National Art Education Association

Photo Opportunities: Contemporary Photographers Cindy Sherman and Jeff Wall as Models
for Artistic and Teaching Identities
Author(s): Emma Gillespie Perkins and Ann Andaloro
Source: Art Education, Vol. 61, No. 2 (Mar., 2008), pp. 102-107
Published by: National Art Education Association
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PHOT
Emma Gillesoie Perkins
pportunities:
Contemporary Photographers
CINDY SHERMAN and JEFF WALL
as Models for Artistic and
^Teaching
Identities
A
mm*
\
i."
quickreviewofimagesonMySpace
,
personal
web
pages,
and
dormitory
kwalls reveals student constructed
identities
enthusiastically
exhibited in
public space.
No
longer glued
black-and
white
images
on a static
page, contempo
rary
photography
in art and in
everyday
life is
evolving
as
quickly
as the next
digital
innovation. This article describes an
art unit
taught
to
preservice
art teachers that
incorporates contemporary
narrative
photography
as a lens to
critically
review
mass
media,
personal
role
models,
and art
production.
The
preservice
teachers
examined
photographic
content, recalled familiar
images
of their
childhood,
participated
in a video
event,
and
critically
examined their awareness of
personal
images.
Art teachers are
searching
for instructional content that links student
understanding
with
contemporary
artists,
and while this article describes an all
female
preservice
classroom,
the unit
provides possibilities
for both
genders
as well
as for middle and
high
school students.
Photographer Cindy
Sherman and her black-and-white "film stills" series was the initial art
inspiration
for
this unit. In these works, Sherman referenced film
images
in
photographs
of herself in a
variety
of female
roles,
dressing up
and
posing
as
stereotypical
media
portrayed
females. In addition to
Sherman,
the
photographs
of
Jeff
Wall
yielded expanded
connections to cultural
storytelling
and
popular
culture. Wall is
famous for
making big
color
transparencies
that are
cinematically staged
and mounted to
light
boxes so
that the
pictures glow
like a movie screen. Both artists address
many contemporary
issues that interweave
artistic and
personal symbol making
such as:
identity
construction, assumed
photographic personas,
social
commentary,
and the role of media codes or bodies of ideas
presented through
media.
Contemporary photographers
include references to
popular
media and cultural issues that can
encourage
students to become more
visually
literate. In this unit, the students examine internalized
popular images
and then
process
the re-viewed
images
as
personal
artistic
symbols.
As Peter Galassi
(2007)
observed in his
discussion
regarding Jeff Wall,
"All
good
artists are intellectuals?not because
they
read a lot of
books,
but
because
they
refuse to
accept
received wisdom about issues that matter to them"
(Galassi, p. 15).
My
strategy encouraged
students to
refuse,
negotiate,
and re-examine the media codes referenced in
contempo
rary photography,
how these role models contribute to
personal meaning making,
and
possible applications
for PreK-12 art classrooms. In order to further
integrate photographic perspectives
as a
part
of the
learning
process,
a
colleague
who teaches electronic media
agreed
to document and to
participate
in the
project
during key presentation days.
102 ART EDUCATION / MARCH 2008
Mass Media and
Personal
Snapshots
The differentiation between
mass
media,
personal
snapshots,
and art can
sometimes be unclear to
classroom students.
Incorporating popular
culture
and
contemporary photog
raphy
as an instructional
approach acknowledges
the
reality
of
living
in a world in
which we often
automatedly
view and internalize
multiple
images
as
portrayed
in mass
media. Sturken and
Cartwright (2001)
broadly
defined mass media as
television, movies,
and
advertisements that
convey
a
body
of ideas
regarding
social
roles,
perceptions
of
people
and
places,
based in
fact,
fiction and/or a combination.
