Sara E. Thomas
What is Art and How Do We Judge its Success?
Critics determine whether or not something is a successful piece of artwork based on its aesthetic value. There are a variety of theories on aesthetics and what is beautiful. These theories vary largely based on time period and culture. Different time periods and cultures have assigned different aesthetic values to particular aspects of a work of art. I would like my students to determine the success of their artwork based on a combination of two different aesthetic theories: formalism and expressive theory. (Simpson 122)
Formalism developed as a reaction to abstract art. Previous aesthetic theories stated that art should mimic life, therefore art should always be realistic and should serve a purpose. Once abstract art was introduced to the scene a new theory needed to be created. Abstract art is not realistic, in fact it does not have an easily identifiable subject. Thus formalism was created where the idea of aesthetic beauty shifted to the formal elements of a piece of artwork in order to validate abstract art as successful in the art world. "Formalism focuses primarily on the way the art elements and design principles are used to achieve a unified expression" (Simpson 122). It focuses on the lines, shapes and colors used along with balance, unity, etc. It is easy to teach students to create artwork that is formally successful. There are certain compositions that are more appealing to our eyes and to create art successfully in this way is easy – simply by learning how to employ the elements and principles of design. This is the first way I would like students to assess their artwork and it is also Feldman's second step of analyzing a piece of artwork.
The second method of assessment will be expressive theory. This theory of aesthetics "suggests that to be called 'art', an image or object must express emotion, and communication of strong feelings is valued more than realism" (Simpson 122). This is where the idea of identity plays a part. I want to be sure that each student is including a part of themselves, their emotions and opinions in their artwork. This aesthetic is far more difficult to teach and must come from individual passions. I believe it can be extremely difficult for high school students to express themselves this way because they are at an age when they are looking strictly to conform with their peers and not to differentiate themselves from "the norm". My first lesson will be for students to form their own definition of art, hopefully combining these two ideas.
If you ask five different people for a definition of art I guarantee you will obtain five very different answers. The definition of art is a very personal thing and often differs depending on your experiences. I would like students to expand their idea of what art is by introducing them to the Da Da movement and to folk art specifically. I believe that these two movements will be effective in broadening their scope of art because both were very controversial movements and are not typically thought of as successful artwork.
The Da Da movement is an art movement which started in the early twentieth century after World War I. With the decline of social and moral values artists felt they had nothing to believe in and so created nihilistic artwork. They would put ordinary objects on display and claim them as artwork. The style was poking fun at traditional art forms and stretching the definition of art. There were many influential artists involved in this movement including Duchamp, Ernst and Grosz. (Da Da, artlex.com) I would like to show students examples of the Da Da art movement focusing on ready-made which were everyday objects which artists signed and called art. A very well known ready made is a urinal which Duchamp signed as R. Mutt. Others include vacuums, telephones and other everyday objects. I would also like to show students examples of canvases painted black, like Rothko (although not specifically part of the Da Da movement his artwork is also pushing the definition of art). I love watching students' reactions to these pieces of artwork. They usually become extremely angry and don't understand how something like this can be called art. A phrase I often hear is, "I could do that!" I want students to understand that they
can
create successful art and often times the concept or idea behind the piece is what is most important, not what the piece looks like upon initial viewing.
In contrast I would also like to introduce students to folk art. Folk art is artwork created by artists who have little or no artistic training. It is often artwork which has been created traditionally by a certain culture and is created for personal use or expression. Folk art was not considered "fine art" in the art world until this past century. Folk art often is rich in historical and cultural background. Artists like Horace Pippin, Faith Ringgold, masks and aboriginal art are all examples of folk art. (Simpson 162)
From this discussion I would like to lead students into a discussion about "What is successful art?" Often times if students do not find a piece of artwork aesthetically appealing they label it as "bad" artwork. I would like students to look past the idea of "bad" artwork to try and understand what the artist was thinking about, and whether or not the artwork has meaning and leaves an impression, not necessarily whether or not they think it is beautiful. I would like students to leave with the understanding that although they can not personally like a piece of artwork, it can still be "successful" artwork. I want students to be fearless in their artwork, and never be afraid to try something just because it may not come out "looking pretty". I hope that by showing students these two different styles of artwork it will help them reform their definition of art and successful artwork to include both formal elements and personal expression.
Lesson One
This lesson is designed for two 55 minute class periods.
Day One
Do Now: Write your own definition of art without using the dictionary. Look around the art room at different examples as you create your definition.
Class Discussion: Students will choose one or two words from their definition that they feel are most important. They will write these two words on separate post its. The post its will then be collected, stuck to the board and grouped to see which elements of the definition are most universal. Students will compose a rough definition of art using these words as a starting point.
Analyzing: Students will be shown Duchamp's Urinal. They will use Feldman's method to describe, analyze, interpret and decide about this artwork. We will go through this process together so that students see the process modeled first. I will then give students a brief history of the Da Da movement and we will discuss if this changes their feelings on the artwork at all.
Activity: Students will look through magazines and collect images and words which they think show art. Students will collage these into their sketchbooks.
Homework: Students should ask five different people for their definition of art.
