One of the main reasons I chose AUB and the BA (Hons) Photography course was my passion for continuing my creative studies beyond A-Levels, inspired by an alumni student I used to work with. It was exciting to hear about the technical opportunities I didn’t previously have access to during my college years.
Throughout my time here, I have gained a multitude of technical and practical skills that were beyond my reach during college, including working with Artificial Intelligence, which has since become central to my work. This experience has not only expanded my creative capabilities but also allowed me to apply contemporary theory to photographic art, developing a strong passion for my practice.
Throughout my time as a BA (Hons) Photography student, creative practical workshops and informative units have played a key role in shaping my artistic perspective and practice, pushing me beyond the foundations I built at A-Level. It wasn’t until the Realism and Representation unit in the first term of second year that I explored and discovered an interest in Artificial Intelligence and the concept of photographic truth. Photography, as a medium, has long been associated with capturing an accurate representation of reality, but to what extent is this statement true? Through this body of work, I became fascinated with the way humanity interacts with and consumes media, and how the blurred boundaries between authenticity and fiction affect our perception of photographs. This unit opened up new possibilities for me, allowing me to experiment with both analogue processes and generative photography which, ultimately, shaped my creative vision for future projects.
During my time at AUB, I have found the wide range of creative facilities to be incredibly helpful, offering access to advanced equipment and dedicated studio spaces to support and encourage each individual’s creative vision. The library offers an extensive collection of valuable books, journals, and digital resources, with approachable and accessible staff members offering both practical advice and insightful feedback. This combination of resources and support has played a key role in developing my work and pushing my ideas forward.
My ongoing project revolves around the concept of Artificial Intelligence, which has fuelled my continued research and creative exploration well into the third year of my degree. Initially, the Defining Practice unit enabled me to explore and research relevant artists, theorists and exhibitions that tunnelled my vision. With the project defined, our current unit, Extended Major Project, has provided me with the opportunity to produce an exhibition-ready piece to excitingly showcase in Copeland Gallery, London.
I titled this piece Familiar Strangers, which I proudly exhibited at AUB’s TheGallery during the Design; Disruption; Divergence exhibition. It’s driven by my fascination with the truth of digital photography – questioning whether a photograph can ever serve as a definitive document of a moment that’s passed. Artificial Intelligence challenges photography’s ability to freeze a moment in time, prompting us to question whether we can truly trust what we see. Introducing a family album, which is intimate, personal and informal, completely juxtaposes the act of generating. Capturing these playful, light-hearted moments serves as a visual reconstruction of childhood – a past I cannot recall or visualise without the photographs my mother has kept. There is a raw quality of this era, where the snapshot style of photography feels, arguably, as authentic as an image can be – freezing forgotten moments in time forever.
Artificial Intelligence generates an entirely false reality. Its memory relies solely on human input and it learns or understands content taught through us. In this project, Artificial Intelligence generates a past that is entirely unfamiliar to my family, deconstructing my narrative and reshaping my mother’s own memories. I rely solely on my mother’s descriptive prompts when generating these images. Since I can never truly recollect these events, my mother’s recollections become unreliable, much like the manipulative nature of Artificial Intelligence. This project then generates itself into an uncanny, redefined version of my history that no person can understand or familiarise with.
Presenting this ongoing series as part of TheGallery’s exhibition was exciting and rewarding. It provided a valuable opportunity to showcase my work and explore the complexities of presenting within a defined exhibition space. Equally rewarding was the chance to connect with fellow artists and curators, engaging in interesting discussions about the relationship between art and Artificial Intelligence in this emerging, coexisting interplay. This was one of the worthiest opportunities I’ve been offered during my degree and has allowed for further development to be equally as exciting.
As for the future, I am excited to have the opportunity to exhibit in London, which wouldn’t have been possible without the passionate efforts of my lecturers and course leader, alongside the support and collaboration of my talented course mates. Together, we’ve formed a collective, and it’s been inspiring to see how our diverse creative ideas and perspectives have come together in various work-in-progress shows. The collaborative environment has allowed us to continuously refine our concepts and thrive off each other’s feedback.
My time at AUB has been more than just studying photography – it’s been a journey of self-discovery, research, and exploring new creative approaches and technologies. Through this process, I’ve developed a final project that I’m proud of. The accompanying Professional Career Planning unit is set to prepare students for postgraduate opportunities, and it has helped to provide clarity and direction for the future. AUB has not only supported me in shaping my career goals but has also allowed me to create meaningful connections and friendships that will continue to inspire and influence my work moving forward.
