Guidelines for completing written analysis of photographers’ work focusing on: * Semi –Abstract / Purely Abstract * Digitally edited Surreal * Art based techniques (sewing, burning, projections, collage etc.) * Digital manipulation into pattern based images (kaleidoscopes * Light Painting
etc.)
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This document includes: * Important Information that you must read (page 3) * An index of the different category questions & definitions (page 4 ) * Different lists of questions for different genres of photographs along with examples of photographs for the different categories (as a guideline) (pages 5 – 14)
Definitions: Commercial photograph – photographs taken for business, for sales, for money. Commercial photography is often associated with advertisements, sales pitches, brochures, product placements as well as merchandising Editorial photograph – a photograph that appears in a magazine, but is not advertising or selling something (sometimes they are there to accompany a written article) Fine Art photograph – a photograph that hangs in a gallery or is sold directly to a buyer in a gallery or over the internet etc.
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YOU MUST READ THIS PAGE BEFORE YOU START RESEARCHING YOUR ARTIST How to start your initial research If you can’t find out enough information and find enough quotes, then don’t write about that photograph, find another photograph instead. 1. Find a photograph that links to your work in some way and find the name of the photographer 2. Research the photographer to see whether s/he is a professional or an amateur photographer and whether s/he is a fine art or a commercial photographer 3. See if you can find this photograph on his or her website (or anyone else’s website). Is there anything written about this photograph or the series of photographs that features this particular image? 4. Type in ‘Interview with ,,,,,,, (the name of the artist)’ into Google. If there is one, you can use the information to find your quotes When you include a quote in your analysis, place the quote in “quotation marks”, then explain what the quote actually means in your own words, then respond to the quote (write about your own opinion about what has been said in the actual quote)
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Page Index for different sets of questions: •
Semi –Abstract / Purely Abstract Page 5 & 6
• Digitally edited Surreal Page 7 & 8 • Art based techniques (sewing, burning, projections, ripping, collage etc.) Page 9 & 10 • Digital manipulation into pattern based images (kaleidoscopes, mirror images etc.) Page 11 & 12 • Light Painting Page 13 & 14
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Questions for a semi-abstract / purely abstract photograph Write out the actual questions (but only the sections in bold black), however, do not write out question 1 at all, just write the answer READ THE INFORMATION ON PAGE 3 BEFORE YOU START ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS 1) What is the name of the photographer? (Date and country of birth if you can find it) Is this photographer a professional photographer? If so, what companies has he or she worked for, what famous magazines have their photographs featured in or what galleries has he or she exhibited their work in? (You will need to use initial research to answer this question). only write a couple of sentences for this – that’s it! do not add loads of unrequired background information on the artist, we will only ask you to remove it. 2) What is the photographer’s motivation for being a photographer? What is the photographer’s motivation for taking abstract / semi-abstract photographs? (Onlyi write basic information – no life stories – couple of sentences at the most. Only write this if you have read it – don’t make it up!) Add quotes in here if you can 3) Discuss (if you think / know) whether this photograph been taken for a commercial purpose or for an editorial purpose or for a fine art purpose. See the bottom of Page 2 for the definitions of commercial, editorial and fine art. If you know this because you have read it, then back it up with a quote. 4) Discuss why you think that this either a purely abstract image or a semi abstract image (semi-abstract means tha t there is still some recognisable imagery within it) 5) Can you explain what the photographer is try ing to communicate to the viewer in this photograph? (Basically discuss what is visually going on in the photograph). Try to find out whether the photographer (or anyone els e) has said anything at all about this image and incorporate quotes into your answer. 6) Discuss the type of abstraction techniques that the artist / photographer has used to create this photograph and how s/he has used these techniques (Carefully analyse the image, then consider whether the subject matter is abstract because of any of the following reasons: it has been taken with a close up lens (or severely cropped) it has been: partially destroyed (ripping, burning, scratching etc.) it has been combined with other photographs it has been combined with objects or text it has been divided into different sections it has been collaged on top of it has been placed in or behind liquid / inside ice it has been heavily edited using Photoshop etc. If not, then explain the abstraction technique that the artist / photographer has used Research to see whether the artist (or anyone else) has discussed this and add quotes in here to back up what you are saying.
