NM3223 blog by JoonYong

Edited: Assignment 3

2007-11-27T13:59:00.000-08:00

Assignment 3: Change redone

Retained from original assignment

The chimney of a furnace for incense. Although it’s just a chimney, yet much effort has been spent to design it.

Molded figurines were a common sight outside homes in the past. Without wallpaper, this was how we distinguished our homes and made it unique.

Other than molded figurines, Chinese word carvings were also used to adorn traditional Chinese homes in the past, and detailed ‘Bamboo’ carvings are used as grills. This has given way to metal grills which provide better security.

This metal grill with flower motif contrasts the previous photo. Clay has given way to metal and with that a change into a more contemporary feel.

The light on the number shows how we are changing into a society where numbers matter, i.e. being the first etc. This also shows how western ideals have crept into our society, symbolized by the western numerals.

This photo tires to show how the significance if metal has increased through the year. Sculptures are now usually made of metal, instead of traditional materials such as marble or clay.

This final shot shows how the modern architecture has leapt above us, constraining us with its height.

-

Reassessed Assessment:
After redoing this assignment, I felt that i was able to bring the view of changing architecture across more clearly, and the photos did not seem too repetitive. So for this updated assignment, I'll rate myself as 8.8/10.

Editd: Assignment 2

2007-11-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

This is Assignment 2 redone:

This has been kept from the original assignment.

This shot has been redone and added to the assignment.

Taken at a back alley, the contrast of clarity adds depth to this photo. This is further enhanced by the narrowing view of distance, and the path leading out. Which I feel will fit the requirements of the assignment.

Reassessed assessment:

After redoing, and improving on my second photo. I would regrade myself with a 8.0/10.

Blog Post: Singapore Culture

2007-11-27T11:45:00.000-08:00

I feel that Singapore culture is one that is a hybrid and also borrowed. Since we are a multicultural country, it is inevitable that there is a mixture of cultures from the many different ethnic and nationalities in Singapore.

The hybridised nature of our culture can readily be seen in our unofficial language in Singapore - Singlish. Singlish is a mixture of english and native dialects, and in other words and informal derivative from English. This unique language ties most Singaporeans together, and makes us different from other countries, Singlish has become a cultural symbol of sorts.

On national television, Singlish has also been used. In the popular sitcom Phua Chu Kang, Gurmit Singh (a local comedian/artiste) takes on the role of Phua Chu Kang, a contractor who speaks 'fluent' Singlish. Even in movies, Singlish has stood centre stage, especially in productions by Jack Neo (a local producer).

Singapore also has a culture of borrowing. Thus is evident in our many locally produced variety programs. Many of these shows stems from Taiwanese variety shows of the same kind.

Many may think that due to these factors, Singapore does not have a unique culture of it's own. But I'd like to view this 'ability' to blend in different cultures and to seamlessly accommodate different cultural aspects of people into ours society as something uniquely Singapore.

Assignment 6: Photo analysis

2007-11-20T23:52:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken by Ebe Arnold in 1979, named Making Bread.

Analysis:

Textual code: Genre
The photo was taken as a social documentary, which is defined as the act of recording, with a camera, human beings in their natural (ie unposed) condition. This gives the viewer as sense of truth and realism whilst viewing the photo as the subject is not posing, thus meaning is not forced upon it.

Bodily Code: Gaze

Aversion from camera suggests subject being in action rather than ‘posing’. This further adds the element of truth to the viewer.

Bodily Code: Posture (changes made thanks to Mike and Mark)
Subject is looking down, which suggests that he is working intently. The number of dough also gives a sense of routine and suggests the attainment of skill by the subject.

Bodily Code: Dressing
How the subject dresses gives the viewer a sense of the situation and state in which the subject is in. In this case, the clothes that the subject is wearing is relatively unkempt, suggesting that he may be of a lower class, or is a laborer.

Technical Code: Grainy / Slight Desatuaration
The quality of the photo suggests rustic agedness, and further ass on to the realistic feel of the photo. This lower quality of the image further suggests that the living condition of the subject is less than ideal.

Syntax: Combination of Codes to Form Meaning
The Photo embodies the typical rural lifestyle and attitudes, where the isn't a presence of advanced food preparation methods or equipment. Rather, food preparation falls solely upon the skills of the person preparing it.
Even though conditions are not at its best, rural people still strive to be good at what they are doing. Shown by the baker, and his uniformly shaped and sized dough.

High Modality
There is high modality due to the nature of the medium (ie photography) and the genre in which it was taken.
Rather than a flat picture, the perception of 3D space also adds on to the level of modality.
Modality is further enhanced by the coloured photo, the implication of movement by the subject and also the possibility of the scenario.
On the whole, there is a transference of modality from the medium and genre to the viewer. With the inherent nature of photography, the elements noted are present most of the time. Thus when viewing a work of high modality, the viewer's modality would be influenced by it.

