Although I feel like this is a project that can be expanded on in the future, I now need to think of how I would like to present my work in an exhibition setting. There are many aspects of this I need to consider and decide what I would prefer and what looks best.
Due to COVID, I do not have enough images to plan an exhibition, and so I would only exhibit once I had the images I have planned completed. Therefore, this exhibition presentation will include those future images, however when the images are actually made I need to be flexible as what I plan now may not work with what I have then. Despite this, I think the main concept is fine to plan, it will mostly be positions that may need future adjusting.
Images I need to plan for;
-Hera
-Hesperides
-Eos
-Nyx
-Selene
-Asteria
I also need to be mindful of space usage, as this exhibition will be a joint exhibition between me and my classmates. Therefore I need to keep in mind I can't use as much space as perhaps I would like, however, I will discuss what I would like to do vs what is reasonable.
Prints vs Lightboxes
Since the beginning of this project, I have toyed with the idea of using lightboxes, after seeing Kirsty Mitchell using them for her exhibitions. Jeff Wall is also very well known for popularising the lightbox frame. Lightboxes give the exhibition a sculptural presence as they are 3D and raised, which links well to the original art of the Goddesses made by the Greeks which were often engravings or statues. The actual light element I think helps bring these images to life, and as I'm dealing with qualities such as the day, the night and light forces, I think this would be lovely and captivating. Lightboxes also have links to advertising, however, which is far removed from painting - which my images are based on. However, this could be another way of adding an element of modernity into the images, which is seen subtly within the images themselves.
I think I would absolutely love to use lightboxes, however, the biggest downfall is cost. Lightboxes cost a lot of money and would entirely be out of my budget - into the thousands.
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| Kirsty Mitchell's Wonderland at the Fotografiska, Stolkholm |
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| Kirsty Mitchell's Wonderland at the Fotografiska, Stolkholm |
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| An exhibition by Jeff Wall I think realistically I would need to settle with prints as this is much more within budget. I think I would then want to move away from the modernisation idea and make the images look more painterly to link back to using painting as a major guide for the project. Therefore, I think matte paper would work best. While paint does often have a sheen to it, it is a textured sheen and very different to that of gloss paper. I feel with gloss paper it makes the image stand out as a photograph. Positions and Sizing I need to decide whether I want the images to be separate on a wall or in a collage-like environment. A collage would indicate unity, togetherness and an interconnected story, which the Goddesses do have being all deities of light, the stars and forces beyond just our planet. Often they are also family members. Below I have made a few mockups of how these could be positioned, using the paintings my future images will appropriate as placeholders. 1.  2.  3.  4.  The first option offers a collage of the images all at similar sizes. The image of the Hesperides being in landscape orientation rather than portrait helps break up the visuals. The top images may be a little too high to see comfortably, and it's not an overly interesting form of presenting. The second shows the images printed at a much larger scale, but again, all similar size. The spacing between images doesn't necessarily have to stay the same, however, I put the images in those positions based off what I think looks good. I faced most of them towards The Hesperides who end up breaking up the visuals because of the difference in orientation. It must be noted, however, that the size of these images can only go as big as the capabilities of the camera allow - the images need to be of good qaulity. The third shows what I think is actually my preferred way of showing my work. I have put the images in chronological order of when the paintings they were based off were painted, and so it acts like a journey from left to right of the art. In order to bounce off this painterly emphasis further, I also based the sizes of the images on the sizes of the paintings. However, Eos and Asteria aren't popular paintings and so I cannot find their sizes. What I have instead done, is not make the images accurate in cm but based off what other images are around them, sized them accordingly. For example, the image of Hera is the smallest, and so I have reflected that in this plan, and Nyx is also the biggest. For Eos, I based it off De Morgan's other works which are all rather large and so this is reflected in the plan, and Asteria is smaller to create a balance. I much prefer this over the others as the different sizes offer a visual break, and gives the tie with painting a further strength. However, while this is my preferred option, for the university exhibition prints this large will take up a lot of space and probably isn't reasonable, so I created a fourth option The fourth option is again more of a collage type presentation, condensing the images into a smaller space. However, the sizes have changed for visual interest, only this time not based on their paintings but their influence in Greek mythology, hence why Hera is the largest - she is the queen of the Gods. I think this arrangement will work well within a group exhibition scenario Framing There are many options to framing this work. The first I thought of is using thin black frames, as a way to increase the escapism aspect of my work. Then, I remembered the exhibition 'birth' at TJ Boulting I saw in October 2019, where there were several images of different sizes and heights like the way I intend to present, and the frames were different thicknesses and depths.   This adds a lot of visual interest and makes it so the eye doesn't get bored. I think my work would benefit from something like this. I then thought about antique frames, that shows status and workmanship - which would also link my work back to the arts and crafts movement further.  I think that a large antique frame for the main image of Hera would be amazing, and then perhaps the others around it other bronze and gold frames that are thinner and less bold. This would intertwine the images, and also reflect the status of importance for Hera in mythology. The frame is also something you would expect a painting to be framed in and so combined with matte paper will give that painterly quality. Gold would also tie in symbolically very well as it has connotations of eternal life - something the gods and goddesses were said to have. I believe that over the next few months I could keep an eye out for large frames such as these online and in second-hand stores and car boot sales, and then print the image to suit the frame - as doing it the other way round wouldn't work because the frame isn't being made for the image. This way, I can keep the mix and match aspect while retaining class and painterly feeling. Wall Colour Sometimes wall colour can make a huge difference to the presentation of work. For example, an exhibition called Feast for the Eyes that I visited at the Photographer's Gallery in October 2019 used bright colours in order to give off a feeling of playfulness.   |
I really like using this blue tone with the gold, or perhaps something slightly earthier would work also. The gold is important to keep as it has connotations of everlasting life.
Overall, I'm really happy with how I plan to present my work, and it's very different to what I first imaged. The links with painting, the way of insinuating importance with size and framing works really well and I think that because everything is thought out, all intertwines well to create something new.
Reviewed by BethCorbett
on
August 17, 2020
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