Self I As Image Spring 2024: Weekly Selfie

Saturday, April 13, 2024

Weekly Selfie - Final Project Idea

For my final project I want to address capitalism and globalization through the metonym of the McDonald's "Golden Arches". On the left is my digital selfie, on the right is a detail of a silkscreen collage print I've started.

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NO CLASS on WEDNESDAY 4/10

>Take the time to watch the videos below and WORK ON YOUR FINAL PROJECTS!!

Please see below for assignments due

WEEKLY SELFIE (FINAL PROJECT IDEA) - must be posted by Friday 4/12

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. Bring several ideas to class and we will discuss. Bring materials to work on your final project to class.

WATCH all 4 videos:

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

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/

>> SELF-PORTRAIT FINAL PROJECT DUE 4/24

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 4/3

LOOK AT:

(a few more references for collage work)

DADA and Hannah Höch

Read through the web entry for Hannah Hoch created by Smart History:
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/dada-and-surrealism/dada2/a/hannah-hoch-cut-with-the-kitchen-knife-dada-through-the-last-weimar-beer-belly-cultural-epoch-of-germany

Khan Academy Hannah Höch, Cut with the Kitchen Knife Dada

https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-1010/dada-and-surrealism/dada2/v/hannah-h-ch-cut-with-the-kitchen-knife-1919-20

Mickalene Thomas
Meet the Artist: Mickalene Thomas on Her Materials and Artistic Influences https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK_kiAklIHA

SELF PORTRAIT PROJECT COLLAGE (10% due 4/3)

(you must bring to class for presentation)
Drawing inspiration from the artists we have learned: Frida Kahlo, Wangechi Mutu, Mickalene Thomas and 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 watched 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 diptych or 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 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? Please explain your project and its meaning. What artist(s) inspired your project? How did advertising and fashion images influence or get addressed in your piece? How does your project speak to your identity and your relationship to media images?

~300 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.

____________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 3/27

READINGS:

Mirzoeff textbook, How to See the World Chapter 2
2 quotes and a short response

John Berger, Ways of Seeing, Chapter 4+5

2 quote and a short response

Wangechi Mutu Dresses Cultural Critique in Freakishly Beautiful Disguises
2 quotes and a short response

https://www.artnews.com/art-in-america/features/wangechi-mutu-dresses-cultural-critique-freak-beautiful-disguises-1234655195/

WATCH:
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

Create a physical/paper collage selfie as a fantastical animal/creature (can be digital if you do not have materials) 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 the style and form of your collage. You can create a simple digital collage using collage software such as Photoshop OR you can create a small physical collage in paper and mixed materials and include a photo in your post on the blog. You can also bring the collage to class. We will expand on these techniques and ideas in the coming weeks to create a larger collage project.

----

Coming soon>>>

_____________________________________________

++EXTRA CREDIT 3pts

Please attend this artist talk on March 14 in VAB Gallery.

Art Activism Born at NJCU

Conversations with Orlando Cuevas and Mr.Mustart

The two artist will discuss how they became political aware during their studies at NJCU and developed their sense of art activism.

March 14, 6:00-7:00 p.m.

The Visual Arts Building Auditorium (B08)

followed by the reception in the Visual Arts Gallery

_____________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 3/20

GALLERY RESPONSE ESSAY 10% *due on the blog 3/20

Please see @njcugalleries on IG for videos of Prof. Ben Jones speaking about his work in the gallery exhibition.

Also see this article in Gothic Times by Andy Liu: https://gothictimes.net/12787/arts/the-universe-of-ben-jones/

Exhibition information for The Universe of Ben Jones

Over his six-decade career, artist Ben F. Jones has focused on interconnections and relationships between global issues including politics, health, the environment, racism, and capitalism, among others. “The imagery is both figurative and abstract, interacting and affecting,” he says in a statement in the exhibition catalog. “We cannot solve our ecological, political, and even spiritual problems in the world if we fail to see the relationships among these things.”

This retrospective of the extraordinary artist presents many works—bold, insightful, and in a visual language all his own—that have rarely been exhibited or are on display here for the first time. Come see how Jones’s symbology has transcended global and local issues of ecology, technology, politics, and spirituality, making him the conscience of his generation and of today.
The exhibition and its companion catalog are part of a year-long Mellon Foundation-funded collaboration between William Paterson University and New Jersey City University that is celebrating the American artist Ben Jones—a 1963 graduate of William Paterson and a NJCU professor emeritus of art.

Co-curated by Casey Mathern, director of the William Paterson Galleries, and Midori Yoshimoto, director of the NJCU Galleries, the exhibition was held in the William Paterson Galleries during the fall 2023 semester.

ASSIGNMENT:

Please visit the exhibition, The Universe of Ben Jones, and write a response to the work in the exhibition. Be sure to read all of the label information and take images of the work. Choose 2 works that stand out to you. Please give the tile and medium of the works and describe these artworks in detail. Explain the message/meaning you interpreted from visiting the work. Take images of the works and include the images in your post. What messages do these works convey to the audience about identity, power, race, gender and social justice? How do these often personal narratives about celebration, struggle, humanity, injustice and memorial ask larger questions and raise awareness about race, justice and history? How do these works explore the artists's own identity? Are they self-portraits? If so, how? Are these works activist? Do the works explore political and social issues in connection to identity? Choose 3 quotes from the readings we have done so far (bell hooks, Susan Sontag, Mirzoeff and John Berger as well as the online articles) and connect these to the artworks that you chose from the exhibition.

