• What topics interest you, both visual and contextual? and why?
The topics that interest me visually and contextually are ones that I have never done before or that I have come across. I like learning about new things and learning new techniques. I like a challenge and to experiment with my work to get the best possible outcome. My work is at it best when I’m combing new research and techniques into works I have learnt before. One topic inarticulacy that interests me the most is looking into artists that use film, and experimenting with it in ways of using it and developing it. I like the process that happens when using film, I like the rawness of film and the grain it has to the quality of the image. I like that you have to make every shot you take count and not knowing how it turns out until you develop it.
• What particular themes arise from or are dealt with in your work?
Some particular themes that arise from or are dealt with in my work are documentary and mixed media. Most my work is documentary based it always tends to document something. I also seem to always come back and used mixed media by laying images together. All the work I produce is made by a different alternative photographic process. For example salt printing, cyanotypes, black and white and coloured film. I like to experiment and learn new techniques. I like sticking to the formal elements of photography, by focusing on colour, aperture of my images and exploring different techniques and differences between them all.
• What is the link between your theoretical work and choice of research and your practice?
As spoken about throughout within the previous questions, the themes that connect my practice together is documentary and mixed media. The elements that tie my work together when it comes to an idea is the research into the idea, there is always a strong link between that and the final piece that I produce. I translate that idea into a finished piece by combing the research I do to link into my own practice. The research I do always helps me produce my work further and give me new ideas on what to do with the project. When it comes to the theoretical research I use the books that Francis might recommend to me and what he might show us in our lectures. I also go into further research by finding books using the library, to widen my research and ideas on what to produce.
• What approaches do you take to developing your work (consider both practical elements and contextual), in other words what stages do you tend to go through to develop, realise and communicate ideas? Is there a pattern to your process?
When it comes to developing my work, the approaches I take are researching into what my chosen theme is, researching artists that link to my theme, then researching artist within the style I want to work with. I then explore and experiment in similar ways to the artists I have looked at, and maybe even combing some artists together. I then combine the work that I have experiment with, with my own style until I get the outcome that I am happy with. I like my work to look unique and different, so I develop it and play around with the process until I’m happy with the overall outcome. I’d rather develop and explore different ideas for my work and have loads of ideas I can work with, rather than having one final idea that may not be the best. In my opinion, developing the woradverticsing k you create in different ways shows myself and viewers that the final outcome is at the best it can possibly be. I enjoy the approaches I take when it comes to developing my work, it means I am learning to things all the time, both practical and contextual.
• If you were to assess your approach in both areas, what do you feel works and what doesn’t? and where do you see the need for development?
If I was to assess my approach to my work, I feel that how much I research I do towards the development of my work is strong, and really well, there’s always strong links to my artists and my work. There are clear concepts and ideas and you can clearly see them throughout my work. However, one thing that I think I can do to improve is time management, I have loads of ideas when it comes to development but sometimes I don’t necessarily get time to physically do them.
• Where does your work sit in terms of genre and the creative industries? Think about the strengths of your working practices as well as interest – and whether these fit? And why
In terms of genre and the creative industries, my work sits mainly within the documentation genre. The work that I produce documents a certain topic whether this being myself, religion, or even the environment. This is changing all the time to fit into the creative industry and to suit me and what I like. Looking back at some of my old work you could say my work also sits under advertising. My images were very editorial based and could definitely be used in/for magazines, books, websites and other forms of media.
• Where do you see your career heading?
I see my career heading into teaching, I enjoy teaching others and showing people different techniques they haven’t learnt before. I think not having a style to my work and being able to explore all element of photography, helps me with going into teaching. I will have an open mind when marking and looking at other peoples work, and it won’t be bias opinion, as I will understand different peoples styles. I will be able to teach them all different techniques and give them my honest opinion on their work. Doing work experience at a school has shown me I could possibly be a teacher. The students engaged with me and liked all the different ideas I gave them.
Katie Abrahams 