Theme: 'Life' | 1st year

This is a task allocated to the year one students at the beginning of November. Each student was asked to produce an image, or a series of images, which relates to the theme ‘Life'. The task had no set criteria, it was not graded, not directed to any great degree, and was open to the students interpretation of what the term or the theme ‘Life' encapsulates. A discussion about the possibilities of how to conceptualize the theme, plus a few suggestions of approachesto take, artists and photographers to look at, were the only imput from the tutor.

The theme itself is wide open: 'Life' is everywhere, and everything is life. The term could suggest both negative and positive connotations. It could relate to society or the inner world. It could signify natural biological cycles or the great wrestle of life. There is a necessity, however, for each student to justify their image as it relates to a particular aspect of the theme. The images needed to translate an aspect of life - to be, somehow, 'meaningful' and to form the basis of discussion about our personal, social experiences and how we use photography to express something about what we see and feel.

The work was selected by a ‘jury’ of 2nd year students who made choices of the work on two levels – firstly on aesthetic merits, secondly the work which, for them, best connects to the theme. Presented here is a selection of the jury’s favourites. 

- Martin Cregg, 1st Year Tutor

Images: Justyna Kielbowicz c. | Antonia Kenny c. | Michael Bors c. | Ronan Melia c. | Piotr Kadziolka c. | Lisa O'Malley c. |

Link of The Week: American Suburb X

Contemporary Photographic Magazine - with interviews, links, debate: http://www.americansuburbx.com/

Photographer of the Week: Lee Freidlander

Lee Friedlander is an American photographer and artist. In the 1960s and 70s, he worked primarily with 35mm cameras and black and white film, helping to push and evolve the visual language of urban social landscape photography. Freidlander also turned the camera on himself throughout his career,  juxtaposing and imposing his own frame and shadow into his immediate environment.

According to John Szarkowski, Friedlander visibly struggles with the notion of self-portraiture, shooting himself in household mirrors and other reflective surfaces. In many of his photographs, we see shadows of figures (usually Friedlander himself) overlap and intervene into the image itself - creating a ‘dialogue’ between his own physical frame and the American Social Landscape of his time.

I Am My World | 1st year Theme

The subjective document is always, in some respects, a mirror image. Through this small task, notions of ‘the self’ are re-examined and one’s own immediate enviornment is explored.

First year students have adopted several approaches to creating subjective documents. Some are intimate and introspective accounts - showing us inner and private worlds.  Some are consciously challenging notions of the self through the ‘act’ of self portraiture. Here, issues of cultural identity, anxiety and loss are addressed as are the self-affirming notions of self through friendships, relationships and family.

What is presented, in this selection, is a broad expression of students’ present and past experiences, perspectives and perceptions.

Images: Brian Carroll c. Claire Boshell c. Justyna Kielbowicz c. Dee Kenny c. Ciaran Cummins c. Paulina Golebiewska c. Beata Cierzniewska c.