African Drought

This was a piece of personal work I created in response to the current famine in Africa. 20 million Africans are at risk of famine in their worst drought in 60 years.

Something I Put Together

This is something I did earlier today. It was a photograph out of a book about New York, which then drew from making a few changes to its composition etc.

Another Drawing for Collaboration with Rikki Hewitt

Another drawing I've done for this collaboration. I took a photograph from a book I found, documenting the people that live in a mental institution in America, and thought it was a pretty good one to use. It has profiles about the patients, written by the patients themselves so its fascinating to read. I love using high contrasted images so this was perfect. I have quite a few images to use in some way out of this book so expect to see more soon. I'm not sure where this interest has come from, but I have been reading 'One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest' recently so maybe that's it. I promise there will be some colour in my work soon aswell!

Japanese Themed Drawings

Something I'm Working On

Another drawing I've done. This will eventually be for something I'm working on with Rikki Hewitt. It's just an image I found in a photography book of 1940's New York and I thought it was quite interesting. He was a midget from a circus I think.

For My Own Entertainment

These are a couple of double pages from my sketchbook. I haven't been given my brief yet for my summer project but I thought I'd just start messing around, experimenting and this is what happened. I didn't really have any aims or ideas when I started these, I just started, and saw where it went. They're a bit weird but I like them. They're both from the same image source - an image on the BBC homepage. I'm not sure who it was but it was about the Antarctic.

Self defined Brief - Abu Ghraib Second Final Image

This is the second and final print I will be making for Abu Ghraib and the entire project. I'm really pleased with this! Again, quite simple, but, I think, effective. I used an image from Abu Ghraib of a prisoner made to stand on a box with their arms out. They have wires attached to their hands, so if they fall off the box (normally they're on it for about 72 hours) they will be electrocuted. This is a lie, there is not electricity running through the wires - its a psychological thing. I thought this is good as with their arms out it not only shows this torture technique, but with their arms out, its a pose you associate welcoming someone with.

I've tried to make the images on it a bit blurred or pixelated to increase the sense that these are documented. All the negative sources for this prison that made it to the media were like this, as they were taken quickly, or on standard digital cameras, without the army knowing, so I tried to keep this idea in the print.

The children's slides are there as they were trying to claim this prison is so nice, prisoners won't want to leave, so I thought 'what is the object furthest away from a dark, threatening environment?' and I thought of a child's playground. It's a bit random, but its a personal response, and I think it works. Also, it should make the viewer think about it more.

Self defined Brief - Watergate Final Two

This is the second Nixon image done. I was a bit worried with how this one was going to turn out, but I'm actually pleased with it. I think it sums it up pretty well. I tried to keep the colours looking a bit seventies-ish which I think it is. Only the images for the Abu Ghraib prison. These will hopefully be uploaded by wednesday. I'm giving myself a personal deadline of thursday 5th for them to be done so I can go and get them printed.

Self defined Brief - Watergate Final One

I think this is pretty much one of the Nixon prints done. It's quite simple but I like it. I tried to give it the energy the original Nixon image I've used had. As if He's just got into power and he can do anything. I got the idea for it from watching one of Nixon's interviews where he admits he believes that nothing the president does can be called 'illegal'. They have the right to do anything, as if he can play god. It's worth watching, the look on Nixon's face as the words are coming out are priceless - the look of a man who has realised he probably shouldn't have just said that!

I'm still not too sure about the type. It's ok, but could be better, so I'll get on with my other final images and come back to it. The clouds are a bit too cut off from the rest of the image aswell, so I will probably bring them down a bit so they overlap with the grey.

Self defined Brief - Collages on the 'Troubles', Northern Ireland

I have started creating collages of some of the horrific things that happened during the 'Troubles' from images I have taken from books and off of the T.V. I have also drawn and painted into them with acrylic, spray paint and ink. I think these are quite good materials to use as it really helps give a sense a run down urban area - which it did become, while the public began to express their feelings in the form of graffiti and murals. This is something I really want to capture. These works are only preliminary, so I will probably have to go back and do some of them again, better, and on a smaller scale (no more than A3). These were much bigger so I had to photograph them, which I don't want to do for the finals incase they are not so clear. I will keep working on this style, which I'm beginning to love, but I've singled out certain images which I think will look better drawn, so I'll post these on here soon.