Abstract

Abstract The Visible Invisible Object: A Photographic Enquiry ‘Recording’ A Lived Life David George Sullivan This practice-led research project is centred upon a photographic ‘recording’ of everyday ‘objects’, which has been built up since 2004. I have ‘recorded’ everyday ‘objects’ that I have experienced using the camera lens, selected because of the form of the ‘thing’ and to act as a vehicle to signify the ‘encounter’, or a related signified memory. The images act as signifiers. The aim of this practice is to ‘record’ ‘encounters’ and memories through the positing of ‘objects’; to make a selection from this body of work and consider the relation between images, between images and their subject, and between images and a lived life. This led me to a distinctive phenomenological approach to a photographic – based practice. The sequence of chapters in the written thesis is intended to reflect the research process. It moves from a consideration of the individual photograph, to groups or suites of images, and thence to a larger body of work. In a series of parallel movements the act of taking the photograph, the consideration of images in relation to each other, and the relation between the image and possibilities of narrative become the focus of discussion. In each of these sections relevant examples from other practitioners and theoretical writings, strongly based in phenomenology contextualise specific aspects of my practice and my practical research. The practical element of the project is represented by a portfolio presentation of a selection of my images at the beginning of the thesis along with their accompanying texts, and by an exhibition of a similar selection of images also with their accompanying texts taken from my body of work. Both of these presentations parallel the discursive structure of the thesis supporting the enquiry through performing or demonstrating aspects of individual images, groups of images and the story-telling or narrative capacities of the photographs. Extracts from personal narratives are presented alongside some of the photographs. In other sections, the importance of the word - image relationship is comparatively analysed by presenting a further set of artwork, which remain untitled, and without narrative.

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2011

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