Category: My practice

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Detroit – The Heidelberg Project

The Heidelberg Project is an outdoor Raw Art installation on Heidelberg Street, Detroit. It was started in 1986 by Tyree Guyton, raised as a boy on Heidelberg street, assisted by his grandfather, Sam (Grandpa) Mackey (deceased), and his former wife, Karen Guyton. Tyree started the project as a form of political protest against the deterioration of his neighborhood following the Detroit riots, and as a way to help the local community feel safe and proud of their street once more. Assisted by local children, Tyree started to paint abandoned houses and decorate them with found objects, to transform them into outdoor art installations.

The Heidelberg project faced destruction twice from the city of Detroit, in 1991 and 1999. Both times, a handful of decorated houses were destroyed. Today the Heidelberg Project is recognized as one of the most influential art environments in the world, and attracts tourists from all over the world who come to visit a street whose inhabitants were once scared to stroll in daylight. Its capacity to generate hope and a sense of community in decaying neighborhood is respected and it was one of 15 projects representing the United States at the 2008 Venice Architecture Biennale. Art workshops, talks and various activities are regularly organised on site.

I spent 2 hours walking the site, taking pictures and also shooting a video, which might turn too shaky because I had no tripod, limited time and freezing fingers!

The first 5 pictures are from Detroit Industrial Gallery, an artist studio/home that was later purchased and maintained by Detroit artist Tim Burke.

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

All the following pictures are the original artworks by Tyree, aided by the Heidelberg street residents.

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

Heidelberg Project, Detroit

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Detroit – Street Photography

I was sent to Detroit last week for my day job and was able to take a few pictures. However I had limited free time during daylight, limited access to a car, and no time to find a local guide in advance, so the possibilities were rather limited.

As said in a previous post about Ghost towns in the USA, there are loads of abandoned houses all over Detroit. However, some of these areas are very dangerous and the Ghost Houses in the relatively safe areas are often inhabited by junkies, so it’s not safe to go in without a couple of tough local guys. Sadly, I had to look from the street, however frustrating that was!

Detroit

Those street photographs have nothing special about them but I really like the light in them, I think it has a ‘Stephen Shore’ feel to it 🙂 I was lucky to have such beautiful ‘American dream technicolor’ light that contrasted with the general setting of urban decay. I would have liked to take more photographs of large freeways lined with abandoned buildings because outdoor photographs were safe enough to take, but sadly I had to give back the car to the day-job-colleague I was sharing it with. I hope to be able to go back for a proper art trip and be free of these frustrating limitations.

Detroit

Detroit

Traffic lights dangling from a cable over a deserted street: an iconic ‘Twin Peaks’ image!

Detroit

The corridor from my hotel which reminded me of Kubrick’s ‘The Shining’.

Detroit

This is the ballroom from the hotel which for some reason caught my eye. It looked like a set from a Roy Andersson movie in its creepy blandness.

Detroit

The Mc Donald logo and Spangled banner juxtaposition is so very cliché, but I could not resist 🙂 (but WordPress does and censors the flag on the right !)

Detroit

The hotel, ubiquitous malls and 6 lane streets made me think a lot of Marc Augé’s book ‘No Places’ (‘Non lieux’).

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‘Ghost House’ and ‘Disciplinary Institutions’ continued during Summer 2010

In June/July 2010, I went back to Ireland to shoot some more photographs and video footage for the ‘Ghost House’ and ‘Disciplinary Institutions’ projects. I mostly revisited previously explored locations; My aim was to try and rely less on the automatic settings of the cameras, make better use of the tripod, and generally be more thoughtful about my images. I have not looked at the video footage in depth yet, but for the photographs, the result were mixed. I did get some good images I did not get before, but some scenes I re-shot look no better in the newer, more worked versions than on the older version where I only specified the ISO and let the camera do the rest of the work.

This is a Ghost House in co. Galway that I visited in 2008. The first picture with the stairs is my favourite of everything I’ve made this year.

