Visual Arts Briefs

SVA presents “17 Degrees,” an exhibition of thesis work by the 2011 graduating class in the Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Digital Photography Department, which is chaired by Katrin Eismann. On view through November 12 at the SVA Gallery (209 East 23 Street, 212.592.2145), “17 Degrees” features the work of 17 students from around the globe, some of whom were enrolled in the new online/summer residency program and others who studied in the on-campus program. Both groups of students participated in an intensive summer session on campus to produce the work on view in the exhibition and collaborate on the accompanying catalog and Web site.

Julie Saad’s Rewilding brings to life a world in which two urban couples find their homes invaded with plants and animals. A Blessing by Josephine Dvorken explores the relationship between a man and his housekeeper after a 45-year-long companionship in intimate portraits that speak to issues of memory, self and devotion. The people in Hua Bai’s Observable Imagination perform a double role, as both the terminal of observation and the starting point of imagination.

There will be a reception for “17 Degrees” on Wednesday, October 26 from 6 – 8 at the SVA Gallery. To read more about the work of all 17 students involved in the exhibition, visit SVA.edu; to view their work, check out 17DegreesExhibit.com.

Image: Julie Saad, Untitled, from the series Rewilding, photograph.

The spring 2011 issue of the Visual Arts Journal is now in print and on the Web for the entire SVA community. The latest edition of the College’s bi-annual magazine includes:

• A look at digital retouching in photography, film and beyond, featuring expert commentary from MPS Digital Photography Department Chair Katrin Eismann, faculty members Josh Azzarella and Carrie Beene, and alumnus Leslie Chung (BFA 2007 Computer Art, Computer Animation and Visual Effects).
• A Q&A with Academy Award-winning film and TV composer Michael Giacchino (BFA 1990 Film and Video)
• A portfolio of post-apocalyptic fables from alumnus Martin Wittfooth (MFA 2008 Illustration as Visual Essay).
• A history of SVA’s involvement with national and international art fairs.

…and many more features, interviews, reviews and news from SVA alumni, faculty and students. To browse the full issue and an archive of past Journals, visit sva.edu/journal.

The cover of a recent issue of Mormon Artist magazine features work by current MPS Digital Photography Department student Robert DeRosa, who is also showcased in a 10-page interview. DeRosa talks about how his career has changed over the years, but his main drive has always been to pursue photography. When discussing the challenges of going back to school after 35 years, he says, “My parents and the Church taught me to work hard and I have always been a high energy person, so the grind was tiring but not overwhelming.”

After losing a job during the recent financial crisis, “photography helped to inspire me, energize me, and focus my attention on work that I loved and had long dreamed of doing.” DeRosa also discusses his preference for urban photography, his creative inspirations and the challenges he faces photographing in New York City.

Image: Robert DeRosa, 2011. Courtesy of the Artist.

MPS Digital Photography Department Chair Katrin Eismann visited WNYC radio’s Leonard Lopate Show on Friday, March 18, for a segment called Please Explain: Digital Photography. Eismann and New York Times technology columnist David Pogue talked with host Leonard Lopate about the history of digital photography, how it works and the differences between the various digital cameras on the market.

Eismann discussed early military and commercial uses of digital cameras, how electronic photo files can be manipulated on a computer and what digital enhancement means for the assumed veracity of photographic images. “Photography is like being a cook: you choose the right tool for your project,” she said, describing how consumers should go about choosing what kind of digital camera to buy. Eismann also took on-air questions from listeners, ranging from professional photographers to curious hobbyists. Listen to the segment here, and visit our Facebook gallery of digital photos that Eismann took while at WNYC.

Images: Photos by David Pogue.

Last year, the MPS Digital Photography Department became the first program at SVA to offer a low-residency online option to its students. The three-term online/summer residency allows students to take a full load of fall and spring courses online using the Blackboard distance-learning system (students receive weekly class materials and assignments and then use the online forum to discuss and present their assignments), followed by a summer term in New York City completing their thesis work.

Three students from the initial class  enrolled in the online version of the MPS program—Candace Dobro, David Forney and Lisette Ranga—recently spoke with the Briefs via e-mail about their experiences.

Why did you choose the online/low-residency option?
Dobro: I wanted to live at home [in northern New Jersey], and the lengthy commute would have prevented me from spending enough hours doing the actual work.

Ranga: I have a full-time job and I travel for work. I was looking for a program that is flexible, teachers who are industry professionals and a platform that will take my photography skills to a higher level.

Forney: I split time between Pittsburgh, PA, and Charlotte, NC. I have a family, job and house, and leaving family, job and home for a year was just out of the question. The online option was the perfect program for my circumstances.

What has been the most surprising aspect of the online program?
Ranga: I had heard that taking classes online can be challenging and you lose the human interaction. The faculty has found useful ways to incorporate visual learning through interviews, step-by-step instructions/critiques on video, and they have created an excellent environment for online communication.

Forney: I feel a cohesion with the other students about the subject matter and the desire to learn and succeed. I also feel personally connected to the instructors. They get to know us in much the same way that an instructor would get to know students in a live classroom.

