SAIC FA2013
FAILURE
reading: Joyce1 Notes on Failure
Research Studio for Transplant Students SAIC FA2013
Tourist Readings
calvino_the-adventure-of-a-photographer
September 18th HOMEWORK
Reading/Activity/Response: An Exercise in Looking and Listening
Techniques of the Observer and The Critique Handbook
- READ chapter 1 “Modernity and the Problem of the Observer” from Techniques of the Observer by Jonathan Cary and excerpt from The Critique Handbook (see links above)
- GO to Art Expo event at least once this weekend–Friday, Saturday, or Sunday
- BRING at least 2 (up to 6) recording devices–including digital camera and sketchbook with mark making tools
- RECORD take photos of 3 things that you like and 3 things that you hate for a TOTAL of 6 things
- OBSERVE practice your eavesdropping skills–your thoughts and others–by listening in on conversations, writing drawing, video taping . What are people saying during and after the event? What are you thinking about? What reverences come up–art and non art conversations? Try to go to some after parties!
- Write a one page critical Blog entry to our class blog USING the images (video etc) you shot for visual evidence and the eavesdropping notes you took. Also refer to readings (blog password: ch33syartthings)
Also look at http://www.fountainartfair.com/ for more events related to the Expo at Navy Pier
Art blog references Hyperallergic, ArtSlant, Art 21 blog,
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Aug 28th Reading and homework
Think about the ideas we talked about in class — Cognitive Dissonance, cultural obsession with the material world, relational aesthetics, collecting, purging etc… and prepare a brief presentation —by any creative means necessary!!!–around a personal object or physical image. Your presentation will be informed partially by the readings and partially by your own point of view, experiences, etc.
Read What Do Objects Want? via link below
http://www.capes.mae.usp.br/arquivos_pdf/1219850440.pdf
Also, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_dissonance and stop by the library to look at the Critique Handbook by Kendall Buster & Paula Crawford
Pleas email me if you have any questions or concerns!! mharris@saic.edu
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WJT Mitchell from What do Pictures Want?
An essay titled The Work of Art in the Age of Biocybernetic Reproduction
John Berger Ways of Seeing Chapter 1 excerpt
A New History of Photography Excerpt
Italo Calvino The Adventure of the Photographer
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History of Photography
Please make use of the “pause” button while viewing as some of the slide timing is a bit off
Intro to Shooting
Silver and Light
Photograms
Historical
Many artists have dabbled in creating these images including Picasso and Corneilia Parker but Man Ray is the one considered to have “discovered” the technique. The experimental film make Stan Brachage made a short film released in 1963 called Mothlight. The film was created without the use of a camera, by pressing objects between two strips of clear mylar film, and passing them through an optical printer.
Man Ray (American, 1890-1976) produced his first photograms—cameraless works made by placing objects and other materials on photosensitive paper—after he came to Paris in 1921. Though he claimed that he discovered the technique through an accident in the darkroom, it seems likely that his exploration was prompted by fellow artist Tristan Tzara, who brought to Paris some of Christian Schad’s earlier experiments with the medium in Switzerland. Man Ray dubbed the results of his efforts “Rayographs”—a play on his name, but also a twist on the Latin roots of the word “photograph,” meaning “light-writing.” Tzara proclaimed them “pure Dada creations.”
Mothlight
Contemporary Photograms
Greg Stimac “The Golden Spike”
About the project:
Excerpt from the Press Release for the exhibition at ANDREW RAFACZ Gallery
“Since the beginning of his practice, Greg Stimac has been interested in American history and specifically, historical and cultural moments, whether past or present, that wholly and exclusively represent America. He is interested in what defines us as a country and a people. His work is that of a keen observer and documentarian.
For his new body of work, Stimac was granted access to the Golden Spike (or ‘Last Spike’), the ceremonial spike driven by Leland Stanford to connect the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads on May 10, 1869 at Promontory Summit, Utah Territory. This act connected the East and the West and created the First Transcontinental Railroad. The Golden Spike was made of 17.6-karat (73%) copper-alloyed gold, and weighed 14.03 troy ounces (436 g). As the locomotives of the two railroads were drawn face-to-face, the spike was dropped into a pre-drilled hole in the laurel ceremonial last tie, and gently tapped into place with a silver ceremonial spike maul. It was engraved on all four sides with dates and the names of those railroad officers involved in the momentous occasion.
Currently housed in the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, Stimac gained unprecedented access to the spike and under careful supervision of the museum’s officials, created a series of gold-toned silver gelatin photograms of the famous historical icon. The spike was placed onto silver gelatin paper, exposed to light and gold toned after development, producing a variety of silver hues, warm to cool. Traditional photograms usually function as a representation of the object. In a way, this is still the case here, but the absence of the object is also highlighted, spurring a notion of undoing and a feeling of incompleteness. The positive image that is left is a white spike, the negative of the real object, with an orbital gradation of light emanating away from it. The reflected light creates a burn along the left side of the image that makes portions of the original’s inscription visible.”
Pinhole
History and Technical Information
Check out some pinhole and photogram work from my elementary school students here
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