'Self Expression' - Photos inspired by Cindy Sherman

 

"Says Mayer, “Cindy Sherman opened a lot of the doors. She was the trendsetter in terms of distorted characters within self-portraiture. Originally painters painted self-portraits, and then she kind of blew it open with photographic portraiture, and now there are all these avenues younger artists are taking, which would not have been so easy without her work.” (Hoban 9)

This quote is important because it really makes you think how important trendsetters are. They can open new creative doors in certain fields, and inspire many people. Cindy Sherman was definitely one of those people, and it is so cool to know that so many people were inspired by her work. 

“What Cindy did, starting with the ‘Film Stills,’ is she realized the degree to which the stills used to promote cinema influenced the way people portrayed themselves, and she saw it as pure theater. That’s what I see as one of her great strengths—the theatrics of camera vision." (Hoban 12)

This quote is important because it highlights the idea that pictures are so powerful in the way they can influence the way you see yourself. There is power in getting dressed up, and putting on makeup, or even wearing something that makes you feel confident in a photo. A photographer that can capture how powerful someone feels when they transform themself on camera is a gift.

These images represent independent and powerful women. In the picture I am alone, which represents independence. However, my fashionable gloves and coat represent beauty and self expression. In the picture I am standing alone, but do not mind. Self expression is a way to feel confident and beautiful within yourself. Fashion can help you not need the validation of other people, because It can make you feel more comfortable within yourself. These images act as self portraits because they are representing individuality and confidence in ones self.

Photos Inspired by Cindy Sherman- Nicolette Capua

 

Nicolette Capua, Cindy Sherman Inspired Photo, 2022

 

Nicolette Capua, Beauty?, 2022

The Cindy Sherman Effect

By Phoebe Hoban

Two Quotes:

1- "No wonder the work of so many artists parallels Sherman’s, or at least mines similar conceptual veins: role-playing and the nature of identity; sexual and cultural stereotypes; the pressure to conform to the images of perfection promulgated through television, film, and advertising" (Hoban 4). 

         So many artists have pulled pieces from Sherman's work because she brought so many interesting ideas to life. She didn't want her images to be seen as perfection. She wanted them to be messy, real, and playful. Her work involved a lot of self-identity and stereotypes of women. On television and other streaming platforms everyone looks put together and has no flaws. Sherman wanted to make her work standout by showing the true colors of society and tamper with the roles people play in everyday life.

2- "I remember how exciting it was to see Cindy Sherman’s work for the first time, to walk into a gallery and see, all of a sudden, a room full of women’s faces. Disguised or not, it was thrilling. Here we were, women coming out of the woodwork. She mirrored my state of mind at the time, a woman artist who was tired of all the bravado of the male-dominated art world" (Hoban 25).

      Cindy Sherman inspired a lot of women with her work. She mainly had portfolios of women because she felt that they are always stereotyped and shouldn’t be held back by the male-dominated world. Cindy made sure to make a statement by showing the different sides of woman's personalities and attitudes through her photos. Whether the women in the photos had a costume on or a disguise, Sherman still made her points come across to everyone. She was very bold and daring when it came to expressing women and their uniqueness.

These images represent a woman contemplating if she feels and looks beautiful. They show her laying on the bed with a mirror feeling exhausted from having to present herself a certain way everyday. This idea of having to please a man by looking beautiful all the time or never walking out of the house without makeup on is expressed in these photos as well. They act as self-portraits by revealing how the woman feels with her facial expressions. Cindy Sherman didn't take all her work literally but everyone is able to create a scene in their mind based off how well she created these images. 

Kaitlyn Arroyo - Artist Cindy Sherman's Inspired Work

Kaitlyn Arroyo, Untitled #1, 2022

Kaitlyn Arroyo, Untitled #2, 2022

Phoebe Hoban 

The Cindy Sherman Effect 

Two Quotes

"We live in the era of Youtube fame and reality-TV shows and makeovers, where you can be anything you want to be any minute of the day, and artists are responding to that. Cindy was one of the first to explore the idea of the malleability or fluidity of identity." (Hoban 1) 

It's becoming easier to get recognition on famous platforms where you are able to express yourself freely and have thousands of people watch and get inspired by popular influencers. Youtube and reality shows glamorize the idea that you could be anybody you want as long as you have a supportive audience and get the approval online. I believe that the idea of wanting to become the best version of yourself can finally be a reality for so many of us because of the widespread attention that is received from these platforms. 

