Shape and Form

 

Artist research: Peter Fraser

Peter Frasers Photography series 'Materials' studies man-made shape and form. He considers, colour, texture, surface, 2D and 3D shape and forms. He uses a Macro lens to capture the close up details of the surface of the objects. After studying organic shape, forms and surfaces I am interested in researching and experimenting with capturing man made objects. I will experiment with photographing both 2D forms (materials, surfaces) and 3D forms (objects).

 

2D Shape and Forms of Manmade Objects- Peter Fraser Response

 

When experimenting with photographing various man made shape and forms, I looked for interesting and differentiating surfaces, textures and materials. I used a small aperture setting of 5.6 to capture the close up detail of the different objects. Minimal editing was used for these final images, slight adjusting of contrast and colour.

 

I started by photographing smooth, 2D, reflective surfaces, and I was surprised at the range of results from this experiment:

 

 

Knife after eating



 



 

Stainless Steel light switch. I like the contrast from the smooth metallic switch to the crumbling rubble of the wall behind.

 

Reflective mirror surface. This photo lacks substance, however I like that I managed to achieve a photograph of the surface of the mirror, without capturing the reflection.

 

Lime scale buds on the tap. Texturally interesting, the shape and form of the Lime scale is evident. Although a surface is a 2D form as the scale starts to form the surface becomes bumpy, resembling a landscape.

 

I then looked at a range of other contrasting surfaces.

 

Cotton towel, evidence of minute ring threads and fluff.

 



 

Peeling wallpaper, exposes stone wall and fibres from the torn edges of the paper.

 

Broken plaster filled crudely with another variety of plaster, leaves and interesting, crumbly, crack between the two materials.

 

Final surface of a window, captures the rain droplets, weathering, scratches and cobwebs.

 

This experiment really helped improve my technical photographing abilities, experimenting with aperture and exposure. I think these final images work well collectively because the contrasting forms, colours, materials and textures really complement each other. However each photo individually is much more mundane and less interesting, so by placing a contrasting image aside it really brings out the characteristics of each photo. Whilst with my natural forms experiment I focussed on 3D, layering and depth of photographs, with my manmade series I studied 2D forms much more.

I was particularly interested in my Limescale photograph, because although my intent was to capture a 2D surface, I found that each little crystal made the surface bumpy and 3D. Each marking on the window image, grooves from scratches, dust and cobwebs, make the surface 3D. This idea of changing forms over time, through weathering, movement, growth, erosion, really interests me. My next experiment shall focus on the change in forms, both 3D and 2D.