Tuesday, April 21, 2009
reflection on Delilah Montoya's Lecture
I thought that Delilah Montoya's lecture on the "chicana bad-girls" exhibit was interesting. She talked about putting together this exhibit of women artists considered to be 'hociconas' or girls that talk back. The works came from women of a number of different backgrounds and artistic styles, but almost all consider themselves to be women who rebel against what society expects of them. Being familiar with the Latino culture myself and its expectations of women, I found Delilah's presentation to be interesting. It is difficult to understand the exact significance of these pieces unless one understands the culture they are created in. Oppression of and violence against women is commonplace in my Latin American cultures. The Catholic influence in these cultures also prescribes a weak, humble, gentle woman. When Alma Lopez created her own version of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the response was tremendous because the image of the virgin is so important. But, as Alma said, she was not trying to be sacrilegious, she believed that as a Latina, she understood the Lady better than a white priest who circulated her image in the church. Delilah montoya's exhibit was about recognizing that the voices of chicanas often go unheard and those that try to speak out are ignored or punished. The chicana bad-girls exhibit was about embracing those voices and paying homage to voices that have been silenced. I thought it was especially interesting that the last image Delilah showed, of nude men tied up, was censored from the show. The entire show seemed to be expressing the ways women are restrained and more than once portrayed them nude. The images of restrained nude, men seemed appropriate to me to show the viewer how uncomfortable it makes one to see men in this way when women often find themselves there. Perhaps society is not quite ready for a full-reversal of roles.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Artist Talk: Robert Frank on "The Americans"
"Less taste, more spirit.
Less art, more truth."
On March 26, 2009, I had the privelage of taking the Metro into DC with a couple of my buddies to hear Robert Frank speak about his photobook "The Americans" for the first time in 50 years. The talk proved to be nothing that was expected, as Frank did not let the leading questions trick him into self glorification. He instead, stuck true to the facts and told Sarah Greenough, the senior curator and head of the department of photographs, exactly how he came across his images, which involved a lot of travel and little dwelling on his subject matter. Frank simply sought to produce images that people would remember, "like a line of a poem."
Frank arrived in New York City in 1947 an outsider. He moved from Switzerland where he was influenced by his father, who he used to watch take photos. When he came to America, Frank must have experienced some culture shock, and partially due to his great influence by Kerouac, Frank sought to be "freer." So, Frank traveled around the world taking many photographs of what he saw, portraying the truth, and "the people that you don't see." After years of Shooting, "The Americans" came to be. After 767 roles of film, 28,000 photographs and 1,000 work prints, Frank edited his work down to 83 photos and "The Americans" was born.
"The Americans" had a rocky road into becoming the monument that it is today. It was first scoffed at when it came out. It was first published in Europe and included text from European writers about America. Frank did not like this one bit. He says that pictures should live as pictures and not be expanded by a caption (afterall, doesn't everyone always say that a picture is worth a thousand words?). Eventually, in the 60's, "The Americans" became a pop culture phenomenon and was seen as a model for photo journalism. Frank continued to move forward from this book, however, not dwelling on the past or on the subject matter... just as he did in "The Americans." Frank stopped shooting photographs for five years and took up film. Eventually, Frank drilled a hole through his photographs included in "The Americans" in order to distance himself from it.
When asked how he invented these incredible images, images that are so famous today, Frank did not come up with a whimsical story about how incredible he is. He simply stated that it was an accident. He said that he takes few pictures of one thing so that he is "not beating the subject." He states that "often photography relies on an accident and if an accident happens three times, it is not an accident." Frank said that he was always moving because the eye is so interested. There is always something new to see.
On the topic of hip shooting, Frank does not talk much about being too scared in certain situations. It was more about not being known as a photographer. In places that it would be hard for him to blend in, it was probably much harder when there was a camera involved as well and so he chose not to be seen as a photographer because it would change the dynamic of the image. This reflects back to his idea of being an outsider and looking in. This also relates to Frank being jewish, which he talked briefly about on this day. This is something that he has never before mentioned. Being jewish placed Frank as more of an outsider looking in, because this placed him as a minority.
This was an incredible talk to hear, and I am very impressed with the way that Frank composed himself. I think that it is very bold and intentional that he did not let the curator's questions lead him into self glorification. He was very honest about his whole ordeal and seemed to enjoy not buying into the questions that were being asked. The talk proved to be inspirational because Frank refused to make himself out to be some sort of photography god with tons of dark history and super human photography powers. He was simply able to make images that were mere accidents into images that were memorable like a line of a poem.
Less art, more truth."
On March 26, 2009, I had the privelage of taking the Metro into DC with a couple of my buddies to hear Robert Frank speak about his photobook "The Americans" for the first time in 50 years. The talk proved to be nothing that was expected, as Frank did not let the leading questions trick him into self glorification. He instead, stuck true to the facts and told Sarah Greenough, the senior curator and head of the department of photographs, exactly how he came across his images, which involved a lot of travel and little dwelling on his subject matter. Frank simply sought to produce images that people would remember, "like a line of a poem."
Frank arrived in New York City in 1947 an outsider. He moved from Switzerland where he was influenced by his father, who he used to watch take photos. When he came to America, Frank must have experienced some culture shock, and partially due to his great influence by Kerouac, Frank sought to be "freer." So, Frank traveled around the world taking many photographs of what he saw, portraying the truth, and "the people that you don't see." After years of Shooting, "The Americans" came to be. After 767 roles of film, 28,000 photographs and 1,000 work prints, Frank edited his work down to 83 photos and "The Americans" was born.
