Wednesday, September 4, 2024

WEEKLY SELFIE 1 - Yosiry Beltre

Yosiry Beltre, Somewhere in the Leaves, 2024

Seeing how Ana Mendieta effortlessly blended into nature reminded me of how the line between "human" and "nature" is very thin despite how society (specifically the mainstream media) depicts it. Since I wasn't going to paint and stick myself to a tree, I made it work by standing behind some branches and angling the camera until I was hidden enough.

Ana Mendieta, Documentation of Tree of Life, 1976

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DUE WEDNESDAY 12/4 - Brunch party I will bring bagels :)

SELF-PORTRAIT FINAL PROJECT (30% of course grade)

Must be on the blog BEFORE class on 12/4

Read the assignment below carefully. Post your project before class and complete the written portion as per the assignment.

>Bring your project to class for our final presentations

*This is your final project - Make it amazing!!*

Choosing any one or combination of processes that you have explored during the semester, create a self-portrait. Connect your final self-portrait project to one (or more) of the artists and the readings we learned in class. You may also choose another artist we have not covered in class. You may also incorporate and be inspired by the the spectacle, media, advertising and technology in the exploration and presentation of self. You may use a medium/material/process you have used before but push yourself deeper and ambitiously on your final portrait! Research the artist(s) that inspires you and take time to develop a more ambitious idea inspired by this research.

In addition to completing your self-portrait project you will photograph and post your project to the blog with a written post which includes the images of your work, and an explanation of your project. In class you will present your project in a short 3-5 minute presentation.

WRITING THE POST

*Give your project a title

*Post images of your project. Please use proper lighting, cropping and formatting. If the project is digital, make sure video is working correctly, images appear correctly formatted etc.

*Project description/written post:

*The writing portion should be 500+ words

*Explain your process, your inspirations and influences

*Describe a connection to at least one artist we learned this semester or you have discovered on your own.

*You must also connect your explanation to the class readings. Incorporate at least 3 of the quotes you have been collecting from the readings each week.

*Be sure to cite the quotations and include any references/sources at the bottom of your post.

Questions to consider in your writing:

• What is the subject and content of your project?

• Why did you choose this medium and make the choices that led to the composition? How you would categorize your work (ex. collage, graphic print, mixed media, etc).

• Explain the process and steps you went through and why you made those decisions.

• What artist(s) inspired or informed your project?

• What do you think this self portrait conveys to the audience/viewers?

• What are the differences between your first self-portraits (3) and this self-portrait (final)?

• What influenced these changes? Have you pushed yourself and learned from the artists we discussed? How?

• How does the spectacle/media influence identity and self presentation?

Have fun! Push yourself and make something you are proud to share!

__________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 11/27

WEEKLY SELFIE 8 Final Project Idea

Create a digital self portrait that connects or illustrates the idea you have for your final project. Use this selfie as a sketch/practice/hint for your final portrait project. Read the description of the final assignment below. Remember to push yourself further for this final self-portrait in concept and in medium and style. Think about the artist(s) that inspires your project. Post your selfie to the blog with a brief proposal of your final project! We will be discussing ideas in class and working not he projects. Bring materials if possible to work on your final project in class.

WATCH all videos for additional inspiration:

*note connections to our class discussions and themes of self portraiture

no quotes due

Lee Krasner:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w38lzDuasTc&ab_channel=Sotheby%27s

Amy Sherald:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIQNtqfLT-4&ab_channel=Art21

Graciela Iturbide:

https://art21.org/watch/extended-play/graciela-iturbide-photographing-mexico-short/

Nick Cave:

https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s8/nick-cave-in-chicago-segment/

_____________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 11/20

SELF PORTRAIT PROJECT COLLAGE (20% - due 11/20)

(you must bring to class for presentation)
Drawing inspiration from the artists we have learned: Frida Kahlo, Wangechi Mutu, Hannah Hoch and the ideas of Surrealism and Dada, design and create a self portrait project using COLLAGE and combining drawing and painting as needed. Create a surrealist inspired singular portrait that looks at physical as well as phycological identity, real and absurd, and that includes a larger message (political, social, historical or psychological). Connect the work to the paintings and collages we have looked at, read about and saw in the assignments (revisit the videos and readings). Push yourself into the aesthetics of fine art and art history. *You can also challenge yourself to create your portrait as a dual portrait (as the "Two Fridas") or as a diptych=two panels that create one artwork that are displayed together.

