Early on in this module I wrote about Anthony Luvera and his work with various communities. When thinking about darkrooms and the people who use them, it occurred to me that I haven't talked much about the community themselves, the people who use these spaces. This isn't a surprise to me, I have mentioned before in previous work that I have problems working with models, or including people in my work in a meaningful way, and this stems from some personal problems I have with communication and confidence. However in my last module I worked closely with a couple in the studio, to the point of photographing them fully naked and engaging in sexual acts, leading to my final collection of images for that module. So perhaps I need to continue involving people in my work in some way.
This is where Antony Luvera comes in, in his work with communities he Luvera offered the people he worked with large amounts of control over how they were represented in his work, to the point that the projects became more of a collaboration than his own particular project. This was of great importance to Luvera as he felt that often people could be mis-represented in art (this is all covered in my previous blog post on Luvera). One method he used was the assisted self portrait, where he would teach the person he was working with to use his equipment, and then allow them to create their own portrait to be apart of his exhibition, he would also include other materials alongside his work, and in creating slideshows and film's he would include other types of media, including sound recordings along side the imagery. I want to bear all of this in mind as I begin to bring people into my own project. While, due to covid, I don't think I will be working closely with anyone enough to enable them to create self portraits, and I wouldn't want to copy Luvera so blatantly anyway.
So how exactly this is all going to work I am not so sure, but to begin with a have decided to produce a simple questionnaire, just to get people ideas on the current themes surrounding the project so far, and to see what they have to say on the subject. The questions ask about their experiences in darkrooms, the risks of using a darkroom, how they interact with other people within the space, and introduces the ideas of "The Call of the Void" and also asks there thoughts on the gentrification of gay venues and possible loss of these spaces. The questionnaire is prefaced with an explanation of the project, how the data collected will be used, and an explanation that should they choose to remain anonymous this will be totally respected (The questionnaire does ask for names and contact details, but these are not mandatory). The form is availible to view here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfrt6tx6jv2YKg6UHtMQLLOooDtnWlbIAlk4xUf3ywvwGsHzw/viewform
The questions are as follows:
Have you ever used a Darkroom?
how many times, or how often do you use them?
Do you enter alone, with a partner/friend, or with someone you have met at the bar?
Describe your first time using a Darkroom, including how you felt before you entered and what lead you to go in.
What are your thoughts on the risks associated with Darkrooms?
Do you think Darkrooms are "Seedy"? if so, do you consider that a bad description?
What do you think about other people who use Darkrooms, what do you think of them while your are in there?
How do you feel about watching in the Darkroom, not just watching "action", but also watching other people waiting, or looking?
Similarly, how do you feel about being watched?
Concerning personal identity: When in the darkroom, do you feel different, like you could be someone else? Perhaps you feel more powerful, or more free, like you can be anyone you want.
"Cottaging" refers to soliciting and/or engaging in sexual activity in a public toilette. Why do you think this still exists? Do you have any thoughts on the history of Cottaging, perhaps in connection to the police officers who would solicit in order to make an arrest based on homophobic laws at the time? Would you be happy to share any experiences of your own?
As LGBT rights have taken great steps forward, our cultures have begun to be assimilated into the wider mainstream. Arguably, Spaces for gay men to explore their sexuality (e.g. Fetish clubs and Darkrooms) have faced a level of gentrification in order to fit in with the hetero normative mainstream (For example recent interactions between a well known Manchester club and the local council). Do you see these spaces as part of our history and culture? Are they still relevant or needed? Would it concern you if they disappeared?
"The Call of the Void" describes a sensation one might feel when standing on the edge of a cliff, its the small voice in the back of your head that says "Jump". This is also known as "High Place phenomenon". There is research that suggests this sensation is a result of our subconscious encouraging us to take risks and "Live life to the full". Do you feel there is a relationship between this sensation and entering a darkroom?
would you be interested in being part of my photographic series regarding Darkrooms? (E.g. as a model/subject) Note: if you choose yes but have not provided details please be sure to contact me yourself, please email dale@poolephotography.co.uk, or message me on facebook.
With the last question, I am hoping to build a small collection of persons who would be happy to be involved in the project further, though at this point I don't know how that would manifest due to the lockdown.
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