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Term: 25_0201_OL
Credits: 3
Delivery Method: ONLINE LMS
Instructor: Ton Schless
Meeting Times: Scheduled Live Critique Sessions, TBD
Class Location: N/A
Prerequisites: PHO 601 History of Photography II, PHO 610 Photography Concepts
Corequisites: None
Module 3: Research and Inspiration
Overview: In Week 3 of Concept and Portfolio Development, the focus shifts to the role of research and inspiration in conceptualizing and developing a photography portfolio. This module emphasizes the importance of looking beyond one’s immediate surroundings to historical, cultural, and contemporary sources for inspiration. Research provides context for your work and helps you position your artistic voice within the broader photographic community.
By engaging with the works of other photographers, artists, and cultural movements, you will begin to identify key influences that shape your creative direction. This week’s readings and assignments are designed to help you deepen your thematic exploration while creating new work aligned with your chosen concept.
Key Learning Objectives:
Module 3: The Role of Research in Photography
In photography, research is crucial for expanding one’s conceptual horizons and helping one build a deeper connection with one’s subject matter. Whether engaging with historical references, cultural narratives, or contemporary trends, research can inform one’s work’s visual and thematic direction.
· Research as Foundation: Research allows photographers to gain a deeper understanding of their subject matter, whether that subject is personal, societal, or abstract. Engaging with a theme’s historical context or understanding its cultural significance can provide new insights that deepen your images’ emotional and intellectual impact.
· Research Beyond Photography: Photographic research doesn’t only involve looking at other photographers’ work. Engaging with painting, sculpture, literature, cinema, or even science can provide unexpected sources of inspiration. For instance, a photographer exploring the theme of identity might find insight in sociology, while someone focused on landscape might turn to environmental studies for new perspectives.
Interdisciplinary Research: Embracing multidisciplinary research can be particularly fruitful in concept development. You can integrate these insights into your photographic practice as you explore various disciplines—whether history, anthropology, philosophy, or visual art. This approach can help your work stand out by giving it intellectual depth and relevance to contemporary issues.
Module 3: Finding Inspiration in History, Culture, and Contemporary Practices
Inspiration can come from various sources, from historical art movements to contemporary photographic trends and cultural narratives to personal experiences. Understanding where to look for inspiration and how to apply it to your work is a skill that can be cultivated through research.
· Historical Inspiration: Many photographers find inspiration in art history. Understanding the works of the past allows you to see how various themes and techniques have evolved. For example, studying the work of the Surrealists could inspire a photographer to explore dream-like, fantastical elements in their work. Looking at historical movements such as Pictorialism or Modernism can also provide a foundation for building contemporary projects.
· Cultural and Social Inspiration: Cultural and social research explores how history, society, and cultural traditions shape human experience. This research can take many forms, such as exploring the cultural practices of a particular community, investigating political or social movements, or examining how cultural identity influences artistic expression.
· Contemporary Practices: Staying up to date with contemporary photographers and visual artists can provide a lens through which to view current trends and practices in the art world. This helps situate your work within the larger photographic community. What themes, styles, or techniques are emerging in the work of contemporary artists? How do these reflect current social, political, or technological shifts?
o Photographic Techniques and Processes: Contemporary photographers are constantly pushing the boundaries of the medium through experimentation with new techniques. From digital manipulation to alternative processes like wet plate collodion, understanding these techniques allows you to make informed choices in your work.
o Conceptual Approaches in Contemporary Art: As the boundaries between traditional media blur, many contemporary photographers embrace conceptual approaches that include performance, installation, or multimedia elements. These practices can inspire you to think more broadly about what photography can be.
Module 3: Reading
Charlotte Cotton, Photography as Contemporary Art, Chapter 2: Once Upon a Time
Summary: In Once Upon a Time, Charlotte Cotton explores how contemporary photographers use narrative. This chapter focuses on how storytelling—whether personal, fictional, or documentary—plays a central role in much of today’s photography. Cotton examines how photographers build complex visual narratives that challenge traditional notions of photography as mere documentation. Through case studies of artists such as Gregory Crewdson and Jeff Wall, she demonstrates how photography can become a medium for constructing elaborate stories that engage the viewer on multiple levels.
