Author Archives: Sandra Cheng
Discussion Topic: Is a Selfie Art?
With the rise of selfies and their increasing accessibility on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, it’s inevitable to see an art exhibit devoted to the selfie. A recent discussion topic was the controversial use of a selfie by Rolling Stone Magazine. … Continue reading
Reminder: Midterm Exam POSTPONED until Thursday, Oct 24th
Our midterm is postponed to Thursday, October 24nd at 10 AM SHARP. Please ARRIVE ON TIME (come early!) because we will begin with the slide identification section and if you miss it, there will be no opportunity to go back to those images. I will … Continue reading
Midterm Exam on Tuesday Oct 22nd at 10 AM and Terminology
This post is to remind you that our midterm is on Tuesday, October 22nd at 10 AM SHARP. Please ARRIVE ON TIME (come early!) because we will begin with the slide identification section and if you miss it, there will … Continue reading
Discussion Topic: Views from Versailles to post-Katrina New Orleans
Explore the works of Canadian photographer Robert Polidori, who uses a large-format camera to capture environments that range from the French palace of Versailles to the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina or the nuclear accident at Chernobyl. Photographs from Polidori’s … Continue reading
Discussion Topic: The Civil War Tintype and Modern Soldiers
Frederick Scott Archer’s wet-plate collodion process dominated photographic production in the mid-19th century. There were three options with the wet-plate process, you could produce a glass negative or an ambrotype (a glass negative with dark backing) or a tintype (also … Continue reading
Announcement: Writing Assignment #1 is DUE Tues October 8th
The due date for your first writing assignment is coming up quickly. This is a reminder to please submit your papers via Blackboard on SafeAssign. To access Blackboard, you can log in via the CUNY portal. If you have trouble … Continue reading
Discussion Topic: Civil War-era Processes, New Advertising
Many photographers today are reviving the photographic processes of the Civil War era. A California news article reports on several photographers in San Francisco who are producing photographs with the wet-plate process. Even Louis Vuitton highlights wet-plate photography in his … Continue reading
Discussion Topic: Image Wars-Did Rolling Stone Magazine Glorify the Boston Bomber?
The August 1st cover of Rolling Stone Magazine featured a “selfie,” a self-portrait of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, one of the alleged Boston Marathon bombers. The magazine cover sparked much controversy in the news and on social media. Many businesses and chain … Continue reading
Discussion Topic: Pictures of Pictures
In a New York Times article, the art critic Roberta Smith notes the increasingly common use of cameras, especially cellphones by viewers when interacting with art. In particular, she discusses the behavior of visitors to the Venice Biennale, an exhibition … Continue reading
Info for Writing Assignment #1
Materials for writing assignment #1 are now posted under Class Downloads/Supplementary Readings. Please review the assignment instructions carefully and don’t forget to submit your paper via SafeAssign on Blackboard. Do not hesitate to contact me with any questions regarding this … Continue reading