Using
this
definition, the class
discussed how
personal
artwork
might
be influenced
by images
seen
daily
and
repeatedly. Connecting
the
artwork of Sherman and
Wall,
we discussed the
ways
both
artists redefined mass media
in self referential art
produc
tion. The student-centered
discussion focused
upon
the
facility
and
ability
to share
images through digital
cameras, cell
phones,
and
MySpace
.
We examined the
ease with which
digital
participants manipulate
everyday images
into
idealized
public personas.
As
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artists who teach,
it is
important
that we understand these
multiple
images
that
represent
who we are as a culture and define us as
individuals. Visual
literacy
with
regard
to artwork and mass media
encourages
classroom students to understand the artist and/or
creative
process
behind
represented images.
The
following
classroom
questions
were intended to move the
preservice
teachers from broad
media issues to
specifics
of individual constructions:
In
general,
what do
you
feel
Images reproduced by
mass media
say
about societal roles of women, men, teachers,
media
personalities,
etc.?
How do the artists
examined,
Cindy
Sherman and
Jeff Wall,
represent
mass media codes and role models in our culture?
Who is the most
important model(s)
in
your
own life?
How would
you represent yourself
in a Wall or Sherman
inspired
photograph
or still moment?
These
questions guided
the
preservice
teachers to self-reflect
upon
personal
visual and textual narratives in their own
early
childhood.
The introduction of narratives as an
instructional
strategy
can assist students
to evaluate the
meanings
and the
whys
of
their lives
(Greene, 1995,
p. 165).
Olson
(1998)
observed that
visual and verbal
narratives,
in the
past
and
newly presented,
are
valuable tools in the art
classroom,
prompting
students to reflect
upon
their
identity
and
placement
within
society.
Jeff
Walls elabo
rately
constructed still scenes or
vignettes
reflect a social or
literary
period
in time and
place
and are excellent
examples
of visual
storytelling
filled with cultural codes. For
example,
Wall s
piece
titled,
1947,
depicts
a child's
birthday party complete
with
balloons,
in a
1940s-
style living
room. The children and adults are
captured
in a
moment, dressed in the
period
and transfixed on the central
entertainment,
a
ventriloquist
and
dummy.
We discussed Walls
Personal role model film still in
process by
G. Duncan.
constructions
regarding
the timelessness of
birthday parties,
'40s
technology, lifestyle portrayed
in the scene, and what
ways
these
images
refer to our own lives. The class
explored
children's entertain
ment
media,
past
and
present.
The students evaluated the differences
between current
technology
and
images
and those available in the
time of Wall's
depicted youthful baby
boomers. The
preservice
students discussed in what
ways
entertainment media
might change
in art classrooms of the future.
Narratives
help
students in the art class
room make connections to artwork from
a
variety
of different
times,
places,
and
Cultures. In order to
provide
instructional
strategies
for the
preservice
students,
I introduced media
literacy
activities
applicable
to
grade
levels 3-12. The activities included discussion of
Disney
revisions of cultural stories,
comparing
the actual
inspired story
sources and the
possible whys
for
reframing
narratives for entertain
ment within the context of
changing popular
culture. For
example,
the
preservice
teachers
compared
similarities and differences in the
story
of the Chinese
girl
warrior Hua Mu Lan retold in The Ballad
of
Mulan
(Zhang
1998)
and the
Disney
animated version oiMulan
(Wan
and
Cheng,
2004).
This
comparison
of Mulan stories is a
successful
strategy
for both male and female students as the discus
sion includes
gender stereotypes
and role model
expectations.
Beyond Disney
movies, social narratives, and
images
contained
within television ads can
present
internalized ideals of
body image
for
males and females.
Assisting
classroom students to become aware of
the unreal and artificial ideals of
advertising techniques
in mass
media can
help
students
accept
more realistic self-identities and
body
images
(Wilksch,
Tiggemann,
&
Wade, 2006).
In
addition,
in
elementary
classrooms,
texts and
images may
transfer content to
students
through
the
portrayal
of
stereotypes
and
non-equal
social
relationships
between the sexes
(Brugeilles,
Cromer &
Andreyev,
2002).
