My intention for this study is to explore how union is presented through the photography technique ‘Surrealism’:

I intend to begin my study with recording my initial ideas of what I believe represents Union. I will create my first photoshoot as an experiment for my future photoshoots, therefore my ideas will be clear. I will also explore different surrealist artists and how they represent unity within their photography. I will be using surrealism in my editing as I feel it is a clear way to present unity through the combining of faces/body parts. The two photographers I will be researching and using for inspiration is Man Ray and Tommy Ingberg. Both photographers explore Surrealism within their photography in completely different ways. Ingberg focuses on self-reflecting surreal photo montages that deal with human nature, feelings and thoughts, whereas Ray’s photography focuses on elements of both abstraction and realism, blending the line between photography and other visual arts. My photos will most likely be more similar to Ray’s photography, as I am using similar techniques to him, for example double/multi exposure and montages of faces or body parts. I wish to develop my project through a range of photoshoots portraying a variation of narratives that represent dream-like images.

I am interested in this project as I like exploring different photography techniques that can be used to make my work unique and fascinating. My intentions are to create a few final images that will be printed and used to create my final presentation on a mountboard, where I can change the layout of the images, making sure they are presented in a clear way. This matters to me because I feel that Surrealism explores the power within the presentation of dreams. Artists find strange beauty in the unexpected and the uncanny. To edit my photos, I am going to use Adobe photoshop as there is a variety of tools I can use to create dream-like and illusional images.

Examples of ‘isms’:

Surrealism:

Surrealism was founded in Paris 1924, by the poet Andre Breton, during the First World War when the horror and violence experienced by so many had shifted perceptions of sanity and reality. Surrealism is known to be irrational and subversive in art and explicitly preoccupied with spiritualism. It aimed to create art that emerged directly from the unconscious without being shaped by reason, morality or aesthetic judgements. In photography, surrealism challenges the notions of normality through the power of photography and experimentation. Overall, surrealism in photography has the power to unlock the imagination, which puts it in the tradition of Romanticism. The Surrealist impulse to tap the unconscious mind, and their interests in myth and primitivism, went on to shape many later movements, and the style remains influential to this today.

Examples of Surrealism photography:

Some key techniques used in surrealist photography include:

1. Double Exposure: Superimposing two or more images to create a layered effect, often symbolizing a blending of different realities or experiences.
2. Manipulated Imagery: This includes physically altering negatives or prints, or using darkroom techniques to distort the final image.
3. Strange Juxtapositions: Placing objects or people in unexpected or impossible contexts, creating a sense of tension or surprise.
4. Dreamlike Lighting: Using lighting to create an eerie, otherworldly atmosphere that enhances the surreal quality of the image.

What does ‘Union’ mean?

“The action of joining together or the fact of being joined together, especially in a political context”

or

“A society or association formed by people with a common interest or purpose”

Mind map:

Mood board:

When I think about the word ‘union’, the initial idea that comes into my head would be the human connection, yet I feel this idea would be too stereotypical and original. Instead, I will be exploring ‘union’ through surrealism. Here are some examples:

Within my ideas for my photoshoots, Union makes me think about how things work together in order to function. For example, nature, body parts, and human relationships and connections. My idea is to present union through the combination of intangible and physical objects or body parts. I chose to do this as I feel it is interesting and unique from other types of union photography.