James Ewing, A-4 Warren and Parkland
2003, digital print,
44 x 12 inches
Departmental Philosophy
"Thought is the blood that bathes the heart."
Phillipe Sollers
Utilized, theorized, and debated across the full spectrum of culture, photographic images generate a virtual environment of seductive power and formal complexity. To artist/photographers, this elaborate environment provides both a resource and a challenge. On the one hand, new technologies provide constantly expanding ways of creating images while new theoretical methodologies provide sophisticated tools for analyzing how they function. On the other hand, the desire and the ability to actually create "thought-full" images seems in constant threat of being marginalized or overwhelmed. To make such images, and to find a productive place for them in the world, requires substantial commitment, self-motivation, and ingenuity. While every artist must independently generate these qualities, graduate school can assist in bringing together resources, processes, and principles that can shape the specifics of one's work and give it momentum. At Cranbrook, photography students assemble potentialities – exotic and intuitive mixtures of perceptions, sensations, thoughts and words. While this collection may begin with a certain order, it is only when elements are driven into a chaotic flux that clichés and preconceptions can dissipate, and new possibilities emerge. The creation and maintenance of this constantly shifting energized field, and the nurturing of the works that emerge from it, are primary goals of the program in Photography.
Brett Kallusky, Viaggio
2005, digital print
2 x 4 feet
Program
Paramount in the creation of a photograph is that the artist remains true to their inspiration and personal vision. Achieving this goal is central to the Photography Department at Cranbrook. Students are challenged to remain focused on this vision and resist the allure of the expected and the morass of mass appeal. This quest can be both exciting and challenging. The Photography Department seeks to develop and define each student’s unique perspective. The course of study involves group and individual critiques with the Artist-in-Residence and guest critics. The ability to translate perceptions about works into language is a skill sharpened by practice in these critiques. Seminars in literature, philosophy, theory, and criticism assist students in establishing parallels between art and other fields. Other seminars explore photography's relation to the broad spectrum of visual art, with special emphasis placed on its relation to the history of cinema, collage, and photomontage. Student research papers and presentations are an integral part of the program, as are visiting artists, departmental and interdepartmental collaborations, individual meetings with the instructor, and field trips. Recent field trip destinations include New York, Germany, London, and Amsterdam. Inter-disciplinary study is encouraged to facilitate new dialogue and fresh perspective. This highly structured and close-knit program also requires that students be self-directed and motivated. This ensures an element of independence that is fundamental to artistic development. The schedule allows ample studio time and space.
Facilities
All students are provided with individual studios and share darkrooms. Darkroom equipment includes 4X5 enlargers and a Hope 30-inch color print processor. The department computer lab includes Mac G5 computers, film and flatbed scanners including the Imacon Flextight 646, and Epson 7600 and 9800 printers. Equipment available includes all sizes of film cameras, professional lighting kits, and video cameras.
Julie Roberts, Blinking Hour
2001, image from video installation