Ghost House

Ghost House

This is a Ghost House I saw from the road. I could not go inside because it was locked up, but I thought the exterior shot was very interesting because the walls appear to be bleeding.

'Bloody' Ghost House

I was granted authorisation to go into Woodlawn House, co. Galway. The house is empty and awaiting renovation but the elaborate interior architecture was enough to make interesting pictures.

Woodlawn House

Woodlawn House

I went back to the High Park Magdalene Laundry in Dublin, but I did not get much better pictures than last year.

Magdalene laundry, Dublin.

Magdalene laundry, Dublin.

I went back to the Good Shepherd Magdalene Laundry in Cork and got better pictures, especially from the upstairs floors. Some of these photographs need to be straightened because my tripod was not straight on the uneven floor (I need to find out how to do that).

Magdalene laundry, Cork.

(The book says ‘Ecclesiastical Law’).

Magdalene laundry, Cork.

Magdalene laundry, Cork.

I also got more pictures from Eglington and St Kevin’s insane asylums in Cork.

Eglington insane asylum, Cork.

I found by chance a Magdalene Laundry in Kinsale, co. Cork. The building itself was gutted and being transformed into flats, but the inmates cemetery was still there at the back of the building site.

Magdalene Laundry Cemetery, Kinsale, co. Cork.

Our landlady also tipped me to go see Letterfrack Industrial School: Industrial Schools were the equivalent for boys of what Magdalene Laundries were for girls. The School is now a normal school, but an information panel in the hall tells the story of the former Industrial School and the inmates cemetery has been turned into a sort of memorial.

Of course, erecting memorials afterwards does not change anything for the victims, but the contrast between the tended memorial of the Industrial School and the rusty, abandoned graves of the Magdalenes made me bitter. The wrongs done to the little boys are at least publicly acknowledged and apologies are at least paid lip service to. But the Magdalenes do not even get this: the Catholic Church still refuses to acknowledge any wrong done to the Magdalenes, despite campaigns from inmates’ descendants, and public authorities are all to eager to eradicate the Magdalene Laundries from the face of the earth, turning them into overpriced apartments without as much as a commemorative plate. Seeing this contrast made me all the more determined in my project to document the Magdalene asylums.

Letterfrack industrial school

Letterfrack industrial school

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St John’s College Library, Cambridge.

Thanks to a friend librarian at St John’s College library, Cambridge, I was allowed to take pictures inside. I also wanted to make videos but I could not find any way to make travelling shots that were interesting and long enough, due to the layout of the bookcases. I wanted to make images in the atmosphere of Alain Resnais’ ‘Toute la mémoire du Monde’ but was a bit disappointed with the final result, due to the library layout that forbade any interesting shot apart from close ups, and light from the windows always causing reflections on the books.

This is the best picture I managed 🙁

St John's College Library, Cambridge.

I quite like this stairs picture though. I think it looks striking even though a bit cliche. Sometimes there is a simple reason why many artists end up repeating a standard picture: because it works!

St John's College Library, Cambridge.

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‘Le Jardin aux Jouets’, Raw Art House in Gravelines, 59, France.

On my way to a David Lynch lithography exhibition last summer, I stumbled upon a Raw Art House in Gravelines, 59, France, and stopped to take pictures and videos. There was no sign and I could not talk to the owner, but I found out from the blog of Jean-Michel Chesné that this place is called ‘Le jardin aux Jouets’ (‘The toy Garden’) and the artist is Cyril Roussel, a retired slaughterhouse worker.

I have a long standing interest in Raw Art, especially in those artists that turn their whole house into their lifelong artwork. I feel this is the most literal illustration of how we reconstruct the outside world to match our inner world. What most people do secretly through secret imaginative play or repressed fantasies, Raw artists do it literally on a physical territory.

These photos are not ‘art’ because I’m merely documenting someone else’s art, however, I am interested in documenting what I call ‘Raw Houses’ (i.e. Raw Art shown in the artist’s house rather than in museums) as an ongoing documentary project.

Le jardin aux jouets.

