Maggie Morrone's BDS 103: 2014

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Project Summary

Overall, this project taught me a lot. While I wish I had gone out on more days to capture different times of day, I was decently happy with the way this project turned out. I also thought I was going to be able to build up the overlook a bit more as well. But, after collecting all the images I had taken and looking at them, I realized that this would not be possible with the pictures I had taken.

Although very time consuming I really enjoyed doing this project and actually want to do something like it for a project of my own for my house next year. This project inspired me to open my eyes a little bit more and see what I can make out of what I already have.

Final Collage

Final Collage Process

Collage Ideas

Initial Locations

Spencer Art Museum Visit

During our trip to the Spencer Art Museum, I learned many different things. First off, seeing all those different ways of mapping time and space really inspired me to expand my ideas and look at this project from new perspectives. I really enjoyed the piece done with the grid that included a whole bunch of drive in movies. This piece effectively showed how to use a grid to create a different look to a photo collage. I also really liked the piece with the little kid running. The movement in this piece was amazing and I wanted to some how make my photo collage like this.
While some of these photographs did not really do much for me, most of them inspired my spirit a little more in this project and really helped me choose a route for this project.

Errol Morris on Photography.

Morris talks about how to look at a photograph and how when people observe things, they can begin to better understand the image and the intentions by the photographer.

Photographs are all posed and people can see only what the photograph is showing them based on details and other things in the photograph. Famous photographs are known to create a certain power among people using their emotions. These photographs have made people more interested in photography as a whole.

Perception in a big part of photography because there is always something outside of the picture that you cannot see. The particular photographer chose to photograph their specific subject for a reason though to create a certain perception and it is up to the viewer to recognize this.

Ways of Seeing

This video, despite being a little bit on the older side, talks about how humans see art, specifically art that has been reproduced or manipulated. This video is still relevant because of the growth of photo manipulation over the past years.

Mass reproduction of art has played an important role in society today because it has increased exposure of art in our world. While reproduction can be a bad thing because of people ripping off other artists, it mainly is a good thing because it helps share art.

Manipulation of art changes it completely. It can change the way a viewer views an image or object. It creates a new view on what used to be.

Masters of Illusion

This video talks about the idea of perspective. It talks about how to make a two-dimensional figure or picture plane look three-dimensional. Brunelleschi figured out a scientific method to achieve linear perspective but it took many years for artists to begin mastering this method of linear perspective. Linear perspective was not just demonstrated on canvas, many artists during the Renaissance used linear perspective when creating their sculptures.

Da Vinci was one of the first to explore the techniques involved to created the illusions of depth and space. He made discoveries about the characteristics of light and shadows as well and how they help us to perceive an object.

“Photography Changes Everything”

Photography’s definition has always been somewhat unclear. Heiferman talks about how only a select few photos are considered art and are really considered in today’s society. This presents many problems because of the digital and technological advances of our day and age. Photo manipulation has caused the art of photography to become something we can change. It create the ability to change and manipulate the photo to whatever we want it to be. It’s influenced by our needs and changes how and what we choose to see. What we choose to change and document helps us better understand what is around us.

On Photography

In this reading, Sontag talks about the beauty of photography. She begins by talking about the importance of photography throughout history. She also talks about the importance of it today. Photographs can show the truth and carry the past. The show things that have happened in real life. They capture reality and demonstrate it. While Sontag says this, I do not necessarily believe it because photographs can be manipulated in lots of ways.

In a way photographers have a sense of power in their hands. They have the ability to capture experiences and special moments. Photographs have value to people and since they do not last forever people often keep them in books and what not because people know the value and importance of photographs.

“A Viewers Guide to Looking at Photography”

James Brooke talks about how to analyze and look at photography. According to him there are several steps it takes to fully reflect on a photo, description, formal analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. He then fully talks about each step and how to go about it.

In the first step, the description, it makes the audience of the photograph aware of what is in the picture and draw conclusions about it. This includes the content of the photograph. It is important to look at all the little things that make up this picture.

Then, viewers move on to formal analysis. Viewers look at what they learned from the description and put these facts together. Parallels, rhythms, repetitions, and contrast are all things that help make up a composition. Balance is also important for viewers to look at.

Interpretation is important in this process because its how the viewer decided what the photograph is saying. This statement can be specific or broad. It might just encompass what is in the photograph itself or it might be something more general and broad.

Finally, the final step is evaluation. This is where the viewer must evaluate the picture based on photographic skills and standards. Basically, should things be moved around in the photograph? Should the main subject be looking in a different direction? Basically this is evaluating the composition of the photograph.

Photography Collage: Mapping Time and Space

In this project, our task was to create a photo collage that created an image. The main goal of this image was to somehow demonstrate time or space.
Basically after we chose a location, we had to take many photographs of it. After we got them printed, we had to collage them in a way to make up a larger photo. After rearranging them till I found the perfect set up for them, I glued down the photos on a piece of foam core.

Summary of Vessel Project

Although I was behind for most of this project, I still found this project to be one that I really enjoyed doing. I think this is because I got to use things that I have never really used before and work in a wood shop as well. I also like the rewarding feeling I got to have a finished piece of work I actually made in my hands. Overall I really enjoyed the experimentation I got to do for this project as well as the opportunity to try a different kind of design. I also injured myself plenty of times throughout this project and actually bled all over my box at one point. I am really happy with the results of my box but I do wish I would have sanded it a little more. I also wish that we had gotten to learn more about different tools as well besides just the band-saw. I think this would have contributed to our projects and made them even better if we had learned more about the tools we were using. For example, teaching myself how to use a dremel saw really was beneficiary for me because of the design I- wanted to put on top. In the long run, I am really satisfied with my box and the new design techniques I learned while creating it.