07. Paper 3 – Artists

ASSIGNMENT BACKGROUND / WHY WE’RE DOING THIS

In May, you will be staging your final exhibition as part of Senior Studio. Although many of us have already started thinking about what we might want to do, it can be challenging to conceptualize what the space and work might actually look like. This semester, we will be taking some of the guesswork out of the process by using this course to plan an exhibition and to experiment with concepts to determine what might be our strongest solution. Keep in mind that plans can and do change; although we may spend a lot of time fine-tuning a proposal this semester, inspiration may strike at any time and a project that seemed perfect yesterday may seem trite today.

We want to be as efficient as possible with planning and executing our exhibitions in order to save time and sanity. Our final major paper will be an outline (script) of our final exhibition concept, which we will be presenting for our peers and — potentially — the faculty.

///////// OBJECTIVES

By the time we’re done with this project, we will be able to do the following:

  1. Finalize our exhibition concept.
  2. Organize our concept for presentation.
  3. Create visual aids to help ‘sell’ our idea.
  4. Give a professional presentation / talk about our exhibition.

STEPS

\\\\ REVIEW AND CRITIQUE

  1. Now that we have presented our 3 exhibition concepts, it is time to choose one and turn it into a final proposal.
  2. Start by talking with your classmates about your ideas. Which concepts are the strongest? Why are they better than the others? Are there any ideas that could or should be combined? Are there any concerns about the media you will be using? Does the scope and amount of work necessary seem possible within the timeframe? This is your opportunity to ask these questions and to receive / give honest feedback.
  3. Optional, but suggested: After talking with your classmates, it is strongly suggested that you schedule meetings with the other faculty within the department. I will guarantee that all three (and the visiting artist, if she is willing) will give very different critiques regarding your concepts. And do not limit yourself to only one faculty member because he or she is proficient within your concentration. Keep in mind that regardless of the medium, your exhibition must be conceptually sound and your media and subject matter must be justifiable. Artists do not limit themselves to only viewing work within their specialties, and if they do, they are severely handicapping themselves. Some questions you might ask:
    • Are there any specific artists I should look at?
    • Is there a concept or idea I should research further?
    • Does my proposed medium match my concept?
  4. Once you have met with your classmates and faculty members (optional), compile your notes and review the feedback you received. Keep in mind that feedback must be viewed critically — not all suggestions will be relevant to your goals, and some suggestions might be different but better than what you had originally envisioned. Do not be afraid to be flexible.

\\\\ ORGANIZING YOUR THOUGHTS

  1. After reviewing your feedback begin outlining your presentation.
  2. This presentation will be almost identical to the presentations given previously. However, at this point we will be addressing some extra elements to help strengthen our final proposals.
  3. Your proposal must clearly answer the following questions:
    • Who are you? Give an introduction. This is essentially the answer to the ‘Tell me about yourself’ interview question.
    • What is the concept? What theme or message that you are attempting to convey within your exhibition? What idea ties your work together?
    • What research will you complete? Remember, our shows will take place later in the spring semester, meaning that we have Thanksgiving break, Semester Break and quite possibly Spring Break to read, look at other artists, look at things that are relevant but not art-related, etc. Come up with at least 3 different artists and at least 1 subject that you want to learn more about, and briefly explain how these relate to your proposed work and how you will research them / what resources you will use (hint: books and galleries (if possible), internet research should be a last resort).
    • What is the subject matter? The subject matter is what the work is visually presenting. Your subject matter must enhance your concept, and you concept cannot be your subject matter. For example: If you want to paint pictures of horses, you will need to explain why horses make good subject matter by answering the question ‘How does this relate to my concept?’ However, your concept cannot simply be ‘Horses are great’ — your subject cannot be your concept. It is similar to ‘You cannot define a word by using the word.’
    • Who is your audience? Who do you want to reach with your show? To whom is your message directed? What type of person will get the most out of it?
    • What is your goal? What is the purpose of putting the effort into this show? Just ‘having an exhibition’ is not worth the time that it takes to plan and stage a successful show.
    • What will you create? What kind of work will you develop? This includes the scale, medium, how will it be displayed, is it archival or will it be destroyed at the end of the show, etc. Also include at least one sentence addressing how you will pack, transport and store your work off-campus after the exhibition. NOTE: Your work may need to fit through small hallways and doors or around corners during transport and install. This might affect what you create.
    • What will you have completed by the final critique? At the end of the semester, we will be holding a final, in-progress critique. We are all required to have completed work that is either for your exhibition or that experiments with the tools, techniques and subject matter you will be focusing on.
  4. Remember to find visual images that have inspired or enhance your ideas. The only way we will be able to critique one another’s proposals is to have clear understanding of what the work will look like. This is also an opportunity to look for samples of your own work that are relevant to the media in which you are planning on working. You can use sketches, Photoshop mock-ups, found imagery, etc.
  5. NOTE: Although you should be ‘thinking big’ with regard to what you hope to accomplish by the end of the year, be reasonable in your own skills and abilities. For example: If your exhibition proposal includes hyperrealist paintings of horses, but you have difficulties painting anything realistically (let alone hyperrealistically), you may want to rethink your subject matter and materials to best suit your own skills and abilities.
  6. Finally, export your proposal as a single PDF, including a bibliography of references you will be looking at for your research (set in MLA style) and images you are using for your presentation. Label your images Figure 1, Figure 2, Figure 3, etc. In your script, when you are referring to a specific image, refer also to the figure using parentheses. For example:
    • Artist X’s large-scale paintings of horses are majestic and awe-inspiring, much like the animals themselves. Specifically, X’s 2010 piece, Horse with a Serious Case of Poo Brain, simultaneously invites the viewer closer to examine the meticulous brushwork while forcing the viewer to hesitate, from a distance, at the potential of being trampled beneath the solid musculature that appears to ripple and flex within the canvas. (Figure 2)

//// PRESENTING OUR PROPOSAL

  1. Each student will have 10 minutes to present his or her exhibition proposal. Your presentation must include all of the elements from above (under ‘ORGANIZING YOUR THOUGHTS’), including an introduction and conclusion, as well as relevant visual examples, relating to the work you create, the work you will be researching and the work you hope to make.
  2. You can use images that have influenced / inspired you, sketches / drawings of the space or possible work, Photoshop mock-ups of what the installation might look like, etc. Any images that make it easier for the viewer to understand your ideas.
  3. Arrange your presentation in PowerPoint.
  4. Once your presentation is complete, it must be received via Blackboard by no later than 5:00pm. We will be using the presentations received at 5:00 — there will be no opportunities to submit revised presentations at the start of class.
  5. Presentations will be graded on overall presentation quality, including speaking ability and quality of visual elements. All presentations will be limited to no more than 10 minutes — at 10 minutes you will be asked to stop and 10% will be deducted from your final grade.
  6. After each presentation, the floor will be opened for 10 minutes of questions and general feedback.

GRADING

  •  PDF of script on Blackboard (10 points – Pass/Fail)
  • PowerPoint presentation on Blackboard (10 points – Pass/Fail)
  • Presentation

///////// AUTOMATIC FAILURE

  • Required elements are missing within your proposal and / or presentation
  • Submission is received after the 5:00pm deadline
  • PowerPoint presentation does not work
  • Presentation is incomplete