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7) Discuss the main technical or formal elements featured in this photograph? Look at the photograph and see whether you can identify any of the following things as being particularly important: unusual combination of patterns & textures strong angles or unusual composition blurry elements strong colours or monochrome tones & shades Research to see whether the artist (or anyone else) has discussed this and add quotes in here to back up what you are saying. 8) Do you think that the photographer has manipulated this photograph using digital editing (such as Photoshop)? If you think that s/he has, then what impact do you think that this could have had on the way that viewers react and respond to the photograph? (Research to see whether the photographer is known for using digital editing). If he or she has written about this, then please add quotes to back up what you are saying 9) What is your personal response to this photograph and how does this photograph inspire or relate to your own work? Explain your response in some depth
Examples of semi-abstract / purely abstract photographs
Carol Sharpe
Xavier Damon
Bernice Abbot
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Questions for a digitally edited Surreal Photograph Write out the actual questions (but only the sections in bold black), however, do not write out question 1 at all, just write the answer READ THE INFORMATION ON PAGE 3 BEFORE YOU START ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS 1) What is the name of the photographer? (Date and country of birth if you can find it) Is this photographer a professional photographer? If so, what companies has he or she worked for, what famous magazines have their photographs featured in or what galleries has he or she exhibited their work in? (You will need to use initial research to answer this question). Only write a couple of sentences for this – that’s it! Do not add loads of unrequired background information on the artist, we will only ask you to remove it. 2) What is the photographer’s motivation for being a photographer? What is the photographer’s motivation for creating this types of imagery? (Only write basic information – no life stories – couple of sentences at the most. Only write this if you have read it – don’t make it up!) Add quotes in here if you can 3) What is the location in the photograph: Urban (town or city), Rural (village or county side) Coastal (by the sea)? Or is it inside a building or in a studio? If it is not really obvious, then please explain what it is in this photograph that makes you think this. 4) Discuss (if you think / know) whether this photograph been taken for a commercial purpose or for an editorial purpose or for a fine art purpose. See the bottom of Page 2 for the definitions of commercial, editorial and fine art. If you know this because you have read it, then back it up with a quote. 5) What do you understand ‘Surreal’ to mean in art & photography (basically explain what Surrealism means in your own words) What are the visual elements in this portrait that make it Surreal? Describe and explain these visual elements. 6) When looking at this photograph, do you think that the photographer is telling a story in some way? (Is the photograph suggesting that an event has occurred, is occurring or is about to occur? What is this event? (If you cannot find this out for certain, then offer possible suggestions based on what you can see, but do not go overboard and make up over-the-top stories, stick to what you can see and offer sensible suggestions). Add quotes in here if you can 7) What ideas are being explored in this image or is the image symbolic of an event or of an emotion? Add quotes in here if you can 8) Is there anything controversial within the photograph? (Only discuss this if there is anything controversial enough within the imagery, otherwise leave the question out) 9) Do you think that this photograph is supposed to make you feel happy, anxious or curious? Why do you think this? Explain your reasons.
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10) Discuss the main technical or formal elements featured in this photograph? Look at the photograph and see whether you can identify any of the following things as being particularly important: unusual composition strong angles shallow or deep depth of field, blurry movement negative space strong colours or monochrome tones & shades Research to see whether the artist (or anyone else) has discussed this and add quotes in here to back up what you are saying 11) Do you consider this image to be a photograph or more of a piece of Fine Art? Explain your reasons for thinking this 12) What is your personal response to this photograph and how does this photograph inspire or relate to your own work? Explain your response in some depth
Examples of digitally edited Surreal Photographs
Katharina Jung
Murat Suyur
Kyle Thompson
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Questions for an image that has been created using art based techniques Answer this set of questions if there is any of the following techniques used on your selected photograph / image: print is sewn on top of; print is burnt, print is: ripped up, scrunched up, folded up; holes poked through the print; part of the print is scratched or wiped away, burying the print, print is collaged on top of, print has objects placed on top of it, print has had a liquid substance such as ink or paint added on top of it, print has been combined with another print; print is combined with text (handwriting, letters cut out of magazines); images projected onto something, prints reflected in mirrors, prints placed in water etc.
