Code (The Concept) - Final Integrated Assignment

Below is the rationale statement and my interpretation for the set of images for the Final Integrated Assignment. This is followed by the images.

Code

We are all so used to receiving a brief text message or email that gives us the concise, to the point information that we need, or even an occasional letter or greeting card from friends or loved ones.   How different this was in Victorian times when the arrival of a small posy or bouquet could hold a message that had to be decoded in order to reveal it’s true meaning.

An arrangement including purple Lilacs, Oxeye Daisies and Bellflowers, would translate as “I am feeling the first emotions of love for you, but am patient and will wait for you to feel the same and will be thinking of you.”

Of course the message conveyed might not be of love, friendship or wanting: a Hydrangea, yellow Carnation, Marigold, Lettuce and Fungus would certainly put you in your place – “ You disgust me with your frigid, heartlessness.  I have suffered pain and grief.”

Inspiration for this collection has come from this language of flowers – Floriography.  I have taken a series of images that have certain meanings representing a whole array of emotions. 

I have been inspired by the New Objectivity Movement in photography that was begun by Karl Blossfeldt at the turn of the last century.  He took beautiful, simplistic photographs of flowers and plants, showing them as structural designs, almost architectural in appearance.  For my collection I have taken images of flowers and photographed them in such a way that they too have that structural beauty.

Today we have forgotten many of these hidden meanings apart from the apparent; the red rose, meaning true love, the symbol of many a Valentine’s message.

It was this obvious symbol that caught my interest and further research in to Floriography. My wife recently discovered a dried rose that she had kept safe, pressed between the pages of a book, that I had given to her the day I asked her to marry me. This rose has even more significance to us, as it’s 25 years ago that I gave her this symbol of affection.

De-coding the images.

The Red Rose = true love.

Ivy = dependence, endurance.

Dandelion = Coquetry (playful behavour).

Cherry Blossom = gentleness, kindness.

Poppy = Pleasure.

Sunflower = Pure, lofty thoughts.

Begining this project I had it in my mind I would produce the images fairly straight. What do I mean be this, the colour of pigment chosen would match the item being photographed, i.e. rose = red pigment, ivy = green. However, as the project developed I wanted a more contemporary feel. The next set of items photographed lent themselves to a square format. With this in mind a squared of the original negatives so they would contact print in this form. I then chose contrasting colours for the set and for the item being printed. My logic here was to follow the theme of the project which was Code. I felt by changing the colours it added an extra dimension.