Week 1
Sustainable Prospects PHO704
We have been asked to think about research. My view is that research is an integral part of most creative endeavours. My project will be founded on my findings about religion; in some ways my project will be one long case study.
There are lots of different forms of research: interviews, case studies, participation and non-participatory observation, to name but a few. Mark Power (Magnum Photographer) is a photographer whose photography practice is founded on a research approach. In the video below he talks about a project he did in Poland. He was sent to Poland for a month to conduct an assignment without a brief, meaning he had to do his own research and find his own stories. This demonstrates a non-participatory approach to his research: observing the landscape, how the place works and its people. When executing projects like this you sometimes need a collaborator. This person can be another artist or a fixer, who is someone on the ground or someone who knows the area and potential contributors. In Mark Power's case he was introduced to a Polish photographer who was able to act as a "door opener" to Poland.
I will be using different research approaches for my subject matter. My project will be a continuous case study. I am starting by reading a book called 'The Immortality Key' by Briann C. Muraresku. It explores the origins of religion and its connection to psychedelics and the history of a 'religion with no name'. I hope that this book will broaden my knowledge of non-conventional religions, which will assist me in making images.