︎ @ella_carnegie
I am studying photography and moving image at UNSW and work part-time as a school photographer. In my work, you recreate the same lighting setup in a different school hall, everyday. You have 20 seconds to photograph each student, with each photo being sold for up to $80 in a photo package. By contrast, I am paid $23 an hour. This work has informed my critical artist's practice, which centres around activating and analysing discourses around art as labour and the demystification of art as work. This has informed my thinking about both still and moving images utilising time and light as the most fundamental products. I am interested in the commodification of these products and how this materialises into work for artists and even industries such as school photography.
Untitled (Picture this)
In my practice I am interested in the material and conceptual synthesis of process and product, to reaffirm that art is work. This consideration of the inherent conflict between art as labour and art as commodity is contextually grounded in my work as a school photographer. As part of this job, I recreate the same lighting setup each day in a different school hall. I then have approximately 20 seconds to photograph every student. Each photograph can be sold in a package costing up to $80. By contrast, I earn $23 an hour.
This commodification of two variables (time and light) has informed the conceptual and material themes for this exhibition, 'Untitled (Picture this).'
This exhibition is extremely feasible: The pitch is for this exhibition to be held indoors, and the way it will be laid out is highly suitable for the KUDOS space on campus at Paddington, the Black Box or any space where there is a large room. As seen in the diagram, there needs to be a door that the audience can enter and exit from, where the work 'Behind the door' will be projected onto.
Other equipment requirements include 3 projectors, a wall space to attach a flexible mirror material (very light), and a gantry (to suspend the perspex screens). Ideally, there will be a short exhibition statement on one side wall. All walls would need to be painted black.
In my practice I am interested in the material and conceptual synthesis of process and product, to reaffirm that art is work. This consideration of the inherent conflict between art as labour and art as commodity is contextually grounded in my work as a school photographer. As part of this job, I recreate the same lighting setup each day in a different school hall. I then have approximately 20 seconds to photograph every student. Each photograph can be sold in a package costing up to $80. By contrast, I earn $23 an hour.
This commodification of two variables (time and light) has informed the conceptual and material themes for this exhibition, 'Untitled (Picture this).'
This exhibition is extremely feasible: The pitch is for this exhibition to be held indoors, and the way it will be laid out is highly suitable for the KUDOS space on campus at Paddington, the Black Box or any space where there is a large room. As seen in the diagram, there needs to be a door that the audience can enter and exit from, where the work 'Behind the door' will be projected onto.
Other equipment requirements include 3 projectors, a wall space to attach a flexible mirror material (very light), and a gantry (to suspend the perspex screens). Ideally, there will be a short exhibition statement on one side wall. All walls would need to be painted black.