In addition to the written response please create a SELFIE in any style that is inspired by the work in the exhibition and addresses the theme of identity and struggle. Include this in your post with a short description of the image you created.

~600 words, 3 quotes from any of the readings thus far, 2+ images from the gallery exhibition + your selfie.

ALSO FOR THIS WEEK starting on Collage and Surrealism....

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 and Paste | Collage before Cubism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FKzA5sZBNJw

WEEKLY SELF PORTRAIT Frida Kahlo/Surrealism:

Inspired by the work of Frida Kahlo create a digital self portrait that that also incorporates one of the themes we discussed about Surrealism. Look to Frida Kahlo's many paintings to style your image. Post your selfie to the blog (separate post from your gallery essay above!) along with 2+ quotes from the reading about Frida Kahlo.

___________________________

NO CLASS 3/6 >> Enjoy your Spring Break!

DUE WEDNESDAY 3/13

SELF PORTRAIT PERFORMANCE (10pts)

Design and record a performance art piece: 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). Look to the artists we have learned about in class for inspiration. Concentrate especially on the performance artists but you can take inspiration from anyone. Design and create a performance art piece that addresses a socio-political issue of your choice. 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. You can involve other people in your performance. Record your performance in a video. (Still photos are allowed only if you cannot record a video - please reach out in email if this is the case.) 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.

You may also choose to connect to video performance on platforms like TikTok as a more accessible interpretation of performance. You can choose to mash these familiar performances on social media with the performance artists we learned. Connect clearly to one or more of the artists performances we have learned. Be sure to describe this connection in your written description.

Written description: In a short piece of writing of ~3-5 paragraphs please explain how this performance addresses the issue(s) you chose and the artist(s) you were inspired by. Use the readings we have done to help this explanation. Reference at least 3 quotes from the readings.
++Push yourself into performance, conceptual art and representation. Get outside your comfort zone and be inspired to create something you would not otherwise. Watch the videos assigned and other resources for inspiration on performance art. Get creative! I am thrilled to see what you all create!

Post your video to the blog (upload your video to YouTube and use the YouTube tool which is next to the image uploader button) with your written description. Be sure to cite your quotes from the readings and connect your performance to an artist.

BONUS (optional): Include one or two of the "instruction pieces" we wrote in class inspired by Yoko Ono. Be silly, serious or strange but get don't hesitate to get outside your comfort zone.

__________________

IMPORTANT!! >>>ON WEDNESDAY 2/28 we will meet for class at LEMMERMAN GALLERY in Hepburn Hall room 323 on 3rd floor at 2:00pm. Please arrive as early as possible. We will begin class at exactly 2:10pm.

DUE WEDNESDAY 2/28

WEEKLIE SELFIE:

Go see art where you can

Spend at least 1 minute in front of your favorite artwork in silence

Then whisper something to the artwork
Take a selfie with your favorite piece

Walk out of the space backwards

POST your selfie to the blog with your quotes/response (reading below) and your two instructions pieces you wrote in class on 2/21.

READ: Mirzoeff textbook, How to See the World
Chapter 1 (Introduction recommended but optional)
2 quotes and a short response

________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 2/21

WEEKLY SELFIE - 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 Marina Abramovich (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 8 quotes from the readings to your post. Enjoy the process!

READ:

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

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

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

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/

Marina Abramovich

'warrior of performance art' on Royal Academy exhibition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJThCxvUf4I

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 2/14

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 10/4. 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). After our class critique we visit the art gallery downstairs!

______________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 2/7

MODERNISM and POSTMODERNISM explained in 4minutes!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6rPtmiJ678

WEEKLY SELFIE 3
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:

ONLINE:
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

ON BLACKBOARD (or textbook)

John Berger, Chapters 2+3 (you should have the book! but also on )
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.

SEE HER WORKS FROM HER PORTFOLIO:

https://www.anamendietaartist.com/

SEE HER WORKS 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 WEDNESDAY 1/31

WEEKLY SELFIE
Create a digital self-portraits inspired by the work of the artist Cindy Sherman. Try to recreate a particular image that stands out to you from one of the artists' videos/galleries. Post your selfie images to the blog. Title your image. Post the Cindy Sherman image 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=tiszC33puc0

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

GET THE BOOKS
Ways of Seeing by John Berger, British Broadcasting Corporation and Penguin Books: New York 1990
How to See the World by Nicholas Mirzoeff, Basic Books: New York 2016.

________________________

DUE WEDNESDAY 1/24 (before class!)

WEEKLY SELFIE 1 DUE ON BLOG

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

GET THE BOOKS!!

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

How to See the World by Nicholas Mirzoeff, Basic Books: New York 2016.

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 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.