"By limiting her subject matter strictly to herself, while at the same time excavating countless permutations, she inspired a generation of younger artists to explore their own identities across a range of mediums." (Hoban 3)

When Cindy Sherman portrays a character in her photographs, she is replicating a persona that isn't her own. She experiments with different mediums and plays around with images of herself. Through these characters, she envisions a life that is different than hers. An example of this would be performing in a theatrical performance. That person is so dedicated to the role that the persona of the character is portrayed into your own. Nowadays, photographers like to explore with Photoshop or Facetune to enhance certain features to make you almost unrecognizable, but Sherman was able to explore her own mediums by not setting boundaries and allowing freedom to be expressed through her work. She invites her younger audience to express themselves by choosing how they want to dress and being comfortable with their shell of a body. 

Kitchen Table Series- Alanna Ciarlandini

Alanna Ciarlandini, Untitled

Inspired by Carrie Mae Weems: The Kitchen Table, 1990

"To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed." - Susan Sontag 

Sontag's perspective on photography is focused on how flaws attribute to a photograph's aesthetic build. To truly beautify a piece is to take ownership of its being and savor its image while leaving its imperfections untouched.  

"Photographs furnish evidence" -Susan Sontag

Without photography the many identities of people we have grown to learn about whether it be historical figures or long passed family members would only be remembered through personal accounts. However, these passed-on stories would not match the authenticity of a raw image since it is one of the only inventions to truly capsulate a moment in time. 

“I think that most work that’s made by Black artists is considered to be about Blackness. Unlike work that’s made by white artists, which is assumed to be universal at its core.”

 -Carrie Mae Weems

Although we may be of a different race, come from a different culture, or practice a different religion we all claim to be human. We cry when we are hurt. We laugh when we are enthralled. We may undergo different experiences but in the end, we share what we call humanity. 

 “So tell me, baby, what do you know about this great big world of ours?” “Not a damn thing sugar,” - Carrie Mae Weems and her lover

The world is a big place and what makes Weems' images unique is that they give a glimpse into the private world that takes place within her kitchen walls. We can never know others' true experiences as they do. Perceiving can only bring you so far compared to knowing and experiencing for yourself. 

The Kitchen Table Series- Naomi Piedra

 On Photography 

“In teaching us a new visual code, photographs alter and enlarge our notions of what is worth looking at and what we have a right to observe.” 

When an artist takes a photograph, they tend to play around with their art and that is the true beauty of it. They are in full control of what they want their audience to see. 

"Finally, the most grandiose result of the photographic enterprise is to give us the sense that we can hold the whole world in our heads-as an anthology of Images.” 

I love this quote because I believe every picture holds a memory and every time we look at a picture that memory tends to play in our heads.

The Kitchen Table Series

“Across the scenes, Weems changes roles as others join her in the room. She moves from lover to friend to mother and to herself, alone.” 

Even though it is not a moving imagine, the artist manages to change the emotion and the mood in every picture. She manages to portray her feelings through the photographs with each person she photographs with. 

“Weems’s black-and-white photographs are like mirrors, each reflecting a collective experience: how selfhood shifts through passage of time; the sudden distance between people, both passable and impassable; the roles that women accumulate and oscillate between; how life emanates from the small space we occupy in the world.”

I really enjoyed this quote because it states exactly how much a single photograph can say. A picture can say a lot without using a single word. 

Isabelle Legaspi - The Kitchen Table Series

 

Inspired by Carrie Mae Weems's "The Kitchen Table Series"

On Photography

"Photographs really are experiences captured, and the camera is the ideal arm of consciousness in its acquisitive mood." 

Photography has become one of our immediate sources to capture experiences. It is the go-to when a parent wants to remember their baby’s firsts, or when an athlete scores first place in their sport, or when you feel really really happy. It's up to you to take a video or photo of that experience, but leave it to the camera to transform that short moment into something that lasts forever.

“Photographs, which package the world, seem to invite packaging. They are stuck in albums, framed and set on tables, tacked on walls, projected as slides.”

Whenever I think of something from the past, I’m urged to look through the photo albums just to see if my mom kept a picture from that time, or scroll up in my photos app. Photography, so old, but so evolved. It started off weak, making decades old photos easy to destroy with time or fire. Now you can scan a photo from the past and have it uploaded onto a screen. 

Revisiting Carrie Mae Weems's Landmark "The Kitchen Table Series"

“Weems’s black and white photographs are like mirrors, each reflecting a collective experiences: how selfhood shifts through passage of time; the sudden distance between people, both passable and impassable; the roles that women accumulate and oscillate between; how life emanates from the small space we occupy in the world.”

Weems’s decision to take black and white photographs adds to the viewer’s perspective that the scenes taken from that table are meant to be timeless and relatable. Women can picture themselves at that table, doing the same or similar thing.

