Why I chose 'Burning'

I chose 'Something to Bear and Behold - Burning' amongst a list of other captivating images and photographs because it was the only one that completely intrigued me and made me want to know more. One day I went and sat in a lecture given by photographer Bill Henson, this year in the National Gallery of Victoria. He said something along the lines of 'you know an artwork has done its job when you leave with more questions than you came with'. Those words have had a profound effect on me and have made me want to question photographs and artworks even further than the 'how did they do it' stage. When I first saw 'Burning' in class I was almost taken back; I loved how Jill Orr conveyed her concerns for the environment through performance art. I truly feel like her work makes you wonder and reflect on your own carbon footprint by capturing your attention using the juxtaposition of fire and ice. Her way of staying true to her concepts and passions has inspired me for my own work, of course, and makes me want to think more outside the box that photography can sometimes put us in.

Major Project no. 2

Major Project no. 1

For my major project this year I chose to explore how young adults, mainly females, sometimes fear fading away and being forgotten. I wanted to create a scene where the audience could feel the disconnection displayed by the young women, perhaps sympathise with them. I found a way to put my own flair within the series by creating a double exposure effect, playing with the literal sense of fading away. This work is still in its shooting and editing stages but I believe with drive and passion I'll be able to create a series I can be proud of. Artists such as Jill Orr, Bill Henson, Samantha Everton and Gregory Crewdson truly inspire me due to their dedication to their concepts and their endless abilities to keep me curious. One day I would like to have my work displayed in an art gallery just as they have. I look forward to the day where people from all over the world can view my prints and come away more curious and more opinionated then they had been before. I truly admire Jill Orr’s performance artwork because she isn’t afraid to try something new, take risks and clearly and queerly portray her conceptions to the viewers.

St. Kilda - My Photograph

What I also admired from Orr’s work was her aptitude to working with the environment. She inspired me not just to think of the environment as an ordinary landscape waiting to be photographed but of a place with hidden meanings and importance behind every ripple and grain. I haven’t had  much experience in photography so when I came across her work, I was immediately captivated by the elements used and I admired how she was able to draw my attention away from the print and pull me into the environment. Perhaps one day my imagery will go from peering through an open window to stepping through a door and really enveloping oneself within the scene.