–Assignment 3 – Part Two of Website Feature Portfolio, post 2

–Genre/Topic of website: Visual Art

–Website I would like to write for: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/

These images are from:

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/hansreitzema/4074170619/in/pool-photostudents

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nataliestarrphotography/4088854272/in/pool-photostudents

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31501149@N08/4087496455/in/pool-photostudents

http://www.flickr.com/photos/31501149@N08/4087485005/in/pool-photostudents

NGV Education

Photography Summer Camp

Due to the phenomenal success of NGV’s Photography Summer Camp 2008, with many students saying it was the best camp they ever attended, the Photography Summer Camp will be running TWICE this summer!

Idea 

Photographers see the world through a unique lens, deciding what to take a photo of, what elements to exclude and what angle to frame the photo. Thus, they create a special connection to the objects they shot. This correspondently changes the way the audience see the objects in reality.

Images, playing a role between fact and fiction, reality and rhetoric, truth and lies, intrigue people to search their own definition of the world they see, and grant enjoyment throughout the process of photo-making and appreciation.

Experiencing being a photographer in NGV’s Photography Summer Camp can be a fun, creative and constructive alternative for older kids and teenagers, for it designed to promote teamwork, self-confidence and an all-round interest in becoming a photographer.

Content

NGV’s Photography Summer Camp focuses on digital SLR cameras, Photoshop and Lightroom. Students are introduced to an array of digital photographic techniques used in the studio, on location and in post-production.

Melbourne offers a wealth of photographic opportunities as well as some of the most exciting collections of visual art in Australia. Students are required to go out into the field to do their Real-life assignments, just like a photographer. Thus, students will spend more time at the parks, beaches, streets, museums and galleries, learning and practicing photographic techniques and theory.

Formal classes, such as history of photography, aesthetics, photo theory, Photoshop and studio lighting, will complement the work they do out in the field.

In a final class, students will learn how to create their portfolio of their summer works, so that they can present and discuss their photographs as the professionals do. They will also be taught how to polish their portfolio by editing their photographs with the industry-standard professional photography tools, such as Adobe Photoshop® and Lightroom®.

For who

NGV’s Photography Summer Camp is good for older kids and teenagers without formal training, who are more interested in exploring the museums and photographing the sites of Melbourne than they are in learning traditional darkroom photography. Students should be passionate about the arts in general and photography specifically, and should adore walking and seeing.

Faculty

The teachers are professors and students from the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA). Also, throughout the summer camp, we will host some guest speakers from different parts of the photography and visual art. This is an opportunity for students to network and learn more about the latest trends in the industry.

Date & Fee

Photography Summer Camp 1

10 Days: Monday, January 11^th 2010 to Friday, January 2^th 2010.

Price: $500

Photography Summer Camp 2

10 Days: Monday, January 25^th 2010 to Friday, February 5^th 2010.

Price: $500

Photography Summer Camp Savings!! 

Students who register now for the 2010 summer camp, can get a 95% discount. Ends December 15, 2009.

And students can also save another $30 when referring a friend. Your friend saves $30 too!

Register

The fastest and most reliable way to register is to fill out our online application.

Or you may download our paper application and fill it out on your computer, or by hand. Please mail the completed application to our office:

Education office,

NGV International,

180 St. Kilda Rd, VIC 3000

Tel: +61 3 8620 2222 (seven days per week)

Fax: +61 3 8620 2555

E-mail: enquiries@ngv.vic.gov.au   

–Assignment 3 – Part Two of Website Feature Portfolio, post 1

–Genre/Topic of website: Visual Art

–Website I would like to write for: http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/

These images are from:

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/juvi_sportfotos/3344924501/

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/darpi/3912311013/

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/peteleongphotography/2960622135/

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/juvi_sportfotos/3344924501/

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/robdurfee/3017140570/

The National Gallery of Victoria has launched a new art prize that creates a platform for the recognition of photographic innovation – The NGV Photography at School Prize. Schools from Australia are now invited to submit photography entries separately for 2010.