 “”Everyone can relate to this work,” Sann said. “It’s not just Black women; it’s white woman, Asian women. Men can see the women in their lives- memories from their childhood are scenes from their marriage or their family life. It’s so universal and yet representation like this is so rare.””

Looking at Weems and her companions doing whatever activities at that kitchen table, it reminds me of when I help my mom make food, when my dad helped with elementary school homework, and when my parents sat my siblings and I down for serious talks. Every photo in Weems’s “The Kitchen Table Series” is relatable, a common and repetitive experience in almost everyone’s lifetime. 

Kitchen Table- Jamella Williams

 

Perception of  Vanity-Jamella Williams

Photograph- Susan Sontag 

"The inventory started in 1839 and since then just about everything has been photographed or so it seem," (Sontang, 2010).

 

                                                                    Response: 

This quote, to me, allows one to understand that photographs too can control the viewers' perception. Artists, through their art, can convey what they want their viewers to see and choose to what extent how much they intend to reveal. This surfaces the ideal we can only judge based on our understanding of how we individually view the world around us. 

"Any photograph seems to have a more innocent and therefore more accurate relation to visible reality than do other mimetic objects," (Sontang,2010). 

 

                                                                            Response:

The word "seems" is very important in this quote; I believe it seems to be more accurate because artists aim to display only what they want you to see. To support this, later down in the article, Sontang mentioned photographs convey  a "narrowly selective transparency." Meaning each individual can interpret or perceive an image differently regarding how evolved their minds are; just like print, our assumptions might be clouded due to limited experience. However, I can say that this makes way for conversation; it allows viewers to share and elaborate on their opposing perspectives to encourage open-mindedness. 

Perceived reality-Jamella Williams

"everyone can relate to this work, its just not black women; its white women, Asian women, men can see the women in their lives, memories... it is universal, yet representation is rare, "(Palumbo,2020).

The beauty of this piece is its domesticity; it depicts real-world encounters that every individual at one point in life experiences. It is real, it is raw, and it is vulnerable. As proposed, black art in the past was only viewed as art that related to people of the black community. Still, through her "real" settings, Weems allowed her audience to be viewers of real-life encounters, of the natural world of a woman, in the most visited room of the house, going through most common emotions and experiences that accompany life. 

"So tell me baby, what do you know about this great big world of ours? Not a damn thing sugar," (Weems, N.a.). 

The way I interpreted this quote is Weems referring to her kitchen table series as her world, in where she eludes that, we only know as much as she displayed in her picture, there can be more or less to her story. Still, we are just onlookers that caught a glimpse of her experiences. 

 

 

Kitchen Table Series - Donovan Arroyo

 On Photography

Quote 1: "Photographs really are experience captured, and the camera is the ideal arm of consciousness in its acquisitive mood."

This quote to me explains how pictures are the best way to capture memories and still get that feeling of being there. In todays society, people record and take pictures of everything they do for their social media accounts. It really is special to look back at them and recall special memories as we get older but people tend to lose themselves behind their camera and it consumes their lives. Sometimes its ok to live in the moment but their is nothing wrong with snapping a few pics along the way.

Quote 2: "Photographs, which fiddle with the scale of the world, themselves get reduced, blown up, cropped, retouched, doctored, tricked out."

This quote to me screams Instagram. People put on a facade and they use filters on their face or their bodies to create something that is not true.

Kitchen Table Series

Quote 1: "Weems, playing the muse, embraces her partner, their arms forming a single spiral. She’s alone, folding into herself, a half-empty bottle of wine in front of her."

As it says in the quote, Weems is shown hugging her partner and the next picture is shown her drinking wine by herself and crying. It can represent how sometimes when we think we have someone to rely on, they ultimately will leave us.

Quote 2: "I knew that I was making images unlike anything I had seen before, but I didn’t know what that would mean."

This quote speaks to me about taking risks. Weems wanted to tell a story through her pictures and she got her friends and family involved. Something that started out as a hobby turned into a career.

Kitchen Table Series

 

Living Room Table Series- Mel Uraga

On Photography 

“Photographs furnish evidence. Something we hear about, but doubt, seems proven when we're shown a photograph of it”

 

-This made me realize how important it is to have things photographed because then it is definite evidence that something did exist. Without it we may have never known what really is/was. 

 

“taking photographs had no clear social use; it was a gratuitous, that is, an artistic activity, though with few pretensions to being an art”

 

-It is crazy to think how people back in the day used photography for fun and giggles and did not realize just how much value or how much of a story their photographs really held within. When they started to realize the importance of storytelling within photographs that is when it started to become an art. 

 

Kitchen Table Series 

“Everyone can relate to this work, It’s not just Black women; it’s white women, Asian women. Men can see the women in their lives—memories from their childhood or scenes from their marriage or their family life. It’s so universal and yet representation like this is so rare.”

