Photography at Gallery 37 Advanced Arts Education Program

Morgan Bolton 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Mercedes Ruvalcaba 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Diana Martinez 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-27T11:47:00.001-07:00

Click HERE to view Diana's 2009-2010 concentration.

Brittyne Griffin 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

Yurith Gomez 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-17T11:36:00.000-07:00

Michelle Czubernat 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-17T11:34:00.000-07:00

Rhea Berg 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-17T11:32:00.000-07:00

Mariah Robinson 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

Vanessa Villegas 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-16T11:32:00.000-07:00

Scott Sheffield 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

Deja Richardson 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-16T11:25:00.000-07:00

Click HERE to see Deja's 2009-2010 Concentration.

Siobhan Kealy 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

Phillip Gautier 2010-2011 Concentration

2011-05-16T11:20:00.000-07:00

All-City Arts Exhibition 2011

2011-04-05T17:15:00.001-07:00

The Chicago Public Schools Office of Arts Education is proud to present the 2011 All-City High School Art Exhibition. This annual, juried art exhibition has been honoring outstanding achievement in visual arts by CPS high school art students for the past thirty years. It is the largest exhibition of high school student artwork in the Midwest and features artwork in up to ten categories including: drawing, painting, photography, sculpture and other visual media.
All-City High School Art Exhibition Goals are to present an annual, juried exhibition of outstanding CPS student artwork for public viewing and to provide visual arts scholarship opportunities for graduating seniors interested in pursuing careers and post-secondary education in the arts.

IMPORTANT DATES

ALL-CITY OPENING EXHIBITION & AWARD CEREMONY
Illinois Institute of Technology | Hermann Hall Conference Center
Wednesday, April 13, 2011 | 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
3241 South Federal Street | Chicago, IL 60616
Exhibition Runs April 1-24, 2011 - Hours: Monday – Friday 9:00 am – 8:30 pm
Saturday and Sunday 9:00 am - 6:30 pm (Admission Free)

ALL-CITY TEEN PORTFOLIO EXHIBITION & RECOGNITION
The Art Institute of Chicago - Ryan Education Center
Thursday, April 14, 2011 - 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
111 South Michigan Avenue - Chicago, IL 60603
Exhibition Runs April 1-24, 2011 - Hours: Monday – Wednesday – Friday 10:30 am – 5:00 pm Thursday 10:30 am – 8:00 pm (Free Admission 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm) Saturday – Sunday 10:00 am – 5:00 pm

2010-2011 Surrealism

2011-04-04T12:24:00.000-07:00

Yurith Gomez

Siobhan Kealy

Click HERE to learn more about the Surrealism assignment.

2011 Lisa Show

2011-03-21T08:27:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, March 15th, select students from Gallery 37 AAEP participated in the Lisa Show at The Great Frame Up. The exhibit, which is put together by shop owners David and Marlowe Klitzky in honor of their late daughter, showcases student art. To learn more about the Lisa show, click HERE.Here are a few student testimonies from AP Photography:

"The L.I.S.A. Show makes an artist feel greatly appreciated about his/her artwork. I was put on the spot to talk about my beautifully matted and framed artwork. To be honest, I felt as if that was going to be the most dreaded part of the night; I was wrong. When I recognized my framed photograph, it made me feel grateful and valued as an artist, which made me more comfortable with speaking about my piece. The best part of the night switched to everyone’s presentations about their artwork and methods used to accomplish their desired work. They were moments of fondness and respect for every individual’s medium that lifted the confidence and reassurance of young artists every year." Michelle Czubernat

"I was grateful when my teacher told me to take part in the L.I.S.A. Show. To see my artwork matted and framed for everyone to see gave me a feeling of appreciation and accomplishment. In the beginning, I wasn’t all too proud of the piece I had up on the wall, until people started to ask me if “the telephone pole picture” was mine. After saying yes, their expression of what looked like concern evolved to big smiles. The feedback I received about my piece raised my confidence to do what I was dreading the most; the presentation. When the time finally came, I wasn’t as nervous as I thought I would be. While I was being interviewed, I realized that confidence is key. Believe in yourself, and the beautiful artwork you make." Mercedes Ruvalcaba

David Klitzky, owner of The Great Frame Up (left) and Ethan Moltz, AAEP student (right) discuss Ethan's black and white framed photograph.

Framed black and white photograph created by Mercedes Ruvalcaba.

David Klitzky, owner of The Great Frame Up (left) and Michelle Czubernat, AAEP student (right) discuss Michelle's framed photograph.

Framed color photograph created by Diana Martinez.

Framed color photograph created by Deja Richardson. Deja took first place honors in the Photography category and will participate in the Best of Show event at the Thompson Center on Sunday, May 17th.

