As a predominately documentary based photographer my work explores a side to society not commonly viewed or appreciated in everyday life. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the people who I have meet on my adventures; please post me if you would like your image to be removed off the site because I do not have any intentions to upset or offend anyone, thanks again! Viet Tieu
Originally I was going to install my work on the left hand side of the room as you enter in to the space. But after talking to Jesse about how we could make our works flow together and use the space more effectively I have now changed my position in the room! Using the easels still, meant that I could easily slide to the middle of the lifedrawing room and give Jesse the left hand side wall! This makes it easier for the viewer to identify our individual works within the one room as they enter through the door! I am going to have a feature wall that draws the audience into my site. The carpet in the center of my space gives the viewer a sense of comfort, as if they were at home... I aim to make my installation a place where the audience can take their time and feel relaxed... forgetting about the chaos and drama that's in our everyday lives... As people walk in to the room they're going to be able to identify the two separate works quite easily... I've created an environment that separates both Jesse's area with my own, but creating a nice, easy flow between the two. Using the easels has given me the ability to create a separate space within a space, giving the viewer a 360 degree view of my panoramic images. This creates the feeling of escapism and being able to relax and reconnect with the things we tend to take for granted.
Todays been an awesome day! Got heaps done! Early this morning Jesse and I went to PHOTO GALLERY to get his prints mounted. We then went to AUTO ART where we got our Vinyl lettering ordered. Our next mission was to go back to art school and build walls for Jesse's space! Colin helped us out big time which was awesome! Me trying to figure out how to use the measuring tape..... mmmmm....... Jesse and Colin keeping things in line and straight!
After we got the wall up, I scrubbed down a plint and painted it with SITE WHITE which was actually fun haha!
After helping Jesse get his photographs mounted we also went and purchased some card holders for our hardout business cards, which will be displayed on the plint! Gonna go help Jesse sand and paint this wall now.... our space is coming along nicely! Site, who said it was stressful? we're cruising by.... Whooop Whooop!!!
The last couple of weeks have been full on.. and I hate to imagine what the next couple are gonna be like but first I've printed my panoramas over in the design department which was extremly exciting! and a few hundred dollars later I had some amazing huge, kickass panoramic photographs so stoked how they turned out!
Next step is to build blocks for them to get mounted on....... mmmmmmmmm........
Building 7 blocks... 1500 x 550 x 30 (6) and one massive 2500 x 550 x 30mm
After the blocks have been built the next steps are.....
Things to do:
- sand down the edges
- paint the undercoat with a brush
- more sanding
- 2 final coats with satin white spray
- duro mount the blocks
- mount the prints
- sort out vinyl lettering
- figure out how to install work in the space and clean up the area etc...
MO helping out with the first under coat... slow but thorough! awesome painting skills bro!!!
and more sanding...........
Spray Painting the final coat! Booyah!
All built, sanded, painted, sanded, painted! Now gotta figure out how I'm gonna transport them into town to get the prints block mounted....
PHOTO GALLERY DUNEDIN_ Duro-Mounting the blocks with magic stuff! I chose this option over Adhesive Spray because it was cleaner and easier to work with... Even though this option costed more moolah it was well worth it every cent!
Ahhhh.. how we gonna do this? Tim & Richard figuring out how we were gonna mount this massive 2.5 metre beast!!!
Me climbing on tables!!!! Mounting the print onto the block!
Putting the print through the roller!
All mounted and bubble wrapped, ready to rock n roll!!!! YEEEAAHH!!!
John Malcom a documentary based photographer who returned back home to New Zealand after studying offshore from Lancashire in 1998! He is now based in Auckland undertaking a Diploma in contemporary Photography at Unitec. Malcom recently gave a talk about his photography at the Otago School of Art last Wednesday 28.10.09... I personally found his photographic series "Children of the Earth" to be very inspiring! Documenting a family who lived in isolation, far away from the complications of society. Living on just the fundamental things in life. In Malcom's photographs you can see the expression of happiness and emotion of joy on the kids faces. These kids have free-spirits and they learn as they played, by discovering what the natural world has to offer. I found similar connections between Malcom's concepts to my own body of work... Too many people of today are trying to live up to the expectations we put on one another in society. Making life over complicated and stressful. With the advancement of new technology people are trying to keep up by doing everything at 100 miles per hour, and eventually end up losing or forgetting about the things that truly matter in our lives. With my current art photogrpahy I am trying to communicate the idea of slowing people down and letting them take the time to escape from the complications of society. However, escaping doesn't have to mean removing yourself from reality, sometimes its reconnecting with it... These images of John Malcom's "Children of the Earth" relates to what I am expressing through my photographic work for SITE 2009; for example children can create their own fun by exploring and jumping out of trees, rather than having to be sitting in front of a television playing video games all day. Malcom's current work is exploring the issues of suicide in New Zealand, and there's an interesting contrast between his original work - of the family who enjoyed living on the basic things of life compared to the people who lived in our stressful societies where the locations of Malcom's suicide project often lays. Though this is not all relevant to my body of work the series "Children of the Earth" has inspired me and the work that I am currently exploring. So it's important to slow down and reconnect with the simple things that you enjoy, most of the time its just the little things that we tend to take for granted!