Day Two
Do Now: Apply Feldman's Method to an African Mask.
Class Discussion: We will share responses to the mask and write them on the board.
Comparision: I will place examples of other folk art around the mask and ask students to compare and contrast them. We will talk about what folk art is and why it is considered successful art.
Activity: Can you think of any folk art which is in your home? Draw a piece.
Creating a Definition: Using their homework, our previous definition and our new knowledge we will create a working definition of successful art.
What is Identity and What Influences It?
The things that we identify most readily with are the ones that other people react to most commonly. Our identity is reflected to us by other people and the things we remember most about ourselves are the ones that we hear from other people most often. (Hancock May 10, 2005). This is what makes it difficult to realize that we can change and shape our own identity. I would then like students to create a photography book about their everyday life and what things influence them.
We will look at the
A Day in the Life
series of photography by Rick Smolan. Each of these books are a day in the life of people living in a certain place. One hundred different photographers capture a variety of different things about the place, the people, surroundings, interactions, etc. and document them all using photographs. These books are not a progression through one person's day as the students will be doing, however they offer the students a variety of subjects and styles of photography to look at as examples.
In order for students to begin to understand how their own identity is being formed, after we have reached a definition for identity, their first project will be to record all of the things in their life that influence who they are every single day. I would like to start the project by giving each student a 36 exposure disposable camera to record their environment. By giving students a camera two things will happen. First they will immediately become less inhibited because everyone can use a camera, whereas students often get discouraged about drawing or painting. Second it will provide them with reference photography for later assignments. They will have a file of images of things which are important to them to look back through later on.
Lesson Two
This lesson is designed to take two weeks, but only the first four lessons are broken down here. After that students will continue constructing books and writing a paragraph about each image they have taken. The final project will be a book including images and text about a day in their life.
Day One
Do Now: Students will title a page in their sketchbook "I AM…" (Hancock May 5, 2005) I will give the students an example of a more abstract being, like R2D2 – What might be on R2D2's list? (I AM… a robot, a sidekick, made of metal and wires, famous, etc.) Students will be asked to complete the sentence "I am…" with as many different things as they can in four minutes.
Class Sharing: Students will have to find one thing in common with every other student in the class. They will find common bonds that they were not aware existed. Students will then be asked to look at their list at the things that they did not share with others that make them different. They will simply note these in their sketchbook; they will not be required to share them.
Class Discussion: Once students have done this we will share as a class the things that unified them with their classmates, to find out what everyone has in common. Next we will discuss which things students' listed first, at the top of the page, being the most important. We will talk about how these I AM statements show what you identify yourself as.
Brainstorming: Students will brainstorm a list of things which influence them throughout the day from when they get up in the morning, through school, until they go to bed at night - starting from their families, neighborhood, advertisements, friends, school, after school activities, etc. This will simply be a brainstorming exercise so that students can begin thinking about which thirty six different things in their lives they would like to record as influences in their identity.
Homework: Make a list of as many influences as you can think of throughout your day.
Day Two
Do Now: Compare and contrast three images from
A Day in the Life of America
.
Class Discussion: How are the three images similar? How are they different? What is composition? What makes a strong composition? What is the point of interest in each? How does your eye travel through the composition?
Activity: Students will break into small groups and choose one image to write a description about – what they think was going on, what the artist was trying to capture, what is interesting about the image. This will model the writing process they will use for their own images.
Demonstration: Using the camera. How close or far you can be from your subject. When is the flash necessary? How to advance the film. Choosing your 36 subjects CAREFULLY!
Homework: Begin taking pictures (take only 10 tonight)
Day Three
Do Now: What 10 things did you take pictures of? How was using the camera – any problems or concerns?
Class Discussion: What did people take pictures of? Answer any questions.
Activity: Begin making book to hold pictures once finished. Introduce students to bookbinding vocabulary and start making covers.
Homework: Finish rest of film.
Intersecting Cultures Combine
Students will use some type of paper (map, poem, etc.) as a base for a still life which involves three objects that symbolize traditions which have influenced them. In talking about how location plays a role students will look at maps of New Haven and also of other places where they have family members. Students will look at flags and landmarks as representations of these places. They will collect symbols of tradition from their homes and create a still life. Students will learn about form, values, composition, overlapping and cropping. They will explore the idea of how their ethnicity also intersects with their New Haven, or American, life.
Many of my students have moved to New Haven from elsewhere and bring with them a set of values and traditions which are different from the American culture in urban New Haven. Students express pride in their ethnicity and where they have come from, while also embracing the culture in New Haven. I would like them to create a drawing juxtaposing parts of their ethnicity which they hold onto with part of New Haven culture that they embrace. There are two artists I would like to introduce students to for this assignment they are Jaune Quick-to-See Smith and Betye Saar.
Jaune Quick-to-See Smith is a Native American Artist who combines her Native American past with the modern world around her, creating very powerful imagery. Smith says, "There are these strange juxtapositions of modern life and traditional tribal life that I think are quite wonderful." She often uses humor in her artwork to draw the viewer's attention to an issue an a positive way. One of her main concerns is the idea of land ownership which has obviously had a large effect on her culture. Her artwork uses Native American imagery with modern imagery to create interesting and provocative visual statements. (Modern Native American Artists 3).
