photo
OnlineDiscussion #1: Selfies and Self Portraits
The word “selfie” became official when the Oxford Dictionary named it the word of the year for
2013. Below is the official definition from the Oxford Dictionary:
NOUN (plural selfies) informal
A photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with
a smartphone or webcam and shared via social media: occasional selfies are acceptable, but
posting a new picture of yourself every day isn’t necessary
Origin
Early 21st century: from self + -ie.
The Oxford Dictionary defines “Self Portrait” as such:
NOUN
A portrait of an artist produced or created by that artist.
There are many types of self-portraits. Some are realistic representation of the artist
herself/himself. Others are created in ways to make a statement. And of course, there are many
self-portraits that try to convey a mental or psychological reflection.
Self-portrait has been
around for a long time. We have always view them as “art” regardless of the medium. That is
until Photography comes around. If you recall, from your textbook, there was a time when
mainstream society wonder if photography should be considered “art”. We currently find
ourselves at a similar juncture with the rise of mobile phone.
Below are 3 groups of articles I’d like you to read. Please choose 1 article/link from each group.
You don’t need to memorize anything, just browse/read for knowledge.
There are 2 parts to this discussion exercise:
1. Then I’d like you to respond to my prompt. Please make sure you answer my questions in
paragraph format and provide intext citation (APA or MLA). At the end of your
paragraph, paste the 3 articles/links that you chose. After you paste the 3 articles/links,
please add a question/prompt for your classmates. It should be a question that is related to
the topic to help them engage in a dialog with you (14pts).
2. After you have posted your homework, read two other people’s posts and respond to their
questions/prompts. If you notice someone’s prompt already had 3 or more responses try
to pick someone else. It is nice to be inclusive (6pts).
So, here is my prompt.
The discourse on whether a selfie is the same as a self-portrait has been raging for several years.
Why do you think there is even a discourse? Is it because of the accessibility? Is it because the
possibility that the artist may not have been formally trained (in the traditional sense of art
school)? What insights did the articles you read provide? How have the articles informed your
response(s) to my questions?
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/photograph#photograph__2
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/smartphone#smartphone__2
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/webcam#webcam__2
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/social-media#social-media__2
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/occasional#occasional__2
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/acceptable#acceptable__2
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/self
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/-ie
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/portrait#portrait__3
Group A: Essays on Selfies and Self-Portraits
http://www.dw.com/en/the-ego-as-a-work-of-art-from-self-portraits-to-selfies/a-18843991
http://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/discover/exhibitions/dutch-self-portraits-selfies-of-the-golden-age/
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/oct/22/beyond-the-selfie-step-away-from-the-
smartphone-this-is-what-artists-are-for
https://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/the-philosophy-of-ai-weiwei-from-andy-warhol-and-back-
again
http://time.com/4064988/refugee-crisis-selfies/
https://publichouseofart.com/articles/selfie-vs-self-portrait
https://www.diyphotography.net/6-12-year-self-portrait-project-documents-the-photographers-
life-living-a-with-mental-illness/
Group B: Exhibitions relating to selfies
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/15/arts/international/old-master-selfies-from-the-peak-of-
dutch-painting.html?_r=1
https://news.artnet.com/art-world/pulse-scope-fairs-slam-selfie-culture-hello-kitties-neon-signs-
376154
Group C: Other writings, competitions, exhibitions, and events relating to selfies and self-
portraits
http://selfiecity.net/#
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-17/richard-prince-instagram-and-authorship-
in-a-digital-world
http://blogs.academyart.edu/newspaper/2015/04/selfie_vs_self-port.html
http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2014/06/09/the-un-selfie-taking-back-the-self-portrait/
http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/stories/self-portrait/
