'Representations of Religion'

How is the traditional side of religion, effecting modern life?

Has technology eg. the internet replaced Faith & Religion?

How today's culture has lost the messages brought forward by religion.

Just a thought.. Still linking alcohol into this project I am going to look into youth culture. How religion effects the youth culture today.
With the spirit of being young and making mistakes, the 'no responsibility', would it help if religion was more available to the youth?
Regards to work, how would we represent it to youth culture?

I done a quick sketch of the famous rock guitarist 'Slash' using pen. I also added the quote from the front of a leaflet I got given. Its simple but yet representing a message into now from the traditional side.

Would it change things?
I experimented on a couple of other drawings also.

The image above is just what came out of my head, a young girl who is meant to look plain and innocent. My thoughts are that alot of religious groups tend to target the weak. Someone who has had a lot of trials and tribulations in life and have no where else to turn to but to religion. I feel as though religious cults are quite powerful in how they work. I need to research more into religious groups and see if they actually are a good thing, as you do hear horror stories. I need more of an opinion on this matter.

The image above here is of a girl/boy who have piercings. I felt as though I needed to draw someone with facial piercings as I have many myself and feel as though I am targeted alot by many different religious organisations. I also wear alot of dark clothing so tend to be approached by many organisations and being asked many questions. I have also been told by a foreigner who was holding up a board for religion, to stop wearing black.
Why is wearing black a problem?
We fight for our own independance, we are all alike, yet we are targeted because of our choice in clothing.
The image istelf is drawn onto an A4 piece which is folded in half, as I thought of a possible idea of creating a booklet or again a flyer.

The image above here is the inside of the leaflet. It was just an idea, of what to put inside. The quote again, a chorus of lyrics from the song 'Devil' again, and using music notes around for if a youth was to pick it up would hopefully be interested in reading it. A quick sketch of a stereotypical 'devil' is at the bottom left corner with a skull and crossbones on his shoulder. This could offend someone, perticulary someone who is strongly religious. The idea is not there to offend anyone but just to point out, religion is all around yet it seems invisible and people dismay it, there must be a reason for this.

These images here are quick pieces I created using the words Mike had re written with Limp Bizkit songs.
'Limp Bizkit' are a NuMetal band who have been around for quite some time now. Deciding to use this band was so that if youth like us, who hang out in the same areas, seen or noticed this piece on a wall (could be made into big posters) then they would recognize the lyrics but also know that the original script was from the bible. Its just an experiment, hopefully which will lead on to plenty of others.

So with this project, we are questioning youth culture, related to alchohol and drugs. We are also questioning the morals of religion, bringing the two together, exploring both Alcohol & Culture.

My aims from now are to photograph more young people. I want to go to venue's and clubs and capture youth in the moment. I want to take these images and study from them, draw from them.

Semester 2 - Ideas & Thoughts

So after getting back from the Christmas Holidays, my fellow friend who is also studying in the same group as I, decided to collaborate with out projects.

Looking at all my work that I had created so far, I had felt as though I had a hit a brick wall. I had no idea which direction to move into.

Mike and I were walking through town and were stopped by some Mormon's. We disregarded it. As we carried on with our jounrey a couple of men handed me a leaflet which read out on the front
' Someday you will stand before God you must have his righteousness '

As we carried on walking I opened the leaflet and started to read what was inside. This sudden feeling of anger, laughter, annoyance, not being able to understand came over me. We discussed what was written inside and discussed our opinions. The extracts which were taken from the bible and used in the leaflet seemed like absolute crap.

With our own opinions, we decided we could work with religion. We could interporate it somehow in our work, we could actually really start to enjoy the work more and brainstormed ideas while walking all through town.

As my last batch of work was based on alcohol, I decided just to play around with a couple of the images I had created in the last term just to get my brain working again. To see if more idea's could be triggered. I used extracts from the leaflet and also lyrics from a song, named 'Devil' by the band 'Staind'.

The images below are just a few examples.

While creating these, I was trying to think how we could get the youth around here to view this work, I felt as though they could be used as flyers or posters. After these images, I felt as though I needed a new direction, as I still felt like I wanted to use a different medium, though I would still like to do more Photography and use more Graphic design tools.

Developing Through Images.

DEVELOPING THROUGH THE IMAGES.

This image above is an extract from my sketchbook. The photograph shows one of the manipulated photographic pieces and thoughts with drawings. The photographic image on the page is of the two images, one face laughing other myself twirling, I personally feel there is an eeriness to the image. Another thought is that where the mouth should be on the portrait, is where the skirt is from the full body. Insinuating sexuality, innocence.

‘Brick By Brick’

Another thoughts, the bricks throughout the image each tell a story, the stages throughout the day/night drinking process. Drawing of the stance, quite masculine. Comparing women & men. Masculinity.

