and the reclamation by nature of the man-made structures.' 

- Andrew Schneider, abandoned buildings/shops

- John Daniels, Long abandoned corner shop on normal Portsmouth Terraced street.

- Joseph Linaschke, 'Abandoned shop in Duran'

How 
would 
you
 choose 
to 
portray
 the
 concept?

- In a way that almost makes the abandoned shop look 'normal' to show how it has become a normal occurrence to shop's closing down because of the recession we are in.
-  By keeping every photo similar in style similar to the works by Bernd and Hilla Becher as there idea is to 'make families of objects' will create a shock feeling as it will normalise the way shops have been abandoned and closed down.

- By making this work in to a series will emphasise the amount of shops that have been closed down because of the recession.

What
 would
 the 
visual
 elements
 of
 your
 image 
be
 (composition,
objects/subjects
 within
 the
 pictorial
 frame)?
- Take the image from street view to allow the viewer to relate to the images and the buildings. 
- Have the same composition and camera distance for each image similar.
- Include shop door and/or windows to emphasise the fact that the building use to be a shop and wasn't seen as waste but now it is as it has been abandoned. 


What
 would
 be
 your 
visual 
choices 
in
 the 
images 
(focus,
distance,
lighting,
camera 
position
 etc)?
- Wide angle lens to emphasise the size of the abandoned area and to set the location of the image.
- Keep distance and camera position the same in all photo's similar to Bernd and Hilla Becher to emphasise how normal it has become to see shops that have been abandoned. 
- Take the images on an overcast day so they all have a similar feel.

- Show area around the abandoned building to add contrast between the new and old.
- Small aperture to make sure there is a large depth of field so everything is in focus. 


How 
will 
you
 structure
 the
 project,
 prepare
 and
 plan
 the 
visual
 translation
 of
 the 
concept? How
you
 will
 you
 continue
 to
 develop 
the
 project?
- Research into the statistics about abandoned buildings especially shops to see which buildings are most at threat and which could cause the most problems for the area.
- Research into the council making empty shops look fully stocked to question what we see as waste and does it mean that by making a building look like its got items it becomes not abandoned any more and therefore not derelict? (http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Virtually-shops/story-11996867-detail/story.html) 

-Visit locations in Medway that have abandoned shops to see which ones look the most run-down and the most derelict as they would make the pictures look more effective.

 What 
practical
 experimentation
 would
 you
 undertake 
to
 visually
 refine 
the 
concept?
- Visit various locations to see which derelict buildings would look best and take some test shots.
- Visit locations at different times of the day to see when the lighting is best.


 How
 would
 you
 evaluate 
your 
process
 and
 critically 
appraise 
the 
progression
 of
 the
 project? 
- Ask peers for feedback and to see if they can see that the image represents derelict buildings so you know your concept is bought across in your picture. 
- Ask peers if they know anywhere that would be suitable to take images. 


Locations you could look at:
Rochester - Shorts Brothers Seaplane Factory and public air raid shelter (www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/r/rochester/index.html)

 Canal Road in Strood 

Chatham, Theatre Royal

Empty shops that have had virtual treatment to make them look fully stocked– two in Rainham, one in Chatham High Street, one in Strood, two in Parkwood shopping precinct and two in Twydall. 

The Commission- Photographer Research

Photographer Research
I became interested in the idea of using second hand clothing in my work, as recycling fashion is a important part in helping to stop the mass consumption of clothing from shops that cause all of the waste. I decided to look into photographers that have used second hand clothing in there work. I also looked into photographers that archive pieces of clothing. The idea of archiving fashion really appealed to me as it archives the importance of clothing and the role they play in our everyday life. By just photographig the clothing and not the person who owns it leaves you to wonder what they would be like and why was they wearing that particular item.

Ida Taavitsainen

Ida Taavitsainen is an Alumni student at the University for the creative arts. 'The memory of my wardrobe' is a project she made about the relationship between clothes and memory. She became interested in the stories behind her clothing as many of her clothes had belonged to someone else such as family members. She started by interviewing the person who owned the clothes before her to get to know the stories behind them. Taavitsainen became interested in the environmental aspect of the clothes and how they were made to last and how there is an issue with throw away fashion now. The first section of her project is called 'Story telling' and looks at the relationship between the background and the props with the clothing, it also includes text with the images to talk about the relationship and the history. In the second part, 'Absent Bodies' Taavitsainen makes the clothing look almost sculptural as she wants them to look alive and speak in the absence of the person. 

Siru Kivisto

Photographer Siru Kivisto's series called 'Layered Within' looks into fashion and mass consumption. Her images are inspired by Renaissance portraiture and express the relationship between an item of clothing that is no longer a treasured object. She represents this in her work by having the model wear many layers of clothing which adds an awkward feel to her images. Her image plays with contradictions of fashion such as ugliness and beauty, new and old, natural and artificial. I found her work to be really inspiring with how she represents mass consumption by layering the model in lots of clothes which adds a different view to the clothing.