"The Americans" had a rocky road into becoming the monument that it is today. It was first scoffed at when it came out. It was first published in Europe and included text from European writers about America. Frank did not like this one bit. He says that pictures should live as pictures and not be expanded by a caption (afterall, doesn't everyone always say that a picture is worth a thousand words?). Eventually, in the 60's, "The Americans" became a pop culture phenomenon and was seen as a model for photo journalism. Frank continued to move forward from this book, however, not dwelling on the past or on the subject matter... just as he did in "The Americans." Frank stopped shooting photographs for five years and took up film. Eventually, Frank drilled a hole through his photographs included in "The Americans" in order to distance himself from it.
When asked how he invented these incredible images, images that are so famous today, Frank did not come up with a whimsical story about how incredible he is. He simply stated that it was an accident. He said that he takes few pictures of one thing so that he is "not beating the subject." He states that "often photography relies on an accident and if an accident happens three times, it is not an accident." Frank said that he was always moving because the eye is so interested. There is always something new to see.
On the topic of hip shooting, Frank does not talk much about being too scared in certain situations. It was more about not being known as a photographer. In places that it would be hard for him to blend in, it was probably much harder when there was a camera involved as well and so he chose not to be seen as a photographer because it would change the dynamic of the image. This reflects back to his idea of being an outsider and looking in. This also relates to Frank being jewish, which he talked briefly about on this day. This is something that he has never before mentioned. Being jewish placed Frank as more of an outsider looking in, because this placed him as a minority.
This was an incredible talk to hear, and I am very impressed with the way that Frank composed himself. I think that it is very bold and intentional that he did not let the curator's questions lead him into self glorification. He was very honest about his whole ordeal and seemed to enjoy not buying into the questions that were being asked. The talk proved to be inspirational because Frank refused to make himself out to be some sort of photography god with tons of dark history and super human photography powers. He was simply able to make images that were mere accidents into images that were memorable like a line of a poem.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Artist Talk - Richard Nickolson
Richard Emery Niokelson gave a lecture entitled “Self Portrait” on March 10 about his previous and recent artwork, and things in his life that has given him inspirations during various stages of his works.
In his introduction, he talked vaguely about himself giving some basic background information. He was born in Washington DC, and learnt his first Art lessons from his father who was a photographer. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was the first “real” painting he saw, and as a result, he went to see the painting six other times. I wonder what he meant by “real” in regards to the painting? Could it be that he had viewed various paintings in print and had not seen the actual genuine artwork?
Nickolson went on to add that his absolute favorite painting is Girl with Red Hat by Johannes Vermeer. Although he did not explain why, he said “If you can’t do it, do it big, if not paint it red.” Whilst viewing the painting, some of the visual analysis I made included; firstly the outrageous red hat is the primary object that grabs my attention; secondly, my eyes moved to the blue robe she is wearing, and as a result, I can identify that the two colors (warm hue) seem to contrast strongly with the softened (cool hue) background. Moreover, it appears that the use of color creates an intimate mood of Vermeer’s work, which is confirmed by the girl’s direct gaze enabling communication directly with the viewer.
In his introduction, he talked vaguely about himself giving some basic background information. He was born in Washington DC, and learnt his first Art lessons from his father who was a photographer. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was the first “real” painting he saw, and as a result, he went to see the painting six other times. I wonder what he meant by “real” in regards to the painting? Could it be that he had viewed various paintings in print and had not seen the actual genuine artwork?
Nickolson went on to add that his absolute favorite painting is Girl with Red Hat by Johannes Vermeer. Although he did not explain why, he said “If you can’t do it, do it big, if not paint it red.” Whilst viewing the painting, some of the visual analysis I made included; firstly the outrageous red hat is the primary object that grabs my attention; secondly, my eyes moved to the blue robe she is wearing, and as a result, I can identify that the two colors (warm hue) seem to contrast strongly with the softened (cool hue) background. Moreover, it appears that the use of color creates an intimate mood of Vermeer’s work, which is confirmed by the girl’s direct gaze enabling communication directly with the viewer.
Nickolson separated the rest of his presentation and lecture into four parts. The first part was “How to tell a War Story.” In this section, he discussed being drafted to Cambodia on June 18th 1969. During his journey’s, he took a variety of photographs, and the one he showed was of a temple that is believed to be over two hundred years. His other sets of photographs were of the people, as a result screening to us the different cultures within the country. The use of both images and the stories he shared, allowed the audience to not only see but hear and learn about his encounters as a Vietnam War Artist.
“Ceramic Projects” was the third part of his talk, and it was full of elements that really grabbed my attention. This is because he discussed developments of new ideas using cubes to build structures, which also enabled him new ways of seeing. Nickolson also used other shapes such as, squares and cylinders in his painting Cathedral at Night which he described as chocolate with white chips.
The concluding part “Themes and Variations,” I felt as if he went through quite quickly. He mentioned Britain and France and the use of ink and brush wash which resulted in quick drawings. Richard Nickolson lecture was not what I expected. My expectations based on the title of his lecture “Self Portrait,” were of Nickolson showing various portraits of him or of what represents him using different art forms such as, painting and drawing based on his current role as a professor of painting and drawing at the Indiana University-Purudue University. Moreover, I feel as if I did not get much knowledge from this lecture apart from now being able to identify one of Johannes Vermeer paintings.
