Lesson video

Hi, everyone.

How are you today? Hope you're feeling good.

My name's Ms. Afzal, and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

Our lesson is called "Interpreting and responding to a theme in photography." It comes from the unit of work Finding your voice: an introduction to the creative process.

I'm really looking forward to getting into this, exploring themes.

I love photography.

And I hope you're feeling interested and excited about the lesson too.

Let's begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is: I can explore and interpret a theme, relating it to myself and the world around me.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

They are: theme and interpret.

Theme is a central idea or message explored in an artwork, and interpret means to explain or understand the meaning, significance, or intention of something, often by analysing or considering it from a particular perspective.

We are going to be getting into both of these words, theme and interpret, in our lesson.

Today's lesson is called "Interpreting and responding to a theme in photography." It has two learning cycles.

First of all, interpreting a theme, and next, exploring aspects of the theme.

Let's begin, interpreting a theme.

Take a look at these words.

What do all of these words have in common? Power and control, conflict and war, journeys, boundaries and borders, nature, identity, camouflage, light and shadow, time.

Pause the video and share with someone, what do these words have in common? I wonder what answer you came up with.

These are all examples of themes given as starting points for a series of work.

They inspire creativity while allowing for individual interpretation.

Pause the video and share with someone, which of these themes are you most drawn to? Thanks for sharing your ideas.

I really like the theme of identity and also time, maybe journeys.

Actually they're all so good, but those would probably be my top three.

A theme can be a recurring feature in a photography series, such as a repeating rule, a technique, or subject.

A theme is something that leads your photography into a certain direction.

Pause the video and share with someone, is there a theme that you have worked with so far in your photography, a particular rule, technique, or subject? Thanks for sharing your ideas.

A theme I have enjoyed working with in my photography in the past has been shadows, light and shadows.

Take a look at these photos on the screen.

What theme would you interpret from this collection of photos? Pause the video and share with someone.

Sofia says, "I can see underwater or seascape themes." Absolutely.

That's pretty clear I would say in those images.

Check for understanding.

True or false? Themes in photography can inspire creativity while allowing for individual interpretation.

Pause the video while you decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected true, and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause the video while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this.

Themes act as a springboard for exploration, offering enough structure to guide the creative process while remaining open-ended enough to encourage personal interpretation.

Photographers often choose their own themes for photos.

These themes can be literal, showing something directly, or more abstract, aiming to evoke feelings or emotions.

And again, we can see some themes here, light and shadow, identity, camouflage, boundaries and borders, time, power and control, and these themes could be looked at literally, directly, or more abstractly.

Photography students might have to meet specific criteria and be given a theme to respond to, such as boundaries and borders.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following statements is true? Photographers often have complete freedom to make art inspired by a theme they choose.

Photography students have complete freedom to make art inspired by a theme they choose.

Photography students might have to meet specific criteria and be given a theme to respond to.

Pause the video while you decide which of the statements is true.

Well done if you selected statements A and C.

For photographers, they often have complete freedom.

They can make art inspired by any theme they choose, but for photography students, they might need to meet specific criteria and be given a theme to respond to.

Izzy and Lucas are discussing what's the first thing they do when they're given a theme in photography.

"I like to research and record the definition.

I look at synonyms for the word or words to help me interpret the theme." Really great idea.

And remember, synonyms are words that have a similar meaning.

And Izzy says, "I begin by defining the theme to make sure I really know what it means.

Then I start interpreting the theme by recording my initial reaction." I like that.

It's a really great way to start.

What are your first thoughts, first feelings about the theme? Izzy and Lucas have been given the theme camouflage for their photography project.

"The definition of camouflage is to hide or disguise a person, animal, or object.

It can also be a military pattern with paint or fabric." "Yes," says Izzy, "and synonyms include disguise, conceal, hide, obscure, shroud, mask, veil.

This is starting to spark lots of new ideas." I love that.

Words can be so rich in that way.

Interpreting a theme.

Discussing your theme with others and creating a visual mood board can be a great way to define, record, and interpret a theme.

Take a look at this visual mood board around camouflage.

Pause the video and share with someone your thoughts on this.