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jan/02/getty-museum-in-focus-exhibition-birth-
middle-class
http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/whats-the-difference-between-a-selfie-and-a-self-portrait/
http://www.dw.com/en/the-ego-as-a-work-of-art-from-self-portraits-to-selfies/a-18843991
http://www.mauritshuis.nl/en/discover/exhibitions/dutch-self-portraits-selfies-of-the-golden-age/
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/oct/22/beyond-the-selfie-step-away-from-the-smartphone-this-is-what-artists-are-for
http://www.theguardian.com/culture/2013/oct/22/beyond-the-selfie-step-away-from-the-smartphone-this-is-what-artists-are-for
https://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/the-philosophy-of-ai-weiwei-from-andy-warhol-and-back-again
https://lareviewofbooks.org/essay/the-philosophy-of-ai-weiwei-from-andy-warhol-and-back-again
http://time.com/4064988/refugee-crisis-selfies/
https://publichouseofart.com/articles/selfie-vs-self-portrait
https://www.diyphotography.net/6-12-year-self-portrait-project-documents-the-photographers-life-living-a-with-mental-illness/
https://www.diyphotography.net/6-12-year-self-portrait-project-documents-the-photographers-life-living-a-with-mental-illness/
PULSE and SCOPE Fairs Slam Selfie Culture with Hello Kitties and Neon Signs
PULSE and SCOPE Fairs Slam Selfie Culture with Hello Kitties and Neon Signs
http://selfiecity.net/
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-17/richard-prince-instagram-and-authorship-in-a-digital-world
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-06-17/richard-prince-instagram-and-authorship-in-a-digital-world
http://blogs.academyart.edu/newspaper/2015/04/selfie_vs_self-port.html
http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2014/06/09/the-un-selfie-taking-back-the-self-portrait/
http://yourshot.nationalgeographic.com/stories/self-portrait/
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jan/02/getty-museum-in-focus-exhibition-birth-middle-class
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/jan/02/getty-museum-in-focus-exhibition-birth-middle-class
http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/whats-the-difference-between-a-selfie-and-a-self-portrait/
OnlineDiscussion #2: Taking the self-portrait one step further
Now that you have debated at length about the differences and similarities between selfies and
self-portraits. I am sure you have noticed the line is quite blur depending on your perspective.
For this discussion, I’d like you to watch the following 2 TedTalk videos. Then I’d like you to
post your thoughts on the video(s) as it/they relate to the topic of self-portrait. For this
discussion, You need to my questions, then post comments to two other students’ posts.
• https://ideas.ted.com/the-singular-art-of-the-self-portrait/
• https://www.ted.com/talks/liu_bolin_the_invisible_man
Teacher’s prompt: Why are these considered self-portraits instead of selfies? How much does
the physical preparation and conceptual (idea) planning play a role in the audience’s (you)
perception of these images? Does the label (self-portrait or selfies) effect our perception of these
images? Does the label elevate these into “art”? Who decides what label to give these images?
Don’t give me yes or no answers. Tell us why you think a certain way and cite your source
(because I know your thoughts are informed by what you read, watch, learned). Your source can
be an article, a movie, a book, the news, or a class you took previously.
Part 1 of this assignment: Answer the teacher’s prompt (14pts).
Part 2 of this assignment: Respond to 2 classmates’ posts (6pts).
foreground
midground
background
Photograph Analysis Example for exercise #1:
The Soiling of Old Glory. Stanley Forman. 1976.
1. Description:
a. In the foreground is a man dressed in black holding a flag pole that still has the U.S.
flag on it. It looks like he is about to stab a black man (being held by several people)
with the flag pole. The black man is dressed in a suit.
b. In the midground is a group of people, mostly men in casual clothing. These folks all
seem to be white people. They are looking at the scene. It seems that they are all
looking at the direction of the black man.
c. The background is a row of buildings that look like brownstones clustered very
closely. The setting is in a plaza between buildings. The ground is not concrete like a
normal driving road. The ground is paved with bricks evenly. The street seems clean.
d. The subject matter is people in an urban setting.
e. This is a representational photograph taken objectively because it doesn’t look like
these people posed for the photograph.
