Project 2 / Alt Process Prelim Critique

Project two and the extension of the Alt process assignment have been combined. So... think of this project as being completely open... use the best output method (inkjet prints, digital negatives, ink aid, transfers, etc.) that the project demands. Be able to justify this decision beyond the sake of convenience.

Prelim critique: 4/17
Final critique: 4/24

Presentation Resources

Magnets

http://www.kjmagnetics.com/proddetail.asp?prod=BCC2


L-Pins

http://www.amazon.com/Moore-Exhibition-Pins-card-20/dp/B0027A79FK

Critique Dates

Formal critique dates:

3/13; PRJ Response 1, Alt Process Assignment pieces (2)
4/3; PRJ Response 2-3, Ongoing portfolio work

Informal critiques as required.

Final Portfolio

Due: Last day of class, April 24

Final portfolio will consist of physical and jpeg aspects

Physical:

3 matted prints from color projects. Print quality and color balancing emphasized.
3 matted prints from project 1
3 prints of *either* (choose one)

• digital negative project 
• alternative digital printing project (odd substrates, ink aid, transfers, etc.)
• Please note that this category still stands for the final portfolio, so please make sure all images are portfolio worthy.

3 matted prints from project 2.

Your Paul R Jones Project (on the wall)

Jpeg:

Same breakdown of projects, but extend the number of images to 6 for each, including those you printed

This is a lot of work, and I expect good things from you. We have seven more weeks of class. Best to get started now. Some classes will still be used for demos and critiques, but many will be work days. Come to class prepared to work. Do not disappear or use class-time for on location-shooting, unless it is in the lighting studio. Shoot out of class so that images can be reviewed in class. That will likely be the best use of time. If you need help planning, do let me know.

Note: due to the PRJ call and response being extended to fill the gallery, project three has been eliminated. Adjust project two accordingly. Revisions to statements are welcome.

Call and Response Project, Art making

You will be exhibiting this project at the Sella-Granata Gallery. Pieces should be exhibition worthy, and ready to hang, by Monday, April 15th, during class. All pieces should be matted, framed, and wired by this time. The final decision about whether pieces are worthy of display is up to faculty involved (primarily me, but possibly others). A passing grade requires exhibition of work, if that makes sense... I am fully confident that you you're going to knock this one out of the park. You have some great ideas already!

For this project, create at 2-3 responses your selected Paul R Jones image. A single response may include several pieces. Roughly speaking, there will be 5-6 framed objects on the wall associated with you (including your source image).

Artist statements, drawing heavily from your written work for this project will also be displayed. This statement should be about a page in length. It should introduce gallery viewers to the PRJ piece, along with the concepts and themes you are engaging in your responses. Each response should receive a paragraph of introduction as well. The statement should be printed, mounted on board for display on the wall. Statements must be approved for display. Plan on multiple drafts.

This project will be evaluated along the following criteria:

• Coherence of concept/idea/themes explored in response to PRJ piece
• Aesthetic strength of images
• Technical strength of images
• Professional level presentation—quality of prints, matting and framing
• Written statement

Critique dates:
Response 1 due: 3/13
Response 2-3 due: 4/3

Alternative substrates and digital emulsion lifts

On Monday we'll be starting our explorations of alternative digital printing approaches. There will be demo and some hands on work. For Monday please bring the following:

1. Quality artist/printing-making paper... Rives BFK or similar. We will coat these for later use.
2. Some sort of paper substrate with image to transfer on...this can be a matte B&W print, artwork on paper, maps, magazines, etc. Give some consideration to the image on this substrate, and white kind of image might be superimposed on it. This can be pre-visualized with layers in photoshop. We will try to complete an actual transfer in class. 

At least 2 successful pieces beyond initial attempt.

Assignment/Project: Call and Response

We are fortunate to have access to a wonderful body of art in the Paul R. Jones collection, housed at the University of Alabama. Mr. Jones was an avid collector of photography as well as art objects of various media. This projects resides between curatorial and creative inquiry. What does that mean? 

