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AP Studio Art: 2-D Design (Photo)

 Project 7: Surrealism How can a photograph be surreal if it records the world as it is?

Before starting this project look in Vitamin Ph at the photographers Olaf Breuning (particularly pp. 46-47), Sarah Hobbs, Gregory Crewdson, and Anne Hardy. (To be found in alphabetical order). Also look up Dali’s photo, Dali Atomicus, online. Read the descriptions of their work. On the wiki, post a statement which starts with a definition of surrealism (look it up), and explains how you think these 5 artists manage to use these ideas in photographic work. What unites them? What is different about them?

You will be creating one image that explores these ideas. It should be an environment or location that you have carefully arranged in some way to defy the viewer’s expectations. You should plan to photograph in an area where you may leave things set up as you will be photographing this subject multiple times.

You may shoot with film or digital but I am going to ask you to bring me a first edition half way through the project length so we can talk about how to expand the idea further.

-In choosing a location, you should find a place that is rich in visual information. Find something that is already there which will be a major part of your composition.

-Carefully consider the lighting. Time of day could be crucial if photographing outside. Be prepared to use many lights if photographing inside.

-When adding elements, consider both concept and composition. In some ways this project is like a photoshop collage project, only you are adding the things in the real world before photographing.

You are not allowed to digitally manipulate this image to make it seem surreal.

 Project 6: Using and manipulating images from mass culture.

Look up these three artists: Robert Rauschenberg: Look at the book I have in the darkroom. Andy Warhol: Do a Google image search for “Andy Warhol”.

Jeff Koons: [] Look at the section titled Easy Fun Ethereal Think carefully about what each artist’s relationship is to the found images he is using. They are three artists who use similar source material but all have very different intentions. Make a wiki post to begin this project. Outline how each artist uses materials from the mass media.

Create one piece (18x24”) that is a collage of nothing but scanned material of product packaging. (Candy bar wrappers, paper off of tuna fish can, your photo paper box) You must bring the actual materials in to scan them in the design lab. You may then cut them, crop them in photoshop, and alter them in any other way you see fit. This image should be bursting with color that is balanced compositionally.

Create one piece (18 x 24”) that is a collage from nothing but digital color photographs you have taken of tv and computer screens. You can photograph scenes from a movie, tv show, the news, your desktop, etc. You should take advantage of any pixilation or distortion that results from photographing a screen. You may crop, otherwise manipulate, change color and contrast as much as you like. This final image should also present a complex and intricately balanced color composition.

For both pieces I am going to ask you to think about the relationship you are creating with your source material. What are you saying about the images you are using? Are you glorifying them? Are you critical of them? Is art more valuable than mass culture? How does this position fit in with Rauschenberg, Warhol, and Koons? Explain your understanding of their positions. Explain your relationship in detail in a statement on the wiki. Each new post should be made at the top of your wiki page so it is seen first. Include the date.

Project 5: Symbolism

In the Vitamin PH book, look up the artists Rochelle Costi and Zoe Leonard. Read the descriptions of their work. Whether photographing plates of food to symbolize the people who eat them or boarded up windows to reference the decline of a building or neighborhood, both artists create series of works which are about more than what is physically seen. They find subjects that help make their work socially and politically relevant. In each case they also find or create a series of objects that are very specific. (ex. All the windows are boarded up, it is not just a generic window)

You are going to photograph a series of works using either film or digital photography. Every image in the series should be of the same type of object or thing (plate, window, etc.) Think about choosing a type of object that can carry a social or political message. The message can be made more clear by the title you give your series. You will turn in 8 images for this project. Each should be of a different object or thing. (Ex: 8 different windows)

As always, your compositions are incredibly important. Remember the elements and principles of design. In addition, you now must consider how your composition is contributing to your intended meaning.

You will write a statement explaining your series. How did you come up with the idea of photographing these specific objects? What is the title you would give this series? What greater meaning do you think they contain? How does the group of images seen together send a message that is different from one seen by itself? Post this statement at the top of your wiki page labeled with the date. Post Due: After Class Monday, November 1st.

 Project 4: Still Life Narrative and Fragmented Narrative

During class you will be working on photographing a still life set up with one of the school’s digital cameras. This will enable you to explore photographing images in RAW mode and explore the many editing capabilities this provides. You will be photographing the still life in the office in the basement of Broyles where there will be lights, colored lights, camera, and tripod. You are responsible for bringing in all objects for your still life.