Thanks for sharing your responses.

It's time for your first task.

To begin, I would like you to start with a main theme, research and record the definition.

You might include synonyms for the word or words.

Next, I would like you to share, discuss, record, interpret what the theme means to you.

So this is an initial reaction.

You'll do more later.

You might use the prompts: if this theme were a person, what would they say or look like, or describe a world where this theme is central.

So pause the video while you have a go at these two parts of your task.

Okay, great to be back with you.

How did you get on starting with your main theme, researching and recording the definition? There are many possible outcomes.

Here's Izzy with the theme of camouflage.

"The theme camouflage makes me think of animals and nature and how colours and patterns are used.

If this word were a person, they might be someone shy who likes to hide.

I would say that camouflage is a key theme in the army, or at least this is my interpretation." Next part of your task asks you to share, discuss, record, interpret what the theme means to you, just an initial reaction at this stage.

Again, there are many possible outcomes, but you might have recorded your ideas in a journal, images, writing, mind mapping.

Or you might have recorded your ideas as a digital presentation or brainstorming board.

Again, ideas, links, images, words.

Well done for having a go at this task.

And now we're on to the next part of our lesson, exploring aspects of the theme.

Izzy and Alex are discussing what they do after defining and interpreting the main theme.

"Now I start to consider aspects of the theme that really interest me.

I record some ideas that I might explore in response to the main theme," says Izzy.

And Alex.

"I like to consider a few possible aspects of the theme, explore some ideas briefly, and then settle on one or two to explore further.

I might also look at some photographers who have worked in those themes." Really great ideas there.

When choosing an aspect of a theme to focus on, think about what excites or inspires you the most.

Explore different aspects and consider which feel the most personal or meaningful to you.

Look at how photographers have approached similar themes and think about what you can learn from their work.

Keep track of your thoughts with notes and sketches so you can refine your focus as you go.

Check for understanding.

Which of these are not a good way to choose an aspect of a theme? A, consider which ideas will be the most popular with others.

B, consider which ideas feel the most personal or meaningful to you.

C, consider which ideas make little or no sense to you right now.

So which of these are not a good way to choose an aspect of a theme? Pause the video and share with someone.

Well done if you selected A and C.

These are not great ideas to consider which will be most popular with others or which make little or no sense to you right now.

Hopefully you're not going down either of those routes.

Photography students might respond to the aspects of the theme in categories to help structure responses.

For example, personal connections.

How does this theme relate to your life, your past, present, future? Historical context.

How has this theme been relevant historically? What have other artists done in relation to this theme? What ideas has it inspired in you? And cultural meaning.

What does it mean in different cultures? Photographers that link to the theme of camouflage by interpreting personal connections, historical context, and cultural meaning in their work include: Kirsty Mitchell, Nick Wright, Hassan Hajjaj, Thandiwe Muriu, Von Wong, and Zhong Lin.

How can themes be interpreted in different ways by different photographers? Pause the video, and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your responses.

Let's get into this a little further.

Let's take a look at how these photographers have each worked with the theme of camouflage.

Kirsty Mitchell uses elaborate costumes to show how people hide their emotions, blending fantasy with personal experiences.

Nick Knight uses fashion, makeup, and digital effects to explore identity, transformation, and how people camouflage themselves through style.

So interesting.

Hassan Hajjaj combines bright patterns from African and Western cultures to show how identity can blend and transform.

Thandiwe Muriu uses bold patterns in clothing to explore how cultural identity can be hidden or revealed through fashion.

Andy Goldsworthy arranges and photographs natural materials like leaves, ice, and stones to create art that blends into the landscape, showing how humans can connect with and disappear into nature.

And Zhong Lin uses body paint and backgrounds to create a camouflage effect, showing how identity can change depending on the environment.

So many photographers, so many different takes on camouflage.

These photographers have used colour, pattern, and props to conceal, reveal, or alter their subjects' identities, challenging viewers' perceptions and giving them a powerful voice.

How could you use your artistic voice to interpret themes in your work? Pause the video and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing your responses.

Let's hear a few.

Here's Jacob.