"This year I was invited to be a part of the L.I.S.A. show. First, I had to choose a photograph to hang up at the show. During the time we were working on portraits and recently had a photo shoot with one of my good friends Angel and I decided to submit one of the photographs that I took of him. Once I made a big print of the photograph I had chosen, we waited till the day of the show. Before the show we had Pizza at Gallery 37 and it was a good time for us to get to know each other a little more. Our trip to the Great Frame up was interesting, as it was nice to see all the gallery kids together riding the train and walking around in a huge group. As we arrived to the Great Frame up I was pleased to see that my photograph was right in the entrance of the shop and I fell in love with the way they matted my work. We had to present our work and David Klitzky was interested in knowing how we made our work and what our plans for the future were. After everyone had presented their work they announced the winners and although my photograph didn’t win, I was honored to have my work displayed at the shop and knowing that we get to keep our work after the show was even more rewarding." Diana Martinez

"I was honored to be selected to take part in the L.I.S.A. Show. I appreciated the offer even more after finding out the back-story of the program. To be honest, when I was told that I would have to speak at the show, I was bit nervous. But talking about my work was actually surprisingly easy. Listening to all the little stories behind the artists’ work made me enjoy the art even more. Actually the whole experience was pretty inspiring, to be in a room full of other artists like me was energizing. Along with having my picture matted and framed beautifully. So Winning First Prize was icing on the cake. I am so grateful for this great opportunity!" Déjà Richardson

2010-2011 Abstraction

2011-03-10T12:08:00.000-08:00

Maria Alcantar

Michelle Czubernat

Yurith Gomez

Mercedes Ruvalcaba

Vanessa Villegas

Click HERE to learn more about the Abstraction assignment.

2010-2011 Environmental Portraits

2011-01-14T12:29:00.000-08:00

Maria Alcantar

Rhea Berg

Michelle Czubernat

Phillip Gautier

Yurith Gomez

Siobhan Kealy

Deja Richardson

Vanessa Villegas

Click HERE to learn more about the Environmental Portrait assignment.

2010-2011 Time and Motion

2011-01-05T11:27:00.000-08:00

Maria Alcantar

Rhea Berg

Eboni Hudson

Eboni Hudson

Click HERE to learn more about the Time and Motion assignment.

2010-2011 Space and Scale

2010-12-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

Siobhan Kealy

Ethan Moltz

Mercedes Ruvalcaba

Click HERE to learn more about the Space and Scale assignment.

World Aids Day Event 2010

2010-11-30T12:08:00.001-08:00

Photograph by Mariah Robinson

Photograph by Mariah Robinson

Photograph by Mariah Robinson

Photograph by Mariah Robinson

Photograph by Ethan Moltz

Photograph by Ethan Moltz

Photograph by Ethan Moltz

Photograph by Ethan Moltz

2010-2011 Vantage Point

2010-11-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Maria Alcantar

Yurith Gomez

Yurith Gomez

Mariah Quinones

Click HERE to learn more about the Vantage Point assignment.

2010-2011 Light and Shadow

2010-10-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

Morgan Bolton

Diana Martinez

Ethan Moltz

Ethan Moltz

Scott Sheffield

Scott Sheffield

Click HERE to learn more about Light and Shadow.

2010-2011 Scanograms

2010-10-06T11:38:00.000-07:00

Maria Alcantar

Morgan Bolton

Phillip Gautier

Yurith Gomez

Mariah Robinson

Click HERE to learn more about Scanograms.

2010-2011 Photograms

2010-10-01T12:07:00.000-07:00

Michelle Czubernat

Mariah Quinones

Mariah Quinones

Click HERE to learn more about Photograms.

Marvin Gutierrez

2010-06-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

One of the main life motives that I follow on a daily basis is exploration. The need to always be moving through different places falls necessary to my lifestyle. Through this point of view is where I decided to study the sub culture of urban neighborhoods in Chicago. This subject plays a major role in my personality and also in those of my fellow Chicago citizens, which is why it means a great deal to me. My photos generally consisted of a subject (being a person, place, or thing) and an environment to emphasize where the subject lives. The activity in the photographs focuses on what the subject may due on a day to day basis and how they go about their life in these specific neighborhoods. These neighborhoods and these subjects are a part of my life being reason that I grew up in the same or similar settings. These along with a selection of other photos were the center point of the concentration half for my AP portfolio. In the future I wish to produce a book solely based around this topic.

Kristen Thorpe

2010-06-02T12:57:00.000-07:00

As a photographer it is my job to create the art, the photos of a time frozen within a frame. My photos take up a composition that show and give light to a corky scene. Capturing moments off Chicago streets to abstracting objects, it all allows me to make use of what I place inside that four-sided viewfinder. If I can take a picture that makes my audience look twice and smile I feel I have accomplished something unique.

