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Writing About a Photographer



Instructions 
  

Write about one of the photographers from the list below. Please find images of the photographer’s work to accompany your writing. Do not copy and paste from Wikipedia (I will be able to tell.) Please find different sources online and also search for information from the UMUC library.

William Eggleston

Diane Arbus

Robert Frank

Cindy Sherman

Duane Michaels

Rineke Dijkstra

Wolfgang Tillmans

Jeff Wall

Nikki S. Lee

Andreas Gursky



Write about your chosen artist answering each of the following bullet-points.  Write at least one paragraph for each bullet point.  You should copy and paste the bullet points below into a word document and answer them in complete sentence, paragraph form.  Please include photographs to accompany your write up and links to the sources you consulted for the write up.

•Artist’s biographical information and background: date and place of birth, family background, where he/she grew up, what schools he/she attended, what he/she studied, etc.


•First exhibitions and accomplishments as an artist: How did he/she come to be well-known?


•Inspirations and influences: What influenced the artist? This is where you can provide historical context for the artist’s work.


•Examples of work: Most artists have made a large variety of work. Choose 3 of your favorite photographs and tell us why you like them. Explain what series this photograph is part of if it is part of a larger series of work.  Copy and paste the photographs you have chosen and include them with the write-up.  (Please list the artist, title, and date of the pieces that you include.)

(ie:  Cindy Sherman is best known for her series "Untitled Film Stills" in which she dresses up restages fictitious scenes from films.)


•Working style of the artist: Where did the artist go to make these images? (Do they travel?  Set up photos in the studio?  Take self portraits?)  What kind of equipment does he/she use? (A simple camera, flashes?)  

(ie:  William Eggleston is known for photographing the Mississippi Delta region, where he is from.  He prefers to walk and roam the streets, looking for ordinary everday objects and subjects.  Very rarely does he stage a photograph.)


•Overarching concept and style of the artist’s work: Tell use more about the themes in the artist’s work. What is he/she known for?  What is he/she trying to express or comment upon in the work?  Look at reviews of the artist’s work or a review of an exhibition he has been in. Please find reviews from reputable sources (the New York Times, the Washington Post, FindArticles, etc.). 

(ie:  Robert Frank is best known for his series, "The Americans" in which he criss-crossed the United States between 1955 and 1956 trying to capture the true essence of those times, in society, politics, and culture.  He is trying to show the human condition and what it meant and looked like to exist during that time in the mid 50s.)


•What is the artist doing now: exhibitions, artwork, lectures, grants, etc. If the photographer is no longer alive, what was a recent exhibition of their work and what did it show?
  
(Ie: Diane Arbus is no longer alive, however her work continues to be shown throughout the world, a recent solo exhibition of her work was shown at FOAM, in Amsterdam and featured a retrospective of her black and white portraits of people on the fringes of society.)

To conclude: Find an interesting anecdote, fun story or quote about the artist to share and include it as the final bullet point.  


Grading Breakdown (25 pts.):
7 bullet points (3 pts. each) = 21 pts.
anecdote/story = 2 pts.
list of sources = 2 pts.