AVT 667-Photography

Photography, as a medium, has evolved so much in such a relatively short period of time.  When I was an elementary school student, photography required an expensive camera, fancy lenses, film, access to a dark room…schools didn’t have the budget for that kind of equipment, so it wasn’t even an option until high school.  Even then, to take a photography course required a prohibitively expensive resource fee.  None of this is the case today.  Thanks to rapidly advancing cell phone technology, virtually everyone has a professional quality camera (and video recorder) in their pocket at all times.  You can edit your photos directly on your device without additional, costly software such as Photoshop.  You can adjust the focal length, light/color balance, shutter speed, image size/quality, choose the format and take burst photos natively within your camera app.  You can even overlay gridlines to assist with composition, it’s bonkers what you can do with a phone these days.  Photography is available to everyone, including very young students, which is great, but comes with a few draw backs. 

For one, cameras are so ubiquitous today that we’ve all become comfortable with a sense of pervasive voyeurism.  With a separate, point and shoot device, you at least knew when someone was aiming it at you.  We’re all so glued to our cell phones these days that it doesn’t even register if someone is holding one in your immediate proximity.  This poses a potential danger to children (even from other children) who may not be quick to grasp when moments of vulnerability are being recorded.  When you factor in that these devices are connected to the internet, with the ability to distribute photographs to every corner of the globe instantaneously, the potential for exploitation is even greater.  I think if photography is to be implemented into an elementary school art curriculum, serious attention must be paid to teaching responsible usage. 

Another concern is the disposability of photographs in today’s culture.  With antiquated cameras, the investment of time, money and resources needed to shoot and develop film was a real consideration.  For this reason, photos were taken with deliberation.  You didn’t commit to something unless it felt worthwhile, often with some degree of staging taking place.  Film is no longer a finite resource, and “development” is immediate, so pictures are taken with a “fire and forget” mentality.  They have very little value.  Would today’s students understand the significance of someone like Ansel Adams, Annie Leibovitz, or Richard Avedon?  Would they appreciate the skill and artistry that went into their work?  I hope so, but their whole conception of photography is so very different from what it is for earlier generations that it’s hard to say. 

Concerns out of the way, what I do like about introducing photography to children is the use of a camera as a tool.  It’s a remarkably convenient note taking device.  See something that inspires you?  A shape?  A pattern?  A color scheme or composition?  Take a quick photo and you’ll have it to reference later.  You can take a picture of a doodle you made on a greasy McDonalds napkin, and then throw that thing in the trash where it belongs.  I frequently take photos of art supplies I’ve enjoyed working with in class and use them to form a shopping list.  The exercise we undertook in this class is a great example of leveraging the accessibility of photography for inspiration.  Because a cell phone is small and light, I could easily take mine out with me to explore the woods around my apartment complex.  By documenting my surroundings, I applied a level of scrutiny I never had before.  I discovered a whole world right beneath my nose that I’d never seen until through the lens of a camera.  For me, the results aren’t so much about the photographs themselves (I certainly don’t consider these “art”) they are merely the product of the far more valuable process.  This is probably the mindset I would foster should I introduce photography into my lessons, to use a camera as one step in a larger journey of discovery/creation than the end in and of itself. 

Resources Worth Considering:

“How to Take Good Photos With a Phone”- Includes recommended photography apps to install on your phone.

“Phone Photography 101: How to Take Good Photos With Your Mobile Device”- This one has a lot of good advice on the compositional aspects of photography, in addition to the standard mechanical tips. “Look for symmetry” and “embrace negative space.” That kind of thing.

“The Complete Guide to Smartphone Photography”- Clarifies some of the terms used in digital photography, comments on the strengths/weaknesses of various smartphone brands, provides suggestions on accessories, and outlines some overlooked features common to most devices.

AVT 667-Found Objects

File “Found Objects” next to collage under “Art movements I appreciate, but have little personal interest in.”  Unlike collage, which is at least useful for students who aren’t comfortable with drawing and painting, found object art strikes me as impractical in an elementary school classroom setting.   

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my site observations this semester, it’s to limit as many distractions for kids to fiddle with as possible.  In one of my third-grade classes a student brought in a stuffed pig that “oinked” when you squeeze it.  An actual, live pig would have provided equal diversion.  The kids at that table passed it around, tossed it, squeezed it incessantly and giggled hysterically all the while.  That day was the only time I’d seen my mentor teacher become genuinely angry, and bark out “this is why there are no toys allowed in the classroom!”  I can only imagine what kind of pandemonium would ensue if students were asked to bring in dozens of their own objects.   

