ART 499 Special Studies in Photography
Spring 2012: Monday Wednesday 1-3:45: PH1-124 (FA4-108 monday)
PREREQUISITES
Photography major or by consent of instructorCATALOG DESCRIPTION
Opportunity for extensive work with faculty supervision on individual problems in photography as an art form.COURSE OBJECTIVES
This is a critique course where your photographic work is the subject of the course. You are free to work in any form of photographic media including video.•Develop your portfolio
•Create a significant and cohesive body of work that is specific and unique
•Prepare for BFA portfolio submission.
•Write an intelligent artist statement
•Create an artist Curriculum Vitae
•Increase your capability in discussing photographic work
TEXTS
Readings will be provided to you.
Persist: In Praise of the Creative Spirit in a World Gone Mad with Commerce. Peter Clothier
Trickster Makes this World: Mischief, Myth and Art. Lewis Hyde
David Foster Wallace: Commencement Speech
Susan Sontag, Against Interpretation
Wabi-Sabi: for artists, designers, poets, and philosophers
GRADING
•Grades for each project will be comprised of your working process, class participation and final product. Letter grades will correspond to the descriptions given in the CSULB catalog.I will be looking at your ability to develop a cohesive body of work through your images during this course. It needs to be specific, unique and visually well articulated.
Process includes taking initiative, getting beyond initial roadblocks, a general willingness to rework things, going out of your comfort zone to go beyond your first attempts and approach projects from new angles. Successful Process will also include evidence of a significant volume of work. Process is very important to becoming a successful artist. As it is something that is not always directly visible, you will need to demonstrate your process by saving bad prints, test prints, failed ideas, writings, etc.
Participation includes positive participation in class discussions, critiques.
Product includes the quality of your finished assignments, and in particular what I see at critique. I will be looking successful articulation of formal and conceptual concerns, your unique vision, and work that is both visually and mentally engaging.
•Being absent during critique day results in the lowering of the project grade by one full grade. Being more then 15 minutes late to critiques may cause a lowering of your project grade as well as not being included in the critiques.
•Late work will not receive full credit.
•Collaborative projects are encouraged. Talk to me if interested.
Grade Breakdown
20% participation/activities: includes readings, writing, curriculum vitae, exhibition reviews, individual meetings, exhibition proposal, or other exercises I assign as well as thoughtful, constructive contribution to discussions and critiques.
10% artist statement
20% Progress critique #1
20% Progress critique #2
30% final portfolio
*Withdrawal from the course will be handled according to Art Dept Policy which is not lenient.
ATTENDANCE
Your fourth absence results in the lowering of your final grade by one letter. A sixth absence is grounds for failure of the course. Tardiness will be counted after the second time as an absence. If you miss a class it is your responsibility to find out what you missed from your classmates. There is no need to tell me when you will be absent. Excused absences require specific documentation including contact information stating that you were not able to attend class because of an illness or family death or other accepted issue.
*It is the student's responsibility to notify the instructor in advance of the need for accommodation of a university verified disability.
Projects:
•Journal: can be paper or electronic
Two sections:
Section 1- ideas, notes, references, quotes, artists. This will be invaluable in writing your artist statement and also helps you focus your project ideas. Keep your entries dated. I expect at least a few pages each week.
Section 2-work record: keep track of what you have done for this class. track dates and time spent on your project. I expect you to be working on your project every week.•Reading responses: Bruce Mau, Susan Sontag, and others TBA
•Individual meetings. I always welcome and encourage you to come talk to me about your projects, art, or any other relevant topic. I am available during our workdays, any lecture day we finish early, and my office hours. There will be two required individual meetings this semester. The first one has to happen during the first few weeks before the first critique. Find a week that is appropriate for you. The second is scheduled in the timeline below after midterm. These meetings are required (grade deduction for missing.) Please bring your journal and any work samples.
•In progress crit 1
•In progress crit 2
•Write an Artist Statement:
An Artist Statement
•Is about a half of a page to one page long for the BFA application, no longer, no shorter.
•Uses standard fonts and formatting, and is generally not visually decorative.
•Describes your inspiration, philosophy, and ideas, without aggrandizing or over-intellectualizing.
•Describes What is actually there, what did you do? what are we seeing?
•Places you in an art context by using a quotation or referencing other artists, writers, thinkers etc
•Creates interest in your work, adds another layer of meaning.
•Leaves something unsaid.•Create an Curriculum Vitae
•Submit your work for an exhibition at a gallery or a non-traditional space.
•Final Crit/Portfolio
TimeLine
- Jan 23: Introduction, syllabus. Artist example: Kim Boske. For next time: Read Bruce Mau's Incomplete Manifesto For Growth. Write a short response to the reading (about 1/2 page) bring in examples of recent work, acquire a journal.
- Jan 25: Look at your past work. Lecture, reading TBA
- Jan 30: Artist Examples
- Feb 1: Film: "Five Obstructions"
- Feb 6: Lecture:
- Feb 8: work day (individual meetings as needed)
- Feb 13: lecture: read Susan Sontag, Against Interpretation (due 2-20)
- Feb 15: workday (individual meetings as needed)
- Feb 20: lecture: (reading response due for Susan Sontag, Against Interpretation)
- Feb 22: work day (individual meetings as needed)
- Feb 27: Crit 1a
- Feb 29: Crit 1a
- Mar 5: Artist Statements introduced, artist examples
- Mar 7: Work day.
- Mar 12: Crit 1b
- Mar 14: Crit 1b
- Mar 19: individual meetings
- Mar 21: individual meetings
- Mar 26: Spring Break!
- Mar 28: Spring Break!
- April 2:Crit 2, Artist Statement, version 1 due
April 4:Crit 2
- April 9: Creating a CV, professional resources, applying for an exhibition
- April 11: workday
- April 16: CV due, Lecture, read THIS from David Foster Wallace. Write a short response due april 30(about 1/2 page) , Creating a digital portfolio for various submissions, Rivers and Tides (film)
- April 18: workday
- April 23: Crit (show progress over last 3 weeks since last critique.)
- April 25: Workday
April 30: lecture. Reading Due - May 2: workday
- May 7: Final Crit day 1, Final Printed work 10-20 images. Final Artist Statement due, Show applications due.
- May 9: Final Crit day 2
May 14: Final Exam Week: (pick up work: my office, as needed)