Understand the Arts Community

The Studio Habit of Mind that will be explored in this unit is Understand the Arts Community.

To better understand the arts community and our place as artists within it, we must learn as much as we can about the artists, artworks, methods, processes, and history of art forms that interest us throughout the ages. By learning about them and analyzing the visuals and their meanings, we can be inspired to create our own work. To better understand the arts community we must also interact with our fellow artists. We have to be open to sharing our work, looking at the work of our peers, discussing and reflecting on it, and giving and taking constructive criticism and feedback.

Just as in all of the Studio Habits of Mind, the ability for an artist to connect to, and better understand the arts community takes repeated practice.

Artistic Concept

A concept is an abstract idea. Artists use different concepts to take those ideas from abstraction to reality. The concept being explored through the lens of the Studio Habit - Understand the Arts Community is Creativity.

Creativity refers to an artist's ability to find unique, alternative solutions to problems of all sorts through innovation, experimentation, and diverse thinking. Creativity is not just a skill, but it is a process that can be learned and developed through passion and repeated practice.

Learn More:

Everyone Can Be Creative

A Bigger Definition of Creativity

What is Creativity?

Element of Art & Design

The elements and principles of art and design are the foundation on which all art is created. They can be thought of like a sentence. There has to be words in order to make a sentence; no words, no sentence. The elements of art are like the words. Without the elements - line, shape, color, value, texture, space, and form - there is no art. That doesn't mean that all elements of art must be used in an individual artwork, just like not every word has to be used in a sentence, but at least one must be present.

Understand the Arts Community will focus on the following element of art & design:

Space

Discover some interesting aspects of the element of art & design: space

Why is space important to know in photography?

Principle of Art & Design

If we think of the elements and principles of art & design like a sentence, with the words being a metaphor for the elements, then the principles of art & design are the ways in which the words are arranged. The way in which you arrange the words of a sentence dictates the feel and meaning of it. More descriptive words, and the sentence gives more detail; less words, and the sentence reads sharp or abrupt. The principles of art and design are the way in which an artwork is arranged. Does it appear uneasy, or relaxed? Without the principles of design - pattern and repetition, contrast, movement, emphasis, balance, rhythm, and unity - an artwork would not have a unique look and personality to it. The principles of art and design are more subjective as well. This means that they can be viewed and interpreted by one person differently than they are viewed and interpreted by another.

Understand the Arts Community will focus on the following principles of art & design:

Contrast

Discover some interesting aspects of the principle of art & design: contrast. Explore examples of how to create contrast in an artwork.

Why is contrast important to know in photography?

Reading

Learn what aperture means for your camera and how to use f-stop to create depth of field in the images you create.

Show What You Know

Practice seeing what changing the aperture settings, or f-stops, on your camera can do for the images you create. Set up a still-life using numerous objects. Using the various guidelines to create a strong composition, position yourself in one area and photograph the still-life on each one of the aperture settings available to your camera. Review your photographs to see the difference between each image. Try a few different still-life set-ups.

Using different f-stop settings, tell a visual story in three different images. Use either people, or inanimate objects to tell the story. Focus on how aperture and composition can tell a simple narrative by directing the viewer's focus and creating a strong visual emphasis.

Composition

Select two videos to watch and take notes on the ideas presented.

What tips and techniques are the different photographers using to create strong compositions in their own landscape photographs?

Artistic Conventions

Aspens, Ansel Adams

High Contrast

This convention refers to an artist's use of of an extreme, or very large difference between areas that are very light - or near white - and areas that are very dark - or near black - in an image.

Monument Valley, Ansel Adams

Complementary Colors

This convention refers to an artist's use of colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. Complementary colors include, but are not limited to orange and blue, red and green, and yellow and purple. Complimentary colors create contrast.

Environmental Activism

Learn what environmental justice is and why it is so important to our time. Environmental activism is both the fight for protecting the environment for the future and the here and now, and also the fight for environmental justice.

See how environmental activists can create change for the environment, and how you can be an agent for change in your community.

Show What You Know

Denali and Wonder Lake, Ansel Adams

Environmental Activism

Ansel Adams was not only a photographer, but an activist who fought, through the artform of photography, tirelessly for the environment. Read and article, A Silent but Most Effective Voice: Ansel Adams and Advocacy and learn more.

Protect Our Wilderness

Write an article that includes the Headline, a byline, and a minimum of 3 paragraphs that use a photo created by Ansel Adams to advocate for the environment and the National Park System.

Artist Connection

Ansel Adams

Discover more about the art, life, and activism of acclaimed nature photographer Ansel Adams.

Career Exploration

Nature Photographer

Freelance Nature Photographer

A freelance nature photographer works directly with clients who pay for their services to take images of various locations for print publication. Although freelance nature photographers can also be fine art gallery artists, this career path tends to be more commercial in the use of the images. Freelance nature photographers travel to different locations taking their equipment with them, and photograph different environments at different times of day and during different lighting conditions.

Trees in Fog, Eliot Porter

Frozen Apples, Eliot Porter

Objectives

Students will interpret the elements of art and design (space and contrast) in professional and personal work
Students will make connections between Ansel Adams and his work to the concept of environmental activism
Students will be able to use different aperture settings to create depth of field in their photographs
Students will create two photographs of nature - one black and white, one color - that demonstrates their connection to the environment on a personal level

National Art Standards

Anchor Standard #2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work
Anchor Standard #11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding

Project Specifics

Show What You Know

Nature Photographs

Experiment with F-stop to take photographs of nature that demonstrate your personal voice, individual style, creativity, and connection to the environment. Pay particular attention to composition, contrast in terms of value and color, and space.

You will turn in one image in black and white, and one in full color. Each image should show a depth of field. Consider the different times of day at which you can photograph and how the differing natural lighting conditions can add dimension and contrast to your image.

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