Commission Unit Brief

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Unit RPHC1005

B R I E F I N G N O T E S

BA (HONS) PHOTOGRAPHY,CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE - LEVEL 1

Contemporary practising photographers from various contextual

backgrounds make interesting work through a commission. The

commissioning process is a unique, distinctive and dialogical one. Each

commission presents its own terms and conditions. Successful

of briefs. This unit aims to encourage the students to familiarise themselves

with the demands and expectations of a commission as part of their growing

professional practice.

This unit delivers a ‘commissioned’ project assignment that encourages the

development and creative execution of work regarding the theme of waste.

The assignment encourages the students to consider the theme of waste as

an index for the industrial globalized world we live in. Global actions such as

consumption, recycling and the artefacts of waste have an interconnected

relationship with people at every local level and the theme for this commis-

The students are asked to create a body of photographic work using the

photographic genres of portraiture, environment or still-life.

The photographs for this commission have to be produced in the local

Medway area.

The student have a choice how to approach the subject matter: a set of por-

traits of local people working with waste refusal or waste management could

be created, a photographic piece dealing with discarded objects of the local

area could be produced, fashion photographs using clothing from recycled

option – the options are manifold and invite the students to be

innovative. The commission unit aims to extend the development of visual

vocabulary, whilst promoting an understanding of the social, political and

cultural narratives. The resulting images have to be presented in published form. The student

must consider carefully whether the context of a fashion magazine, an

to investigate the theme of waste through the different genres of portraiture,

environment and still-life accompanies the unit.

The lecture programme considers photographers’ current positions regard-

ing the theme of waste, their concerns, opinions and different visual ap-

proaches investigating the work of Richard Wentworth, Pieter Hugo, Yao

Lu, Chris Jordan, August Sander, Melissa Moore, John Stezaker, Richard

Prince and many others.

Unit Introduction

1

This Unit Aims to:

-

sioned work

construct meaning in published form

-

ence in relation to viewing of work in published context

The Unit Technical Toolbox :

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tograms

Indicative Theoretical Content - Lecture Programme

This unit will introduce you to a variety of technical workshops providing the

students with knowledge and experience of a range of image-related

concerns such as the theory and use of alternative image-making processes.

The unit will enable you to revise your understanding and further your techni-

cal printing skills of analogue printing processes.

The technical workshop programme aims to guide and support your visual

ambitions, encouraging the development of practical skills and expertise

necessary to successfully create visually stimulating photographs.

Indicative Practical Content - Workshops

T H E C O M M I S S I O N

Assessment Criteria:

Creative Project/Images - 100% (LO1, LO2, LO3, LO4)

It is requirement to attain a pass in each of the criteria set out below:

LO1) Creative project methodology in the production of commissioned

project.

LO2) Research methods, knowledge and understanding of the context for

commissions.

LO3) Visual strategy employed in response to a commissioned project.

LO4) Management, communication and professional skills

The lectures and accompanied seminar programme will help the students

understand the important aspects of each artists’ visual language, their

motivation and particular choice of representation embracing the theme

of waste. Additionally, the students will be informed about the important

aspects regarding the various publishing contexts of the exhibition, the

newspaper and the fashion magazine.

Photography Deadline/Review: 14th March 2012





You are required to submit a set of images (minimum of three) based upon

your personal conceptual approach to representing the theme of waste.

Drawing upon the knowledge of your references, you must formulate your

must select one of the following photographic genres: portraiture, still-life,

fashion or environment.

There may be political or environmental aspects you may wish to consider,

or investigate the relationship between recycling and fashion, or there may

be ideas of the worker dealing with waste refusal that interest you. You may

also consider ideas of the archive in that some contemporary photographers

rework existing archival images as an act of recycling.

Whatever area you wish to work, it is paramount to consider the relationship

between your visual strategy and how that affects the representation of the

theme of waste.

THE BRIEF: TASK 1 (1st February - 14th March 2012)

2

Yao Lu, ‘Fishing Boats Berthed by the Mount Fuchun’

Kevin Newark, ‘Protoplasm’, 2007

THE BRIEF: TASK 2 (27th March - 20th April 2012)

You are required to submit one image based upon your personal

conceptual approach to representing the theme of waste but you must

use a pinhole camera. Your pinhole camera must be build from a wasteobject such as an old can, an old photographic box, an old plastic con-

tainer etc.

You will be introduced how to build such a camera in a workshop and

Drawing upon the knowledge gained in the workshop, you must con-

struct a pinhole camera that allows yout to succesfully take images.

Again you must select one of the following photographic genres:

portraiture, still-life, fashion or environment.

Whatever you choose to represent, you must develop a clear

incorporate your knowledge into an innovative translation of your concept

advantage.

Unit RPHC1005







You are required to select a publishing group which either will ‘publish’ their

You must choose the context of your images carefully refering to the content

of your work and the relevant audience.

You must establish an informed framework for commissioned projects, as

you are challenged to explore the relevant contexts for your visual images in

published form. Your chosen publishing context must engage an audience

develop a clear visual strategy for the images included.

This is a group exersice and you must work within a team. You must assign

each other roles and have a clear group structure that enables you to plan,

manage and create your publication/exhibition proposal.

As part of your assessment, each group will be asked to ‘pitch’ their

proposal to the assesment panel in a simulated manner of a ‘real’

professional situation. The unit therefore presents students with a

professional ‘dragons den’ experience in which they must communicate their

research, concepts and rationale for their visual solutions of their

publication/exhibition proposal.

