Sue Anne Phelan: Preserving a Person

This project has come about because of the death of my Grandfather, Martin Curry, in June 2010. I set about trying to become closer to him and trying to peel away some of the layers he had built up around himself. I am currently trying to find the best way to represent this time in my work. I want to be meticulous and exact. Two qualities which always stood out on him. Any feedback would be very useful! The images were taken using a flatbed scanner, I am looking for new ways to use the scanner at the moment. When I return to Ireland on the 20th december im going to attempt to scan an entire room in his house! I am also planing on scanning his work bench and lots and lots of other details like his chair and also everything we packed up from his house.

The reason for using the scanner is because I believe it gives a completely different effect to just using a camera. The light the camera picks up is whatever natural light plus the addition of a flash or other light set ups. I want to take away all that excess and get the purest possible reflection of the objects.

Artist statement

This project has come about because of the death of my Grandfather, Martin Curry, in June 2010. I set about trying to become closer to him and trying to peel away some of the layers he had built up around himself, whilst at the same time create a memorial for him. I documented his home and the objects within it, especially those that were of importance to him. I documented the whole event at the time because I needed something between me and what was happening. The camera provided a safe “go between” so I was able to distance myself from the situation and also regain some control over it. According to Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, when a loved one dies we go through five stages of grief; denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. As this project progressed I experienced all of these emotions and my work reflects this. I had to learn how to be objective and to not let these emotions consume the work.

In the beginning I only had my film SLR and my digital SLR cameras plus a limited supply of film. I tried to use every shot as carefully as possible and to try not to overlook any detail. After three months I returned from Ireland and started working through the images. I had brought back some papers documents and clippings that I took from his house. This is when I started using a scanner. The images that the scanner makes are very different from a camera. The scanner works in a completely different way too. A normal camera takes in light from the environment and makes its image, a scanner however uses only its own laser as a light source and so this makes the images more real. It creates a bigger relationship between the image and the object by making the purest possible reflection of the image. There is nothing to interfere with the objects appearance in the images with all external light sources removed.

These beautiful images form a counterpoint to the poignant photographs. These images combined help create a diary of sorts showing the development of the work from its early raw state to the finished work. Once the book is published it will become something precious in contrast to its subject matter, death is usually something that we do not want to remember. I want this work to challenge the viewer's ideas of death, remembrance and their representation

4 comments:

Anonymous15 December 2010 at 14:20
Hi, i am in the gorey school of art on a course, loving it. Just wanted to say i really like your pieces,more so the notebook and the stack of papers, a life in a book more or less :) I really love your work and i really hope you do well. Ill check back every so often to looksie,
a) because i am nosey
b) i like your work.
c) a lovely memorial and tribute to celebrate your grandfather! And his life as you remember it. And rather an inspiring and moving way to do it. so much emotion! The room scan should be interesting.

Take it easy!

Thanks

Samantha
Jade15 December 2010 at 14:29
Love!! I especially love the idea of finding the purest possible reflection. And the effect of the scanner is really beautiful :)
mammy15 December 2010 at 14:56
Really impressed to see what you are doing. The images are breathtaking. I am looking forward to seeing more.
Best of luck.
Kate Smith15 December 2010 at 15:17
Nice to see some more images other than the wallpaper sample. They're looking good! Just thought the whole "blurred around the edges" look is kind of like how you knew him. I remember you saying he liked to keep himself to himself and you werent allowed upstairs. The blurred nature of the edges kind of reflects that a bit. (well there's my art fag input anyway Sue!)

Sue Anne Phelan

Preserving a Person

4 comments:

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