Gabriela Lopez

2010-06-02T12:34:00.000-07:00

Visual art to me is about narrating a story that would translate to the human sense. Photography is my form of speaking and story telling. My work involves conceptually based photographs. I believe that my work displays static subjects in which I seek to alter. In most of my pieces, I deconstruct the idea of self-image issues. Often times I manipulate the body in a non-conventional way in which distorts the human figure. The operation of light immensely contributes to abstraction of the human body. Shadows dominate the space within my photographs because I believe shadows can accurately display yet disfigure anything in its path just by controlling light direction. I often manipulate the space between objects to create a unifying pattern between various subjects. This is how I develop and produce my photographs. By seeking and exploring this aesthetic; it has given me the means to foretell my experiences and most importantly my perspective.

Ben Lozano

2010-06-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Documentary

2010-05-19T12:26:00.001-07:00

Students begin by selecting a subject to document. Topics can include a type of people, group of people, or activity. Below are some examples. One student chose to photograph behind the scenes at the restaurant where he works. Another chose a sculpture park on Chicago's North side. The idea is to photograph the topic on several different occasions. With the idea that each occasion will yield new insights into the chosen topic.

Marvin Gutierrez

Marvin Gutierrez

Marvin Gutierrez

Amanda Marco

Amanda Marco

Leif Novak

Leif Novak

Leif Novak

Marcelo Penaherrera

Marcelo Penaherrera

Deja Richardson

Deja Richardson

Deja Richardson

Maritza Vales

Maritza Vales

Like the concentration portion of the AP portfolio, this project asks the students to use all of their photographic knowledge from the school year. They must pick an interesting topic; one that they want to spend some time with. They must consider how light, color, time of day, and weather affect the meaning of their documentary. And like the concentration, they are now asked to consider how photographs fit together in a series.

Gallery 37 Spring Open House 2010!

2010-05-18T08:59:00.001-07:00

Please join us in celebrating the
eleventh annual Chicago Public Schools

Gallery 37 Advanced Arts Education Program
SPRING OPEN HOUSE!

PERFORMING ARTS SHOWCASE
Featuring performances in Vocal, Dance, Theater & Jazz
Wednesday & Thursday, May 26th & 27th - 2010
Shows at 2:15 & 5:30 PM - 1st floor Storefront Theater
&
VISUAL ARTS EXHIBITION & CULINARY SHOWCASE
Featuring visual and media artwork and culinary delights
Opening reception Friday, May 28th - 2010, 3:00-7:00 PM
5th floor CenterSpace. Gallery exhibition runs from 05/24/10-06/08/10

all events are located at:
Gallery 37 Center for the Arts
66 E. Randolph St.
Chicago IL. 60601

Please contact us at 312) 742-1461 or rherlo@cityofchicago.org if you have any questions or to RSVP for any of the Spring 10 Performances

Diana Oropeza

2010-05-07T11:19:00.000-07:00

Through my concentration, I am able to capture a variety of vivid colors within different neighborhoods all through out the Chicago area. Each mural is able to tell a different story about each community. Many people have a negative view of street art/graffiti but with my concentration I show how street artist are able to beautify the city with a variety of panoramas. The biggest challenge I had was working with a different color pallet due to the fact that I have always worked with black and white photographs. I strive to produce photographs with excellent quality and composition .My goal is to capture this in order for others to be able to discover a whole new world.

Ross Citron

2010-05-05T12:55:00.000-07:00

My art reflects who I am. I challenge the rules of reality when my art is expressed in visual forms such as photography, video, graphic illustrations . As a species on this planet we have the tendency to imprint a cultural landscape on this planet, my art is a part of this landscape. Big or small. Art to me is about expressing and exploring certain abnormal and unknown boundaries. Life is art in abstract form. Literature is another art that can duplicate and grow exponentially forever, art is like this in the sense that through advanced technology we can evolve through at. Art will expand so will our understanding of why we are here. In a way you could say art will lead us to the ultimate answer-Why is it we are here?

Leif Novak

2010-05-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Photography has been a long time interest of mine, and as I’ve recently become more serious about it, I took this class to help push me further and explore new techniques. During the past school year we put together a portfolio including photos concentrated around a central idea. The three large prints were taken at an abandoned mill here in Chicago. My primary goal was to help show the beauty I see in often overlooked decrepit buildings such as the mill. The other three photos were created for another project, in which I chose to document and explore a junkyard.

Ivette Contreras

2010-05-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

My central idea of my concentration is to develop a variety of shapes and colors in a form of abstraction. From my past work, at Gallery 37, I had a better understanding on the design and color usage in the abstraction assignments. I am a person who visualizes ideas and finds a way to interact shapes and forms with colors to create an environment of abstraction.

The work in my concentration demonstrates the exploration of my idea by the items I used to create abstraction. All of the items used were part of me that camouflaged "My Rainbow Life" for say; which is the title of my concentration. In my first photograph for example, i used my math book which had a circular image and a bead toy with pieces of paper.

