1. Personal Motives :

a. To visualise my own understanding and impressions of exile and memory from 1997 to 2001;

b. To particularly explore images that represent and interpret my own nostalgia away from family and homeland and experiments in living abroad ;

c. To reflect on my father's own exile from Mainland China;

d. To reflect on the historical period in Taiwan after the end of Martial law.

 

2. Project Aims:

a. To represent the terms and conditions of Exile and its recreation through Memory in photographic form;

b. To research and realise my thoughts and experiences through the visual language of the multiple joined image - initially in the form of a diptych or extension into polyptych structures;

c. To understand the condition of exile and how it might be described in terms of images and words

d. To explore the application of the self portrait to contextual images

 

3. Formal explorations in photographic forms From the first years of photography, image makers have seen the possibilities of the multiple image, and the possibilities of photo-collage. In the light of the subject matter I have chosen I wish to explore the following questions;

1. what are the formal possibilities of the diptych for expression in photography ?

2. what are the characteristics of joining images in the diptych format ?

3. how adaptable is the diptych format for the expression of my own ideas ?

I will explore the following pictorial concepts

a. the visual language of my pose, expression and gesture;

b. the visual language of time and place ; e.g. confusions and aberrations illusions and realities ambiguities and certainties I wish to do so and compare my own work with images made by others that explore the same or similar themes and formal experimentation (see indicative reference list)

 

4. Methods and Systems of Working - my Thesis in percentage form.

a. 60% Practical work - concluding in an exhibition, and including photo-sketches, visual diaries, images collection and notation of theme and variation;

b 40% written component, recording and reflecting upon ideas and methods, with a critical account of the visualisation of Exile and Memory in the Twentieth Century.

 

5. Proposed Timetable :

year one - working to outline approval - defining the themes, image gathering, early experiments in joining two images along one edge - a field trip to Taiwan - three photo-sketches of joint landscapes with self portraits.

At outline approval, to produce an interim sequence of works (probably three) as an indication of formal and psychological experimentation.

The constituent elements will be a. Landscape A b. Landscape B c. self portrait X - left hand section d. selfportrait Y - right hand section e. text element (title, commentary, size, medium to be available in a form yet to be decided).

 

year two - after outline approval, gathering further material on landscape and self portrait; more detailed experimentation with pose, gesture and expression. Writing commentaries and developing a website of texts and references. I will also develop my visual systems of planning and sketching methods using combination of markmaking and photographs (see Bayer beneath).

End of year display to the research group in specially designed display area - lights, texts and talk. year three - continued development of sequences of major joined works, further experimentation with the diptych/polyptych form on the computer with sound and movement. Successful aspects of this may be included in my end of project show.

6. Preparatory systems for each diptych will include

1. image hunting in the city - London ;

2. memory recall of homeland; second location work in London;

3. my first shooting on location in Taiwan;

4. my second shooting in UK

5. scrutiny and enlargement of Taiwan images ;

6. my third shooting in UK

7. enlargement of all work and experiments with joining UK and Taiwan images

8. my fourth shooting in UK

9. Final experiments and image construction for final show.

 

7. Presenting images:

A set of six pieces works, Image research and Photo sketch

8. Visual possibilities of my work:

a. about gesture, in symmetry and asymmetry;

b. joining face to face - outline, hair and textures - the symmetrical and asymmetrical face;

c. about the relationship between self-portrait and environment (town and landscape)

d. the formal and psychological effect of boundary;

e. concepts of the balance and contrasts of left and right;

f. a range of tones ;

g. versions of title explored : Exile of Thirty Thousand Miles;

h. texts attached to each work: two place names and two building's names

i. aspects display: hanging - use of space, lighting, possible sound ;

j. possible sizes to be used : e.g. life size or beyond;

k. specific lighting for exhibition space and beyond : main light could be from reflecting light -direct light;

l. sound: none initially but perhaps explored on computer; m. display room and approach : small, quite dark,