portfolio images for sculpture programs

[kierstin]

Hey everyone,

 

This may be a really dumb question, but when schools request 16 or 20 images of work, do they expect to see that many separate pieces?  Because most of my work (assemblage-ish sculpture) is hard to document in a single photograph I need to include detail shots, but I'm afraid that it will come off as though I don't have a large body of work to present.  The way I see it, I have three options:

 

• submit 20 different pieces, with one photo representing each work.  Risk not describing the sculptures well enough.
• submit 8-10 pieces, each with a detail or two.  Risk looking unprepared.
• submit composite images, with details photoshopped into the same jpg.... allowing me to submit the maximum number of pieces while still giving detail info.  Risk looking unprofessional.

 

I asked a few undergrad professors what they thought I should do, but didn't get a clear answer.  Maybe other undergrad programs do a better job of preparing people for this process.  In any case, let me know what you think!

 

kierstin

 

[greenpainterbean]

I would suggest submitting one image per piece for the majority of your works, and include a couple detail shots for your strongest pieces. Remember that the admissions committees will be looking quickly through images from many applicants, and they want to get the gist of your work first, and go into detail only secondarily, if they already like what you're doing and are interested in your application as a whole, with your statement, etc.

One thing that I've noticed is now that most schools use slideroom, they let you uploade really high resolution images. So take advantage of that, get good photos, and they will zoom in if they are interested. Reserve detail shots for alternate angles and other aspects of your work that are really not legible from a single image.

[ArsenicYellow]

As a sculptor, I submitted about 9-10 pieces. You definitely need side shots of detail shots of each piece. Quality over quantity. Here is my tumblr page with all the pieces I submitted. I'm on my phone posting this so I can't do a normal link.

Www.crisschayer.tumblr.com

Edited April 29, 2013 by ArsenicYellow

[bots]

I also submitted about 9-10 pieces with detail shots of all.

[kwonberry]

Similar as well. Probably in the vicinity of 14 individual works and I didn't really have anything in the vicinity of assemblage or installation. It's just a matter of doing your own work justice. I used composite jpegs for video stills/anything that has a durational element. 

[agrobaby]

Each program has image requirements that are different. Keep in mind that some schools (Including Yale) do not allow composite images to be submitted.