History

Initiated in October 2005, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace created Photography for Kids with the vision that photography should play a greater role in the school curriculum.

Photography, ever since it was born in 19^th century, has changed the way we understand art. To mimic the reality has long been the ultimate goal for artists back to Renaissance. However, this was overturned by the creation of photography, for no one can draw as real as the camera shot. Photograph is actually a product of technology, thus, some people may wonder what dose the art in photography consists? How dose photography change the way we see the world? What can the artists/photographers do with the aid of high technologies?…

Based on this view, NGV took Photography for Kids under its umbrella in October 2009 to open the competition to a wider range of schools. Entrants for The NGV Photography at School Prize will now gain the opportunity to be shown at the NGV as part of the NGV School Program.

Theme

The new photography competition will focus on a theme or topic which all entries should be inspired by. For 2010 entrants, the theme is War and Peace.

We want to see your creative response to issues affecting the world today. There is not a “right” answer,  “war” and “peace” will have different connotations for different people. It’s easy to get some common ideas about this topic, but you are supposed to think further, think laterally, and always originally.

Submit

Images of entries should be submitted online or by mail. The ways to submit are listed below:

Online submit

–just use our online entry form to enter the image details, upload your photographs.

Mail submit

–Download a printable PDF version or our entry form, complete it by hand and mail it our office.

–Contact our office to request an entry form by mail. Our address:

NGV International

180 St. Kilda Rd, VIC 3000

Awards

Cash Prize 

NGV will invited an established curator to select 50 images from those submitted images of first, second, and third place winners in the middle of next year. The overall winning school will receive $2000 prize money to spend on their art department. The winning pupil will receive $500 and 2 runner ups will be awarded $200 each.

Best of Show Exhibition

The images of the first, second, and third place winners will be exhibited in an exclusive show in The Ian Potter Center: NGV Australia, during a week before the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces The Best of Show will then travel to various countries to be included in photo festivals, galleries, and other photography related events.

Award Book

The work of all first, second and third place winners will be published in the high-quality, full-color, award winning Annual NGV Photography at School Prize Book.

In my opinion, digital art is the most avant-guard type in contemporary art. Actually, I would like to call Bill new media artist more. About the different names of this kind of art, there is a general definition in Wikipedia :

Digital art is an umbrella term for a range of artistic works and practices that utilize digital technology. Since the 1970s various names have been used to describe what is now called digital art including computer art and multimedia art but digital art is itself placed under the larger umbrella term new media art.    

The impact of digital technology has transformed traditional activities such as painting, drawing and sculpture, while new forms, such as net art, digital installation art, and virtual reality, have become recognized artistic practices. More generally the term digital artist is used to describe an artist who makes use of digital technologies in the production of art. In an expanded sense, “digital art” is a term applied to contemporary art that uses the methods of mass production or digital media.

Digital art is now in the ascendant. In Australia, there are more and more funds give digital art a segment, and the digital artists can also go to film industry to find support. In the recent two decades, there has been more and more purpose-built venues and festivals for digital art. Besides, the high levels of enrolment in new media technology courses and the growing acceptance of digital artworks and digital art festivals all firmly proved the booming of this industry.

To get more information, please try this link: http://www.australiacouncil.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/34092/00_in_rep_nma_entire.pdf

His two young roommates are a couple, other than going to school, the only thing in their lives is playing online video games. In spite of large quantity of internet flow is used for this, they cultivated a reversed rest and work time. My friend doesn’t know when they usually go to bed, but he does know their breakfast is our dinner.

Frankly, those ill-controlled kids are not a few, they living everywhere around us. You may have no idea about this, just because they pretend normal.

This is how Wikipedia describes video game addicts:

Instances have been reported in which users play compulsively, isolating themselves from, or from other forms of, social contact and focusing almost entirely on in-game achievements rather than broader life events.

Online gaming is an emotionally draining and time-consuming activity. To create more time for the computer, gaming addicts neglect sleep, diet, exercise, hobbies, and socializing(Young, 2004). They let their own health go as they do not get the proper rest and nutrition they need. They may suffer a number of health problems from back strain, eye strain, carpel tunnel syndrome, and repetitive stress injury.