When
crafting
art
instruction,
preservice
teachers will need to
consider and understand the internalized visual
symbols
and
narrative identities of their students.
We moved from the narratives of childhood to the
images conveyed
in mass communications and entertainment
throughout
life. In
search of media based role models within memories,
we defined a
media
personality
or character as one whose life or
portrayed
activities influenced an idea of
self-identity
for the students. As
Cindy
Sherman noted
regarding
the art
process
for her film stills
photo
graphs,
"I wasn't
working
with a raised
"awareness,"
but I
definitely
felt the characters were
questioning something?perhaps being
forced into a certain role..."
(Sherman
&
Galassi, 2003,
p. 9).
Sherman
(2003)
identifies films and television role models as the references
within her
photographs.
I
encouraged
the class to reflect
upon
contemporary
art, films, icons, actors, characters,
advertising,
and
television ideals.
During
discussion,
the
preservice
teachers
commented that media
images
influenced their artwork,
and that
they
often
represented
the
images
of
objects
and other less
personal
media issues, rather than draw attention to concerns about them
EMMA GILLESPIE PERKINS WITH ANN ANDALORO / PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES 103
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'few
;;\ ;v
?'-'^,
,.
^^^^^^^^j^^^^^P^^^^w
they
felt
pressure
to look
x) lose
weight,
but most felt that
e media. Much like
Sherman,
the
Upon
mass media or
contemporary
art with a raised
preservice
teachers to become aware of artificial ideals and to re-evaluate
past
upplied guided questions
in
preparation
for classroom discussion. The three-section
t is
titled,
Media
Magic,
Characters in our Lives:
How do I describe
myself?
Do I feel I look like individuals in the media? Indicate similarities and differences.
How do I see
myself fitting
within media role models that I view in
television,
movies and on
MySpace
?
What role models do I see in
my
memories? What is
my relationship
to the
past
and
past
models? How do I relate to those models in
my memory?
What
images
do
my
future students see? How
might
this influence
my teaching
practice?
List
your
favorite movies and television shows from the
past
and
present.
Your answer
may
be
specific
such as
Spiderman,
Mutant
Ninja
Turtles, Survivor,
etc. or include a
type
of movie
(genre)
such as science fiction or
fantasy, comedy,
musical, action,
or animation. Include movies that are
important
in
your
life and
that
'say' something you
think is valuable.
During
what
age
or
grade
level did
you enjoy
this media?
Summarize each media source listed and
provide
a brief
description.
For
example, Harry
Potter
young
outcast
boy
learns that he is
special
and has
magical powers
and then
escapes
to wizard school and
exciting
adventures.
Why
do
you
think
you
like the media stories
you
listed?
List a
characters)
or media
personality
that
you
like best.
Why
is s/he
your
favorite?
Would
you
like to
modify
a character
(change gender,
add
powers, etc.)?
Is there a character or characteristic in
your
selected
story
that
you
would like to
see?
If
you
could be in a movie or television show based
upon
one or all of
your
media
favorites,
what character would
you
be?
In what
ways
would
you
like to be like this character?
Do
you
know someone in
your
life that demonstrates the
qualities
of this
character or
qualities you
would like to see in the character?
List
positive
and
negative
characteristics of
your
selected character.
The media characters and narratives
selected
by
the
preservice
teachers
included media icons such as film star
Marilyn
Monroe,
Loretta
Lynn,
Florence Hendersons Mrs.
Brady,
Wonder
Woman,
and
Oprah.
Each of
these characters
conveyed key
traits for
the students. A
preservice
teacher still
struggling
to overcome
poverty
and
disadvantage perceived
Loretta
Lynn
as
someone
who,
through
talent and hard
work,
emerged
from the student s
shared Eastern
Kentucky
coal culture.
