Exercise 2: Figure/Ground Relationship Studies.

Description

Using basic shapes (rectangle, circle, letter form) create three sets of studies showing the three figure/ground relationships (stable, reversible, ambiguous). You will end up with nine (9) compositions total:

Rectangle- Stable
Rectangle- Reversible
Rectangle- Ambiguous

Circle- Stable
Circle- Reversible
Circle- Ambiguous

Letter Form- Stable
Letter Form- Reversible
Letter Form- Ambiguous

Materials

Nine 5" x 5" bristol board squares (preferably not smooth texture)
Black Cason Paper (for cutting out your shapes)
X-axto knife and blades
Cutting Mat
Metal Ruler
Rubber Cement

Process

1. Start by laying out multiple compositions using only the selected element (rectangles, circles, letter forms). Do this enough times (at least 10 attempts for each composition) to come up with a good composition. You may overlap the shapes, and may use both black and white shapes of any size. In each composition, the shapes need to be of the same family, ie. only rectangles, only circles, only letter forms. 

The goal for your compositions it that they illustrate each of the figure/ground relationships, and that they have good working formal qualities with visual interest. Please pay attention to details. 

2. Pick the best examples from each series (ex. square- stable) and apply that design to the 5 inch x 5 inch Bristol board. Use the Canson paper to cut out your final complex shapes (the result of overlapping the simple shapes from step 1). 

3. Rubber cement (gluing both surfaces) all black paper to the white Bristol board. Again, pay attention to craftsmanship. These should look like they were printed out. Super clean. 

4. Bring your final nine (9) compositions to class for critique. In addition, please post all 9 to your blog under "Assignment 4: Figure Ground Studies". These are due according the the schedule below.

Schedule/ Due Dates

Due Wednesday, Jan 24th- Rectangle Thumbnails

30 Rectangular composition thumbnails (4" x 4" each) on heavy white paper. Includes 10 thumbnails for each F/G relationship: 10 Stable, 10 Reversible, and 10 Ambiguous. Try as many interesting compositions as you can using the basic elements and principles of design. Your compositions must be made using only rectangles.

Notes: You can do these with cut paper, sharpie, or on a computer. If done on a computer, they need to be printed out. Either way, the compositions need to be exactly 4" x 4" each. 30 total. Due at start of class.  In addition to F/G relationship, play with balance and be sure to have some examples of each type of balance (symmetrical, asymmetrical, radial, and crystallographic).

Due Monday, Jan. 29th- In Process Review (Rectangles must be done)

The Set of F/G studies using rectangles must be completely finished. There will be one example showing each of the following F/G relationships: Stable, Reversible, Ambiguous.

In addition, you need 30 thumbnails each for F/G relationship studies using circles and also using letter forms. That's 60 thumbnails total (same process as with the rectangle studies above).

Rectangular studies must be mounted on mat board ready for review at start of class. 
Circle studies (30 thumbnails) and Letter Form studies (30 thumbnails) must be printed or drawn on paper and hung on wall. 

• Quick Peer Critique will begin at 10:45am. 
• Rectangle studies mounted on matboard with 2" boarders. 
• In-Class work time on other two sets of compositions. 

Due Wednesday, Jan 31th-  Rectangle, and Circle studies complete. 

All three sets of F/G Studies- Rectangular, Circular, and Letter Form compositions, each with an example of (Stable, Reversible, Ambiguous F/G relationship). 9 total. All mounted on matboard with 2" boarders.

• Critique will begin at 10:45am. 
• You will have 15 mins to pin your work up on the walls. 
• Please pin them straight and evenly spaced. 

 Due Wednesday, Jan 31th-  Rectangle, Circle and Letter-form studies all complete.  

• Critique will begin at 10:45am. 
• You will have 15 mins to pin your work up on the walls. 
• Please pin them straight and evenly spaced.

 

Flippped Classroom: Wed, January 17th.

On Wed, January 17th,  we will be flipping the classroom- this means that we will not be physically meeting, but instead we will be meeting "virtually". 

Here is how this works:

Magazine Assignment: Due before class starts (10:30am tomorrow). 

Post both the original image and modified image to your blog. Include the two paragraph analysis under each image.

Note: Use the formal language (Elements and Principles of Design) you are learning from this past week's required research to break the images down. Be sure to qualify your statements. 

Title this blog post- Exercise 1: Magazine Page Modification and Interpretation

Virtual Lecture (3 attachments)

This week you will work through an introduction to Semiotics and a re-cap of the Elements and Principles of Design. There are three pdfs attached in an email I sent you- you may have to download them from Google Docs if your email doesn't like big attachments. 

1. Elements and Principles of Design- slideshare
2. Language of Design- slideshare
3. Semiotics for Beginners- slideshare

A reading response will be sent via Google Forms this Thur. and will be due next Sunday, Jan 21st,  at 11:59pm (midnight). We will discuss in class next week.

Questions?

Feel free to contact me via email if you have any questions or concerns. I will be on an all-day recruiting trip up north tomorrow with Aramis and Alisa, so I won't be checking messages till tomorrow evening. I will be back on campus on Thursday. 

Exercise 1: Magazine Page Modification and Interpretation. Due Wed, January 17th.

