Essay Writing

Week 13 -14 -15:  5 – 19 Dec 

WE ONLY HAVE 3 and a bit WEEKS LEFT TO COMPLETE  A DRAFT of your PERSONAL STUDY ESSAY

Have a look a the  for an overview of what you need to complete this term.  Personal-Study-Planner-Tracker-2018-19

ESSAY: We will be spending 1 lesson a week every Wednesday on writing and developing your essay. However, you will need to be working on it independently outside of lesson time.

DEADLINE: Essay draft MUST be handed in Mon 4 Feb 2019.

Objective: Criteria from the Syllabus

  • Be aware of some of the methods employed by critics and historians within the history of art and photography.
  • Demonstrate a sound understanding of your chosen area of study with appropriate use of critical vocabulary. – use for image analysis
  • Investigate a wide range of work and sources
  • Develop a personal and critical inquiry.

Academic Sources:

  • Research and identify 3-5 literary sources from a variety of media such as books, journal/magazines, internet, Youtube/video .
  • Begin to read essay, texts and interviews with your chosen artists as well as commentary from critics, historians and others.
  • It’s important that you show evidence of reading and draw upon different pints of view – not only your own.
  • Take notes when you’re reading…key words, concepts, passages
  • Write down page number, author, year, title, publisher, place of publication so you can list source in a bibliography

Quotation and Referencing:

  • Use quotes to support or disprove your argument
  • Use quotes to show evidence of reading
  • Use Harvard System of Referencing…see Powerpoint: harvard system of referencing for further details on how to use it.

Essay Plan:

Make a plan that lists what you are going to write about in each paragraph – essay structure.

  • Essay question:
  • Opening quote
  • Introduction (250-500 words): What is your area study? Which artists will you be analysing and why? How will you be responding to their work and essay question?
  • Pg 1 (500 words): Historical/ theoretical context within art, photography and visual culture relevant to your area of study. Make links to art movements/ isms and some of the methods employed by critics and historian. Link to powerpoints about isms andmovements M:\Departments\Photography\Students\Resources\Personal Study
  • Pg 2 (500 words): Analyse first artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
  • Pg 3 (500 words): Analyse second artist/photographer in relation to your essay question. Present and evaluate your own images and responses.
  • Conclusion (250-500 words): Draw parallels, explore differences/ similarities between artists/photographers and that of your own work that you have produced
  • Bibliography: List all relevant sources used

ESSAY STRUCTURE

See below for a possible essay structure. Further help can be found here essay structure or see link here The Royal Literay Fund

Essay questionHypothesis

Think of a hypothesis and list possible essay questions

Here is a list of  possible questions to investigate that may help you.

Opening quote: Choose a quote from either one of your photographers or critics. It has to be something that relates to your investigation

Introduction (250-500 words).
Think about an opening that will draw your reader in e.g. you can use an opening quote that sets the scene. You should include in your introduction an outline of your intention of your study e.g. what and who are you going to investigate. How does this area/ work interest you? What are you trying to prove/challenge, argument/ counter-argument? What historical or theoretical context is the work situated within. Include 1 or 2 quotes for or against. What links are there with your previous studies? What have you explored so far in your Coursework or what are you going to photograph? How did or will your work develop. What camera skills, techniques or digital processes in Photoshop have or are you going to experiment with?

Paragraph 1 Structure (500 words) Use subheadingThis paragraph covers the first thing you said in your introduction that you would address. The first sentence introduces the main idea of the paragraphOther sentences develop the subject of the paragraph.

Content: you could look at the followingexemplify your hypothesis within a historical and theoretical context.  Write about how your area of study and own work is linked to a specific art movement/ ism. Research and read key text and articles from critics, historians and artists associated with the movement/ism. Use quotes from sources to make a point, back it up with evidence or an example (a photograph), explain how the image supports the point made or how your interpretation of the work may disapprove. How does the photograph compare or contrast with others made by the same photographer, or to other images made in the same period or of the same genre by other artists. How does the photograph relate to visual representation in general, and in particularly to the history and theory of photography, arts and culture.

Include relevant examples, illustrations, details, quotations, and references showing evidence of reading, knowledge and understanding of history, theory and context!