Le jardin aux jouets.

Le jardin aux jouets.

Le jardin aux jouets.

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Photographs from the Catacombes of Paris (December 2010)

In December 2010, I shot photographs and videos in the Catacombes of Paris. In the late 18th century and early 19th century, bones from the inner city cemeteries in Paris were transfered to disused quarries because overflowing cemeteries caused sanitary problems. Since then, The Paris catacombes have been a source of inspiration for literature and art.

Here are a few preview pictures. I have not done anything clever with the photographs and video footage yet. Some pictures have annoying shadows because the poor light conditions forced me to use a pocket lamp sometimes, even with very long exposure. I need to find a way to edit those unwanted shadows out (for example on the picture with the cross), possibly using a light gradient. Otherwise I think there is the potential to make some of these black and white pictures very striking by playing with the light and contrast. I am still unsure what to do with the video footage, other than a pure short documentary.

Catacombes

Catacombes

Catacombes

Catacombes

Catacombes

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Ghost House II.2 selected for Royal West of England Academy Open Photography 2011

My photograph Ghost House II.2 has been selected for the Royal West of England Academy Open Photography 2011 (http://www.rwa.org.uk/curpro.htm).

I’m particularly happy to go back there because I was selected for their very first Open Photography exhibition in 2008, when I had no exhibiting experience and no formal art qualification. I think it is good and too rare that a prestigious gallery is brave enough to give their chance to unknown photographers and to select work purely on the quality of the picture, not the applicant’s CV.

Ghost House II.2

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Comments on my work for MPR

Here are my fellow MADA students’ comments on my work for the Mid Point Review. I’ll write a response to them later this week (either edit in this post or post a separate reply). Thank you all for your suggestions and cooperation !

Melanie Menard (m_menard)
4:14
ok so I’m exploring individuals’ relationship to space using so far still and moving image, and I’d like to use moving image installation later how people subjectively perceive places around them (memory,
fantasies, urban legends to give examples) and in return how places affect people (the feelings of someone imprisoned so far, maybe after other forms of alienation)
now what I’m interested in doing, and unsure about because it’s difficult, is I’d like my images to talk to people on the instinctive level, not just the intellectual/art level
both because of the subject matter and because it’s important to me that the images are able to talk to someone without the academic background to be interested in the usual artist blurb
OK, I think that’s it !
Also I’m more interested in honesty/candid, so don’t be afraid to say what you think. Even if you upset me accidentally, I won’t be upset long so please don’t worry 🙂

Jonathan Kearney (jkearney)
4:21
the discussion here so far is around – why the abandoned spaces, what it the reason for using these?
they give a creepy feeling but is that too obvious – does it need more subtlety
for example a space that is usually filled but when filmed empty creates a different feeling

Christalla Kyriacou (ckyriacou2)
4:22
the first video i found really effective particularly that it was filmed in the way of leaving behind what I was seeing primarily , darkness provoked unknowns and fear and beautiful falling light in the empty spaces gave way to the understanding of life once preoccupying the space, the element of video though gave it a hint of cinematic movie , so this gave me a small impression of it being set up and not
actually straight documentary , even though the scenes shown are of true / real content , the video medium gave it that small hint of edited out realities

Maya Chami (mayachami)
4:23h
http://www.ghassansalhab.com/fr/films/beyrouth_fantome.html

David Tatnell (davidtatnell)
4:23
the videos are well shot and I felt a definite feeling of isolation

Satbinder Kooner (skooner)
4:24
The second video for me created more of a presence of memories, the past

David Tatnell (davidtatnell)
4:25
I think adding effects will enable Melanie to steer the viewer to other emotions

Satbinder Kooner (skooner)
4:25
that there was life there at some point

Maya Chami (mayachami)
4:25
For me, the blurbs at the end of the written part just located me geographically, but honestly didn’t need that bit. I was able to connect with the footage at once, for the pictures Melanie has taken
have a lot in common with post civil war places as well.

