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MASTER’S P R OJ E C TR E P O R T

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Master’s Project Report

VIC704

Agnete Helene Matre

Q11767448

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C O N T E N T

4 • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

5 • INTRODUCTION

Aims&Objectives • 6

6 • RESEARCHQUESTION

7 • CONTEXTREVIEW

10 • RESEARCHMETHODOLGY

14 • CRITICALREFLECTION

18 • BIBLIOGRAPHY

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A C K N O W L E D G E M E N T S

Thank you;

Rosy, for teaching me the processes of analog photography

Tom, Brent & Julie for project guidance

Kathrine, for helping me bind my book

Mo, for letting me drag my camera everywhere & photographing you even

when you were sleeping

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I N T R O D U C T I O N

A project report is a document that summarises the main points of an assignment. This document will summarise my master’s project. The purpose of this practical project was to research the therapeutical benefits of practicing analog photography. In Norway, one can assume that 30% of the population struggle with mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety and general worries, at some point in their lives [LUNDE: 2010]. During last year, I started having issues with anxiety and worries, which makes me a good candidate to research this specific area.

Not everyone finds it easy to translate emotions into words and photography can be a way to express these emotions. Most of my earlier projects are series of images that describes difficult experiences and emotions that I have found it hard to talk about, and I have used the therapy of images to express myself [Visual Summary: p. 6-23]. I drew inspiration from these projects, my need for a way to deal with my issues and my Grandfather’s 35mm camera, which I never took the time to learn how to use, to end up with my chosen subject [Visual Summary: p. 58].

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AIMS & OBJECTIVES

My aim for this project was to research if the practice of photography could be considered a therapy. I used autoethnography as my research method, which meant that the output would be both process and product [Visual Summary: p. 64]. I had no knowledge about analog photography other than photographing with disposable cameras as a child, my objectives was therefor to learn as much as possible about the different processes of analog photography and experiment with them. My intention was that my experiments, reflection and primary research was going to answer my research question; Can the practice of photography be considered a therapy?

RESEARCH QUESTION

‘Can the practice of photography be considered a therapy?’

My goal with this question was to research if practicing the art of photography would have a positive affect on my mental health. The practice of photography can be many processes, such as photographing with different format cameras (35mm, medium format, large format and pinhole), develop film and different methods of darkroom printing.

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CONTEXT REVIEW

Beforepsychologyandphotographywasborninthe19thcentury, therewereno ideaof theself;peoplejust existed. Along with photography and Freud’swriting,theself,therecordingoftheselfandtheuseofphotographytodealwithemotionsstartedtoexist[VisualSummary:p.89-90].PsychologistJean-MartinCharcot,whoalsowasSigmundFreud’steacher, was the pioneer in medical photography.Charcotworkedatamentalhospitalwhereheportrayedhispatientsandusedtheimagestoanalysemadness.DoctorHughWelchDiamond,didthesamethinginBritain,andhearguedthatwhentheylookedattheimagesofthemselves,theycouldunderstandtheiractionsbetter.Itissaidthathewasthefirsttosay, ‘thepicturespeaksfor itself’ [VisualSummary:p.89].TherehasbeendebatesabouthowhonesttheworkofCharcotandDiamondactuallywas,buttheirideaofusingphotographyintherapyinspiredpeople.

JosephineHerrickphotographedservicemenduringthesecondworldwarandafterthewarshefoundedtheVolunteerServicePhotographers.Herrickandhervolunteersbeganteachingphotographytothewoundedservicemenintreatmenthospitals,asaformofrecreation.Themedicalpersonnelfoundthatthetreatmentmadethepatientsunconsciouslyusemusclesandnervesthatwerepreviouslystatedunusableandtheprocesspresentedthemwiththemeansofexpressingtheiremotions[VisualSummary:p.91].

FIGURE1

HUGHWELCHDIAMOND

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Jo Spence might be one of the most known pho-tographersusinghercamera intherapyforherself.Shewasdiagnosedwithbreastcancer in1982,andusedhercameratodocumentandconfrontherselfinordertodealwithwhatshewasgoingthrough.Shefeltthatthecamerabecamehertherapist,asshefelthelplessandalonewhenbeingapatientinthehandsof someone else. Together with Rosy Martin, theydevelopedphototherapy.Theybelievedthatallofushavesetsofpersonalised images inourmemories,whichcanbedeeplyburied.Inphototherapy,onecandredge them up and reconstruct them, so they canworkouttoourowninterest.Thisgivesonepermis-siontochange,re-view,letgoandmoveon.Itisnotawayofdiscussingwhatisrealandwhatisthetruth,butratherfindingnewwaysofperceivingthepastsoonecanmoveon.Throughthemediumofvisualre-framing,onecanbegintounderstandthattheimageswehaveinourmemoriesareoftentheembodimentofparticulartraumas,fears,lossesandhopes.Whenshewasill,Spencerealizedthatphotographyshouldbe used in relation to many types of therapy. AfterworkingwithRosyMartinshefeltthatshecouldaddsomething to the theories that linkspsychoanalysisandphotography[VisualSummary:p.94-95].

