"Steal an Idea" Assignment

Round up from our meeting of November 4th, 2024

Assignment Prompt: "Good artists borrow, great artists steal." Steal an idea from an existing photograph and take full possession of it, transforming it to be uniquely your own.

Irving Penn’s wedge wall portrait of Truman Capote stands out to me because it’s quiet and vulnerable, and he’s trapped. My subject was a plant and gift shop owner with a big personality. The store was tight, so I used only available light, which gave me more time to be present with her.  — Miguel Vasconcellos

I’ve always been attracted to African photographers, including Seydou Keïta, who was active in the sixties and seventies. Using my daughter Imogen as my model, I first tried to match the photo but then riffed from there. It was a useful experiment, and I plan to do more in the future. — John Vlautin

I took a more big picture approach, alluding to the story of Judith and Holofernes, a regular theme in Renaissance and Baroque art. I have been working on a project about intimate partner violence and thought that I could explore that with a nod to this old story. Gisele Pelicot’s words rang in my ears, “The shame has to switch sides, from the victims back to the men who commit violence against women.” — Shelagh Howard

Inspired by a Diane Arbus photograph, I sought to evoke real vulnerability. With just 30 minutes left in the session, Olive (dressed as her persona Celebrity X) and I shared stories of past trauma. There was genuine intensity and bonding in these moments, resulting in the tear rolling down her face. — Alex Franklin

I took inspiration from Nick Fancher’s photos of Slipknot; he's an expert at using a variety of techniques and materials. My friend makes masks out of found junk and I thought a portrait of him in this style could be my homage. Ultimately, this wasn't successful enough in taking on a life of its own. — Andrew Fleming

I’ve always loved Henry Leutwyler’s photograph of a working dancer’s legs, but I wanted to lean away from the classic feminine look. This iconography highlights how hard ballet is on a dancer’s feet, so I reimagined them as if they were a person, someone who might have a relaxing smoke after a long hard day. — Matt Coughlin