March: Then

When putting together the previous post on March 2013 I had a quick swim through my archive.  It was fun to revisit the previous projects that had grabbed me at this point in the year, over the years.  Here are a few images that jumped out at me.  If I get a moment I may set up the links to previous projects here or in the appropriate sections (failing that, just check out the archive on this blog or search for a keyword!).

March 2010

 

March 2011

March 2012

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Film 2012

[Denis Lavant as Monsieur Merde in Leos Carax's Holy Motors]

With 2012 coming to an end shortly I can promise you much more photography in 2013.  However, throughout my years on this blog I have always made space for discussing cinema - I've decided to try my hand at writing more on fully film (keeping it aside from my photo-blogging, which will NOT be neglected either).  So, here is my roundup of 2012... let me know what you think!  I've included a best of, and a slightly fully top five for the year.

Visit my new blog here.

See you in 2013.

-PM

Moriyama: Chasing the Dog

Daido Moriyama (born 1938) is one of many photographers that I continue to be impressed and influenced by, but it is his distinct framing method and visual style that confirms that it is possible to make a life from following expressionistic photography.  This is a style that I have been pouring over more and more in the past few years; a style where 'shooting from the hip' is endorsed and accepted, and where conventional rules of framing or processing can be broken.

I travelled to the newly opened Klein + Moriyama show at the TATE Modern Gallery, in London.  Although it was the closing weekend of the Edvard Munch show I had no interest of seeing anything other than photography; also, I hadn't realised that I was so wrapped up in planning my photography trip that I forgot that the London Film Festival was on.  It was not until I was outside the BFI that it became obvious, and unimportant.  I was there for photography.

The Klein + Moriyama show at the TATE was nothing short of brilliant programming.  For more information on the show I would advise visiting the TATE website.  The exhibit led viewers through the works of William Klein, a primary influence on Moriyama and a fantastically modern photographer in his own right.  Their similarities are many: stark monochromatic prints (most of the time); freer framing methods (at odds with traditionalists or documentarians); they created bodies of work on cities and specific areas - including portraits, landscapes and abstracts (favouring urban detritus, advertising, reflections).  Much of what was on show can be found echoing in the work of contemporary American greats such as Garry Winogrand, Lee Freidlander, and Diane Arbus; as well as the more contemporary work of Jacob Aue Sobol.

At the end of the exhibition, in the Moriyama half of the floor, that I became really excited by two bodies of work I have never had a chance to see before (the preceding projects can be purchased as photobooks or in a larger photobook entitled Daido Moriyama: The World Through My Eyes).  These final works were Tales of Tono (1976), which was displayed as a series of prints and as slideshow, and Polaroid/Polaroid 1997 in which Moriyama recreated his entire studio using Polaroids.  Tono was captivating: it was the first time I had seen the entire project projected or printed and it was the first time I had seen Moriyama work in a rural setting.  This is a body of work I will have to come back to shortly - in relation to my own work, which will also be based in a more pastoral locale.

The highlight of the weekend was a printing show with Moriyama himself, where attendants were able to make a custom photobook of twenty prints from an available sixty with a signed silkscreen cover (yes, there was even a choice of cover).  This allowed me to edit together my own book of Moriyama's work, including a selection of rare colour prints.  Forget that old saying about not meeting your idols - this was an experience of a lifetime!

[Print Workshop with Daido Moriyama, TATE Modern, London, October 2012]

[Print Workshop with Daido Moriyama (pictured), TATE Modern, London, October 2012]

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Filmmakers. 2012.

April is National Poetry Month and National Jazz Month (in America). However, I am taking his time to focus on film. It has been quite a while since I made a dedicated film post.

Tilda Swinton in Lynne Ramsey's We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011)

2011 and 2012 have been great years for film (and I didn't really focus on film last year on my blog so I have some catching up to do). For a change this is not going to be a post about short films or feature productions in Northern Ireland, but cinema in need of extra celebration! With a particular focus on a highly talented bunch of individuals, essentially the auteurs of tomorrow.

The people and films listed below may already be on your radar, but that is not a bad thing. I am not going to list my top films from the past year or so; however, if you want that then see what Peter Bradshaw at The Guardian has to say or what Sight and Sound included in their annual poll. In this post I want to address emerging talents, filmmakers who have a handful of films to their name but have a clear and distinct vision.

Firstly, the fine fellows at Borderline Films. Antonio Campos, Sean Durkin and Josh Mond. The roles of director and producer rotate between the three depending on the project. Durkin is currently crisping in the directorial limelight with Martha Marcy May Marlene, on which Campos and Mond were producers. Martha fulfils their primary collaborative ideology because it is successfully straddles the fence between indie and studio, commercial and arthouse.

A full breakdown of the Borderline Films relationships, history and company aims can be found in a lovely Variety article, or on their website (which is a great place to see trailers, music videos, and commercials that the group have worked on). Martha's box-office and critical success will ensure that the group will receive much more attention in the future.