Analysis
The photo is a narration, which tells of story that is happening when the photographer took it. It is a social window, where it allows the viewer the experience of being in another locality without having to travel to the location.
Furthermore, the experience and knowledge of the viewer adds to its interpretation, bringing about different dimensions of analysis.

Assessment:
I would rate myself a 8.8/10 in comparison to Mark's 10/10 presentation.

Assignment 5: Creep

2007-10-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

The only thoughts that come to mind when the theme "Creep" was insects and all the usual creepy stuff. So I thought that googling for the definition might come up with something different. The definition that i decided to work with was: "Grow over: grow in such a way as to cover". With that in mind, i went around my estate to find any significant plant growth on buildings. Too bad that most of the buildings around my area are either refurbished or relatively new. After a few phone calls, I got notice of an abandoned house at Still Rd which may fit what i wanted. So upon reaching the location, this is what i captured according to the 3 aesthetic intentions.

[Realism]

This is the realistic photo that i took of the abandoned house. It shows just the house standing at the distance, with little implications of other meanings except that there exists an abandoned house.

[Formalistic]

This formalistic shot is taken at the side wall of the compound barricade. Since a formalistic shot is one that need not represent the whole, and offers a limited view, I feel that this photo would do well to represent that. Furthermore, this shot also conveys the idea of growing over, where the moss has grown over the concrete slabs.

[Expressionism]

An expressionistic shot conveys the photographer's emotions and viewpoint. From this phot, i trued to show how people's emphasis on growth are placed on the social and economical sense, but even in a place that's neglected, there can still be traces of growth.

Assessment:
For this assignment, I feel that the highest rated should go to Jillyn. I liked how her slight change in angles were able to portray so much difference in expression and how the subject was also able to fulfill the assignment's requirements in both theme and content.

Reflecting on my work, I think my formalistic and realistic shots were able to fulfill the requirements, the only thing 'wrong' (if I may use the word), is my expressionistic shot, which weren't able to portray what I felt, as commented by Mike and Mr Reddy. So with regards to that, and comapring to Jillyn's work, I'll give myself a 8.4/10.

Assignment 4: The day after

2007-10-19T10:56:00.000-07:00

For this assignment, the class was suppose to do a photo montage. With the theme 'The Day after' in mind I set out to find any suitable sites where I can take my shots. I chanced upon the national museum whilst having lunch with a friend. It was then that it struck me that the museum is a site where a part of the nation's history is being kept, and it is these historical relics that construct the present that we now live in. The day after would then imply the presence of the day before, and any day before that - an accumulation of all that has passed. So here's what i came up with, taking shots at the back of the national museum.
I tried to encompass the whole structure into the montage, and also tired to make all the words readable. This is until the tutorial that the montage need not be 'neat' in a sense. And yes, the cherry is really to add to a little vibrance to the montage.

So after the tutorial, i went back and did some editing, with Mike's comments in mind. and here's the resulting piece.

The wrinkled cherry-like sculpture has been enlarged. Maybe to you viewers it can bring a deeper meaning? like how Mike viewed it as Singapore being a little red dot. Well, i rather not give meaning to it, since i believe anyone should ahve their own interpretations of what they see. The word 'Museum' has also been enlarged to create a greater emphasis.

Assessment:
For this assignment, I would give Celeste's the top grade. Her montage and her reasons for doing it was clearly shown in her work. I was quite surprised that her montage was actually of Chijmes, seeing that it looked more like a native European structure, taken in Europe. The European look that her montage created clearly mirrored how i think she felt when she came back to Singapore, and her memories of her trip to Europe. this would also fall inline with how a montage is suppose to be a creation from the 'mind's eye'.

Comparative, I would rate myself a 8.5/10. Although not exactly a creation through the mind's eye, I thought that my work would fit snuggly into the theme that was set before us. And since i like simple stuff, without clutter, I believe that my work would reflect my personal inclinations too.

Other montages created:
There were other montages that I did, and the following one would definitely be submitted if ever i decide to drop the museum one, barring a few missing shots. I hardly name my works, but if need be i'll name the following 'Aisle of Memories', taken at Fort Canning Park.

the following is just a random test montage.

Assignment 3: Change

2007-09-30T09:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this assignment is about change and capturing that in our photo essay. So after some brainstorming and walking around looking for ideas, i decided to do the change in architecture(design) in Singapore, how intricate designs give way to height and 'gloss'. The following photos are supposed to depict how the architecture in Singapore has changed through the years.