Summary on Delilah Montoya Talk
I attended a lecture given by the current Artist-in-Residence, Delilah Montoya who works in photography and digital media on April 15th. She opened her lecture on “Women Boxers: The New Warriors,” a recent book publication of hers that focuses on female boxing and its role as a feminist right for any woman to be able to project the images of women as strong, healthy, rebellious of sexism, and ready to defend their place in the world.
However, the aim of the lecture was to talk about an Art show entitled “Chicana Badgirls Show” The show was made up of three generations of women, with a total of eighteen female artists participating in the show that enabled each one of them to share their ideas, and show their personal feelings.
The opening of the exhibit was of an installation combined with a performance piece with sound and dancers. The focal point was the structural “Tree of Wisdom” sculpture that seemed to be of human size and was raised as it hanged approximately 2 feet of the ground. The performance that took place was of women dressed in snake skin fabric, hissing like snakes and performing to what Montoya referred to as a snake dance because of the slow, curvy movements the dancers moved and twisted their bodies. which she was the curator as well as a contributing artist in.
Moreover, there were red apples placed under the tree whilst a male and female danced quite erotically close to the tree, demonstrating the relationship encounters between men and women today. This whole piece was a reenactment of “the Fall” in the Bible when Eve was tempted by the serpent to take and eat an apple from the Tree of Knowledge which had been forbidden by God, and as a result, it led to the “fall of man.” Delilah mentioned that at the end of the dance performance, red apples were handed out to the audience, encouraging each one to take a bite. This was quite surprising to me because it’s as if Eve’s disobedience to God is commended, basically something to not be ashamed about but to be more proud that it happened.
However, the aim of the lecture was to talk about an Art show entitled “Chicana Badgirls Show” The show was made up of three generations of women, with a total of eighteen female artists participating in the show that enabled each one of them to share their ideas, and show their personal feelings.
The opening of the exhibit was of an installation combined with a performance piece with sound and dancers. The focal point was the structural “Tree of Wisdom” sculpture that seemed to be of human size and was raised as it hanged approximately 2 feet of the ground. The performance that took place was of women dressed in snake skin fabric, hissing like snakes and performing to what Montoya referred to as a snake dance because of the slow, curvy movements the dancers moved and twisted their bodies. which she was the curator as well as a contributing artist in.
Moreover, there were red apples placed under the tree whilst a male and female danced quite erotically close to the tree, demonstrating the relationship encounters between men and women today. This whole piece was a reenactment of “the Fall” in the Bible when Eve was tempted by the serpent to take and eat an apple from the Tree of Knowledge which had been forbidden by God, and as a result, it led to the “fall of man.” Delilah mentioned that at the end of the dance performance, red apples were handed out to the audience, encouraging each one to take a bite. This was quite surprising to me because it’s as if Eve’s disobedience to God is commended, basically something to not be ashamed about but to be more proud that it happened.
The next art work Delilah talked about was more of a modernism sculpture that was also hung. The piece is flat and is made up of continuous paragraphs from articles/newspapers about three hundred women that have disappeared, and those that have been murdered, yet either there has been a lack of investigation made or none at all. The artist’s use of text was also the construction of her image. This is because the entire text has been shaped into a police badge suggesting that they are the ones responsible/behind the whole situation since the victim’s numbers are so high. This is a very empowering work of art and something that demonstrates a protest to the carelessness of the police.
In connection to the previous piece, the following artist also dealt with same theme focusing on discarded women whose lives weren’t/aren’t worth investigating. This piece is a digital print with text attached to the top explaining the single shot of a woman’s legs shown that appear to be bruised and battered. The text explained that 13 women were found buried in various sites, and no follow ups made to discover the mystery of the found bodies.
Montoya’s talk and the ideas of the artists she presented to us about bringing together a multiplicity of tradition forms, and contemporary customs and values really interested me great deal.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Thoughts--> Delilah Montoya "Chicanas in Art"
Delilah Montoya, curator of a Chicana art show, introduced interesting way of using art to vocalize ideas and personal feelings. In this artistically vocal space created with cultural images, about ‘La sigueña’ or ‘The Bad Girl’, Montoya used this artist talk to introduce us to the variety of artists that made this exhibit actually speak. I found it remarkable how each woman found their own way to celebrate the courage and spirit of woman who were not afraid to speak up and speak out, no matter what, which gave them the title of ‘bad girl’.
Of the many artists that she introduced that helped to create this culturally relevant space, there were some whose works really jumped out at me. The first artist’s work that really spoke volumes to me was the piece of the running articles about woman and children who had become victims, whether they died or disappeared. It was so unique how she used texts to create imagery and make a bold statement about who she is blaming for the lost lives of these victims. She creates a police badge, which Montoya describes represented that she believed that so many woman had become victims due to the negligence of police.
Another series of works that I found both visually stimulating and powerful statements was the work by Hernandez where she did an investigation of empowerment. She creates self-portraits placing herself into movie posters that featured female empowerment. I appreciated this series because to me it suggested that woman can be just as bold, influential, and courageous as men.
The work by Paula Lopez caught my eye because it was so colorful and visually inviting. The rich colors, the introducing of text and the placement of objects in the piece helped me to draw meaning from her pieces. The piece that I really liked was ‘Know Yourself’. I liked this one because she gave three images that were mentally stimulating, in the sense that they all had qualities that one could relate to. Although each image was a completely different person with different personality they had various aspects that any female could relate to, whether it was the simple fact of femininity.
