The quality of the photos you can take with a photographic degree

Oh dear, not a Parr fan then? I think some of his work is superb, far better than the usual over saturated sunsets/rises and predictable lead in lines that seems to garner so much favour from the average photographer. The photos shown are in no way like Parr's work
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Ok I'm not an expert on all of MP's work, but what I have seen looked very similar. i.e badly composed over saturated snap shots.

Martin Parr, though not my cup of tea personally, has a really good eye for composition, his pictures can be damn amusing at times (though you have to sift through the rubbish to find a diamond).....
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I expect that could be said to a lot of us too. :)
 
Raymond Lin said:
A piece of work should speak to you without the author standing next to it and ram those explanations into your ears.

But hey, that's art right.
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I got slated on here for saying something very similar :p
 
Personally I'd like for the artist to have the courage to come on here and defend her work...is it as others have suggested a sly dig at throway pop-culture, or just another soap-dodging 'Student-Grant' bluffing her way through...?

(And I was a student too in my youth, before you all have a go - I learnt darkroom technique, studio-lighting and guilt-free unsafe-sex with drunken girls in cramped-bedsits, thanks very much - and how to make £3 last an entire evening in the pub...how else would I know that you can live indefinitely on beans and cheese on toast?)
 
tee hee
I like beans and cheese on toast! - Though I'd rather lose the cheese...

I can understand having a dig at the dink culture, but what was written in the article was that she didn't want just drunk pictures of people, it was more than that (or at least that's what I remember) however, having worked with journalists....I take what they write with a pinch of salt...or less...
 
david1701 said:
I've got a sneaky suspicion we may have missed the point, the photos are *****, methinks it is intentional (no one can be that stupid) and that they are a set with some written speel that has some sort of meaning/ art to it

if not they're just ***** pictures
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:lol: I'll back you David, ignor the luddites... ;)

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Yes, not attractive pictures at all.

But what’s that got to do with it!?!

As a piece of concept art I think its rather clever, in fact, I have to say she’s taken it all the way to its spectacular end ...hats off to her for having the guts, the gall, and the artistic know how to make the statement so boldly.

Buts that’s all it is, a statement of artistic understanding, a construction of her intentional aims, she’s not saying look at these great shots, she’s saying look at the other side of the humanity from an unusual perspective....do you get it?

Art like this needs to be taken in its full context. briefly deciding an opinion based on nothing more than judging the images against your own work is never going to be useful.
They are not good to look at, but after understanding her intent and objectives I think she’s nailed her idea and this is what makes it reasonably good art. IMO.

:p
.
 
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a piece of concept art I think its rather clever, in fact, I have to say she’s taken it all the way to its spectacular end ...hats off to her for having the guts, the gall, and the artistic know how to make the statement so boldly.

Buts that’s all it is, a statement of artistic understanding, a construction of her intentional aims, she’s not saying look at these great shots, she’s saying look at the other side of the humanity from an unusual perspective....do you get it?

Art like this needs to be taken in its full context. briefly deciding an opinion based on nothing more than judging the images against your own work is never going to be useful.
They are not good to look at, but after understanding her intent and objectives I think she’s nailed her idea and this is what makes it reasonably good art. IMO.
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I actually agree entirely, and taken to its logical conclusion, it allows anyone to excuse absolutely anything as art. It also means that we should never criticise anyone else's work, as we have no idea what their intention was. Whether that's a bad thing or not is entirely your own opinion.

Personally I don't feel that the work in question, helps in anyway to give credence to the art of photography, but then again, I feel the same way about Martin Parrs work :shrug:
 
hey she can take rough polariods of bird poo for all i care

what i do care about is threads like

'Look at the quality of photos you can take with a photographic degree' when used to discuss a single persons work

its insulting and so far from the point its untrue, but i explained that earlier and no one has challenged me...

Perhaps in future people will be less quick to point the finger at education, and instead focus on the artist
 
When I was at college Parr was one of my big influences, my lecturers hated him but I stuck with him. I think his work has lost it's humour in recent years but his early black and white work along with his 80's/90's work had no equal (although Anna Fox and Paul Reas come close.)

It's I suppose like discussing the Turner prize or Emins work, all you need to do is convince the right few people that you are good and job done.
Most of the items in Damien Hurst's last multi million pound auction were apparently bought by.....a Mr. D.Hurst, fantastic self publicity as it increased the value of his brand.
 
its insulting and so far from the point its untrue, but i explained that earlier and no one has challenged me...
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Probably because they know you're right, but students are always an easy target.
The photographer in question will have been taught to a very high standard, I've no doubt, how she chooses to interpret that knowledge should not be a reflection on the degree course. :)

p.s Feeb, I think your sites down :shrug:
 
Flash In The Pan said:
I get a feeling that the photos are intentionally "bad", especially when Martin Parr and Tom Wood are cited as her inspirations.
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But I love Martin Parr, his compositions are witty and clever, these are just rubbish. I honestly can't see anything good in any of them :shrug:
 
Yeah i know me sites down :( have to sort out a new server i think - though am going to move the company in a new direction so considering just... waiting for that :)

About students... yes we In General be an easy target but make no mistake, i will defend my college to the ground as it has taught me So much about photography, its really really improved my life

and yes i go into college week upon week and i see students that dont really seem to care, dont try and push the boat out at all, some even that will still submit photos that are out of focus!

