PRINT EDIT/PLAN

After discussing my final prints with my tutor, i've decided to print three A2 images as well as six or seven A3 images in a box on the side. I've picked these three images as my main finals as they portray the three different sides of depression on the same lily canvas (being the same flower) symbolising my mum. I am confident that all of these are the best images out of the 6 photoshoots I have completed for this project and I am proud to present them as a representation of the whole project. The position of the ink falling through the petals of the flower so delicately that it hasn't fallen to the floor of the tank, just covering enough of the flower to showcase how mental illness affects a persons mind but isn't always visible to the surroundings of that person. Therefore, including images of the ink only covering the flower and not spread across the whole tank symbolises the condition only affecting the mind. However, I needed a contrasting image to show the variation that depression causes and in my last image of the red and grey ink, it shows how mental conditions can sometimes affect your mind and surroundings, how it can become completely overwhelming and people feel angry and frustrated that they cannot control it.

A2 -

A4 - I wanted to present another set of varied images alongside my large A2 prints, showcasing the other prints I have produced contrasting with my finals. These seven photographs show the experimentation I went through before eventually producing my final main prints. These images display more of a variation of colour and positioning of the flowers that explore the many feelings that come with mental illnesses, both positive and negative. Each day is different, the emotions are never the same and these further images showcase the variety of moods and feelings people go through.

Art Therapy and Clinical Neuroscience

Art Therapy and Clinical Neuroscience - Richard Carr and Noah Hass Cohen

"In the art therapist's presence, the artwork is an expression of how the self organizes internally as well as in relationship with others. It is a visual reiteration of the interplay between the person and their environment."

This book explores the idea of art being a therapeutic coping mechanism for mental and physical illnesses. It expands on the outcomes of art therapy, in some examples it is positive on their mentality and others it may actually cause more harm.
For example:

"Initially, the strain of a novel demand, such as art-making, can be experienced as SNS excitement and emotionally anticipated. However, if the task is not mastered and the client's sense of control is challenged, the SNS stress response might increase. Mary, a 60-year-old client struggling with leukemia and loneliness, reported that she was initially excited about the fine art class recommended by her church counsellor. She hoped to gain some support as well as express some of what she was going through. Mary reported that she was discouraged by her lack of art skills, and she left the course after a couple of classes. She did not feel safe in the judgemental fine arts environment" 

Sometimes art can be a judgemental and competitive environment and if you're a sensitive person then instead of being a soothing or therapeutic hobby then it can make you feel as if you're comparing yourself to others around you. If you're suffering from confidence issues already then sometimes you can compare yourself and doubt your skill set when it comes to art. However, depending on your mindset and the person, it can be very encouraging and soothing if you're doing it for yourself.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK

1 in 4 people will experience a mental health problem this year. Too many people steer clear of a friend who's struggling because they don't know what to do, or say. But supporting them can mean the world of difference. Being human is dealing with emotions such as fear, anger, sadness, stress, guilt or insecurity, it doesn't mean you're different, it doesn't make you weak. It's time to talk about mental health, to help people suffering before it's too late. It can be overcome, the point of this project is to help raise awareness of mental health conditions and to help people understand what it's like to be in an environment of suffering and struggle. It's to make a point that you can overcome these illnesses and thankfully the people i've focused this project on have overcome their mental conditions and have come out stronger and happier.

SHOOT 6 CONTACT SHEETS

As this is my final shoot, I am really pleased with the last final touches of my water tank portfolio of images. It was important to photograph a lily instead of any other flower because this is my mums favourite flower so this will represent her well. I wanted to experiment with blue and black inks as I have done in previous shoots as these are the main colours that identify with depression. I feel as if my skill set has definitely improved over this project and my photographs have gotten stronger in quality. This was down to improving my lighting techniques as well as changing around my equipment and moving to a bigger tank. 

SHOOT PLAN 6

Location: Still life studio set up in my conservatory.

Equipment: Nikon D5500, 18-55mm lens, two soft box flash lights, one overhead flash light with white umbrella, tripod, fish tank

Purpose: The purpose of this photoshoot is to focus on Lilies and injecting black, purple and blue ink into the tank on top of the flower. As the lily is my mums favourite flower, this will symbolise her and the inks will represent the effects of depression and how they affect her. I recently bought a purple ink so I want to experiment with how that will look inside the tank and if it makes any dramatic contrast against the blue or black.

Influence: Henry Hargreaves and Mark Mawson are inspirations for this photoshoot as their images provide a combination of colours including purples and blues which I will be experimenting with for this final photoshoot. The combination of colours together will outline the shape of the flower and create a variation of patterns and shapes that I can use to symbolise certain mental illnesses.

 

HENRY HARGREAVES

Henry's work conveys depth and mystery, the darkness of the backdrop makes the flower pop out of the background. The smoke on the flowers is subtle in some images, it looks as if it's giving off an aroma. The images look strong and vicious, almost representing a venus fly trap where the petals of the lilies are spread out so wide, releasing a poisonous gas. Henry's images tell a different story to Marcel Christ's photographs, they contain more depth and mystery, making the flower look dangerous. I want to include this level of mystery in my work, adding a story to the flowers and why that certain colour was combined with it. 

PRINTS FROM SHOOT 5

These are the best images from shoot 5, they represent depression with clouds of blue and black ink. They symbolise the darkness and sadness that comes with depression and how this affects the mind. These images are themed around my mums depression, as her favourite flower is a lily then this appropriately represents her while blue and black inks weave through the petals of the flower, emphasising the raw emotions of sadness. The lilies are vibrant and pure before the inks touch them and this showcases how life is also vibrant before mental illnesses take over.