To see images of John Malcom's photography checkout www.matakanapictures.com/john_malcom.html
Today on 24th October 2009, 181 countries came together to create the biggest environmental action the world has ever seen. There are 5200 (and counting...) events all over the globe spreading the same word, or should I say number! '350' is the amount of parts per million carbon dioxide (co2) in our atmosphere that we should try reduce down to! New Zealand had a number of events that took action against the climate crisis and Dunedin led by example... This morning on the 24 October 2009 just over 100 surfers paddled out at St Clair Beach Dunedin, NZ, and band arms to spread awareness and build momentum to combat climate change. '350 Surfers Paddle Out' organizer Leroy Rust (3rd from right) done an epic job gathering up local surfers and others from right along the coast! For more images of other '350' events around Dunedin checkout Jesse Simons blog, the link can be found on this page! yeeeow!
ABOVE: Surfers band arms at St Clair Dunedin, New Zealand | 24 October 2009 | Photographer Viet Tieu Ted Whitaker, Leroy Rust, Jesse Simons For more information on how you can help checkout www.350.org
Another example of the importance of documentary photography... I took these images in 2008 on the streets of Dunedin during a protest of the proposed stadium!
After my consultation with Rachel this morning about the layout of my panoramas, I went down to the life drawing room where I will be exhibiting for site... to get a better visual idea of the actual space and what I have to work with! I had the chance to talk to MFA photography student John Cosgrove about different ways of exhibiting my work while we stood in my site space!
The life drawing room was full of easels and we decided it could be a great idea of using that to my advantage... Instead of needing to build a wall to hang my 7th print I could use these easels to display each of my large panoramic images! This will create an area that will help the viewer feel relax and absorb the work in a nice quiet 360 layout!
Consultation with Rachel... We were selecting and removing images to see which ones work together and expresses what I am wanting say the best... we came to a conclusion of having 7 different but connected images! The layout of the photographs will be important! I want each panorama to tell its own story but also connect and bounce off to the next image... giving the viewer a sense off calmness as they flow from one image to the other!
The figure in my images are key aspects for my work, it gives the large landscape a sense of scale, but more importantly the figures represents the viewers presence and feeling of escapism and getting away!
The life drawing room is where Jesse and I are planning on exhibiting... Its a big open space ideal for large works allowing the viewer room to step back at a distance. The room is well lit with natural lighting but we might have to cover the large windows to create more wall space! At this stage Jesse will be in the far right hand side of the room and ill be on the left leaving the middle wall empty to divide our works! I think both Jesse's work and mine will compliment well with eachother; although we are both talking about different things... I like how his work explores the saturation of iconic landmarks and images on google and the internet which contrasts to what I am expressing of getting away from technology and society.Alot of cleaning and tidying will be needed.. theres alot of stuff in the room at the moment which makes it hard to visualise what the space will turn out like! but we will get there... always do!
Yasuhi Noguchi - 'Sunrise, Sunset' 2008
a set of two photos, inkjet print
114 x 90cm
Sunrise, Sunset is a digitized photo collage of time and space. Both two images in one picture were shot at the same location but at different times. The upper image was shot from day to night, and the lower image was shot from night to morning.
I like how Noguchi photographs the same locations at various times; this displays how city locations can be chaotic and busy throughout the day, and slowly turning into a more quiet and peaceful environment. I am influenced by Naguchi's work as it captures the chaos of how society is developing. People are constantly on the go and are so tied up into trying to live up to the expectations in life. The locations in Naguchi's images that I focus on are mainly in cityscapes as it expresses the hectic movement of societies around the world. Though this is totally opposite to what I am capturing in my art practice I think it's important to research other photographers that freeze society on the go, helping me grasp what I want to say in my photographs.