Photograph and post your project to the blog. Be sure to take clear images of your project. Give your project a TITLE and explain the materials you used and your process for making it. In a short piece of writing share 3 quotes from the readings and 2+images of works that have inspired your project.

In your project description please explain your project and its meaning and in doing so also answer these questions: How does your project address the themes we have been discussing? How does contemporary media play a role in identity, cultural and societal norms? How do these influence our view of ourselves and each other? How are these themes addressed in the work of the artists we learned? What artist(s) inspired your project? How does your project speak to your identity and to art history?

~400 word description of your project posted with title and image of your project, +3 quotes and 2+ images of the artwork(s) that inspired your project.

_______________________________

NO CLASS 11/6
For those who need the day to rest, regroup and reflect.
Review materials below and we will continue with our work next week.

DUE WEDNESDAY 11/6 NO CLASS

ELECTION!! GO VOTE on or before 11/5 (get an "I Voted" sticker if you can)

READ:
Frida Kahlo Was a Painter, a Brand Builder, a Survivor. And So Much More | NY Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/31/arts/design/frida-kahlo-booklyn-museum.html

WATCH:
The Case for Surrealism | PBS Art Assignment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtPBOwE0Qn0&ab_channel=TheArtAssignment
Is This Frida Kahlo? | Art Assignment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vigep1nYT6o&ab_channel=TheArtAssignment

Biography of Frida Kahlo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROAH9LQecycCut

WEEKLY SELFIE 7 Frida Kahlo/Surrealism:
Inspired by the work of DADA, Wangechi Mutu, Surrealism, Frida Kahlo and others transform your drawing from class into a collage work that addresses your identity, politics and social justice issues of your choice. Think about the meaning of the work as a whole as well as the pieces that you choose to collage into it. Bring your collage to class and post an image of it on the blog ab\long with your two quotes from the reading above.

_______________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 10/30

(wear a costume to class if you would like!)

READ:

Wangechi Mutu Dresses Cultural Critique in Freakishly Beautiful Disguises

https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/wangechi-mutu-dresses-cultural-critique-freak-beautiful-disguises-1234655195/
2 quotes and a short response

Wangechi Mutu: An Imagined World Made Possible

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/02/arts/design/wangechi-mutu-new-museum.html

WATCH:
Cut and Paste | Collage History

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKzA5sZBNJw&ab_channel=nationalgalleries

What is DADA?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABNwtDyx7T4&ab_channel=nationalgalleries

Wangechi Mutu:Art 21
https://art21.org/watch/extended-play/wangechi-mutu-between-the-earth-and-the-sky-short/

Wangechi Mutu Interview: Cultural Cutouts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWd64sQK_yU

Wangechi Mutu, The New Ones Will Free Us at Met video interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQgCX7HZoW0

Wangechi Mutu on her work and The Art of Eating Everything
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvGcO73MM-I

WEEKLY SELFIE 6 - COLLAGE

Create a digital or paper collage selfie as a fantastical animal/creature inspired by the work of Wangechi Mutu. Use the collages and hybrid sculptures of Wangechi Mutu that you have explored in the article and in the videos to inspire your collage. You can create a simple digital collage using collage software such as Photoshop OR you can create a small physical collage with magazine images and cut paper and mixed materials (whatever you can get). Post the digital or paper collages to the blog (and bring physical ones to class). *We will expand on these techniques and ideas in the coming weeks to create a larger collage project.