One
preservice
teacher who selected
Marilyn
Monroe did so because she
thought
that
Marilyn
Monroe was a
little
heavy
and shared her
weight
problem. Oprah Winfrey
was
perceived
as someone who reached
heights
from
humble
beginnings
and who uses her
wealth to
improve
the fate of others.
Wonder Woman was valued as a
powerful, magical,
and fun character.
Other television characters, such as
Mrs.
Brady,
were seen as women who
were
kind,
loving,
and
strong. During
previous
units, male students selected
media models that included action
character actors such as Bruce Willis
and Arnold
Schwartzenegger,
comic
heroes such as
Spiderman,
and
sports
figures.
Once the media role models were
selected,
I asked students to reframe
those media
messages
into a
personal
self-reflection and
identify
a
personal
and/or familial real life role model
based
upon
Sherman's film still series.
When one student shared the
story
of
her mother's
challenge
with breast
cancer, I introduced
Jo Spence's
breast
cancer
photographic
series.
My
electronic media
colleague
and I
decided to
videotape
the role model
Media role film still
by
C Stamaties.
104 ART EDUCATION / MARCH 2008
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Personal role model film still
by
C. Stamaties.
What role models do I see in
my
memories?
What is
my relationship
to the
past
and
past
models?
How do I relate to those models in
my memory?
Personal role film still in
progress by
B. Parsons.
assignment
and asked the
preservice
teachers to write a one
paragraph
description
of the role model and in what
ways
that individual influenced their
personal
construction of
identity.
The
students
presented
the
paragraph
description
as
my colleague
coached and
captured
their
performance
on video.
My
colleague
edited the video for
viewing by
the
preservice
teachers who evaluated
similarities and differences shared within
the
group
selections. In order to create
classroom trust, both
my colleague
and I
shared our own role models
during
the
videotape production. Daughters
often
identify
mothers as
important
role
models,
particularly
with reference to
career and attitude
(Basow
& Howe,
1980).
The
preservice
teachers within this
all female class selected a maternal
figure,
grandmother,
or mother as a role
model;
one student also included her
grandfa
ther, who,
along
with her
grandmother,
cared for her. In
prior
media units,
college
and
high
school male students
selected fathers,
male relatives, coaches,
and teachers.
Personal Film Stills
Inspired by
Jeff
Wall's
transparent
photographs
mounted on
light
boxes,
the
student's 'stills' art
production
evolved as
a
collage
affixed to
mylar
within a film
still
style
black frame.
Referring
back to
Cindy
Sherman,
the
preservice
teachers
were asked to create an artwork that
conveyed
the
way
a
Hollywood
film
maker would describe their life and
include the
images
of role models that
further define their
script.
The
preservice
teachers selected
symbols
from
popular
culture, text, and home
photos,
then
scanned and
manipulated
the selected
images
to create
personalized meanings
for their film still. The
transparent mylar,
visible between the selected
images,
became a
symbol
not
only
for a translu
cent celluloid 'film still' but also as a
visual
metaphor
for the internalized
meanings
that
invisibly overlay
their
memories. The film still
collages
translated our discussions into a self
referential narrative artwork about
identity.
The students were free to include
media and
personal images
and could
create two film stills,
one for media and
one for real life models,
if
they
chose.
EMMA GILLESPIE PERKINS WITH ANN ANDALORO / PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES 105
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' .1. p
g^-^^l^^^^^^^^^^?^--^^??^^^^??
Film stills
project
with student artist,
C. Stamaties.
Contemporary
photography
captures
a
still,
an
idea in a time or
moment that can
provide
a vehicle for
preservice
teachers
to look
away
and
see the
integration
of their
professional
roles as an
intellectual artist
and teacher.
106 ART EDUCATION / MARCH 2008
!
Final Reflections
_?r^"
My
video
colleague
took
j,|jUiBtagerpen?dically fer?ughout
the
process,
and
upon
corry)]filioiroflft^
the final
critique
and
presentation.