Diana Martinez

2010-05-04T12:58:00.000-07:00

The central idea of my concentration is documenting abandoned buildings, and by using the building as a canvas to reinvent a new life to an abandoned structure. All of my photographs are colored because I feel that they bring an urban beauty within the building. The main setting I photographed was in the Chicago Brachs Candy factory located in the north west side of Chicago, and the other location was in the Valspar Paint factory Located in the south of the city. The work on my concentration accurately displays my initial idea because i photographed the artwork made by people that linger in abandoned places.

Khalid El-Amin

2010-05-04T12:19:00.001-07:00

The central idea of my concentration was meant to be a documentary of the increase of poverty with the expansion of industrial companies. The photographs that I shot were all in the south Chicago area or Indiana. With the downfall of the economy, a lot of the small companies and homes became abandoned. The overwhelming abandonment makes the area seem “derelict”.

Marlene Arteaga

2010-05-04T12:14:00.001-07:00

Having an attraction for bright and bold colors I was easily attracted to the sensation of the changing of colors from winter to spring. The feeling of plants going from dull, dead colors to vivid eye catching colors. Being able to capture and portray this feeling within my images and my concentration was my main goal intrigues me.

Bethany Berlanga

2010-05-04T12:02:00.001-07:00

The central idea of my concentration is abstraction of the human form. Put in simple terms, showing the beauty of the human body beyond the confines of its intended uses.

Deja Richardson

2010-05-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

The central idea of my concentration was to capture statues and monuments using light and shadows illustrating contrast. Living in a big beautiful city like Chicago, I am surrounded by amazing statues and monuments. The challenge was making art out of art. Every photographer's eye is different. So every interpretation of these artistic elements are just as different.

Sannya Munir

2010-05-03T12:13:00.000-07:00

I isolated the subject in their environment by putting a frame around it so that other people are removed from the picture but not necessary absent from the location. For example in Image 11, the bride's new husband and the wedding photographers were a few feet away from her. I moved my camera a bit to the left I isolated the bride in the picture. My goal is to emphasize the solitude of the subject in urban landscapes and thus play with the viewer expectation of the public locations.

The first few shots I took were cliché, and as I reviewed them I realized I did not want to use the textbook definition of solitude. Someone huddling in a dark corner was not really what I thought of when I heard solitude, and I wanted to show that in my photographs. I photographed in color in daylight using one and two point perspectives. As humans, we see in color and are usually more active during the day. The most common vantage points we see are one and two perspectives – except in the construction and architecture fields where one might encounter three point perspectives more often. I incorporated concepts such as irony and surrealism to kept my pictures interesting. In Image 06 the irony is expressed by the contrasting tone of the young man is sitting alone while the two characters from the picture on the wall are kissing. Image 12 is surreal to me because on our commute to/from work/school among countless individuals, if we take the subway, we are alone; we have not connection to them except that we took the same train to work. The color, texture, and lighting help create a environment in which the surreal is possible. The fact that the Red Line train station is underground adds to this effect.

Marcello Penaherrera

2010-05-03T11:51:00.000-07:00

The city is my playground; it is the place where I invest my time and energy towards creating interesting pictures. I pay attention to all the different shapes and colors that downtown Chicago has to offer. In my photographs, I look to incorporate colors that ‘pop’ and capture peoples’ attention. I try to give my photographs interesting compositions so that my audience never loses interest.

Cooper

2010-05-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

My concentration involves the textures of Colorado: the petite creeks, the miniature waterfalls, the landscape, the rocks, the growths, the wrinkles, the shadows. Every stone tells a story. I noticed the liveliness of the Colorado landscape as I hiked along its grooves. I tried to show both the natural and the man-made phenomena. From a highway that reaches under a mountain to a hint of red among green foliage, I try and capture any unspoken beauty I can.

Maritza Vales

2010-04-27T11:36:00.001-07:00

The central idea of my concentration is to have self-portraits of me but masking myself. I use the different colored lighting to give a sense of distortion to my photographs.

Juana Merino

2010-04-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

My concentration's main focus is today's fashion. I took a lot of photos using variety of styles, clothing, shoes,makeup, accessories and anything that falls in the fashion line. Also the backgrounds I use was either it matched the model's fashion style or didn't related at all. I did this because I didn't want it to be a super cliche photo shoot. The backgrounds made it look unique and different. I chose this to be my concentration because fashion is my passion. I will be attending college to be a fashion designer. I figured since I love fashion and photography, I would be able to collaborate them together.

DeAndre Watts

2010-04-13T13:24:00.000-07:00

For my concentration I decided to do portraits/environmental portraits. Basically I go walk around where I live and photograph what goes on in my neighborhood and also just photograph people posing. The reason I chose to do this for a concentration is because I like showing people what I see through my eyes and how I see the world. I’m not the type of photographer that just goes around taking pictures; I look for certain qualities for certain pictures for example, mysterious. I like photographing those type of picture where someone has that mysterious look about them and the environment ( the right type of environment) adds on to the picture and as well as making a connection with the person or people in the photograph.