I am currently thinking about different ways of installing my work that will help evoke what I want to say in the best possible way! Depending on where my exhibiton space is situated this could change according to how much space, lighting, wall etc I have to work with. So at the moment I am just gathering up different possibilties and ideas on how I could present my photography for SITE 2009!
Japanese artist Yasushi Noguchi states -
The urban space we live in has been changing with technologies such as transportation methods and information technologies. Thus, the idea of “ourselves” and the style of communication have also been influenced by new media technologies. Nowadays, for some people, online communities maintain more spiritually vital value than living space. As a result, with the dramatic change of the urban environment, the role of local communities has become collapsed, and the meaning of “sharing physical space” has gradually been indistinct. Then, because our social space is divided into physical and information spaces, we are sort of forced to have multiple personalities in both spaces.
a set of two photos, inkjet print
228 x 190 x 228cm
Omnipresence is a photo collage of time and space like Sunrise, Sunset. Photos were put on the surface of a circular frame. Audience can see the photos by only entering through the bottom of the frame. Then, they can be involved in the collage of time.
I like how Yasushi Noguchi has displayed this series of photographs in a large cylinder space. Giving the viewer a 360 degree perception - forcing them to take the time to observe his images by making them interact with the installation. His way of installing the work helps get his message across more effectively.
Olafur Eliasson - The Weather Project2003 Turbine Hall, Tate Modern London UK
Although there was no heat at all coming from the 'Sun', visitors were drawn to the light and 'sunbathed' on the smooth floor. With ceiling mirrors reflecting their every move, people often grouped together to make strange shapes or spell out words. I like this idea of how the installation is based on the viewer and the way they interact with the art work. It's important how the work is installed and how it is incorporated within the space. The space can make the artists message/intentions become stronger if they think about how their work is placed within the surrounding of the installation.
Waking up at dawn and surfing as the sun rises is a great way to kick start the day... Forgetting all the dramas in life and enjoying the company of friends and nature!
"If you are ever lonely go to the ocean and the ocean will wave back"
"Out of the water I am nothing. In the water the rest of the world means nothing..."
Amanda Morris
"Surfing begins with respect. Malama Ke Kai is Hawaiinn for 'Respect the Sea.' Respect also nature and all life."
As we begin to kickoff the second semester it was a good time to take a break from what we have been previously working on in the first half of the year. Doing something fresh and totally new! Forcing us to look at our works in a new and different perspective!
What I decided to do was to manipulate with the images I have already captured in the first semester by cutting, painting, drawing, gluing etc... back over them. Creating a mix media effect and also having a break away from the camera.
Three different panoramic images cut and stitched together making one long landscape. By cutting out the sky gave the work a 3D perspective which gave me ideas on how I could present the photographs. The cylinder format was interesting to play with, having the viewer inside of the circle and examining the images as they rotate it around their head!
I was strolling along the beach when I came across this boy 'Rufus' who was trying to ride his trike into the on coming waves, with his Grandma chasing him down the beach... the joy on his face was as big as grandmas! Thankyou for allowing me capture this moment! It made my day!
I took a snapshot of this young girl 'Amelia' who was out walking with her Mum and Grandma, making the most of her school holidays. After meeting her it reminded me of being a kid again... the freedom of being able to roam around and not having to worry about a single thing in the world; and just enjoy the independence of exploring nature and what the world has to offer!
By using muiltiple images from the same panoramic I wanted to experiment with different effects by over lapping them with different layers. This gives the image a more looser look and by having the edges not fully lined up plays with the viewers perspective... defintley a good way of examing my own images in a completly new style. This has given me the option of stepping back to what I am doing and refresh my ideas to think about other possibilties.
Photographing on tramping expeditions the lighting conditions can change rapidly up on high conditions, so it's important to always check the exposure settings. With panoramics I found it important to have the settings on 'manual' so that the exposure are always at the same settings as I pan my shots. Here I have experimented with different exposure settings, as a test strip to find a correct ratio at different points! Having verticle lines throughout these panoramics created a different aesthetic which look different and interesting.
PHOTOS: VIET TIEU 'Silver Peaks New Zealand, 13/7/2009'
"So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more dangerous to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man's living spirit is his passion for adventure! The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun." - Christopher McCandless
I have recently been inspired by an amazing film by Sean Penn, "Into the Wild" a true story about a young man who trys to escape from the expectations of society, in search of reconnecting with the fundermental things in life, such as nature! This movie is a reflection of my photography as I aim to express a similar aspect by freezing this emotion into my images!
