Year 11 Class Activities 2a
Digital Media
Unit 2: “Appropriation Part 2” | Year 11
Outcomes: Practice / Frames / Conceptual Framework
Time: 40 Hours / 10 Weeks / Term 2
Year 11 Term 2 Unit 2a
In this unit, students will look at ANNIE LEIBOVITZ: A PHOTOGRAPHER'S LIFE. Students will look at other images from well-known artist Annie Leibovitz. Annie has been making powerful images documenting American popular culture since the early 1970s when her photographs began appearing in Rolling Stone Magazine. Ten years later she began working for Vanity Fair, and then Vogue US, creating a diverse body of work.
It is suggested that some of her photographs tend to appropriate the Artist models within her knowledge of art history. We question some of her celebrity shots have been inspired by the Renaissance period, but this does not mean she favoured to a particular era or period. But in contrast, most of her personal images were of mum, dad, family, kids, friends and especially her partner Susan Sontag. Students will use some of those techniques to appropriate particular art periods of their choice. Re-contextualize the meanings of other artists work.
Aim: To appropriate an artwork of their choice from the art periods through the use of photography.
Showing meaning and skill in photography, video, and digital imaging, influenced by the artist models past, present and future.
Class discussion an introduction to:
Assignment Two Term 2a
Last year students went to the MCA Gallery to learn about the "Gaze."
(This year students did not attend the MCA Gallery)
19 November 2010 - 26 April 2011
This summer the MCA is thrilled to present the work of legendary American photographer Annie Leibovitz to Australian audiences as part of the Sydney International Art Series.
Annie Leibovitz has been making powerful images documenting American popular culture since the early 1970s when her photographs began appearing in Rolling Stone Magazine. Ten years later she began working for Vanity Fair, and then Vogue US, creating a diverse body of work.
Following a record-breaking tour in the US and Europe, this hugely popular exhibition showcases commercial, documentary and personal works selected by the artist. At the heart of the exhibition are images which record the personal moments from Leibovitz’s life, including births, deaths, reunions and vacations. It also features portraits of well-known figures, including actors Brad Pitt, Demi Moore and Nicole Kidman, Patti Smith, Johnny Cash and Mick Jagger.
Discussing the artworks of Annie Leibovitz
Presenting the artworks of Annie Leibovitz with the students especially the artist practice. Answer the questions below
Explain to a friend how the Annie Leibovitz approaches her artmaking.
Artists paint from issues, events, time and place. Discuss this statement, and write how the Annie has represented those issues, events, time and place through her artworks.
Discuss how each Annie comments on society. Use the blogs and other critics to formulate your responses.
Artist Critics
Week 3A
Class discussion an introduction to Read the blogs of other critics and opinions
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/annie-leibovitz/life-through-a-lens/16/
October 27th, 2008 Annie Leibovitz Life Through A Lens
Born in 1949 in Waterbury, Connecticut, Annie Leibovitz enrolled in the San Francisco Art Institute intent on studying painting. It was not until she traveled to Japan with her mother the summer after her sophomore year that she discovered her interest in taking photographs. When she returned to San Francisco that falls, she began taking night classes in photography. Time spent on a kibbutz in Israel allowed her to hone her skills further.
In 1970 Leibovitz approached Jann Wenner, founding editor of Rolling Stone, which he’d recently launched and was operating out of San Francisco. Impressed with her portfolio, Wenner gave Leibovitz her first assignment: shoot John Lennon. Leibovitz’s black-and-white portrait of the shaggy-looking Beatle graced the cover of January 21, 1971, issue. Two years later she was named Rolling Stone chief photographer.
When the magazine began printing in colour in 1974, Leibovitz followed suit. “In school, I wasn’t taught anything about lighting, and I was only taught black-and-white,” she told ARTnews in 1992. “So I had to learn colour myself.” Among her subjects from that period are Bob Dylan, Bob Marley, and Patti Smith. Leibovitz also served as the official photographer for the Rolling Stones’ 1975 world tour. While on the road with the band she produced her iconic black-and-white portraits of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, shirtless and gritty.
In 1980 Rolling Stone sent Leibovitz to photograph John Lennon and Yoko Ono, who had recently released their album “Double Fantasy.” For the portrait, Leibovitz imagined that the two would pose together nude. Lennon disrobed, but Ono refused to take off her pants. Leibovitz “was kinda disappointed,” according to Rolling Stone, and so she told Ono to leave her clothes on. “We took one Polaroid,” said Leibovitz, “and the three of us knew it was profound right away.” The resulting portrait showed Lennon nude and curled around a fully clothed Ono. Several hours later, Lennon was shot dead in front of his apartment. The photograph ran on the cover of the Rolling Stone Lennon commemorative issue. In 2005 the American Society of Magazine Editors named it the best magazine cover from the past 40 years.