 

-Photography/art in general is such an interesting thing. To someone, a photograph might mean an entirely different thing than someone else, and neither version is right or wrong. A photograph is unique to oneself because of their experiences and understandings. 

 

“…how life emanates from the small space we occupy in the world”

-This quote made me realize just how small we really are as humans but how much of an impact our actions can make. Taking the Kitchen Table Series as an example, through such a small amount of space, Carrie Mae was able to speak volumes and tell so many different stories that ended up inspiring so many people. 

kitchen table series

 “So tell me baby, what do you know about this great big world of ours?” “Not a damn thing sugar,”

I like the contrast of fantasizing about the big world outside of you, while being confined to this small space, and this also relates to this quote:

"...how life emanates from the small space we occupy in the world."

I spend most of my time in a tiny room in a small apartment, and I keep pretty much everything I own in there, it's cluttered, I can't move in there, I can never find anything, but I'm home, and I feel comfortable occupying that space.

These two quotes seemed profound to me:

"To collect photographs is to collect the world"

"To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed"

Maybe not with photographs, but I take a lot of little videos on this crappy old camcorder that I have. Time feels like it's going by so fast, and there's this urgency to capture the things happening around, to collect moments that you can later look back on. There's this film called "It's Such a Beautiful Day", and it's about a guy who has problems with his brain and begins to lose all of his memories, and as it's happening the narrator says "all these things, the people he's met, his experiences, everything he was, was just sort of a vague feeling now". I'm terrified that one day I'll look back and see only blurry outlines of what my life was, so I tend to film a lot of what I see on a daily basis. It's like I'm hoarding memories for when I can't remember them anymore.

Kitchen Table Series

 

Self-Portrait

"Untitled (Women and Phone)" By: Carrie Mae Weems

On Photography

Quote #1: “To collect photographs is to collect the world.”

-        To me, this quote was beautifully written since there is truth behind it. With every photo we see we see memories that people share, locations around the world, experience the livelihood of many people, etc. We truly are able to collect the world with each photograph.

Quote #2: “Photographs, which package the world, seem to invite the packaging.”

-        Photographs are able to contain so much information within them, and hold a lot of value to people. So much so that we place photographs into frames and hang them up. Some go as far as to be hung up in museums to be bought of sold off. Photographs do as the quote says and package themselves into the world.

Revisiting Carrie Mae Weems’s Landmark “Kitchen Table Series”

Quote #1: “Weems’s black-and-white photographs are like mirrors, each reflecting a collective experience: how selfhood shifts through passage of time; the sudden distance between people, both passable and impassable; the roles that women accumulate and oscillate between; how life emanates from the small space we occupy in the world.”  

-        This series of photos are meant to reflect what is going on in front of them, showcasing the narrative that Weems intended. It all takes place at one location, demonstrating the life of the woman happening and showing that time is passing.

Quote #2: “..from their meeting in the “glistening, twinkling crystal light of August/September sky,” through all the tests and balancing acts and storms of their relationship, until the woman finds solace in solitude.”

-        We see the woman go through a journey of finding love, having a daughter, growing distant from her love and winds up enjoying being with herself rather than viewing it as a negative aspect of her life.

Kitchen Table Series - Riya Bhajan

 

Inspired by Carrie Mae Weems's "Kitchen Table Series"

Susan Sontag

On Photography 

1. "Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire."

        "Miniatures of reality" is an interesting but accurate way of symbolizing photographs. Whenever we are looking back or reminiscing on photos, it's like we are looking into a time portal of what life was like back then. The feelings, the memories, the people, they were all captured and formed into a square 'miniature reality' to look back on in our photo albums (digital and/or physical photo albums).

2. "Although there is a sense in which the camera does indeed capture reality, not just interpret it, photographs are as much an interpretation of the world as paintings and drawings are."

    As an artist, I always describe my portrait artwork as taking a picture using my paintbrush or pencil onto a piece of paper. I appreciate that Sontag believes photographs are related to the concept of painting and drawing just like how I believe my art is related to taking a photograph.

Carrie Mae Weems

Revisiting Carrie Mae Weems’s Landmark “Kitchen Table Series”

1. "Arts, it is most often seen in parts, through individual scenes and rarely with its accompanying text: a story of the lovers told in vivid vignettes, from their meeting in the “glistening, twinkling crystal light of August/September sky,” through all the tests and balancing acts and storms of their relationship, until the woman finds solace in solitude."

    This quote represents that art can tell a deep story and without the Artist's statement we are led with hundreds of interpretations, perspectives, and assumptions of what the true story or meaning of an art piece is.

