Visual Essay: Models/Microcosms
Initially, all I knew I wanted to achieve from my project was a successful satire of several problems with modern society, a foundation from which I could also build counterarguments if necessary. Satire is often best achieved through microcosmic representation; taking a wide-reaching idea or topic and condensing it into a simplified, smaller caricature. Good satire often also presents polar opposites to greater emphasize a point. With this in mind, I thought it may be interesting to use more toys or models in some of my shoots following my initial 'Blackfish' shoot, to represent very real and serious issues. I proceeded to research several photographers who worked with toys, each of whom has their own respective artist research page on this site. You can go there by clicking on their names below. Please note that just because I wish to explore this style of photography, this does not mean i intend my work to be limited solely to it.
Zahir Batin
I was very impressed by the work of Zahir Batin, a photographer who often works with toys to create a mixture of comedic and convincing photographs. What makes Batin's work so effective is that he does not rely solely on editing techniques to achieve the amazing effects in his work; may of them are practical effects, like the fire in the image below.
Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson is an Iraq war veteran who specialises in photographing toys; he has stated that he does not like photographing people, and drew inspiration from Lori Nix. In particular, Johnson's war photographs created using toy soldiers and practical effects are very striking, and could be considered satirical of war. In the image below, Johnson has recreated the famous image of american soldiers raising a flag atop mount Suribachi using only stock, unmodified toy soldiers and a diorama beneath them.
Lori Nix
Lori Nix is a photographer who specialises in constructing and photographing dioramas. Rather than searching for subject matter, Nix builds her own, and often works with danger and disater, while adding 'a touch of humour.' The darker side of Nix's work helped influence my own, as this is a perfect example of a contrast between innocence and darkness; dioramas are usually very precise, calculated and attractive, yet Nix depicts scenes which are often contrary to the expectations of a diorama. In the image below, Nix's diorama seems normal above the surface of the water, but below is a darker side; countless wrecks piled up on the sea floor.
Lori Nix is a photographer who specialises in constructing and photographing dioramas. Rather than searching for subject matter, Nix builds her own, and often works with danger and disater, while adding 'a touch of humour.' The darker side of Nix's work helped influence my own, as this is a perfect example of a contrast between innocence and darkness; dioramas are usually very precise, calculated and attractive, yet Nix depicts scenes which are often contrary to the expectations of a diorama. In the image below, Nix's diorama seems normal above the surface of the water, but below is a darker side; countless wrecks piled up on the sea floor.
Mike Stimpson
Mike Stimpson is a photographer who primarily likes to work with LEGO toys, re-creating famous historical photographs, often to disturbing effect. In particular, I find Stimpson's re-creations of darker images, such as the self-immolation of a Buddhist monk, fascinating, as these images marry the disturbing and the innocent. The thing I find most striking about this image in particular is the beaming, innocent smile on the toy's face, an element present in many of Stimpson's images; seeing as several sad LEGO heads are available, this is most likely an intentional artistic choice by Stimpson.
Nigel Grimmer
Whilst I found Grimmer's work as a whole interesting, and have since looked into his shoots in more depth, I particularly loved his 'The Plastic Arts' shoot, in which he uses toys and models to satirise the life of an artist; Grimmer is both an artist and a photographer.