TMA1431 Creative Studio: Crit Review Week 1

Following on from my last blog Dynamic lines, where I briefly covered my next direction would be the exploration of either illustration or combining images compositions to create a surreal approach. I decided to carry on with creating digital composites, as it will help enhance my photoshop skills, as well as still force me to consider composition post shooting. 

As well as exploring creating sets in photoshop, I also want to create use this process by linking it with the concept of advertisement and ‘selling the dream’ which relates with my projects intent of creating a commercial portfolio of work. With many of my favourite commercial practitioners having elements of surrealism within their work, I have decided to add elements of surrealism into my works  experimental development. 

Below is the main image I chose to display at the group Crit review. The image pictures a portrait I took previously for a beauty campaign, that I have transformed into a surreal angel image. I have also chose to distort the image to appear like a daguerreotype photo process. The concept behind is to combine surrealist styles with existing advertisement imagery, helping to advance my photoshop manipulation skills further but with portraiture, making my imagery more intriguing. The idea behind making it appear like a daguerreotype process came from looking at old photography processes, which is also something i would like to explore whilst on the MA course and decided that i would attempt to recreate the aesthetic digitally.

Masters C (2020). Elle Angel [Photograph].

Masters C (2020). Elle Angel  Daguerreotype [Photograph].

Crit review reflection notes with Alex Coles;

Alex commented that the angel image could almost be an advertisement campaign for a toothpaste commercial, this is helpful as it lets me know that my skills with composition/ styling are already on par with current advertisement standards and lets me know that my imagery could be used as a commercial. From here Alex told me to look into new forms of advertisement that ‘sell the experience rather than the product’ which is a very helpful way to look at advertisement for the style of work i’m wanting to create for my final.

Alex suggested looking into Benson and Hedges cigarette campaigns as they were the first to use the ‘surreal’ as an addition into advertisement. For example the cigarette ad which included a gold bird cage (pictured below) once people grasped it was about cigarettes, the colour gold was then on always related almost immediately with Benson and Hedges pioneering a clever branding technique of associating colour with brands rather than the specific item itself. 

Duffy Archieve. (1977). Birdcage [Photograph]. Benson & Hedges. https://www.duffyarchive.com/portfolio/benson-hedges-birdcage/