Synthesis Project:
Description: A series of at least three studio works in any media. The only strict parameters of this assignment are: 1) the works need to be a series of 3 works (or more), 2) they need to be ambitious in scale, time, and effort, 3) they need to be completely your own, 4) they need to be an attempt at finding synthesis and coherence in your work, and lastly 5) that you need to use seriously the input from the critiques, the process book, the themes, and the lectures.
Materials: Any materials are acceptable as long as they are materials that you have reasonable experience with and are materials that relate to what you hope to be making for your senior year.
Due Date: Due at the final critiques of the last week of class.
Evaluation and Grading: 30%-Ambition/Effort; 30%-Development/Synthesis; 20%-Concept/Creativity/Addressing the Theme; and 20%-Overall Quality.
Explanation and Discussion: As you begin working on your Synthesis Project, you will have three major sources that can help you find coherence in your work. The first source is the "Development Critique", an open critique (all art faculty attends), scheduled for the third week of class, where each student has to show a wide range of strong works from all of their previous studio classes. The critique should help students find common themes and trends in their work as well as determine their greatest strengths.
First, I will discuss the basic concept of a thematic/ open-themed assignment. With this assignment, we will discuss one over-arching theme, "synthesis" and three sub-themes, "process", "concept", and "product". The lectures of the course are designed, in part, to explain these themes and their interaction. These theme titles are designed to be approachable in two completely different ways: both as a content/theme and as a suggestion about process and development. For example, a student could focus on "process" as theme and make a series of illustrations based on archival photographs of people working at Andy Warhol's Factory; or a student could focus on "process" as a guide about pursuing open-process idea development. This flexibility leads to a variety of approaches.
This series of artwork can be almost anything as long it fits the parameters listed in the description. Nonetheless, there are a number of likely approaches and I will cover some of them here.
Option 1: Single Theme. You can focus on just one theme from the assignment, such as just focusing on "concept".
Option 2: Multiple Themes. You can focus on all three sub-themes, plus "synthesis", as content theme ideas for the whole series.
Option 3: One theme per Work. You can choose a theme for each individual work; such as, one "process" work, one "concept" work, and one "product" work. This can be an especially appropriate approach for students focused on illustration or applied design. For example, a graphic design student could create a poster series- one poster for each theme.
Option 4: Themes as Guide Book. You can use all four themes but use them more as guidelines that direct you to 1) think about process (especially open-process), 2) examine how you choose, research, and develop your concepts, 3) don't forget to care about product and presentation, and 4) use all of these ideas to help you develop your own voice, your own aesthetic, and a coherent/ synthetic, and intelligent body of work.
The Process Book:
Description: A process book/ artist book/ sketchbook that should combine aspects of all three, and should assist the student in creating synthesis in their work. The book needs to be at least 8x10" and needs to be filled up to at least 15 pages. If you are using a found-object book, then you need to first modify it by adding at least 15 blank pages.
Materials: You can use a sketchbook, a notebook (it would need to be modified so that you can have blank pages), a handmade book, or a found book (also would require modification so that it could function like a sketchbook.
Due Date: Due on the last day of class.
Evaluation and Grading: The process book will be graded on three aspects: volume, development, quality. Of the three, volume is weighted the most (40% of the grade) and is determined by simply counting pages:15 pages for 70%, 25 pages for 80%, 40 pages for 90%, and 60 pages for 100%. Development, worth 35%, is an assessment of how effectively the student used the process of idea development in the book to develop her/his ideas for the synthesis project. The quality grade, worth 25% of the grade, is an assessment of the overall aesthetic and skill quality of the work.
Explanation and Discussion: This might be more aptly named the "process2synthesis" book since it is the a central part of the effort of helping the student find coherence and synthesis in her/his work. In essence, this is a glorified sketchbook but it should also be a journal and a scrapbook as well. You can use any kind of sketchbook, 8" x 10" or bigger.
Each week, there will be specific process book assignments but the student is expected to use these as prompts leading to more independent work in the book, not as finite tasks. Thus the student should address the assignment and then continue to work and develop her/his ideas.
Here are some examples of process book prompts:
1. Week 1- fill two pages adjoined across from each other using one ball point pen. You need to use all of the ink in the pen. You can create any kind of imagery you want. Also, create 1 page of completely open doodles. (I recommend doing the doodles first- as a brainstorming exercise for the ballpoint assignment.)
2. Week 4- on one page in your book, glue down 3 unrelated photographs (or snippets of photographs). Two of the photo-sources should be larger (at least 1/8 the size of the page). Once of the photo sources should be a small detail. Make sure there is lots of empty space between the photographs. Now, draw/ paint/ print the in-between space to connect the photo images. Repeat this exercise on at least one more page. This exercise works best if the photographs are very different from each other.
Besides fulfilling the weekly prompts, the student is expected to have these required elements in their process book: 1 page of journal writing, 1 page of observational drawings, 1 page of gestures, 1 page of contour line exercises, 1 page of masterstudies, 1 article clipping, and 1 page of thumbnails
Artist Packet:
Description: At the end of the semester, you will turn in the complete “Artist Packet” which will include: a resume, your art proposal (for your semester’s independent work), your “Synthesis Narrative”, your artist statement and your digital portfolio of 15 works (10 demonstrating your solid competency in your discipline(s) of interest, and 5 demonstrating your current direction of work).
Materials: You do not need expensive resume paper or business binders or folder but your packet should be well designed, clean, neat, and attractive. The digital portfolio can be submitted on CD, a flash drive, or as a dropbox link. If you do not yet own a digital camera of appropriate quality, you can borrow the gallery camera (for a very short period of time).
Due Date: although drafts of all the elements in the packet are due throughout the semester, the whole packet is due on the last day of class.
Evaluation and Grading: 40%- Quality of Total Packet, 20%- Average of all the Drafts, 10%- Presentation, 10%-timeliness of drafts, 10% writing ability, 10% selection of work.
Explanation and Discussion: The “Artist Packet” serves multiple functions: 1) it reinforces the learning of the synthesis and development process. You have to write about your plans to make new work, then you have to document that work, and then assess that work with an artist statement. This will help you know why you made the decisions you did and will help you “own” your work. 2) it prepares you for the “Artist Packet” that will be required in the senior seminar. Though the expectation of polish, professionalism, and maturity is higher for the seniors, by completing an “Artist Packet” now, you will panic less then. 3) You have a packet that you can use for applying to galleries (and it is never too early for that).
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