Artists.

There are a number of artists who's work is extremely important to note within my project, one of the main two are Paul Graham and Robert Frank. I will continue to do more artist influences but at this stage i feel that these are the two i need to reference.

Paul Graham

From the collection "Beyond Hope" 1985 Paul Graham (c)

In the 1980's Graham began a photographic exploration into the departments of health and social security offices throughout England. Grahams images read into the essence of the time with it's high unemployment and hatred for the government. The angst and exhaustion of the public shines through in these images, and it is this style of honest documentary photography that has really influenced my own ideas about my project. The unaware state in which the people are photographed is so interesting, everything about them portrays their feelings at the time. Their facial expressions, posture, it all links into the unjust feeling that Graham was trying to portray. I want to use this approach within my work, i was advised to experiment with subterfuge, to really see behind the doors and the realism of what is there, and my next blog will incorporate these images.

"Beyond Hope" 1985 Paul Graham (c)

Robert Frank

"Gallup, New Mexico" 1955 Robert Frank (c)

After studying Robert Frank's "The Americans" in my first term i became extremely interested in his work. As he traveled America with his family in tow, he wanted to explore the post-war America, and the affect it had had on the people. Real people, lift attendants, waitresses, people on a bus. He wanted to reveal the "real" America, a country who had lost the hope that it had always claimed was buried into their society. Both Frank and Graham have this exposing quality about their work, it is extremely powerful because it is real life. Something that people would not notice walking down the street, both artists pick it up and make a point of it. This is what i want to at least attempt to do, to show that the sad side of life is there, wether we want to acknowledge it or not.