As one gaming addict explained, “I stopped bathing. I didn’t eat unless it was a quick snack I could eat in front of my computer. I lost weight. My skin was pasty and pale. I didn’t shave or comb my hair. I did nothing. I looked so bad that my mother told me I looked more like a heroin addict.”

This seems extremely like my friend’s roommates! I have met them once or twice before, and I remember that when I say hello to the little girl, she was so numbed, just standing still and gazing at me without any response. But actually we already knew each other, and I knew she curled her hair by $250. Unfortunately, those beautiful curls had been unwashed for at least 10 days. Moreover, from the pimple white face, she didn’t go out for a long time. This reminds me of the animation South Park, it has an episode specialized for World Of Warcraft game.

Video game industry has long been an easy target for the media to blame, and also been studied for links to addiction and aggression. Furthermore, numerous researchers have proposed potential positive effects of video games on aspects of social and cognitive development and psychological well-being. However, even large attention has given, the problem still exist.

I think, those commercial educational organizations use digital technologies more frequently than others. Because digital technologies and multi-media technologies can reduce the pressure of lack of teachers. For commercial educational organizations, the control of teaching staffs is vital for reduce cost. Moreover, the demand of excellent teachers always exceeds its supply.

TOEFL, the wildest accepted English test in the world generates huge profit for ETS as well as those commercial test-preparing organizations. Here is a video made by a Korea top student to promote for TOEFL.

Many well-known education organization have been joined into develop mimic test software for TOEFL IBT test takers, such as Barron, Kaplan, Tide, Longman, Delta, Princeton, etc.

And the most broadly used might be Barron’s and Kaplan. The following are there latest versions of books for TOEFL, both of which include CD-row.

I have to say, their mimic test software is very good for users, though problems appear sometimes, it quite customized. However, the price of those materials is quite considerable, if you decided to buy all of the test preparing materials buy yourself.

For the test holders, internet based multi-media tests may be a fantastic way to solve the problem of collecting and marking the test paper. However, for the test takers, it may not be so fun.

    First, it increases the expenses for test taker to prepare the test.

    Second, the registration fee never reduced.

    Third, everybody knows that screen reading is slower, and more likely to get tired.

    Forth, limited computer skill can lead to bad performance in the test, which changes the aim of the test.

Moreover, TOEFL IBT may have many other problems, but it at least has one advantage, that is encourage the use of computer and digital technologies among the non-English speakers.

Actually, digital technology is not only a skill, but also, as CheryI mentioned in her comment of my last blog, a culture in English-speaking world.

This is a very interesting topic. It is believed that personalization of education relies heavily on digital technologies, which aims to expand independent learners potential to reach their best.

Actually, the first thought came to me when I read the materials of digital technologies for learning and teaching is Digital Divide.

On the ground of mine own experience, I have a very clear feeling about this.  From the definition of Digital Divide, we can see that ACCESSIBILITY of technology is of the most importance. However, obviously, the accessibility is different across the world. Lisa Servon argued in 2002 that the digital divide “is a symptom of a larger and more complex problem — the problem of persistent poverty and inequality”. As described by Mehra (2004), the four major components that contribute to the digital divide are “socioeconomic status, with income, educational level, and race among other factors associated with technological attainment”.

Actually, when I was studying in China, digital technologies were not so popularly used, comparing to western countries. Of course, computers and internet largely draws teachers, professors and students in a closer relationship; the online tests, hi-tech teaching methods effectively improve the quality of education; etc.

As mentioned above, socioeconomic status might be a reason responsible for the digital divide, however, a more important reason, I think, is lack of awareness of the significance of digital technologies for education, and the laziness of the older and “bigger” people. Some of older professors publicly claimed that they don’t think computer skill is very important, and ask some students to deal with all their works which must be done with computer. And some of senior managers are not willing to learn computer, so the management system improves slowly.

Clarification:

The paper version of this assignment is a little different from its blog version on the following points:

First, the links in blog were alternated to footnotes in paper version.

