SHINICHI MARUYAMA - DECONSTRUCTION OF INK AND WATER
Through my research into the oil as a water pollutant & it effects when merged with another liquid, I was amazed at the beauty that can be created by merging 2 substances together and capturing this relationship with a camera. Whilst investigating liquids and the patterns produced when 2 liquids are merged, I discovered an artist who had taken this type of photography to another level.
Artist Photographs
Shinichi Maruyama is a famous Japanese photographer who has created a series of stunning photographs called the "Kusho" series. Maruyama has created something really innovative and by using only two liquids and his camera, is able to produce highly memorable shots using ultra fast shutter speeds and strobe lighting.
Aiming to deconstruct the material elements of print and focusing on the technical characteristics of the photographic medium itself, he has produced 23 large scale photographs that represent the relationship between black ink and water, both in midair and on white surfaces.
The above photograph is an example of Maruyama's work, which displays how effective his technique is and how high impact visually his photos are. I loved the way that the liquids are frozen in time by the camera and we are able through the photograph to see the flow of the water as it hits the ink, transforming the shape of the ink as it moves. The ultra-high shutter speeds used by Maruyama enables us to see every detail of the image and although the photograph is in monochrome, the beauty of the simple liquids are displayed beautifully. I began to realise that when photographing liquids and subjects in movement, it is impossible to foresee what the end result will be, and it is this spontaneity that excited me about Maruyama's work and made me want to try and create my own images.
The above image takes this feeling of motion in time to a heightened level as Maruyama incorporates an obvious shape within his work. The suspended circle gives the viewer a firm focal point for the image, yet we still are able to gain a feeling of motion as the shutter has closed at the exact instance that the fluid completes its cycle. I loved the way Maruyama keeps his images monochrome and I think that visually this works really well making them stand out and using the white background gives the impression that the ink is suspended in mid-air. It is impressive that Maruyama can capture two liquids colliding the millisecond before they merge into grey and this split-second timing necessary to photograph these pictures is only made possible by recent advances in strobe light technology. I will not have this technology, however, I hope that in the same way by using a very high shutter speed I can also capture ink suspended in water.
My own photographs
My first attempt at capturing ink in water was done using a clear glass bowl and by dropping small amounts of ink into the static water using a pipette. By using a pipette, I was able to take a selection of photographs in rapid succession in order to try and freeze the merging of liquids before the effect was lost. I found that the bowl gave good light to my shot and the flash bouncing off the bottom of the bowl created a circular glow in the bottom of the frame which I found interesting. I tried to keep my colour palette simple for these photographs, like Maruyama to enable the created shapes to become the focal point and I think this worked well in my first images.
I experimented further by manipulating the water which I thought may create more movement in my work, similar to that of Maruyama, however, the ink dispersed at a quicker rate, making the water coloured and losing some of the contrast in colour which I had sought to achieve. I, therefore, experimented with darker inks to try and re-gain this contrast. The above second image was more successful, and the patterns created by the ink were not only visually pretty but detailed and interesting. I liked the way that by using a fast shutter speed, the patterns were frozen in time and this enabled the viewer to see the movement of the liquid in greater detail and by ensuring my camera was positioned as close to the surface of the water as possible, glare was reduced enhancing the colours.
For my final image, I decided to keep the pipette in the frame and this was achieved by positioning my camera on a small tripod and using a remote shutter release. The above photograph was different in composition, however, still visually interesting. I liked the way that by using the tripod, the increased stability allowed the single droplets of ink to be captured more successfully. The red ink was a strong colour and I decided to further enhance this by increasing the saturation of the image in Photoshop. The red droplets created interesting patterns and I liked the way that on further inspection, the viewer of the image could create their own visuals within this pattern. I liked the idea that a photograph could be interpreted in many different ways and thought this could be an interesting underlying idea for my final piece. I could perhaps layer colours or textures to my photographs to enhance the shots and add intrigue.
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