My photo

My photo
will let you know what I’m thinking

by Rebecca Viola Lobe

My photo will let you know what I'm thinking is about activism against prejudice. It aims at making students aware of intersectionality and prejudices (of others, but also their own). They should recognize the functions and significance of art and visual media in sociopolitical discourse. In this context, works of the artists Esin Turan, Gemma O’Brien, and Jakob Lena Knebl are discussed, and initial experiences with photo editing, self-representation, and typography are made using the program GIMP.

T-shirts, mugs, bags – we encounter slogans and hence writing and types on all kinds of everyday objects, yet they are repeatedly used in artistic works. This teaching concept refers primarily to works by Esin Turan and Gemma O’Brien. Students can choose between: portrait with sign (see Esin Turan, “Against Prejudice,” 2015) or photo of body painting with make-up sticks (see Gemma O’Brien, “Write Here, Right Now,” 2008). Both works combine self-dramatizations and writing, and cover the underlying themes of prejudice and discrimination. Students may benefit from having some basic experience with typography.
The installation “Schwule Sau” (2013) by Austrian artist Jakob Lena Knebl, a temporary memorial in the center of Vienna for LGBTIQA+ persons persecuted and murdered under National Socialism, can also be discussed.

  • Introduction (1 double lesson):
    • The first unit discusses display typefaces by addressing the impact of type and politically charged fonts. After that, the students look at photos of artistic works countering discrimination (Esin Turan, “Against Prejudice”) and written elements of activism (Black Lives Matter, Fridays for Future). The following questions can be posed: “What do you see?”; “What do you notice about the choice of font, font size, etc.?”; “What should be paid attention to?”; “What are prejudices, stereotypes, discrimination?”; “What can be done against discrimination?”; “What is sexism, racism, classism?”. If it does not come up on the students’ part, the teacher should briefly introduce the concept of intersectionality.
      Since this is a very private and sensitive topic, students are free to choose their group members. When presenting the task, works by Esin Turan, Gemma O’Brien and Stefan Sagmeister are projected onto the wall as examples (see references).
    • Duration: about 100 minutes
  • Implementation (2 double lessons):
    • In the next phase, students plan their sign or body painting (topic, slogan, with or without logo/image, typeface, layout, format) and create drafts that can be discussed with classmates and/or the teacher before they continue working.
      After that, they take photos (smartphone or camera), a small selection of which is uploaded to a shared folder (MS Teams, Google Drive, …) and the teacher gives a short introduction to the desktop app GIMP (focusing on: adjust brightness and contrast, b/w, crop). The students then edit their photos with GIMP and upload them to the chosen platform. Once all the images are uploaded, the teacher projects the photos and the students get feedback from their classmates on the effect of the image compositions. In the end, each group decides on a selection of photos to be printed.
    • Duration: about 200 minutes
  • Presentation (1 double lesson):
    • The teacher brings the printed photos to class. They are displayed and arranged thematically. In a joint discussion, it is decided how the photos will be hung in the assembly hall: Which titles suit the photos? What languages should the titles be displayed in? What context is necessary?
    • Duration: about 100 minutes
  • The work series „Gegen Vorurteile“ („Against Prejudice“) by Austrian-Turkish artist Esin Turan, can be used as an inspiration:
    http://www.esinturan.net/gegen-vorurteile/#
  • Gemma O’Brien is an Australian artist who often deals with writing and typefaces. She gained attention with her performative body painting „Write Here, Right Now“ – an homage to Stefan Sagmeister’s works “Lou Reed” and “AIGA Detroit”.
  • Austrian artist Jakob Lena Knebl is a professor at the University of Applied Arts Vienna and, together with Ashley Hans Scheirl,responsible for the Austrian pavilion at the 2022 Biennale in Venice.
    The temporary memorial “Schwule Sau” (a homophobic slur) was on display at Morzinplatz, Vienna from May 2013 to April 2014. Accompanying the memorial, learning materials against hostility against LGBTIQA+ persons were developed.
    https://www.koer.or.at/en/projects/schwule-sau/
A black-and-white photograph shows the palm of a hand with small letters written on it, repeatedly stating the phrase “My body, my decision.”
My photo will let you know what I’m thinking

Mein Foto sagt dir, was ich denke © 2022 by Rebecca Viola Lobe is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0

Rebecca Viola Lobe, studies at the Department Art and Education, Academy of Fine Arts Vienna.

Author’s Encouragement
Countering stereotypes and prejudice requires perpetual work. Here, young people address prejudices from their immediate environment, share their experience and at the same time learn about prejudices that fellow students are confronted with. They also get to know the work of very different artists and explore the use of typography and photography.