Amanda Marco

2010-04-07T12:06:00.000-07:00

For my concentration, I am emphasizing the texture and pattern of everyday objects by photographing close-up. These objects are both man-made and natural. I want the viewer to notice all of the unique surfaces that can be found in the man-made and natural world. I am utilizing both black and white darkroom prints and color digital prints. When it is just the texture that I am drawn to, black and white is fine. But sometimes there is a dramatic sense of color to go along with the textures. That's when I use my digital camera.

Erika Marquez

2010-03-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

This years’ concentration will be focused on Oversized Details using interior abstraction on a particular building located in downtown Chicago. These three pictures presented are an example of what my concentration will look like.

This photograph is a doorway/bridge:

What appeals to the viewer about this photo is the shapes used to demonstrate the ideal surrealism affect.

This picture is an actual reflection of myself using the interior space to make the picture have a feeling of surrealism incorporated with the architecture details of the building itself:

In the third photograph the colors are rather different than the other two described above. The photo itself is a parking garage staircase and the colors used are a middle tone gray which also gives the surreal feeling:

The colors used in all my photographs give an illusion of the future architecture.

Andrew Vega

2010-03-23T12:16:00.000-07:00

My photos in this series demonstrate the effects long exposures have on the presence of light and color. To create these photos I set my camera to a very small aperture and a very long shutter speed. The photos in my concentration average over 25 seconds of exposure. I don’t manipulate my photos, I believe in experimenting with the camera instead of with the computer. I feel like it requires more skill to know what you’re doing with the camera.

Andrew Vega
Curie Metropolitan HS

50% Grey at the Museum of Contemporary Photography

2010-03-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

Hi, I’m Leif, a student of the A.P. Photography Program at Gallery 37. On March 4th, we visited the Museum of Contemporary Photography, owned and operated by Chicago’s Columbia College. We viewed a collection of images from both contemporary Czech photographers, as well as images donated by the Baruch Foundation. Many of these images faced danger of destruction in the late 60’s due to the Soviets who invaded Czechoslovakia, where they attempted to “normalize” the country, destroying many works of art in the process. Art dealer Jacques Baruch and his wife managed to save many pieces which we were fortunate enough to be able to see. The photographs in the contemporary section tended to concentrate on more simple subject matter, while the images from the Baruch Foundation tended to be more surreal and in my opinion, interesting.

Of the many interesting photos we viewed, one of my favorites was “Hand with Watch,” a gelatin silver print by photographer Emila Medkova:

The image has a cracked egg in a holder nestled in a nook and a large piece of bark, as well as a hand with a watch in the palm emerging from the top of a gap. The ragged, cracked texture of the bark alone matched with the interesting cream colored tone of the print serves as an interesting photograph in and of itself, not unlike something we might expect to see in the contemporary exhibit. The hand is nestled in a break in the bark, which provides a three-sided frame to this strange hand holding a watch. The watch looks more like an eye, peering at the viewer and warping reality. The egg in the holder matches the hand in both juxtaposition and composition, effectively creating a visually interesting, and conceptually stimulating image.

In the Vernacular

2010-02-25T12:01:00.000-08:00

Hello, my name is Bethany. I am in the AAEP photography class at Gallery 37. On Monday, February 22, 2010 we went to the Art Institute of Chicago and saw the exhibition, In the Vernacular. This exhibition featured pieces from many artists including but not limited to Walker Evans, Andy Warhol, Lee Friedlander, Cindy Sherman, Martin Parr, Nikki S. Lee and Garry Winogrand. Vernacular photographs are photographs pertaining to a specific period of time, type of people or place. One of the pieces we saw was titled, “Lee and Maria Friedlander. Cannon Beach, Oregon” by Lee Friedlander, it was taken in 1997 and is a gelatin silver print:

One specific thing that interested me about this photograph was that the photographer himself is indeed taking the picture; however, he is not looking at the camera. His wife is though. The background is also rather eye-catching; there is a beach and mountain along the left side of the frame and the inland coast on the right, giving off a nice mood for the viewer. I myself felt calmer just seeing a beach. And last but not least, while the overall tone of the picture is flat, the blacks are rich and the highlights very detailed, it is very well printed.

Hello, I'm Deja. I really liked this image by Garry Winogrand:

It's a moment of action caught. Football players leaping, running, are scattering about. The referee stands on the sideline ready to call a penalty. A packed audience watches with anticipation and excitement. This climatic photo is dramatized even more by the angle it is captured at. Because the photo is in black and white it enhances the intensity of the picture. Texture is everywhere, from the tarp of the field to the full crowd in the stadium seats. Tones and shades of the rich black, white, and grey vary. The whites and light grays contrasts with the dark grays and blacks. Horizontal and vertical lines dance around the image helping balance the space, while filling it. Motion throughout the photograph creates a powerful rhythm and flow.

