FMP: Presentation

I want to create a series of photographs about the two sides of Digbeth: the working-class factories and workshops against the creative areas of The Custard Factory and The Bond; the fashionable bars versus the traditional, long-standing pubs and the independent retailers juxtaposed against the typical convenience shops.

Inspiration came from Ernst Haas' colour work and abstracts from Aaron Siskind and Marian Kraus. Ernst Haas’ colour photography imbues his somewhat ordinary scenes of city streets, gas stations and street signs with dazzling vibrancy, as in Route 66, Albuquerque, New Mexico,1969 and Motion Crosswalk I, 1970s, which also adds movement to evoke the dynamic energy of New York City. Due to its location on the very edge of the city centre, with the constant flow of traffic ferrying shoppers and workers into and out of the city, Digbeth has a similar vitality. In order to capture this energy I will shoot around the district at weekends and late weekday afternoon, when there is more foot traffic and activity due to people leaving work and using the shops and bars.

Route 66, Albuquerque, New Mexico, 1969 , Ernst Haas

Motion Crosswalk I, 1970s, Ernst Haas

The images are intended to be viewed in a gallery as a diptych, as this will represent the duality of the district. The polished, regenerated aspect of the city will be created digitally and will contrast with the gritty textures seen near the workshops and disused buildings in the same location. Marian Kraus’ images of rust and Aaron Siskind’s peeling paint abstracts perfectly encapsulate this and will be created by Polaroid photographs, which are a metaphor for the parts of the city that are being eroded and will eventually disappear, like the Polaroid images themselves. I will attempt to re-create the rich, hyper-saturated colour of Haas digitally, so I will endeavour to create my own Lightroom pre-set which will allow the images to be edited consistently.

L: The fractal beauty of corrosion, Marian Krause R: USA 1961, Ernst Haas

In a gallery environment, the audience will have the capacity to be closer to the images and will therefore be able to appreciate the difference in textural qualities in the analog and digital images and subtle colour palette of the Polaroid photographs.

In this example, the cracked glass on the right side of the diptych could be perceived as being unsightly, however, when presented in context, it becomes part of the larger story.

Gallery mock up

The Custard Factory plays host to many festivals and outdoor events. In 2014 the City of Colour street art festival attracted over 8,000 visitors. Digbeth Dining Club, a street food fair held every weekend with a rotating roster of vendors has attracts hundreds of patrons and The Mockingbird Cinema, which shows arthouse and independent films on a regular basis, all have users that may be open to visiting art exhibitions. Being able to combine art and socialising with friends and family within the same hub may be a great way to attract an audience.