Annie Leibovitz: Photographs, the photographer’s first book, was published in 1983. The same year Leibovitz joined Vanity Fair and was made the magazine’s first contributing photographer. At Vanity Fair, she became known for her wildly lit, staged, and provocative portraits of celebrities. Most famous among them are Whoopi Goldberg submerged in a bath of milk and Demi Moore naked and holding her pregnant belly. (The cover showing Moore — which then-editor Tina Brown initially baulked at running — was named second best cover from the past 40 years.) Since then Leibovitz has photographed celebrities ranging from Brad Pitt to Mikhail Baryshnikov. She’s shot Ellen DeGeneres, the George W. Bush cabinet, Michael Moore, Madeleine Albright, and Bill Clinton. She’s killed Scarlett Johannson and Keira Knightley nude, with Tom Ford in a suit; Nicole Kidman in ball gown and spotlights; and, recently, the world’s long-awaited first glimpse of Suri Cruise, along with parents Tom and Katie. Her portraits have appeared in Vogue, The New York Times Magazine, and The New Yorker, and in ad campaigns for American Express, the Gap, and the Milk Board.
Among other honours, Leibovitz has been made a Commandeur des Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government and has been designated a living legend by the Library of Congress. Her first museum show, Photographs: Annie Leibovitz 1970-1990, took place in 1991 at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. and toured internationally for six years. At the time she was only the second living portraitist — and the only woman — to be featured in an exhibition by the institution.
Leibovitz met Susan Sontag in 1989 while photographing the writer for her book AIDS and its Metaphors. “I remember going out to dinner with her and just sweating through my clothes because I thought I couldn’t talk to her,” Leibovitz said in an interview with The New York Times late last year. Sontag told her, “You’re good, but you could be better.” Though the two kept separate apartments, their relationship continued until Sontag’s death in late 2004.
Sontag’s influence on Leibovitz was profound. In 1993 Leibovitz travelled to Sarajevo during the war in the Balkans, a trip that she admits she would not have taken without Sontag’s input. Among her work from that trip is Sarajevo, Fallen Bicycle of Teenage Boy Just Killed by a Sniper, a black-and-white photo of a bicycle collapsed on the blood-smeared pavement. Sontag, who wrote the accompanying essay, also conceived of Leibovitz’s book Women (1999). The book includes images of famous people along with those not well known. Celebrities like Susan Sarandon and Diane Sawyer share space with miners, soldiers in basic training, and Las Vegas showgirls in and out of costume.
Leibovitz’s most recent book, A Photographer’s Life: 1990-2005, includes her trademark celebrity portraits. But it also features personal photographs from Leibovitz’s life: her parents, siblings, children, nieces and nephews, and Sontag. Leibovitz, who has called the collection “a memoir in photographs,” was spurred to assemble it by the deaths of Sontag and her father, only weeks apart. The book even includes photos of Leibovitz herself, like the one that shows her nude and eight months pregnant, à la Demi Moore. That picture was taken in 2001, shortly before Leibovitz gave birth to daughter Sarah. Daughters Susan and Samuelle, named in honour of Susan and Leibovitz’s father, were born to a surrogate in 2005.
Leibovitz composed these personal photographs with materials that she used when she was first starting out in the ’70s: a 35-millimeter camera, black-and-white Tri-X film. “I don’t have two lives,” she writes in the book’s introduction. “This is one life, and the personal pictures and the assignment work are all part of it.” Still, she told the Times, this book is the “most intimate, it tells the best story, and I care about it.”
–Rachel Somerstein (Rachel Somerstein is a writer who lives in New York)
Thank you to Mariko who works at https://www.artsy.net/artist/annie-leibovitz putting this great article for all art lovers. And giving us great insight to Annie Leibovitz creative world. Great blog and website.
Students select one of the images of Annie Leibovitz to recreate.
Chose three images in colour and three black and white images to recreate
Assisted by the Art Teacher to go through the art periods and help students to select artist models of their choice to create artworks from...
Week 4
Students do the research
Students will select an artist artwork that is of interest. Using keywords to search relevant images that reflect the artist intentions and historical background.
Armed with this information students will appropriate these artworks through the use of photography. Creating new meanings and concepts that challenge the viewer and pushing the ideas to a new level, this will create controversy asking questions or provoking a response through photography as the new medium...