2. “I think that most work that’s made by Black artists is considered to be about Blackness. Unlike work that’s made by white artists, which is assumed to be universal at its core.”

This statement is very insightful, this is why the representation of People of Color and Black artists is important in the art world. Black artists don't get the acknowledgment they deserve as being creatively "universal."

Kitchen Table Series - Dominique Ciaffone

 On photography -

Quote 1 -“What is written about a person or an event is frankly an interpretation, as are handmade visual statements, like paintings and drawings. Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire.” 

Reaction: The idea of visuals such as pictures or paintings/ drawings only being an interpretation is refreshing to know. Pictures don’t only mean one thing, and don’t have to even make a specific “statement.” They are always up for interpretation. This just makes art seem overall more fun and interesting to me. I like that there truly aren’t any rules, and you don’t have to feel the same thing as others when looking at art. In Carrie Mae Weems kitchen table series, she photographs many different events at her kitchen table for people to create their own meaning to.  

Quote 2- “Photographs furnish evidence. Something we hear about, but doubt, seems proven when we're shown a photograph of it. In one version of its utility, the camera record incriminates.”

Reaction: This quote makes me remember that there are so many different reasons for photographs. Photographs can make you feel something, and they can also say 1000 words. They are also great at harnessing evidence, which makes them useful as well as beautiful. 

Revisiting Carrie Mae Weems’s Landmark “Kitchen Table Series”-

Quote 1- “Initially, there is the span of a romantic relationship: at first warm and intimate, then cold and wanting. Across the scenes, Weems changes roles as others join her in the room. She moves from lover to friend to mother and to herself, alone.”

Reaction: I like this quote because it is amazing to me how pictures and art can portray so many different things, all within the same theme. From being a mother, to being a lover, Weems captures the beauty, power and struggles through it all. She isn’t necessarily saying one thing, but she is surly getting her point across within her pictures. 

Quote 2- “Everyone can relate to this work,” Sann said. “It’s not just Black women; it’s white women, Asian women. Men can see the women in their lives—memories from their childhood or scenes from their marriage or their family life. It’s so universal and yet representation like this is so rare.”

Reaction: It is beautiful that Weems art was meant to target everyone, not just a specific race or gender. I think this is a big reason art is so wildly loved around the world. No matter who you are, or your race/background, art can speak to you. It has power, and doesn’t discriminate. 

Photography and Carrie Mae Weem

What do you see? by Aida Deleg

Ain't Jokin', 1987-1988 (Series) by Carrie Mae Weems

"Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality that anyone can make or acquire."

" Images which idealize (like most fashion and animal photography) are no less aggressive than work which makes a virtue of plainness (like class pictures, still lifes of the bleaker sort, and mug shots). There is an aggression implicit in every use of the camera."

-Quotes from On Photography by Susan Sontag 

Reaction: Photographs gave a visual image to memories that were usually remembered as smells, sensations and shadows. Unless you are of the percentage that remembers in great detail then photos probably just provide a little clarity. In the excerpt the writer says that there is aggression behind the use of the camera which is an interesting statement. Since there are occasions where a camera is shoved in front of your face. Overall, I agree that the camera captures a small part of a past experience since what is pointed at with the lens is what gets printed.

"Weems’s black-and-white photographs are like mirrors, each reflecting a collective experience: how selfhood shifts through passage of time; the sudden distance between people, both passable and impassable; the roles that women accumulate and oscillate between; how life emanates from the small space we occupy in the world."

"Though the entirety of “The Kitchen Table Series” is in the permanent collections of the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Detroit Institute of Arts, it is most often seen in parts, through individual scenes and rarely with its accompanying text:..."

-Quotes from Revisiting Carrie Mae Weems’s Landmark “Kitchen Table Series” by Jacqui Palumbo

Reaction: When the series is explained it seems like an old frame by frame movie in black and white. No words needed just seeing the images and the viewer can have an understanding of what the artist wanted to express. I did also like how the artist later on added text to give it more of a written narrative. The series gave a interesting view to daily life and most people can recall a memory similar to the images.

Kitchen Table Series - Nicolette Capua

Nicolette Capua, The Kitchen Table Series, 2022

 

Excerpt from On Photography

By Susan Sontag

Two Quotes: 

1-"Photographs, which fiddle with the scale of the world, themselves get reduced, blown up, cropped, retouched, doctored, tricked out" (Sontag 4). 

         The photos of today are tampered with and changed. A lot of people on social media change the original picture they take by using apps to fix their bodies to look a certain way. This is one of the toxic traits social media has. Some people also just feel original photos need editing and better lighting so they have to change the photo to grab more peoples' attention. 

