Thursday 24 January 2013

Contemporary Themes II

An Introduction to the module and 'Critical Discourse'


For this module, I have to choose one or two topics that were covered in the Contemporary Themes I module from last year which can also link in with the work that was covered in the Finding Your Place module. The clearest link between the modules that I can find is the use of ‘Landscapes/Trees’ in the images. The Finding Your Place work involved close-up images of tree barks whereas the work that was covered in Contemporary Themes I, one of the projects undertaken was a response to a John Blakemore lecture and the finished work utilised multiple and long exposures to capture movement in the trees.

This module also introduced us to the idea of ‘Critical Discourse’. From what I can gather of this term, it means that instead of just researching ‘Landscapes/ Landscape Photographers’, you should look around this subject and how it can be linked in with various social concepts. For example;

Landscapes ---- Nature ---- Modernity ---- The City

All of these social concepts can be linked in together (I think that’s right anyway!). As well as critically analysing this higher level of research, we should also look at how Critical Discourse can influence both our photographic approach and practice.