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toydesign View Drop Down
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Direct Link To This Post Topic: Workshop at CIA
    Posted: 02 November 2007 at 06:31
Hi all...I just finished a short stint as a "Visiting Artist" at the Cleveland Institute of Art. The Photo Department brought me in to teach a two-day wetplate workshop to the Photo Majors. It was a bit intimidating, especially after they told me there was going to be 16 students! Anyway, it turned out to be about 12-13 kids and most were very excited about the process. I believe that it was such a change from what they traditionally have been doing and it was great to see how well they all responded to the process. Each student got to shoot at least one positive and one negative, although we ran out of time to do any P.O.P. printing (not surprising since it was crazy busy the whole time, even with both my darkboxes set up and a beautiful studio to shoot in).
Anyway, thought I'd share a few snapshots from the class as I am very happy with how it all turned out (there was one very weird technical issue that I am going to post separately about)...

thanks,
Greg










-Greg

"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity"

"Great artists doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize."
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 November 2007 at 06:55

Outstanding Greg! Way to spread the love! Congratulations on a job well done - they made some gorgeous images!

I'd be interested in hearing some of the comments they made about the process and the images they made.

Regards,
Quinn Jacobson
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 November 2007 at 07:04
Great news Greg!! What a wonderful experience and sharing the process we love !!!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 November 2007 at 07:09
Greg,
looks like things turned out great! I hope to share the process more in the
future too.
Well done!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 November 2007 at 10:01

Looks like you had terrific time and made some really nice plates.

 I'm finding out that any institution that has an inkling of 19th century photography is very enthusiastic to having a wet-plate photographer demonstrate the technique.

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 November 2007 at 14:35
Thanks everyone...it really was a great time and I love this process so much it's great to get others excited about it as well.
Quinn, in general the students were excited about it for many of the same reasons that I am....the "hands on" aspect of physically "creating" an image, the fact that the end result is as much an "object" as a visual, the "magic" of watching the image appear when you pour on the kcn...They loved the "artifacts" of the process as well. I think that they liked the "physicality" of it all around (even in using such a big, yet simple camera). I was actually quite surprised as to the level of interest and excitement...I sort of thought that there might be 1 or 2 that really would be caught up, but many of them (probably 8 or 9 out of the group) want to do more of it and quite a few asked what the basic "start-up" cost is. They all seemed to love the end result and were very happy with their images...flaws and all.
I actually plan on going back in a few weeks to work some more with them.

take care,
Greg
-Greg

"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity"

"Great artists doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize."
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 02 November 2007 at 20:24

Looks like you had a lot of fun.

Outstanding job!

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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 November 2007 at 15:19
Way to be Greg! I'll  bet you had a blast!
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 November 2007 at 11:07
looks like both a beautiful workshop and results as well, congrats!!!
best,
steve
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 November 2007 at 13:12

How are you guys contacting schools? 

Ive had some luck with calling/emailing....but not as good of a response as I had figured. 

I was marketing to photo courses and even art history courses.

Thanks,

chris

        Chris Morgan
~Wet-Plate Collodion Artist~
    www.thesilverbath.com
        Pine Level, NC
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 November 2007 at 16:20
Chris,

Hi...in this case I happen to be an Adjunct Professor at the school (albeit in another department)... I'm also good friends with one of the full-time faculty members in the Film/Video Photographic Arts Dept. and she is the one who approached me. So I guess what I'm saying is that it is not like I approached them "out-of-the-blue".
That being said, its not like it was financially very lucrative...I did it for the experience and because I love this process and wanted to share it with people who normally wouldn't have the exposure to it (or the money for a private workshop).
Even though it is a private (and quite expensive) art school, I could have made more money doing a simple one-day tutorial to someone.
I guess what I suggest would be to try to contact individuals within the school rather than the "administration"....

-Greg
-Greg

"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity"

"Great artists doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize."
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 November 2007 at 05:01

THanks for the info.

Ive been approaching them from the aspect of a "no cost to them" full day demonstration.  Its funny...most of the photo professions have asked how what I do relates to modern photography.....and the art history people have told me that photography is not what they cover...only the "fine arts" like painting and sculpture.

Its funny....neither group seem to have much of a clue as to the historical importance of wetplate. 

Ill keep plugging away.

Chris M

        Chris Morgan
~Wet-Plate Collodion Artist~
    www.thesilverbath.com
        Pine Level, NC
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 November 2007 at 08:24
Chris,

Hi again....I'm sorry to hear that the reaction you have been getting is so "uninterested"...I have to say that I am not surprised though....in many places "photography" as an art form is somewhat neglected, and in places where it is recognized as it should be there can definitely be a bias against historic/alternative processes.
As I was setting up for the first day of the workshop, I was approached (and somewhat "challenged") by an individual who I did not know (and actually, after the fact, I found out was a Departmental Chair who oversaw the Photo Dept.)... His first question to me was "why do the students need to learn this?" and continued on with a bunch of questions about the validity of teaching a "historic process" in this day and age. I believe that he was genuinely interested in my defense of the process and its value and hopefully I "convinced him" (although I sort of got the feeling he just wanted to hear what I had to say, and was already "onboard" with the whole thing).
I think many "art schools" today are trying to move away from teaching a mastery of craft and technique and towards more of a graduate school approach that values "concept" above all (with very little concern over ultimate execution of that concept). Wetplate obviously has a strong need for good technique/craft. I personally believe that understanding/mastery of a technique/craft/art is as important as "concept"...you have to have BOTH for a successful artwork (in my opinion)...
Anyway, I could ramble on all day on this subject....hope that you have better luck with your quest to teach a demo at a school....It is a huge benefit to all involved, and somebody will realize that sooner or later.
-Greg
-Greg

"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity"

"Great artists doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize."
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 November 2007 at 09:14

I agree with your statements regarding "concept" vs "master of craft".  That, I feel is the reason for so little interest in the historic process studies.

Ive been to several presentations at the local state college this semester.  The presentations were from the grad courses in the art programs.  Most of the presentations dealt with "ideas" of art vs actually completing the pieces......like you said "very little concern ove the ultimate excecution of that concept". 

 

At one of the discussions the group was talking about the "idea", and the "artist" made this statement about actually 'finishing the concept'......"there many avenues that could be taken to complete the project, if I choose to do so"...."the concept that I have presented, is in fact....the art."

Good ideas...well, maybe.....but no clue as to how to actually do the work.

 

chris

        Chris Morgan
~Wet-Plate Collodion Artist~
    www.thesilverbath.com
        Pine Level, NC
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Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 November 2007 at 10:17
I know that we have gotten a bit "off-topic" here, but I believe that a true artist is someone who has mastery over both "concept" and "craft"... (most) anybody can be taught to execute something well and plenty of people have great concepts....the marriage of the two is where "art" is found....

-Greg
-Greg

"The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity"

"Great artists doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize."
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