See link to powerpoints: Pictorialism vs Realism and Modernism vs Postmodernism here M:\Departments\Photography\Students\Resources\Personal Study

Paragraph 2 Structure (500 words) Use subheading. In the first sentence or opening sentences, link the paragraph to the previous paragraph, then introduce the main idea of the new paragraph. Other sentences develop the paragraphs subject (use relevant examples, quotations, visuals to illustrate your analysis, thoughts etc)

Content: you could look at the following...Introduce your first photographer. Select key images, ideas or concepts and analyse in-depth using specific model of analysis (describe, interpret and evaluate) – refer to your hypothesis. Contextualise…what was going on in the world at the time; artistically, politically, socially, culturally. Other influences…artists, teachers, mentors etc. Personal situations or circumstances…describe key events in the artist’s life that may have influenced the work. Include examples of your own photographs, experiments or early responses and analyse, relate and link to the above. Set the scene for next paragraph.

Include relevant examples, illustrations, details, quotations, and references showing evidence of reading, knowledge and understanding of history, theory and context!

Paragraph 3 Structure (500 words) Use subheading. In the first sentence or opening sentences, link the paragraph to the previous paragraph, then introduce the main idea of the new paragraph. Other sentences develop the paragraphs subject (use relevant examples, quotations, visuals to illustrate your analysis, thoughts etc)

Content: you could look at the following…Introduce key works, ideas or concepts from your second photographer and analyse in-depth – refer to your hypothesis…Use questions in Pg 2 or add…What information has been selected by the photographer and what do you find interesting in the photograph? What do we know about the photograph’s subject? Does the photograph have an emotional or physical impact? What did the photographer intend? How has the image been used? What are the links or connections to the other photographer in Pg 2? Include examples of your own photographs and experiments as your work develop in response to the above and analyse, compare, contrast etc. Set the scene for next paragraph.

Include relevant examples, illustrations, details, quotations, and references showing evidence of reading, knowledge and understanding of history, theory and context!

Conclusion (500 words) : Write a conclusion of your essay that also includes an evaluation of your final photographic responses and experiments.

List the key points from your investigation and analysis of the photographer(s) work – refer to your hypothesis. Can you prove or Disprove your theory – include final quote(s). Has anything been left unanswered?  Do not make it a tribute! Do not introduce new material! Summarise what you have learned. How have you been influenced? Show how you have selected your final outcomes including an evaluation and how your work changed and developed alongside your investigation.

Bibliography: List all the sources that you used and only those that you have cited in your text. Where there are two or more works by one author in the same year distinguish them as 1988a, 1988b etc. Arrange literature in alphabetical order by author, or where no author is named, by the name of the museum or other organisation which produced the text. Apart from listing literature you must also list all other sources in alphabetical order e.g. websites, exhibitions, Youtube/TV/ Videos / DVD/ Music etc.

POLITICAL LANDSCAPE:

DON’T FORGET TO MAKE PHOTOGRAPHS & EXPLORE YOUR IDEAS!!

Week 13 -14 -15 + Xmas break 5 Dec – 8 Jan

Political Landscape: Lesson time (Mon, Tue, Thurs & Fri
Bring images from new photo-shoots to lessons and follow these instructions

  • Save shoots in folder and import into Lightroom
  • Organisation: Create a new  Collection from each new shoot inside Collection Set: Political Landscape
  • Editing: select 8-12 images from each shoot.
  • Experimenting: Adjust images in Develop, both as Colour and B&W images appropriate to your intentions
  • Export images as JPGS (1000 pixels) and save in a folder: BLOG
  • Create a Blogpost with edited images and an evaluation; explaining what you focused on in each shoot and how you intend to develop your next photoshoot.
  • Make references to artists references, previous work, experiments, inspiration etc.

Further experimentation:

  • Export same set of images from Lightroom as TIFF (4000 pixels)
  • Experimentation: demonstrate further creativity using Photoshop to make composite/ montage/ typology/ grids/ diptych/triptych, text/ typology etc appropriate to your intentions
  • Design: Begin to explore different layout options using Indesign and make a new zine/book. Set up new document as A5 page sizes.
  • Make sure you annotate process and techniques used and evaluate each experiment

Photo-shoots:

You must plan and produce at least another 4-5 photo-shoots in the next 2 weeks to make sure you have enough images to edit from. For example, responding to photographers subject-matter, style, form, aesthetics, specific skills, techniques, methods.

