Fall 2021
Classroom Teacher: Cory Perewiznyk
Teaching-Artist: Aki Torii
Students at Philadelphia Military Academy at Elverson explored the theme of identity while elevating their artistic sensibility through digital photography, screen-printing, and cyanotype projects. Students began exploring the topic by creating animated GIFs of an everyday activity such as brushing their teeth or combing their hair. Next, they used digital cameras to take straightforward pictures of themselves or photographs that disguised their identity and presented them as an alter-ego. Through this project, some students celebrated their identity or culture, and others used it as an opportunity to tell a story. Students simplified their portraits using free editing software to create stencils on silkscreens from which to print. Students made multiple prints, and the majority of them were personalized through experimentation with multi-colored inks and solarfast dyes. Many of the students made more than ten prints, including one print on a cotton tote bag.