Jonathan Kearney (jkearney)
4:26
when asking what the instinctive reaction is – Ethel points out that you can only have an ‘instinctive reaction’ once…

David Tatnell (davidtatnell)
4:26
the use of camera angles in clever too some of them are quite intimidating

Jonathan Kearney (jkearney)
4:26
so are you asking people to think about these films or just ‘feel’ them?

Satbinder Kooner (skooner)
4:27
David – yes the angles differ in the two videos giving a different feel

Maya Chami (mayachami)
4:27
An artwork worked genuinely will be enough for the viewer to grasp or interact. There’s no need for the viewer to really understand what is happening, the effect of an artwork could be that of inspiring the
audience.

Jonathan Kearney (jkearney)
4:28
there is a danger that aiming just at instinctive reactions then it is short lived, maybe the focus needs to be more on the ongoing impact of the films

David Tatnell (davidtatnell)
4:28
emotions before and after

Christalla Kyriacou (ckyriacou2)
4:28
as for the images I see on your blog don’t give me the feeling that I am being edited on what I can see, I guess photographs have that special quality instilled in them , truth 🙂 I really find Melanie’s project very interesting and particularly that it plays on a level of insecurities of anyone who sees the images or video , abandonment is a scary thing , its fearful and haunting ,,, it’s almost like a new life starts in the rooms where the previous ones have left

Satbinder Kooner (skooner)
4:29
I agree Christalla

Jonathan Kearney (jkearney)
4:32
some here are saying – the idea of a photograph holding truth is contentious – maybe better to say ‘the illusion of truth’ in a photograph

Christalla Kyriacou (ckyriacou2)
4:33
that’s what I meant , its just that cause its a historical process it just feels more truthful ,, its a little tricky 🙂

Jonathan Kearney (jkearney)
4:33
some confusion here as to why the deep intellectual context for this work, but then you are asking for just an instinctive response
one suggestion here is filming the ordinary, ‘extremely’ ordinary – this gives room for the viewer to forming their own conclusions rather then just instinctive reactions
a bit like Hopper’s paintings
or the photographs of Martin Parr
also Arbus’ – slightly strange images
Ina suggests the angles of filming suggest to her a horror type film feeling but that maybe focusing on the ‘DNA’ of the space – what is the essence of a particular space, eg, is it colour, the shape – then
maybe take that ‘DNA’ and let that define the filming technique and use it to film a very different type of space
maybe use the colour profile of the outside space for the filming of the inside space

Andrew Stiff (astiff)
4:42
Times up
Melanie Menard (m_menard)
4:43
thank you people for your comments and ideas 🙂 I’ll reply to them on the blog once I’ve had a bit of time to think about them !

Andrew Stiff (astiff)
4:43
Thanks Melanie its gone down well here – lots of discussion around this work 😉

Additional comments from Sat:
Hi Melanie
Video 1 – A building uninhabited, empty, desolate, eerie, spooky – felt more factual / like we are being shown the inside of an empty building and the state of the inside of it.
Video 2 – made me think who lived there what was this building, the focus on images and belongings made think more about the people who possessed these, that they believed in religion, in Jesus. I kept thinking someone would appear in this video.
Hope this makes sense.
Thanks
Sat

Additional comments from Matt:

Hi Melanie,
Below is some feedback on your practical work…
For me the two videos were similar in feel. I guess the feelings I get are isolation, desolation and tension.

The parts I felt were most effective were where the camera movement was quite erratic. Almost Blare Which project, but in a good way! The jogging camera I liked because I could only see glimpses of objects and spaces – a little more abstract and tension filled.

I also like the zooming out sections where a wider/ unexpected context was revealed (Especially the mirror where you are unaware of this at first). I think the zooming out shots would be much more effective if projected at a large scale – a bit more immersive (Obviously youtube is a bit restrictive).

The blurbs were very descriptive of the content. Maybe the text can add another layer. Do the words illustrate the visual work? Do the words and pictures send the same or different messages? Can the words add or amplify the image and vice versa? Can they work in parallel, following very different courses?