Course Syllabus
Course: ART 1150
Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New MediaDepartment: Visual Art
Title: Photo I
Semester Approved: Spring 2022
Five-Year Review Semester: Fall 2026
End Semester: Fall 2027
Catalog Description: Photo I is a foundation studio course designed to expand creative, conceptual, and technical ability in digital photography. Students will explore the nature of and meaning of photographic representation and the role images play in contemporary culture. Multiple modes of photo-based image making will be taught through hands-on camera work, lectures, and discussion. Emphasis is placed on photography as a fine art medium through the development of creative expression and critical problem solving skills. Topics include camera operation, use of light, image editing, formal aesthetics, historical perspectives, conceptual approaches, exhibition presentation, and a final portfolio. Photo I is required in the curriculum for acceptance into the Snow College Visual Arts AFA degree program. A program fee is required.
Semesters Offered: Fall, Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 3
Prerequisites: None
Corequisites: None
Justification: Photo I serves as an introduction to the photographic digital visual language and is foundational to understanding basic image concepts and practices in the Fine Arts. This foundation visual arts course is offered in visual arts programs around the country in similar formats and is transferable through articulation agreements in the USHE system.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Material Proficiency: Demonstrate a proficiency in materials and techniques. Students will be exposed to an array of material techniques and processes applicable to the course, including digital media. This proficiency in material and media, in addition to the application of the creative process, will be used as the catalyst to solve visual problems. Each student is required to maintain a portfolio and produce a final work serving as a culmination of techniques and concepts learned.Portfolios will be reviewed periodically during the semester to provide feedback for improvement.
Principles of Concept: Demonstrate an integration of conceptual principles. Students will be taught to discern between material, formal and conceptual principles. Material and formal understanding of creative practice will be emphasized to solve conceptual issues. Portfolios will be reviewed periodically throughout the semester to provide feedback for improvement and assess progress. The final signature assignment will include a synthesized understanding of form and content both in the final visual presentation and in a critical written response to these outcomes. Each student is required to maintain a portfolio and produce a final work serving as a culmination of techniques and concepts learned. This will include class projects, instructor feedback and peer critique.
Historical Context: Demonstrate a fluency in historical content and context. Students will study significant historical works with particular attention to the context of when it was created. This knowledge will assist in informing their formal creative sensibilities. Artistic influence and imitation is a standard part of the creative development of art students and will be evidenced in their final portfolio of creative work.
Critical Theory: Demonstrate the ability to critically analyze a work of art. Students will learn the process of critical analysis as it applies to creative process and risk taking. Utilizing the visual vocabulary, knowledge of material processes, concepts and historical context, students will learn to articulate aesthetic qualities, examine effective visual communication, and determine conceptual merit. Students will analyze both historical and contemporary work through short oral and written critiques which will be reviewed by the instructor.
Creative Process: Demonstrate the application of the creative process. This course teaches strategies for cultivating creativity, visual problem-solving, and developing critical thinking skills. Through applied studio projects students will engage the design process into their own practice. This will include the process of thinking about the design parameters, looking at what others have created prior, and doing, applying what they have learned. This course will culminate with the final project, the compilation of a series of images presented in a final portfolio and self-published book. where students will critically write and speak about their unique creative process and receive feedback in the critique process.
Content:
This course will include:
• Illustrated lectures and discussions on various facets of photography including the dynamics of formal aesthetics, manual camera operation, light, image editing, exhibition presentation, historical movements, contemporary photographers, theory and criticism.
• Applied application of photography methods and techniques in the classroom and in the field.
• Individual and group critiques, designed to promote constructive analysis of each student's own work, the work of their peers, and historical works of art.
• Internal assessment of each student's competence in the theory and practical application of topics covered through quizzes and exams.
• Written critical evaluations analyzing contemporary works of art and a formal project statement designed to assist in each student’s ability to articulate their own creative process.
• The compilation of a series of images presented in a final portfolio and self-published book.
• The artistic genres and movements covered in this course will be representative of a ranging variety in gender, nationality, language, perspective, etc. Where disparities exist in these genres, major figures, and movements, questions or issues of representation will be addressed in class discussions and/or assignments. Discussion of representation and diversity are highlighted as significant aspects of photography as they relate to access, voice, and audience.
Key Performance Indicators:
Each student will be evaluated upon the completion, artistic merit, conceptual application, innovation, and level of craftsmanship of each creative project. Written exams and quizzes will assess each student’s understanding of formal elements and principles including, material proficiency, principles of concept, historical context, critical theory, and the creative process. The final portfolio and self-published book will be assessed through critique and instructor feedback. A final assessment module will prompt a written response to each of these areas as they pertain to their final studio project. Through attendance at and participation in various opportunities for lecture, demonstration, research and critical analysis, students will gain an informed ability to critique, ultimately enhancing their own work and the work of their peers.
Portfolio and Final self published book Project 70 to 85%
Written Exams & Quizzes 5 to 10%
Written and oral critique of artwork 5 to 10%
Attendance and participation 5 to 10%
Representative Text and/or Supplies:
No text required. Supplemental readings and research to be determined by the instructor. Supplies to be determined by the instructor.
Digital camera with manual functions is required.
Pedagogy Statement:
This course will be taught using several pedagogical methods: lecture, discussion, on-site field work, interactive collaborative projects, field trips, peer critique, research, and writing. Specific attention will be paid to inclusion, diversity, equality, and access as it applies to the creative cultural field.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture/Lab
Maximum Class Size: 15
Optimum Class Size: 15