CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY, NORTHRIDGE
PETITE INTERVl\LS
Color Photographs
An abstract submitted in partial satisfaction of the
requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in
Art
by
Linda Wells Ibach
January, 1982
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The Abstract of Linda Wells Ibach is approved:
Dr. Paul Kravagna
Dr. Anne Heath for Dr. B. Kasza,
Committee Chairman
California State University, Northridge
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DEDICATION
For Harry for his enduring faith and encouragement,
and for my family who has continually supported me.
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ACKNOWLEDGEM_ENT
I would like to extend a most sincere thank you to my
committee members, Dr. Kasza, Paul
K~avagna,
and Jerry
McMillan, for their invaluable guidance and assistance.
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ABSTRACT
PETITE INTERVALS
Color Photographs
by
Linda Wells Ibach
Master of Arts in Art
ARTISTIC PERFORMANCE
I elected to exhibit photographs to fulfill the thesis
,or artistic performance requirement in the graduate studies
program.
The option of artistic performance was chosen so
that I may research and investigate art and, in turn, grow
as an artist; make a contribution to the photography world
as well as the art world; and achieve a better understanding
of my philosophical attitudes towards photography which will
be reflected in my teaching.
The photographs involve a combination of a conceptual
aspect and a technical aspect.
The conceptual aspect con-
sists of the importance of "space" in photography, and the
emotive inferences of the images.
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The technical aspect
,consists of the use of color photography, and the decisions
of the format of the photographs.
My goal· is to use my
photographs to bring a new concept to photography as well
as to introduce a new way of seeing.
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CONCEPTUAL ASPECT - SPACE
The theme of the exhibit is
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Space 11
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Photography has
traditionally been subject ·and object oriented.
I am in-
•teres ted in using photography in a new way ·to express a new
idea.
The primary subject matter in my photographs is the
space that is framed by objects.
By the way objects are
arranged, space takes form in an infinite number of ways.
I
have used two kinds of set-ups for my subject matter:
1) found situations and 2) space that has taken shape by
,manipulating objects.
Both found situations and manipulated
_situations deal directly with the use of still-lifes in art.
'By photographing found situations, I
am expressing an in-
terest in the spontaneity and the subconscious manner in
which people outline space by setting up objects in their
home.
By photographing manipulated situations, I
am al-
.lowing myself the freedom to photograph endless possibilities of space.
Some of the found situations that I
am
-interested in photographing, may not be feasible whether it
be due to the time or place or the format that the settings
are found.
By manipulating objects, I can re-create or re-
organize arrangements.
I
also have the liberty to create
situations from my imagination.
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The w.ork is concerned with more than just formal design
elements.
It is an investigation of negative space deter-
mined by'specific objects in particular situations.
In this
study, any space to object rel'ationship could be potential
subject matter.
CONCEPTUAL ASPECT - IMPACT OF IMAGE
I believe that ·the impact of art takes on two forms.
Some art works evoke an intellectual or cognitive response
while other works evoke an emotional response.
For example,
Conceptual Art is to be understood at an intellectual level
while Rococo Art takes on a romantic form and is to be digested at an emotional level.
I am interested in the images of my photographs having
both a cognitive and emotional impact on the viewer.
The
cognitive impact would be the understanding of theme of
space, the significance of space as imagery, and the intro.duction of a new way of seeing.
The work may elicit a re-
sponse at this level, but hopefully the viewer will get
something more than just "idea" from the images.
The work draws emotionality from the viewer because
the images extend into the surrealistic context.
I have
taken objects and arranged them in a way that allows for
design and balance, but moreover, makes a relationship with
a human reference.
By using everyday
objects~
and photo-
graphing only a part of each object, the viewer draws additional interest from the piece by the ability to recognize
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the objects.
Each object lends itself to being recognized,
yet it is out of context with how it is usually seen.
The
objects used take on new meanings as they interact with
other objects and with the surrounding space.
This human-
istic reference is a very important part of the work.
With-
out dealing with emotion, the work would deal only with formalistic values.·
Since photography is a visual art, I am
concerned with the message of the piece correlating with
the image.
The visual interest of the image is an impor-
tant part.
Color and format begin to draw an emotional im-
pact but the image must touch a sense of humanistic or nostalgic qualities.
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
The technical aspects of the pieces become a concern
regarding the use of optimum choices needed to make my ideas
clear and cohesive.
I had at one time rendered similar
concepts in paintings.
I have no~ chosen photographs be-
cause my ideas are based on realistic qualities which are
most easily portrayed and most applicable to photography.
I have chosen color photographs over black and white or
alternative process images because the pieces do deal with
realistic characteristics and relationships of color or noncolor objects, to color or non-color space.
Color also
lends itself to a certain amount of emotionality that is
evident in the work.
The size of the photograph is very important to the
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,reading of the photograph.
Large prints, especially in
color, have a quality of grandeur and attractiveness.
