Course Title: ART 241 Alternative Photo  II
Term: January

Course Description

ART 241 is an introductory course that investigates both the historical and contemporary aspects of photography. The lecture material and classroom interaction will equip the students with technical skills needed to develop and create liquid emulsion processes, such as Cyanotype and Vandyke Brown prints. Other possible media may include pinhole and solarplate photography. The student will also learn to present a portfolio of matted, finished photoworks, as well as the basic use of Adobe Photoshop and Epson printing output.

 

Course Learning Objectives:

1. Introduce the students to historical and contemporary alternative processes by examining professional examples via online resources and fieldtrips to local professional photography studios.

2. Offer hands-on technical demonstrations that will give student’s safe, working knowledge of each chemical process and the know-how to operate digital equipment.

3. Engage the class in critical dialogue by conducting open lines of communication during critiques that analyze historical and contemporary sources in visual problem solving.

4. Initiate beginning use of Mac computers/Adobe software/Epson printers as they apply to each project by offering hands-on demonstrations with software and output systems.

5. Introduce the students to the necessary procedures on applying for juried shows and publications by directing them to online resources.

 

Course Learning Outcomes:

1. Students will be proficient in the understanding of historical/contemporary photographic processes and will be able to offer references that provide them and their peers with conceptual influence.

2. Students will be able to safely execute wet-printing processes in the darkroom, as well as implement the use of Mac/Epson printing labs.

3. Students will be able to critically examine their own work, as well as their peers in a positively uplifting manner during critiques and presentations.

4. Students will begin to have a better understanding of Adobe Photoshop and will be proficient in the use of archival, large format Epson printers.

5. Students will take part in national juried printmaking exhibitions and publications.

Final Digital Portfolio

ART 241 students are required to maintain a Digital Portfolio documenting all photography projects created in the course. Documentation/scanning techniques will be covered in the class. The work and digital portfolio will be reviewed and graded for accuracy and quality. High resolution images should be utilized for personal websites, social media, as well as the shared ART 241 Google Drive folder. 

 

Digital Presentation/Paper

All Art 241 students are required to present one Digital Presentation via either Powerpoint or Google Slides. Students present during the midpoint of the month-long winter semester. One 1 page paper, which includes a formal title page and works cited, along with a 5-10 minute digital presentation is required. Topics can be related based upon any photogs who utilize alternative processes or an alt photo article/studio visit/exhibition review. Students are timed for the duration, which should include a grouping of at least ten high-res images by a contemporary photographer whose work is no older than the year 2010. Items are to be saved via Google Docs and all hardcopies must be honor-pledged by hand. Students can also choose to imbed videos no longer than one minute in duration for their peers to view any studio-related processes, on site/on situ photo shoots, as well as interactions with photographers and their subjects/subject matter. 

 

Skill Building Exercises 

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Artist/Photog Research for Jan Term: Prior to winter term/over the holiday season, students prepare for ART 241 by familiarlizing themselves with current-day practitioners (artists, designers, and photographers) utilizing liquid-emulsion based processes to create visuals on a number of varied substrates for both the fine art and commercial communities. 

 

Exposure Log/Photo Binders: Students are required to collate an archival three-ringed binder or an archival containment system of storage in order to keep a chronological history of their digital +/or film negatives, test exposures and working/trial prints. This practice leads to a more sequential understanding, allowing for early and continued success and a thorough grasp of the dual nature of this semester’s analog/digi hybrid photo offering. 

 

Portfolio - Students are to first protect all working prints/projects inside of clear print sleeves then placed inside of an archival Safe-T binder. Each final print must be accurately labeled with printing information, including: exposure types (indoor black light unit or natural UV outdoors) and times, the use of any contrast enhancement and paper type(s). If multiple prints are within one series, it is required to interleaf between works with acid-free glassine or parchment paper. All works must be dry, flat and without any chemical contamination for archival storage purposes. 

 

Final Presentation: Students enrolled in ART 241 are required to mat each of their main projects 1-3. A thorough demonstration provides students with instructions on how to construct an industry standard classic, hinged window mat. The resultant grade will be based on proper construction and craftsmanship that entails clean, sharp beveled cuts, and accurately measured borders without smudges, construction lines, or fingerprints.  Archival/acid free materials are required, utilizing white mat board and white or black foam core for backing. Various opportunities throughout the academic year also provide students with optional how-to framing demonstrations. For archival purposes, students are encouraged to purchase acid-free Lineco drop-front museum boxes prior for proper storage. 

 

Professional Practices: Students are provided instructional methodology on the application to national juried show opportunities, as well as the procedures to apply to publications. Digital, device, and scanning based image capturing is covered along with Photoshop post production techniques in documentation. Students are required to upload all printed projects to Google Drive as well as any call-for-entry applications. 
 

Conceptual/Technical Methodology and Prompts for Jan Term: 

SUBJECT MATTER: 

Visuals that are in accordance with the contemporary artworld. No: cutesy, faceless figures, manga, or “bumper sticker” imagery accepted this semester. Work from intellectual sources: GEP based studies, art historical, cultural or social curiosity, and narrative. Biographical work is more than acceptable, however, it must be in context with liberal-arts pedagogy. All images must be current. Analog and/or digital manipulation is more than acceptable. Just keep it clean. 

 

SIZE + NUMBERS:

Each student will create: 1 diptych (mid), 1 triptych (small),  and 1 singular image (large). 6”x6” up to 10”x14”. Any image capturing device is acceptable: digital, phone, film, or instant. Drawing/design is also an acceptable generator of images. Each student will utilize at least 2 forms of image creation. Hybrid processes will be considered. 

 

PROMPTS: 

Choose one prompt for each project from I-VII below. This indicates the theme/subject you are to work on for each project, (3) in total which is to be based upon your interpretation of this concept and must be accompanied by a literary source in order to further deliberate upon. 

 

I. Me and My Shadow: 

Light, darkness, and reflection. Self as Subject. Literally, or figuratively. 

 

II. House Party: 

Interior objects. Singular or Collective. Your space or theirs. 

 

III. Au Natural:

Outdoors. Absence of figures. Micro, macro, or in between. 

 

IV. <, >, and/or =:

Size, scale, and proportion. Any subject. Fictional or real. Tricks abound. 

 

Course Projects

Project #1: Cyanotype 

This project focuses on utilzing the ever popular blue-toned visual outcome in conjunction with one of conceptual prompts from the aforementioned list. Cyanotype combines analog and digital techniques by way of a contact printing-out process. 

 

Additional requirements/skills: Student’s imagery is to be intellectual in scope by incorporating their liberal arts/Gen Ed studies. Either interior or exterior locations can be utilized, unless otherwise noted. Students first produce a collection of images that meet the requirements of the project; images can be produced by a myriad of sources, including but not limited to analog film (35mm, 120mm), digital imagery (DSLR,P+S, Phone device), and/or instant stock (hi-res scans). All images go through several critique stages prior to the production of digital negatives; Images are required to be collated on Google Drive. Students then make trial prints/timed test exposures which are processed in our wet lab/darkroom. Upon determination of the proper exposure time and the entirety of the chemical process, final prints are to be consistent, well printed, and dry/flat for critique.