My Practice

Furthering on from Explorative Research and Praxis I hope to explore Megan’s Pregnancy into motherhood.

The end product of my Research and Praxis.

When exhibiting the dress at the research and practice exhibition I wanted to carry on with recreating a replica of Meg’s wedding dress. I would like the cyanotype images to be as shown on the dress above. I hope to keep the dress white and to not make the cyanotype run up the dress. I would like to add a petticoat to the dress create a more accurate look of Meg’s wedding dress.

Reconstructing a wedding dress.

Cutting and shaping the fabric to create the main skirt.

Sampling cyanotype on fabric of the dress

I sampled the cyanotype on the fabric on the dress these worked with a 20 minute exposure time however when printing the cyanotypes on the dress the cyanotype faded and also ran up the fabric. After evaluating the situation I came to sampling different fabric and decided to print the images on cotton squares this meant the ink of the cyanotypes wasn’t going to run up the dress.

Using Cotton Fabric

Using Cotton fabric was the most successful fabric to use but due to some of the images most of them needed to be redone multiple times due to the incorrect exposure times. This lead to the cyanotype ink running off the fabric or the blue of the cyanotype being to light causing the image to fade.

Sewing on the cyanotypes

Placing the cyanotypes on the dress to sew each one individually along the bottom edge of the skirt. Also to allow a 2cm seam to create a hem. Picking the correct shade of cotton to sew the fabrics together was important as I didn’t want the stitching to take more attention than the images themselves.

Creating the top and adding to the skirt

Creating the top in a princess style was made difficult to stitch the seams correctly. In doing so it took a lot of unpicking and restitching.

Final part was adding layers of fabric to the inside to create a petticoat and for a tulle fabric to be sewn over the top skirt. In adding this tulle created more of a wedding dress aesthetic however I first cut it to the complete length of the skirt and found that the cyanotypes were not seen as clear as I would have liked therefore making the tulle a shorter length mean the cyanotypes were clear to see at all times.

Fig.1 Meg trying the dress

This photograph fig.1 is Meg, trying on the dress for the very first time. Even though the dress was yet to be completed I wanted to see the dress on and work to see if any changes and alterations needed to be made before finalising by putting eye hooks to tie up the back of the dress.

Exhibition

Arrival

Growth

Fig.2 Meg Wedding Day

The photograph of Meg sitting on the floor of the manor house bedroom getting ready to put on her shoes. The elegant pose with her face looking towards her mother shows happiness and love towards her. Her hands nearly interlocking into one another towards her chest allows the skirt of the dress to sit draped over her legs freely.

Fig.3 Meg Wedding Day

This imaged I loved with the light hitting both the face and the dress allowed for harsh and natural shadows to form. This image was a major factor in how I’d like to present the dress in the exhibition. Having a chair and a mannequin wearing the dress would allow this photograph to be recreated but also in doing so I wanted to add other key elements like a living room where Meg would be watching clips of Noa growing up.

Fig.4 The Journey

In deciding to position the mannequin like Fig.2 has allowed for less distraction to the visualisation of the cyanotypes. Therefor I have chosen fig.1 to be the main inspiration of curating my exhibition.
Positioning of the dress on the mannequin at the exhibition needed to visually see the dress as a wedding dress but also allowing the viewer to walk around and see the images. This was influenced by Fig.2 photographed in the preparation period of Meg and Matthew’s wedding. In deciding between both images of Fig.2 and Fig.3. Fig.2 was a clear choice that allowed the cyanotypes to be seen. In also deciding the way in exhibiting the work we see an influence of Barbara Morgan’s working in focusing on the torso of the body. Enforcing where many women bodies change, by having a bump and their breast enlarge due to the baby.

Fig.5 Growth

Adding the plinth and the flowers created more of an aesthetic of a wedding dress. Adding Meg’s dried bouquet of flowers created more of a look and feel of a wedding, and the positioning of the arm on the mannequin allowed for this to look successful.

If I were to create a garment again, I would practice more on the sewing machine, in teaching myself different techniques and sewing in a straight line. For my first ever attempt of using a sewing machine in this way I am very happy with the result of how the dress looks. If I had more time in working on the dress, I would redo the sleeves of the arm due to my sewing capability. However, seeing the dress in the space has allowed for the memories created by Meg and Matt to be in a form of creative documentary style instead of classic prints where I had set myself out the task to be outside of contemporary photography.

In furthering my practice and development I wanted to photograph Noa and seeing if I could develop my work further. However for my exhibition piece I found other photographs would take away from the dress.

18th May 2023

Noa

Noa’s first photoshoot 2 weeks old

Fig.7 Noa’s first photoshoot 2 weeks old

Photographing Noa at 2weeks old in a studio environment allowed myself to photograph both himself and his parents. Photographing key features of his hands, feet and ears are something I wanted to focus on allowing me to photograph these features as he grows.

6th June

Fig.8 Noa and Meg

9th July

Fig.9 Mother and Son

Breast Feeding

Fig.10 Breast Feeding

Meg’s Breast Feeding Story

Fig.11 Meg’s Breast Feeding Story

Whilst posting this image on her social media Snapchat. Meg received many messages from boys sexualising her. One said, “Your breasts turn me on” another said, “I hope your husband is happy to share you.” Meg was mortified by these messages and her intention of posting this photo was to empower others women and young mothers on breastfeeding.

Military Wife