THE BRIEF: PUBLISHING

3

Melissa Moore, Know the Edge, 2004

Unit RPHC1005



Andreas Gursky, Untitled XIII, Chimalhuacan, Mexico City. Mexico, 2002



Schedule

Wednesday 1st February 2012

2.00pm: Seminar Grps: 1,2,3,4,5,6

3.30pm: Seminar Grps. 7,8,9,10,11,12

Tuesday 7th February 2012

10.00am - Lecture: Commission: Landscape/Space

11.00am - Research Task – Developing a Concept

2 - 3.30pm - Seminar - Grps. 1,2,3,4,5,6

3.30 - 5pm - Seminar - Grps. 7,8,9,10,11,12

4pm - Workshop: Review Contact Sheets Tuesday 14th February - Grp: 1,2,3,4,

Thursday 16th February - Grp: 5,6,7,8

Friday 16th February - Grp: 9,10,11,12

Wednesday 15th February 2012

12.00pm - Waste as a Metaphor - (Dr Jean Wainwright)

(Professor Ulrich Lehmann)

3.30 - 5pm - Compulsory Blog Entry - All Grps.

Wednesday 15th February 2012

10am - 12pm - Group Tutorials - Concept Development

1-3pm - Group Tutorials - Concept Development

3-5pm - Group Tutorials - Concept Development

Tuesday 28th February, Thursday 1st March, Friday 2nd March

10am - 1pm - Workshop: Alternate Processes: Photograms

2pm - 5.00pm - Workshop: Alternate Processes: Photograms

Monday 5th, Tuesday 6th, Wednesday 7th, Thursday 8th, Friday 9th March

Review Deadline (all Photography) - Wednesday 14th March

Wednesday 14th March 2012

10.00am - Lecture: What is an Exhibition?

11.00am - Lecture: What is a Magazine?

12.00pm - The Contemporary Photographic Essay

2 - 5.00pm - Deadline: Photography Review - Grps. ALL

Tuesday 13th March - Grp: 1,2,3,4,

Tuesday 20th March - Grp: 5,6,7,8Wednesday 21st March - Grp: 9,10,11,12

(Week: 9 - March 27th - March 30th, see iCal for details) 4


Monday 16th April 2012

10.00am - Lecture: Bruno Ceschel: Self-Publishing as a Creative Output

Constructing an E-Zine Workshop

1pm Monday 16th April - Grp: 1,2,3,4,

10am Wednesday 18th April - Grp: 5,6,7,8

2pm Wednesday 18th April - Grp: 9,10,11,12

Monday 16th, April - Grp: 9,10,11 (see iCal)

Wednesday 18th April - Grp: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8

Unit Assessment DeadlinesMonday 21st - Tuesday 22nd May

Submission Requirement:

Your visual references, the concept and your self evaluation - the apprais-

al is designed to help you place yourwork into context when you present.

What were the reasons behind your photographic choices and how do

think they support the represntation of the individual in the photograph.

The ‘Blog’ should be kept up to date and demonstrate your research

approach to the project, contact sheets from the workshops and an

initial self-evaluation of the project prior to your shoot. The ability to have

worked to the relevant deadlines will also be considered at this time.

Format

Unit RPHC1005





Indicative Reading List.

Much of your research for this project is visually based so range widelyusing the books but also magazines, and other forms of commercial

image publishing in regards to the context of fashion. A general investigation

context or gallery visits to gain a better knowledge of the exhibition context.

The following books are only an indication of some you may wish to

consult for your research. This is not a compulsory reading list - most of

the appropriate titles are available from the library.

Please be aware that you must become more self-initiated regarding your

chosen subject matter.

Campany, D (2007) Art and Photography (London: Phaidon)

Cotton, C (2009) The Photograph as Contemporary Art (London: Thames-

Barnes, M (2010) Shadow Catchers, Camera-less Photography (Merrell)

Sontag, S (1979) On Photography (Various: Penguin)

BBC, The Genius of Photography, DVD 2009

Scott, C (1999) The Spoken Image, Reaktion Books

Wang)

-

ford University Press

Arden P (2006) Whatever you Think, Think the Opposite (Various: Penguin)

Bayley S, Mavity, R (2007) Life’s a Pitch (London: Bantham Press)

Celine-Jaeger, A (2010) Image Makers, Image Takers, The Essential Guide to

Flusser, W (2000) Towards a Philosophy of Photography (Reaktion Books)

Thomas,G (2003) Beyond the Lens: Rights, Ethics and Business Practice in

Professional Photography (AOP)

Source Magazine

Next Level Magazine

Hotshoe Magazine

Portfolio Magazine (past issues)

5


Resources

Silverprint: www.silverprint.co.uk (Film Supplies)

Process Supplies: www.process-supplies.co.uk (Film)

Bob Rigby: www.bobrigby.com (Pinhole cameras)

Linhof Studio: www.linhofstudio.com

Walker Cameras: www.walkercameras.com

Robert White: www.robertwhite.co.uk

Ffordes: www.ffordes.com

Teamwork: www.teamworkphoto.com

Sekonic Light Meters: www.sekonic.com

Alternative Processes: www.alternativephotography.com

Photogravure: www.photogravure.com

Unit RPHC1005


Project Deadline (Commission): 21st and 22nd May 2012


Photography Deadline/Review: 16th/18th April 2012

Commission Unit Brief

Documents

Transcript of Commission Unit Brief