Assignment 4: Beautiful (and strange) Abstractions

Since I wasn't able to give you the slide show last night that I wanted to give you to present the next assignment, I will do it here. First are these wonderfully abstract, and full of life painterly color images (above and below) by Saul Leiter, which inspired me to come up with assignment 4 (see the assignment at the end of this posting. I accidently named it assign #3, but now I realize it would be the fourth one!):
















And then a few classic abstractions by Aaron Siskind (inspired by Abstract Expressionist's paintings):








And then a few more contemporary color abstractions by Martin Parr:








And some classic color fragments of William Eggleston:










And finally, for something completely bizarre and abstract: some mirror abstract photos by Hans Breder:








Before I showed you these slides I was going to read to you from Aaron Siskind's 1950 "Credo" artist's statement. Here are some excerpts:

''When I make a photograph, I want it to be an altogether new object, complete and self-contained... ''

"The business of making a photograph may be said in simple terms to consist of three elements: the objective world (whose permanent condition is change and disorder), the sheet of paper on which the picture will be realized, and the experience which brings them together. First, and emphatically, I accept the flat plane of the picture surface as the primary frame of reference of the picture. The experience itself may be described as one of total absorption in the object. But the object serves only a personal need and the requirements of the picture. Thus, rocks are sculptured forms; a section of common decorative iron-work, springing rhythmic shapes; fragments of paper sticking to a wall, a conversation piece. And these forms, totems, masks, figures, shapes, images must finally take their place in the tonal field of the picture and strictly conform to their space environment.”

And here, again, is your assignment I passed out last night:

Assignment 3: Fragments, Abstractions & Transformations

Based on slides we viewed in class of Saul Leiter, Aaron Siskind, Martin Parr, William Eggleston, Hans Breder and others, try to make a series of photos that explore ways of extracting and transforming elements of the objective visual world into compelling images. Experiment with people as well as inanimate objects. Take chances,... try something completely new and different!