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Discovering Photographic Form and Content Through Contextual Study
Dr. Kathleen Kadon Desmond
The Ohio State University at Newark, Newark, Ohio
Subject: Art Education
Grade: Higher Education
"Photography students felt they were better able to respond
to and talk about photographs because of their participation in
this program. In fact, I 'caught' them explaining things to their
friends in The Art Gallery during the student exhibit at the end
of the program."
Purpose and Description of Project
Kathleen Desmond's Beginning Photography students participated
in a program she planned and implemented to enhance student understanding
of the form and content of photos through contextual study. The
students focused on 12 black-and-white photos created by 10 photographers.
Desmond's program included an exhibition, lectures, discussion
through student photography and research. All these activities
were designed to help students discover different ways of viewing
photos and to develop an understanding of the differences among
photos through contextual research.
Activities
Desmond selected 24 photographs taken between 1899 and 1972. The
photos, with original artist-generated descriptive or interpretive
titles, were independently rated by three photographic judges
on the level of abstraction. Twelve of the judged photos were
chosen for a specific section on photos entitled "Fragments"
as a part of a larger exhibit on "Form and Content: A Participatory
Exhibition" in the University's Art Gallery. Each student
was provided with a fragment of one of the photos to match with
the complete photo and a participatory worksheet which encouraged
each one to view the complete photo in different ways-as artist,
art critic, art historian.
Desmond then introduced her students to Terry Barrett's categories
of Differences Among Photographs which they applied to the same
12 photos. The students were given six weeks to research and write
reports on 10 photographers. During this time, students also created
their own photos based on Barrett's classifications. As they prepared
their photos, students participated in critiques involving group
assessment for reports to the entire class every two weeks. These
critiques included discussion of Barrett's photographic contexts-original,
external, and internal. At the end of the program Desmond asked
her students to rank the 12 photographs according to the differences
and to indicate the context they used to decipher the differences,
making reference to their research as necessary. An exhibit of
the students' photographs rounded out the program.
Materials, Resources, and Expenses
Desmond arranged to have former photography students reproduce
the 12 selected photos on 8 x 10 photographic paper, which she
then had professionally overmatted with 16" x 20" mats.
She developed and duplicated the "Fragments," Differences,
and Contexts worksheets, and collected the photography books,
journals, and magazines necessary for student research.
Outcomes and Adaptability
Desmond concluded that her goal of developing students' conceptual
and aesthetic thinking was met. Through their study of master
photography, students were able to recognize
quality picture making
and apply that knowledge to their own photographic creations.
Aesthetically, students were able to distinguish photographic
ideas in the master photographers' work and to conceptualize and
apply these ideas to their own work. They were also able to identify
the context they were using in discussing their own photos as
well as those of others.
Desmond found the extent of student participation unexpected.
Their understanding of the differences among photos and the contexts
of photos became an important part of their thoughts and discussions,
and one-third of them continued their photographic study. Also
unexpected was the extent to which the students enjoyed preparing
the research paper because they were discovering the "humanness"
of the photographers they were writing about.
Desmond thinks her program can be adapted to large populations
(such as in art galleries), small populations (such as in classrooms),
and individual study.