‘Psychoanalysis theorized that unless we can consciously represent something to ourselves we will unable to speak about it and therefor change it.’

| Jo Spence

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‘I discovered that looking through the viewfinder gave me a few seconds peace from the chaos in my head. Things like reading took to much concentration but a few seconds of looking through the eyepiece was something I could manage. Gradually there was an improvement in my concentration overall. Previously I used to walk with my head down. Now I look up and around — I’m looking for things to photograph.’

| Nuala Hamilton

Averygoodexamplewherepsychologyandphotography connects, is in Sophie Calle’s ‘Pas pusaisirlamort’.ThisisavideowereCallerecordshermotheronherdeathbedasshe isafraidshewouldnotbetherewhenshepassed.ProfessorEmmaWilsonattheUniversityofCambridge,notesinanarticle that such filmmaking can be ‘palliative’ — awaytoorganisedeathanditgivesasenseofcontrolinthefacingsuchbrutality[VisualSummary:p.98].

Thesearesomeexampleswherephotographershasusedtheirskillstodealwiththeirownissues,eitherbythepracticeofphotographyorbycreatingimagestoexpresssomething[moreexamplesinVisualSummary:p.101-111].

If a person with no knowledge about photographywanted to use the practice as way of dealing withemotions,Iamwonderingifthetherapeuticbenefitsareequal.BryceEvansboughthisfirstcamerawhensufferingfromdepressionandhefoundthathecouldsee a different world trough the lens and saw it asawayofgettingawayfromhisownnarrowview.Hefoundawaytoconnectwithlightagain[VisualSummary:p.101].

Mypointwiththisis,thateventhoughpeople,mostlyphotographershasseenthetherapeuticalbenefitsofpracticingphotography,oftenunknowinglyandwithaspecificissueandgoalfortheoutcome;thereisverylittleresearchonthesubjectifthepracticeofphotographycanbeconsideredatherapy.

FIGURE2

NUALAHAMILTON

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RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

Whenstartingthismaster’sdegreeIhaddecidedthatIwantedtolearnnewskills,andduringourfirstproject(shapes-project)Ilearnedpinholephotography.Thisassignmentmademegoback tothebasicsofphotographyandmy‘threeholetriangular pinhole cameras’ made me understandthatIhaveissuesthatIneedtodealwith.Mypurposeofthe‘shapes’projectwasbasedontheoriesbyFreud,andIwastryingtophotographmyunconsciousness—something thatcannotbeseen[VisualSummary:p.25-54].Thisprojectleftmewithathirsttolearnmoreaboutanalogphotographyandaknowledgeaboutmyself,thatIneedtofindawaytodealwithmyanxietyandconstantworries.

DuringmysecondsemesterIhonestlycannotexplainmy thought process. The only aspect of my projectdevelopmentthatmadesense,wasmyideaofusingmygrandfatherscameraformyproject.Ihadapersonallyroughsemesterwhichhighlyaffectedmywork.Thepositiveoutcomefromthissemesterwasthatwhenpreparingforthemaster’sprojectpresentation I realised I could use my struggles tocreatemymaster’sproject,andthisiswhenIfoundmyresearchtitleandmethodology[VisualSummary:p.58-59].

My first priority for my research was to learn theprocessesofanalogphotography.RosyMaguirehadsetupsummerworkshopwerewewouldgothroughmanyof thedifferentaspectswithin thepracticeofphotography. I wanted to be confident in using myGrandfathers 35mm camera, as this camera madethewholeprocessmorepersonalashepassedawayand my anxiety is rooted in my fear of losing. The35mm workshop got me started on my research. IfoundthatbroughtmycamerawithmeeverywhereincaseIfeltaneedconcentrateonsomethingelsethanmy anxiety and worries. I photographed what I felt,with no intentions or planning, other than trying toshiftmyfocusawayfrommynegativeemotionsandthoughts.Thecameraforcedmetobeinthemoment[VisualSummary:p.129-132].

