ZedSothBunney Plan - EPP

Zed Nelson, Alec Soth, and Tessa Bunney are three photographers whom I've looked at that produce projects through the theme of typology, which to put it simply is a study of “types”. That is, a photographic series that prioritizes “collecting” rather than stand-alone images. What they all have in common is that they have all made bodies of work that revolve around people of different backgrounds, status and roles.

Zed Nelson particularly made an interesting series of documented images called "Love me" which over a period of five years, he visited 18 countries across five continents, to explore how a new form of globalisation was taking place, and where an 'increasingly narrow western beauty ideal is being exported around the world like a crude universal brand.' he describes this project as "a reflection on the cultural and commercial forces that drive a global obsession with youth and beauty".

Zed Nelson 'Love Me' 2009

Alec Soth, ‘Sleeping by the Mississippi’ (2002) and Tessa Bunney ‘Hand to Mouth’ (2007) are more projects of which I have taken inspiration from for a group project assigned by my tutors. The aim was to work with two others and to each take photographs that would associate under the same subject matter, however we each had to make it our own whilst making sure that as a group, we shared the same message. After going back and fourth we came up with a few ideas, one of them being to take pictures of people's pets and then lining them next to their owners photo. Although the idea seemed pretty strong, it was pretty unrealistic for someone like me who didn't know many people in the city that owned pets. Our second idea involved less animals, and turned towards the notion of identity-changing the way we dress to look like the extreme opposite of how we originally clothe ourselves, however in the end we discarded this concept due the fact that from a neutral spectators point of view, that doesn't know who we are or how we dress, it would simply be a portrait of someone, and the message would be lost.

Finally, we coincided on the idea of identity, but this time, making a body of work that reflects on key details of ourselves that make up our individuality. The aim was to take photographs that are puzzled together to create an idea of who we are as a person and how we view ourselves. Aesthetically, we agreed that the images we take stay under the same colour palette, lighting and direction so that in the end, our images presented as a whole, compliment each other and make sense together.

My personal plan was to find things in my home that I found would reflect me, so I noted them down. dresses, coffee, my artwork, my bible, flowers, my bed, and the list goes on. Now the idea was to set them up so I can tell my story.

Next blog I will be sharing the process of creating those images and the end results, so stick around!