Research trip to London: V&A Museum, National Portrait Gallery and Tate Modern - • Okhai Ojeikere, Mayotte Magnus and Mary McCartney
GALLERY RESEARCH
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| Me at the Photography Centre, Victoria and Albert Museum |
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| Veera and I inside the Victoria and Albert Museum |
To research photography further and to engage in current exhibitions in photography, myself and two classmates travelled to London to visit three art museums in early March 2019.
We visited the V&A Museum, National Portrait Gallery and the Tate Modern.
VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM
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| Collection of vintage cameras at the entrance to the Photography Centre at the Victoria and Albert Museum. |
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| The Bern and Ronny Schwartz Gallery, Room 100, Photography Centre. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
We wanted to visit the V&A’s new Photography Centre,
which encloses it's major display Collecting Photography: From Daguerreotype to
Digital, which explores photography as a way of ‘collecting the world’, from
the medium’s invention in the 19th century to the present day (V&A, 2019).
Exploring this exhibition, I focused on photographers who's work themes inspired my own thinking into what my own photography theme might be for my final project.
I was particularly taken by the work of photographers Mary McCartney and Okhai Ojeikere.
Mary McCartney
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| Mary McCartney, photo from http://marymccartney.com/ |
BIO
'Born in London in 1969, Mary McCartney's photographic work has focused on discovering those rare moments of unguarded, emotionally charged intimacy that offers us a new insight to the subject. Her work has concentrated on the world of portrait and candid reportage photography and is suffused with a deep personal investment that captures the creative chemistry between Mary and her subjects. She responds to her wide variety of subjects as spontaneously as they are studied, thanks to her distinctive style and talent for encapsulating the inspirations, vulnerability, histories and personalities of her subjects' - (McCartney, M., 2019 - http://marymccartney.com/about/ Accessed 26 March 2019).
WORKS
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| My own photograph of McCartney's works at the Victoria and Albert Museum Photography Centre |
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| Making Tea, 2004 |
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| Bath One, 2004 |
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| Murphy, 2005 |
I loved McCartney's use of female, feminine subject in these three pieces - my favouritism for black and white photography being upheld here through its way of highlighting the light forms on the women's bodies.
The photographs each depict a sort of daily routine or practice of getting ready/dressed up/groomed in some way, raising the questions of why? What is the occasion? Who are the women dressing up/getting ready for? I am trying to think of the possible narratives of the photographs, reminding me to be mindful of the viewer's imagination when constructing my own photo narratives.
The photographs each depict a sort of daily routine or practice of getting ready/dressed up/groomed in some way, raising the questions of why? What is the occasion? Who are the women dressing up/getting ready for? I am trying to think of the possible narratives of the photographs, reminding me to be mindful of the viewer's imagination when constructing my own photo narratives.
Images:
Mary McCartney (2019) Works. Available at: http://marymccartney.com/works/ (Accessed 23 April 2019).
Mary McCartney (2019) About. Available at: http://marymccartney.com/about/ (Accessed 23 April 2019).
Instagram: Mary McCartney (2019) marymccartney. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/marymccartney/ (Accessed 23 April 2019).
J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere
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| ’Okhai Ojeikere shows his Gelatine silver print photographs at his "Documenta 12" art exhibition in Kassel.
CORBIS - THE TIMES, 2014
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'Since the 1960s, J.D. ‘Okhai Ojeikere has been
documenting the culture of his native Nigeria in exquisite black-and-white
photographs, capturing the elegance and exuberance of its celebrations,
ceremonies, and daily life. He has amassed thousands of images, which together
form an anthropological and ethnographic record that is considered to be a
national treasure. With his keen eye for composition and attention to detail,
Ojeikere finds art everywhere, as he describes: “I always wanted to record
moments of beauty, moments of knowledge. Art is life.” This approach fuels his
ongoing “Hairstyles” project (begun 1968), an internationally celebrated visual
taxonomy of the hairstyles and headdresses worn by Nigerian women, captured at
close range, often from behind. For Ojeikere, these hairstyles—from
scalp-hugging braids to stunning sculptural forms—are ephemeral works of art, a
notion that his photographs clearly affirm'. (Artsy.net, 2019)
WORKS
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| My own images of Ojeikere's work in the collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum (includes two photos below) |
Ojeikere (1930-2014) documented traditional and modern hairstyles worn by Nigerian
women. He photographed them from behind showing the backs of their heads and
focusing on the interactive patterns and shapes created by their hair. The
styles are not just about fashion, they can carry a number of different
messages and meanings. His photos capture the artistry of the forms, which he
described as ‘sculptures for a day’ – (V&A, 2019)
I admire Ojeikere's attention to detail and his focus on the delicate patterns of the shapes made by the women's hairstyles, highlighting this practice as a true indication of their culture and therefore, identity. I admire the feminine focus here, his collection uniting Nigerian women in a new way.