‘Iusedtobeabletoplan.When,where,howandwhat.TheuneasinessIamfeelingnow,makesmealmostincapableofplanning. Iamto tired toplan, Iamtotiredtodragaroundthisbigcamerawithatripodandalightmeteranditstopsmefromphotographing when I need to. Because of the wayI feelnow, itneedstobeeasy.Otherwise Iwillstayinbed,withthecurtainsclosed’[VisualSummary:p.134].Iwrotethisafteraworkshopaboutmediumformat cameras, where we were using a big andheavyMamyiacamera[VisualSummary:p.134].

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My first priority for my research was to learn theprocessesofanalogphotography.RosyMaguirehadsetupsummerworkshopwerewewouldgothroughmanyof thedifferentaspectswithin thepracticeofphotography. I wanted to be confident in using myGrandfathers 35mm camera, as this camera madethewholeprocessmorepersonalashepassedawayand my anxiety is rooted in my fear of losing. The35mm workshop got me started on my research. IfoundthatbroughtmycamerawithmeeverywhereincaseIfeltaneedconcentrateonsomethingelsethanmy anxiety and worries. I photographed what I felt,with no intentions or planning, other than trying toshiftmyfocusawayfrommynegativeemotionsandthoughts.Thecameraforcedmetobeinthemoment[VisualSummary:p.129-132].

‘I used to be able to plan. When, where, how and what. The uneasiness I am feeling now, makes me almost incapable of planning. I am to tired to plan, I am to tired to drag around this big camera with a tripod and a light meter and it stops me from pho-tographing when I need to. Because of the way I feel now, it needs to be easy. Otherwise I will stay in bed, with the curtains closed’ [VisualSummary:p.134].Iwrotethisafteraworkshopaboutmediumformat cameras, where we were using a big andheavyMamyiacamera[VisualSummary:p.134].

Thenextworkshopsevolvedaroundfilmdevelopinganddifferentprocessesofdarkroomprinting. Iwassurprisedabouthow freeing it felt tospenddays inadarkroom.Accordingtoresearch,oneofthebestnaturaltreatmentsformentalhealthissues,suchasdepressionandanxietywherethereisoftenanissueofnotgoingoutmuch,isfreshairanddaylight[SOOTHILL,ROGERS,MAIREAD:2008].IfoundthatIamlikeaphotographicpaper,iftheprintcomesouttodark,itneedslesslight.

I foundthatdarkroomprintingwasoneofthemosttherapeuticalprocessofphotography.IwasforcedtobeleftalonetomyownthoughtsandforcedtofocusonwhatIwasdoing.IfeltasIhadtoleavemylife outside the revolving doors, together with myphone,myconnectiontotheworld,andstepintothedarkroomwithanewfocusinmind.Itmademefeellessuneasy, lessworriedandmysenseswasbeingstrengthened as the room is dark and you have toworkbyfeeling.Myissuesbecamesmallerandlessimportant.Iwasnotavailableforanythingelsethanmyselfandmyphotography.Asmentioned,daylightisimportantwhendealingwithmentalhealth,andIfounditremarkablehowIfoundmylightinthedarkroom.ThedaylighttellsmethatIshouldnotfeeltheway that Iamfeeling,but thedark letsmefeelwhateverIwant,itisnotjudgingme.ItmademeacceptthatthingsarethewaytheyareandIcannotcontrol everything. I spent days in the darkroom,printing colour prints, experimental colour prints,blackandwhiteprints,liquidlightprintsandmakingcyanotypesandargyrotypes[VisualSumma-ry:p.161-195].

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FIGURE3,4&5

AGNETEHELENEMATRE

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Inadditiontomyownexperimentsandreflections,Iwantedaprofessionalopiniononwhypracticingphotographyoranyotheractivitywouldhavetherapeuticalbenefits.PsychologistLinnKrebs,saysthatthekeywordforfindinganactivitythatcanhelpyouinanyway,isinnermotivation.Theactivityneedstoleavethepersonwithsomething;suchasafeelingofmasteringsomethingorassimpleasjoy.Insomecases,itdoesnothelptotalkaboutinnermotivationasthepersondoesnotfindjoyinactivitiesoneonceusedto.This iswerethecircleneedstobebroken,and talkaboutactivities thatused tobeof interest.Thereasonactivitiescanbeconsideredastherapyisbecause our attention and concentration serves asa magnifying glass. When focusing on one activity,likeforexamplephotography,thereislessroomforother thoughts.Apersonwithanxietyusually turnsinwards,andfocusesontheirinnerthoughts,emotions and their bodily reactions, which againfeedstheanxiety.Bypracticingphotography,thefocusisshiftedoutwardsandnewimpulsesstartstoappear.Linnsaysthatshewouldthinkphotographywouldworklikemindfulness,whichisbasedonbeinginthemomentandacceptingthesituationasitis.Whenpracticingphotography,onehastobeinthemoment,otherwise the imagemightbe lost [VisualSummary:p.197].