(image above)
Although the light is reflecting quite badly off the photographic image on the left, you can still make out that it is another manipulation photograph. Again I have drawn on from the image, creating a different type of piece. Possible thought of a series of pen drawings.
‘EYES’ the eyes cannot be seen in the image from the portrait, there are a mixture of colours which portray different emotion. (Will carry on to the mood & emotion chart later on) The face is laughing but blurred into the other picture, cannot see it clearly but gives a certain creepiness. The mouth area has light, natural colours and tones coming through.

(above) The image is a close up of one of the photographs produced. Image of Masquerade mask, Negative, Darkness. Different colours to indicate different feelings, patches of emotion throughout the journey of being intoxicated.

COLOURS AND MOODS.

‘Colour without our realising it, can have a profound effect on how we feel both mentally and physically.’

Link - http://iit.bloomu.edu/vthc/design/psychology.htm

Looking through the list from the link above, here are the moods I have picked out associated with the colours that I think would connect with the feelings and happenings from being intoxicated. Words you would associate when drinking alcohol from past/present experiences, including the aftermath of the drinking.

BLUE – Trust, Truth, Confidence, Loyalty, Depression.
BLACK – Power, Sexuality, Evil, Unhappiness, Sadness, Anger, Death.
GREEN – Generosity, Jealousy, Envy, Misfortune.
ORANGE – Energy, Enthusiasm, Flamboyancy.
PURPLE – Loyalty, Transformation, Cruelty, Arrogance.
RED – Love, Danger, Desire, Speed, Strength, Violence, Anger, Blood. Red Can ‘Evoke’ A Fight.
White – Humility, Youth, Good.
YELLOW – Joy, Happiness, Imagination, Dishonesty, Betrayal, Jealousy, Deceit, Illness, Hazard, Inspiration.

I am going to use references from the colours into the work. Linking up emotions and feelings by the colour scheme. Picking out which words describe and fit with the moods of the picture, to indicate some of the emotions of the photographs.

'Photographs'

I have had pictures taken by my digital SLR Olympas camera based on myself y the help of a friend, these pictures are experimentations of the effects. How I look and feel hopefully come across in the photographs and the movement there may be in some of the images connect with the movement in my head of thoughts, memories of the night before, the dizziness of a hangover, the swaying of no balance compared to the night before swaying in confidence, also the dizziness from the lights and music/noise combined with alcohol. I think the sepia tones and also the black and white are effective in these images. Here are a few examples so far of some of the photographs.

The next image has been slightly altered with another image which was merged with the image of me sat on the floor.
It is the whole image and you can see the shape of the other image coming through which is of me in a mask.

The next lot of images I have produced are experimentations that I have taken further by editing, manipulating and overlapping to create a representation of a hangover through the medium of photography.

Handpicked mixture of the images I have created.

Masquerade Masks

So going back to the thoughts of masquerade masks, here are a few of the images that are included in this section of my project.

I went on to experiment through these images I had created. Photoshop was a great tool to use with manipulating images.

Most of the research and ideas that have occurred so far throughout the project have been effects of alcohol through the time of actual drinking. What about the next day? The hangover?
• How you feel
• What your thoughts are
• The way you act, how you were the day/night while drinking
• The pain
• The memory or either the memory loss
• Sickness
‘What did I do last night?’
How often has that question been asked by people who had been drinking excessive amounts of alcohol? Poisoning the brain. The feelings and thoughts the next day..
Here are some images from a nightclub I manage to capture on a night where I wasn’t drinking any alcohol. I was watching the different patterns of lights and colours and also watching others.

Below is one image out of the few from my sketchbook on just experimenting really, cutting up and putting images of the masks I had taken with pictures from clubs and gigs. Seeing how they can be merged together.

'Thoughts/Notes'

[CLUBS] – Bright Lights – Flashing Images (strobe lights) – People Dancing – People Under The Influence – Laughter – Moving Of Bodies – Moving Of The Arms – Waving – Dehydration – Movement & Alcahol – Makes you do things you can regret – Next day Hangover.

[GIGS] – Gigs are slightly a bit different to clubs but not alot. Watching a live band there’s Movement- Sweat – Heat – Drinking/Consumption of Alcohol - Dehydration – Different feeling to being in a club – Cant hear anyone else but the band and crowd – Also has big flashing lights as do clubs. Music has an effect. It’s an influence in itself.

'Synthetic Substance'

‘Synthetic Substance’

So from the few mixed thoughts and ideas I started to experiment with film and photography, with just a quick thought of giving my work a title of ‘synthetic substance’ I considered incorporating sound through my work. Knowing of a young man who is from Poland who creates sounds and music and his work named ‘Synthetic Substance’ , could contact him and ask for the permission to use his work. The sounds and music he creates are euphoric so in my opinion would go well with my work.
Through experimenting and messing around with a video programme on my computer I made a few short films using all my own footage.

