Units

---

Sample subject outline - 13 Week Teaching Period - 1 2012

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

In contemporary artistic practice, diverse forms of photo imaging play an increasingly important role, even though conventional photography's aesthetic status has been controversial and historically contested. An understanding of how photographic artists creatively deal with issues of representation and photo-imaging will assist you in contextualizing your own photographic practice. Knowledge of aesthestic concepts within photomedia, its potential for innovative processes and the historical relationship between photography and art is important in developing your own dynamic artistic practice.

Aims

The aim of this unit is to provide students with an understanding of the aesthetic aspects of various photomedia concepts and processes and in the artistic use of genres. It also aims to give students proficiency in alternative and experimental uses of photographic processes, establishing an understanding of investigative and creative research. By including a range of photographic processes as part of the photographic artist's repertoire, this unit aims to give students a broad range of choices and approaches to creating images. The unit encourages students to engage with photography as a medium for visual and artistic expression in order to extend photographic practice.

Objectives

On completion of this unit students should be able to:
1. display proficiency in technical skills appropriate to artistic photo-imaging;
2. apply critical reasoning to current and historical concepts in art and photography;
3. solve creatively conceptual problems in photomedia;
4. develop and sustain artistic inquiry in photomedia through a self-generated body of work;
5. communicate and practically demonstrate the supporting processes and concepts in your work.

Content

The unit content covers the following: photographic processes - experimental interfaces of analogue and digital image capture outputs; digital camera operations, approaches to studio set-ups and controlled light options; still life and pictorialism; aesthetic aspects of photomedia, contemporary, international, artistic uses of genres, photomedia as art; interpreting photographs, rights of representation as seen in indigenous, feminist and other cultural histories; history of photography and art, conceptual and technical developments; personal approaches to photomedia, problem-solving, applying art concepts to individual photo work.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The approaches consist of lectures, tutorials, workshops, demonstrations, location and studio work, individual practice, internet component, Blackboard links.

Lectures:

Lectures are used to provide a basic understanding of the practical and theoretical issues. For lecture weeks 1-12 Lecture Outlines are available in two Workbooks. You will only derive the most out of lectures if you bring the Workbooks with you. While there is no opportunity for lengthy interaction between lecturer and students during lectures, students in the past have found great value in attending lectures and workshops because they were able to see problems being worked, rather than just being handed the answers, with no demonstration or explanation.

Tutorials:

Tutorials commence in week 1.

The basic understanding provided in lectures and workshops will be developed through the use of tutorials. To achieve the objectives of the unit it is essential that you complete the assigned tutorial work prior to attendance at the tutorial in the following week.
On a weekly basis, tutorial work is based on lecture material and requires you to work through a series of questions and problems.

Tutors will work through selected questions from the set tutorial work and deal with any problems arising from that material.

In preparation for the tutorial you are required to have completed all the weekly tutorial work, including the practical questions prior to attendance at these tutorials. The practical tutorial questions are designed to further reinforce the work covered in the lecture and the workshop, to show how various issues in the lecture material fit together, and to give students the opportunity to see "how" problems are worked, and discuss with tutors "why" something is done a certain way. Attendance at tutorials is essential to your success in this unit.

Proper attention to the teaching and learning strategies should enable students to meet the assessment requirements of the unit. You will be assessed on your developing knowledge, understanding and skills using a range of inter-related assessment methods.

Late Assignment Policy

Students will be penalised for the late submission of assignments. Refer to the Diploma Course Guide for details.

Late Assignment Policy

Students will be penalised for the late submission of assignments. Refer to the Diploma Course Guide for details.

Review of Grades or Academic Rulings

For rules on how to apply for a review of grade, refer to the Diploma Course Guide.

Consultation

The lecturer will be available for consultation from Week 2. Times will be advised in class and will also be displayed in a schedule on the noticeboard, on consultation room doors and on the KVD104 Blackboard site under Announcements section.

Exam Timetable

The exam timetable will be displayed on the Noticeboard on level 3 by Week 11 of the semester.

Assessment

Summative Assessment is any assessment item which is included in the calculation of your grade.
Formative assessment is provided through feedback in tutorial and workshops.

Assessment name: Self-Directed Folio
Description: (Formative and Summative)
Personal photographic folio. You are required to conceptually develop and produce a self-directed body of photographic work. The folio is an open-ended assignment which requires you to formulate your topic or content, experiment to find appropriate methods and materials and then to create and present the final project.
Weight: 50%
Relates to objectives: 1,2,3,4,5
Weight: 50%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 13

Assessment name: Artist Statement
Description: Artist Statement - Written Assignment
(Summative)
You are required to write a 1000 word statement linking the personal inquiry and processes in your folio work to current and/or historical photomedia contexts.
Weight: 10%
Relates to objectives: 2,5
Weight: 10%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Week 13

Assessment name: Photographic Genres
Description: Photographic Genres: Pictorialism, Still Life, Abstraction and Documentary
(Formative and Summative)
The four assignments are image-based. One hard copy photo image and 10-12 thumbnails on digital photo paper are required for each assignemtn, except for assignment 3, which are two hard copy photo images and 10-12 thumbnails on digital photo paper. Assignments 1,2,3 and 4 are due throughout the semester and folio and artist statement at the end of semester.
Weight: 40% (10% each)
Due Dates:
Assessment 1: Part A (Pictorialism): in class Week 4
Assessment 1: Part B (Still Life): in class Week 7
Assessment 1: Part C and Part D (Abstraction and Documentary): in class Week 9
Relates to objectives: 1,2,3
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Weeks 4, 7 and 9

Academic Honesty

Academic honesty means that you are expected to exhibit honesty and act responsibly when undertaking assessment. Any action or practice on your part which would defeat the purposes of assessment is regarded as academic dishonesty. The penalties for academic dishonesty are provided in the Student Rules. For more information you should consult the QUT Library resources for avoiding plagiarism.

Resource materials

Required Texts

There is no required text for this unit.

Recommended References

Airey, T. (2001) Creative digital printmaking. New York: Watson-Guptill

Clarke, Graham (1997) The photograph. Oxford, U.K: Oxford University Press

Daval, Jean-Luc (1982) Photography, history of an art. Geneva, Switzerland: Skirl

Davis, P. (1995) Photography. New York: Brown

Friday, J. (2002) Aesthetics and Photography. Aldershot, England: Ashgate

Lambert, M. (1998) Veronica's Revenge: contemporary perspectives on photography. Zurich: Scalo

Rowell, M. (1997) Objects of Desire: the modern still life. New York: Museum of Modern Art. Distributed by Harry N. Abrams.

Wells, Liz (2002) Photography: a critical introduction. London: Routledge

Wiehager, R. (Ed.) (2001) Moving Pictures. International Photography Triennial, Esslingen: photography and film in contemporary art. Exhibition Catalog.

Risk assessment statement

You will be instructed on safe procedures and the required safety gear for all studio and workshop processes that are demonstrated. Health and Safety files are readily available for all materials and machinery in all studios areas. Technical supervision is provided for workshops and available on a regular basis during the week. Technical supervision is mandatory in 3D workshop and printmaking studios. A minimum of three students is required for after hours access to studios. Risk assessment forms must be completed and submitted before project work starts.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 02-Feb-2012