In Anna Lopez, Guadalupe image, this image had a voice that in my opinion could really be an empowering image. The way that Lopez created her version of Guadalupe was so powerful to me because she created this image in a very culturally relevant way. I thought it was bold of her to actually give Guadalupe this mature and vibrant personality.
After listening to the Montoya’s artist talk I felt like the exhibit that she created was being used a vehicle to give woman their voice back. It was a way to visually and artistically praise woman in society, create a vehicle for woman to relate to courageous woman who speak out, and also empower women.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Delilah Montoya artist talk
In response to this artist talk, I wonder if there should be more quality control in the selection process for visiting artists that we expose students to here at St. Mary’s. I’m trying to think how I could have better spent that hour. I think I would have gained more insight into good art through watching TV. I don’t have a TV, but now I wish I had one to wash away the loud, tasteless collection of work that Ms. Montoya presented this evening. There was so much colour but so little skill displayed through her selection. I know that appreciation of art is subjective and a very personal thing, so I’m sure some people may quite like the work she showed. For me, the work doesn’t make me yearn to go to Houston. The fact that this art hangs in galleries there is not a bad thing. Rich Texans with little taste need something to waste their money on. None of the work stood out as memorable, except maybe the “Alien Cactus Women”! Not my cup of tea.
Monday, April 13, 2009
volume up before you click on this link
Ooah of the glitch mob. A couple of sweet images - the girls on the walls not the girl on the couch. do like the shot of the girl on the chopper though. crisp.
http://www.pantyraidmusic.com/
http://www.pantyraidmusic.com/
Saturday, April 11, 2009
happy easter
Some of these images are amazing. His photos are similar to what I am trying to achieve with my semester long book. Documenting art that already exists in the alleyways and streets.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2009/04/an_american_passion.html?ps=bb1
http://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2009/04/an_american_passion.html?ps=bb1
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Project 2 Response
The first thing I have to say about this second book project is that I got really excited when I saw all four books laying in a stack in the DIL. It really is a different perspective seeing your book in printed form, no matter that you already know exactly what's inside it. It sounds silly, but just being able to hold the book in your hands makes it have lots more presence than looking at the pages on a screen.
Which is why I began tearing apart the design of our book as soon as I started paging through it. The first thing I noticed is that many - perhaps half - of the pictures are pixelated. They're less noticeable onscreen, because we're used to pictures being pixelated onscreen. But in a book? No sir, that is not acceptable.
I knew that some of the pictures were going to be pixelated, because some weren't exactly high quality to begin with. I was kind of hoping it wouldn't be too noticeable, but it is. Also, two of my pictures were pixelated - ones that were (supposed to be) high quality! That really bugged me. I reasoned that it must have been caused by the linked-to file not being there, which would have caused Indesign to export a low-res version. Now, the images being pixelated on the page isn't the end of the world. But it's still really unfortunate.
In retrospect, using Indesign sure did cause some annoyances. Not that I couldn't work them out - and not that it totally wasn't worth it for the level of control it gave me. And not that I won't continue using it exclusively. But still.
I was happy that the flow of our book made sense. When I was laying out all the sections with their retrospective title pages, I thought it would look like it was a last-ditch effort to tie together sections with vastly different stylistic decisions that would have otherwise not at all fit together. Not so. Although the sections were, of course, still vastly different, this was fine. The viewer understood our basic premise more than I would have given them credit for, and the flow of the book was, in my opinion, not jarring at all. Yay.
-Rowan
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
All Student Art Show
I was disappointed with the number of submissions for this year’s show compared to last year’s.
The black and white photographs that greet visitors in the entrance to the gallery are some of my favourite pieces in the show. I’m glad that some of Kris’s “Superwoman” series made it in to the show, but am confused as to why her portrait of Galen was not selected. That photo is far superior to any other piece of art currently hanging. The black and white wooden word construction by Mr Bumgardner was intriguing and pleasing to the eye from the inside. I feel that the placement was a bit poor though, with the unpainted plywood rear being one of the first things to catch the eye upon entering the room. Bonnie’s work was beautiful and fragile. The sculptures and found objects didn’t fill me with as much passion though. But an interesting collection.
The black and white photographs that greet visitors in the entrance to the gallery are some of my favourite pieces in the show. I’m glad that some of Kris’s “Superwoman” series made it in to the show, but am confused as to why her portrait of Galen was not selected. That photo is far superior to any other piece of art currently hanging. The black and white wooden word construction by Mr Bumgardner was intriguing and pleasing to the eye from the inside. I feel that the placement was a bit poor though, with the unpainted plywood rear being one of the first things to catch the eye upon entering the room. Bonnie’s work was beautiful and fragile. The sculptures and found objects didn’t fill me with as much passion though. But an interesting collection.
project 2
As a self assessment of my section in one of the books, I'm happy that I was placed at the end and feel that my series gives a nice, ambiguous conclusion to the book. The print is of fairly good quality but never seems to be perfect with apple. I agree with the comment about fingerprints on black pages - something to take note of for our personal semester long project books. The book seems slightly disjointed, which is to be expected to some degree when more than one person's work is displayed. I'm happy with my first and last pictures, but wish I had had more time to gain interest in the project as a whole.
Project_02 Assessment
I really enjoyed working on this project. At first, I did not like the idea that my group posed. I thought that it would be extremely scattered and very incoherent. As we got into the shooting process, I started to like my project more. It was interesting to see how the same thing can be viewed in so many different ways and expressed on a camera. I really liked this effect.
