Course Syllabus
Course: ART 2530
Division: Fine Arts, Comm, and New MediaDepartment: Visual Art
Title: Black & White Film Photography
Semester Approved: Fall 2024
Five-Year Review Semester: Summer 2029
End Semester: Summer 2030
Catalog Description: This course will provide students with a foundation in black and white film photography and darkroom printing techniques. Topics include 35mm film camera operation and exposure, black and white printing, darkroom chemistry, historical and conceptual perspectives, and exhibition presentation. 35mm film cameras are available for student use. This course is repeatable for credit. A program fee is required.
Semesters Offered: Spring
Credit/Time Requirement: Credit: 3; Lecture: 3; Lab: 3
Repeatable: Yes. Repeatable for credit.
Justification: Analog photography is the foundation upon which all other photographic practices are based. This course will prepare students to transfer after completing their degree and will aid them in securing work in the photographic industry. This course is offered in visual arts programs throughout Utah and the country, and is a studio elective in the Visual Arts AFA degree in Visual Studies.
Student Learning Outcomes:
Material Proficiency: Students will become familiar with an array of material techniques and processes applicable to the course. 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: 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.
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. 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.
Historical Context: Students will become familiar with significant historical works with particular attention to the context of when they were 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: 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: 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 submission of a final work where, in addition to the photographic prints, students will critically write and speak about their unique creative process and receive feedback in the critique process.
Content:
Course topics include analog camera operation and exposure, black and white photographic chemistry, darkroom techniques, film development, enlarging and printing onto black and white papers, historical and contemporary perspectives on photography, group critiques and discussion, and exhibition presentation. Students will be exposed to a wide variety of styles and approaches to the discipline from a variety of creative backgrounds.
Key Performance Indicators:
Each student will be evaluated upon the completion, artistic merit, conceptual application, innovation, and level of craftsmanship of each creative project. Portfolio projects will be assessed through critique and instructor feedback, and evaluated on the understanding of formal elements and principles including material proficiency, principles of concept, historical context, critical theory, and creative process. A final assessment module will prompt a written response to each of these areas as they pertain to final studio projects. Through attendance and participation in lectures, demonstrations, research, and critical analysis, students will gain an informed ability to critique, ultimately enhancing their own work and the work of their peers.
Portfolio 75 to 85%
Attendance and Participation 10 to 20%
Oral and Written Critiques 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.
Film camera with manual functions is required and available for checkout through the department.
Pedagogy Statement:
This course will be taught using several pedagogical methods: lecture, discussion, demonstration, studio production, on-site field work, interactive collaborative projects, field trips, peer critique, research, and writing.
Instructional Mediums:
Lecture/Lab
Maximum Class Size: 12
Optimum Class Size: 12