Visual Thinking Class

April 17, 2009

2009-04-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

1) We looked at the chair project, round two, Evil Twin. With this week's chair sitting next to a photo of the previous chair, each person described the ways that their work on the second chair exhibited strongly lateral thinking.

We also looked at the flotsam and jetsam projects.

We watched a film called Edward James, Builder of Dreams. This showed the surrealist sculpture garden he built in Mexico. In "Las Posas," he built his own creative sanctuary on earth.

After the break, we did a guided visualization exercise, called "creating your inner sanctuary."

Next, we talked about things that kill individual creativity, and we discussed our own individual needs for the things that nurture our creativity.

Next week, the chair project-round three, is due. The goal for this piece is to be radically different than both chair one, and chair two. The chair might evolve in a way that makes it the perfect chair for your inner sanctuary.

Also due next week, are the sketchbooks. I provided a list of items that should be included.

There was also a short reading hand-out, called "Confused Mind," and I asked that some of the concepts from reading be related to the process of working on the chair, round three.

April 3rd - creativity part two

2009-04-04T21:55:00.000-07:00

We began taking a look at the chair project, round one period the goal of this piece was to transform a simple foamcore chair in an amazing and personal way.

We briefly talked about creative moments that have been observed in the past seven days.

We listened to a 20 minute audio by creativity expert, Shakyi Gawain. There was a hand out with notes on her talk, and a list of questions, including things like present, and future creativity. Specifically, there was a question asking each of us to imagine what it would be like to make a good living doing something we intrinsically enjoy spending our time on.

After the break, we briefly discussed the principle of lateral thinking, and as an example of lateral thinking, we saw video clip of an individual who makes huge, but temporary, drawings on the beach sand.

We did a classic brainstorming exercise called Crossing the chasm.

After that, we attempted to solve a pressing individual problem, using an exercise called "Visiting Ancient Egypt."

The assignments for the next class meeting, which is in two weeks, include:

1) making an evil twin version of the chair project

2)"Flotsam + Jetsam" chair project-- and making a series of found object chairs, which are actually only tiny sketch models, of junk from the beach or an alley quickly turned into simple abstractions of chairs.

INSTRUCTIONS: step one: go to a place of abundant flotsam and jetsam. Comb the beach, or its urban equivalent, such as an alley, and gather whatever small bits of castoffs in debris you find. This might include fragments of weathered glass, parts of Styrofoam cups, little bits of metal, or scraps of wood. Step two: get a glue gun, some white glue, some tape, possibly an exact a knife and scissors, and very quickly and without any concerns about craftsmanship, combine the sound bits of debris into small chair like objects. These only need to be an inch or two tall. The image shown above is of some sketch model chairs, by artist, Lucas Samaras.

Strive for quantity and variety, rather than quality or craftsmanship.

3)Finally, there was a handout from the book "Lateral Thinking", which is to be completed before our next on-campus meeting.

Create class part one

2009-04-03T00:22:00.000-07:00

We began the study of tactical creativity.

First we examine the origins of our current creative identity. We did this by recalling early educational experiences, and by watching a clip from the film seven up.

We went through a slide show called 12 creation myths.

We made two chairs from Clay, and then we discussed the process of letting go, and the fact that highly creative people need to not get attached to their ideas.

Small foamcore shares were given out, for an out of class assignment, which involves transforming the chair and a fresh personal and novel way.

Finally: we watched the video about the artists Man Ray.

February 27th - What is a Face?

2009-02-27T10:07:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

"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

2009-02-13T20:23:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-06T14:24:00.000-08:00

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.

3rd Meeting - January 30, 2009

2009-01-30T15:05:00.000-08:00

1) We checked in on the frottage series, talked about ways to refine and improve, before next week when we frame them.

2) We watched an introduction to designers Charles & Ray Eames, and the we watched their short film, "Blacktoop."

3) Experiments with creating different tones of gray in ink wash. We then spent an hour with experiments in ink wash on 12" x 12" paper. Tried: dry into dry, dry into wet, wet into dry, wet into wet, brush/paper methods.

4) We saw the 22 minute talk by Ken Robinson. Do schools destroy creativity?

Homework:

a) finish final frottage series.

b) do 'visual artist research project' (over the next two weeks).

c) finish the reading handout distributed last week.

d) find or make a new tool for applying ink, and bring it to next weeks class.

Week 2 - January 23, 2009

2009-01-29T15:49:00.000-08:00

1) Review second seeing drawing process (done out of class).

2) What is your present idea of what an artist is, and what they do? Free association exercise.

3) Film clip from: "The Agony and the Exstacy."

4) Film on artist, Robert Irwin--"The Beauty of Questions."

5) Sensate Focus Exercise.

6) Tone-Value scale drawing.

7) Frottage texture drawings - first round (in class).

Homework:

a) Produce a SERIES of five or more high quality rubbings from in and around your home.

b) Write a couple paragraphs comparing and contrasting you first image of an artist with the life and work of Robert Irwin.

c) Bring an example of 'Visual Thinking' from your field of study, or from a hobby or recreational activity.

d) Begin reading handout.

Weekly Course Updates : Art 350

2009-01-29T15:29:00.000-08:00

This blog will be a record of assignments and weekly course content for the Art 350 - Visual Thinking Class at LMU. I will be posting images of, and links to sites with information about the artists are discussed in each weeks class.