I tried to stay away from having repeat photos in our book, but this in some cases was unavoidable. I thought that I would really dislike it if photos were repeated, but I think that it actually adds to the continuity of our photo book. With some images repeating, the viewer can see that we were on basically the same path.
The different photos in our project add to the general “Detour” theme of our book. It is a detour in the sense that we were all on the same path, and ended up taking a detour on our way to Leonardtown, but also in the sense that we took different photos… detouring from the beaten path and seeing new sights in our surroundings and pointing out things that not everyone in our group was able to see.
Working in a group for an art project has definitely been a challenge. It is hard when there are so many good ideas in one group. Our major issue was regarding title pages for each section. As small as it seems, this was a big decision. Without the cover pages, there would be no separation between the photos other than stylistic differences, which would make the book seem like a big mash-up of photographers taking pictures that were similar. With the cover pages, there would be more coherence and we were able to add to the “Detour” street sign effect by creating our own street signs.
I am very pleased with how our book turned out. I like the stylistic differences between each set of photographs and I think that they each give a unique view to the places that we visited, but the viewer is also able to tell that we were all in the same places. I like how our book reads. The black and white photographs at the beginning could set the tone for the whole book, but being followed by color photos, one can see that there are different styles in each section. I also think that it was very important that we kept my photos and Monica’s photos in different sections, because they are the most similar in the group.
The map at the beginning of the book is a good touch and it shows exactly where we went and that we actually did end up taking a detour… even though it was an accident. It was very neat to see how our project unfolded after we actually did miss the turn to Leonardtown.
My section went as planned. I am happy with it seeing it in its final form… the photo book. I like how all of the colors turned out and that there were no issues with the gutter. My only complaint is that I wish that I would have cropped out on the face of the man on my last spread. I think that it being so close adds to the creepy effect which is what I was going for with such a close photo of his face.
I wanted full bleeds for each photo for a certain level of intensity throughout my section. I also wanted the colors in each page of each spread to relate, and I felt that I was successful in doing so. I had a great time with Photoshop, learning about all of the things that I can do with it. My favorite spread is probably the one with the bricks and cinder blocks. I really like the colors in those spreads and I feel like the images were a couple of the strongest in terms of relation and composition.
Overall, this project was successful. It was hard to work in a group, but we were able to overcome obstacles in order to create a successful photo book. I am very pleased with how our book looks and I would not change much about it. I think that it is important that the class was able to see our point clearly as well, which it seems that they did.
I tried to stay away from having repeat photos in our book, but this in some cases was unavoidable. I thought that I would really dislike it if photos were repeated, but I think that it actually adds to the continuity of our photo book. With some images repeating, the viewer can see that we were on basically the same path.
The different photos in our project add to the general “Detour” theme of our book. It is a detour in the sense that we were all on the same path, and ended up taking a detour on our way to Leonardtown, but also in the sense that we took different photos… detouring from the beaten path and seeing new sights in our surroundings and pointing out things that not everyone in our group was able to see.
Working in a group for an art project has definitely been a challenge. It is hard when there are so many good ideas in one group. Our major issue was regarding title pages for each section. As small as it seems, this was a big decision. Without the cover pages, there would be no separation between the photos other than stylistic differences, which would make the book seem like a big mash-up of photographers taking pictures that were similar. With the cover pages, there would be more coherence and we were able to add to the “Detour” street sign effect by creating our own street signs.
I am very pleased with how our book turned out. I like the stylistic differences between each set of photographs and I think that they each give a unique view to the places that we visited, but the viewer is also able to tell that we were all in the same places. I like how our book reads. The black and white photographs at the beginning could set the tone for the whole book, but being followed by color photos, one can see that there are different styles in each section. I also think that it was very important that we kept my photos and Monica’s photos in different sections, because they are the most similar in the group.
The map at the beginning of the book is a good touch and it shows exactly where we went and that we actually did end up taking a detour… even though it was an accident. It was very neat to see how our project unfolded after we actually did miss the turn to Leonardtown.
My section went as planned. I am happy with it seeing it in its final form… the photo book. I like how all of the colors turned out and that there were no issues with the gutter. My only complaint is that I wish that I would have cropped out on the face of the man on my last spread. I think that it being so close adds to the creepy effect which is what I was going for with such a close photo of his face.
I wanted full bleeds for each photo for a certain level of intensity throughout my section. I also wanted the colors in each page of each spread to relate, and I felt that I was successful in doing so. I had a great time with Photoshop, learning about all of the things that I can do with it. My favorite spread is probably the one with the bricks and cinder blocks. I really like the colors in those spreads and I feel like the images were a couple of the strongest in terms of relation and composition.
Overall, this project was successful. It was hard to work in a group, but we were able to overcome obstacles in order to create a successful photo book. I am very pleased with how our book looks and I would not change much about it. I think that it is important that the class was able to see our point clearly as well, which it seems that they did.
Project 2 Assessment
The concept of my group’s book was “Portraits with Words”. We each interpreted this differently; I specifically created the concept of “I am not.” My idea directly plays off of Rachel’s idea by opposing her implied idea of “I am”. Jordan’s idea of “I would” further creates a way for each idea to reflect one another and Ellie’s idea of opposing words pulls the overlying theme of opposites together. My and Jordan’s sections reflect each other from the use of two images per page and Ellie’s and Rachel’s reflect each other from a single image per page. Each person’s ideas are tied together by the continuous use of black and white photography. The book is put together in a way so that the ideas flow together in a manner that allows each person’s concept to stand out but also blend with the rest of the book.