And i sit there and wonder why on earth they have paid 3 grand to be there, its a little bit like watching someone buy a d700 and use it on LiveView and every setting on Auto... What a pointless waste of time!

But thats not my problem, its theres and its not the COLLEGEs problem that they are not getting the most out of their degree - its the students problem

And, to re-iterate, its not OUR problem on this forum, if we care to comment on an 'artists' work then thats brilliant - but its not the fault of her college

thats like blaming the camera ;)
 
Yv said:
:nono: Can I remind you all that it's hardly fair to criticise someone else's work when they are not here to defend themselves or their images.
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Yet we're allowed to criticize Annie Leibovitz family shot of the President of the United States?

You could send an email to this girl and ask for her reaction?
 
AnnaV said:
But I love Martin Parr, his compositions are witty and clever, these are just rubbish. I honestly can't see anything good in any of them :shrug:
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Parr is a seasoned professional though, this girl is/was just a student. I think these pics are what in the art world would be called "after Martin Parr" or "in the style of". Nonetheless I can't really see how anyone could say they "jump out at me and scream new talent" - another :shrug:

feeb said:
Perhaps in future people will be less quick to point the finger at education, and instead focus on the artist
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I think the point that is being made is that it appears that these images were judged worthy of the award of a degree, which, imho, doesn't reflect well on the university that awarded it.
 
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Edtog said:
Most of the items in Damien Hurst's last multi million pound auction were apparently bought by.....a Mr. D.Hurst, fantastic self publicity as it increased the value of his brand.
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I believe this is what a lot of Warhol owners/dealers do to, they will bid against each other on purpose to keep prices inflated so that the collections they have won't be devalued by an item selling low.
 
treeman said:
I actually agree entirely, and taken to its logical conclusion, it allows anyone to excuse absolutely anything as art. It also means that we should never criticise anyone else's work, as we have no idea what their intention was. Whether that's a bad thing or not is entirely your own opinion.

Personally I don't feel that the work in question, helps in anyway to give credence to the art of photography, but then again, I feel the same way about Martin Parrs work :shrug:
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yeah I agree to some extent, anything can and often is labelled art. some good, some suspect, lol ....although most of the replies on this thread have been in criticism of the photographs, very few, if any, have criticised her art.

The fact is the 'art of photography' is a totally separate thing to art so its tricky to mix the two replies.

However I don't think much of this work photographically either. :thumbs: But I can see the credence of it for the art of photography. ...just not the pretty side.
 
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I dont think these are that bad. This girl had a wonderful idea and some wonderful subject matter but in my opinion the composition and randomness has let her down. Every documentary photographer knows what they are aiming for when they press that button, even when it might seem like a "lucky" photo. This girl I think has just taken snaps and then picked the best. But there is plenty to build from and I wish her the best of luck if she wishes to continue documentary.

And as for Martin Parr, the man is a genius with his composition and timing but he will always be subject to scrutiny, which he probably enjoys.:D

Vicky.
 
I think it's entirely relevant to bring up the fact that she has a photography degree, she got the job at the BBC by having that degree. Surely having a degree in photography you should be able to demonstrate SOME technical and compositional competence and to be honest I'm not seeing much evidence of either!

Art is a different degree and if this work is judged on the basis of art then I do see some relevance although the Cardiff project leaves it absolutely standing.

There is a point in photography as in any artistic medium where the message the artist/photographer wishes to convey becomes stronger than the technical merits. Some of Bailey's early work and some of Bob Carlos Clarke's nightclub work bear evidence to that with subject movement and out of focus shots.

The thing is though that it is easy to see WHY Bailey and Carlos Clarke chose to shoot them like that and I can't see the same in these. That first image is just awful with a big lump of arm and someone else's hair in there. If these were the best of them then I shudder to think what the rest were like.

I feel sorry for her, she is going to attract all this unwanted publicity and looking at her other work I'm shocked that she was awarded a degree in the first place.

What kind of crit do you think she would receive if she posted her work on a site like this?
 
I thought I was missing something when I saw the shots that were being discussed. that is surely an insult as a photography project!! The shots do not demonstrate any composition, lighting or planning apart from thinking about where she will have the cameras left.

I would also be pretty disappointed if I handing that in and it got high marks. You would think that less thought equals better grades.

Each to their own though.
 
o can honestly say my photography degree teacher would give a high mark for them, because of the refrencing to older photographers as inspiration.

he wants us to go and see a martin parr exhibition tomorrow, I will not be going as i have spoke to him before saying we are ment to be on a work based course not a exhibition based fine art course.

I think photography like this is just snap shots, no planning.

photography is:
5% light
5% timing
90% BSing what you have to make it sound arty and cleaver
 
Not a fan of Martin Parr then! ;) I cant wait to see his next exhibition, he's supposed to be coming to my neck of the woods soon.
 
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