Image + Word3-session workshop

The Image and the Mirror – From cave walls to cinema

Salome KikaleishviliFilm critic, journalist and lecturer
Halftone photo of a woman calling out with a hand at her mouth; violet sketches stream from her voice: a portrait, a camera, a film strip, an eye, speech bubbles and a written page

About this workshop

The visual image has always been a way of keeping people present: from cave painting to painting, photography and cinema. This workshop follows that line and turns it into a practical skill: what to look at, what to notice, and how to put what you see into words.

Who it’s for

Anyone who wants to look at art and film more deeply and talk about it with confidence.

No background in art history or criticism needed.

What you’ll explore

  1. 01

    From cave painting to cinema

    How the visual image evolved as a way of keeping people present, and what painting, photography and film each added.

  2. 02

    Looking and describing

    What to look at, what to notice, and how to describe a painting or an image in clear, confident words.

  3. 03

    Culture as a phenomenon

    What we mean by culture, and how art forms cross into and feed one another.

  4. 04

    Culture as a weapon

    Cinema and propaganda, with examples from Leni Riefenstahl, Mikhail Kalatozov and Otar Iosseliani.

  5. 05

    Outside the room

    One session takes the group out of the studio to look at work together in person.

End of day outcome

You’ll be able to look at a painting or an image and articulate it with confidence, and you’ll leave with one finished piece of writing.

Come make it with us

Note

What you need to know

  • Arrive a few minutes early. We start on time and the first steps build everything that follows.
  • Switch your phone off, not just to silent, for the whole session.
  • We work side by side. Keep talk low and avoid extra noise while others are concentrating.
  • Follow the process step by step, even if you know a shortcut. Each stage prepares the next.
  • Stay calm and patient. Good work rewards slow, careful attention.
  • Handle the equipment with care, and ask before you move or unplug anything.

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