Jeanette Montgomery Barron.
'My mothers clothes' is a series by photographer Jeanette Montgomery Barron. She started taking pictures of her mothers clothes and accessories when her mum became ill with Alzheimer's to help her remember her past. When talking about the project Barron said: 

This project started because my mother had to move from a big house in Virginia where she lived. She had started becoming difficult to manage and she would leave the water running and flood the house or she would get in the car, drive and get lost. So we had to move her, but at home she had this huge closet of clothes and, almost as a part of a daily ritual, she would go in everyday and do a sort of inventory. I didn’t know what she was going to do with all that, so I thought about doing a sort of catalogue or an album of her closet, taking shots of her clothes and putting them all in a scrapbook for her. I live and work in Rome, but I’m often back and forth between the States and Italy, so I put a bunch of clothes in a suitcase, brought them back with me and started taking photographs.

Documenting the clothes in this way almost turns them in to a portrait themselves as they start to represent her mother even after she has gone.

Danny Treacy 

'Them' is a photographic series by Danny Treacy. He creates eerie suits out of abandoned clothing which he wears to become 'Them'. The styling of the clothing makes Treacy look as if he is an urban warrior or an mythical beast as he is faceless which adds an element of fear. 
The dark background looks very threatening and and makes the model look very vulnerable as he is in the centre of it. The subject looks as if he is appearing out of the darkness and coming towards you because of how he is brightly lit in comparison to the background. By using clothing that has been abandoned or recovered adds a eerie feel to the image as Treacy wears the clothing that was once a strangers and becomes 'them'. The idea of using clothes that belonged to someone else really inspired me as it allows you to use your imagination on who they could have belonged to. I also like the intimate feeling the clothing creates in the image as the figures look familiar just because of the clothing they are wearing. 

Melissa Moore 

'Know the edge' is a series of self-portraits made by photographer Melissa Moore in 2004. I was inspired by her work as she uses clothing that is recycled as she uses the clothes of people who have inhabited the spaces. Her images have a very playful feel with the way she positions her self on top of furniture and with the decorations of the rooms. Her work is centred on the exploration of locations through performance in relation to the camera. In every image the whole of her figure is never revealed due to the crop used and with how the clothes conceal her identity. The way her images are staged capture the relationship between body and architecture. 

Riitta Päiväläinen

Riitta Paivalainen creates images of second hand clothing that has been made into sculptural pieces. She collects the clothing from flea markets and chartity shops, the images have a presence of humanity in them even though there is no models. When talking about the series the photographer said :

'Several years ago, an old black dress made of velvet caught my attention in a second-hand shop. I examined the garment carefully. There was no label. The style of the dress was from the twenties. The seams revealed the dress was handmade. The owner of the shop told me that she had bought it in Paris. I tried the dress on and it fitted me perfectly. I became intrigued by the history of the dress. Who was the woman who had had the dress made? What was her life story?'

I like the idea of using second hand clothing in my own work as each piece has a story behind it  which is an advantage compared to store bought clothes. The clothing in the images symbolise the past and the stories of the unknown people who wore the clothing. By capturing the clothing in a natural environment captures the relationship between the fashion industry and nature, this emphasises the effect clothing waste can have on the environment.

Ishiuchi Miyako

This series of work contains forty eight photographs of clothing that was left behind by victims of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima that happened in 1945. The images are very personal as it captures everyday items that once belonged to someone. They also have a very intimate feel because of how the photographer captures items that once belonged to someone and continue to exist in the present. I found this series of work to be very inspiring with how he captures the importance of clothing and how they are very powerful in telling someone about a person.

Miranda July and Harrell Fletcher

Learning to love you more is a website by Miranda July and Harrell Fletcher which asks the public to contribute to assignments that they post on there site. Assignment #55 was to photograph a significant outfit this could be from an important or significant day in your life. The idea was to lay your outfit on the floor including all the accessory's you were wearing. This assignment makes your clothes have an importance which is normally overlooked. 

"What I was wearing the night he and I ended up dancing in the street at 6 AM"

"This is what I was wearing when I gave it all away and I didn't even care."

Hans Peter Feldmann

'All clothes of women' in a series of pictures by Hans Peter Feldmann. The series includes small black and white photos of 71 different pieces of clothes. The owner of the clothing is present through the items which leaves the viewers to wonder who the owner is. This series has an intimate feel because of the way the photographer has taken the trouble of photographing which makes you feel a connection with it. In this series Feldmann has captured everyday life by looking into items that are normally overlooked and don't seem of importance to some people. By taking images of other peoples clothes makes you wonder why he has chosen to photograph that certain piece and why it is of importance.