Write out the actual questions (but only the sections in bold black), however, do not write out question 1 at all, just write the answer READ THE INFORMATION ON PAGE 3 BEFORE YOU START ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS 1) What is the name of the photographer? (Date and country of birth if you can find it) Is this photographer a professional photographer? If so, what companies has he or she worked for, what famous magazines have their photographs featured in or what galleries has he or she exhibited their work in? (You will need to use initial research to answer this question). Only write a couple of sentences for this – that’s it! Do not add loads of unrequired background information on the artist, we will only ask you to remove it. 2) What is the photographer’s motivation for being a photographer? What is the photographer’s motivation for creating this type of imagery? (Only write basic information – no life stories – couple of sentences at the most. Only write this if you have read it – don’t make it up!) Add quotes in here if you can 3) Discuss (if you think / know) whether this photograph been taken for a commercial purpose or for an editorial purpose or for a fine art purpose. See the bottom of Page 2 for the definitions of commercial, editorial and fine art. If you know this because you have read it, then back it up with a quote. 4) Discuss the underlying genre of this photograph? Is it essentially based on a: portrait or self-portrait landscape or architecture still-life (objects) fashion (including cosmetics and accessories) environment (people featured in either an interior space or exterior landscape) fully abstract or semi-abstract 5) Describe the content of the photograph and explain the particular techniques that the artist/ photographer has used to change this image from a straightforward photograph into more of an art piece? Look at the options in the above list in green and see whether s/he has used any of these. 6) What is the artist trying to do or to show the viewer by using these experimental techniques on his / her photograph? Try to find out whether the photographer (or anyone else) has said anything at all about this image and add quotes in here if you can.
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7) Discuss the main technical or formal elements featured in this photograph? Look at the photograph and see whether you can identify any of the following things as being particularly important: unusual composition strong angles shallow or deep depth of field, blurry movement negative space strong colours or monochrome tones & shades Research to see whether the artist (or anyone else) has discussed this and add quotes in here to back up what you are saying. 8) Discuss whether the photographer / artist consider this image (or the body of work that this image is a part of) to be more of a photograph or more a piece of Fine Art? Only answer if you know the answer and can and you can back up what you say with a quote) 9) Do you think that the photographer has manipulated this photograph using digital editing (such as Photoshop)? If you think that s/he has, then what impact do you think that this could have had on the way that viewers react and respond to the photograph? (Research to see whether the photographer is known for using digital editing). If he or she has written about this, then please add quotes to back up what you are saying 10) What is your personal response to this photograph and how does this photograph inspire or relate to your own work? Explain your response in some depth
Examples of different Art Techniques Photographs
Maurizio Anzeri
Daniele Buetti
Virginia Echeverria
Lucas Simoes
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Questions for an image that has been digital manipulated into a pattern based image Write out the actual questions (but only the sections in bold black), however, do not write out question 1 at all, just write the answer READ THE INFORMATION ON PAGE 3 BEFORE YOU START ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS 1) What is the name of the photographer? (Date and country of birth if you can find it) Is this photographer a professional photographer? If so, what companies has he or she worked for, what famous magazines have their photographs featured in or what galleries has he or she exhibited their work in? (You will need to use initial research to answer this question). Only write a couple of sentences for this – that’s it! Do not add loads of unrequired background information on the artist, we will only ask you to remove it. 2) What is the photographer’s motivation for being a photographer? What is the photographer’s motivation for creating this types of imagery? (Only write basic information – no life stories – couple of sentences at the most. Only write this if you have read it – don’t make it up!) Add quotes in here if you can 3) Discuss (if you think / know) whether this photograph been taken for a commercial purpose or for an editorial purpose or for a fine art purpose. See the bottom of Page 2 for the definitions of commercial, editorial and fine art. If you know this because you have read it, then back it up with a quote. 