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DUE WEDNESDAY 10/23

SELF-PORTRAIT PERFORMANCE (10pts)

Design and record a performance art piece self-portrait that also addresses a socio-political issue in some way. You can expand on your mini performance from last week or create a new one. You must record your performance in a video (at least two minutes long). *Still photos are allowed only if you cannot record a video - please reach out in email if this is the case. Look to the artists we have learned about in class for inspiration. Concentrate especially on the performance artists but you can take inspiration from any artist.

You can involve other people in your performance. You can use music, text or dialogue to augment your performance. You can speak directly to the audience and you can provide context and instructions, or you can provide no words or instructions. This is all up to you.

Consider many of the themes and issues we have discussed about identity, gender, race and equality, art history, the government, power structures including patriarchy and many more themes in your planning.

Push yourself into performance, conceptual art and representation. Get outside your comfort zone and be inspired to create something you would not otherwise. Rewatch the videos assigned on the blog and other resources for inspiration on performance art. Get creative and bold!

Written description In a short piece of writing of ~3-5 paragraphs (~400 words) please explain how this performance addresses the issue or issues you chose and the artist or artists you were inspired by. Use the readings we have done to help this explanation. Include at least 3 quotes from the readings with your project description and describe how you were inspired by other performance. Connect clearly to one or more of the artists performances we have learned (or another of your choice).

Presentation in class: Post your video to the blog with the written description. Prepare a 3 minute presentation of your performance for class. You can play the video and then explain the process, message, inspiration in an additional 3 minutes for the class critique.

Be silly, serious or strange but don't hesitate to get outside your comfort zone.

__________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 10/16

WEEKLY SELFIE 5 - PERFORMING A DREAM

Look to the performances we have seen so far - including Yoko Ono, Sean Leonardo, Marina Abramovic. Use the performances and the "instruction piece" exercise we did in class to inspire a new performance. Create a performance of an instruction piece that you connect to your identity and a dream that you have for yourself. This does not need to be a professional or even personal goal but something you might wish for yourself or are working to manifest. It can be small or gigantic. Create a VIDEO of the performance. Post the video to the blog with a short description of the performance and the dream. Post your 3 instruction pieces and the 2 quotes from the Abromovic article.

READ:

NYTimes | Being Marina Abromovic

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/08/t-magazine/marina-abramovic.html

2 quotes and a short response to each quote

Marina Abramovich

'warrior of performance art' on Royal Academy exhibition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TOY7pIMbH8&ab_channel=TheArtChannel

Performance: Artist is Present | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TlZjFGriLw

Performance: Artist is Present | What is Performance Art? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcyYynulogY

Performance: Artist is Present | Body as Medium http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OUrwdqwzqMU&feature=relmfu

Performance: Relation in Time. Marina Abramović and Ulay
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sRSoGAc3H0

Performance: LIGHT\DARK Marina Abramović and Ulay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY-cKs77Pfc

________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 10/9

WEEKLY SELFIE 4 - SIMPLE ACT OF PERFORMANCE
Read the assignments below and watch the videos with attention (jot down notes or reactions!)
Thinking about the specific performances in the readings think of the most basic parts of performance: body, movement, setting, audience, message. Think of a very simple performance that you can create that speaks to your identity and interests. Document your mini performance in several consecutive images (3+) or in a short video (approximately 1 minute or less). Look to the work of Yoko Ono, Shaun Leonardo (and others) in the readings and videos assigned to push into more conceptual ideas and techniques for your performance. Get creative! Step outside your comfort zone! Do not edit the video or images much. Think more about the action in real time. Post your project to the blog with a short description of your performance. What is the message your mini performance can convey. +++Add your 6 quotes from the readings to your post. Enjoy the process!

