WEEK 2 & 3: SECONDARY RESEARCH (ARTISTS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, EVENTS)

Gerhard Richter, Painted photograph series &Sinbad series. Images found on Gerhard-Richter.com

William Klein 'Gun 1' New York, 1955. Image found on Google

After finalising my project's concept I started to research into art/subjects that inspired me. Fine art is something I like try to relate my promotion work to in every project because I have a good knowledge of it, and because it's so extensive that there is a fine artwork that can be good background research and inspiration for any kind of project. Because my concept broken down is about movement, colour and memory I decided to look into abstract art. Gerhard Richter is someone who came into my head instantly, and I thought about his painted photographs of his children. I really like the idea of using such a simple keepsake and turning it into abstract art. I also looked briefly at other artists who do this, such as painted contact sheets by William Klein.

Because my outcome will be photographs, I also researched photographers that I felt were relevant and inspiring. Nan Goldin is someone who came to my mind when thinking about memory, so I thought it was worth researching her work. What I particularly love and admire about her work is how raw and personal the photographs of her friends are, especially the series about couples and their sex life. I also really like the delivery of her photographs and the aesthetics of her images as they are shot on a film camera. Part of the charm of her work is the film camera look as it resembles disposable cameras that many families use to capture their intimate moments. I also briefly researched Nick Knight's photography as I feel they are relevant, however I don't want to emphasise his work too much as I'd rather focus on Fine Art influences.

Another important part of my project is occasions and events, as I'm focusing on Gay Pride and my memories of attending as a child. An event I was intrigued by after researching Gay Pride was the Hindu festival of Holi, where families and friends get together to celebrate the first days of Spring by throwing coloured powder at each other in the daytime and drinking, and then gathering for dinner in the evening. I really like the similarities between the two events in terms of colour, getting together and celebrating with friends and family. Unfortuneately I can't get to a Holi festival or Gay Pride before the term ends so I will have to use past photos of Pride and hopefully find someone who has attended Holi to interview. After researching such events I decided to put together a questionnaire and ask people about events, occasions or memories they have that they associate with a certain colour.

A boy at Holi festival in India. Photographer: Intellistudies. Image found on Pinterest