Things to Know When Taking AP Art and Design (Guide 5)

What’s the Difference Between Plagiarism and Appropriation?

Here's an Analogy That Might Help 🤔

Well, How About a Visual Example? 🙋🏽‍♀️

Mona Lisa (La Gioconda), Leonardo Da Vinci, 1503 - 1517

L.H.O.O.Q, Marchel Duchamp, 1919

Here’s another example:

On the left is a photo from Associated Press photographer, Mannie Garcia. On the right is the famous Shepard Fairey Obama portrait.

How Can I Properly Use a Source Image?

How Do I Photograph My Work for AP Digital Submission?

How Can I Photograph My Work?

• You can tape or pin up the piece on the wall in front of you and aim. Make sure you hide the tape on the back or, if you put it in the corners, CROP IT OUT! Do not stand between your work and the light source. Try your flash if you find this hard to do.
• You can place the piece on the floor and lean over it, centering the work in the middle of the viewfinder or screen and take the photo. Be careful - depending on where your light sources are, you can easily cast shadows on your work. Move yourself, the work, or the light source so that you can get a good photo.

• Background—You want a neutral background that "fades" out of the viewer's awareness. It should be ALL ABOUT THE ART, not what it's sitting on or in front of. If the piece is small, try using a large piece of paper, taping it behind the work, and bending it forward so that the artwork has a seamless background. If the work is larger, try using a solid color sheet, again making sure it extends under the piece and in front of it. White works well for almost anything. If the piece is white, consider using another solid color.
• Shadows—When you are dealing with documenting (photographing) 3D work, you need to think about how it interacts with the space AROUND it. Are there interior empty spaces? Are there extensions you need to consider? The shadows created not only inform the viewer about the work, but they also contribute to the work by depicting the space it inhabits. Try moving your lighting source around the piece while photographing. Sometimes, it's easier to have someone else hold the light while you photograph.
• Form—Since this is a form (meaning it occupies 3D space) rather than a shape (confined to 2D or flat space), your photographs need to document the form of the work. Move around the work, changing perspectives, and viewpoints to capture all angles. You might want to move the lighting as you do this.
• Lighting—For your lighting, you have several options. While regular room lighting might show the work, it won't give you strong shadows. You can try shooting outside and let strong sunlight do it for you, but you have to watch for your own shadow. For controllable directional lighting, you can use the flash on your camera or phone, a flashlight, or any small movable lighting source. A small desk lamp is usually really good for this, especially if you can remove the shade. As you light the work, move the light into different positions - high, low, left, right - and look to see what creates the most interesting lighting on your work and the best shadows.

• Multiple views—As you photograph, make sure to MOVE AROUND THE WORK, changing perspective and viewpoint. For 3D work, you will need at least two photos of each work showing significantly different views to help the readers understand how the work interacts in the space. It's perfectly acceptable to move the work to keep the background neutral, especially if you are working in a tight space. 👍🏽 If you have several great shots of one piece, you can always use a composite (multiple photos in one) image.

Are There Things I Just Shouldn't Do?

1. Copyrighted characters—Unless you are Bob Kane, Batman is not your creation. The College Board is hip to this. It's morally wrong to present it as your artwork, it's also illegal. Avoid all copyrighted characters, images, trademarks, logos, etc.
2. Anime—You shouldn't use anime replicated from videos, graphic novels, etc. If you create your own characters and develop a storyline, that's a very different thing than "fan art". Here's a great example of an AP Art student that created their own graphic novel. Keep in mind this is a legacy (old test version) example, but it is really well done and speaks greatly to individuality and student voice.
3. Trite ideas—These are things like "My Friends", "Music", "Hands", "A day at the beach", "My Family", "Eyes are the Windows of the Soul", etc. They are very simplistic and don't offer much beyond a simple visual representation. If you really want to do portraits of your family, for example, think of how it can become an INQUIRY. A simple idea like "Portraits of my family" be changed to something like "What shared activities bring my family closer together?" which would allow you to show a depth of exploration of the topic.
4. The Seven Deadly Sins—This one has been done to death. It's low hanging fruit and it often listed on "AP Idea" lists. Try to avoid these lists, unless you are using it as a starting point to think of another investigation.
5. Pretty much ANYTHING on Pinterest or an AP Idea list—See above. These are listed because they have been done soooooooo many times, BY OTHER PEOPLE. If you think you can bring something to it that the previous 57,498 people who did exactly that topic, did... go for it. But, it really is better to find a topic that has some personal relevance to you.
6. Internal Relevance—Avoid a topic that is so YOU specific, others can't really access it. While you want your Guiding Question and Inquiry to be personally relevant, it can't exclude everyone else. As much as you might want to do "How do I feel when I listen to my favorite music?" your audience won't have access to the music. They might never have heard, it even if you list it. Depicting these ideas visually is also exceedingly hard.