What advice do you have for anyone considering the online MPS program?
Dobro: Be prepared to make being a student a full-time endeavor. Do as much preparation (i.e., getting the proper equipment and software and reading up on it) beforehand so that you can concentrate on the curriculum once it begins. And get a comfortable work chair; you’ll be sitting in it for hundreds of hours.

Ranga: Just do it! You will take your skills to a higher level, be inspired and expand your connections.

For more information on the MPS Digital Photography Department online/summer residency, visit svaonlinedigitalphoto.wordpress.com.

Image: ©2010 Katrin Eismann.

Following last year’s successful AuthentiCity photo competition, Illy Issimo and SVA have announced the 2011 edition: New Urban Lifestyles. Open to all students and alumni from the BFA Photography Department; MFA Photography, Video and Related Media Department; and MPS Digital Photography Department, entrants should submit work (up to 10 images) that addresses the theme “New Urban Lifestyles” to callforentry.org by Monday, February 28.

Three finalists will be selected from these entrants to receive a commission of $3,000 each to complete a body of work over the spring/summer that further addresses the theme of the contest. A selection of the finalists’ work will be exhibited in New York City in the fall of 2011. One finalist will be selected based upon his or her completed work and will receive a $10,000 commission from Illy.

The top prize in this year’s Sappi/Magno Intensity Photographic Competition has gone to Julie Lance, a current student in MPS Digital Photography Department, for her photograph It’s Not Sunny in the Subway. For her first-place win, Lance received an award of €8,000; in addition, fellow students Yulia Gorbachenko and Bojune Kwon and alumnus Hye Jung Lee (MPS 2009 Digital Photography)  each won €500 prizes in the competition for their work.

Image: Julie Lance, It’s Not Sunny in the Subway, 2010. Courtesy of the artist.

The Look, a new Photo District News (PDN) competition, highlights noteworthy fashion photographers within seven categories: advertising, beauty, editorial/celebrity, personal work, runway, still life and debut. One of the judges of the competition was Vince Aletti, a BFA Photography Department Mentor and instructor for the Division of Continuing Education’s Summer  Residency Program.

Winners included a trio from the SVA community: Yulia Gorbachenko (MPS 2010 Digital Photography) earned first place in the Debut category; Ilyssa Cohen (current student, BFA Photography Department) won for People’s Choice; and Quentin Shih (BFA 2010 Photography) received a Merit award in the Personal Work category.

The MPS Digital Photography Department is presenting “Optic Nerve,” an exhibition of thesis work by the program’s 2010 graduating class, at the SVA Gallery, 209 East 23rd Street, through Saturday, November 13. There is a public reception for the artists taking place on Wednesday, October 27, 6 – 8pm.

Department Chair Katrin Eismann explains the show’s title: “Like the optic nerve connecting the eye to the mind, this year’s class utilized the camera to channel their distinctive visions of the world into manifested realities—light was sensed, impulses were created and an extension of the mind was made apparent.” The exhibition fuses those visions into a collective presentation exploring the real and surreal, the calm and the disturbed, the intimate, the fabricated, the interpretive, the sensational, the reflective, the delusional, the extravagant, the imaginative and the beautiful.

“Optic Nerve” is curated by alumnus and faculty member Dan Halm (MFA 2001 Illustration as Visual Essay; BFA 1994 Illustration) and features the work of 21 students from around the globe, some of whom were enrolled in the new low-residency MPS in Digital Photography Online/Summer-Residency program and others who studied in the residential program taking place on campus throughout the year. Both groups of students participated in an intensive summer session on campus to produce the work on view in the exhibition, and they collaborated to design the accompanying catalog.

Images: (top) Robert DeRosa, from the series A Walk Across Time, 2010; (bottom) Giselle Behrens, from the series La Femenina: Alive, 2010.

BFA Photography Department faculty member Susan Bright has just released a new book, Auto Focus: The Self Portrait in Contemporary Photography (The Monacelli Press, 2010), showcasing the work of 75 contemporary photographers from around the world for whom self-portraiture is a central part of their work. To celebrate, the department is hosting an Auto Focus event featuring faculty member Lyle Rexer conducting a live interview with Bright on Tuesday, October 19, 7pm, at the SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street; the interview will be followed by a book signing.

The event is the first in a series of photography exhibitions, lectures and panel discussions being presented throughout the fall semester, including “Optic Nerve,” a thesis exhibition by recent graduates of the MPS Digital Photography Department, at the SVA Gallery, 209 East 23rd Street, October 20 – November 13 (with an opening reception on Wednesday, October 27, 6 – 8pm) ; The Original Copy, a discussion moderated by curator Roxana Marcoci, hosted by the MFA Photography, Video and Related Media Department, on Tuesday, October 26, 7pm, at the SVA Theatre; and A Life in the Surf, a talk by photographer Art Brewer, presented by Arts Abroad, on Thursday, November 4, 6pm, at the SVA Theatre. For a complete list of SVA’s free photography events, click here.