Friday, 15 May 2009
Been A While
I know it has been a while since my last post and I am afraid this one wont be too long as I have lots to do. I am currently planning 2 project that will take me to the end of the year. The first of which will be on the Chinese tea industry and the second on the recovery and re-building of the Wolong Panda reserve after the 2008 earthquake. I have completed my Stoddart essay and the previously published piece was totally changed and pretty much not used. As of yet there is not a copy online I am affraid. I am off to Hangzhou on Monday to do some reseach on the tea industry and have recently signed upto twitter so you can see updates there at http://twitter.com/josephbolt
Tuesday, 24 March 2009
Stoddart Essay
I am currently in the process of writing an essay in which I am focusing on the Sudan works of Tom Stoddart and their appearance in the Guardian newspaper in 1998. I have been given a limit of 2000 words, a tough challenge to say the least. Many moons ago I would of been glad to only write 2000 words but now its a testing task to write such a small piece that remains in depth.
I guess the real task is to remain focused, keep to the point and don't beat around the bush as they say (something a blog doesn't stop us from doing). Coming from a fine art background makes this a real challege, years of studying conceptual art means I can read endless meaning into, and intellectualise even the smallest of things. I am sure other artists and my old art tutors wouldn't like this comment but I don't mean it as negative thing. I think what I am trying to get at is I have to change my approach slightly with journalistic writing, picking out the pieces of most relevence to the story and issue, and this doesn't always mean the most interesting pieces, but pieces when put together give a clearer and more forcused and driven debate (which in the end turns out to be something of more interest and worth) Perhaps this isn't even the move from fine art into photojournalism but the jump from BA to Masters. None the less it is a tricky tasks but one I am enjoying.
Below is a small section from the essay, this may totally change at a later date though as I am still writing:
(…)compassion fatigue, refers to the psychological exhaustion said to be induced by endless appeals for money and sympathy. If charity begins at home, then compassion fatigue begins when it comes to places far away.
(Harkin. J, 2005)
He suggests that due to what he calls “the latest buzzword” (Harkin. J, 2005), compassion fatigue, many viewers of this appeal did not donate. He also makes the suggestion that there is a link between compassion fatigue and distance, the phrase “one fireman in this town is worth 10 in the next” springs to mind. He goes on to say;
In an interview with this newspaper earlier in the week, the head of the UN development programme offered it (compassion fatigue) as the explanation for the pathetic response to the humanitarian crisis following the earthquake in Pakistan and Kashmir.
(Harkin। J, 2005)
This phrase has been popularly used for some time now. In her 1999 book entitled Compassion Fatigue Susan Moeller discusses cases of it in the 80’s, the 90’s and earlier. Given this idea of compassion fatigue, why then did Stoddarts images published in the Guardian on 12th August 1998 still manage to raise huge awareness and funds for the cause.
I guess the real task is to remain focused, keep to the point and don't beat around the bush as they say (something a blog doesn't stop us from doing). Coming from a fine art background makes this a real challege, years of studying conceptual art means I can read endless meaning into, and intellectualise even the smallest of things. I am sure other artists and my old art tutors wouldn't like this comment but I don't mean it as negative thing. I think what I am trying to get at is I have to change my approach slightly with journalistic writing, picking out the pieces of most relevence to the story and issue, and this doesn't always mean the most interesting pieces, but pieces when put together give a clearer and more forcused and driven debate (which in the end turns out to be something of more interest and worth) Perhaps this isn't even the move from fine art into photojournalism but the jump from BA to Masters. None the less it is a tricky tasks but one I am enjoying.
Below is a small section from the essay, this may totally change at a later date though as I am still writing:
On discussing the BBC's Children in Need telethon in 2005, Guardian writer James Harkin writes;
(…)compassion fatigue, refers to the psychological exhaustion said to be induced by endless appeals for money and sympathy. If charity begins at home, then compassion fatigue begins when it comes to places far away.
(Harkin. J, 2005)
He suggests that due to what he calls “the latest buzzword” (Harkin. J, 2005), compassion fatigue, many viewers of this appeal did not donate. He also makes the suggestion that there is a link between compassion fatigue and distance, the phrase “one fireman in this town is worth 10 in the next” springs to mind. He goes on to say;
In an interview with this newspaper earlier in the week, the head of the UN development programme offered it (compassion fatigue) as the explanation for the pathetic response to the humanitarian crisis following the earthquake in Pakistan and Kashmir.
(Harkin। J, 2005)
This phrase has been popularly used for some time now. In her 1999 book entitled Compassion Fatigue Susan Moeller discusses cases of it in the 80’s, the 90’s and earlier. Given this idea of compassion fatigue, why then did Stoddarts images published in the Guardian on 12th August 1998 still manage to raise huge awareness and funds for the cause.
Monday, 16 March 2009
Old Blog
Some of you might be interested to know I started (but never finnished) a blog when I went on a world trip in Jan 2007. It is a less formal blog design for my friends back home to keep up with my journey but contains some pictures I posted as I was on the road. This is quite interesting as the pictures you post in the moment are not always the ones you would sellect at a later date. You are inevitably influenced by having just had the experience and cannot evaluate the image as a standalone. I am sure the same is to happen with this weblog but I guess that is part of the point. Here is the link http://joestravelling.blogspot.com/
Josephbolt.com launched
www.josephbolt.com is officially up and running, whist its been online for nearly a week now I have been tweeking a few things but it should all be running smoothly now. Featured on the site are 4 image galleries, 2 of which are documentary based and 2 band based. As I produce more documentary projects these will be posted. Furthermore there is an animated slideshow in the video section of my site. This displays more images and tells the full stories of the people I met during the urban poverty project as discused earlier in my blog (see here) As always I am updating my flickr account. To see what I am currently working on its a good idea to keep an eye on that as I put more images on there and you'll generally get an advanced preview of the projects I am working on.Sunday, 15 March 2009
A Taste For Life
For those of you that might be interested there is a photo contest being run through Flickr that has links with Magnum Photos. http://www.atasteforlife.co.uk/index.php/home/ Well worth checking out.
Friday, 13 March 2009
Crossing the Line
"In 1962, a U.S. soldier sent to guard the peace in South Korea deserted his unit, walked across the most heavily fortified area on earth and defected to the Cold War enemy, the communist state of North Korea. He then simply disappeared from the face of the known world. He became a coveted star of the North Korean propaganda machine, and found fame acting in films, typecast as an evil American. He uses Korean as his daily language. He has three sons from two wives. He has now lived in North Korea twice as long as he has in America. At one time, there were four Americans living in North Korea. Today, just one remains. Now, after 45 years, the story of Comrade Joe, the last American defector in North Korea, is told." This film is being shown in Brooklyn Bar, Dalian, China, on 20th March 2009, 20:00-23:00. Sounds well worth a view for a truely unique insite into North Korea. If you don't live in or near Dalian visit the website www.crossingthelinefilm.com and you may be able to arrange a screening near you.
Saturday, 7 March 2009
Website Temporary Location
I have posted links to my blog and website on flickr now so they are not just visible to people on the my MA course. I must point out to visitors from flickr that my web location http://www.britishcouncilworkshops.org/josephbolt/ is only temporary until I have finished designing it. It will soon be relocated to a new address so watch this space for details.
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