Micro History

I recently switched to the new OCA website and took advantage of the free courses to help students navigate the new website and provide advice, suggestions and ideas for studying. When working my way through these courses I came across an interesting article about Micro Histories, these are recorded events of small insignificant moments mostly

The Nude Figure A Visual reference for the Artist

The Nude Figure A Visual Reference for the Artist, (1998) Mark Edward Smith, New York, Watson-Guptill Publications. ISBN: 978-0-8230-3232-9 Another book I picked up from my charity bookshop last year. This is a book of black-and-white photographs of nude poses for ideas and guidance, based on many typical poses found in paintings and art photographs.

Reading Photographs – In Our Own Image, by Fred Ritchin

Peter Kennard and Cat Phillips created the image, titled: Photo Op, in 2005. From Fred Ritchin’s book, In Our Own Image, his essay, Reading Photographs, (Ritchin, 2010) discusses the authenticity of a photograph. He asks, …after all that is happening in computer imaging can one safeguard the integrity of the photograph in its populist role

My Other Half – a critical self-review.

My Other Half – A critical self-review by Shaun Mullins. The objective of this project was to create 6-10 environmental portraits and I chose to produce photographs of my wife in different locations in our home, dressed for and performing the typical activities that I often see her doing.  I wanted to convey the idea

Summary for Part 3, “Look at Me!” – The Representation of Self.

In section 3, “Look at Me!”, I studied the subject of ‘self’ and how it has and is used and interpreted in the portrait. I learned that the idea of the ‘selfie’ goes back beyond photography. Originally the early selfies where exclusively for the rich and powerful to express wealth and more importantly, power, examples

My Tutor’s assessment – Assignment 2

In my video conference with my Tutor we discussed the style of work that I am using which is a controlled and planned method, my Tutor thought that this style worked for this project’s narrative. He could see the influence of artist such as Cindy Sherman and Jeff Wall who both create contrived pictures in

Exercise 1.4 ‘An hour in the day.’

A local-man, Dennis, a car trader, 1# (from Strangers) (2020) by Shaun Mullins In this exercise, one of my subjects (Dennis) I photographed for exercise 1.1 agreed to photograph a typical hour of his day. Below are the chosen photographs from the collection that he gave me, plus two photos that I took when I

Definition of ‘Other’

Stephen Bull in his book Photography (2010) Abingdon: Routledge. Bull discusses how in the 18th and 19th century anthropology linked to colonialism recorded and catalogued native people around the world allowing comparison across races and with the intention of comparing who and what they considered superior and who and what was in their opinion inferior.

Notes from the Margin of Spoilt Identity – The Art of Diane Arbus By Gerry Badger (1988)

Notes from the Margin of Spoilt Identity – The Art of Diane Arbus by Gerry Badger (1988). The above link will take you to the essay, Notes from the Margin of Spoilt Identity – The Art of Diane Arbus By Gerry Badger Published in Phototexts (1988) Topless dancer in her dressing room, San Francisco, California.