Lately, I've noticed many commercials are employing the art of recontextualization. Here are some other examples of a recontextualized imagery through other cultural thematic themes...
Leonardo Da Vinci, The Last Supper, 1497. Mural 420cm x 910cm
Another example is Yasumasa Morimura a Japanese appropriation artist. He was born in Osaka and graduated from Kyoto City University of Arts in 1978. Since 1985, Yasumasa Morimura has primarily shown his work in international solo exhibitions, although he has been involved in various group exhibitions...more.
Plate 1: Daughter of Art History - Yasumasa Morimura 2003
As appose to Plate 2: Frida Kahlo "Self Portrait"
Ask these short answer questions:
What was Yasumasa's comment on appropriating Frida Kahlo's self portrait?
Explain Yasumasa's art practice.
How does he challenge the world in his unique approach to his art?
Students will do the research for both artist models critically and historically provide the critical understanding of each image and the historical account which plays an importance to their development as an artist.
Plate 3: Anne Zahalka, The Bathers, 1989 Type C Print, 90cm x 74cm
Plate 4 Charles (Matthew) Meere Australian beach pattern oil on canvas1940 - 25.6 x 33.7 in. / 65 x 85.5 cm.
Look at Plates 3 and 4. Discuss how the artist in plate 3 creates a new meaning in contrast of plate 4 (1000 words)
We will use Corel to manipulate images to create different affects...
Please note this is subject to change:
Introduction to Corel Draw tutorials
Depending on the software and the affordability of the school and each to their own. Students will demonstrate their understanding through taking photographs, Annie Leibovitz inspired themes. This will allow students to learn and discover artist who work with digital medium learning to work with software programmes provided at Heritage Christian School, such as Corel Draw and Photopaint.
Assessment
Class Activities: 10% Weighting
Raw Total Mark: 100%
Week 5 | Corel Program Tutorial:
Learning the Software Program Corel Draw
This tutorial introduces you to the workspace of Corel PHOTO-PAINT. It will help you access the tools and commands you need to view and edit images. As you practice these exercise, you’ll learn how to use the following tools: menu bar, toolbox, flyouts, property bar, Docker windows/palettes and Help.
Hannah Dodds
To opens the sample file students will go through a series of events and exercises to understand the basics
To cut out a foreground image area. Quick use adding text with Corel Draw
Introduction to Corel Draw: (Optional)
All students will follow the instructions under the Corel Tutorial. In this tutorial, you will create a logo for an imaginary coffee shop for a class activity which won’t be assessed.
A logo is a graphical representation of a company or an individual that can be used on business cards, letterhead, and other promotional materials. Logos often incorporate an element of the company’s name or indicate in some way what the company does. For example, a logo for a coffee shop may include an image of a coffee cup.
Hannah Dodds
During this tutorial, you will learn how to
Learning the tools:
draw lines and shapes
add color to objects
duplicate objects
rotate objects
mirror objects
import images from another file
relevant text to a path
use the Artistic media tool presets
use the Bézier tool
use the Rectangle tool
use the Interactive drop shadow tool
use the 3-point curve tool
use the Text tool
Creating the background
Learning to manipulate objects
To start making the logo, you will first create a new blank document. Next, you will create the lines that form the shape of the background by using the Artistic media tool; rotate, mirror, and move the lines into position; and then create the top for the logo
To create lines for the background 8 Steps to create lines for the background demonstrated by the teacher.
Adding Colour
To create the Bézier shape for the background
To add colour to the top
To add the shapes and the first colour
23 Steps demonstrated by the teacher.
Students start on their appropriations with Artist such as Eugene Von Guerard /Vincent VanGogh/Salvador Dali will be used as demonstrations for class activities.
Students were experimenting with new concepts and exploring traditional ideas.
Collecting and gathering research
Sifting and Finding inspiration
Exploring ideas
Showing a selective process of working drawings
Showing a process of collective ideas with annotated notes
Performance Art: Students will go through the understanding of performance art, and it's understandings. Looking at artist models and critics, investigating their art practices and art making through the conceptual frameworks.
Class Activities: Students read from the textbook
What is Performance Art - The artist is part of the world the action of creating is important. It is presented to the audience.
Students will investigate these questions below:
How is performance art closer to the real world than a painting on a wall?
Jill Orr's performance work lasts only for a short time. How is this different from more traditional forms of art?
Performance art is a powerful medium than painting to convey a controversial issue.
What issues does performance artist take on?
