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Lloyd Godman
Projects
with the Photogram
Photograms are an excellent
way to introduce photography to beginners. Anyone from the age of
4 or 5 to 100 years who has never made a photograph and is techno-phobic
can easily make one with guidance. No special equipment other than
a darkened room, safe lights, trays with the appropriate chemicals
and a light source (not necessarily an enlarger) suitable to make
the exposure is all that is needed. In terms of objects they will
find it intriguing to make images that include items of person effects
like watches, jewelry, even clothes etc. I have even run workshops
in art galleries and museums that included full figure images which
gives the participants a real buzz.
Below are some ideas for
student projects that use the photogram technique.
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Design
Students can be set a project
of creating abstract photograms via an intuitive method of randomly
lying objects on the paper, which can become an excellent resource
for analyzing the images and instigating a dialogue that concentrates
on pure design and aesthetics. For instance, by laying torn up pieces
of paper of varying densities (some transparent, some semi transparent
and others opaque) on the photo paper and exposing to light images
can be produced that are constructed from a series of abstract shadow
marks. While some pieces of paper can be placed on the photo paper
flat, others can be curled to add another dimension. The paper can
be interspersed with pieces of crumpled tin foil. These photograms
can then be used as a discussion point about which images work effectively
in terms of design.
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The light
itself
Because photograms can be made directly with light they are an excellent
means of making tangible something which is often illusive. Light
of various quality, direction and intensity can be used to create
photograms. The light might be bounced off baffles, mirrors or other
reflective surfaces to make the images.
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Heritage
Identity & Memory
Because the photogram references
objects in a very direct way, it is an ideal technique to explore
issues of heritage, identity and memory.
· A project could be set to for students to investigate self-identity,
where they use personal objects to make a series of photograms.
· A project could be set to for students to investigate identity
through their heritage by using personal effects owned by relatives
as objects to lay on the paper.
· A project could be set to for students to investigate the
idea of the mysterious or unknown identity. By using objects from
an unknown source the photogram can reveal aspects of the object that
suggest perceptions of memory from a past owner.
Again the resulting images
can be used to instigate discussions about a range of related issues.
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Environmental
concerns
The Photogram can be a
useful technique to investigate environmental issues. By sending students
on an expedition to collect discarded artifacts in their environment
to use as objects to expose onto the paper, photograms can be created
that rise issues about the objects we discard and recycling.
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Dreams
Tristan Tzara described Man Ray's photograms as "Projections
..... of objects that dream and talk in their sleep" .
Photograms have a ghost, dream like quality. Projects can be set that
use photograms as a means of exploring the notion of the dream, the
subconscious, Gestalt or other related issues.
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Travel
Diary
Perhaps you are
on a journey over several days or even weeks - you could collect interesting
items you come across everyday and in the even create photograms of
these.
In each case, the images
can be used to instigate discussions about a range of related issues.
Culture and technology -
Images
from Photogram workshops
Want to learn more? - do a workshop or one on one with Lloyd Godman
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