Photography 1
Instructor: Shannon Duncan
Famous Photographers
This is a project you can
have a good time with, because you get to pretend you are a famous
photographer. You will become acquainted with the work of at least 20
photographers and then pick the one you like the best for your own project.
Here's how it works: I
provide you with a generous list of photographers from which to choose and show
you lots of images. You go to libraries, bookstores, websites, etc., and take a
critical look at work by at least 20 of them, jotting down a sentence or
two (or more if you want) about their work. I want you to develop a habit of
articulating what you see -- developing a critical visual vocabulary will
benefit you in any field of visual arts and enrich your personal experiences.
Do not absolutely decide on your
photographer until you have had time to see the work of 20 of them. Even
then, if none of the images turn you on, keep looking until you find some that
do. This is strictly about your personal taste and preferences. Consider
that criterion before you weigh practical aspects of what will be involved in
emulating someone's work. Feel free to consult with me about any aspect of this
project while you are working on it. Once you decide on a photographer,
write a short proposal identifying your choice and reasons for making it. (DUE
10/25)
Then photograph something
your famous photographer would have photographed, using the same style. Try to
"become" the artist and think, see, photograph and print the way he
or she would. Shoot at least 144
negatives (6 rolls of 24, 4 rolls of 36) and make a cohesive group of at least 5 final prints that look like they
belong together. You may crop and otherwise manipulate your prints as
necessary. I will be looking to see how well you captured the
"spirit" of your photographer's vision, formally of course
(composition, scale, lighting, etc.), as well as in print quality and content.
In addition, type a one-page,
double-spaced statement, explaining why
you chose your photographer. Some issues to consider might be: What do you
identify with? What about the style do you most like? Is it the content or the
form that you are drawn to? What issues are being dealt with by this person?
How is the work looked at by contemporary culture? If necessary, bring a book
of his or her photographs to class during critique. Your statement is due at
the crit. It is best to write a rough draft a week in advance, and then
come back to it shortly before the crit for your final edit.
Here are some websites that
might be helpful:
www.mastersofphotography.com
(not the same as the preceding site)
www.moma.org
> site overview > photography
www.mfah.org
> art at the MFAH > collections > photography
Berenice Abbott
Ansel Adams
Robert Adams
Shelby Lee Adams
Diane Arbus
Eugene Atget
Richard Avedon
John Baldessari
Lewis Baltz
Tina Barney
Hans Bellmer
E. J. Bellocq
Edouard Boubat
Ruth Bernhard
Margaret Bourke-White
Bill Brandt
Brassai
Manual Alvarez Bravo
Anne Brigman
Wynn Bullock
Harry Callahan
Julia Margaret Cameron
Paul Caponigro
Keith Carter
Elinor Carucci
Henri Cartier-Bresson
William Christenberry
Larry Clark
Linda Conner
Barbara Crane
Imogene Cunningham
Judy Dater
Bruce Davidson
Roy DeCarava
Robert Doisneau
Elliot Erwitt
Walker Evans
Wendy Ewald
Larry Fink
Robert Frank
Lee Friedlander
Lewis Hine
Ralph Gibson
Laura Gilpin
Frank Gohlke
Jim Goldberg
Nan Goldin
Emmit Gowin
Jan Groover
Sid Grossman
Ernst Haas
Robert Heinecken
Eikoh Hosoe
Graciella Iturbide
Michael Kenna
Andre Kertesz
William Klein
Mark Klett
Joseph Koudelka
George Krause
Les Krims
Barbara Kruger
Dorothea Lange
Clarence John Laughlin
Annie Leibovitz
David Levinthal
Sherrie Levine
Helen Levitt
Lisa Lewenz
George Platt Lynes
Danny Lyon
Nathan Lyons
Sally Mann
MANUAL (Hill/Bloom)
Robert Mapplethorpe
Mary Ellen Mark
Frank Martin
Ralph Eugene Meatyard
Susan Meiselas
Ray Metzker
Pedro Meyer
Joel Meyerowitz
Duane Michals
Richard Misrach
Tina Modotti
Lynette Molnar
Barbara Morgan
Wright Morris
Arnold Newman
Nicholas Nixon
Bill Owens
Paul Outerbridge
Gordon Parks
Irving Penn
John Pfahl
Chris Ranier
Man Ray
Eugene Richards
Jacob Riis
Herb Ritts
Alexander Rodchenko
Sebastiao Salgado
August Sander
Andres Serrano
John Sexton
Cindy Sherman
Laurie Simmons
Lorna Simpson
Sandy Skoglund
Neal Slavin
W. Eugene Smith
Frederick Sommer
Mike and Doug Starn
Ralph Steiner
Paul Strand
Edward Steichen
Alfred Stieglitz
Jock Sturges
Josef Sudek
Arthur Tress
Jerry Uelsmann
Wendy Watriss
Bruce Weber
Weegee
Carrie Mae Weems
Eudora Welty
Henry Wessel
Edward Weston
Clarence White
Minor White
Geoff Winningham
Garry Winogrand
Joel-Peter Witkin