Produce a number photographic response to your investigation in POLITICAL LANDSCAPE.

Continue to review your responses and shoots and experiment with your pictures appropriate to your intentions Lightroom/Photoshop e.g. cropping, change colour balance/ b/w, brightness/ contrast, blurring/ movement, blending/ montage techniques.

Select your best experiments and pictures and include in your Personal Study for analysis and comparisons.

We will begin work on editing and designing a photobook in the new Spring term in January.

If you don’t have any content i.e. text and images you can’t make a photo book!

Archival Documentation

In order to provide a further insight to the development of my house I have looked through files to find important documentation of the development.  I have found documents such as the original house deeds, the planning permissions and the plans of the house.  I plan on incorporating some of these photographs into my photobook in order to show the stages of development that the house has to go through over time.  I think these documents are an important element as they give an insight into the legal side of the development as there are lots of laws on what developers can and cannot do to a house due to historical and political reasons.  I will also be looking into the history of the house in order to find out a bit about its origins – if I cannot find sufficient information on this I will be looking at cod houses and their origins as my house is a cod house.

Presentation of work-in-progress

Prepare a 3-5 mins presentation on something that you are working on right now in your Political Landscape project. For example:

An idea
An image
A photo-shoot
An experiment
An inspiration
New research
New development

Use blog posts to present in class. As a class we will give constructive feedback on how each student can develop their work and project

Wed 5 Dec:
Craig, Charlie done!
Woolsgrove, Megan done!
Ayling-Phillip, Sky done!
Da Silva, Shanesia
Worthington, Orla complete
Fenn, Jordan done!

Thurs 6 Dec:
Evans, Jenna done!
Grindheim, Benjamin done!
Hoy, Charlton done!
Vibert, Oscar done!
Kent, Alice done!
Taylor, Ryan complete
Dias, Liana

Tue 11 Dec:
Gallery, Nicholas done
Webster, Thomas done
Rabet, Timothy done
Horgan, Conor done!
Laszniewska, Julia
Lucas, Stanley done!
Cullinane, Juliette
Jervier, Imani done!

Thurs 13 Dec:
Mulliner, Evan postponed
O’Grady, Declan postponed
Regan-Hughes, Eve done!
Runacres, Hayden done!
Waigh, Anya done!
Liron, Jay done!
Luis, Erin

Tue 18 Dec:
Le Cornu, Kobi done!
Kulig, Wiktoria
Jones, Stephanie done!
Fry, Lily-Mae done!
Haynes, Oliver
Lutkin-Clarke, Georgina

MFON

MFON: Women Photographers of the African Diaspora, is a publication which is committed to establishing, representing and promoting a collective of woman photographers of an African descent.

MFON’ was founded just over a year ago, by Lalah Amatullah Barrayn and Adama Delphine Fawunda. The book is dedicated  solely to 118 woman photographers of African descent. The title ‘MFON’ takes its name from Mmekutmfon ‘Mfon’ Essien, the Nigerian born American photographer who died ages 34 form breast cancer,  the day before her series “The Amazon’s New Clothes” was exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum of Art as part of the critically acclaimed exhibition “Committed to the Image: Contemporary Black Photographers.”

The first edition of the book features over 100 woman from across the Diaspora. The book  features a collection of  essays written by women scholars, journalists and artists. The main of the book is too;

  1. Promote an international representative voice of women photographers of African descent.
  2. Fill a void while creating a space for intellectual discourse around issues represented by women photographers of African descent.
  3. Create a powerful collective of women photographers, journalists, and scholars to build their practices through solid representation of their voices within the field of photography.

Diaspora – A diaspora is a scattered population whose origin lies in a separate geographic locale. In particular, diaspora has come to refer to involuntary mass dispersion of a population from its indigenous homeland. An example of a diaspora is the 6th century exile of Jews from outside Israel to Babylon.

The book has been featured in numerous publications, Vogue, The New York Times and the BBC. They first attempted to publish the book in 2006, in which they where unsuccessful, as the publishing houses saw to relevant market for the book. But now with the rise of black culter coming more widely  accepted the the main stream market.

