Cheesecloth + ripped up newspaper + gel medium = A MESS.....right?  Actually it is one of the many recipes that students explore when creating digital substrates for the Digital Photography unit at Pewaukee High School called Portrait of A Place.  This recipe and other experimental choices often leads to unique student works of art that merge hands on media with new digital media, while pushing the boundaries of our digital inkjet printer and the students’ concepts of what printmaking is.  

In Digital Photography class Adobe Photoshop has spoiled my students giving them easy, cool-looking effects with not too much effort.  But there is limited meaning to special effects with no conceptual development or experimentation behind them.  An artist tinkers, experiments, fails and tries again.  That’s the creative process.  I teach my students that they should not be satisfied with a few easy clicks of the mouse, but should push further with their art digging for deeper meaning.  The Portrait of A Place unit teaches this lesson, challenging students to go beyond their pre-conceived notion of what a photograph is.

During the unit I show my own artwork to students, describing the possibilities of pushing the limits of what we’re doing.  I also use a wiki to teach this course and require students to do research before making their art.  The wiki tracks their explorations and includes links to videos, pinboards on Pinterest and also some other great resources.  It enables students to have a clear understanding of the vocabulary involved when creating their final piece.  They learn the differences among image transfer techniques such as gel medium transfers or Purell soap transfers;  creating a digital ground using Ink Aid products; digital substrate construction with fabrics, cheesecloth and collage materials and printing on fabrics, such as organza, canvas and silk.  They learn why and when they would choose to do one vs. another.  The best part of this unit is that students are given permission to fail.  Through their stumblings they learn a great deal about the art making process.

Choice is also a key component of this unit.  Students pick the path they will pursue based on the mood they wish to evoke in their Portrait of A Place by personifying the place through light and mood.  The printing techniques they choose enhance their concept.  Adobe Photoshop is used to further edit and enhance the images.  Students then choose a technique to produce their print.  Final products may end up being pieces of clothing, photos on wood, and more.  One year a student image transferred a 360 degree view of his drive up to school each morning onto the windshield of his car!  We have two inkjet printers that have been pushed to the limits.  Our new Epson 3000 is used to print the transparencies and images on fabric.  The older Epson 1400 is the workhorse printing on canvas and some of the thicker substrate materials such as collage or canvas.  Choice in printer results in varied results too and is part of the experimentation.  

The end results are not always dazzling, but the thinking and creativity involved in the process make this unit one of the best and most favorite amongst students.  It challenges me as an instructor too, for as students pursue divergent directions, I must be a cheer leader, coaxing them through the  failures and helping them be patient and perisistant in creating a final work of art.  I become the “fix-it mechanic” too, as I tweak and cajole the printers to do what we need. 

Experimentation is inherent in this unit.  It can be painful, but the marriage of new media with old produces exciting results that have students cheering their peers when a transfer works particularly well or when the substrate they’ve just created from cheese cloth and collage becomes a gorgeously layered work of art.  Students increase their artistic aesthetic and learn that there is much more to producing a print than just a few clicks in Adobe Photoshop.  

Resources for this Unit:

http://phsvisualartdept.weebly.com/digital-photography-assignments.html 

http://phsdigiphotobjork.wikispaces.com/PORTRAIT+OF+A+PLACE-ALTERED+ART 

http://phsdigiphotobjork.wikispaces.com/Portrait+of+A+Place+Research+Fall+2013 

http://www.pinterest.com/bellafiore3/image-transfer/ 

http://www.pinterest.com/bellafiore3/altered-art-artist-books/ 

http://www.inkaid1.com/ 

http://www.digitalatelier.com/index.html 

http://www.goldenpaints.com/technicaldata/transimg.php 

http://www.inkjetfabrics.com/products/fabric/fabrisign.php 

On a very cold Saturday evening the families and friends of the Pewaukee Visual Art Department came out to warmly support PHS students exhibiting their art work at the Waukesha Civic Theatre.  It was a great event for everybody.  There were light refreshments, smiling faces and really talented student artists proudly presenting their best works. 

Presenting for student artists is especially important since making art can be a very solitary act.  The performance or exhibit allows artists to see what the public has to say about their work.  Art is a visual communication after all and the dialogue inherent in communication is what the art exhibit experience is all about.  Members of the public have received the exhibit with good comments and reviews.  Since the Theatre is located in a public space frequented by many students have been afforded the opportunity to sell their works too.  So far two pieces have sold.  This is thrilling for any artist, but especially a student. 

For Mr. Ben Lamp and I this was a great opportunity to gain a bit of publicity for the program we've worked to build at Pewaukee High School.  We appreciated the chance to shine a spotlight on our talented students and on our own teaching as well. 

If you haven't already visited the exhibit to stop by and check it out.  Waukesha Civic Theatre is located at 264 West Main Street, Waukesha, WI 53186.  The show will be on display through January 6th.