Studio Group Critiques on Wednesday 4/17

Wednesday April 17 is a group critique day in the 301 building. Look for the forms in the computer work area. Each group leader should fill out the form and return it to the Ethan Berry during seminar on Wednesday.

Your Digital Portfolio with Amy Lithamane

Seminarians,

Amy Lithamane who teaches photography here and at Endicott will be visiting seminar Monday at 2 pm. to talk about preparing your digital portfolio. We will all meet in Oddfellows at 2 p.m. You can check out her work at this site;

http://www.abnormal-mind-of-youth.com/photography.html

Presentation guidelines

SFAS

Senior Fine Arts Seminar

Presentations

The purpose of the presentations is to practice articulating your ideas. This means that you will be discussing the work of a living artist or your own work and relating that work and ideas to the issues and ideas that you are engaged with in a contemporary art-historical context. Presentations should be 10 minutes in length and include a digital slideshow. It should feature original research, not things repackaged from earlier in this class or other classes. A successful presentation should include some of the following;

FIRST SEMESTER STUDENTS

• A description of the artist's work.

• Interpretation of the artist’s work and ideas.

• A connection between your work and the artist's work visually (what it looks like) and conceptually (the ideas behind it), while putting the ideas in a contemporary art-historical context.

• Some discussion of where your work either diverges from or converges with this artist's work.

• A conclusion with some reference to your experience with this artist.

SECOND SEMESTER STUDENTS

Your presentation will be about your own work. A successful presentation should include some of the following;

• Some background regarding your recent work (this is not the time for your biography).

• A description of your present work.

• Interpretation of your work.

• A connection between your work and issues and ideas in the contemporary art world. 

• A citation of some artists whose work is relevant to this connection.

•  A concluding discussion of what is next in the development of your work.

Be clear and concise. Try to avoid generalizations and art jargon in your presentations. It is okay for you to quote the words of a critic or artist if you give credit and make a reference to that writer. Remember that you are speaking about YOUR experience and ideas. Video is welcome, but it should not take the place of your own descriptions and analysis. Practice beforehand and keep track of time.

WELCOME BACK, Your Portfolio reviews

Welcome back. To start this last part of the semester we will be paying attention to preparing your portfolios for the end of the semester review.
Today (Monday) at our  2pm. meeting,  Leonie Bradbury will be talking about how you can prepare your electronic portfolio. She will talk about photographing and preparing the images for your website or blog. She will also discuss these end of semester reviews themselves and how you might use them as practice for interviews.
See you at the Oddfellows Building at 2 p.m.

Spring 2013 Research Paper

Spring 2013 Research Paper

SFAS  SPRING 2013

Research Paper

Write two  3 page reviews ( total 6 pages)  of two exhibitions, screenings or events that you visit between Feb 1 and March 11.

One review should be of work that you consider successful, the other review should discuss work that you think has problems.

Each show must feature a different discipline of art ie: painting, photography, fashion, performance, sculpture, installation, film, video, or hybrid art work combining several artistic disciplines (see definition below).

Each review should consider some of the following questions. What makes an exhibition successful? What are the artist’s goals in this event or exhibition?  What are the meanings, ideas, points of view, emotions, aesthetics communicated by the artist’s work that you have chosen to review. How does the artist use materials?  What is the larger context for the artist’s work? Is the artist working from a theoretical or ideological perspective? How do you locate this artist’s work in the wider field of current trends and issues in contemporary art nationally and internationally. Your review should consist of more than information on the exhibition and should be a thoughtful discussion and critique of each exhibition, screening or event. Remember to use examples of specific works of art to support your ideas. Please include an image of the artwork you are reviewing.

On researching an artist’s work. First look closely at the work you have chosen to write about. As you look at the work make notes on the materials, techniques, scale and formal qualities ( line, shape, color, value, space, texture ) if relevant, of the work. Secondly make notes on the content of the work and the ideas that the work communicates to you. Your direct response to the work in situ is the starting point for your review however you do need to do additional research. Read the artist’s statement. Try and locate interviews with the artist and if possible talk to the artist yourself. Read up on gallery press releases and research related websites. Reading other reviews of the work is optional. For some it can be helpful to read other reviews but for others it can have too much influence on your understanding of the work. Be sure to list sources that you consult for this paper in a bibliography.

Bibliography format:

Author (last name first), “Title of Reading,” name of newspaper/magazine/blog/journal it appeared in, date of publication, page of publication, web link.

Examples:

Book: Dukes Jordan, Matthew, “Weirdo Deluxe: The Wild World of Pop Surrealism & Lowbrow Art,” 2005.

Magazine/newspaper: Meland, Louis, “Top of the Pops: Did Andy Warhol change everything?” The New Yorker, Jan. 11, 2010, pages 57-65.

Web: Caruth, Nicole J., “A Look into the Future with Saya Woolfalk,” Art: 21 Blog, Aug. 18, 2009.
 

Deadlines:

1. Between Jan 23^rd and Feb 11^th you should research current exhibitions and events in and around Boston.  For example, go online and check out the upcoming programs at P.E.M. in Salem, the I.C.A., the Mass Art galleries, the S.O.W.A. galleries around Thayer St., as well as alternative and artist run spaces.  You are required to hand in a list of 5 or more exhibitions that you are thinking of reviewing on the week of Feb. 11, 2013. From this preliminary list of 5 you will only review 2 exhibitions. You may not review exhibitions at Montserrat and affiliated galleries or work by Montserrat faculty, staff or students..

2. Final research paper due at discussion classes of the week of March 25 2013.

Assignments will lose one letter grade for each week they are late.

Please see Greg or Caroline if you have any questions about the paper or the exhibitions you have chosen to review.

Hybridity has been described as” a blurring of traditional distinct boundaries between artistic media such as painting, sculpture, film, performance, architecture, and dance “ * but can also mean mixing other disciplines, origins, or systems

 *Definition of hybridty from Walker Art Center, Art Today. http://schools.walkerart.org/arttoday/index.wac?id=2355

Caroline’s definition of hybridity. Like a hybrid car that is both an electric car and a gas powered car, a hybrid art work combines more than one discipline e.g., drawing and performance and video, or fashion and sculpture and performance, or medicine, performance and cooking.

REVIEWS START ON MONDAY 2/25

This is a reminder that evening reviews start on Monday 2/25 and continue until Thursday 2/28.they begin again on Monday 3/4 and go until Wednesday 36. The evening review panel is made up of your advisor and at least two other faculty members who will look at and respond to your work and ask you questions.
Check the review schedule in 301 next to the spray booth and sign up on the day you are scheduled.
You should be prepared with a one page statement about your work. And be prepared to answer questions from the panel about your line of inquiry or project for seminar. Remember to bring enough copies of your statement for all of the panelists. If you have questions about the reviews ask Ethan, Caroline or Greg, or check with your advisor.
THESE REVIEWS ARE REQUIRED AND CANNOT BE MADE UP.
Please arrange your schedules to make sure you are available at the right time.

NO WEDS FEB 13 DISCUSSION SECTIONS GO TO 301

There will be NO DISCUSSION SECTIONS ON FEB 13th.
Please will all seniors go to 301 and meet in the Gallery. At 12:30 Visiting Artist Justin Durand will be talking to the seminar. After this presentation he will be doing studio visits.

Heart Pump Arts, Justin Durand's website; http://www.justindurand.com

Caroline's sections: please email me your lists of 5 exhibitions/events and bring a hard copy of your list to the next discussion section.
Thanks
Caroline