Sean Kernan runs a successful studio, and in addition he teaches, writes, and lectures on creativity and photography, at such places as the Maine Media Workshops, the New School/Parsons, ICP, Santa Fe Workshops, Omega Institute, and Art Center (Pasadena). His unusual approach to teaching, developed over 25 years, uses a series of experiential exercises takes photographers back their creative beginnings. He has been honored for this work, and has lectured widely and written about it in a series of articles in Communication Arts. Most recently he taught workshops to faculty at MMW and Art Center, Pasadena. Sean has published two monographs, The Secret Books (with Jorge Luis Borges) and Among Trees. His work has been exhibited in the US, France, Mexico, Greece, Korea and Italy, and published in numerous periodicals such as Communication Arts, Graphis, the New York Times Magazine and View Camera. Please visit Sean's work at http://www.seankernan.com and http://www.facesudan.com/
Creativity and the Photographer
When our first creative photograph breaks through in our early work, it surprises us by completely transcending its subject and becoming something else entirely. The picture happens because we are fully awake … and we have no real idea how we got there. That's the mystery, and it is the reason we go on more deeply into photography.
Most photographers hope that such a flash of awareness will show up at the right time. But, you don't have to wait for it to happen. There are ways to go looking for it, and you can learn them.
Over 25 years of teaching and studying, Sean has gathered a series of simple exercises that let us explore and deepen our creative state. Think of them as working on what happens where the real creative work is done, before the click. Applying the results of these exercises to daily photographic assignments and then talking about them gives us the chance to find out, not what people think of our pictures, but how they actually affect people.
And as we expand our seeing and awareness, our pictures begin to change, a process that continues long after the class is over. This class does not require extensive photographic accomplishment, (although you should have command of your camera and the necessary software, and not the other way around). You just need to set aside ideas, limitations and strengths, and take some new approaches. Awakeness and awareness in a strongly supportive group will be the week’s work, and we will look for it with our cameras and our minds. We’ll work deep, wake up, and have fun and we'll prize audacious failures over small, safe successes. Participants should arrive ready to jump in!
Testimonials:
"This is a narrative course. It is about finding your story."
- Pat Beary, Westbury, NY
"Inspiring, freeing, eye opening!"
- Antelo Devereux Jr., Philadelphia, PA
"This was such a moving and expansive experience. A powerful way of learning."
- Nadine Vanorsdel, Reston, VA