4) Discuss the underlying genre of this photograph? Is it essentially based on a: portrait or self-portrait landscape or architecture still-life (objects) fashion (including cosmetics and accessories) just abstract patterns and colours 5) Briefly describe the content of this photograph – is this photograph visually pleasing? Give reasons for your answer 6) Do you think that this photograph has been created purely for visual reasons or is there any other underlying reason or hidden meaning in this photograph? (Only discuss any hidden meaning if you know for definite that there is because you have read about it!. if you cannot find this out, then leave this question out. Add quotes here if appropriate 7) In comparison to similar digitally edited and manipulated photographs that you have seen, do you think that the techniques in this photograph are particularly innovative and exciting or do you think that it is just a standard photograph of its type? If you think that it is particularly innovative and exciting, then add photographs of other, less interesting photographs to compare it with. 8) Discuss the main technical or formal elements featured in this photograph? Look at the photograph and see whether you can identify any of the following things as being particularly important: strong angles blurry movement negative space strong colours or monochrome tones & shades Research to see whether the artist (or anyone else) has discussed this and add quotes in here to back up what you are saying
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9) What is your personal response to this photograph and how does this photograph inspire or relate to your own work? Explain your response in some depth
Examples of different photographs that have been digital manipulated into a pattern based image
Mattia Mognetti
Ausra Osipaviciute
Rene Crystal
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Questions for Light Paintings Write out the actual questions (but only the sections in bold black), however, do not write out question 1 at all, just write the answer
READ THE INFORMATION ON PAGE 3 BEFORE YOU START ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS 1) What is the name of the photographer? (Date and country of birth if you can find it) Is this photographer a professional photographer? If so, what companies has he or she worked for, what famous magazines have their photographs featured in or what galleries has he or she exhibited their work in? (You will need to use initial research to answer this question). Only write a couple of sentences for this – that’s it! Do not add loads of unrequired background information on the artist, we will only ask you to remove it. 2) What is the photographer’s motivation for being a photographer? What is the photographer’s motivation for creating this type of imagery? (Only write basic information – no life stories – couple of sentences at the most. Only write this if you have read it – don’t make it up!) Add quotes in here if you can 3) Discuss (if you think / know) whether this photograph been taken for a commercial purpose or for an editorial purpose or for a fine art purpose. See the bottom of Page 2 for the definitions of commercial, editorial and fine art. If you know this because you have read it, then back it up with a quote. 4) Briefly describe the content of this photograph – is this photograph visually pleasing? Give reasons for your answer 5) Is the subject matter planned out deliberately or left to chance? Are the light shapes in the photograph being created by a person holding a torch, glow sticks, sparklers or other light sources to create deliberate shapes, such as geometrical patterns or the outline of people or objects, or has the photographer simply set up a camera on a tripod and relied on whatever passed in front of her or his camera to create the image i.e. lights from cars passing by? 6) Do you think that this photograph has been created purely for visual reasons or is there any other underlying reason or hidden meaning in this photograph? (Only discuss any hidden meaning if you know for definite that there is because you have read about it!. Add quotes here if appropriate 7) In comparison to other light painting photographs that you have seen, do you think that the techniques in this photograph are particularly innovative and exciting or do you think that it is just a standard light painting photograph? If you think that it is particularly innovative and exciting, the add photographs of other, less interesting photographs to compare it with. 8) Discuss the main technical or formal elements featured in this photograph? Look at the photograph and see whether you can identify any of the following things as being particularly important: strong shapes strong angles movement negative space strong colours or monochrome tones & shades Research to see whether the artist (or anyone else) has discussed this and add quotes in here to back up what you are saying.
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9) Is anything controversial within the photograph? (only answer this question if there is anything controversial enough within the imagery, otherwise leave the question out). If there is anything controversial, then please add quotes in here if you can 10) Do you think that the photographer has manipulated this photograph using digital editing (such as Photoshop)? If you think that s/he has, then what impact do you think that this could have had on the way that viewers react and respond to the photograph. (Research to see whether the photographer is known for using digital editing). If he or she has written about this, then please add quotes to back up what you are saying 11) What is your personal response to this photograph and how does this photograph inspire or relate to your own work? Explain your response in some depth
Examples of light painting photographs
Janne Parviainen
Patrick Roshon
Sola Adebisi
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