Christopher McCandless was an American wanderer and traveler, born on February 12, 1968 in Southern California. He was noted at a young age as being superisingly strong willed with a compulsion to be idealistic and physically powerful. McCandless was the captain of his high school cross-country running team, serving as a source of inspiration for his fellow team mates and entreating them to think of running as a spirtual exercise in which they were running agaisnt all evils of the world. A way of escapism. McCandless graduated from high school in 1986 and then from University in Alanta in 1990. Despite coming from a successful and financial background, McCandless was not fullfilled due to society becoming saturated with complications and expectations. After graduating Christopher McCandless donated his life savings and began to travel with minimal supplies, surviving with just the basic essentials of life. Adopting the name "Alexander Supertramp" he hiked into the Alaskan wilderness, in hoping to live a period of solitude!
PHOTO: Christopher McCandless in his camp on the Stampede Trail (self-portrait found undeveloped in his camera after his death at the age of 24. mid August 1992.
For the mid semester presentation I wanted to show my developments from the past few months. The 'main' work was framed and printed at a large scale, expressing the idea of escaping and reconnecting with the fundermental things in life... rather than the pressure we build on ourselves in society. If this was to be a more formal exhibition I would have not displayed the main work along side the other developments. The supported works on the side was to show my progression on how I got to where I am.
I am pleased with what I have acomplished so far in the early stages of the year and the presentation has given me an insight on how to think about other possiblilites of presentating my final works and where to go from here!
These photographs of South East Asia were shown to explain where my ideas originally started from.
The community buildings is a separate side project, that discusses a similar idea of escaping from society and reconnecting with the more important experiences in life. Such as sharing our experiences with others in our local communities throughout New Zealand.
After visiting the Andris Apse exhibition at the Otago Museum earlier this year, it got me really excited about my 2009 photography. His ability to capture amazing images in difficult conditions was truely inspirational. Due to experiencing my own problems when I took my Canon to the Southern Alps as it froze and shutted-down at Mt Aoraki/Cook NZ, it made me realise how quick he would have had to work to get the images he wanted; especially in the cold climates of Antarctica. His long panoramics are truely mind blowing.
Travelling overseas is and will always be an invigorating experience. Being immersed in a new culture, unable to speak the language and lost without the guidance of a map, travel book or a friendly local can be both overwhelming and liberating. Realising that you alone can navigate the great underground metro system, or order a beautiful meal off a menu you can't understand instills confidence and enables you to move through life with a certainty that can't neccessarily be achieved at home. It is the small hurdles you overcome on these journeys that you'll remember most, not the overpriced generic hotels that you could have stayed at home to experience. Travel is your own, it's what fuels your imagination and helps you take notice of what's happening outside of your daily life. Travel empowers you and enables you to empathise with the struggles of others around the world, it allows you to let go and dream 'what if '. -KATHMANDU WINTER CATALOGE 2008
In June 2008 I took a photograph of this building in Dunedin, attracted to its curve architectural design! A year later on 14 June 2009 this was the remains of the building! Documentary photography allows us to record history, providing us information of the past so that we can gain knowledge of our movements through life!
Originally I was going to install my work on the left hand side of the room as you enter in to the space. But after talking to Jesse about how we could make our works flow together and use the space more effectively I have now changed my position in the room! Using the easels still, meant that I could easily slide to the middle of the lifedrawing room and give Jesse the left hand side wall! This makes it easier for the viewer to identify our individual works within the one room as they enter through the door! I am going to have a feature wall that draws the audience into my site. 
The carpet in the center of my space gives the viewer a sense of comfort, as if they were at home... I aim to make my installation a place where the audience can take their time and feel relaxed... forgetting about the chaos and drama that's in our everyday lives...
As people walk in to the room they're going to be able to identify the two separate works quite easily... I've created an environment that separates both Jesse's area with my own, but creating a nice, easy flow between the two. Using the easels has given me the ability to create a separate space within a space, giving the viewer a 360 degree view of my panoramic images. This creates the feeling of escapism and being able to relax and reconnect with the things we tend to take for granted.
Alot of cleaning and tidying will be needed.. theres alot of stuff in the room at the moment which makes it hard to visualise what the space will turn out like! but we will get there... always do!