READ:
Widewalls | Yoko Ono - A Groundbreaking Artist, Activist and Fighter
https://www.widewalls.ch/magazine/yoko-ono-art-story
2 quotes and a short response to each quote

Hispanic Executive | Interview with Shaun Leonardo - Performance, Pedagogy, and Philosophy
https://hispanicexecutive.com/shaun-leonardo/
2 quotes and a short response to each quote

Khan Academy Performance Art An Introduction webpages (look through the various sections of this online course) https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/conceptual-and-performance-art/performanceart/a/performance-art-an-introduction
2 examples of performance art that stand out to you with a short response for each

WATCH:
An Introduction to Performance Art | TateShots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Z-YZ3A4mdk&t=2s

The Case For Performance Art PBS Art Assignment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EmMTKdUAokM

Yoko Ono
Who is Yoko Ono? | PBS Art Assignment
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KoU0E_ab36Q

Cut Piece performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sa1y-PAAzE

Shaun Leonardo | art21
https://art21.org/watch/new-york-close-up/shaun-leonardo-the-freedom-to-move/

____________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 10/2

PHOTO SERIES SELF-PORTRAIT PROJECT

(10% of course grade)
Series exploring a single theme

Create 4+ self-portraits that are informed/inspired by the ideas you read in the readings and discussions of the work of the artists Ana Mendieta, Cindy Sherman and Carrie Mae Weems. Try to create a particular SERIES that is inspired by the artist(s) work. Be specific about this connection and explain it. Title your series/images. Print them and bring them to class for discussion. You must also post the digital version of your images with a title and a short description (400+ words) of the series on the blog before class on 10/2. Please include 3 quotes from any of the readings and explain how your project was inspired and connects to the readings and the artist(s) you chose.

A photography series is a collection of images that are linked and showcased together. A series of photos will often have the same theme and have a conceptual bond or are shot at the same location. Photo series are often edited with the same method and in the same style focusing on coherence.

PHOTOS MUST BE PRINTED AND BROUGHT TO CLASS for presentation and critique. You will pin up your photos and present then to the class with a 3minute presentation explaining your description and connection to the artist(s).

______________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 9/25

WEEKLY SELFIE 3 - Ana Mendieta
Reclaiming the Gaze Inspired by the artwork of Ana Mendieta create a selfie that addresses the male gaze a or challenges it in some way. Although the artists mentioned are often addressing the representation of the female nude in their work, this assignment does not require this investigation. In reclaiming the gaze many artists have changed the way they portray the body including empowering and reclaiming it. How can you interpret this as well? Post your selfie and the work that has inspired it to the blog. Include the quotes for each reading with your selfie.

READINGS:

Female Gaze: Art that Looks at What Women See | NYTIMES
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/arts/women-artists.html
1 Quote

Ana Mendieta: Artist Who Pushed Boundaries | NYTimes
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/19/obituaries/ana-mendieta-overlooked.html
1 Quote

Understanding Patriarchy, bell hooks

https://imaginenoborders.org/pdf/zines/UnderstandingPatriarchy.pdf

In the textbook on Biblio:

John Berger, Ways of Seeing, Chapters 2+3 (you should have the book on Biblio!!)
2 Quotes and short responses/reactions

++Be prepared to answer the questions: What is the Male Gaze? Female Gaze? Write down responses to these questions as part of your response.

LOOK THROUGH:

Examples of Ana Mendieta's work:

her portfolio site

https://www.anamendietaartist.com/

on Artnet:

https://www.artnet.com/artists/ana-mendieta/

WATCH:
Ana Mendieta:
Traces/Stopy | Krátký dokument | Galerie Rudolfinum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72Nk0sPfRrU

Raquel Cecilia Mendieta on Ana Mendieta at Galerie Lelong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHD7_ACrFsg

Ana Mendieta at Gallerie Lelong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbYFjJomZag

____________________________

DUE BEFORE CLASS ON WEDNESDAY 9/18

WEEKLY SELFIE 2 - Cindy Sherman series

Create TWO digital self-portraits inspired by the work of the artist Cindy Sherman. Try to recreate two particular images that stands out to you from one of the artists' series that you can find in the videos, articles or galleries linked for homework. Post your selfie images to the blog with the images from her work that inspired your selfies.