Think about how a still life could be the leftover remnants of an event. What can the objects say about what has happened? How can mood and lighting affect the impression of a story? Think about how you could create a story with a minimal amount of objects. It does not need to be a cluttered composition. Try to place an emphasis on how you are arranging the objects, and how you are lighting them. I am also going to ask you to bring in a surface that you will be photographing on. (towel, sheet, picnic blanket, reflective surface) Consider how this could affect the reading of the image. You will create a series of 5 photos which explore a particular narrative. You will then color correct the images in RAW mode. You will then use the RAW editing features to create 5 different works which are drastically different from your narrative pieces. The color, value, and many other attributes can be heavily manipulated. Consider what alternate meaning you be creating by doing so. You will write a statement about this series which includes how you think the first 5 images convey the feeling of a story. You will also write how the manipulated images change the meaning of the story and how the 2 bodies of work interact when seen side by side. Post due: After class on Monday November 1st.

=Project 3: Digital manipulation and multiplication of an image. = = Look at the artwork of Idris Khan in the Vitamin PH book and read the description of his work. His photographs look like charcoal drawings but are created by digitally manipulating a preexisting image, and changing the opacity of multiple layers of that image.Do a google image search to see more work by this artist. His compositions are often central and thus are not a perfect model for composition the way the AP board likes to see it, but his work uses a really interesting approach to creating images. For this project I want you to take a photograph, or use one from a past project. You will be digitally cutting out a shape from this photo to multiply and manipulate. It may be from a film photo (scanned) or a digital one turned into a black and white. It is best if this is a form that does not run off an edge of your photo. This will prevent you from having a flat line on one or more sides of your shape. Try to think of a shape that is intricate, interesting, and will provide a lot of opportunities when multiplying and overlapping with itself.You will work on three separate images and need 3 different shapes. For all three you will work on a document that is 22 by 34 inches. I want you thinking about how your shape will be interacting with edges of your image to create a new composition. =
 * 1) Take a shape that is black and white, Make 10 or more copies of the shape on the same image. Manipulate them by transforming their scale, rotation, and opacity. Try to create a composition that shows balance of value. You can also change the contrast of the layers by using the curves adjustment.
 * 2) Take a shape that is black and white. Manipulate it in the color balance menu to being pure cyan, yellow, or magenta. You will use all three colors. Layers should either be all cyan, all yellow, or all magenta. Make 10 or more copies of the shape on the same image. Create a composition that shows balance of color and value. Manipulate these images by transforming their scale, rotation, and opacity. You will notice that you can achieve other colors in this composition when you have transparent colors overlapping. You can use curves before adding color to your layers to affect their contrast.
 * 3) Take a shape from a color photo. Manipulate its color, scale, rotation, and opacity. Use at least 10 copies. There are no other limits. You can change the color in any way you like.

= You will write an entry on your personal page on the AP art wiki. You should post all three images there. I want you to write about how your understanding changed through the course of the project. What enabled you to create something interesting out of one simple shape? Why might these shapes be repeated, and why are they taking on the new forms that you have given them? What ideas could these works express about the subjects used? If this were the beginning of a concentration, how would you proceed? = = Post Due:Friday October 8th before class. = =Project 2: Studying Cinematography=

Cinematography is the use and control of a motion camera and lighting in the creation of films. Out of all the people who make movies, the cinematographer is constantly making decisions like you in terms of contrast, composition, and the elements of design. You are going to design your own project based on the work of a famous cinematographer’s work on a particular movie. To begin take a look at the list of films that have won an Academy Award for Cinematography: [] You may chose to view any of the movies on this list. When watching the movie I would like you to use a digital camera to capture still images of some of the moments that seem most striking. Why did this film win an award for Cinematography? You may also use screen shots if watching on a computer. Try to find a series of images that you can relate in some way. You will be trying to describe the style in general of this film. You will post (5 of) these on the AP Studio Art wiki on your page along with answers to the following questions: I’d like you to think about how the particular feel of the film is conveyed through the images. How would you describe the lighting? What colors are used? What moods does this convey? How would you describe the camera angle? How does this affect our reading of the image or scene? Even looking at a still, what gives us the impression that something is happening? How would a still image from a film be different from still photography? How can you recreate this affect? <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The answers to these questions will provide you with the requirements for your own project. Briefly outline on the wiki what you intend to accomplish with a series of photographs. You do not need to be photographing the exact same subjects as in the film, but need to clearly identify what aspects you are taking and what you are trying to explore. <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">You will turn in 5 color digital photos, completely edited as a portfolio of “cinematic” work. You should photograph many more and select only the best. <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">You will write an entry on your personal page on the AP art wiki. You should post all five images there. I want you to write about what was challenging in capturing these images. What did you have to consider that you did not expect? How has your understanding of a cinematographer's role changed? What did you end up taking most from this other artist's work? If this were the beginning of a concentration, how would you proceed?Post due: Before class on Friday October 8.