2. Formal elements:
Lines: There are lots of vertical lines formed by the bricks on the floor forming parallel
lines that leads toward the buildings at the end of the street. There are also lots of vertical
lines on the buildings on both side of the photograph. Lines are also repeated on the
American flag. The people’s legs look like vertical lines.
Texture: The bricks on the ground give a hint of bumpiness. The lines and stars on the
flag create a visual opposite to the solid fabrics on the people’s clothes. The checkered
pattern on the shirt of the man in the center of the photograph repeats the checkered
windows in the background buildings.
Color/value: The picture is in black and white. The man holding the flag pole is in all
black creates a small contrast with the black man in gray suit. The building behind the
man with the flagpole is in shadow which created a darkness while the building behind
the back man is doused in sunshine and appears to be very bright and light.
Space: The photographer composed this picture by juxtaposing the emptiness in the
foreground with the chaos in the midground. This transform the foreground into a stage
like environment.
Photo 121 – History and Appreciation of Photography
Vocabulary for Photograph Analysis Exercises
General vocabulary:
o Abstract: an image that emphasizes formal elements (line, shape, etc.) rather than
specific, recognizable objects.
o Representational: Images of recognizable objects.
o Subject: The main object or person in a photograph.
o Content: The subject, topic or information captured in a photograph
o Objective: The capturing of a subject in a non-subjective way, showing no personal bias,
not making any statement. Showing the subject as is.
o Intention: The reasons why the artist created this work or the reasons for the choices
(could be formal or aesthetic) she made in creating this work.
o Expressive: Showing emotion
o Theme: a consistent, dominant, and unifying idea in a body or collection of work.
o Geometric shape: shapes found in geometry like circles, squares, triangle, and
rectangles.
o Organic shape: shapes based on natural objects such as trees, rocks, leaves.
o Landscape: Environment (can be natural or man-made like buildings).
Visual Elements in art/photography:
o Line: What kind of lines are in the photograph? Curvy, straight, thin, thick? One single
line? Multiple lines? Are the lines creating some kind of directions or movements? Is a
natural line formed by the object itself (like an electrical line) or is it a group of objects
that formed a line (like a bunch of cones lined up to form a line)?
o Shape: Are the shapes geometric or organic? One shape or many? Do they form a
pattern?
o Space: Does the photograph seem to show depth? Shallow? What made this (like large
cones in front and gets smaller as they move into the back – this creates depth)? Is there
a spatial illusion? What about the negative/background space?
o Texture: Does the image/object feel rough? Smooth? Does it look wet? Shiny? If you
could touch the surface what do you think it would feel like?
o Value: How dark is the darkest value? The lightest? Is there a long range of grays? Does
the foreground or main object have the lightest or darkest value?
Components in art/photography:
o Vantage point or Angle: Where is the photographer’s vantage point? Does it seem like
the photographer is very low on the ground pointing the camera up? The opposite?
o Background or negative space: Not the main object or point of interest in the
photograph. This can be supporting landscape, objects, buildings, or people.
o Balance: Are the visual elements in the photograph evenly (symmetrical) distributed? Or
the opposite (Asymmetrical)? How does the evenness make you feel? What about the
unbalanced asymmetrical placement of objects? Does it make you feel uneasy?
o Focus: Which object(s) are most prominently focused in the photograph?
o Light: Which part of the photograph is highlighted? Shadows? Is the light natural or
artificial? Is it soft lighting? Harsh light? Is it a direct light source (light shining on the
subject)? Or is it a reflected source (light bouncing off something else onto the subject)?
Can you guess the time of day base of the lighting?
o Repetition: Are there a group of shapes that are grouped together to create a pattern
(this can be objects or the negative/background spaces)?
o Composition: The arrangement of the formal elements that make up the photograph.
o Contour: The outline of an object or shape. Does the light cause the objects to form an
outline? What purpose does this serve? Does the shadow or value or light form an
illusion of lines that move your eyes from certain point to point?
o Contrast: Strong visual differences between light and dark, smooth and rough textures,
single object that connotes light weight vs a large group of objects that give the notion
of heavy weight, etc.…
o Framing or Edge of paper: How did the photographer crop or frame the work? Does the
object/image end at exactly the end of the edge of the paper? Does the object/image
get cut off? Are there a lot of space left at the top of the paper? Does this make
everything seem really crowded in the space? Does the amount of space devoted to the
top make the sky/space see, bigger? Ask why the object/image ends where it ends?