Second, the video in blog is shown by the picture of its  starting image in the paper-based counterpart.

 Third, different typefaces may appear in paper version for the quality of its understandability and visual pleasantness. However, only one typeface is in the blog, for there is no typeface choice in my blog’s editing function.

Saturday 6 Nov, 2pm—3.30pm

Ages 3+

NGV International            

The contemporary Chinese artist Zhang Xiaogang, who has a solo exhibition: Zhang Xiaogang: The Records at NGV from 1 November to 3 January, will come to spent sometime with our young audience.

 Zhang was born in 1958 in China.  When he was studying in Sichuan Institute of Fine Arts, he found inspiration in the works of Van Gogh and Millet. In 1995, Zhang Xiaogang’s representative work: Big Family series was exhibited in 46th Venice Biennale, which set a milestone in his career. Zhang’s work can be found in the famous Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; National Gallery of Australia; Queensland Art Gallery; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; etc.

Zhang’s  paintings, many of which were drawn from formal family portraits,  represent both the individual and the faceless masses of China at once. Meet Zhang Xiaogang, find out more about his thoughts in his art, and create unique, abstract art with him.

Cost Free

Venue Foyer, Level 3

Events Code XXXXX

Workshop: Family Portrait

Sunday 7 Nov, 10.30am-3.30pm

Ages 5-15

NGV International

Spend a day of discovery and art making, inspired by the paintings of Zhang Xiaogang with NGV’s own artists. Enlightened by family photos from the Cultural Revolution period, as well as the European tradition of surrealism, Zhang Xiaogang’s paintings engage with the notion of identity within the Chinese culture of collectivism. Basing his work around the concept of “family”—- immediate, extended, and societal—- Xiaogang’s portraits depict an endless genealogy of imagined forebears, each similar and distinguished by a little difference.

Create drawings and paintings of your family members, express your understanding of bloodline, based on what ever material you may like, such as canvas, rice paper, ceramic board, plastic board. And you can choose whatever tools, even with pipes, spoons, etc. Fully supervised. Bring your own lunch.

Cost $50/$45 NGV Member

(includes exhibition entry)

Meet information Desk,

Events Code XXXXX

Film: Sunflower

(2005, 130min, G)

Saturday 21, Nov, 10.30am

NGV International

Directed by Chinese director Zhang Yang, with Zhang Xiaogang’s paintings on its posters and all through the movie, Sunflower is said to be a documentary of Zhang Yang, or Zhang Xiaogang.

Set in Mao’s China, Sunflower tells a unique, thoughtful and touching story happened between a father and his son during 1967 to 2000. It also shows, by the way, a multi-faced context of modern China.

Sunflower won the Best Director at Silver Shell and Best Photographer at Jury Award in 2006.

Cost Free

Venue Clemenger BBDO

Auditorium, NGV International

Art Classes

Ages 3+

NGV Australia

Soft Pottery & Perfumed Soap DIY

NGV aims to cultivate children’s creativity, imagination as well as hands-on ability. The NGV collection of pottery can be visited as inspiration. Over six sessions, NGV will offer lectures on art history for children while they visit select original works and exhibitions. During each session, children are fully under guidance of experienced art educators. Children in this program will respond by creating several pieces of soft pottery works or soaps. On completion, each young artist can take home a personalized folio of art works based on their works.

Soft Pottery DIY

Monday 30 Nov—Friday 4 Dec

10.30am-12noon

Cost $100/$90 NGV Member

Meet Information Desk,

NGV Australia

Event Code XXXXX

Perfumed Soap DIY

Monday 7 Dec—Friday 11 Dec

10.30am—12noon

Cost $110/$100 NGV Member

Meet Information Desk,

NGV Australia

Event Code XXXXX

Curator: Leng Lin

Asian Temporary Exhibition Space, Level 1
Free entry

click here to see the exhibited paintings (31 in total)

The Records, the name of which comes from the famous Chinese historical treaty Records of the Grand Historian, also know in English by its Chinese name Shiji(<<史记>>). This exhibition borrows the name to emphasis Zhang Xiaogang’s historical thinking in his artworks.

