SEMINAR
POSTO E PENNA
Associate Professor Blake Belanger
INTRODUCTION
Posto e Penna focused on the relationship between place narratives, sensory observations, and experiential image-making. All three of these topic areas were explored through course readings and discussions. Students applied concepts from the course readings to craft a collection of eidetic photomontages that graphically and textually represent individual lived experiences during the early part of the spring semester. Students learned and taught each other image transfer methods through a series of in-class workshops. The semester culminated in a final project, a Narrative Composition, which asked students to document one field trip or workshop through writing, image transfer, and other graphic representation.
EIDETIC PHOTOMONTAGE
Each week students presented one work of eidetic photomontage using image transfer techniques. The content and subject matter of the photomontages were required to be directly related to their personal experiences during the spring semester. It could include their own photos, sketches made in-situ, creative writing about their experiences, street art, found objects in the places they visited, etc. There were many possibilities, as long as the photomontages related to their time in the Italian Studies Program. They were to think of these pieces as a photomontage journal of their Italian Studies experience. The gallery below provides examples of artwork produced by the students each week.
NARRATIVE COMPOSITION
Before a designer can effectively begin placemaking it is important to first understand the background, context, narratives, and stories of the place within which they are working. There are many approaches to researching the visible and latent narratives of place, including literature reviews (from both current and historical sources), film documentaries, interviews, and site investigation. Understanding the depth of a narrative(s) requires curiosity, and can be explored using a variety of creative and critical thinking methods. Narratives can be told in many ways: through written or spoken word, maps, photographs, collage, drawings, models, and found object arrangements. Many of these methods can be combined into hybrid mixed-media compositions. The intent of this assignment was to allow students to graphically explore one narrative of the Italian Studies experience.
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For this assignment, a Narrative Composition was defined as an artistic work comprised of images and words that tells a story of place experience. The narrative compositions included photomontage created through image transfer, writing, and optionally, hand-drawing and collage. Students each documented one workshop or field trip through a narrative composition. All student works are in the gallery below.