https://newsone.com/1555245/most-infamous-public-housing-projects/

THE 7 MOST INFAMOUS U.S. PUBLIC HOUSING PROJECTS

A reoccurring theme I find, is crime

The most striking thing I've found from researching the different areas of impoverishment, is that they often originate through situational circumstances. A mix of unfortunate collusion state-affairs for people viewed of as a lesser, like those of a different ethnicity, sex, etc. 

Then through a set of systematic ploys, propaganda is mitigated against those. For example, the American trailer park used to be a symbol of hope, or the 'compact version of the American Dream'

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In my work I would love to explore humanity through its flaws. We are all human apart only through our physical geography, but not really.

I love this, something about it just below the surface resonates. When I think about it, this piece only really become valuable once it has been destroyed. The audience must make the conscious decision to take part in the deliberate destruction of something inherently innocent- because after all it is just a small piece of paper with words. what gives the words meaning? who really carries the authority? the paper, the words or you?

Thinking about it now, does the work loose its meaning once the action has been carries out or does the value lie behind the thought process behind? 

In my practice, I would like to incorporate deliberate action and reaction in my work.

On another note, I think it's an interesting development from the postcard. Originally something which evokes two responses:

1. Beholding (the purpose of the image on then front)

2. Investigation (the text which can be written on the back)

CHERUBIM

- In the bible, every time they appear they look a little different

- This is because they are supposed to be intimidating, but also symbolic representations of all the creatures of the earth because they all belong to God

- When you see them, you know you are entering the presence of The One who is above all

ANGELS

- In the Bible, angels don't have wings

- as a matter of fact, they are described in many different ways

- Sometimes they aren't even recognised as Angels, as they appear no different than ordinary men

"Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A man of God came to me and his appearance was like the appearance of the angel of God, very awesome. And I did not ask him where he came from, nor did he tell me his name . . . The angel of the LORD did not appear again to Manoah and his wife. Then Manoah realized that it was the angel of the LORD" (Judges 13:6,21)

"The LORD appeared to Abraham by the oaks of Mamre, as he sat at the entrance of his tent in the heat of the day. He looked up and saw three men standing near him. When he saw them, he ran from the tent entrance to meet them, and bowed down to the ground" (Genesis 18:1,2)

- They look different than the Cherubim because they serve a different purpose. God will reach out to us, and often does so through these "spiritual ambassadors", in fact the word Angel means "messenger"

- They perform miracles of God's behalf, and guide and serve his people.

- Though angels appear at times in the form of man, they are never appearing in a subhuman form- like animals, birds, other material objects, etc. In the Bible, they have spoken to people out of the cloud/ out of the fire, but never identified themselves with either things.

PINTEREST MOODBOARD OF VISUAL IDEAS

There's something beautifully intimate about these images, and the reason I chose to research these in particular is because they hold some kind of closeness that borders spirituality. They focus on a level of closeness and personal spirituality, rather than collective religion. There's something about this that I prefer, because it becomes a personalised presentation of spirituality and therefore has intimacy lacking in traditional religious imagery. 

On a deeper level, I'd say these works are more so about identity and the duality of religion rather than focusing on the outward re-appropriation of religion. Yes, at first appearance they look like traditional pictures you would find in a church or a prayer candle, but on a closer inspection they're actually really unsettling. 

LUX PROJECT

The film Cezanne by Luke Folwer feels like a series of compiled establishing shots from an arthouse film. It doesn't really chronicle any real plot or specific narrative, other than it's about the life of painter Paul Cézanne.

Somehow, I think I prefer it this way- it's a gentle way of detailing someone's existence through their interactions with the environment. Also, it feels somewhat intrusive but in a good way, like I'm privy to witness these gentle moments and tender places even if there were not so to the painter himself. I'm watching his existence through the perspective of the earth, then through the lens of Luke Fowler. 

I know nothing of Painter Cézanne, so I learn all I can through the film.

It somewhat reminds me of a -- painting. Beautiful un-fleeting moments. Feeling. 

When developing my film, I would like to incorporate this level of feeling. Scenic shots already carry weight emotionally; that's why they are used to open the audience emotionally before a scene, or to allow them to dwell in it. But I would love to be able to make it so they carry a story, without just the overt audio of conversation.

But it's a long picture, and begins to lose its influence of immersion the longer I watch. The film begins to draw half way through, and has less to offer visually and sonically and becomes something of a novelty- long shots of nature, swell. Then it's easy to become borderline pretentious. 

I previously explored this movie, namely this scene. "There's something hypnotic about this scene. maybe it's the way that the dark streets are lit up by the city lights that become somewhat reminiscent of childhood evening drives, or how the scene is set up with intimate shots of the Taxi with the disembodied narrator speaking over it. It's like being in a dream state, and there's a sort of magnetism about it. The way scene opens with mesmerising shots of the taxi, then Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro's character) speaks about the New York over it makes me believe all that he's saying (even if what I'm seeing and what I'm hearing about it don't necessarily correspond). Because I've already emotionally opened myself, I've become ripe for emotional manipulation. Then throughout the movie I'm developing as he does, and I no longer become a separate entity but am somehow as involved as he is.

I've always loved this specific scene, I always feel like I'm right there and then. Every contributing factor (i.e. colour grading, camerawork, editing, voice over, etc) is so well executed, that for the duration of the clip you are completely engrossed. 

https://www.rogerebert.com/interviews/interview-with-martin-scorsese

In this interview with the director Martin Scorsese, they exchange ideas that:

"[Travis] drives a cab in New York and eventually we realise he's seething inside, he's got all this violence bottled up", and later comments on how he uses 42nd is used as a metaphor for hell:

"But that's the thing about hell - it goes on and on. And he couldn't get out of it." and eventually

"his problems aren't your problems, but his symptoms are your symptoms."

In my film, I would love to create something reminiscent of this scene, as it is one of the major contributors to who I have become as a person. As the film will be an exploration into myself, I would like to take the viewer on a journey much alike the one witnessed in Taxi Driver- where you have no choice but to become emotionally invested and tied up with the development of the plot and character, and during the duration of the film the viewer and character become indistinguishable."

I came back to this thought for the Lux project and developed my ideas further, because I find this scene is multi-dimensional and a perfect example of urbanisation, urban spaces and the idea of the 'concrete jungle'. 

On a deeper level, I find this scene immensely symbolic of the animalistic nature of man. I mean, it's set in the heart of the city and there isn't a shred of natural light nor a patch of green. It's a chronicle of the animals of the concrete, from the perspective of someone who lives from the outside.

In my production, I would love to explore this idea of people from the urban landscape. I wouldn't have it so polarising, but take on a more gentle approach. I would incorporate the style of cinematography because it is hypnotic, beautiful and right.