Surrealism

2010-02-08T11:46:00.000-08:00

Surrealism is a perfect assignment for photography, as the idea behind surrealist art is to bend, not break, reality. Photography is rooted in the real world; it is based on what is in front of the camera. But that reality is distorted through compositional choices, light, color, lack of color in b/w photos, time/motion, etc. Often times surrealist photography is based in fantasy, the dreamscape, or matters of the mind. It can be humorous, sad, and often strange. The human figure is also a common theme. With the ultimate goal to challenge people's imaginations:

Marlene Arteaga

Ivette Contreras

Gabriela Lopez

Juana Merino

DeAndre Watts

Winter Open House

2010-01-12T11:51:00.000-08:00

AAEP hosted a Winter open house to close out the 2009 calendar year. The event showcased the best work from students in the visual, performing, and culinary arts. With the aid of their teachers, AAEP students planned and installed their work in the 5th floor gallery of the Gallery 37 building. Here are some installation and event photographs:

You can see more at the Gallery 37 AAEP Flicker page, which is found if you click HERE.

There will be another open house in the Spring.

Environmental Portraits

2010-01-08T11:24:00.000-08:00

An Environmental Portrait is a portrait and then some. The student must focus on the subject and the environment around the subject. In the best photographs the viewer learns something about the person from not only their body language, dress, etc, but also from their surroundings. Students are asked to establish a foreground, middleground, and background in their photographs. This forces them to consider the entire environment and how it relates to the subject.

Ben Lozano

Ben Lozano

Amanda Marco

Sannya Munir

Dolly Rivera

Maritza Vales

Maritza Vales

Andrew Vega

Abstraction

2009-12-15T13:23:00.001-08:00

Photographs are rooted in the real world. But for this assignment students are asked to take what's in front of the camera and make it non-representational. We want them to think purely about design: line, shape, form, texture, rhythm, pattern, color, etc. So an abstract photograph of a wall is not about documenting that wall, but something completely different. Here are some examples:

Rudy Alfaro

Khalid El-Amin

Gabriela Lopez

Diana Martinez

Diana Oropeza

Diana Oropeza

Maritza Vales

DeAndre Watts

Time and Motion

2009-12-04T11:14:00.001-08:00

Time and Motion is an interesting conundrum for photography, as it is a medium that deals with still imagery. By utilizing the camera control called shutter speed, however, a photographer can allude to motion or freeze motion within the photograph. The best examples not only demonstrate a competency at understanding shutter speed, but utilize it in a creative fashion. Being in an urban environment is perfect for this assignment, as it is an environment that is constantly in motion. Students can allude to time and motion in their photographs to both comment on their worlds and/or to create abstraction. And often times the best examples do both:

Ben Lozano

Dolly Rivera

Marcelo Penaherrera

Andrew Vega

Space and Scale

2009-12-03T11:37:00.000-08:00

Click HERE for instructions to the Space and Scale assignment.

The space and scale assignment is difficult, as it requires the student to really consider the entire frame: front to back and side to side. No longer can they rely on interesting subject matter to get a good photograph, it is now purely about composition. They are asked to surprise the viewer by arranging the world within the photographic frame in a strange or unique fashion. Within the photograph, the viewer might be confused as to what is in front of the frame and what is in back. Or, it might be difficult to ascertain the size of an object. Students create this confusion by considering the edges of the frame and relationships between objects within that frame. Here are some student examples:

Ross Citron

Cassandra Cooper

Amanda Marco

Deja Richardson

Kristen Thorpe

Andrew Vega

World AIDS Day

2009-12-01T11:20:00.000-08:00

All of the programs at Gallery 37 AAEP were asked to present a group project in response to World AIDS Day. The idea was to consider how AIDS impacts us individually and collectively, and then to respond to those considerations through song, dance, the visual arts, and culinary arts.

Marvin Gutierrez and Kristin Thorpe, two second-year students in AP photography, composed an artist statement for our project:

On December 1st of each year, recognition is paid to Worlds AIDS Day. For 2009, Gallery 37’s AAEP Photography students collaborated to produce a photographic collection symbolizing the isolation of AIDS. On their own, the students came up with the idea for the piece and were aided in production by their teachers: Thomas Cinoman and Bill Guy.

The work was based on every day scenarios in a general perspective of the people. The black and white represents two themes. One theme depicts the solitude of what an AIDS patient might experience on an daily basis. The other theme exudes an idea of silence in the surrounding environment. The red punctuates the isolation of standing out as one of a certain group amongst all others.

In light of the AIDS epidemic, the students found it fit to produce 64 photos which they would alter to have red stand out against black and white. The red is a metaphor for a number of things: blood, life, passion, etc. This process of alteration included a series of methods that were combined in Adobe Photoshop. The method includes desaturating the photograph, or removing the color until black and white only remains. Red is painted into the selected sections.

