Assignment 5 - Wrapped Object - Art and Photography

Wrapped Coast, Christo and Jeanne-Claude

Discovering the art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude is more than just trying to "unwrap" what they wrapped. The work they created as a team, both as artists and husband and wife, has spanned not only time but cultures.  For them, the purpose of their art is "simply to create works of art for joy and beauty and to create new ways of seeing familiar landscapes". Unique to other artists, the pieces "all go away when they're finished".

Your assignment:  Create a wrapped "landscape" of your own.  You will be making a piece of art with your selection of object/area/material/wrapping material, then photographing it in the studio as if it were going to be put on display in a museum.  (I want you to study - REALLY study - the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude so you know why they call their pieces landscapes.)

You are to work alone on this assignment.  Submit two ideas on your blog with the objects you have selected - remember, size does not matter - go big if you like!

Once you have the final image (please use Lightroom to fine tune your final image), post and write what you discovered about your work and the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, your inspirations, your difficulties, and ultimately what you learned about these two amazing people.

Due date:  Tuesday, September 26

Assignment #3: Barcodes rethought.

This assignment is a bit tricky.  I'll be honest, I don't know what I would do given the concept of "bar code".

I'd like you to think about what a bar code looks like, what it's used for, and what it represents as a polar opposite of nature and man.

How would you photograph the concept of this?

Due date:  September 19.

Assignment #2: Building Relationships, photographically.

by Zander Olsen

We all know what a relationship is.  We can describe it if someone asks us.  But what does "relationship" mean and look like if people are not involved?

Your assignment is to build a relationship, photographically, without the use of people or interaction of humans.  It could be a relationship between objects, between bodies of earth, between a few things or many.  In the image above, Zander Olsen, a welsh-born photographer, constructs a visual relationship between trees and the horizon.

Now it's your turn.  Create a final, portfolio-quality image that clearly shows a relationship.  Look for a creative visual, good composition and lighting, and after posting, explain your concept in a paragraph or two.

Due date:  Friday, September 1, end of class