Joel-Peter Witkins

Joel-Peter Witkins uses many themes such as death, corpse and people cast as outsiders such as dwarfs, transsexuals and physically deformed people. Witkins explains that his inspirations and influences came to him when a violent car crash accident happened out side his home when he was younger, he encountered the  scene of three cars smashed together, all of which had families in. As he started at this horrific scene on the curb outside his home he claims 'I could see something rolling from one of the overturned cars. It stopped at the curb where i stood. It was a head of a little girl. I bent down to touch the face, to speak to it - but before i could touch it someone carried me away.' From this i think that Witkins may have developed his interest in corpse and corpse parts, as that it would have been a big event in life. Joel-Peter must have developed his ideas and thoughts from a young age of what he really took an interest in, for someone to be so engaged in such passionate interest in the lives of the 'abnormal' and 'grotesque' makes you stop and think.

Mitch Lucker

I know this has nothing to do with art or anything but this is to show my respect to my idol, my inspiration and a true metal head. This man and his band brought me into heavy metal music and not only will his music live on but so will his memory. R.I.P Mitch Lucker 1984-2012,  i person so many looked up to, a person who has saved many peoples lives with his music and words. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

Nikki Sixx Research

So I've been doing some research on Nikki Sixx, I've realised the man isn't afraid to say that he is happy to struggle. Happy to of not reached all his goals yet and happy to fail somedays so he can pick himself up again. Nikki can admit that there is so much about photography that he doesn't know but he keeps pushing and pushing wondering if there are any limits or just if you find a place and call it your own? As Nikki tours with his bands and travels the world alot he takes pictures of people doing their everyday routine, something they do may inspire him to take that picture at that moment in time. Not all pictures he takes mean something to people but he just wants to show what someone else could be doing at that moment in time, in their life.

Creativity! 'Creativity is not linear, just like the earth is not flat... If you keep going long enough you will always get back to where you started from. That is when you have lived a full life. That is the artist's path.' I think what Nikki is trying to say is that if you work at something long enough then you will always be able to pick up from where you left from and once you can start to do that, then you are really living life to the full always keeping something going and not stopping. It is a way of life, the path of an artist.

If. If Nikki Sixx could be remembered as anything, it would be a great father. Why, i'm not completely sure myself yet, but he would be the father of a man showing many wonders, achieving many of his own personal goals and also achieving many challenges in life. Living it up. Soaking it up. Turning it up. 'The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious.'

I recently found out what Nikki's favorite quote was, 'if you wanna live life on your own terms, you gotta be willing to crash and burn.' This its self is true when you place it into your own life situation and really does make you stop and think. Trying not to go off task like i have, i found out that Nikki says 'that the biggest lesson to teach people is not what kind of camera it is as much as that you just that you always have something in you hand to capture that moment in front of you. I have used everything from wet plate cameras to cheap point an shoots. Make no mistakes a old Leica m3 will blow your mind but so can an iPhone in the right light.'

In one of my recent posts i explained i would also do some research on Joel-Peter Witkins, i will processed with this but i won't be comparing Sixx with Witkins as i found out that Nikki himself is inspired by Witkins. This for me shows that he not only creates his own images he recreates similar work to other photographers. I've probably done over 300 words here so i may have to stop, but it will be my personal goal to to update a post every now and then about him and with that i'm going to leave you with this:

"An education in rebellion"

Nikki Sixx

Nikki Sixx has been all around the world and has seen so many sights and scenes. He is a man that has been through many events, recovering from being a heroin addict and going through two divorces, having five children. This man is personally a legend in my eyes.

My Inspiration

Nikki Sixx is truly an amazing person. Not only do i enjoy looking at his photography, i also like his music, Moltey Crue and Sixx A.M. With him being a recovering Heroin addict and cameras being his new drug, he is now living his life to the full. Nikki Sixx also published two autobiography's both of which i have read and throughly enjoyed. Nikki Sixx has many styles, not only is he a photographer, song writer, author and a musician, he is also a fashion designer, radio host and record producer . He is a man of many wonders.

Personal Goal

Although i will be doing my 300 word assessment on Nikki Sixx will be personal doing some extra research on Joel-Peters Witkins and comparing the two. Their work is very similar and both interest me, showing the beauty in the ugly.

Task

So i've been set a task to do a 300 word assessment on a photographer of my liking. I've chose Nikki Sixx because of his way of showing the beauty in the ugly and how he wants you to look at things in a different way.

Photography

 Using no photoshop these are few of the photographs i took to fit in with shapes and forms.

I personal really enjoy taking photographs. I like learning new skills with the camera. Learning how to give effect and shadow to the object is an exciting thing to me.

Although not all of my photographs are perfect, i have learnt that sometimes the imperfect is the perfect.

Shape and Form

Using shape and form while taking photographs, i thought this one fit best with the task. Using only brightness, contrast and colour balance on photoshop. This photograph doesn't look over edited and still looks like the original photograph.

Photography

Without using photoshop, this is a normal photograph to taken. With it taken at an angle it shows depth.   The moss gives it colour and the way the camera has focused on the top half makes you look more at the detail.

Art Student

Fine Art student at Stockport College. Currently doing an eight week rotation, which includes Fine Art, Photography and Media, Textiles and Graphic Design. Would like to Specialise in Fine Art for the next two years but doing this rotation has opened up new pathways for the future. Many people have inspired me in my art but most of music has a big effect on me as well. Nikki Sixx and Marilyn Manson have a big impact on my work.

Photoshop

This was also adapted on photoshop. This was done using contrast, brightness and colour settings. The contrast has brought out the lightness of the cobweb and makes it stand out against the black. The light shining through in the corner shows the brightness and rays of light.

Photoshop

Currently working on Photoshop learning how to use all the tools. this was one of my out comes from the task yet today. Taking photographical images of shapes and forms and then working on either to improve or adapt them.