Presence-Absence

=**Project 1 Presence/Absence**=

Photoshop, like any other art tool, has some strong inherent attributes. We will touch on several, like layers, selections, masks and edges. These tools inform both how we work within the framework of digital imaging and how we think about those digital images. If there is one thing that the prevalence of these tools has taught us, it is that what is not there is just as important as what is in front of us. In this project you will be exploring the conceptual ramifications of tools like Photoshop by constructing a work that contains a sequence of images exploring the idea of presence/absence. In this project you should be thinking about both content and context. What is the function of your subject matter? What are the social repercussions of manipulating that subject? Where is the “truth” of the image? Can there be a truth? Does the manipulation of the image subvert or enhance the the intended function?

You will use original images, so take some time this week and walk around with your phone/camera.

While there are certain subject matters and cultural situations that lend themselves to this discussion, try and avoid cliche. In other words, your subject shouldn't be (directly) fashion or body-image photo manipulation.

Photoshop tools: Selection Tools Content-aware fill Clone stamp tool

All of the images you shot are framed and selected by you. Think about what the images are showing and what they are not showing. How do these images describe our selected topic?

__**Part 1:**__Take your camera around town and shoot at least 10 different images. Try and gather a variety of subjects and locations. Take a variety of close-ups, mid-range shots and wide shots. In class, pick 5 images in your group and remove something (or a group of somethings) from these images. Select portions of the images where the act of removal adds to the content of the work. The areas should be left white or black, or filled with a solid color. Does the silhouette give a clue as to what was there?

===**Fill each of the 5 images with different material. Try to relate the fill to content of the image or function of the photo. USe white, black colors, patterns, abstraction, textures (real or created) or another image.**===

=**Readings for next class.**=

For the Manovich article. Post an images or video to your wiki page that exemplifies each of the principles (5 separate images or videos-1 for each principle)

__**Part 2**__: Mediated by a Mask In part 2 of the Photoshop project, you will make another 5 images. This time each each final image will be made up of 3 composited images, 2 visible and one mask image. The images can be original or found. Use the mask image to visually describe what is visible or not in each of the other images. You might think of the mask as a mediator or filter between the other two. How does the origin or context of the mask image guide the viewer or create new meanings when in conjunction with the other images? Try unexpected combinations, and remember to think about the contexts of the individual images. Use the masking techniques from the class demo.

In both of these exercises, vary your selections using the lasso tool, magnetic lasso tool, magic wand, and refine edge dialog. How do these different tools alter your results? How do the different levels of detail alter the feeling of the manipulated work?

Examples of "absence" art media type="youtube" key="HypmW4Yd7SY" height="315" width="420"John Cage







Yoko Ono

Yoko Ono

Tom Friedman















Charles Cohen









[|Charles Cohen]











[|Beware the content aware fill]

Student work:























Student mask images: