cONCENTRATION
"Works describing an in-depth exploration of a particular design concept."
The concentration section shows the student's in-depth exploration of a particular design concern. It is presented as 12 images (viewed online), some of which may be details of works (it is best, though, to have 12 different pieces). The emphasis is on a coherent development of an idea through a body of work, in addition to the artistic success of the work." From the AP Studio Art poster.
In this section, you must have a themed body of 12 pieces (photos). It is very much like an artist or photographer having their own show (exhibit) in a gallery. You will also need to create an artist's statement (this is what they call the "commentary" in the portfolio). We, the viewer, need to see why your idea is important for us to look at, through the use of your 12 photos. This must have a good concept behind the photos. It is much more than just a topic- it is an exploration of an photographic idea that interests you. Choose an idea and show us why it is so special to you, the photographer. Be sure to look at some of the Lens Work periodicals for research, as well as doing a good amount of research on how photographers have approached the subject you are looking at. Be very careful, however, not to duplicate someone's idea- that is not accepted!!
Have fun with this -- it's your chance to choose something you want to do!
Have fun with this -- it's your chance to choose something you want to do!
First step to creating a concentration idea:
You will begin by creating a list of 50 topics. These topics can range from conceptual to concrete. Once you have explored as many ideas as possible, discuss the list with me.
The list will be cut in half and reviewed. You should then select 25 idea topics that really appeal to you and would compliment your artistic ability.
Once you have scaled your list down, we then begin to combine ideas. This allows you to take your simplistic ideas and make them more complex. This will allow for growth in technique as well as concept.
Below are a few examples from student notebooks and their finished concentration topics. All students made “5’s”:
Interiors and Exteriors
The figure in space
Abandonment
Concentration Topic: Abandoned houses representing the human body, mind, and soul --with an emphasis on deterioration.
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Morning Time
Rituals
Assemblages
Concentration Topic: Rituals of the morning utilizing combines.
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Breast Cancer
Time
Leaving things unfinished
Concentration Topic: The stages of a breast cancer survivor, with an emphasis of lack of time. As topic evolved work was left more unfinished.
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Boxes
Stages of Life
Paths
Concentration Topic: Boxes as a metaphor for life.
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Human Mind
Illness
Social Pre-conceptions
Concentration Topic: A Figure Study: Mental illness and society’s perception. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sleeping People
Unusual Environments
Colors as Influence
Concentration Topic: State of sleep in unusual environments, with an emphasis on color to provoke mood.
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Children’s Games
Life’s Journey
Metaphors
Concentration Topic: Games as a metaphor of life.
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Tips on concentrations:
1. Always a combination of abstract and concrete. I want you to show off your technical skills but you must have the thinking to back it up.
2. Innovative use of color or contrast. I encourage you to look at artists/photographers to help you stretch the use of color past the basics.
3. A cohesive body of work. I always think of it for a gallery. I like for it to flow. This could also be addressed in color. Think COHESIVE, BUT GROWTH. However… your body of work should still be of consistent strength. If one or two of your photos are weaker, this is not considered growth. Growth refers to the development of your idea, not weak pictures to strong.
4. A concentration is what you see when you view a solo show of recent work by an artist at a gallery. All the works have a visual and/or thematic connection to one another. Even without the wall tags, you could tell that the works were 1) by the same artist and 2) they were completed in the same time frame.
-- Concentration ideas courtesy of Nicole Brisco, Pleasant Grove H.S.
Examples of Ideas from the AP Studio Art Poster “The list of possible concentration topics is infinite. The examples of concentrations given here are intended only to provide a sense of range and should NOT necessarily be considered “better” ideas than your own.”
- A series of works that begin with representational interpretations and evolve into abstraction
- An exploration of patterns and designs found in nature and/or culture
- A series of landscapes based upon personal experience of a particular place in which composition and light are used to intensify artistic expression
- Interpretive portraiture or figure studies that emphasize dramatic composition or abstraction
- A personal or family history communicated through symbols or imagery
Commentary
A written commentary is required for the AP Studio portfolios. It is the only written component and is to be written well before the day of the exam. This gives you a chance to create a final draft that will be sent with your artwork. The description on the AP Studio Art poster reads:
A written commentary describing what your concentration is and how it evolved must accompany the work in this section. Responses should be legible and concise (extra sheets should not be attached; commentaries that exceed the allotted space will not be read). The commentary is not graded, but it does help in the evaluation process. The commentary consists of responses to the following:
1. What is the central idea of your concentration?
2. How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific slides as examples.
Scoring Guidelines and Examples On the following pages you will find the scoring guidelines from the College Board. Use them to evaluate your work when you turn in a project and also to see what the AP Readers are looking at when they score your work. There are no surprises, as you know what they’ll be looking for, so use it to your advantage! Then look at the examples from the College Board of photography and artwork from the Concentration section. Each set also has the student’s commentary. The highest “raw” score that can be obtained in each section is “6.”