MyresearchagreeswithwhatKrebssays,as Iveryeasyfocusonmyinneremotionsandmybodilyreactionstothem,suchasheartracing,feelingsickandalumpinmystomach.WhenIfeellikethis,itisveryhard toshiftmy focusoveronsomethingelse,tobreak thecircle.When Imanage todoso,eitherby photographing or spend time in the darkroom itleavesmybodyand I calmdown.My issuesseemssmaller.

Iwascuriousonwhichactivitiespeoplefindtherapeuticandtheythinkithelpsthem.Iconductedtwosurveysonthesubject.ThefirstonewhenIstartedtheproject,whereIonlyaskedonequestion;What do you do that feels therapeutical and takesyourmindoffofthings?Mostpeopleansweredthattheyread,runordoothertypesofphysicalexercise.Yoga,meditationandcreatingartwasalsoanswersthat were repeated [Visual Summary: p. 127] Aftergettingsomeexperiencewithinthepracticeofphotographyanditstherapeuticalbenefits,Imadeanewsurvey,soIcouldfindsomeanswersfrompeopleonwhytheythinkcertainactivitieshelpthemandhow.Almost50%answeredthatithelpsthemgettheirmindoffofthings,30%saidthatithelpedthemrelax,14%saidthatithelpsthemthinkmoreclearlyandtherestansweredthatitmadetheirissuesseemsmallerorithelpedthemfindasolutiontotheirproblem.Over50%answeredthattheirchosenactivityhelpsthemboththenandthere,andinthelong-run[VisualSummary:p.198].

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CRITICAL REFLECTION

When deciding on an output, I had to ask myself;‘HowcanImakesomethingthatshowsbothprocessandproduct?’Idecidedtomakeabookthatwouldbeacollectionofmyexperimentstroughthisproject.Abookthatwouldcontainallmyhandmadeworkandmy thoughts,presented together inanarrative—ajourney.Asmostofmyworkwerevisual, Iwasnotsurehowtovisuallyrepresentthejourneytoaviewer.OnmytutorialwithTomSlevinwediscussedhowIcouldvisuallyshowmystrugglestogetherwithallmyexperiments.Heshowedmetheworkofaformerstudent,SarahAsher,whomadeaVisualDepressionDiary(Figure3).Iusedherworkasinspiration and all the way through the book, thesheetshavedifferentcoloursofthegrayscaletorepresentmymentalstatethroughtheproject.TogetherwithmyworkandmythoughtsIfoundawaytoanswerthequestionvisually[VisualSummary:p.254-277].

Ideliberatelychosetoonlyincludeatitleinmybookand no introduction. When looking at images, or inthiscaseabook,onedoesnot look todiscover thetruth, but rather make you own interpretation fromyourownexperiences.Photographerandinfluentialteacherofphotography,MinorWhite,saidtobecarefulnottoplacetoomuchemphasisonwhatphotographersthinkwhentheywork.

White placed the responsibility of interpretation ontheviewer,andarguedthatintentionalismisafaultycriticalmethodbywhichimagesareinterpretedandjudgedaccordingtowhatthephotographerintendedbythem[VisualSummary:p.278].C.S.Lewisadmitted,whenhewasaskedtosetforthhisbeliefs,thatheneverfeltlesssureofthemthanwhenhetriedtospeakofthem.Photographersknowthisfrailty.Tothemwordsareapallid,diffusewayofdescribingandcelebratingwhatmatters.Theirgiftistoseewhatwillaffectingasaprint.Mute[VisualSummary:p.281].

Thisresearch,backsupandclearlystatewhy I feelthereisnoneedformetowriteanintroductioninmybook.Iwanttheviewersownexperiencestoinfluencethem, Iwant themto feel.Everypage,colour,printandtext is intentionallyput in theplacestheyare, Ihaveusedsymbolismandmetaphorstosendamessage.Ihopepeoplecanfeelit,whateveritis.

Bookmaking is not something I have experience in,and I had help from Kathrine binding the book. If Iwere todo itagain, Iwouldhavechosenadifferentcolouronthecover.Imightbewrong,butbecauseofthevisualcolourdiaryallthewaythroughthebook,thecover,asitisblack,mightsendthevieweranegativemessage.Ontheotherhanditcouldtellyouthateventhougheverythinglooksblack,youhavetolookdeeperandyouwillfindlight.IguessIleavethechoicetotheviewer.

