7.20.2006

Charette



I know what you're thinking: Why, pray tell, do you have a bed in your office?! Well, let me explain. At 6:41 a.m. we began a 24-hour class project that Hank has named "Charette." What is a Charette? The term evolved from a pre-1900 exercise at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in France. Architectural students were given a design problem to solve within an allotted time. When that time was up, the students would rush their drawings from the studio to the Ecole in a cart called a charrette. Students often jumped in the cart to finish drawings on the way. The term evolved to refer to the intense design exercise itself. Today it refers to a creative process akin to visual brainstorming that is used by design professionals to develop solutions to a design problem within a limited timeframe.

This particular class, Creative Concepts, is a very promising group of photographers Hank feels will benefit from being pushed in extreme ways.

Their assignment goes like this: First they had to read the book, MR. GOD, THIS IS ANNA, by Fynn, a book I highly recommend if you're in the mood to change your life. Then, using the book as a catalyst, they are being sent out for six-hour intervals to shoot their idea of God. Four times, they will return and submit up to 20 images on dvd, which will be printed on contact sheets and judged. As the work is being judged, they are back out in the street, shooting again, getting just a little more exhausted, dealing with a different kind of light, and having to dig a little deeper into their souls.

Currently, they're on their third round, due back in two and a half more hours, etc. So I'm here until sunrise tomorrow, to assist with the storytelling, or to help them frame the questions that will become their stories told through the images. Or, really, just to hand them the kleenex if things get too tough. I'm glossing this over, 'cause I'm a little tired myself, but it's a difficult mission, this figuring out who/what god is to you and how to share that through a visual narrative. What it ain't, though, is a bunch of stained glass or statues of Jesus, the unfortunate products of round one. They'll get it.

Many thanks to George and GareBear, who brought me the air mattress, and to Biggy, who's holding down the fort and is a way better sport than I would be. Right now, I'm just lying around, listening to Elvis. If anything interesting happens, I'll post as the evening progresses.


A little before 12:41 pm, they trickled in to submit round one and had sack lunches (with notes of encouragement), lovingly prepared by Fern(ando)and Catherine, our awesome admissions team.




Fellow students, instructors, and members of the professional community stopping by to judge the work.

9 comments:

minus five said...

that's a pretty sweet mattress compared to the one i had you sleeping on up in brooklyn. i mean, mine is an aerobed and all but yours is bigger and its raised.

wouldn't it be funny if all of those books came tumbling onto your face in the middle of the night?

that would be a fun project to work on. i would be loving it.

p.s. i like that new book on your shelf. "nara note."

Mary Campbell said...

Sarah has a tendency to let her imagination go to the dark side. I think you will be fine sleeping on that makeshift bed all alone in that big dark building through the entire night. Having those books fall down would be the least of my fears. ;-)

minus five said...

mary, i am simply expanding my vocabulary.

the books might not fall and hit her in the face, but the bed could collapse while she's sleeping and that could be equally funny.

nobody will break into the school in the middle of the night. don't you know patti guards the door with an uzi?

Tania Rochelle said...

No, what would be funny is if I were actually alone in the building and allowed to sleep.

minus five said...

so your 5 hours of sleep plan didn't work out so well?

if it makes you feel any better, i went to bed at one in the morning and didn't get up until noon because my boss gave me the day off with pay.

it's kind of the same.

Tania Rochelle said...

What actually happened is I left at 2:30 a.m. and was in my own bed by 3.

Of course, I had to get up at 7:30 to go tour Ga. State with Miss George--or, rather, to rule it out.

Despite all the revitalization downtown, it is still a scary place!

minus five said...

you should learn to take naps. i'm thinking about taking one myself.

Tania Rochelle said...

I don't have any napping skills.

Mary Campbell said...

Napping is the best thing on the planet. I highly recommend it to everyone.

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