What would you like to see as art?
DUE IN 2 DAYS. YOU HAVE TO READ EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE ATTACHED WORD DOCUMENT.
You need to propose three ideas, answering the given questions. If you are having trouble generating ideas, look back to your second step (attached document) , think about your interests, think about your definitions of art, etc. What would you like to see as art? What is art to you that is not generally accepted in conventional definitions? What do you find beautiful? What are unconventional modes of expression? What reflects our context? You can also go back to your three gateways: art as form, art as context, and art as expression. Ask yourself if your topic could be considered art in a formal sense. Or if your topic functions as art contextually. Or if your topic could be considered a form of expression.
For those of you who would like a better idea about what a photo essay is or could be, I have compiled these links for your to peruse:
Tutorials:
http://digital-photography-school.com/5-photo-essay-tips (Links to an external site.)
http://photo.journalism.cuny.edu/week-5 (Links to an external site.)
Inspiring Examples:
http://www.thephotoessay.com (Links to an external site.)
http://www.motherjones.com/photoessays (Links to an external site.)
(Links to an external site.) http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/magazine/photo-essays-index.html?_r=0
The next step in your creative process is to more concretely develop ideas for your execution and propose them. For professional artists, this part of the process is not only key when submitting work to grant programs or patrons but also just playing around with ideas, seeing which ones are the strongest. Photo essays are often compared to essays constructed with words, telling stories or expressing ideas. For this type of work, the strongest themes will be specific enough to make a statement, personal to you, and understandable to the viewer. Also, make sure your ideas are doable in the timeframe and resources that are given. For example, an essay topic that requires you to go to several different countries would typically be impossible in this timeframe unless you are a multi-millionaire with a private jet. Make sure that it is something you can accomplish by the deadline.
Here you will propose three themes, answering the following questions with each one: What is the title you see for a photo essay with this theme? What types of shots would you include within a photo essay with this title? (I am just asking for a general overview, not a formal shot list.) How does this idea interpret the prompt: “Art in its Natural Habitat?” This will often lead to the photo essay you choose to develop for your final step, but it doesn’t have to. In the creative process, your ideas and work are subject to change, but it is the thought you put in that prepares you to make that leap–even if it isn’t obviously connected to your proposed ideas.