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/proof/2018/march/women-photographers-african-diaspora/

ANDY WARHOL

Andy Warhol – ‘Eat’

‘Eat’ is a 45-minute underground film created by Andy Warhol which features painter Robert Indiana, filmed in 1964 in Indiana’s studio.

‘Eat’ is filmed in black and white, with no soundtrack and depicts pop artist Indiana engaged in the process of eating a mushroom throughout the whole of the static film, with a final appearance of a cat at the end. The video is an intimate piece of art that is rather more of an experience for the viewer which allows a connection to be made with the subject of the film. The close up shots particularly, like in the frame above, emphasizes the feeling of intimacy. The simplicity of video art creates the idea that what the viewer is watching is not so far detached from reality and replicates real life. Particularly with ‘Eat’, the plot that doesn’t necessarily exist is very mundane, as eating is a part of life that everyone experiences on a daily basis.

Video art emerged during the late 1960s as new consumer video technology. Video tape recorders became available outside corporate broadcasting. One of the key differences between video art and theatrical cinema is that video art does not necessarily rely on many of the conventions that define theatrical cinema. Video art may not employ the use of actors, contain no dialogue, have no discernible narrative or plot, or adhere to any of the other conventions that generally define motion pictures as entertainment. Video art is often experimental, radical or unorthodox with respect to art, culture or society. It may also offer critique of the relationship between producer and consumer.

 

ESSAY PLAN AND INTRODUCTION SECONDARY DRAFT

Unsatisfied with the previous artists I had looked into for my essay I decided to take an alternative route and focus in on two new artists yet with similar messages. I was much more inspired by these two artists work and I felt like i could connect with their photographs on a more personal level than the other photographers which stimulated my willingness to change. The artists which i have chosen to now study are Darren Almound and Tanya Deman and i have therefore amended my first paragraph in relation to these two visual artists. This can be seen below.

Red-done First Draft with new photographers.

The area which I have chosen to study is the sublime and the political debate about how land is used and the destruction that urbanization is causing to the natural land. This has been a reality since humans first existed. The land and how it is used is important to me as I believe it is vital to keep the earth natural and not ruin the sublime environment with man-made features. My initial passion for this subject is due to the environmental issues that I am aware of and the rapid increase in urbanization which is heavily contributing to it. Photographers that explore the sublime environment are often giving the viewer an insight to a landscape that is rare and the experience is uncommon due to the destruction humanity is causing to them. This area of study that I have chosen to look at deals with political, social and cultural issues that have impacted people all across the world. Essentially, my area of study is a non-verbal communication about raising awareness of the beauty of our earth and to prevent people from destroying it. Psychologists believe that this non-verbal communication can reveal much more than words which I believe can help spread my passion for the natural environment and preserving it too. The representation of the land has been explored by many artists including the photographers Darrem Almound and Tanya Deman that I will be analyzing. Both of these photographers use the land to portray their views on how society treats and uses it. Within my essay I will be discussing how the two photographers have taken a different approach in portraying the land in relation to their perspective of it. I have chosen to analyse the work of these two photographers due to their somewhat similar messages yet very different approaches in telling the story. While Darren Almound focuses on portraying the sublime directly by capturing extraordinary scenic shots, Tanya Deman uses a manipulation approach to focus on humanities destruction to the world that is eliminating any recollection of a beautiful natural environment. For Darren Almound I will specifically be looking into his ‘full moon’ project where he leaves you wondering what words like landscape and nature can possibly mean in a world where environmental change is so rapid that both are fast disappearing into myth and memory. In ‘Fullmoon’, British artist Darren Almond catches landscapes around the globe, under the particular light of a full moon. With the shutter kept open for over a quarter of an hour, rivers, meadows and mountains are illuminated almost like daybreak, but the atmosphere is different: a mild glow emanates even from the shadows, star-lines cross the sky, and water blankets the earth like a misty froth. The enhanced moonlight fill the landscapes with a sense of the surreal or the sublime, and with haunting ideas of time, nature and beauty. In relation to Tanya Deman I will explore a particular image of hers which links directly to the ideas that Darren Almounds full moon project portray about the ever changing land and destruction of the the natural landscape. The particular image that I will focus on has these ideas about the natural landscape fast disappearing into myth and memory which is exactly what Almounds project focuses on. The reason i chose to focus on these two artists are due to the similar political issue they have tackled yet the differeing approaches they tackled it with.