My section considers the idea of “I am not”. It plays around with different moods: lighthearted and funny (i.e. “I am not green”), thought provoking (i.e. “I am not recyclable”), and serious (i.e. “I am not definable”). These various moods are shown throughout the book as well, once again tying together each person’s concept. My photographic content is consistent throughout the section: two photographs per page, each a portrait containing the top half of the subject. This consistency differentiates my section from the rest of the book.
I agree with Jordan, the book reads very quickly. When I browsed through, I think I spent less than 30 seconds per page. This may be due to the fact that I am so familiar with the photographs, but I feel like a reader may spend very little time looking through. I think the way we each present the idea of "portraits with words" is so cut and dry that the readers don't have to think about the book - they just look at it and they're done.
Overall though, I am satisfied with how my section of the book turned out. Each picture shows a part of the subject’s personality through the word they chose and how they portray it. It complements each other section of the book, and in turn, each of those sections complement each other. I think that as individuals, we were successful in creating unique and powerful portraits, and as a group, that success is magnified because each section complements and is complemented by three other sections.
My section considers the idea of “I am not”. It plays around with different moods: lighthearted and funny (i.e. “I am not green”), thought provoking (i.e. “I am not recyclable”), and serious (i.e. “I am not definable”). These various moods are shown throughout the book as well, once again tying together each person’s concept. My photographic content is consistent throughout the section: two photographs per page, each a portrait containing the top half of the subject. This consistency differentiates my section from the rest of the book.
I agree with Jordan, the book reads very quickly. When I browsed through, I think I spent less than 30 seconds per page. This may be due to the fact that I am so familiar with the photographs, but I feel like a reader may spend very little time looking through. I think the way we each present the idea of "portraits with words" is so cut and dry that the readers don't have to think about the book - they just look at it and they're done.
Overall though, I am satisfied with how my section of the book turned out. Each picture shows a part of the subject’s personality through the word they chose and how they portray it. It complements each other section of the book, and in turn, each of those sections complement each other. I think that as individuals, we were successful in creating unique and powerful portraits, and as a group, that success is magnified because each section complements and is complemented by three other sections.
Project_02 Assessment: Detour
Holding a finished product that once only existed on screen, I felt quite satisfied with the work done by the Detour group, as our spreads and overall layout survived the transition onto paper quite beautifully. The challenges that our group initially faced in the planning stages appeared to be well negotiated in the completed book
Among the book's strengths, the front cover, title page, and section headings stood out as unique additions this collection of work. The manipulation of proper street signs into descriptive logos gave each section its own personality without burdening the book with too much text. Additionally, the group pages in the beginning and end of the book seemed to preview and conclude the book's content quite nicely. Unfortunately, the message and narrative of the book is limited by a single GoogleEarth image, which stands for itself but offers very little discussion of the intentions of the photographers.
Given the chance to recreate this book, it would be fitting to incorporate another set of repeating elements, similar to the road signs, to put greater emphasis on the linear aspects of the trip taken that day. The imagery included was made cohesive by some subtle repetition, yet a more deliberate shooting schedule would have produced a book that was even more cohesive and multi-dimensional.
Among the book's strengths, the front cover, title page, and section headings stood out as unique additions this collection of work. The manipulation of proper street signs into descriptive logos gave each section its own personality without burdening the book with too much text. Additionally, the group pages in the beginning and end of the book seemed to preview and conclude the book's content quite nicely. Unfortunately, the message and narrative of the book is limited by a single GoogleEarth image, which stands for itself but offers very little discussion of the intentions of the photographers.
Given the chance to recreate this book, it would be fitting to incorporate another set of repeating elements, similar to the road signs, to put greater emphasis on the linear aspects of the trip taken that day. The imagery included was made cohesive by some subtle repetition, yet a more deliberate shooting schedule would have produced a book that was even more cohesive and multi-dimensional.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Reflections About Project 2--> "The Spirit of St. Mary's"
My Reflections about Project 2:
Group Four
By: Renessa Copeland
It was really exciting being able to sit down with the four books and flip through them, taking in all the colors and experience of turning the pages. After looking through my own section of our book ‘The Spirit of St. Mary’s’, overall I was pleased with what I saw, but I think that there are some things that I could have paid more attention to, changed, or fixed. After flipping through the six pages I realized that I still could have sent more time formatting the borders on my page. For me it was a little disturbing that the words were cut off the page, making it harder to read the words. At the same time, I was glad that I made the choice to move the words over one inch from the gutter.
It was really exciting being able to sit down with the four books and flip through them, taking in all the colors and experience of turning the pages. After looking through my own section of our book ‘The Spirit of St. Mary’s’, overall I was pleased with what I saw, but I think that there are some things that I could have paid more attention to, changed, or fixed. After flipping through the six pages I realized that I still could have sent more time formatting the borders on my page. For me it was a little disturbing that the words were cut off the page, making it harder to read the words. At the same time, I was glad that I made the choice to move the words over one inch from the gutter.
After looking at the second spread, that spelled out SMCM, although I was really pleased with how everything came out, I feel like I could have lighted a few of the faces, because some of the faces were darker making it harder to identify the student who was smiling. I wanted all the images distinguishable. Also after looking at the images on this page, I realized that I should not have duplicated any of the images. I feel like I should have just taken a little more time to take a few more images so that they would not be duplicated. For me it disrupted my flow of looking at the images, because when I got to an image of a person I had already seen, I would look back at the first image and it made viewing the images disjointed.
