<p>D will submit a portfolio with her applications this fall to an assortment of design/art/university programs. Some have suggested that a "theme" is important to the portfolio, i.e., "the figure" or "still life". She feels that a variety of subjects - figure, still life, landscape - and media - drawings, sculpture, photo, etc - will demonstrate a breadth and hopefully, depth of work.
Any comments from experienced CCers?
Thanks!!</p>
<p>how about she makes the theme "good work", and includes her best no matter the subject?</p>
<p>Those were her thoughts as well!</p>
<p>I agree - I think it's important to show them that you have a broad range of talent, so I included a lot of different mediums and types of work in mine last year.</p>
<p>I really wanted to have a themed portfolio. I think that a carefully chosen theme, can make a portfolio much stronger. Not neccessarily of the same subjects or same media, but of similar concepts.</p>
<p>Unfortunately as a transfer, I must submit my best work from each studio class I have taken, so no theme for me.</p>
<p>Im going to have my portfolio filled with diversity, especially since Im not 100% sure what it is I want to do. I think it will show the school that I am willing to apply myself in a variety of artistic ways and equally talented, not just specific. :)</p>
<p>not an artiste, but i would sectionalize your portfolio with different themes, including a couple pieces in each theme...</p>
<p>My understanding of "theme" were things such as life, death, destruction, longing, love. Not things like still life versus life drawings versus landscapes.</p>
<p>I would naturally think one would want to have a collection of different subjects. But if you can communicate a deeper meaning through those subjects, then it can become themed.</p>
<p>I don't know but am just thinking aloud. </p>
<p>Reason to do a theme: shows you recognize that art is about ideas. As emifinan's post above suggests, theme does not equal genre. A theme could show you have intellectual depth as well as artistic skill happening at the same time.</p>
<p>Reason not to do a theme: if the chosen theme disagrees with someone on the committee, they might shut down while viewing the portfolio. More to the point: If it feels unnatural to you to do it. If it feels too forced as you work it up, causing you to produce work that isn't "good work" as woody's D wants to show.</p>
<p>My son was only interested in universities and liberal arts colleges. The requirements of art schools may not apply to his experience.</p>
<p>The importance of having a theme in a body of work is a common philosophy in some art programs, especially those that are more theory than process driven. (The IB's insistance on theme uber alles nearly drove my son to give up art!)</p>
<p>My son had planned to submit an art supplement (slides plus related package) along with his application. Some schools were more precise about what they required; some left it open ended. I don't remember ever seeing a request for a "themed" presentation, although some did require an artist's statment of intent.</p>
<p>For the most part, the advice he heeded was to submit a variety of media. Drawing was emphasized at several schools (and if I remember correctly one required a self portrait). </p>
<p>The overarching objective was to demonstrate creativity and a familarity with a range of media. Again, this may be completely different for admissions to art school, but for a liberal arts program -- where the applicant may or may not actually end up majoring in art studio -- the focus was less on accomplishment and more on seriousness of intent and teachability.</p>
<p>As I mentioned above, I'm a believer in the total arts package of which the slide portfolio (or CD) is just one element. The others would be:
A resume listing art accomplishments, awards, classes, travel opportunities
A supplemental reference from an art instructor or mentor
A personal statement of intent
Selective (one or two) media articles featuring the student's work
A related "what is my favorite EC" essay</p>
<p>I think this kind of presentation can round out and reinforce the depth and breadth of the student-artist's experience and commitment. As a personal and individualized extracurricular (as opposed to sports or student government, for example) involvement in art sometimes needs a boost to communicate how important it in the student's life and what it means that s/he will contribute to the campus community.</p>
<p>A lot depends on the level which your daughter is planning to apply. </p>
<p>And the more advanced programs they do look for consistency in the development of iconography in a series dealing with a given content.
So it's not really a matter of restricting to a given media, or form, or even a style. </p>
<p>Basically if they do disagree with a given content/iconography its pretty much a given that this person will not get in to that program. Some students don't quite realize that there is a form of institutional conformity in many of these programs, all the avant garde posturing notwithstanding. And sometimes their attempts to satirize the art style de jour of their professors may not be received all that well. Sometimes student's have to play along with the dog and pony show until they're out. </p>
<p>Which is a certain irony insofar as artists such as James Luna spend a lot of time tweaking the sensitivities of just such pretentious people. </p>
<p>Good to show proficiency in color theory, anatomical drawing, modeling and etc, but unless its a very conservative technically oriented school these might not be enough in and of themselves. </p>
<p>"The importance of having a theme in a body of work is a common philosophy in some art programs, especially those that are more theory than process driven. (The IB's insistance on theme uber alles nearly drove my son to give up art!)" </p>
<p>And momrath that is a substantial problem in many art programs. Too often the imbalance between theory and process (technique) is so skewed that students coming from these programs are often quite helpless once out of the special conceptual halls of the art programs. MFA programs are especially notorious for this problem, to the extent that placement rate for their students is simply appalling. </p>
<p>At least a good technical artist can pull a Bouguereau and keep fed, or at least somewhat fed and able to pay for the art degree.</p>
<p>And your quite right about a complete application package. Although at times reading artist statements from 20 somethings is either an ordeal or quite surreal...</p>