Meeting Claire Basik.....

'Putting on a brave face' by Claire Basik.

Today I met with photographer Claire Basik, to discuss a future collaboration with each other.

Claire , like myself has the personal experience of loosing a parent to cancer. She also based her own honours project on her experience and feelings and this was entitled 'Manipulated cells' - diary of a cancer suffers daughter.

Claire gained publications in several magazines and this is a link to her blog, which Claire wrote during her mother's battle and I can understand and relate to her feelings and thoughts during this time.

http://manipulatedcells.wordpress.com/2013/07/

'Looking at the bigger picture' - by Claire Basik.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/basiukphotography/6185404195/in/photostream/ - This is the link for Claire's photo stream on flicker.

 Each image i see of hers, reflects the exact same feelings that I too have and do feel.

'Drowning under work load' by Claire Basik

At the moment this picture truly sums up how I feel, with managing a young family, the final honours project and deadlines looming alongside dealing with the grief and adjustment of life after dads passing.

So back to today, since leaving university Claire is now a freelance photographer and through posting an advert on twitter, she answered my call for help! 

In particular, I am drawn to Claire's images from a shoot she took to promote Charlotte Hudders, who is a silk designer and has recently launched a series of scarfs.

Image from photoshoot for Charlotte Hudders - Claire Basik photography

To me the images that she produce a feeling that they are from an 'Anthropology' catalogue.

Image from photoshoot for Charlotte Hudders - silk accessories - Claire Basik Photography

After a few cups of tea , Claire and I have developed a time plan and are going to be working together in the next week to produce the images for my photo shoot. I myself are very excitied as Claire had some fantastic ideas for my projects and she also gave me some further ideas for this project. 

Thank you Claire for your company today! Cake next time :)

Claire has very kindly allowed me to use her images within my blog so a very big THANK YOU !!!

Window display development!

After evaluating the designs that I have produced so far for the window display I have began to develop a number of ideas further. I am starting to get very excited to now and I cant wait to install the window next week.

Below are a series of images from the development stage.

The theme of my project - cancer cells

Within my theme board, I have chosen this quote from Laura Linney, as I felt that is very fitting for my project. Until a person or relative has been affected by cancer, you never realise how it affects a person and their reflection on life. 

"People's view of cancer will change when they have their own relationship with cancer, which everyone will, at some point."

Laura Linney

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/l/lauralinne452973.html#4t0RIVXDJblcic3o.99

From my own personal opinion from experiencing my dads battle, I feel I have adopted more of a carefree attitude towards life . Live for today and as my dad would say 'Ave it!' :)

Mood board - Mood that I want to portray within the project.

Lifestyle of my target audience

Window display development

Window display development

Window display development

Window display development - close up

Window display development

Window display development.

Now you will have to wait and see for the end result!

Inspiration for Photoshoot!

Searching for inspiration images for my photo shoot has been exciting!

I came across Sue Bryce - an Australian photographer who has been photographing women for over 25 years. She's says in the biography set ion of her website that she, 'wants to give women a feeling of being beautiful.  

 http://www.inbedwithsue.com/about-sue/

Sue met with Jill Brzenzinski-Conley, a 35 year old women with stage 4 incurable spread breast cancer that has now spread to her bones and invited her to take part in a high fashion style shoot in Paris.

Jill says of the experience, 'I felt like Cinderella, not a breast cancer patient, they made me feel like a supremodel'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2274504/Sue-Bryce-photography-Double-mastectomy-patient-Jill-Brzezinski-Conley-poses-stunning-fashion-shoot.html

I feel that the images taken are amazing, they depicted a woman without a care in the world. They creates a sense of empowerment.

Images taken from Daily Mail website.

Videographer Hailey Bartholomew also followed both Sue and Jill during their journey to Paris and produced a video. 

Click link for video http://vimeo.com/57648966

inspirations = paintings, paintings and more paintings

Now the fun part has started!

I have begun to research into cancer cells, their form, texture, patterns and colour combinations in preparation to my visit to the cancer research lab in Manchester next week.

I am working in a small A5 sketchbook at the moment to collect my findings. This sketchbook will record research, statistics, anything that I am inspired by within this project and also my own experiments and samples that I have created.

Below are a series of images that I have already created which have been inspired by cancer cells.

Hope you enjoy them!

My inspirations!

Prostrate cancer cells 

Corpora Amylacea - (prostrate cancer)

Esophageal cancer cells

(l) abdominal cells and DNA filtering

More esophageal cancer

More esophageal cancer

Presenting the retail brand - Anthrolopologie!!

After a long hard think about which retail brand I am going to use within my honours project - I finally have decided upon 'Anthrolopologie'!

Anthrolopologie is a multi-channel lifestyle brand, that sells women's clothing, accessories, gifts and home decor.

Owned by Urban Outfitters, Inc who also operated Urban outfitters, Freepeople and Terrain. The store was  founded by Richard Hayne and was first opened in Wayne, Pennsylvania in 1992.

The brand is a known world wide with over 180 stores throughout both America and Europe, with  3 of the stores located within in the UK (2 in London and 1 in Edinburgh).

The store is famed for its highly imaginative in store fixtures and elaborate window displays, who are created by a team of in-house visual merchandisers and display artists.

I was intrigued as I had often seen these elaborate windows advertised throughout the creative industry via Pinterest and Style guide amongst others.  Recycled materials are a key feature within the displays and beautiful objects / displays are often produced from the most mundane of things. 

Recycled Cork display in collaboration with  Cork Forest Conservation Alliance for Earth Day

Green bottles

Recycled 'teabags'

I began to divulge further into Anthrolopologie and to see how I could link this retail brand with my own honours project. Upon researching the word 'Anthrolopogie' I discovered that this means the following:-

'The word anthropologist means someone who studies human cultures. They investigate all aspects of human growth and cultural interaction, development levels, and regional differences to better understand how we relate to each other and what the future holds for us. To do this job, it helps to have some curiosity, and a high level of patience.'

I felt that this was such a good idea to use this brand within my project as my theme for it is Cancer cells and their behvaiour.

So onwards I must go to dig deeper and research further …..