
Dr. Daro Montag
"Dr. Daro Montag creates art using a variety of living organisms, including microbes, plants, toads, and worms. This series, from his catalogue Bioglyphs, shows works created by placing fruit on film and allowing it to be consumed by microorganisms before producing prints from the film. The result is a spectacular series of images that appear as much cosmological as they do biological". I was intrudecede to this artist whom I haven't looked into much before. His images are cr


The inner workings of me.
Watson.B (2014). The Complete Works of Zhuangzi. New York: Columbia University Press. Being influenced so heavily by the philosophy of this book. My work has started to take an impressionistic less linear way of being composed. I have relived some of the design aspect of the work to fate as I am never truly in control of the outcome. In the book "The Complete Works of Zhuangzi", Zhuangzi states "I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I a
Week 1: Independent Reflection
As my practice currently stands, I am working as a fine art photographer basing my practice around the idea of the image being a tool to inform. The current subject I am working on is the use of pesticides in the agricultural destruction of a bee’s natural environment or its primitive behaviour. I am looking at the ways the bees flora and fauna need each other and rely on pollination systems that are far more extensive and developed than our own knowledge of them. I am lookin


Is Photography Unique ?
I don’t believe any medium is truly unique. The idea that a creative medium can be only used in its context is something I explore and change with every piece I create. As a creative practitioner I am constantly ,drawing influence from; painting,film,books,newspaper,graphics. The list is endless. I do believe there are quality’s a photograph has that are different from other mediums and can be viewed in a unique way. Such as the photograph still having this “truth” stigma att


Playing with contrast and definition
This week I am taking my dark room practice further. I am exploring the effect of temperature and chemical mix, when used to develop my prints. I am wanting to find a mix of chemicals that give me the definition of a Susan derges photogram but the ghostly presence of a Man Ray image.Whilst being influenced by the images Man Ray had created, I found influence from his use of simple greys and blacks to create a multi layered image. I found myself being drawn to the images he cr
Informing Context
The study I relate to from this week is the study by Carol Squires. In her proposal she states “ There is a blurring of boundaries between old and new technology”. This resonates perfectly with my practice, I am constantly mixing old process ( dark room, Cameraless) and new ( digital manipulation or digital printing) to create pieces of art, not just a flat image. The way I explore each individual material available to me is something that defines me as a creative practitione


Visual Project- what plants are pollinated by bees ?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_crop_plants_pollinated_by_bees I have been trying to expand the visual impact of my images. I have looked into the idea of visual language and how we need to give as much visual information in our images as possible. I have been looking at way to strengthen my idea of bees being destroyed by pesticides. So I have looked at plants that are pollinated by bees, I am now researching which of these plants and vegetables are using the pesticide


My new direction
Exploring this new idea of the photogram I will be developing different ways to capture the effect of the pesticide on bees. I will look at the movement of the bee and natural pattern of bee flight can be recreated. Whilst working in the darkroom, I have found that working around F:8 leaves the best imprint on the paper. Also working on a slightly higher temperature (27')


Ghostly imprint
This week I have been looking at how I can give my images a more ghostly appearance. Looking at work from Man Ray, I was inspired to create batches of chemicals to his exact formulation ( within reason, taking into account product availability). The images I have created this week, have a ghostly grey impression rather than the dark black contrast that I have been working on this far. I am going to explore the images further post process in Photoshop to draw out smoke definit


To understand, you must inform yourself
I have included this article from February 2017. It was bought to my attention in the last hand in the some of my information was incorrect. This actually wasn't the case. I have a scientific background and I have conducted many studies around this area of conservation. My own work isn't allowed to be shown due to the fact it's an ongoing research project, but I have found this article which brings reference to the type of pesticide I'm looking at, the qualities of such pesti