And here are some samples from the installation:

The performing and visual arts, along with culinary, presented their work at the Chicago Cultural Center on December 1st. Check back soon for installation and event photographs and video.

Halloween Party

2009-11-04T11:31:00.000-08:00

Though we spend most of our days working hard at AAEP, we also take some time to celebrate and to enjoy the sense of community that we form here. Recently we had a school wide Halloween party. Some students came in costume. There was music, dancing, and plenty of good food provided by Culinary Arts.

Here are some shots of the students looking spooky:

Trip to the Cultural Center

2009-10-26T13:02:00.001-07:00

Last week the group went across the street to see the Barbara Crane retrospective at the Chicago Cultural Center. Sannya Munir, a student in AP photography, recounts our time there:

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. When you look at a picture you only see some of the words. Others viewing the same picture might see the other words. And some words are yet still hidden. When our class visited the Cultural Center’s exhibit on Barbara Crane titled Challenging Vision, our vision was definitely challenged. Crane has an ability to create different styles of images, and she can force viewers to compare the different in the same light.

Crane is “someone who is very curious about photography,” remarked Bill, our instructor. After viewing the exhibit, I believe that Bill’s statement is true. She used Polaroid, film, and digital cameras; and experimented with fish-eye lens, sandwiched negatives, and double exposures. Here is an example of her ability to experiment:

There was a picture of a dead bird. It didn’t make the bird pretty or anything; it was more about the study of the physical characteristics. This picture was in a series that Crane did, in which she captures the “beauty” of death. Here is an example from that series:

This was a fun field trip. We learned a lot about the different processes of developing/making pictures.

2009-10-23T13:05:00.000-07:00

Cinoman says:

Motion Photos due next week.

Vantage Point

2009-10-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

Click HERE for instructions to the Vantage Point assignment.

Where a photographer is standing in relationship to their subject is called the photographer's vantage point. When beginning in photography, most students tend to make all of their images at eye level. For many images this is appropriate. There comes a time, however, when a photographer needs to mix up their approach. Changing vantage point is an affective way to give the image a greater sense of design, or to present a familiar scene in a new way. So for this assignment, we ask the students to break outside of the vantage point norm. We ask them to find a high spot and look down; we ask them to get low and look up. During this assignment students begin to understand how physical photography is as a medium, as they climb stairs and crawl on the ground in search of that perfect vantage. Here are some examples:

Ben Lozano

Ben Lozano

Erika Marquez

Diana Martinez

Diana Martinez

Deja Richardson

Dolly Rivera

Andrew Vega

Andrew Vega

A Day In the Life...

2009-10-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

A Day in the Life... is the first assignment of the year where we ask the students to make photographs using their cameras. The main intention is to introduce them to using their 35mm SLR film cameras and to working with their digital cameras. During this time we also discuss the process for developing black and white film and for making prints in the darkroom. We also continue our discussions of Photoshop. The students then use this software to edit their photographs (density, contrast, color balance, etc). Finally, they make professional quality inkjet prints on our Epson 4800 printer. These are all skills that they will continue to improve upon during the year.

The subject for the assignment is wide-open. We merely ask them to consider the world around them, and to make pictures that reflect that world. This is where the assignment title A Day in the Life... comes from. Here are some examples:

Khalid El-Amin

Khalid El-Amin

Amanda Marco

Erika Marquez

Diana Oropeza

Diana Oropeza

Photography is an odd conundrum: it records the world, but the best photographs are something new--something only the photographer observes. As the students progress during the program, they begin to realize this more and more. They begin to understand Garry Winogrand's famous dictum that "I photograph to see what the world looks like in photographs.

Bill Guy
Teaching Artist
AAEP

Light and Shadow

2009-10-13T11:12:00.001-07:00

Click HERE for instructions to the Light and Shadow assignment.

I always tell my students that Light and Shadow is the meat and potatoes of photography. If you can use it well, then people will pay attention to your photographs.

So for this assignment we ask students to make photographs where light and shadow is the signature element of the image. In other words, the shot would be meaningless without it. They are asked to use light and shadow to create a sense of design, to set the mood of the image, or even as a metaphor for a greater meaning. They are asked to consider this "problem" with black and white materials, along with color. Here are some examples:

Rudy Alfaro

Ben Lozano

Erika Marquez

Leif Novak

Deja Richardson

Dolly Rivera

Andrew Vega

Andrew Vega

After this assignment they generally begin to understand that light is available in a wide variety. Natural light changes during the course of the day, and is also influenced by weather and the seasons. As the light changes, so does the design and feel of the picture. Students start to see that they have to wait, find, or create the appropriate light for the types of photographs that they want. They start to exert more control over their photographs, and their unique vision for photography begins to take shape.

