An artistic articulation of beauty within movement
Plan Author
Michael Jung, 2018
Fields of Concentration
Sample Courses
- Course: History of Photography
- Course: The Act of Improvisation
- Tutorial: Advanced Digital Printing
- Tutorial: Lighting Workshop
Faculty Sponsors
Outside Evaluator
Overview
Movement and perception are the subjects of study in my plan of concentration. Through researching historical photographers whom made their own photographic studies of movement, I have made my own exploring the relationship of movement, perception and my interaction with the world. This Plan includes a paper titled “Photographing Movement Throughout History” and an exhibit of my own work titled “Fabric of Motion.”
Excerpts
Edgerton’s images are aesthetically pleasing. Even the atomic bomb, known to mankind as a weapon that can bring mass destruction, is photographed in an ironically beautiful way that almost resembles a cell of a living creature, representing life and its beginnings. Edgerton’s stroboscope allowed him to capture images that had never before been seen. What Muybridge had done before with multiple cameras in succession, Edgerton had managed to find a way to do with a single camera. Edgerton’s images empowered mankind itself, as he had taken the photographic process to a comical extreme: never before could viewers acknowledge the presence, or lack thereof, of time.
Photography allows an exploration of reality that is not accessible by human perception. Disengagement from time, in how we experience it, allows the depiction of the true nature of an action. Similarly, disengagement from the restriction of space allows observation of a single event from multiple perspectives. Our naked eyes fail to capture anything without the interaction of light. Force is invisible, and we can only see the influence of it. Though we cannot make it visible, transfer of energy can be photographed in a frozen moment.
Reflections
One of the most memorable parts of Plan was the gallery setup, lighting, framing, presentation and other parts that image makers often do not think about while making art. The lighting tutorial with John allowed me to explore how lights work and what I could do for my Plan. Technical mastery and critical thinking in fine art photography are all good skills to have for any potential careers.