Zhang is one of the leaders of the contemporary Chinese art. His personal development comes along with contemporary Chinese art, and his art, also, comes along with the history and memory of modern China. From the blood rays, light spots and tear stains of Zhang’s previous paintings to the faraway skyline, overhead wire crossing through his later works, and even the neglectably indoor lamp cord and electrical wire, the artist was trying to express a subtle relationship between the abstract history and the practical day to day life, with the above minor details. With a historical way of thinking, Zhang reminds us that every individual is actually growing up in an historical setting, which is both abstract and practical. Also, with such a historical thinking, Zhang excavates the new possibilities of contemporary culture with various forms of art and deep speculation of history and memory.

Zhang Xiaogang does his art works with new materials, which, however, doesn’t change his persistent theme—-history and memory. In some of Zhang’s works, he uses glossy steel board instead of traditional canvas, when audience standing in front of the steel board, examining Zhang’s works, they will see themselves as well, overlapping the historical images on the paintings. This is how Zhang’s works bring the present to history.

Besides, Zhang Xiaogang continues his “record” method, which started from his Description series(see picture 1-5) in 2004, writing down plenty of thoughts and feelings generated when he was drawing on the steel boards with his sketches. Actually, Zhang’s method is exactly what ancient Chinese literati artists did—-when a painting was finished, they always inscribed some poems on the margin to express the artist’s mood when he drew the picture or the emotions that the painting wanted to express. The poems, then, became an important component of traditional Chinese painting. In this sense, what Zhang Xiaogang does is actually a return to the tradition: to literalize the visual images, as well as to visualize the literal.

There are also many sculptures made of bronze and cement, which present extruding trails made by time and memory through the images of amplified and distorted items in daily use. Zhang Xiaogang adds historical and memorial sense into his own experience by drawing pictures and recording feelings. For Zhang, however, what interests him is not history and memory itself, but the continuous observation, examination and question of himself on the ground of his experience, for his everlasting self-development.

picture 1                                   picture 2

picture 3                               picture 4

picture 5

Support Sponsors

Zhang Xiaogang: The Records is funded by the National Endowments for the Arts, and with the generous support from the additional individuals and foundations, including XXX, XXX, XXX and XXX.

This exhibition is supported in part by the National Gallery of Victoria.

Relative Links

Video of the opening ceremony of ZHANG XIAO-GANG: The Records

Zhang Xiaogang’ s biography 1

Zhang Xiaogang’ s biography 2

The information provided in the online gallery is comprehensive. As usual online galleries, it contains artworks, and introduction of artists, also the information of the ongoing exhibitions as well as the reviews or the planning exhibitions. However, the distinguishing points of Saatchi online gallery are as follows:

The focus on the young
There are many programs held by the gallery specifically designed for children and youth. For example, they creator a page for under 18 artists, in which children and youth can upload their artworks, usually paintings to the gallery’s website, then others visitors can see them. Moreover, the gallery set some prize for those young, like the best 16-18 years old painters for 2008 winter etc.

And there are a page for school program. Visitors can download the introduction of this program and decide if they would like to take part in.

Gathered information in art world
There is ” link” column link on the left side of each page, when you click it, it will lead you to the link page, which contain various links related to art, and are categorized to media | museums & cultural institutions | educational institutions | net libraries | art & artist links . Visitors can also add their link to it.

Virtual gallery tour
It’s a video for the ongoing exhibition displayed in the gallery. Thus, visitors, who are limited by the geographic distance can join the exhibition. Here is the page for this service:
http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/virtual-tour.htm

Online gallery shop
This is not very unique for galleries, but they always my favourite part!

There are also some other segments, such as the introduction of other galleries in other countries, free publish for artists, art students, critics, art writers, and free for buyers to get information about artists. Also, you can meet your art fellows on this web.

In summery, I really respect Saatchi’s effort made for young people, and it’s comprehensive and useful information, which, might be the most important for for-profit arts organization, successfully connect the noble fine art to plurality.