Kate Jordahl
The future depends on what we do in the present. Mahatma Gandhi '
Always do right - this will gratify some and astonish the rest. ~ Mark Twain
Justice denied anywhere diminishes justice everywhere. ~ Martin Luther King
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change
the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. ~ Margaret Mead What issues are worth talking about? What issues are important today? What would you like to see change? You will make a piece or a series of images to discuss your concerns.
Goals of assignment:
Step one: Read, thinks and explore the social concerns that are important to you
Pick up a newspaper and a pair of scissors. Cut out every article that is important to you. Look in your magazine rack. What topics are covered in that pile? Do you get Sierra or Mother Jones or the Economist? Is it National Geographic or National Review? Gather fuel and energy to make a visual statement about a topic about which you feel passionate.
Look at the work of artists that are commentators on their cultures and on society. Think of about the methods of the documentary and socially concerned photographer and artist:
| Zone Zero – many portfolios and discussions on digital photography. A must bookmark site! | http://www.zonezero.com |
| Information on Pedro Meyer, the founder of | http://photography.about.com/library/dop/ |
| Zone Zero | bldop_pmeyer.htm |
| (This is an excellent discussion/visualexploration of the power of the digital image.) | CD Rom: Truths and Fiction, PedroMeyer |
| Short discussion on documentary photography | http://photography.about.com/od/docume |
| ntaryphotography/ | |
| Organization that support and promotes socially concerned photography | http://www.fiftycrows.org/ |
| Article on Digital manipulation and the | http://wiki.media- |
| photographing of social concerns | culture.org.au/index.php/Digital_Image_ Manipulation_-_Social_Concerns |
| Photo Essay by Pedro Meyer about his parents | http://www.zonezero.com/exposiciones/fo |
| tografos/fotografio/ | |
| The painter Goya painted powerful images of social injustice | http://www.artchive.com/artchive/G/goya. html |
| Picasso Guernica was a powerful visualtestament against war | http://www.picasso.fr/anglais/cdpablo.htm |
| Ansel Adams was a strident environmentalist and was also very concerned about theinterment of the Japanese during WWII. Seeparticularly the articles connected to the image"Mount McKinley and Wonder Lake" and"Mount Williamson, Sierra Nevada, fromManzanar" | http://www.sfmoma.org/adams/index.html |
| The Heart Gallery of New Jersey sponsored byLexar features portraits of foster childrenavailable for adoption made by 150 of theworld's top photographers and picture editors | http://www.digitalfilm.com/dp/events/heartgallery.html |
| The Pictures of the Year International (Lookparticularly at the Community awareness awardslideshows | http://www.poyi.org/59/winners.html |
Now that you know what you want to say and are inspired by others work, HOW are you going to say it? Will is be a collage or a series of images that tell a story? Will you stage the pictures or will you find your images? Gather your resources (digital and intellectual and get to work! (Visit the forum and share this in the area "Planning and thoughts for the Social Commentary Assignment")
Assignment requirements:
You will create an image or images that can be printed on at least 8.5x11”
paper as well as properly sizing the image to share on the web. You will save
all files to be included on your final CD.
Write a paragraph your experiences and thoughts as you worked on this
project. Include links for more information about your topic if appropriate.
Submit your printable image, your web sized image and your paragraph to the
Assignment section under Assignment #2 by the deadline.