2-"Since there was no professional photographers, there could not be amateurs either, and taking photographs had no clear social use; it was gratuitous, that is, an artistic activity, though with few pretensions to being an art" (Sontag 9).

        When taking photos was just for fun it gave a different meaning to it. There was no one who was better than the other. Every photo was unique for its own purpose. It was a pure and wholesome thing to do. Now, photos are used to show off on social media or to grab a wider audiences attention to gain more followers. It is no longer an artistic activity with professional photographers because most people are now taking pictures a specific way and editing them. 

Carrie Mae Weems, The Kitchen Table Series, 1990 

Revisiting Carrie Mae Weems's Landmark "Kitchen Table Series"

By Jacqui Palumbo 

Two Quotes:

1- "Weems's black-and-white photographs are like mirrors, each reflecting a collective experience: hold selfhood shifts through passage of time; the sudden distance between people, both passable and impassable; the roles that women accumulate and oscillate between; how life emanates from the small space we occupy in the world" (Palumbo 4).

            Weems' photos' show real life situations that many people can relate to and can see themselves in. Although these photos were taken many decades ago, they still relate to experiences that are timeless. The photos illustrate a collective experience that both men and woman can connect to. Specifically, some of her photos depict the female perspective and can relate to the roles that woman like themselves are in. She also left life lessons in these photographs that people were able to pick up on and understand. 

2-"Everyone can relate to this work," it's not just black women; it's white women, Asian women. Men can see the women in their lives- memories from their childhood or scenes from their marriage or family life. It's so universal yet representation like this is so rare" (Palumbo 6).

         This work of art is so relatable yet we don't see this type of art often. Anyone can relate to Weems' series making her art even more impressive. This is the type of art that touches everyone. It is simple yet very affective. It brings us back memories we may not have thought of in a long time. These photos are the type that we should see more of today as they leave us with a sense of awe and inspiration.

Kaitlyn Arroyo - Living Room Table Series

Kaitlyn Arroyo, Living Room Table, 2022

Inspired by Carrie Mae Weems: The Kitchen Table Series

Susan Sontag 

Excerpt from: On Photography 

Two Quotes

"Photographs really are experience captured, and the camera is the ideal arm of consciousness in its acquisitive mood." (Sontag 3)

The meaning interpreted from the quote is that the world is your canvas and each picture that is photographed truly exemplifies that you have to live in the moment to truly feel the mood captured. 

"That age when taking photographs required a cumbersome and expensive contraption -- the toy of the clever, the wealthy, and the obsessed -- seem remote indeed from the era of sleek pocket cameras that invite anyone to take pictures." (Sontag 5)

The digital age of technology has revolutionized the way higher quality and better performance are produced in products that are manufactured nowadays. Cameras have evolved, adapted, and changed just like humans in an economy. Phones allow anyone to take pictures wherever they go with added features like filters and dual-lens. It is used to express creativity and imagination for individuals who wish to share their creations on social media. 

Jacqui Palumbo

Revisiting Carrie Mae Weem's Landmark "Kitchen Table Series" 

Two Quotes

"Weem's black and white photographs are like mirrors, each reflecting a collective experience: how selfhood shifts through the passage of time; the sudden distance between people, both passable and impassable; the roles that women accumulate: how life emanates from the small space we occupy in the world." (Palumbo 4)

Photographs could share a whole story combined in a series of images. It allows the viewer to fill in the blanks and use their imagination of what they think is happening with the use of visuals and color theory. Her iconic Kitchen Table Series looks at a woman that is centered at the table. The kitchen in the house brings comfort and nourishment to everyday living. By seeing through Weems illustrations, she creates constructed images that allow the viewer to look behind the thin lines and see the use of black and white photographers which produces a soft, yet intimate look to the images where light is directing us to the focal point of what's important to view.  

"It was a seminal moment for black representation in art, influencing an entire generation of artists who rarely saw their own selves reflected back on museum walls." (Palumbo 5)

African American photographers were once not recognized for their artistry. That's why it was such an accomplishment once their talents got the recognition they deserved.  Many were inspired and new talents were shared with the world. It was an inspiring moment in history and people could learn what's truly behind the lens. 

Donovan Arroyo

 Donovan Arroyo

Syllabus

Self I As Image  Spring 2022

Wednesdays 2:10pm- 5:30pm

Prof. Doris Cacoilo                      

*CLASS MEETINGS WILL BE HELD ON ZOOM AND CLASS ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE POSTED TO A CLASS BLOG. THERE WILL BE THREE IN-PERSON MEETINGS AT NJCU THROUGHOUT THE SEMESTER. See class schedule.

