Hey everyone, this is my proposal for my final project. If any of you could leave some feedback that would be great :) Thanks
(for some reason I cannot save this with the Mark photo so here is the link- http://www.maryellenmark.com/books/titles/falkland_road/300D-003-052_falkrd_520.html)
For my final project I am going to concentrate on overcoming the first step of my anxiety and fear of going outside/being in public by myself. I am going to document this process by photographing houses that I drive past on a daily basis. I am choosing the houses based on the feelings I have towards them/the ones that have an effect on me. This will require me to physically walk down these busy or non-busy, residential roads and stop to set up the picture and then take the picture. Like I said this is the first step, taking images of these houses does not include a crowd or any people. I have always been envious of those who can effortlessly take images of people out in the world, strangers. Hopefully by feeling okay being by myself outside and taking the images of the houses I will be able to work up the courage to slowing start taking images of strangers in public places. I want a very straight forward shot of the houses (much like Rod Penner’s work and Ed Ruscha).
I often think of this image done by Mary Ellen Mark of this prostitute and an elder woman. The image is taken from the top and on left side you see the prostitute with her customer and on the right side you see a very old woman. There is no wall, only a bed sheet hanging between them. At first I thought how inappropriate that this woman is having sex with this elder lady next to her! However when I read the information that went along with the image my whole outlook changed completely. The elder woman’s daughter was in charge of the brothel and a month after taking the image the daughter died from tuberculosis. Immediately my focus changed to sympathy for the elder woman and I no longer focused on what was going on in the left side of the image. I bring this up because Mark’s photograph caused me to have two very different feelings based on the image and the back story provided. I want this work and I see this work as having a double meaning; one being the focus of these houses and how I feel towards them and the second being that these images will prove my short moment of courage and self-accomplishment. I am not quite sure yet how I will present them or the size I want them to be but I know that I definitely want to challenge myself and hopefully get over this fear, even if it’s just a little bit.