One think that I really liked and was pleased with was that there was versatility in the picture formatting on the pages. I was glad that I chose not to repeat the exact same order on any page, or that I did not make each page very cluttered, because I think I made if page overly cluttered with visual information then it would have been to stimulating and would have taken away from my idea. What I am still not sure about is if I should have included color. Since the rest of the book relied so much with color, I feel like maybe I should have subtly included the colors, blue and yellow. Maybe making the images that spelled out SMCM monochrome images, in either the color blue or yellow.
As a whole I think that like others in my group have mentioned our topic was to broad and I think that we really branched to far away from our original topic to create a cohesive whole. After looking from one section to the next I feel like the book was not as much as a collective, I think there was to much variability. One thing that really helped to make the book appear to be more cohesive was the use of the division pages. But, I think that we need something within the book, or even on the division pages letting the viewer know how the section represented St. Mary’s. With the opening page followed by images, it was hard to follow why that particular topic, that the person chose to present to represent St. Mary’s, was important.
One thing that really bothered me when looking at our book was the front color. I feel like the front cover colors were contradictory, I am not sure why the front colors were the pastels that were selected. I feel like our claim, in representing St. Mary’s, would have been stronger if the colors in the front cover were St. Mary’s school colors (white, gold, blue, or some variation).
Within the book as a whole I really feel like my section was so different that my group member. I feel like the way I worked with text and images, in no way shape or form flowed with my group members sections. I feel like my section being complicated with words and images disrupted the other sections of the book and interrupted the flow of the book.
Overall I really enjoyed working on this project because it really allowed me to challenge myself. When I began working on this project I realized that what ever avenue that I took I wanted to challenge myself, think outside of the box, and try new ways of working.
Reflections on Project 02
Reflecting on Project_02: What it's like
I have to agree with Jordan about the covers. They are very nice but very dirty, it seems like black really shows fingerprints well.
I found looking through the book was different from looking at it on the computer screen (not a really big surprise). Having the pages in my hands to flip through at my leisure was nice. The pages felt a little stiff a couple of years/many viewings should help resolve that issue. I found that some of the pages had the same problem as the cover fingerprints everywhere (at least you can tell how people hold books).
Starting with my section then moving on to the rest of the book: the gutter surprised me. I thought I had left enough space for some of my words but apparently not. I lost a few letters here and there but overall I could still read what was being said. The pages I was most disappointed in were I’ve seen a loser win and Everything in between. The idea I had behind Everything in between was portrayed but it was done so with the loss of more lettering than I thought would be lost.
I think knowing the song helped a lot; I knew what was coming up next and what the general idea of the song was. I am not sure if knowing the song allowed me to see the book as joined when it could have looked a little disjointed.
Overall, I enjoyed looking at the final product and look forward to working on the third project and my final project.
I have to agree with Jordan about the covers. They are very nice but very dirty, it seems like black really shows fingerprints well.
I found looking through the book was different from looking at it on the computer screen (not a really big surprise). Having the pages in my hands to flip through at my leisure was nice. The pages felt a little stiff a couple of years/many viewings should help resolve that issue. I found that some of the pages had the same problem as the cover fingerprints everywhere (at least you can tell how people hold books).
Starting with my section then moving on to the rest of the book: the gutter surprised me. I thought I had left enough space for some of my words but apparently not. I lost a few letters here and there but overall I could still read what was being said. The pages I was most disappointed in were I’ve seen a loser win and Everything in between. The idea I had behind Everything in between was portrayed but it was done so with the loss of more lettering than I thought would be lost.
I think knowing the song helped a lot; I knew what was coming up next and what the general idea of the song was. I am not sure if knowing the song allowed me to see the book as joined when it could have looked a little disjointed.
Overall, I enjoyed looking at the final product and look forward to working on the third project and my final project.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Project_02 Assessment
Photo Book Self Assessment
Project_02
Having the book in-hand was not as positive an experience as I had hoped. I immediately felt that the book was too large for my section, as well as a couple others. Because the pages were so large, the pages were far less rigid than I thought they would be and it seemed that some details were easily lost in the physical act of trying to hold the book comfortably. There was also the things that don't survive the computer-to-paper translation: for example, I was disappointed by how pixelated some of the images turned out. I was also surprised by how the colors on the front cover, which were much more pastel than they appeared on the computer.
Individually, I think we all achieved our goals for each section we worked on. For me personally, I was glad that I was able to get feedback from the class about resizing my student portraits so that they were roughly the same size as the admissions photo that they were juxtaposed with. Correcting this detail helped the section flow together much better. Conceptually, I was happy with the way the student portraits and quotations represented both positive and negative perspectives of St. Mary's (without being overly disparaging or overly complimentary). It was a difficult process, because I struggled to find a diversity of students who were also willing to be quoted/photographed - not to mention that I got extremely sick toward the end. Despite all of the hurdles, the project did come together and my group was extraordinarily patient with me. I was glad to see that the others in my group seemed to be happy with their own work.
