Research into short films

After gathering back my surveys/questionnaires I have started to think about how I choose to construct my short films that could end up being exhibited as part as my final installation in the end of year show. I have started by looking into some of Tracey Emin's short films however they are proving hard to get hold of on the internet. One that I have managed to view is 'Why I never became a Dancer' (1995). The six minute long film uses Emin's hometown of Margate as the main subject of her film, along with a voice over that she speaks in a exceptionally melancholy tone throughout. For the last minute or so of the film Emin dances, in a large bare room with wooden floors and white walls, she's casually dressed, and appears care free, its at this point that it becomes apparent that the film is a kick in the teeth to those who held her back, ruined her innocence, or humiliated her. The film is well thought out and equally well put together, keeping a simple, almost slap dash style with nothing really making sense for the first section until you reach the revilement of the traumatic dance competition and as she remembers running out of the club and down to the sea, the camera is going down some steps to the sea, this is the first time that the visuals and the audio really connect fully, capturing the viewers emotions in that split second as you feel almost as if you are Emin running away. Empowered. Thrilled. Humiliated. Slow motion has been used at the end of the film, as Emin lets loose, this is an effect that can be used very easily and yet achieves great outcomes if used effectively. #I have thought about using such effects however, I want to make the films more focused on the audio rather than the visuals, 'Why I never became a Dancer' has inspired me to have voice overs, of possibly people reading old diary entries, or quotes/sayings that they know of or hold some importance to them. I have been troweling through the White Cube's website and have found stills from Emins film called 'Convocation with my Mum'(2001). These have interested me to possibly just use stills to accompany the audio, just one still to represent the interview, possibly just two chairs, a pen and paper? Or a 360 view of the room I interview each person in, just repeatedly going around and around the room on a loop in slow motion, also possibly in black and white to really dull the imagery down to again re-in-store all attention on the audio. 

Here is a link to 'Why I never became a Dancer'(1995)
http://vimeo.com/50952350
And below are the stills from 'Convocation with my Mum' (2001)

Stitching experiments

I have used quotes from my gramp to work the subject for these experiments, I used a sewing machine and lined paper to create some varied samples. At first there were some struggles such as the machine tearing the paper or the tension not being correct and ending up with really loose stitches, that made no solid lines, making the words unreadable. 

'I just want Lorraine' 

Black cotton with the ends not cut off. 

'Where is Jamie then?' 

Black cotton with the ends not cut off.

'Why do you have orange nails' 

Black cotton, with no ends attached.

Close up of stitching.

I think that the samples that have no ends of the thread attached are clearer to read however I think that the lines need to be thicker so the text stands out more.

Gramp

These photographs were taken whilst gramp was having his clothes changed, they have provoked thoughts that I didn't want to have however I think pushing the boundaries sometimes helps you cope with things. These photos also have made me want to explore empty space, how can emptiness represent a person or a memory or possibly loss of memory? 

Mshed Bristol

The Mshed is a meuseum in Bristols city centre all about the history of the place and the people of Bristol. I went on a visit to the meuseum to get an insight of people's memories of Bristol at different points of history, I was able to walk through time, exploring the war, revolutions and people evolving into today's world... I was able to see textile pieces as well as old buses, air raid shelters and old homes, even diaries!

This was an embroidered piece done by women fighting for their rights in Bristol, with their signatures embedded onto the peice of cloth.

I watched a short documentary on Bristols St. Paul's carnival and what it meant to individuals as they shared their memories. 

There were several artifacts from the past that recorded people's lives. 

 Original uniforms were exhibited behind original photographs which has inspired me to think about how I could present peoples possessions in the final exhibition.

We even got to dress up!

Family trees are also a great presentation method that I will look into.

And finally a trip on an old bus, quite freaky actually, it smelt stale and was scarily untouched.

Gramp

Yesterday gramp's main concern was my ripped jeans...He repeatedly told me I need to sew them up, so much so that by the end of my visit he's decided I was better off buying a new pair. Only one mention of Lorraine and he recognised prince William in the news paper...although he was much more interested in Victoria Beckham! It amazes me when he knows who people like this are without having to rack his brains for their names, considering he can quite often have to stall for twenty minutes to remember his own family. Dad had brought him in an Easter egg and it was like all his Christmases had come at once! It's so nice to see him happy and chatty and proud, I think he finds it really hard to be old, and challenging to be so unable, all pride has to be wiped away when you can no longer look after yourself and this is a realisation for me that some men (especially those of my gramp's generation) thrive off of pride, and it must be hell on earth to have that taken away. 

Gramp

Yesterday he knew I was coming because I had all of his clean washing, he hates the hospital clothes and the dent his dignity massively. He'd recieved a card from a family member in New Zealand but didn't take very much notice at all. 

Gramp

Revisiting possessions

I recently did a body of work using people possessions, I am currently in the experimental weeks of my project, today I have done some more work with possessions, focusing on layout mainly as well as ways of displaying possessions in a more diverse way, although I must admit, on reflection I'm a sucker for a simple format.

What we don't see

Perfiferal vision is a funny thing, God is supposedly all seeing, yet I've been thinking about the fact that things go on behind us, beside us, and, underneath us  all the time. The person opposite you can see something completely different yet you're less than a metre away from each other, and in the same place at the same time. How would memories be different if you were the other side of the street or in a different place at the time they were created, what if your husband proposed to you on table number four which was by a huge beautiful window instead of table number nine that was underneath a stunning chandalear, would that have changed your memory? I've done a tiny body of photography work this morning responding to what I don't see.