Sunday, January 20, 2013

Project 1 : Diptych Digital Montage

D U E :

[Jan.28]

★ Your blog created and URL emailed to me.
I will be compiling all the class's in a single post.
★ For your own success, possession of an 8 GB
flash/data drive. Drives of that size can be < $20.

[Feb.4]

★ Reading 1 complete with two critical questions
in a post addressing the reading. Here is the link-

Walter Benjamin, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction"
 [A rather brisk reading that can be done well managed time.]

★ Project 1 [The Diptych Digital Montage] complete.
Ramifications to be addressed below!



[Workshop Times]

As mentioned on syllabus,
Dillon's hours are generally
11-4 Mon-Thurs.

My office hours (in lab) are
1-4 which are ideal for assistance.
In addition, before the first project is
due, I will be in the lab 1-4 on
Sunday February 4th.

By email, I am available anytime
and I respond fast. You can
thank Steve Jobs for that.



[For further notice, I will try to follow on 'Project' posts
a format which reminds of due dates + workshops
at the top before jumping into the assignment.]


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 P R O J E C T  O N E
D I P T Y C H  D I G I T A L  M O N T A G E

i . e .  find a fitting partner for the opening weeks
before embarking solo into production



Richard Hamilton montage.
Imagine each visual within as
if they were layered one by one.



John Heartfield montage.
While organic, there are
noticeable points of edges.


We shall go over this special slideshow in class, but here it is as well for future reference-

The base definitions of these two terms.

montage (n.)
the technique of combining in a single composition pictorial elements from various sources, as parts of different photographs or fragments of printing, either to give the illusion that the elements belonged together originally or to allow each element to retain its separate identity as a means of adding interest or meaning to the composition. [For our sake, Photoshop will be the tool.]

diptych (n.) 
a work consisting of two painted or carved panels that are hinged together.


Your first project will involve-

1.) Having an opening discussion in class to solidify what a 'theme' will be for each of our projects. Political in nature? Iconography-commentary on society? Etc. We will decide. Important to note that 'two' images will be made side by side for this assignment. What concepts arise immediately from 'two' for brainstorming sake?

2.) After having a conceptual theme decided, we shall pair up into twos [with potential of one three] and embark.

3.) The mission is to create two montage images to act side by side of one another! Final dimensions of each image- 2160w x 3840h. So think of it as an accumulated 4320 x 7680 if we combine the two montages, disregarding space in between. As pairs, the approach taken to this task may vary. You may sit down together and take it on personally. You may divide and rejoin later with a goal in mind. However, both montages will contain exactly the same cut-in images, with different layering and editing techniques exhibited between them. It is presented as a unique (and quite fashionable) way to grasp on core, digital art mechanics while emulating the masters of fine arts' past.

4.) To complete the assignment, each individual member of the pair will post both images onto their blog with a brief artist statement about the work. It does not need to extend beyond a paragraph. These statements may be agreed upon or subjective.



The dimensions at which your two montages will be.
Locating this screen is as simple as finding on the top
bar of Photoshop (CS6) IMAGE and then -> IMAGE SIZE.


Each montage shall contain-

★ 25 separate images distorted through copying, pasting, erasing, etc. to fit in the frame. They will be partitioned into 25 layers on the Photoshop canvas. "Layer" option is typically found at the right side.

★ Certainly, found images from the internet. Make an effort to have at least five of the images be a scanned image via flatbed scanner (to be demonstrated in class). Of a live source. Book/magazine/object/etc.

★ Necessary : One of the images must be of a word and visually present in montages.



A very brief primer on all the tools
you should need to achieve the goal,
should you be in need of it.


Use Adobe Photoshop to creatively combine your image elements into the two cohesive compositions that will exist as a diptych. Remember, each of your images MUST include all of 25 of your source images in each composition! Consider the conceptual link between image, object and word that will be created by their combination. Meaning easily changes.

Very important! Save photoshop files with layers intact as we will be further using the montages for the next project (animation). You achieve this by simply saving the files as Photoshop files. For the sake of the assignment and the posting of the images on your blogs, save .jpg copies of each of the two images while maintaining the .psd.


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Very brief examples of how to use 25 layers together in one montage,
and uniquely different in the other montage.










Bear in mind the decided class theme while also providing your own creative avenue on it. Consider the possibilities of Adobe Photoshop to cut, paste, resize, etc.. Scan photographs from family albums, magazines, etc.. Bring in various found objects to scan - junk, a meaningful keepsake, etc.. Pick a word or words, either scanned from text, handwritten or otherwise created outside of the computer, scan it and include the work in the image. Think about how the creative unexpected associations of disparate images and texts functions to establish new and multiple readings of the works.

While there is a plethora of assistance available, much of this you in pairs will learn by doing – basics will be covered in class - Adobe Photoshop, image scanning, image sizes, resolution, etc.

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Remember what is due and when! Images must be posted before class time on the day of.

You have essentially a week to think prior to first physical meeting, and a week to perform! And you certainly have a brisk reading you may accomplish to help the concepts flow.

Good luck!


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