Student Examples

Portrait of a Passenger 

Public Art Alteration

This will be a quick, two week project, in which you will select a single piece of public art in Philadelphia to which you will recommend be changed, altered, moved or amended in some way. You will suggest a change to that piece of art that may alter is context, history, form, meaning, site – or all of those. This change may ultimately change its meaning.

1. Select an artwork that interests you.
2. Create a miniature of that work.
3. Use the miniature as a model to alter the work in some way – then photographing it in its new form, context etc.
4. Turn in a physical or digital image (or set of images).

READING: For Hamburg:  Public Art and Urban Identities by Miwon Kwon

Getting (re)Started

We will have 2 presentations to crit at the start of class, then we will head out to look at some public artworks. Were your walking shoes!!!

Each of you must come to class with a public artwork that you want to go visit. If there is another piece you like, please take note of that too, so we have options. Please do not choose a Mural. Since we already looked specifically as the Women’s Way Mural, I want to look at other kinds of public artworks.

Keep in mind that we will be on foot – so travel time is an issue. I would say we can go as far west as the PMA, as far east as 5th street, as far south as Lombard and as far north as Spring Garden.

What to bring to class and to share with the class- assuming you can find it:
The artists name, title, material and date the piece was create.
Any other additional information about the piece – historical or otherwise.
If it has ever existed in another location, if so, where.

Please use the links below to start searching for a public artwork to visit. You may also choose an artwork that does not exist in these databases. Please try to do similar research of it. There are also a few books in the library pertaining specifically to Philadelphia Public works.

DATABASES OF PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC ART:
http://www.philart.net/
http://www.publicartphiladelphia.org/

Final Presentation – Women’s Way

Your presentation should be a combination of both text and images.  Think about it as a narration. Show us the current site, tell us how it is used, organized, experienced. Explain to us your perception of the Women’s Way murals in their current condition and how this reflects on Women’s Way as an organization. You may follow that with an explanation of Women’s Way as an organization and how this piece of public art is a tribute. Finally, move us into your project.  Explain your choices on how to shift the site or the work so that it reveals or changes the issue with the current project.  Describe the experience you hope your viewers will have as they walk through it.

You will narrate the presentation, but it is also important that your presentation can stand on its own– so if someone read through it, they would have a clear understanding of your goals.

REMEMBER THE REQUIREMENTS!!

• 4-6 Drawings using both analog and digital processes. You should include images that provide site context and at least one image that addresses a design detail.
• 1 map or arial view
• Text that describes the project, images and concept.

After the Break

FINAL PRESENTATIONS DUE MARCH 21

For next week (after break, Mar 14) you should have completed writing about your project proposal. Think of the text as a narrative: taking us from the site as it is now, to the site as you envision it. This text will be incorporated into your final project.

Some topics to address:

• Write a descriptive paragraph about each of the images. Include in your description the specific location and its context. Assume that your audience knows NOTHING about the project.
• Write a description of Women’s Way and how you envision a tribute to that organization.
• Write about the current site and the issues you want to address in your project proposal.
• Write a description of the physical changes you propose to make and how they will improve the current conditions.

The class following break (Mar 14) will be your final in class “work day” for the project.  You will be in good shape at this moment if you have 2-3 completed drawings and your text written. Come prepared to work in class.  That can be to work on physical drawings, digital drawings, or beginning to compile your final presentation.  Remember, you may choose the final form that the presentation will take: digital (keynote/powerpont), analog (presentation board, bound booklet, etc).  So you may want to come prepared to work on that.

Presentation requirements:

• 4-6 Drawings using both analog and digital processes. You should include images that provide site context and at least one image that addresses a design detail.
• 1 map or arial view
• Text that describes the project, images and concept.