Wendy EwaldWendy Ewald

Action-based Photographic Action-based Photographic Projects with Children and Projects with Children and

MinoritiesMinorities

Performativity: an overviewPerformativity: an overview

About Literacy Through Photography(LTP)About Literacy Through Photography(LTP)

Secret Games Secret Games -- a case study -- a case study

Photo EthnographyPhoto Ethnography

Roland Barthes (Camera Lucida)Roland Barthes (Camera Lucida)

““studium”studium”

““punctum”punctum”

http://www.parryandfirst.com/theory/summarycameralucida.htmlhttp://www.parryandfirst.com/theory/summarycameralucida.html

About Wendy EwaldAbout Wendy Ewald

Born in Detroit in 1951Born in Detroit in 1951

a photographer, a senior a photographer, a senior research associate, an artist-in-research associate, an artist-in-residence etc in Duke Universityresidence etc in Duke University

has collaborated with children has collaborated with children and adults around the world for and adults around the world for over 30 years, working in over 30 years, working in communities in Labrador, communities in Labrador, Appalachia, Colombia, India, Appalachia, Colombia, India, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, The South Africa, Saudi Arabia, The Netherlands, Mexico, Canada, Netherlands, Mexico, Canada, North Carolina, and New York.North Carolina, and New York.

LTP: Literacy Through PhotographyLTP: Literacy Through Photography

Founded in Kentucky, 1975Founded in Kentucky, 1975

1989 the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) 1989 the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) invited photographer Wendy Ewald to Durham, invited photographer Wendy Ewald to Durham, North Carolina, to offer a two-week workshop for North Carolina, to offer a two-week workshop for local school childrenlocal school children

Ewald started the LTP program while working in the Ewald started the LTP program while working in the Durham Public Schools, where she made Durham Public Schools, where she made photographs the basis for a variety of learning photographs the basis for a variety of learning experiences across the curriculumexperiences across the curriculum

LTP ProjectLTP Project

Encouraged students to Encouraged students to use camerasuse cameras to create to create individual self-portraits and portraits of their individual self-portraits and portraits of their communities and to articulate their dreams and communities and to articulate their dreams and hopes in visual and verbal collaboration.hopes in visual and verbal collaboration.

Explore issues related to their bodies, their Explore issues related to their bodies, their identities, and their relationships and their concepts identities, and their relationships and their concepts of languageof language

Promotes observational and creative skills Promotes observational and creative skills (photography and creative writing)(photography and creative writing)

LTP ProjectLTP Project

Use their images as catalysts for Use their images as catalysts for verbal and verbal and written expressionwritten expression

Creativity in actionCreativity in action: self-portrait, community, : self-portrait, community, family, and dreams family, and dreams

Connects picture making with Connects picture making with writing and writing and critical thinkingcritical thinking

LTP ProjectLTP Project

Personal discovery: see their own livesPersonal discovery: see their own lives

Reaffirmation their own lives via articulationReaffirmation their own lives via articulation

Democracy of the camera: a tool of expressionDemocracy of the camera: a tool of expression

Empowerment: the camera gives them a certain Empowerment: the camera gives them a certain power that they wouldn't normally havepower that they wouldn't normally have

Subjectivities: a sense of real accomplishment and Subjectivities: a sense of real accomplishment and self-confidenceself-confidence

Secret GamesSecret Games: Collaborative Works with Children 1969-1999: Collaborative Works with Children 1969-1999

The collaborative works with Children over 30 The collaborative works with Children over 30 years under the LTP projectyears under the LTP project

In Canada, Kentucky, Columbia, India, Mexico, In Canada, Kentucky, Columbia, India, Mexico, South Africa, Morocco, The Netherlands, Saudi South Africa, Morocco, The Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and DurhamArabia and Durham

Children and minoritiesChildren and minorities Family, Community, Dreams and FantasiesFamily, Community, Dreams and Fantasies

A case in Canada 1969-74A case in Canada 1969-74

Ewald held a photography class and assigned Ewald held a photography class and assigned them to photograph aroundthem to photograph around

She found their pictures far more complicated She found their pictures far more complicated and complex than words in disclosing what their and complex than words in disclosing what their life was like.life was like.

Proposal for Polaroid ProjectProposal for Polaroid Project

A case in Kentucky 1975-82A case in Kentucky 1975-82

The elementary school students she worked with The elementary school students she worked with were labeled as the lowest IQ in the entire school.were labeled as the lowest IQ in the entire school.

Discovery: their photos often enacted fantastical Discovery: their photos often enacted fantastical dreams, for them the whole world was a dreams, for them the whole world was a playground; reality blending into dreams.playground; reality blending into dreams.

Ewald decided to ask children to photograph their Ewald decided to ask children to photograph their dreams or fantasies.dreams or fantasies.