How-
ever, due to my subject matter, large prints cause the
viewer to move around the edge· of the photograph, making
the objects more important than the space.
I have chosen
a small format for my photographs - approximately 5"x7" in
size.
This allows for a certain amount of intimacy with
the viewer and a feeling of preciousness.
The subject
matter, space, begins to take on its own characteristics of
shape which is a primary concern.
The photographs are
matted on large white board, 16"x20", which allows the
viewer room to concentrate on the piece, but does not force
the print to appear to float off the board.
The size of
the board allows each piece to become important as an individual print as well as to interact with other photographs
as a series.
HISTORICAL REFERENCES
Some of my conceptual ideas have been dealt with by
painters and sculptors.
Sam Francis, Helen Frankenthaler,
and Jules Olitski are good references for my theme "space".
These painters have dealt with center voids on their canvases which gives a visual effect similar to my photographs.
In the later works of Sam Francis, the dominant white space
of the canvas is defined by a few free but controlled color
shapes.
Francis'
painting~
of the early 1970's have in-
creasingly emphasized the edge, where his paint spatters
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!surround a clear or almost clear center area of canvas.
Later works of Helen Frankenthaler also stress the picture
edge.
Jules Olitski gained a lot of attention when his em-
phasis in pajnting was on the canvas edge in contrast to
the traditional pattern of centralization.
Henry Moore brought the awareness of negative space
into his sculptures.
A characteristic of his figures of
the 1930's is the piercing of voids, frequently to the point
where the solids function as frames for the voids.
studied various kinds of space relationships.
Moore
His work
shows a continuing concern for tension between void and
solid in his sculptures.
Moore's ideas parallel my ideas
and I hope to bring his similar concept to photography.
In
painting and sculpture, this concept has been fabricated by
the artist.
Through photography, I am doing a study of
space that does exist in reality.
RELATIONSHIP OF ARTISTIC PERFORMANCE TO TEACHING
I have stated that I have chosen the option of artistic performance in order to achieve a better understanding
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i of rqy philosophical attitudes towards photography which will
be reflected in my teaching.
The s'teps in the development
of an artistic idea parallel the ideals to be taught in an
art class.
I have written about my photographs in terms of
a conceptual aspect and a technical aspect.
These two as-
pects are directly related to the two basic functions of
'any art class:
1) to teach creativity in ideas; and 2) to
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teach techniques and the use of tools.
As I developed my
artistic performance, I was basically exploring my knowledge of 'these two functions.
A basic function of a photography class should be the
encouragement of creativity, the very essence of art.
But
creativity is not a technique, not a medium; it is a way of
thinking about reality, a way of interpreting the world.
Often, by focusing on the media, the students emphasize the
tools rather than the tasks for which the tools should be
used.
A photography course should deal with the nature of
creativity, an enormously difficult subject that should be
of prime interest to artists.
An important part of any photograph is the form within
which expression is contained.
This form consists of combi-
nations of materials and processes which are used in a
manner dictated by aesthetic judgements.
I believe that
students should have a knowledge not only of technical material directly related to their own work, but they should
also have a knowledge of technical material based on concerns other than their own.
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In this way students would have
firm foundation from which to continue their own explor-
ations.
In ord~r to gain an understanding of the functi6ns of
teaching art, it is important to experience a .total project,
from conception of the idea·to the final body of work.
A
teacher will not be able to teach students to use their
minds as a creative tool, to think of an idea and examine
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it in a new way, if the teacher has not experienced this
process.
An art project does not evolve from a collection
of facts.
Rather, it consists of a collection of the mind.
I feel that this experience is.most essential in order to
be an effective teacher.
ARTISTIC PERFORMANCE
The artistic performance consisted of a gallery
showing of my photographs.
I exhibited twenty-five photo-
graphs in Gallery II of the Fine Arts Building, CSUN, from
November 2 to November 6, 1981.
Each photograph was a Type
C color print, approximately 5"x7" in size, and matted on
white board, 16"x20" in size.
Each photograph was taken
inside with available light, with a Pentax 6x7 camera using
Kodak Vericolor Type S or Kodak Vericolor Type L film.
The gallery walls were painted white and the photographs were mounted on the walls behind glass.
For the pur-
pose of environment, there were three large plants in the
gallery and a small white chair and table with a simple
still-life placed upon it.
The following statement about
the work was placed on the table:
"
'Petite' meaning small and neat in figure.
'Interval' meaning time or space between.
Void becomes theme.
Space becomes imagery.
Cognitive thought is derived from the theme of space.
Emotional impact is derived from the humanistic
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reference.
The objects which are recognizable yet out of the
usual context, take on new meanings as they
interact with surrounding space.
S_ince photo-
graphy is a visual art, I am concerned with the
meaning making aspects of the piece correlating
with ·the image.
'Petite Intervals' ... "
The following photographs represent the installation
andnine. of the twenty-five prints from the show.
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