As a collective, however, I did not think that our book was very cohesive. I mentioned earlier that our topic wasn't quite focused enough, and seeing the physical book reaffirmed this. Aside from the unifying divider pages, I think our stylistic choices (text, color/bw, subject matter) was so varied that it did not have a continuous flow. Considering that we had such different takes on St. Mary's as as whole, I do think that we arranged the book was thoughtfully as possible. The flow from one subject to the other was done as best as we could. In some ways, the fact that we didn't have more unifying features is regrettable, but I wonder if it might also be a good thing. Given the topic that we selected (The Spirit of St. Mary's), I think it would also be disappointing if we had produced a book with cookie-cutter uniformity. A balance must be struck, and although I'm not sure we achieved it as a group, I do think that it represented our individual visions clearly. Midway through the project, I remember a group meeting we had in which everyone was worried about asking each other to alter their visions, and the few alterations that we did try to make were often objected to. In the end, I think we were all trying to preserve each other's artistry to the point of forsaking cohesion.
Project_02
Having the book in-hand was not as positive an experience as I had hoped. I immediately felt that the book was too large for my section, as well as a couple others. Because the pages were so large, the pages were far less rigid than I thought they would be and it seemed that some details were easily lost in the physical act of trying to hold the book comfortably. There was also the things that don't survive the computer-to-paper translation: for example, I was disappointed by how pixelated some of the images turned out. I was also surprised by how the colors on the front cover, which were much more pastel than they appeared on the computer.
Individually, I think we all achieved our goals for each section we worked on. For me personally, I was glad that I was able to get feedback from the class about resizing my student portraits so that they were roughly the same size as the admissions photo that they were juxtaposed with. Correcting this detail helped the section flow together much better. Conceptually, I was happy with the way the student portraits and quotations represented both positive and negative perspectives of St. Mary's (without being overly disparaging or overly complimentary). It was a difficult process, because I struggled to find a diversity of students who were also willing to be quoted/photographed - not to mention that I got extremely sick toward the end. Despite all of the hurdles, the project did come together and my group was extraordinarily patient with me. I was glad to see that the others in my group seemed to be happy with their own work.
As a collective, however, I did not think that our book was very cohesive. I mentioned earlier that our topic wasn't quite focused enough, and seeing the physical book reaffirmed this. Aside from the unifying divider pages, I think our stylistic choices (text, color/bw, subject matter) was so varied that it did not have a continuous flow. Considering that we had such different takes on St. Mary's as as whole, I do think that we arranged the book was thoughtfully as possible. The flow from one subject to the other was done as best as we could. In some ways, the fact that we didn't have more unifying features is regrettable, but I wonder if it might also be a good thing. Given the topic that we selected (The Spirit of St. Mary's), I think it would also be disappointing if we had produced a book with cookie-cutter uniformity. A balance must be struck, and although I'm not sure we achieved it as a group, I do think that it represented our individual visions clearly. Midway through the project, I remember a group meeting we had in which everyone was worried about asking each other to alter their visions, and the few alterations that we did try to make were often objected to. In the end, I think we were all trying to preserve each other's artistry to the point of forsaking cohesion.
Reflections on Project 02
Reflecting on Project 02: Portraits with Words
by Jordan Grant
After opening up our completed photobook, Portraits with Words, my first thought was: Jeez, this thing is going to get dirty. While the black cover looks great, it has already accrued a solid layer of fingerprints and dust. Given a few years next to the darkroom, close to the eager hands of young photographers, I can only imagine the smudges our book will show.
All jokes aside, I made a number of observations when I first held the printed version of our book. To put some organization onto this reflection, I’ll start with my thoughts on my own section, “I Would”, and move on to the rest of the book.
To begin, I realized that my decision to place a photo of text (“I would”) on every page underestimated the memory of my readers. Initially, I inserted the text-photo into my spreads because I wanted my section of the book to have an obvious, formal parallel with the section created by my partner Jenny (whose pages contained two photos, one with a person and the text “I am not”, the other with the same person and text that answered that statement). However, when I actually saw “I would” scrawled across every page, I realized that readers might feel like I was banging them over the head with my theme. If anything, I could have removed the “I would” text from one page of each spread. Even better, I could have removed the “I would” text altogether. My title page would have been enough of an explanation for most readers; after reading “I would” once, the reader would probably assume that the photos that followed would show people giving an answer to the stated question.
More importantly, removing the text from every page would have freed me to blow my pictures up. Full bleeds, though different in style from Jenny and Rachel’s sections, would have tied my own section to Elle’s work, tightening our book as a whole. Full bleeds would have also improved my images. As they are rendered now, I feel like my photos are too small for their own good. My subjects get lost on the page; their words don’t “pop”. A larger canvas area would have helped correct these problems.
This observation leads me into my largest critique for the book as a whole. Simply put, I think our photobook reads to fast for its own good. In my own section, the relative “smallness” of my images hampers (in my mind) the readers’ inclination to stop and see the relationship between the images being presented in each spread. On a larger level, I feel our book does very little to slow down the reader’s eye. In my own browsing, for instance, I often caught myself skipping over the title pages for each section. Though I can attribute this to my own familiarity with the book, I feel that other readers, less tied to the project, would also skip over those key title pages. If those same pages had given readers a sudden jolt –say, if they were rendered black, contrasting with the rest of the book- then our photobook may have become a slower, more methodical read.
Though I’ve focused on the negative in the past few paragraphs, I really am quite happy with our group’s final work. With some caveats, I believe that we managed to sequence and integrate four very different styles of photography on both thematic and formal levels. In the end, I think we managed to create a book where our individual voices combine to make something that’s more interesting than what they were alone.
[One last aside: our group didn’t anticipate that iPhoto would insert gray pages at the beginning and end of our book. If we did it again, we would probably add in our own black or white pages, particularly on the spread that compliments Elle’s final self-portrait].
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