February 27th - What is a Face?

1) We watched one episode of "The Human Face," by John Cleese.

2) We did some warm up exercises on the topic of the human face. These included a 'seeing-drawing of a face, and making list of common cliches and expressions about the face. 

3) We worked on two photomontages of a face, as described in a handout.

4) Information about next weeks visit to the Museum of Jurassic Technology. 

Upcoming weeks:

March 6th - no on campus meeting. Go to the Museum of Jurassic Technology. Contact me by email before your visit if you didn't get the handout on assignments for the Jurassic. Also, please complete the "Pre-Visit" handout, which helps to define ways to enhance the experience of this, or any other museum visit. 

I'll be at the museum by 1:30PM. Hope to see you there.

March 13th - no class; Spring Break.

March 20th - Finish reading "Air Guitar," and answer questions at the back. Read the handout from "The Object Stares Back -- Chapter 5, What is a Face?" Bring magazine 'scrap' for in class photo montage projects. Be sure to complete MJT visit before this class!

Class Meeting on February 20th, 2009

"EXPERIENCE OF THE NIGHT" presentations. These were excellent in both the morning and the afternoon classes. Thanks for putting so much energy into your projects. It was sort of like going to a museum, and looking at too much good art. Probably the best response to this project in the six years of its existence. 

If you made a film, or multi-media piece, I would appreciate it if you could include it in your sketchbook, on a disk, or possibly upload it to youtube.com, and provide a link.

We spent the remainder of the meeting studying the compositional principles of Arthur Wesley Dow. These include: Opposition, Transition, Subordination, Repetition, and Symmetry. We drew thumbnails of each principle, and then made two collage, from strips cut from the ink wash project. 

For the next class meeting:

Sketchbooks are due. I provided a list of the assignments. If you have any questions please email me. 

On March 6th, we will meet at a small museum in Culver City, instead of meeting on campus.

No class on March 13th. It's Spring Break.

Meeting 5 - February 13th, 2009

1) We shared what happened during our night experiences. And then we brainstormed alternatives for the presentation, first individually, and then by working in teams of two or three. The goal was to consider a dozen or more possible presentation formats, before selecting the one to work on. 

2) We spent the rest of the class cutting and mounting the ink washes in the form of a lantern. (Click on photo page link to see some of the images).

Next week:

a) We will spend the first part of the class presenting the "Experience of the Night" projects. 

b) Bring a few of your extra ink washes, which will be used in an abstract collage composition in the second part of next weeks class.

Meeting 4 - February 6th, 2009

1) We checked in with examples of "Visual Thinking."

2) We saw an example of visual thinking from the animal kingdom: cuttlefish chameleons.

3) Additional ink washes made with a found or made tool instead of a brush.

Break

4) We framed the series of five frottages (graphite rubbings). These can me turned in with the sketchbook at midterm.

5) Video of "Light + Space" artist, James Turrell, which featured his Roden Crater project.

6) Introduced the "Experience of the Night" project.

For next week:

a) Be sure to have the "Experience of the Night." We will discus this at the start of next weeks class, and brainstorm ways to make an artwork or presentation which conveys the experience to others.

b) Bring a selection of your best ink washes. We will 'frame' them during class.