AUSTRALIAN PHOTOGRAPHY Jill ORR born 1952 Australia artist, Elizabeth CAMPBELL born 1959 Australia photographer - Bleeding Trees 1979 (woman with mouth open, face buried)
Bleeding Trees is an early environmental work where the body is used as an emotional barometer placed in empathy with the natural and unnatural life cycles of trees. The empathy enlisted through the viewer is through identification with the human body. As a female, the early feminist critique places the naked body as pandering to the male gaze. In an environmental sense, it is a gaze towards all. There has been much written about this work that has kept it active within the collective imaginary where the reading as both feminists, environmental and in some instances religious are issues that have positive currency now although grounded in the late `70`s.
Performance art flourished in the 1960s and 1970s as artists sought to redefine art as more than precious items in museums. Many performances involved the artists undergoing almost ritualistic self-scourging. Events can be staged in front of an audience or as a single production but, by its nature, performance art is temporal. Though often no more than a necessary documentary device, photographs of performance art are all that remains of many events and can stand on their own as works of art in varying degrees. Jill Orr and Stelarc have worked with some photographers over the years.
Jill Orr ‘s Bleeding trees were performed during the Third Biennale of Sydney in 1979 and reflect environmental concerns. During the performance, Orr was strung up in a dead tree and also half buried in the earth. In this image, her mouth is a gaping wound, ‘an opening, through which fear can pass’. Orr becomes the mouthpiece of desecrated nature.
Anne O’Hehir
Jill Orr, artist’s statement in Act 3: Ten Australian performance artists, Canberra: Canberra School of Art, 1982.
Text © National Gallery of Australia, Canberra 2010
From: Anne Gray (ed), Australian art in the National Gallery of Australia, National Gallery of Australia, Canberra, 2002
Week 6 - 7 | 3 Periods
What is Performance art?
The artist is part of the work the action of creating is important; it is presented to the audience. Performance art may be either scripted or unscripted, random or carefully orchestrated; spontaneous or otherwise carefully planned with or without audience participation. The performance can be live or via media; the performer can be present or absent. It can be any situation that involves four basic elements: time, space, the performer's body, or presence in a medium, and a relationship between performer and audience. Performance art can happen anywhere, in any venue or setting and for any length of time. The actions of an individual or a group at a particular place and in a particular time constitute the work.
Class Activities:
Answer the questions below using the YouTube videos to influence your comments
How is performance art closer to the real world than painting on a wall or canvas? Discuss with students...
Some performance art works last only for a short time. How is this different from more traditional forms of art?
Discuss with students...
What issues does a Performance artist take on?
Discuss with students...
How do we start?
Don't entertain
but investigate the difference with Performance art...
But what about Lady Gaga...
Who provokes more?
Music video for "Mummer" by Clockwork Orchestra.
Directed and edited by Tanja Thomas Starring Grace Kelley Makeup by Oksana 1st & 2nd Camera by Tanja Thomas and Guy Robbins Special thanks to Colm McCormack & The Joinery Follow Clockwork Orchestra on Facebook here: facebook.com/ clockworkorchestra and on Twitter here: twitter.com/ #!/ ClockworkOrch
Concepts, ideas don't come by sitting there expecting to be filled with ideas but collecting and researching, sourcing out other ideas and filling yourself with these ideas to create, re-contextualize and appropriate new ones.
Upcoming Icebook performances:
1st, 2nd and 3rd of June as part of Toy Theatre Festival in Harderwijk, Netherlands. For times and location, please visit: papiertheaterfestival.nl/ Festival-2011/ Theatres.html The Ice Book is a small theater show made of paper and light. An exquisite experience of fragile paper cutouts and video projections that sweep you right into the heart of a fantasy world. It is an intimate and immersive experience of animation, book art and performance. We created the show during a four-month artist residency at the Kuenstlerdorf Schoeppingen in Germany. All we had was a 5D Mark ii, an old Macbook with After Effects, some builders lights and a green cloth that we improvised as a makeshift green-screen. Before we started, we had no idea how to make pop-up books let alone how we could combine them with projections. With a lot of care, love and arguing the idea eventually came to life. The Icebook is available for touring. If you would like to host the show, please don't hesitate to get in touch with us info@theicebook.com. For information on touring dates in 2011, please check the website: theicebook.com Thanks. Davy & Kristin McGuire
Week 8 - 9 | 6 Periods
Create a group performance work
Artmaking
Create a group performance work. Document the piece with photographs or video and post it on a Facebook page created to spread the comments or the messages then create your own art work concerned with other issues. Consider making it an installation or performance piece.
Due Date: 23/06/11
Assessment
Class Activities: 10%
Raw Mark: 100%