TRAIN JOURNEY

The first short video I created includes footage of a train journey I took throughout the summer. The video is approximately 2.30 minutes.
I manipulated the original recording and used a black and white setting. The video is slowed down quite a bit in parts and quickened in other parts. I have over laid footage and used an old fashion effect at 3 certain points only for a short time to add a difference. The reason I filmed a train journey and its connection to my subject of choice is that throughout the process of drinking you take a journey from one state to another. Your mind can wander and travel as also your body when on a night out drinking. Your personality takes a journey your identity is questioned throughout as it changes. The blur and vision of images that you zoom passed on a train is connected to the visions and blurriness you when in a club with lights that flash and merge into another.

THE DANCE

The dance is another short film which I have created, again using my own footage that I had captured in a concert. This video is only 54.60 seconds long but has a lot of movement going on. The video contains a woman who is the singer of the band I am filming, she dances around on stage. The performance is rather theatrical and has a certain circus theme throughout. There are flashing lights that surround the stage which can connect to the feel of effects on the brain by drinking. The atmosphere you would encounter being out drinking, the environment you would be in and the feelings you would feel, I have tried to capture throughout this short video as I think this band portrays it well.

THE HALLUCINATION

This video is the longest of the films that I have made, it is 5.37 minutes long. This video consists of many different aspects throughout and was also filming as I was intoxicated myself at times. Your meant to head into a journey of the unknown, as with drinking. There are snapshots of me walking through a tunnel, to laughing in a mask, in a crowd at a concert, flames of a fire, social gathering, and also have used footage of the singer from ‘The Dance’ video clip.
I researched Jonas Akerlund while working on my videos for some inspiration and information.

The Beginning.

So this 2nd year started off with some positive ideas in my own head. My sketchbook is like my bible for my ideas and thoughts to emerge and progress. Most of the work that I had been producing in the beginning of this module, were incorporated into the sketchbook, the subject I chose to use for my work was loosely based on the effects of alcohol.

Rough, quick thoughts were scribbled into my book to start off the work. Ranging from my own experiences to communicating with other people and asking them what they instantly thought about when they heard the word alcohol or what did you see or remember when you heard the word? Some of the answers included;

• Fragile, Control, Debate, Silly, Pain, Laughs, Compliment, Confidence.
• ‘ Nice glass of red and relax ‘
• Drunk, Fizzy, Fun, Kareoke, Sober, Musician, Money, Party.
• ‘ Enjoyment, Relaxation, Fun, Immediately look forward to weekend to drink with friends ‘
• Drinking too much and looking foolish. Having a good time and only remembering when seeing pictures. Fun.

I was also researching online the current medical news on alcohol and also reading alcohol related columns.

• http://news.patient.co.uk/newspaper.asp?ss=10&pc=612

More notes scribbled, and drugs were another subject of thought that I could incorporate into the work. Thinking through the effects and thoughts, the changing of personalities through these substances, masquerade masks popped into mind.. how a person can change their identity through taking the substances and the feelings of being invincible and invisible and being on a different plane, hiding behind the mask. Masquerade mask in my mind connect to parties of the olden days where synthetic substances would be taken.

Idea on Identity.

A person’s identity can change throughout drinking alcohol. Masquerade masks being associated with parties, fun and games at masquerade balls, trying to identify fellow friends. (Reminds me of things that I have read and seen on older time’s e.g movies like Dorian Gray & Sweeney Todd. Masquerade balls = seducing, laughing, intoxication.)

‘Masquerade balls were sometimes set as a game among the guests. The marked guests were supposedly dressed so as to be unidentifiable. This would create a type of game to see if a guest could determine each other’s identities. This added a humorous effect to many masques and enabled a more enjoyable version of typical balls.’

(Another thought)
People who don’t drink in a crowded room full of people who are drinking alcohol. How that person’s identity can change, persuasion, pressure, bullying, how they could be manipulated to do things as the drunk people seem empowering, possibly intimidating. How some people can be sheep.

• Documentation of followers
• The more drunk the more willing/likely to do things
• Experiment with myself –
Drink loads of booze, Document it, How am I reacting, What am I thinking, What am I seeing, What I am saying.


I started looking through my own photographs in which I had taken myself on nights out, taking inspiration from the artist Corinne Day who I have been looking at throughout this project, thinking how if I was to carry on with photographing people under the influence, to photograph on the spur of the moment.

Link to Corinne Day
• http://www.corinneday.co.uk/

Some of my own images :