Emily Bibb, the PRJ Collections Manager, has been kind enough to pull several pieces for your perusal, each of which is photographic, or deals with photography in some way. For this assignment, you will be "adopting" a particular piece that resonates with you. Come to know this artwork intimately in all its details, maker, history, concepts, and ideas. You will become our resident expert. That is the curatorial aspect.

On the artistic side, take in what inspires you about the piece—the subject, approach, concept, the look and feel, what have you, and create a pieces of your own in response. Your work can be a quotation, a spin-off, a challenge, a dovetail—any sort of response that inspires you. At first, generate several responses, and then go with the strongest as you develop your piece(s). There is a likelihood that your response piece and your source image will be exhibited side-by-side for contemplation by the general public, so this is an exciting opportunity! Run with it.

There are several phases of the project.

1. PRJ visit to choose your piece. Once decided, write an initial analysis of the object. This analysis should be 1-2 pages and roughly follow this format:
• Critical description. Describe what you actually see in the piece,with as much detail as possible. If you notice it, write it down. Comment on both content (what is depicted) and the physical form of the piece (e.g. color photograph fading to magenta, 11x14, etc.)
• Formal Analysis. Investigate how the image is organized. Address, form, scale, composition... how does this affect how the subjects are perceived?
• Interpretation. Discern what you feel the piece means or is about... speculate. If it comes to you, write it down. Be a sleuth: form a hypothesis about the meaning, as you see it.
• Judgment. Move beyond "like" or "dislike". How is the piece successful? Is there something lacking? How does it stack up to similar pieces you might know from the history of photography or other areas? This step might require a bit of research and reflection.
2. Research everything you can about the piece, and write 1-2 pages. The artist, the era, style, genre, motivations, circumstances around the image, intended goals for the image, where the image was shown, for whom it was made, critical response to the image, etc. Only include biographical information about the artist insomuch that it supports the analysis of the piece.
3. Begin working on and crafting your creative/artistic response.

Written portions due: 2/20

Prelim Critique, Art: 2/27

Project 1

Based on your proposal, create a body of work
Due dates:

• 2/6, preliminary critique
• 2/13, final critique

Plan to turn in:

• 8 files, processed (using image processor) to 1200 pixels by the longest side, jpeg quality 10 or higher

Warm Cool Combinations

©1996 Cheryl Opperman

For Wednesday 1/23

1. Bring inkjet paper for color printing. (Note: I am delaying our start with digital negatives until the following week... have pictorico and B&W paper for 1/28).
2. Create group of images that explore warm / cool color relationships. See if you can push it further by creating warm / cool spatial tensions, as the above image demonstrates. To do this, have the background or a subject further away be a warm color, and objects closer to the camera be a cool color.
3. Proposals. 2-3 pages, researched, cited.

Slides shown in class can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3jqbogBFi4naXp2cWtjNXhYMnc/edit

Shooting: Color Harmonies

Create a group of images that harmonize around the color you chose for the first shooting assignment. This kind of harmony is based on similarity. Look to neighboring colors on either side of the color wheel, and build photographs that feature these two, three or four neighboring colors. The Franco Fontana image above is a great example of a color harmony with blue—green—yellow.

More examples can be found here: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B3jqbogBFi4nc0VmVHh6ektJUkU/edit

For Wednesday1/16

Welcome

The primary goal of this course is to create an environment where you can make your strongest work. While we will explore some exciting technical, aesthetic, and conceptual possibilities, the most important thing is for you to manage the process of bringing your imaginative ideas to physical form. The main ally in this quest is time. Use it wisely, and it will reward you.

Also, a running calendar for the course can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnjqbogBFi4ndEV1LXFnbGxSSkluQUFCS19KZzc2c3c

The course Syllabus can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0B3jqbogBFi4naFFNd2hnckxYcEE

Past student work