Examples of Commentaries:
Sarah Cartron--
“The central idea for my concentration is to depict the intimate details of our nation’s capitol, opposed to the generic photographs taken on a daily basis.
The work in my concentration demonstrates the exploration of parts of our nation’s capitol that are not shown to the public eye on a daily basis. An example of this would be the picture of the two construction workers in the median of the road, or the town houses with the tarp covering the hole in the house. Normally when you think of Washington D.C. you think of the monuments or the White House, when typically what you will see on an average day is construction sights in progress.”
Ellie Frazier-
“Through my work, I intend to emphasize the majestic, yet often overlooked forms of trees. Throughout the world today, trees are preserved and treasured as a valuable commodity; however, they must also be valued for their intrinsic worth and beauty. They stand as historic landmarks, beautiful reference points for our relentlessly progressing society.
From the massive trunks of old growth trees to the intriguing bark that distinguishes them, the facets of the images in my collection highlight the impact of trees on their surroundings. Image 12 would be relatively devoid of interest without the tree against the celestial sky. And in image 7, the viewer is almost overwhelmed by the vast expansion of branches that envelop the frame. Barely visible are the headstones below the ancient branches; this contrasts the relatively curt life spans of humans to the lengthy ones of trees, which live to see hundreds of years. Finally, image 8 is a balanced photograph that truly shows how incorporated the tree is with the landscape. The recurring blue, brown, and gold hues in the sky, field, and tree blend together seamlessly, demonstrating just how much trees contribute to landscape's beauty. As a whole, my images capture the majestic vitality of trees.”
Leigh Ann Schaefer-
“The central idea of my concentration is to portray the less noticeable, unique characteristics of older barns, rather than focusing on the entire structure.
Each of the historic barns photographed in my concentration had its own story. Most of the barns were originally constructed and utilized for tobacco farming and are now used for storage; one of the barns was partially rebuilt in the '70s after a fire. My concentration captures the qualities that make the barns unique, for example the bright, peeling paint or the chipping wood on a door. The interior was also varied, mainly in the types of storage the barns are currently being used for. Typically, barns are photographed in their entirety as part of a landscape, but by abstracting my photographs and focusing on specific details of each barn, I was able to appreciate each building as its own.”
Below you will see some examples of Concentrations. All of the examples received a score of 5 on their portfolios.
Sarah Cartron--
“The central idea for my concentration is to depict the intimate details of our nation’s capitol, opposed to the generic photographs taken on a daily basis.
The work in my concentration demonstrates the exploration of parts of our nation’s capitol that are not shown to the public eye on a daily basis. An example of this would be the picture of the two construction workers in the median of the road, or the town houses with the tarp covering the hole in the house. Normally when you think of Washington D.C. you think of the monuments or the White House, when typically what you will see on an average day is construction sights in progress.”
Ellie Frazier-
“Through my work, I intend to emphasize the majestic, yet often overlooked forms of trees. Throughout the world today, trees are preserved and treasured as a valuable commodity; however, they must also be valued for their intrinsic worth and beauty. They stand as historic landmarks, beautiful reference points for our relentlessly progressing society.
From the massive trunks of old growth trees to the intriguing bark that distinguishes them, the facets of the images in my collection highlight the impact of trees on their surroundings. Image 12 would be relatively devoid of interest without the tree against the celestial sky. And in image 7, the viewer is almost overwhelmed by the vast expansion of branches that envelop the frame. Barely visible are the headstones below the ancient branches; this contrasts the relatively curt life spans of humans to the lengthy ones of trees, which live to see hundreds of years. Finally, image 8 is a balanced photograph that truly shows how incorporated the tree is with the landscape. The recurring blue, brown, and gold hues in the sky, field, and tree blend together seamlessly, demonstrating just how much trees contribute to landscape's beauty. As a whole, my images capture the majestic vitality of trees.”
Leigh Ann Schaefer-
“The central idea of my concentration is to portray the less noticeable, unique characteristics of older barns, rather than focusing on the entire structure.
Each of the historic barns photographed in my concentration had its own story. Most of the barns were originally constructed and utilized for tobacco farming and are now used for storage; one of the barns was partially rebuilt in the '70s after a fire. My concentration captures the qualities that make the barns unique, for example the bright, peeling paint or the chipping wood on a door. The interior was also varied, mainly in the types of storage the barns are currently being used for. Typically, barns are photographed in their entirety as part of a landscape, but by abstracting my photographs and focusing on specific details of each barn, I was able to appreciate each building as its own.”
Below you will see some examples of Concentrations. All of the examples received a score of 5 on their portfolios.