The
~ " "
requirements
for the final
presentation
included:
Present the film stills
collage, discussing process
and selection of
images.
Identify
media and real life role models within the artwork.
Evaluate the media codes and value
systems
within their own lives and the
collage.
Highlight
in what
ways
the information would
help
in students'
teaching practice.
Reflect
upon changes
in
perception regarding
each
preservice
teacher s individual
personal
identity.
As
part
of the
closing
activities, I asked for an evaluation of the
project.
The
preservice
teachers commented that the unit
changed
their
feeling
about
contemporary photography
and
in
particular
the
subject
matter selected
by
artists. One student commented that
contemporary
photography
is "so much more
complex
than I
thought.
It moves
beyond capturing
a moment
in time to
being
about an idea in a time."
Responses
to the
question
about
integration
into
their
teaching practice brought
a
resounding
re-evaluation
regarding Disney,
videos,
and
narratives. One student observed,
"I feel this will make me think about the
power
of
images
and stories before
presenting
them to
my
art class."
(G. Duncan,
personal
communication,
April
20,2006).
Throughout
the film stills
project,
several of the
preservice
teachers asked that
I
join
them in the art
department hallways
to view exhibited student work,
including
their
own, and to discuss mass media
inspired
or internalized
images. During
these informal hall
exchanges,
the
questions
centered
upon
whether the exhibited student artwork was a
thoughtful
reference to visual culture,
an
integrated personal symbol,
or
just
a media
replica
without
development.
The answer was often difficult to discern with individual student work.
The
preservice
teachers decided that Wall and Sherman are understood because
they
make
clear references to media
stereotypes
and cultural stories
through
artists' statements,
writing,
and interviews. When
referencing
mass media codes in an
artwork, the
preservice
art teachers
felt that
they
would
require
an artist statement or oral
presentation
for their future students in
order to
clarify
authentic connections.
Finally,
I asked if the unit
changed
their
perceptions
regarding
their own
personal identity; they unanimously
indicated that it did not One artist
teacher
commented,
"The
project
did not
change
what I
thought
about
myself,
but it did make
me think about
why
I think it."
(
C.
Stamaties,
personal
communication,
April
27, 2006).
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Conclusion
The
project provided
the
preservice
teachers
with
opportunities
to
develop
a self
referential view of their own artwork and
symbol making,
an
expanded understanding
of
contemporary photographers,
and the
ways popular
culture
images
inform their
present
and future art room and art
practice.
The
preservice
teachers looked back to their
memories in order to locate themselves
within art and education.
They
commented
that
they
did not feel the inundation of mass
media
images
within their culture was
negative,
but rather
expressed empowerment,
feeling
that
they,
as
individuals, have the
choice to frame and define
personal
assumed
roles. As Barthes
(1981) wrote,
"Ultimately?
or at the limit?in order to see a
photograph
well,
it is best to look
away
or close
your
eyes"
(Barthes, 1981, p. 53). Contemporary
photography captures
a
still,
an idea in a time
or moment that can
provide
a vehicle for
preservice
teachers to look
away
and see the
integration
of their
professional
roles as an
intellectual artist and teacher. This unit
assisted the
preservice
teachers in
looking
away
from internalized
images
in order to
reflect
upon ways
media
images
of
popular
culture
emerge
in art
production,
frame
personal identity,
and inform instructional
practices
in the art classroom.
Emma
Gillespie
Perkins is Associate
Professor of
Art, Morehead State
University,
Morehead,
Kentucky.
E-mail:
e.perkins@moreheadstate.
edu
Ann Andaloro is Assistant
Professor of
Mass
Communications at Morehead State
University,
Morehead,
Kentucky.
E-mail:
a.
andaloro@moreheadstate. edu
1
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K.
(1980 summer).
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Psychology of
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Bell,
A.
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M.
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AUTHORS' NOTE
All
photographs by
Ann Andaloro.
ERKINS WITH ANN ANDALORO / PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES 107
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