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Agaracha, 1974
Gelatin Silver Print
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Onile Gogoro Or Akaba, 1975
Gelatin Silver Print
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Sans titre, ca. 1970
Gelatin silver print
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Ito Lozi, 1968
Vintage Print
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Mkpuk Eba, 1974
Gelatin Silver Print
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I am inspired by his use of contrast to highlight and showcase the shapes seen in each composition, and am drawn to his use of plain white/grey background so as to not distract from the complexity of his models/focus, and aim to use this influence in my own work.
Images:
The Times (2014) J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere. Available at: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/j-d-okhai-ojeikere-lgxrnf7hjsm (Accessed 24 April 2019).
Artsy (2018) J.D. 'Okhai Ojeikere. Available at: https://www.artsy.net/artist/jd-okhai-ojeikere (Accessed 24 April 2019).
NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY
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| National Portrait Gallery entrance, npg.org.uk 2019 |
I was particularly attracted to the work as it related to gender and feminist work, something which I am particularly interested in and hope to encorporate within my final photography theme.
MAYOTTE MAGNUS
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Mayotte Magnus by Jorge Lewinski, c.1983-4
© Mayotte Magnus - npg.org.uk, 2019 |
Illuminating Women showcases 'key portraits of women who have illuminated our world through their performances, music, artworks and words' (National Portrait Gallery, 2019).
'Magnus's photographs illuminate their subjects through her instinct for composition and harmony. She builds the image, normally in the sitter's homes, following extensive research into their achievements. She says; 'my interest in people, my fellow human beings, has always been there and photography is a means of expressing it''. (National Portrait Gallery, 2019).
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| The Illuminating women: photographs by Mayotte Magnus instillation at the National Portrait Gallery, 8 September 2018 - 7 April 2019, npg.org.uk, 2019. |
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| My own photographs of the instillation at the National Portrait Gallery (includes two photos below) |
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Margaret Busby
by Mayotte Magnus
bromide print, October 1977 NPG x18607 |
I particularly admire the photograph of Margaret Busby, 1977 showing the publisher/broadcaster in her home office. I like the portrayal of a strong, intellectual, working woman, in her working environment. This is something which I will consider incorporating into my own work theme, that is, the portrayal of a confident, strong female subject.
'Regarding the advantage of photography over other
mediums, for me it was more an opportunity, a last chance to be creative.
Painting a portrait is a long process, the sitter becomes sad (I have seen the
sagging of the face of my sitters!), lost in their thoughts and so on.
Photography is more immediate (after careful preparation, of course!), and
various expressions can be caught while the 'subject' and the photographer
chat. It is intense and short, but a real intimacy develops – the only way for
the photographer to catch what she is looking for' (Mayotte Magnus - National
Portrait Gallery, 2019).
The above quote from Magnus identifies her commendation for the relationship between herself and her subject that develops during the photographic process of portraits. The 'real intimacy' that she describes is important in her process to achieve the desired end product, the 'only way[..] to catch what she is looking for'. I will remember the importance of building a rapport with my portrait subject, to build an understanding of them as a person, their history and their understanding of my intended message through the work - in this way, giving the best chance for that to be felt in the final photograph in the most pronounced way.
National Portrait Gallery (2019) Illuminating Women: photographs by mayotte magnus. Available at: https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/display/2018/illuminating-women-photographs-by-mayotte-magnus (Accessed 29 April 2019).
National Portrait Gallery (2019) Photographer in focus: Mayotte Magnus. Available at: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/about/photographs-collection/photographers-in-focus/photographer-in-focus-mayotte-magnus (Accessed 29 April 2019).
National Portrait Gallery (2019) Margaret Busby. Available at: https://www.npg.org.uk/collections/search/portrait/mw56393/Margaret-Busby (Accessed 29 April 2019).
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