CLASS BLOG: https://selfiasimagesp2022.blogspot.com/

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Through the use of photography, computer graphics and mixed media this course will think about the increasingly complex relationship between our hyper-visual world of imagery and how we constantly navigate our own visual identity.

This is a general education course that is paired with the Tier 2 course, Self: I as Body.

Self: I as Image uses core themes of self-identity and imagery to explore, enrich and empower students to understand self and identity within a context of creative approaches to visual communication. Maintaining a positive sense of self and identity requires a continual process of meta-awareness of the role of imagery in self identity, visual communication and the cultural production of values and ideals.

This course uses a multi-faceted approach to understanding imagery that combines visual observation, cultural analysis, creative projects, contemplation and formal knowledge. This course addresses a need to have the language, knowledge, experience and critical tools necessary to explore the role images play in contemporary society and culture.

This course encourages a broader consideration of citizenship by thinking critically about the relationship of identity, images, values and ideals in a highly complex visual world. Conscientious citizenship is also honed by examining cultural representations of people and bodies and the affect these visual representations have on personal, social and cultural values and ideals.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING

Our class time will be split between online Zoom meetings which include lecture, class discussions and presentations individual time watching online videos, required reading and art and writing projects. While in class discussion please be respectful of the opinions of others even if they stand diametrically opposed to your own. For our remote Zoom classes you must be in class ON TIME and prepared for class each week. Failure to do so will be reflected in your participation grade. Failure to do so consistently can lead to failure in the course.

REQUIRED TEXTS

The Art of Self Invention by Joanne Finkelstein, I.B. Tauris, London: 2007

Ways of Seeing by John Berger, British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books: New York 1990

Additional readings on Blackboard http://blackboard.njcu.edu/ and linked online.

CLASS PARTICIPATION and READINGS Attendance is mandatory. Attendance and participation in the class discussion is part of your participation grade. Weekly reading assignments will be assigned from your required texts and linked on the blog. The full reading schedule will be distributed on the class blog. Readings are due each week. All readings are REQUIRED unless otherwise stated. For each week’s readings you must select two quotes or passages from the readings and write a brief description or reaction to each quote. I will often collect these on Blackboard. Please have them typed up so you can submit them when it is requested. I will call on students each week during discussion to read and discuss these quotes. You must have these prepared for each reading for the Zoom discussion sessions.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS Two short essay assignments that draw on the class reading will be during the semester. These will be explained in class and will be described in detail on the class blog. The assignments will be submitted by posting to the class blog. 

WEEKLY SELFIES Weekly selfie assignments must be posted to the class blog. These will be inspired by and in response to weekly readings and artist work. Details will be specified in class and on the blog each week. 

SELP PORTRAIT PROJECTS

This is a four-part project that asks students to measure experience over time and contemplate how we value images and the role that plays in navigating our own visual identity.

Parts 1-3: In response to the artist self portraits presented in the class students will be asked to create three self portrait projects in a variety of media. Each project will be in response to a particular artist's work or several artists works. The projects will explore the creation of a flag, a performance and a painting, drawing or collage that explores themes of self identity.

Part 4: FINAL Choosing any one or combination of processes that you have explored during the semester, compose an image that captures a self-portrait. Through an oral, written and visual presentation of your works, explain the following to the class:

• What is the subject of your image?

• What is the content of your image?

• Why did you make the choices that led to the composition?

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

• How you would categorize your work (ex. collage, graphic print, mixed media, etc).

• What artists or works are appropriate to compare your work to?

• What do you think this image conveys to the audience?

• What are the differences between the first self-portrait and your last self-portrait?

GRADING

Attendance is mandatory and all assignments must be finished and handed in on time to receive a passing grade for this course.

50% Self portrait projects

20% Short essays

15% Attendance/participation

15% Weekly selfie assignments

COURSE OBJECTIVES

Cultural/Social analysis

1. Question the relationship of beauty and images.

2. Question the role of photography and images in forming identity.

3. Understand the role of the artist/designer in producing two-dimensional composition within a social and cultural context.

4. Explore the relationship of imagery and visual perception to our sense of self and identity.

5. Adopt a critical posture in the consumption and production of images and photographs.

6. Discover how context provides images’ meaning.

7. Examine the capacity and ease of capturing, producing and sharing images and the role this plays in navigating personal, social and cultural communities.

Composition and Practice

8. Study both the elements (Line, Shape, Value, Texture, Form, Color) and the principals (Unity, Variety, Balance, Emphasis) of two-dimensional design.

9. Learn to analyze, interpret and describe images both orally and written using appropriate terminology.

Creative Production/Experience

10. Experience the creative process in an art studio environment.

11. Be creative in the use of composition, media and material.

12. Experiment in projects that employ the elements of two-dimensional design and produce two-dimensional compositions in various media.