This is the first picture taken from my photo-taking trip. It is suppose to contrast the low lying shophouses on the right and the new HDB blocks on the left. I feel that the HDB blocks give off a monotonous vibe, but the shophouses contrast them by having more 'character'.

This is taken outside CHIJMES. This is an attempt to show that although the old architecture may be less 'noticed' during the day, but it's still always lighted and is contrasted by the newer buildings where lights are rarely on through night.

This shot is of the Fullerton Hotel. It is meant to show how the design for architecture, serving the same purpose, has changed through the times. The foreground shows Fullerton Hotel, and the background shows the rest of the hotels in the area, i.e. Marina Mandarin, Pan Pacific and The Oriental.

This is where chinese coolies used to unload goods from boats on the Singapore River. Althought the shophouses that kept these goods are still standing, this place was redeveloped into a nightlife/eatary area. And these shophouses are currently benig overshadowed by taller, metallic buildings in the area.

This is of the Red Dot Design Museum. This is once again to show the difference in both height and design of the old architecture and the newer one.

This is my favourite shot out of collection. The contrast between traditional lion figure, and the red dot museum, is further contrasted by the more modern building in the background. I also like the contrast in colours in this shot. I also like how two seeming different cultural architectural designs can be 'similar' in the way which they contrast the high rise building.

These two shots are another attempt at shophouses contrasting high rise buildings in the background. The top one was presented in class. The two shots are about the same, so I just grouped them together. But I still can't decide on which to choose, or maybe neither.

The last shot is a slight digression from the main idea. It's a contrast of the change in the way which we access buildings. The winding stairs is contrasted by the elevator beside it. It shows how with modernity and technology has changed our lives.

Note: Some of the above photos had the White Balance issue fixed, so may seem different from those presented in class.

The photo essay that I have done attempts to show that preoccupation of modern buildings on how tall and glossy it should be. Although tall seems to be better now, modern buildings lack a personal touch. Even so, older architecture seems to be neglected by the younger generation. Although it seems that the heritage board it trying to preserve and mainstream the older buildings in Singapore, it only seems to work on tourists, rarely do we see Singaporeans taking a second look at these time worn architectures.

Assessment:
I personally rate Paul's work the highest. Not only did he do 2 sets of of photo essay, he also brought across the theme of change clearly in both of them. Personally, I prefer the set on colours. In it's simplicity, the photos showed both the original state and the changed state. furthermore, looking at the photos, one can even feel the passage of time and the length in which the change took place.

In comparison to Paul, I would give myself a total of 7.5/10. Comparatively, I felt that my photos are a bit too cluttered, and like the class said, it would have been better if all the shots were taken in the day (this will be fixed as I'll be retaking some of the photos); which is the result of my failed attempt to depict the passage of time as the photos were taken in the late morning from 0435 to 0730. But i also felt that, although a little repetitive, my photos did bring the point across. So I'll give myself 7 overall, and +0.5 for the effort.

Assignment 2: Exposure

2007-09-25T04:03:00.000-07:00

For the second assignment, the class was supposed to capture pictures with contrast and depth. So light was an important factor in this week's assignment.

Sadly for me, the weather wasn't too good when I decided to take the photos. So after waiting for a 4 hr rain to stop, I had to make do with the gloomy weather.

So here's the final chosen pieces:
This was taken beside the old supreme court. Thought that the light coming through the columns and the shadows casted would fit into the requirements for the assignment.

This was taken at a bridge beside Fullerton Hotel. Wanted the metal structure of the bridge to contrast with the 'natural sky'. Comments were that the focus should be on the background. So this photo will not be the final one, as i'll be reshooting it again.

Assessment: I'd give myself a 6.5/10. There were alot of great photos on display during tutorial. What caught my eye was Paul's photos which have a great contrast in both colours and light. So i'd rate him a 9/10.

Assignment 1: Photogram

2007-09-04T09:03:00.000-07:00

So our first assignment was to create a photogram using a scanner. Could not come up with much ideas, since the term just started after a 3 month break, and I did not want to use materials mentioned in Mr. Reddy's examples.

Initially I thought of using cotton, but after some trial and error, I decided that I can't get the effect and composition that I wanted.

So whilst I was lying in bed trying to get to sleep, I thought of using feathers for the photogram. so after experimenting with some layouts. Here's my final piece.

Also tried some other 'effects'

For this assignment i'll give myself a 7.5/10, cos I like simple stuff and I feel that mine's simple enough but yet still bring a message across.
I'll rate Mark's photogram with a 9/10. I like it's simplicity, yet it hints of complexity with the rich colours from the flowers.