Key Concepts:
· Photography as a storytelling medium.
· The role of constructed and staged imagery in contemporary narrative photography.
· How photographers use symbolism, metaphor, and visual cues to create meaning.
Relevance to the Course: This reading will help you consider how to build narrative depth into your own work. By studying how contemporary photographers construct their stories, you will learn how to integrate narrative elements into your concept development, making your portfolio more engaging and conceptually rich.
John Berger, Ways of Seeing, Chapter 1
Summary: In Chapter 1 of Ways of Seeing, John Berger deconstructs the traditional ways we view and interpret art. He argues that all visual representations are shaped by cultural and social conditions, which affect how images are interpreted. Berger challenges the idea of “pure” observation, emphasizing that we bring personal, cultural, artistic, and historical contexts into every act of seeing. This chapter is foundational for understanding how context influences both the creation and reception of images, and it highlights the importance of questioning traditional power structures in the art world.
Key Points:
· Seeing is not objective; cultural, social, and historical factors influence it.
· Images are embedded with meaning that goes beyond what is immediately visible.
· Understanding how different audiences interpret images is crucial for photographers who want to engage with the broader discourse.
Relevance to the Course: Berger’s ideas will help you think critically about how others see your work. As you develop your portfolio, consider how different audiences—gallery-goers, curators, or the general public—will interpret your images. This reading will also encourage you to think more deeply about the cultural and historical contexts that shape your perspective as a photographer.
Module 3: Conclusion
By the end of Module 3, you will have a deeper understanding of research’s role in developing a photographic project. Through your engagement with history, culture, and contemporary practices, you will have refined your portfolio concept and produced new work that reflects these influences. Your research will serve as a foundation for continuing to build a conceptually rich and visually compelling portfolio.
Module 3: Discussion: Inspiration and Influences
Research photographers whose work inspires you. Post three images from different photographers that resonate with your chosen theme or concept. Discuss why these images inspire you and how the photographers use narrative, conceptual depth, or technical skill to explore their themes. How can you apply these elements to your work?
This discussion will help you start thinking critically about the sources of your inspiration. By analyzing the work of other photographers, you can identify specific techniques or approaches that will inform the development of your portfolio. It will also help you articulate what excites you about particular types of imagery, giving you a more precise direction for your photographic practice.
Examples of Photographers to Explore:
Purpose
This assignment is just for you to practice professionally formulating your thoughts about the topic.
Submission Directions
Please post your 150–200-word discussion in the text field provided.
Due Date
This assignment is due by the end of this module.
Provide feedback to at least three peers as per department policy. (See the Syllabus)
Adhere to the RMCAD Department of Photography Assignment Submission Standards
Module 3: Assignment: Refine Your Concept
Part I:
Submit at least one new original image that explores your chosen theme.
This image should reflect your research and inspiration from historical, cultural, and contemporary sources. Note in the assignment how the new insights you’ve gained from the readings, discussions, and research are reflected in your photographic choices. How does the image further the conceptual depth of your portfolio?
Part II:
Post an updated concept for your portfolio.
Using the feedback from your peers and the inspiration gathered from your research, update your portfolio concept. You should now have a clearer idea of your project, why you are exploring this theme, and how you will communicate it visually. Be sure to incorporate any new ideas or directions from your research.
Concept Guidelines: (Remember What, Why, How, and to Whom)
· What: What is your portfolio’s main idea? Has this changed or evolved since Module 2?
· Why: Why are you interested in this particular theme? What new insights have emerged from your research?
· How: What photographic techniques or approaches will you explore this theme further? Have you been inspired by any new technical processes or narrative strategies?
· To Whom: Who is your intended audience, and how has your research affected your approach to engaging with this audience?
Purpose
Develop your portfolio further and professionally explain your artistic motivations in your concept.
Submission Directions
Please post your 300–500-word description in the text field provided.
Due Date
This assignment is due by the end of this module.
Provide feedback to at least three peers as per department policy. (See the Syllabus)
Adhere to the RMCAD Department of Photography Assignment Submission Standards.