Contemporary Paper Cut Artist

Stuart McLachlan

*would be fun to create an environment for an advanced photography class

*i also loved the paper cut book project i did on college on a famous or historical person

*nonetheless it's always nice to have contemporary artists for examples

Lighting/Styling

1. Lighting is very important in photography, and so is styling.

Why not have students practice lighting and styling on food rather than on people doing portraits? Seems over done - portraits of people/peers? Perhaps it's classic and traditional though? (portraits). -Could save the project for an advanced class or for extra credit? 

2. Also interesting topic - Styling. Talk about ways or "tricks" people use to stylize their subject before being photographed. What would examples be for food or fashion?

3. I like the topic of food, maybe it could be used as an allegory or metaphor. Students could draw a word/emotion out of a bag and choose to shoot a food in a certain way (with particular lighting and styling) to make that word/emotion come across. Their artistic choices would be very important and there would have to be a writing component to explain the thought process.

food photography by Charles Schiller

http://www.charlesschiller.com

Americana

I like the idea of learning about sub-cultures and genres in art inclusive to the "theme" or "big idea". Referring back to one of the very first posts I  made on here, an interesting question to pose is, "What is Americanism?" This idea came from a podcast on youtube that was posing this question from a speech by Malcom X. I also like the idea of exploring this idea of "Americanism" with the idea and genre of "Americana". Interesting projects could surmount!

Here is a photograph by Scott Pommier a photographer who's work is often deemed "Americana".

Article and more of his photography --> here.

Recycling Mediums

Rugs hand sewn out of recycled stuffed animals by Agustina Woodgate.

Choose one medium to recycle and make a series of 3 small wall hangings.
This would be awesome for an advanced high school art class.
You could also simplify to one artwork, but still give students the option of the material.
The subject also seems interesting to be left open, but that maybe giving too much choice to students and not enough direction. A topic under abstract? Mandalas? Patterning?