M3 Artists Perception:  Studio Project:  Art of Light and Motion

Man Ray.  Untitled (Light Writing).  1939, Printed
after 1960.  Smithsonian American Museum of Art.

Step1: Research
Photographer Eadweard Muybridge played a pivotal role role in the advancement of still photography into the new field of cinematography.  When his photographic sequences were played his new invention--the zöopraxiscope--the resulting "moving pictures" heralded the beginning of the new art of cinematography.  Review the material on Eadweard Muybridge, including the still sequence, Horse in Motion, in Chapter 8 of Artforms.  Next, watch two of Muybridge's works, the first film, Race Horse (1878) and Buffalo (1883) at silentfilmhouse 

Step 2: Studio Work
Can still photography ever adequately convey fleeting experiences such as light and motion?  Using one of the photographic devices available to you, including a digital camera, cell phone camera, or even a copy machine, create a work of art that conveys the theme of light, motion, or both. 
When you have achieved your desired photographic effect, copy and paste your photo into a document file. Include a proper caption for the work with your name, date, and your photo's title. Use short essay format to describe your subject matter and process in a part of a 500-600 word summary. Include a thesis statement in your introduction.  Employ the vocabulary specific to photography, and include an assessment of your work based on the principles of design and elements of art.  As you evaluate your final results, answer the following problems:
1.  Did you "capture" the image you hoped for?
2.  Did you feel restricted by your chosen technology?
3.  Did you wish you could switch to video?
4.  We are surrounded by a world of light and motion. Was the development of still photography into the realm of "movies" inevitable?  If Eadweard Muybridge had not done this, do you think someone else would have?
5.  Aside from his initial bet with Leland Stanford, what do you think drove Eadweard Muybridge to produce sequenced images, invent the zöopraxiscope, and produce the first primitive cinematic work?