Bill Guy
Teaching Artist
AAEP

Artists in the Workplace - Panel Discussion

2009-10-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

There are many goals for the Advanced Arts Education Program at Gallery 37 Center for the arts. One of those goals is to expose young people to the variety of opportunities that await them after high school. AAEP hosts several events and discussions throughout the school year. Colleges come and present their institutions and look at portfolios. There are also workshops on financial aid. And there are workshops on career opportunities after school.

On Tuesday, October 6th, Gallery 37 / AAEP hosted a panel discussion on artists in the workplace. The AP photography group, along with students from the other programs, spent the afternoon at the Chicago Cultural Center hearing testimonies from several Chicago-based working artists. Among the panelists were Sharon Gopfert from UIC, copywriter and creative director Wendy Lalli, graphic designer Susan Marx, and William Raffeld from UIC.

The panel discussion had three main objectives:

1. To showcase the variety of careers in the arts
2. To illustrate various paths taken to achieving successful careers in the arts
3. To give teens a brief overview of the connections between the participants, their careers and their overlapping skill sets.

Here are some testimonies from the students in AP photography:

Amanda Marco: "I liked hearing everyone's different stories about how they got to where they are today."

Erika Marquez: "I liked how one of the panelists was a former student at Gallery 37. It was cool to see that he had just finished college and was already professionaly working in the arts."

Dolly Rivera: "The panelists were open and honest about college. They each offered their different perspectives on the art world."

Andrew Vega: "The panelists were asked if they regretted anything in their lives. They responded that they didn't regret anything that they'd done, only things that they hadn't done. It was very motivating to hear that."

Field Trip to Museum of Contemporary Photography

2009-10-06T11:57:00.000-07:00

On Friday, October 2nd, the AP photography group from AAEP took a field trip to the Museum of Contemporary Photography.

Photograph by Dolly Rivera

Photograph by Dolly Rivera

Once we arrived, a member of the museum staff pulled out some original photographic prints from their collection:

Photograph by Dolly Rivera

Sannya Munir, a student from Jones College Prep, shares her thoughts:

The artist that struck out the most was Robert Mapplethorpe. We saw two of his photos, and both were entitled self-portraits. The first one was of his face, in which he was wearing make-up:

Photograph by Robert Mapplethorpe

It was from that picture that we learned about gaze. Gaze means where the person is looking at. It also refers to where the person viewing the picture first looks. The other Mapplethorpe picture was a Polaroid, of his hand on his bed. In my opinion that was the best picture we saw. It was beautifully put together, and had great form.

AP Photography class outside the MOCP at Columbia College Chicago

Scanograms

2009-10-01T11:13:00.000-07:00

Students go through a similar creative process for scanograms as they do for photograms. In both, they begin with a blank canvas and must compose objects within that space to create their final work. This is an interesting twist in a photography course, as creating a traditional photograph is a subtractive thought process: you begin with the world, and then you crop things out with the four edges of the frame. The result is a photograph.

For scanograms, however, students work in our digital lab with flatbed scanners and with the Adobe Photoshop software. They are asked to scan a variety of objects, some 3D and some 2D, and then assemble those objects in Photoshop. The project serves two key purposes: the first is to give them some variety in the breadth portion of their AP portfolio. The other is to teach them the fundamentals of digital photography and Adobe Photoshop. They are expected to consider image size, the layers palette, and a variety of tools. The tools include but are not limited to the crop tool, the move tool, brushes, and the eraser tool. Here are some examples:

Amanda Marco

Diana Martinez

Dolly Rivera

Like the photograms in the previous post, the best scanograms consider the entire page and transform the original objects into something brand new. Some also work within a coherent theme or idea and even employ metaphor, expanding them beyond mere aesthetic concerns.

Bill Guy
Teaching Artist
AAEP

Photograms

2009-09-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

For this assignment, students arrange common objects on light-sensitive paper. While working inside a traditional black and white darkroom, the students then expose the paper to light using an enlarger. The result is generally an abstract shape with a myriad of gray tones that is referred to as a Photogram in the art world. The types of shapes and the variety of tones in the finished product depends on the objects that are used, and the length of the exposure time.

Students are asked to consider the entire page when arranging their composition, and to achieve a range of values from black to white, along with some gray values in-between. The best photograms achieve both of these objectives. As well, the student, through their clever use of composition and darkroom technique, transform everyday objects into something brand new and unique. Here are some examples:

Cassandra Cooper

Khalid El-Amin

Marvin Gutierrez

Diana Martinez

Erika Marquez

Dolly Rivera

Maritza Vales

Can you identity any of the objects that are used in the above photograms? In the end, it does not matter if you can or cannot. These photograms are unique objects, separate from their origins, and reflect the unique insights and creativity of the AP photography students at AAEP Gallery 37.

Bill Guy
Teaching Artist
AP Photography