"I could use face paint to camouflage my face and conceal parts of it with personal clothing." Aisha, "I could challenge others' perceptions of me by using exaggerated expressions to camouflage my emotions." Love that.

Sam, "I could use natural elements to camouflage myself, reflecting the idea that we come from the earth and we should care for it." Love bringing in the eco edge there.

And Lucas, "I could wear brightly coloured costumes and accessories in various locations, creating a camouflage of mixed cultural symbols." So many amazing ideas there.

A high quality interpretation of a theme is demonstrated through the link between the themes and the clarity and creativity of the ideas and outcomes.

So we really want to get that strong link between themes and then clarity and creativity of the ideas and outcomes.

And how do we do that? Well, idea showers or mind maps are a useful way to start to narrow down and choose aspects of a theme.

You can see the artist's voice and style in them.

So here we can see a couple of different examples of idea showers or mind maps.

There's text, there's visuals, there's linkage between the two.

How would you improve presentation on this journal page? Does it tell you about the artist's voice and style? Pause the video and share your responses to those two questions with someone nearby.

So what did you notice, I wonder? So yeah, there's quite a lot of text there, but not so many visuals.

It's a good idea to make your page visually interesting.

Think about composition to create visual connections and showcase your artistic voice.

So this mind map here looks really great with the visuals, the text, the arrows, the linking between the different artists and themes.

Really visually captivating.

You can use imagery and font styles that link to the theme or themes.

Consider different presentation styles.

Play with the order and document the threads of your ideas.

So where are you starting? Remember that point from Izzy earlier.

What are your first impressions? What comes next? What does that lead to? Just show us the whole organic process of your ideas taking shape.

And now it's time for your next task.

First of all, I would like you to make a mind map or idea shower where you explore a few aspects of the theme that interest you or you have been given.

You might respond to the theme in categories to help structure responses.

So for example, personal connections.

How does this theme relate to your life, the past, present, or future? Historical context.

How has this theme been relevant historically? What have other artists done in relation to this theme? What ideas has it inspired in you? And cultural meaning.

What does this theme mean in different cultures? You might consider including: your artist's voice and personal style; an interesting composition; sketches, notes, and photographic references; a double page in your sketchbook, really make it stand out; a digital platform to document and share your ideas.

So pause here while you create a mind map or idea shower to explore your theme.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Alright, great to be back with you.

How did you get on with making that mind map or idea shower to explore a few aspects of the theme? There are many possible outcomes, but you might have worked in a journal, extended out from your main theme, and then added further aspects of the theme and visual ideas and reflections to each one.

Perhaps you researched some artists and created a visual composition to link and describe your theme.

On to the next part of your task.

I would like you to look at and reflect on your mind map.

Use it to select the aspect of the main theme that you would like to explore further.

You might discuss with a teacher or fellow artist, select and explore a few aspects before deciding.

So pause here while you have a go at this next part of your task, selecting which aspects of your main theme you would like to explore further.

Great to be back with you.

How did you get on with selecting aspects of your main theme that you'd like to explore further? There are many possible outcomes.

Perhaps you came up with something like this.

Here's Izzy.

"I have realised that in the theme camouflage, I had the most to say about nature and survival.

I also started to see a link between that and the masks people wear to blend into society or hide their true selves." Oh wow, Izzy, this is going to be so interesting.

Love that.

Here's Alex.

"In the same theme, I realised that I'm really excited by the works of Hassan Hajjaj and Thandiwe Muriu, who explore repetition and pattern.

I want to explore optical illusions used in photography too by using unusual perspectives." Oh my.

This is going to be so intriguing.

And I hope you enjoyed selecting aspects of your theme that you'll like to explore further.

In our lesson, "Interpreting and responding to a theme in photography," we have covered the following: themes act as a springboard for photographers to develop ideas and make art.

Themes can be interpreted in different ways by different photographers.

Mind maps or idea showers are a useful way to record interpretation and explore aspects of themes.

It was great to be with you in this lesson today, and I hope you enjoyed exploring your theme, looking at ways to interpret themes, and then selecting which ones you're going to explore further as you progress with your photographic project.

I hope you enjoyed the lesson, and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

In the meantime, stay creative.