Title your images. Post the Cindy Sherman images that inspired your selfie along with the 4 quotes and responses from the weekly readings.

READ:
The Cindy Sherman Effect by Phoebe Hoban for ArtNews

2 Quotes + response
http://www.artnews.com/2012/02/14/the-cindy-sherman-effect/

New York Times | The Ugly Beauty of Cindy Sherman

2 Quotes + response
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/10/05/magazine/instagram-cindy-sherman-ugly-beauty.html

WATCH (no quotes necessary):
Cindy Sherman, Nobody is Here But Me, 1994 (55min)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXKNuWtXZ_U

Cindy Sherman: Characters | Art21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_6S_vdQfeg

Cindy Sherman: Fashion | Art21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtATCPCC8b8

SEE:
(galleries of artists' works for reference)
Cindy Sherman at MoMA (some videos and images linked)
http://www.moma.org/calendar/exhibitions/1154?locale=en

Image Gallery and the marketplace:

https://www.artsy.net/artist/cindy-sherman

________________________________

DUE BEFORE CLASS ON WEDNESDAY 9/11

WEEKLY SELFIE 1 Carrie Mae Weems Create a digital self portrait that is informed/inspired by the ideas you read in the readings linked below and the work of the artist Carrie Mae Weems. Try to recreate one particular image that stands out to you from one of the artists' videos/galleries. Post your selfie image to the blog along with the Carrie Mae Weems image that inspired it. Write a short description of the selfie you made and how if was inspired by the Carrie Mae Weems image.

++Include your quotes and responses in the blog post with your selfie(s). Select two quotes from each of the readings and write a short response/reaction for each (see readings below). Include the two quotes + responses from each of the readings below your selfie in the post you create on the blog. Be sure to identify the reading for the quotes.

READ:
Susan Sontag excerpt from On Photography
http://www.susansontag.com/SusanSontag/books/onPhotographyExerpt.shtml
2 Quotes and short responses/reactions

Revisiting Carrie Mae Weems’s Landmark “Kitchen Table Series”
by Jacqui Palumbo for Artsy
https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-revisiting-carrie-mae-weemss-landmark-kitchen-table-series
2 Quotes and short responses/reactions

NY Times: How Carrie Mae Weems Rewrote the Rules of Image-Making

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/t-magazine/carrie-mae-weems-interview.html

2 Quotes and short responses/reactions

**Sign up for NY Times Digital Student Subscription or log-in through the NJCU library

WATCH:

Carrie Mae Weems: "The Kitchen Table Series" | Art21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPDInpNoO50

Carrie Mae Weems, Untitled (Woman Feeding Bird), The Kitchen Table Series, 1989-90 | Smart History
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wBEqPrgUDY

Carrie Mae Weems: "Roaming" | Art21
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI0R2qlRfps

Carrie Mae Weems: National Gallery of Art

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_jIwiBgSNtk&ab_channel=NationalGalleryofArt

LOOK THROUGH: Carrie Mae Weems - portfolio
http://carriemaeweems.net/work.html

Additional video we screened in class:

THE ART ASSIGNMENT | The Art History of the Selfie

https://www.pbs.org/video/art-assignment-selfie/

______________________

LINK TO THE CLASS SYLLABUS

Discussion guidelines
The course material and discussions can often be provocative and challenging. We must therefore be respectful of each other and of our viewpoints.

We must come to class prepared and ready to discuss the readings. Please keep discussions focused on the readings and class materials and keep examples relevant and appropriate. If you have not done the readings you are not to participate in the discussion.

Self I As Image Fall 2024