- Write (or choose) a Haiku poem and visualise it only with typography. Try different tools in InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, also font styles, font sizes, etc. There are no limitations to it – just to develop an amazing image by only using letters. Save it for web as .PNG and upload it to OSS for sharing and discussion.
- Describe an image which you didn’t take.
Think of an image which you have in your mind and describe it as good as possible in one paragraph. Be as precise as possible. Share the description on this site and get together in a group of 2 or three and find out, if the others can imagine the image in the same way.
1. What is the essence of the image? Does your partner imagine it in the same way? How do you describe the image
2. Do you regret that you didn’t take it?
Would your partner like to see it?
3. Could you imagine to re-stage the image or could the description represent the image the same – or even better?
4. After reading a short text by Umberto Eco, present each others image and your findings to the class.
- Share the image you brought to class today with someone else and don’t tell yet what it is about.
For the one who receives it, take your time to look at the image. Take notes. Consider the time and background the image was taken and the first impression it leaves on you. Then write a description of the image. Imagine you are describing the picture to someone who cannot see it: look at all the details, the composition, background, foreground, colours, shapes.
– Introduction:
What:
• Topic – what is the image about?
• Type (Painting, photography, drawing…)
• Is there a title?
Context:
• Who is the author of the image?
• Where? (is it in a museum, online, a personal portfolio…)
• When was it made?
– Description: from general to specific
• Perspective
• Foreground, Centre, Background
• Subject of the image
• Composition
• Style (light, contrast)
– Summary
• Analysis, your interpretation and impression
Finally: Write a short story or artist statement, pretending you are the author of the image
Then: present your description and story and learn about the real background.
- Share with the class an image which you took with text as a prominent element and receive their feedback.
Alter the text in a way to add more meaning or your personal message to the image.
- Choose one artist who works specifically with text and image: e.g. Lorna Simpson, Walid Raad, Sophie Calle, Jim Goldberg, Duane Michels, …), research on them and present the artist to the class. We want to know:
- Introduction: some background information of the artist.
- How can the work be summarised or categorised?
- Methodology: How do they combine image and text? How do they work? Is it fictional, narrative, documentary, etc.
- Your interpretation: what would you read in the text or the image alone? Does it work for you? Is the combination of both enriching or redundant or even controversial? Please add other observations.
- Conclusion – could you relate to the artist in your personal work?
- Present your findings to the class
- Homework: Please read the the text Roland Barthes: Rhetoric of the Image and keep the questions in mind, which I’ve sent you by email.
- Based on the inspiration from Assignment 5 – write a believable but contradictory story to an image which you took and find the best way to combine both (presentation after recess week).
- Artist books:
Have a look at different ways to combine image and text and connect individual pages; especially in books with small editions. How are narratives treated?
- Choose one image and present it with three different titles. How does the image change for the audience?