projects / pictures' new format.

Since its inception, this blog has been presented as a "photostream" (a la flickr), a sequence of usually single-image posts wherein I choose an exemplary recent photograph from a student and post it with minimal peripheral information. This format was chosen in part to isolate the images from the parameters set for a particular assignment, opening up the images to new possibilities of interpretation by creating a gallery-like environment. The encounter is thus with the image alone, on its own terms (itself a dubious assertion).

These de-contextualized images are always compelling in their own right, demanding no explanation to justify their presence. On reflection, this format has its own set of implicit biases, first and foremost privileging the image-object of the person who authored it. It also seems to suggest that early student work is not consistent enough to merit a more thorough presentation, and that the assignments I create are subterfuge, an elaborate game designed to produce stand-alone images and art works (this is only partly true!). However, on reflection, students in art and photography begin carving out a niche, and an individual approach simultaneously while still learning even the basics of the process, and more advanced students invest a lot of artistry and critical thinking in producing a consistent and compelling body of work within a given assignment, and even over multiple projects.

The new format will address these issues and latent strengths. Posts to this site will now be focused on a more generous, in-depth look at a student's work, showcasing multiple images whether from a single series or from across multiple projects. For each artist, I will also include a short review discussing the form, style and content, and include more relevant information provided by the artist.

Additionally, I will periodically post the original assignment outlines, so that readers can refer back to the themes and parameters to which a student was responding. There will be vestiges of projects/pictures original format, but I'm certain this new approach will be more amenable to all, and present a clearer sense for the artistry and learning taking place around me on a weekly basis.

x
Joel