13. Integrate the research of historical and contemporary artists and designers into projects that reflect consideration of composition and visual communication.

14. Communicate thoughts, ideas and/or expression through imagery and considered composition.

15. Compare creative productions and visual experiences with peers, both orally and written.

HEALTH AND SAFETY

You are not to risk the health or safety of yourself or any of the other people in the Art department. To ensure safety strictly follow all safety procedures explained to you as well as the New Jersey City University regulations. If you have any concerns or questions or are ever unclear about proper safety and health procedures, then ask the instructor or appropriate authority. 

 

If you feel you have any special concerns or problems that you would like to address please feel free to bring them to my attention. If there are any health concerns, either physical or psychological, that may affect your ability to fully participate in the class or complete assignments I am available to discuss possible solutions or address any of your concerns. If you have health or disability concerns that you would like to address but do not feel it is appropriate to discuss them with me there are services on campus available to address your concerns; contact Student/Health Services (Vodra Hall, Suite 107, 201-200-3456), the Art Department Office, or feel free to see me for contact info.

CLASS SCHEDULE

ALL READINGS AND ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE SPECIFIED WEEKLY IN ONLINE CLASS AND ON THE CLASS BLOG  It is the student’s responsibility to check the blog each week for required readings and assignments. All readings can be found in the required texts, online (linked from the blog) or on Blackboard.

If you ever have questions or concerns about the schedule, due dates, changes or anything else please ask me after class or e-mail me: dcacoilo@njcu.edu

Class Discussion Topic	Readings/Assignments due
1/19 Introduction to Self: I as Image	ZOOM SESSION 2:30pm  Get the books! Introduction of the course syllabus, class blog and themes
1/26 Photography	READINGS DUE are linked on the class blog and emailed/posted in an announcement in Blackboard. Weekly ‘selfie’ introduction to class posted to the class blog ZOOM SESSION 2:30pm
2/2 Language, Symbols and Identity	READINGS DUE are linked on the class blog and emailed/posted in an announcement in Blackboard!  Weekly ‘selfie’ in response to the readings ZOOM SESSION 3:00pm
2/9 The Gaze, Body, and the Power of Looking	READINGS:  John Berger Chapters 2+3 (you should have the book but its also on BB) On Blackboard: bell hooks Understanding Patriarchy and The Oppositional Gaze Weekly ‘selfie’ in response to the readings ZOOM SESSION 2:30pm
2/16 Imposter, Disguise	SELF PORTRAIT PHOTO SERIES on blog READINGS: no new readings IN-PERSON Class at NJCU VA Gallery 2:30pm
2/23 Identity, Representation and Media Images	READINGS: Finkelstein, Chapter 1 pgs 42-72, John Berger Ways of Seeing Ch 1 Check the blog for additional readings Weekly ‘selfie’ in response to the readings ZOOM SESSION 2:30pm
3/2 Status, Possession, Identity	READINGS: John Berger Chapters 4+5 and check blog and Blackboard Weekly ‘selfie’ in response to the readings ZOOM SESSION 2:30pm
3/9      SPRING BREAK	NO CLASS
3/16 The Gaze, Body, and Performance	READINGS: Female Gaze and Performance. Check blog and Blackboard Weekly ‘selfie’ in response to the readings ZOOM SESSION 2:30pm
3/23 Behavior: Manners, Norms and Value	SELF PORTRAIT DRAWING/PAINTING/COLLAGE READINGS: Finkelstein, Chapter 2 Manners pgs. 75-117 Weekly ‘selfie’ in response to the readings IN-PERSON Class at NJCU VA Gallery
3/30 Looking Good Industry	READINGS: Julie Green response Weekly ‘selfie’ in response to the readings ZOOM SESSION 2:30pm
4/6 Looking Good Industry	READINGS: Finkelstein, Chapter 4+5 Advertising and Fashion pgs 148-216,   Weekly ‘selfie’ in response to the readings ZOOM SESSION 2:30pm
4/13 The Spectacle, #selfie, celebrity	SELF PORTRAIT PERFORMANCE DUE READINGS: Guy Debord Society of the Spectacle online Weekly ‘selfie’ in response to the readings ZOOM SESSION 2:30pm
4/20 The Spectacle, #selfie, celebrity	READINGS: John Berger Ch 7 and check blog and Blackboard WORK ON YOUR FINALS. Post works in progress to the blog ZOOM SESSION 2:30pm
4/27 FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATIONS	FINAL SELF PORTRAIT DUE must be documented and posted to the class blog the night before presentations are due. **YOU WILL BE PRESENTING YOUR PROJECTS IN PERSON IN VA157