This could be circumvented by the teacher maintaining a supply of “boring” objects that aren’t of great interest to a child, like the scraps of cardboard, loose plastic and empty bottles we used in class…

…but the storage space required to retain an adequate inventory is hard to justify.   

Lastly, at the risk of coming across like a condescending jerk, I have doubts about an elementary school student’s ability to grasp the sophisticated conceptual considerations inherent to most found object art.  They can certainly paint and glue things together, but can they combine them in way that conveys a message?  They very well may, but I’d need to spend more time in a classroom to have a better sense of what they are capable of.  Until then, I think any found object art I introduced would be more of in an art historical context than an in-class project. 

“9 Wacky and Wonderful Found-Object Sculptures From Across Art History”

https://www.artspace.com/magazine/art_101/book_report/phaidon-history-of-found-object-sculpture-list-53384 

“A Look at the Found Object Art Movement”

https://artincontext.org/found-object-art/ 

“Art Project for Kids: Found Object Sculpture”

https://www.storey.com/article/art-project-kids-found-object-sculpture/ 

For my own foray into found object art for this MAT course, well, I think my ambivalence towards the medium is palpable. I brought in a collection of random objects from around my house and office, but that’s just what they were: random objects. There was no thematic connection between any of them, and I had trouble finding one once I was in class. I borrowed a few things from classmates to try and broaden my options, but in the end, I think these feel like a series of empty exercises in photography more than actual found object art. The irony of my doubting a third-graders ability to work in this medium while I myself am equally incapable of it has not gone unnoticed.

AVT 667-Collage

Typically, collage is not what I would consider to be “my jam.”  While it is a perfectly viable artform that I respect, I just prefer to create things wholly from scratch, by hand.  Working with existing imagery is not of personal interest to me.  That said, it is something I often use as an accommodation/differentiation in my lesson planning, as not everyone feels the same as I do and loves to draw or paint.  Collage is a great alternative for students in that it allows them to participate, exercise creative muscles, and apply principles of composition and design without feeling self-conscious about their own images.  It’s also useful for those who may have challenges with fine motor control, in that you can cut photographs with a large pair of scissors or tear them with your hands with little concern for precision. 

My theme this semester revolves around popular culture, so of course, I was immediately drawn to “Girls World” and the various other teen-oriented magazines that were provided for use in class.  Historically, I have held an expert level trivia knowledge of pop culture.  If a movie is on TV, I can tell you who directed it, who wrote it, who the actors are, and what other projects all of the above have worked on.  I’m aware of contemporary music I myself do not listen to, and what tv shows or other media have captured the zeitgeist.  Even if it’s stuff I’m not into, I at least have a passing knowledge of it.  Or at least, I thought I did.  My journey into Girls World has upended that assumption, and now I’m unsure of which planet I even live on. 

I do not know who these people are.  I do not know what they do.  I couldn’t tell you if they were actors, musicians, models, astronauts or puppeteers.  I’m half convinced they are genetic experiments, designed in a laboratory as exercises in crafting ivory white teeth, piercing eyes, and perfectly coiffed hair.  The only thing I’m certain of, is that I have no idea who or what is capturing the attention of contemporary teenagers.   

Which is why the phrase “Keep in touch” found on a random page of a magazine resonated with me.  While I had previously believed otherwise I appear to be very much out of touch.  Flipping through these made me feel old, hence the accompanying skull and crossbones “death” motif. 

My own insecurities aside, I stand by my original assertion that collage is a solid project idea for pretty much any person, of any age or skill level.  I made this one in a short amount of time with nothing but some kid’s safety scissors, a sheet of black construction paper and a glue stick.  These are cheap, easy to use materials found in practically any art classroom.  In my elementary school site observations this semester I’ve learned that it’s important to always have some kind of quick and easy time filler assignments for the more adept students who finish projects quickly.  I think collage could easily fill this role.  As a teacher, it would be in my best interests to start accumulating collateral early, so that a robust selection is always available when needed.   

My students will have to make due with old comic books and copies of Entertainment Weekly, People Magazine, and the Washington Post, though.  I refuse to get a subscription to Tiger Beat or Teen Vogue and put myself through the dawning horror of cultural disconnect again.