BA (Hons) Photography at London College of Communication embraces photography in all its guises, engaging students with creative and academic perspectives.
In celebration of these, this year’s line-up of work – shown in LCC Degree Shows 2018: Show 1, 31 May – 2 June 2018 – sees students responding to the exciting and ever-changing landscape of contemporary photography and photographic practice. Shape, sculpture, human form, documentary, the virtual world and many other ideas will be explored in the students’ self-directed projects.
Here we shine a spotlight on some of the projects on show…
Chi Him Tim Kwan
‘no_w_here’
‘no_w_here’ is now, here, where and nowhere. After being away from home for a decade, Chi Him Tim Kwan raised a question to himself and people who also left where they are a local – what is home? This project is about exploring the definition of home, recognition and social identity, by documenting the elements and bonds between people and places.
Jonathan Liu
‘Mystery Is A Compass’
In Plato’s Meno, a poetic assertion was proposed by Socrates that the human soul has acquired knowledge of all things prior to birth and thus what one perceives to be learning in life is not the acquisition of unknown knowledge, but recollection or recovery of knowledge already known. In response, he was challenged by Meno with a paradox; How does one search for something that is unknown to you when you do not know at all what it is? Conceivably, there is a mystery to this unknown entity. Socrates claimed that this mystery can act as a compass guiding you through the seemingly unknown towards knowing.
‘Mystery Is A Compass’ delves into that concept, working with the disappearance of 20-year-old Everett Ruess in November 1934. He was last seen heading into a gulch off Escalante in Southern Utah, USA. A boy utterly consumed by the wild desert landscape while on a metaphysical quest in search of the unknown, rare indeed was his ability to sense beauty so acutely that it bordered on pain. A penniless romantic, he wandered through the terra incognita of the land and proclaimed in his letters to the outside world: “I have seen almost more beauty than I can bear.”
Liam Waters
‘Transient Bodies’
Advanced technological developments in fields such as biomedical sciences and other emerging fields of study have facilitated the enmeshment of technology and the body, sparking a paradigm shift which questions the boundaries of the traditional notion of what defines a human and how we quantify wellness. Whereas before medicine focused on diagnosing and attempting to resolve an issue constituting a threat, the field has moved beyond this binary reasoning. The inception of preventative medicine, elective surgery and non-essential implantation dissolves a general view on the state of wellness of the human body.
In this ongoing series Liam Waters explores the transient status of the human body, the technology we consume and choose to co-exist with, along with the form of hyper-capitalism surrounding the commodification of health.
liamwaters.cargocollective.com
Lucy Stewart
‘WHOLE’
‘WHOLE’ explores the connection between family relationships and domestic objects. Recovered fragments of pottery from the banks of the Thames are paired with handmade ceramics to illustrate this connection. The installation is mounted on perpendicular walls to contravene a traditional corner inside the home, and symbolise alternative family relationships. The childhood pictures further illustrate the piecing together of a separated family. This project centres on the acceptance of different family situations, while still presenting the concept of the family as a whole.
Shahram Saadat
‘Nine Osborne Bulls’
El Toro de Osborne reflects: value, authenticity, beauty, strength, character, nobility and freedom. The initial purpose of the structure – to advertise – has been surpassed by the impact it has had, not only on Spanish culture, but also its imposing imprint on the landscape. Shahram was witness to 9 of the 9 Osborne Bulls returning with artifacts from the scene as proof. The 9th bull has been captured through satellite imagery.
This places into question the role of the eyewitness and whether our presence is necessary when documenting a subject. We have access to infinite forms of imagery but what drives us to prove that we witnessed the scenes first hand? The viewer is unable to comprehend the adverts scale from only an image. The aura of the bull is made up of the size and the atmosphere of the surrounding environment. Therefore, the grandeur of the bull can only be fully experienced by baring witness.
Sophie Hambling
‘NORI’
Bricks are the materials that shape the world we live in and exist as a symbol of the places we inhabit. Recognised globally for their practical use, by detaching from their original purpose, these bricks also exist as aesthetic objects. The repetition associated with the production and labour can be appreciated in form, texture and colour when photographed as sculptural objects. An observation of the everyday, ‘NORI ‘explores the status of bricks and the conventions of this male orientated labour.
Find out more about LCC Degree Shows 2018: Show 1 or book your place for the Launch Night on 30 May, 6-9pm.
- Find out about BA (Hons) Photography at LCC
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- Find the perfect course for you at an LCC Open Day