However, it was Antonio Campos who, in the director's chair, brought home the group's first feature with Afterschool (2008). And, before that, he lured the world's eyes at Cannes in 2005 with Buy It Now, a 30-minute short about a teenage girl selling her virginity on eBay.

John Hawkes and Elizabeth Olsen in Durkin's Martha Marcy May Marlene (2011)

Thus far his work has drawn from, and reflected, contemporary visual culture in a way that Cronenberg or Soderbergh once did. Campos addresses how the internet (and obviously YouTube) is playing a major role in how the world (with an emphasis on the younger generation) is approaching image creation and consumption. Afterschool will be a title that will come up more in the future as Campos, and Borderline Films, achieve more; also, with Ezra Miller in his debut acting role as the film's protagonist it may well function as this generation's Genesis.

With Ezra Miller's talent firmly in mind, I move onto Lynne Ramsey and her most recent creation: We Need to Talk about Kevin (2011). This was the film of last year that got people talking, Ramsey's film definitely ensured that British-talent continued to be recognised in the wake of The King's Speech (2010).

Ramsey, who established her meticulous visual style with her earlier films Ratcatcher (1999) and Gasman (1998), has made Kevin a tremendous international success and, rather shockingly, it is only her second feature film. Articles and reviews surrounding the film explain how Ramsey had been working on The Lovely Bones and how studio involvement saw it produced into a Peter Jackson blockbuster. That aside, it is Ramsey's scrupulous production method that has seen go from strength to strength: every shot is measured; every colour is calculated; everything is important.

Ramsey has been working hard and has been mentioned in many lists as someone to keep an eye on as well as a familiar face on the festival circuit. With a feature with Kevin's calibre now under her belt Ramsey will have the world watching her every move, which is no bad thing.

Andrea Arnold, another familiar name on the festival circuits and Cinema16 DVDs, is next on my list. Arnold's adaptation of Wuthering Heights (2011) was simply stunning. Having seen the beautiful promotional stills from Agatha A. Nitecka long before the film was released I knew it was going to have something special. Although the film's visual strengths rest with the award-winning director of photography Robbie Ryans, he and Arnold have forged a great working relationship which will benefit both as their combined accolades continue to pour in.

Kaya Scodelario as Catherine in Andrea Arnold's Wurthering Heights (2011)

Photographed by Agatha A. Nitecka

Rebecca Daly, an Irish filmmaker, has just released her debut feature film - The Other Side of Sleep (2011) - and the strength of this production ensures she is part of this list. Again, like Arnold and Ramsey, the emphasis in this case is on the visual strength of the production, but in how Daly depicts fear, grief, and waking/sleeping worlds recalls Lars von Trier and Maya Deren in equal amounts. Although the reviews are mixed on Daly's The Other Side of Sleep it is an impressive first film, in the same way that Afterschool was for Campos (which also has a von Trier/Haneke feel).

I think that shall have to do for now. I have probably missed plenty of films and filmmakers, but there will always be the Sight and Sound annual poll. I may write more on this post at a later stage, especially since each of the films mentioned and the filmmakers have shared structures and influences.

-PM

2012 so far...

Forget the Year of the Dragon, this has been the year of short films! So far I have worked on four. I shot Lady Grey (and founded FalseAlarm Media as a result); I worked as standby props in Ryan and Andy Toehill's most recent film, Eyeline; and, as you may have noticed from the barrage of recent posts, I have been taking stills on Boys From County Hell and Pennyinch.

[Crew photo from Eyeline, photo credit: Alasdair McBroom]

That's the film side of things. Back to photography. I have submitted '100Portraits in 100Days' to a few local galleries in an attempt to exhibit the work. Fingers crossed. I am also working on creating a project that focuses on Phytophthora ramorum, the 'rapid tree fungus' that is dramatically changing the landscapes of the U.K.

Naturally, I have been photographing throughout the first two months of the year. The final total of digital photographs taken last year was just over 10,000, which is not bad. I do blame working on Game of Thrones for almost six months for this, but working in the Props department in film is something I wish to continue with. And I was still taking photos, I just can't show most of them anywhere. However, I can show my handmade flail made from a Monkey Fist with splice handle (the life of props provides an unusual skill set):

However, this year has been fun so far and I aim to make the most of it. I turned 24 last month. I made a promise to make one self portrait every month throughout the year so I could track any changes that 'making the most of it' would have, the results are included below.

[Occupy Belfast Camp, Writer's Square Belfast, Jan 2012]

[Brussels, Belgium, Jan 2012]

[Road Sign, Ghent, Brussels, Jan 2012]

[Self portrait with black-eye, Jan 2012]

[P.ramorum affected area in Glenariffe Forest Park, Jan 2012]

[Hannah & I reflected, Soho, London, Feb 2012]

[Glare, London, Feb 2012]

[Self portrait against an elephant wall hanging, Feb 2012]

[Photo tabletop created using old analogue prints and contact sheets, Feb 2012]

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