Fertile World

Here are (a recap for those who have followed this blog for a while) some of my favourite conceptually motivated university projects. I blogged about most of these projects when they were in the early working stages and if you would like to see those early experiments please feel free to look back through the posts here.

www.sammisparke.com

Fertile World

The series focuses on female vulnerability in the months of pregnancy. 

Helen’s pregnant self is mirrored in the backdrop of the cornfield, which is ripe and nearing fruition in its last weeks before harvesting.  This abundant and happy image actually hides a darker side. 

Helen's pregnancy has been complicated. The stormy sky alludes to the stormy ride

that has been, and continues to be, her pregnancy; an ominous threat with an unpredictable outcome.

Taylor Wessing attempt 2012

I just found THAT email in my inbox telling me my portrait hadn't made it into the Taylor Wessing portrait prize this year. Arse.

Well this is the 3rd year I've tried and if I'm here and well I will try again next year I am sure.

May as well just show you the image now.

If anyone has any crit it would be welcomed but only if you are familiar with the Taylor Wessing portrait prize.

Caroline and Sarah

Concept:

Perspective points of view. 

The series aims to simultaneously investigate the relationship between twins, identical and non identical, and the way the world we live in views and engages with them. It attempts to look at the fascination our culture has with twins, particularly our obsession with 'difference' and 'similarity', which seems to be our favoured way of understanding and engaging with twins as subject.

Prelude to the final images is below:

Well, I have entered the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize yet again this year. Every time I do it I get very carried away in a little bubble of self-deception imaging ing I've picked out a theme from last year that will have the judges falling over themselves in admiration for my image. It is only after I have entered that sober up and consider how ridiculous it is to imagine even getting an image in the exhibition let alone winning!

This year however I was happy with the final image I submitted and this is how I got there:

This year I considered several subjects but it was a while until I realised I had the perfect one, one that has interested me for a long time, sitting right under my nose. My good friend Caroline is one half of a pair of identical twins.

What particularly interested me here is that Caroline and her sister Sarah, although considered identical twins, look quite different.....and this is where the context was born for this new project - 

'The series aims to simultaneously investigate the relationship between twins, identical and non identical, and the way the world we live in views and engages with them. It attempts to look at the fascination our culture has with twins, particularly our obsession with 'difference' and 'similarity', which seems to be our favoured way of understanding and engaging with twins as subject.'

Some of the images that go close to my objective are the following: