Assignment 5: Creep

This assignment is based on memories i wish i had. It was inspired by a conversation my grandma n dad had on old times at their kampong at Ponggol end, catching snakes, caring for their 101 animals, and of course, spending time there as a family there.

My granny has 9 children (4 girls, 5 boys, tt includes my dad). I am envious everytime my dad mentions of his childhood in this place where i have no recollection of. He fell into the well once when he was 7. He would step onto a snake in the darkness on the road back home, and come back with all my uncles to catch it. It makes me upset that i can’t be part of all that… even for just a while…

Creep. The people who made my granny sell the land for a miserable few thousand.

I dedicate these photographs to gong-gong… a great man i’ve never met…

Realism: Plainly, this is how the piece of land looks like from outside. Nothin much to it. 2 football fields worth of memories.

  

Formalism: I presented this in class. Clearly, it doesn’t fit. Someone mentioned it seems more like expressionism, like i’m only able to see this land through a fence, signifying a sort of emotional distance. But honestly, i don’t feel that way. I think this photograph was a mistake to begin with. Guess i just tried to fit a picture into Formalism for the sake of it. so “deh!” this one is out.

Try no. 2: Better? after looking at other pieces by classmates on Formalism, it seems tt Formalism should be abstract, and has no real meaning. Its value is in looking aesthetically good on its own. Or at least interesting. So, i’m not gonna say anythin about this piece. It quite obvious what it is, but i like the fact that it deceives ppl. If you think that i’m standing on the ground, you’re wrong. (tk a look at the entrance again. i’m standing on something). I’d like to name this, ‘I’m here.’

 

OK, decided to once again change my formalism photo. I’ve taken Mei Mei’s suggestion and tried to captured the form of the object, concentrating on the lines, and shapes in the composition.

Expressionism: This was the easiest! As this assignment happens to be very personal, alot of thought and emotion was evoked during the process. I hope viewers will notice what i’m trying to say with this photo. The emphasis is on the words ‘State’, ‘casual’ and ‘recreational’. It really makes me angry that what used to be my family’s home, is now used for casual recreational purposes?? Worse of all is that nobody has used this piece of ‘funland’ in this ulu place since the ampong were removed in the 1980s!

Thank you Ivy for your comments and the fact that you raised another interesting point. State Land or State Law? It wasn’t intentional to leave the ‘laND’ out of the photo, but it does prick certain parts of your conscience when it comes to political subjugation in Sg.

The irony of it all is that the govt tries so hard to preserve historical buildings, honour war heroes, etc etc, they couldn’t even leave people’s livelihood alone. Preserve what could still exist till today. It hurts i guess. To not rmbr a thing about this place. And to see my granny, dad, uncles and aunts live separately now.

Self Assessment:

After changing my Formalism photo, i’d give myself 90/100 (50 for creativity and 40 for effort). I got serious mosquitoes bites after spending an hour there! haha… dun worry wasn’t counted for in the effort marks. =)

I would give Ivy’s 100/100. I think she realy grasped the concepts well. I particularly like her Formalism photo and the angle which she took it from. The ‘triangle’ really does becomes visible after looking at it a few times. Its also simple and totally abstract from the Realism one. Kudos!

I also like Jillyn’s. I’d give her 99/100. maybe becos i think the formalism photo feels like expressionism to me.

I think its really funny how after class, i became even more confused about realism, formalism and expressionism. As much as we try to fit our photographs into the genre we think it seems to be, others may see it in a totally different light. And thats why i think those whose photographs clearly fit each genre, are the really good photographers. Its like with Ivy and Jillyn’s photos, they’re really clear-cut which belongs to which, and thats amazing!

Others like Mei Mei (Realism and Expressionism) and Qiyi’s (Formalism and your urban creep idea) are also very interesting. They get 84/100 (44 for creativity, 40 for effort)from me.

But i must say… this assignment really left me kinda jaded. haha.. i dunno why… maybe its knowing that even though i see and i shoot and i show it to others, i can’t change the fact that the kampong is gone. And we can’t change what the Creep does to us. Amen.

~ by stephaniechia on October 9, 2007.