BCA LEVEL 3
* * * * * N O S T A L G I A * * * * *
In a generation so heavily engrossed in nostalgia, my photography project aims to explore the 30 year cycle and themes of identity with consumerism. |
As people who were once exposed to pop culture three decades ago are now the creators of it today, often we yearn for times we never experienced, or face recurring issues with rose-tinted glasses. |
Though this phenomenon has existed long before, it has never been so prevalent in the mainstream during this late stage of capitalism, where visions of the future are perpetually tied to nostalgic views of the past. |
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In the shoots themselves, I first tried to explore the prevalence of nostalgia in pop culture by using the decoration of my sibling's room as a backdrop. Only small clues, such as a smartphone, give away the age of these photos. These were later used in a number of collages: the second one features a similar image taken in the 80s, crosshatching them to put emphasis on how we still equate personality with the volume of merchandise we display. I further developed this idea into something more abstract in my final shoot, having made a jacket out of iconic images of 80s bands, adverts, and artists alike. /////INFLUENCES///// My collages were primarily inspired by punk zines such as Mental Children, though I found that my attempts seemed too clean and precise with the contemporary minimalist influence I incorporated as well. Having looked through many candid photos of new wave artists, punks, and club kids from the 80s, I tried recreating the spontaneous and monochrome aesthetic in my first shoot. The jacket in my third shoot was somewhat intended to reference a Japanese film called Tetsuo the Iron Man, which used stop motion to animate the parasitic technology enveloping the protagonist's body. Instead, the body is enveloped in nostalgic memorabilia, expressing withdrawal into the past rather than progression into the future. ////METHOD///// Using collage techniques rather than Photoshop, I wanted to preserve the rough and energetic compositions of punk zines. Hence, the images from my first and second shoot where made with paper before being scanned in, where blemishes where edited out and hue/saturation was adjusted. I felt that this sufficiently gave the retro aesthetic I was aiming for without being too exaggerated or unprofessional. All the photos were taken with a Nikon camera. |
I am N.J.Ludlow, an artist interested in illustration and surface pattern design. My dream is to work for publishers as well as creating my own artworks and stories, following in the footsteps of Aubrey Beadsley, Alphonse Mucha, and Harry Clarke.