Why are things placed where they are?
o Setting: The actual environment where the image/object is photographed? Is it indoor?
Outdoor? On a table? On a stage? Describe the space.
S
heet1
| F | 1915-1939 | ||||
| A | Atget, | E | M | B | K |
| Bayer, | H | I | W | G | |
| C | Capa, | R | |||
| D | Drtikol, Frantisek de Meyer, Adolph Domon, Ken Disfarmer, Mike (Meyer) |
||||
| Evans, Walker Eisenstaedt, Alfred Edgerton Harold Eugene Ebbets, Charles Clyde |
|||||
| Fuchikami, Hakuyo Fridlyand Semyon |
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| Gimpel, | L | ||||
| Hans, Bellmer Henle, Fritz Herzfeld, Helmut Hoffmann, Heinrich Howard, | T | O | |||
| Ignatovich, Boris Irvine, Edith |
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| J | Jung, Theodor Johnson, Belle |
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| Koppitz, Rudolf Kuhn, Heinrich Kertesz, Andre Karsh, | Y | ||||
| List, Herbert Lerski, Helmar Lange, Dorothy Levitt, Helen |
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| Model, Lisette McCall, Helen Man, Felix, H. Moholy- | N | ||||
| Namuth, Hans Noskowiak, Sonya |
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| Outerbridge Jr., | P | ||||
| Parkinson, Norman Pitseolak, Peter Peterhans, Walter Penn, Irving Park, Gordon |
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| Q | Choose any photographer from this list | ||||
| Riefenstahl, Leni Renger-Patzsch, Albert Rodchenko, Alexander Ray, Man Rothstein, Arthur |
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| Stern, Grete Sudek, Josef Sander, August Sheeler, Charles Strand, Paul Shahn, Ben Spender, Humphrey Steichen Edward Stieglitz, Alfred |
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| Taro, Gerda | |||||
| U | Ulmann, Doris Ueda, Shoji |
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| V | Van Parys, Germaine Vishniac, Roman Van Der | Z | |||
| Willumsen, Mary Weston, Brett Weston, Edward White, Minor Wolcott, Marion Post |
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| X | |||||
| Madame Yvonde Yasui, Nakaji Yavno, Max |
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ArtistReport Exercise Example:
1. My last name starts with the letter L so I chose Dorothea Lange.
2.
A. The photographer’s name is Dorothea Lange. She was born in 1895 in New Jersey. Lange
studied in New York to be a teacher. Lange studied with Clarence White, a member of
the Photo-Secession group at Columbia University. She traveled the world and supported
herself by selling her photographs. She settled in San Francisco and worked in a
photography studio.
B. Dorothy Lange photographed unemployed men on the streets of San Francisco during the
great depression. Her images of the terrible conditions of the Great Depression were
positively recognized by the public and fellow photographers, particularly the f64 group.
Then in 1935 she was commissioned by the Farm Security Administration (FSA) to
photograph the conditions of the rural poor population. The FSA hoped her images would
bring this plight to the public’s attention.
C.
D. This is Lange’s most famous portrait. It is an image of a woman looking sad and tired.
She is holding a baby and 2 other children are leaning on each of her shoulders. All four
people looked dirty, dishevels, ragged, and poor. At the same time, the woman looked
strong, like she is a working person, perhaps a farmer. This image is iconic because it
shows the poor living condition of the rural farmers during the Great Depression. Lange
met the FSA’s goal.
2. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/dorothea-lange-biography-with-photo-
gallery/3097/
https://www.moma.org/artists/3373
Ang, T. Photography: The Definitive Visual History. DK Publishing. 2014. Print.