Project Description 

This assignment is about slowing down and learning to look carefully and intentionally.  It's about observation, interpretation and response. As we stated in class, we spend much of our time reacting to the visual stimuli around us without much conscious thought as to what is being communicated. Our goal is to work on conscious viewing. 

You will start by breaking down the magazine page you picked in-class today. For this exercise we will be studying visual language in terms of both the Elements and Principles of Design.

Please be careful and concise with this exercise.

All work for this exercise will be posted to your blog.

Process

Step 1- Select an interesting Image

Select an image- Find an interesting page from a magazine to use as your source image. Be sure it has lots of details, contrast and variation. Images that contain both representational elements and text may be easier to use. 

Step 2- Scan Original

Take a photo (or scan) of the original source page and post it on your blog. Be sure to crop the image so it looks professional. 72ppi is proper resolution. Label this image as Original. 

Step 3- Analysis of Original

Write two paragraphs identifying all the basic elements of design you can find in your source image. Try your best to find as many elements as possible. Use the lists I posted to the blog to break down your image in terms of the Elements and Principles of Design. You can find that reference page by clicking here.  

For the Interpretation, use your own language to try and break down the communicative (semiotics) aspect of the magazine page you are analyzing. Be specific and be sure to qualify every statement you make by answering the questions why? or how? For example, if you say an image is sad, please describe Why you feel the image is communicating sadness and how. What aspects of the magazine page are communicating sadness?

Step 4- Modification (through Deconstruction and Reconstruction)

Use analogue cutting and pasting (x-acto and rubber cement) to deconstruct the page from your magazine and create a new composition that communicates something in stark contrast to the original source image. Start with a piece of paper the same size as the original magazine page. Create a composition that activates the whole page. Label this image as Modified.

Important notes: 

1. Every part of the original image has to be used. You can't throw anything away. 
2. None of the text from the original should be recognizable in your modified compositional. It should all be used as line and shape. 
3. Don't add any other elements or remove any. 
4. Glue your collage down on to a sheet of poster board or matt board that is the same size as the original source image. 

Step 5- Analysis of Modified Composition

Using the same approach as step 2, analyze your new composition. Be sure to qualify your statements by answering the questions why? and how?

Step 6- Scan Modified

Take a photo (or scan) of the Modified image and post it on your blog. Be sure to crop the image and fix the levels so it looks professional. Label this image as Modified. 

Due Wed, January 17th.  Start of Class. 

Rubric

You will be assessed on the following:
30% Analysis- both the quality and quantity of the break down of your two images (original and modified). 
30% Craftsmanship- precision of your cutting and pasting. Does everything look intentional? No rubber cement globs, etc. 
30% Creativity- how much you have changed the message of the original image/magazine page. The quality and originality of your new/modified composition. 
10% Presentation- Display at critique. Hung straight. Mounted on Matt Board. No bent edges or marks on Matt. Professional presentation. 


Helpful Hint- It's not necessary to completely cover every inch of your Modified composition with cutouts from the Original. Instead, think about how the white of the page can be used as shape and how it can add to the overall composition. 

Required Research- Week 1: John Berger- Ways of Seeing Video, Due Jan 14th.

Form Due Jan 14th by 11:59pm

Please watch the following 30 minute video (all of it) and answer the questionnaire I will send you through Google Forms.

John Berger-Ways of Seeing. Episode 1 (1972)

Here's a link to the video without the annoying ads.

Required Research- Week 1: Elements and Principles of Design. Due Jan 14th

Intro

The Elements and Principles of Design are the building blocks of visual language. This page is a starting point for your research on the subject. Remember, every author will present a slightly different list of things as "the" elements and "the" principles of design/art. The main thing to remember is that every image, regardless of how complex, can be disassembled into basic core components that are shared by all images. In this sense, all images have a simple shared core language. 

Please read the following link to an introduction on Formal Analysis:

http://www.getty.edu/education/teachers/building_lessons/formal_analysis.html

Basic lists of the Elements of Design and Principles of Design:

Note: the language we are learning will be used to analysis the images in this week's assignments. Do you best, with what we have discussed in-class and with what you will be reading this week. There is no Google Form for these readings. 

Welcome- Spring 2018

This is ART1202C
Tuesday/Thursday
10:30am - 12:50pm.
Rm 5208
Don Lambert

Here is a list of things you need to do before next class:

1. Subscribe to this blog using the link on the right-hand of the page just below the blog archive.

2. Review the blog archive to get an idea of the types of assignments you will be doing in this course.

3. Send me an email before the end of the day so I can add you to the distribution list for the class. An email will be sent to the class containing a copy of the Syllabus; you can also find a copy of it in the upper right-hand of the blog.

4. Review Syllabus

5. Purchase required materials

6. Set up your personal blog and send link to my email address. I will link your blogs to the class blog.

7. Secure the following items in addition to the required materials list:
magazines for collage
plastic containers for cleaning paint brushes (yogurt, etc)
portfolio of some kind to transport your work (you can make one out of cardboard)
Bag to transport your materials and tools
9x12 cutting matt is a strong recommendation, I have some for you to use in-class.

Looking forward to a great semester; your first assignment will be posted shortly.

Email me with any questions.

Best,
Don