A case in Columbia 1982-85A case in Columbia 1982-85

Taught in the mountainous region in the Taught in the mountainous region in the Colombian Andes.Colombian Andes.

met Alicia and weaved Ewald and her students’ met Alicia and weaved Ewald and her students’ pictures into the story of Alicia’s lifepictures into the story of Alicia’s life

Magic Eyes: Scenes from an Andean GirlhoodMagic Eyes: Scenes from an Andean Girlhood

A case in India 1989-90A case in India 1989-90

E collaborated with the Self-Employed Women's E collaborated with the Self-Employed Women's AssociationAssociation

……a lot of murders of women in most storiesa lot of murders of women in most stories

Racism and sexism in Indian villagesRacism and sexism in Indian villages

Religion and myths vibrantReligion and myths vibrant

A case in Durham 1989-99A case in Durham 1989-99

The Alphabet Project 1997The Alphabet Project 1997

During her years in Latin America, Ewald came to During her years in Latin America, Ewald came to appreciate the sophistication of languages and appreciate the sophistication of languages and culturescultures

North Carolina has a group of population who don’t North Carolina has a group of population who don’t speak English. In school students who don’t speak speak English. In school students who don’t speak English are regarded as stupid.English are regarded as stupid.

began to think about photography to teach language.began to think about photography to teach language.

Black Self/White Self 1994-1997Black Self/White Self 1994-1997

being looked at as a white lady from a powerful being looked at as a white lady from a powerful white university in an African American white university in an African American communitycommunity

As more and more white population moved to the As more and more white population moved to the suburbs, the public schools became segregatedsuburbs, the public schools became segregated

Ewald designed a collaborative project that Ewald designed a collaborative project that looked directly at the issue of race.looked directly at the issue of race.

Photo Ethnography + Performative PhotographyPhoto Ethnography + Performative Photography

using cameras to gather data, to discovery, to using cameras to gather data, to discovery, to know…know…

using sociological understanding to study visual using sociological understanding to study visual culture, and culture, and

using visual technology to communicate by using visual technology to communicate by producing works with a documentary functionproducing works with a documentary function

Articulation/narration can be the end of the projectArticulation/narration can be the end of the project Some projects challenged realities of poverty, Some projects challenged realities of poverty,

class, and race (ethnicity) by bringing individual class, and race (ethnicity) by bringing individual subjectivities to the foregroundsubjectivities to the foreground

PerformativityPerformativity

Challenge of assumptions of the Documentary photographer, Challenge of assumptions of the Documentary photographer, which emphasize the photographic object as evidence, as which emphasize the photographic object as evidence, as accurate accounting , an objective, personally uninflected accurate accounting , an objective, personally uninflected statement statement

Photographs created in Ewald’s workshops open up the many Photographs created in Ewald’s workshops open up the many realities of the subject who speak (make photos), reveals realities of the subject who speak (make photos), reveals ambiguities and complexity rather than settled meanings of a ambiguities and complexity rather than settled meanings of a place and a person’s life.place and a person’s life.

Only in making photos would some subjects be able to insert Only in making photos would some subjects be able to insert their own selves into a highly managed and dominated their own selves into a highly managed and dominated space.space.

The normative assessment criteria of a good picture have to The normative assessment criteria of a good picture have to be suspended.be suspended.

Ewald’s approachEwald’s approach

The image of a subject is negotiable with the makerThe image of a subject is negotiable with the maker To perceive the world through others’ perception as To perceive the world through others’ perception as

much as her own.much as her own. Minimal manipulative relationship with her subjectsMinimal manipulative relationship with her subjects Photography as an instrument of the idea: Photography as an instrument of the idea:

photography photography enacts/performs enacts/performs the ideathe ideaTheThe idea and the process > the final photograph idea and the process > the final photograph

Giving individual voice to the anonymous.Giving individual voice to the anonymous. The question of authorshipThe question of authorship reciprocal > hierarchicalreciprocal > hierarchical

Photography as narrativePhotography as narrative

Recognize what participants were seeingRecognize what participants were seeing

How they perceive and question the worldHow they perceive and question the world

Frame the world according to their own perceptionsFrame the world according to their own perceptions

To create situations that allowed others’ perceptions To create situations that allowed others’ perceptions to surface with one’s ownto surface with one’s own

Performative photography generates Performative photography generates self narrativesself narratives

Photography as toolsPhotography as tools

Photography: with the expressive and Photography: with the expressive and investigative tools of photography and writing for investigative tools of photography and writing for use in the classroomuse in the classroom

learning the use of cameras and the written word learning the use of cameras and the written word as tools for observation and developing creative as tools for observation and developing creative powerspowers..

Translator:helping children recognize the worth of Translator:helping children recognize the worth of

their own visionstheir own visions

Photography as resourcesPhotography as resources

promotes an promotes an expansive use of photographyexpansive use of photography, , building on the information that students naturally building on the information that students naturally possesspossess

provides a valuable opportunity for students to bring provides a valuable opportunity for students to bring their home and community lives into the classroomtheir home and community lives into the classroom

give students a way to understand each other’s give students a way to understand each other’s experiences.experiences.

a resource for researchers and the general publica resource for researchers and the general public