Week 5 [Production Development Notes]
The Exhibition of My Creative Project
From this week's close discussion I had with Mehaul during the workshop and practical session, we discussed where I was with my project so far and also the exhibition stage of the module. Since I had requested funding for my project (mainly for the printing and framing of the final images of my project) I discussed with Mehaul how I wanted to exhibit my project as 12, A3-sized, framed photographs as if they were to be displayed in a gallery-like setting of different Brutalist buildings, shoot with an asymmetrical composition. However, Mehaul suggested that I should look into presenting my project as a 'zine' as this would mean I could exhibit all my locations I had carried shoots out at and research I had done into symmetry and Brutalist architecture into a small photo-book. I really liked this idea because I had been worrying about how I would present my creative project to an audience and if choosing a gallery-styled projection of my project would convey it to its full potential. Here are some notes I made about my research on zines.
Issues with Gallery-Style Exhibition
1. Project would need a more clear-cut and direct focus.
In order for my project to be unique and engaging, I would need a message to convey with my photographs e.g. Photograph Brutalist buildings due to be demolished and portray in a beautiful way. This would mean I would have to limit my focus of my final images to 2-3 different Brutalist buildings in order for my audience to clearly interpret and engage with my project.
2. Expensive
Printing, framing and mounting is a lot more costly than simply printing out a small magazine
3. Can only be viewed in one setting
Displaying my project in a gallery setting as 12 large, framed and mounted photographs means my audience could only view my project in one particular setting
By choosing to exhibit my photography project as a photo-book in the form of a zine:
- I could print multiple copies and the same price as framing and mounting 12 images.
- I could have more than 12 images to exhibit as the final result of my project, meaning I could share a lot more of the photographs I had shot over the year, rather than focus on two particular locations.
- It would be a lot more accessible for audiences
- Would require a lot more time designated to the post-production process of the project.
What are Zines?
In order to understand the exhibition platform I had chosen for my project, I did more research into zines in regards to what they are and how I could present my project as one. Here is some of the research I did online about them.
Research Source 1:
Renstrom, E. (2016) Why photo Zines are more important than ever. Available at: https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/why-photo-zines-are-more-important-than-ever (Accessed: 1 March 2017).
Even though paper and ink may seem unnecessary these days, we're living in a golden age of the page.
Common Sense(s) is a show currently on display at the Center for Photography at Woodstock, New York, that features a compilation of photo-zines and related ephemera by over 50 artists. Juan Madrid, a previous VICE contributor and staffer at the Center, co-curated the impressive display with artist Carlos Loret De Mola. At a time when people can get all their news and scroll through a zillion photos before they're out of bed, what's the point of putting a printed object out? Finding communities and people who are like-minded make me feel a little less insane about the fight for printed matter so I asked Juan and Carlos a couple of questions about the show and their own thoughts about the final fate of print.
What is a Zine?
Carlos: Independent artist publishing has been experiencing an explosion of activity over the last decade. Within that activity, the "photozine" has emerged as a platform for lens-based artists to publish their work with a raw and experimental urgency that more traditional forms of independent publishing lack.
What do zines mean to you?Juan: They're a lot of different things. In creating them, they're a way of making something that doesn't have to hold the same weight as a fully-fledged photobook—they can be a way of exploring more experimental ideas quickly or act as sketches or drafts of something bigger.
Carlos: We use the term zine in a very contemporary manner that respects its roots but also attempts to explore its current state. The process relies on its independent, artist-made nature. Zines tend to connect the artist more directly with its intended audience, as opposed to a trade publication or a bespoke edition where the imprint of the publisher or gallery or other institution bodes heavily in that connection.
Do you think it's worth it to create them?
Carlos: All zine artists value the look and feel of these very tangible paper-based publications that they imbue with immediacy, intimacy, fervor, and transgression. They are eminently accessible objects with often challenging content. They can be instantly experienced by anyone anywhere at anytime without a monitor screen or a rechargeable battery. Yeah, they're totally worth creating!
Why do you think there's a resurgence of people dedicated to making them?
Carlos: I'm not sure I would call it a resurgence. Steady, increased accessibility to digital printing technologies has definitely expanded the field of practitioners over the last several years. More artists are experimenting with the potential of independent publishing today than ever before and the zine platform has its own unique appeal. Even very established artists as varied as photographer superstar Gregory Crewdson and narcissistic pop super genius Kanye West are using the zine form to distribute their distinct ideas.