FIGURE6

SARAHASHER

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FIGURE7-12

AGNETEHELENEMATRE

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Iftheworkwastobeexhibited,Iwouldwanttohangsomeoftheimagesonawalltorepresentthecontentofthebook.IdrewinspirationfromWolfgangTillman’sandPeterKennard’sexhibitions,whichremindsmeofmindmaps.Itmightlookchaotic,butit isput thatwayonpurpose, it is representing thechaos in my mind (Figure 13) [Visual Summary: p.282-285].

Ihavelearnedalotduringthisprocess;aboutphotographyandaboutmyself.Becauseofmypersonalsituation,IdonotthinkIcouldhavepickedabettersubjectformyproject.Ihavestruggledduringthisproject,mostofallwithmyself,andIthinkthathasaffectedmyprojectinbothagoodwayandabadway. InabadwaybecauseI feel likeIshouldhave done more. I should have read more, lookedatmoreworkandexperimentedmore.Myconstantworry,anxietyandgriefpreventedmefromdoingalltheworkIknewIwascapableof.Thereasonmysituation has affected the project in a good way,is that because of this, I was the perfect candidateto answer the research question and my project isthereforveryhonest.

FIGURE13

AGNETEHELENEMATRE

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Photographyingeneral,helpsusremember.Welookandwerememberamoment,apersonorafeeling.ThisisthewayIhavelookedatphotographysinceIwas a little kid. ‘Photography can be applied to lifestories,makingphotographsasawayoftraceselfintheworld’[VisualSummary:p.289].AlltheimagesIhavemadeduringthisprojecthasbeenarepresenta-tionofmyselfandwhenlookingthroughthebook,IcanfeelwhatIfelt,Iremember.

SusanBrightarguesthatmanyartistswho’smediumisphotographyfindinspirationinthemselvestrough experiences and many use self-portraitureand self-representation to convey a message. Thehistoricalconceptofself-portraitureisarepresentationofemotions,awayofexpressingfeelingstoanaudience.Brightarguesthatself-portraitscanoftenbeunderstoodasa formofablution or expressive therapy [Visual Summary: p.113].

Myhypothesishasbeenthatthepracticeofphotographycanbeconsideredatherapy.TodayIcansay, yes, it can be considered a therapy. When onefindsomethingthatcanshiftonesfocusfrominnernegativethoughtsandemotions,onehasfoundsomethingtherapeutic.InsteadoffeedingmyanxietyIhavetheopportunitytopracticesomethingthat gives me peace. I was not sure that practicingphotographycouldbesomethingthatwouldhelpmeinthelong-run,but Idothinkitcan. Ihavelearnedthat when you know that something will calm youdownandmakeyourbodyandmindatease,itgetseasier and easier to break the anxiety circle. Thepeacefulnesswhenlookingthroughthecameraandworkinginthedarkroomcalmsmeforalongerperiodoftime,thenthetimespentdoingit.Onecanlookatpracticingphotographyasaformofmindfulness,as theprocess forcesyou tobe in themomentandacceptingthat thingsarethewaytheyare.Ihavelearnedthissummer,thatthingsactually are the way they are. I cannot controleverything.IneedtostopworryingaboutwhatIcannotcontrol.Thisiswhythepracticeofphotographycanbeconsideredatherapy.

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B I B L I O G R A P H Y

MASTER’SPROJECTVISUALSUMMARYBYME,AGNETEHELENEMATRE

WEBSITES:

LUNDE,E.,2001.Størreåpenhetompsykiskelidelser.[26.08.2016].Availablefrom:https://www.ssb.no/helse/artikler-og-publikasjoner/storre-aapenhet-om-psykiske-lidelser

BOOKS:

SOOTHILL,K.,ROGERS,P.,MAIREAD,D.,2008.HandbookofForensicMentalHealth.Devon:WillianPublishing

ILLUSTRATIONS:

Figure1:WELCHDIAMOND,DRH,1855.WomanHoldingaDeadBird,SurreyCountyAsylum[18.06.2016].Availablefrom:https://www.artsy.net/artwork/dr-hugh-welch-diamond-woman-surrey-county-asylum

Figure2:HAMILTON,N.,2014.BlueSkyBird[18.06.2016].Availablefrom:http://creativefuture.org.uk/blue-sky-bird/

Figure6:ASHER,S.,2012.VisualDepressionDiary.[05.08.2016].Availa-blefrom:http://sarah-asher.wix.com/11611#!visual-depression-diary

Allotherimagesbyme,AgneteHeleneMatre