EMOTIONAL LANDSCAPES
Digital Self-Portrait

Level: First Year Art & Design/ ESL low-intermediate to intermediate

Language Focus: Art and Design vocabulary + argumentative papers + passive and active voice

Design Focus: Photography techniques, self-portraiture, and Art Movements/Pop Culture

Time: 2 classes of 2 hours 50 min. (2h 25min activities + 25min. break+debrief)

Prep time: 2.5 hours

Lesson Description:

This lesson introduces students to theories of time perception and emotions using a combination of digital and analog media. The teacher introduces different Art Movements as a mode of inspiration while students explore Theories of Time, and of Emotions (Dr. Paul Ekman) to capture a series of self-portraits in a space of their choice. In their production process, students practice photography techniques and framing, and use Adobe Photoshop to retouch, deconstruction, and reassemble their portrait series into a digital photomontage to apply to an unconventional surface using an analogous image transfer process. In deconstructing the series of self-portraits, students explore the effects of time distortion, e.g. rapid changes against slow motion, linearity versus non-linear experience, etc.—in relation to a measurement of time and composition—in order to create a certain visceral response from an audience, that is, emotions provoked by context, feelings elicited by situations, and the visceral/bodily manifestation of both.

Popular Culture
“The general culture of a society, including ideas, music, books, and the mass media, as opposed to high culture.”
Collins Dictionary

Lorena Cosba series of self-portraits.
Courtesy of the artist, http://www.lorenacosba.com

Tyler Naimoli (left), Summer 2016.

Julia Rutzen (right), Fall 2016. 

Lorena Cosba portrait series using non-traditional media. Courtesy of the artist.

Class 1

FOR TEACHER:

Readings:

• Pop-Culture, a Brief 21CenturyWaves Perspective
• Pop Culture, Globalization 101 

Visual Aids

• Takashi Murakami, Tan Tan Bo – In Communication, 2014 
• Adam Marxs Mind, wordpress

FOR STUDENTS:

Readings:

• Appropriation, MOMA glossary 
• Philosophy Now, Pop Culture Overview 
• Theory of Emotions and Micro-expressions, Dr. Ekman, Discover Magazine 

Handouts:

• Photoshoot Guidelines
• Digital Photomontage

Class 2

FOR TEACHER:

Readings:

• “Modernity and Self-identity” Anthony Giddens (Chapter 3: The Trajectory of Self, pages 70-108)
• Grammar Teaching

Visual Aids

TEDtalk:

• “An Exercise in Time Perception” 

FOR STUDENTS:

Readings:

• “Auto-Focus” Susan Bright, 2010
• “Facing the World: Self-portraits from Rembrandt to Ai Weiwei Catalogue” National Gallery Scotland: Portraits & Selfies

Handouts:

• Argumentative research papers structure
• Passive and activate voice

Worksheets:

• Argumentative Paper structure