ARTS 283 The Photograph as Object
A course that celebrates the physical production of photographs. For the first century and a half of photographic history, a photograph was typically an object to be held in one's hand or hung on a wall. Today, it is not uncommon for a photograph to exist only in digital form; the entire life cycle of an image may take place on a series of screens. In this course, students will focus on producing tangible photographic objects. Each student will conceive of a photographic project in which a final, physical form (such as an artist book or photo-based sculpture) is central to the concept. The first part of the semester will be devoted to lectures, research, technical demonstrations, and exercises to help students decide on a direction and form for their final projects. Next, students will work intensively to produce a new series of photographs (digitally or on film) that will be refined through group critiques; editing and sequencing will be important topics of discussion at this stage. Finally, students will focus on producing their object(s), taking concepts and skills from the first part of the semester and applying them to their new images. Students will have the opportunity to print in the black and white darkroom and/or with a large-format digital printer.