Betye Saar is an African American artist who creates artwork from found objects. She creates installations which combine pieces of her cultural past, often rituals and myths, with pieces from today's urban world. Saar created a lot of politically charged work during the 1960s involving the civil rights movement. Her piece
The Liberation of Aunt Jemima
shows a stereotypical black character portrayed in the 1960s in three different views, changing the way the viewer thinks about Aunt Jemima both as an icon and as an African American woman. (African American Sculptors 6)
I believe that these are two artists with whom my students will be able to relate. Smith says, "Art between two cultures is difficult without losing oneself in the process." I would like my students to be able to create a piece showing pride in both of the cultures they experience, as both are an important part of their identity.
Lesson Three
This lesson is designed for about two weeks of class time. The first three classes are broken down, after that students are given time to work on their still lifes. The teacher should plan peer and self-critiques as necessary and do nows can be tailored to where the teacher sees the students' strengths and weaknesses throughout the artistic process.
Day One
Do Now: Students will compare and contrast Smith's
Gifts for Trading Land with the White People
and Saar's
The Liberation of Aunt Jemima
.
Class Discussion: What are the similarities and differences between these two works of art? What was each artist thinking about? How does each break down a stereotype? What is a stereotype and how do you encounter them in your daily life?
Class Reading: We will read aloud as a class the article on Betye Saar and students will be asked the following questions: What is installation artwork? What two cultures are seen in her artwork and how do you know this? What is symbolism and how does she use it?
Activity: What two cultures are
you
a part of? Students will brainstorm a list in their sketchbook of parts of New Haven culture that they identify with. They will then break into groups by ethnicity and brainstorm lists of things that they identify with in their own cultures.
Homework: Students will have two days to collect articles, maps and objects which reflect both their New Haven culture and their ethnicity.
Day Two
Do Now: Do a drawing of a Native American in your sketchbook.
Class Discussion: Students will share drawings and discuss why the included certain details. We will talk about stereotypes and stereotypes for their particular cultures as well. We will talk about how stereotypes are formed and how they are passed on.
Activity: Students will practice drawing basic shapes and learning to break down objects into basic shapes so that when they begin their still lifes they have an idea where to start.
Homework: Bringing in objects for still life!
Day Three
Do Now: Analyze Jaune Quick-to-See Smith's
Memory, 2000
using Feldman's method.
Class Discussion: Which two cultures are combined? What symbols are used from each? How does she use layering to combine the two cultures?
Activity: Students will set up their own still life in three different poses and do a thumbnail sketch of each pose thinking about composition, cropping and layering. Students will also consider what they would like to use as their background layer (maps, menus, articles, etc.)
Who Influences Your Identity? My Hero!
The next project will explore who influences your identity. Students will discuss the people who have had an influence on their lives from parents, to friends to the media. First we will talk about where you obtain information that you respect. Then we will talk about what specific people we look up to – why do we look up to them? What makes us respect someone? Students will then choose their hero to represent in a portrait.
One of the most common subjects in art are portraits. Since the first recordings man has in some way created a representation of him/herself; from crude symbols to more detailed ones. Before there were cameras having portraits painted and busts commissioned were a sign of wealth, and they only way that people had to record both family and history. Now we can easily create reproductions of each other using photography. However how you choose to represent someone artistically can say a lot about that person. I will have students look at how three different artists have represented themselves in their artwork: Robert Arneson, Chuck Close and Frida Kahlo.
Robert Arneson creates very witty and humorous self-portrait sculptures. Arneson originally loved drawing, but became a teacher and had to learn ceramics in order to teach it. He learned the correct techniques but was uninspired by thrown pots so he began creating self-portraits. Arneson uses symbolism in his work to represent traits about himself. For instance in one work he is literally losing his marbles through a crack in the sculpture, in another he is gasping for air because in his life he feels as though he is drowning. His sculptures are entertaining and playful while revealing a lot about his personality. (Sculpting in Clay 5)
Frida Kahlo is a Mexican artist who also created a variety of self-portraits. Kahlo had a lot of hardship in her life which is expressed in many of her portraits. As a teenager she was in a bus accident which left her with injuries that would plague her for the rest of her life. She married another Mexican artist, Diego Rivera. Both were active in the communist party and both were successful artists. However, Diego often cheated on Frida and they were divorced for a short time only to be remarried again. Frida's self-portraits symbolically depict her relationship with Diego, her struggles with her health and her pain over having a miscarriage. Her paintings are a very powerful depiction of who she is. (Frida)
Chuck Close is an American artist who used to paint photorealist portraits which are nine feet tall. He suffered something similar to a stroke and now paints much more abstracted portraits of people. What interests me most about Chuck Close is his ability to continue working through such a difficult time, and also the method he uses to create these giant portraits. Close has one of three large polariod cameras in the whole world. It takes three foot large polariods. Close photographs his subjects using this first, and then breaks the photographs down into a grid. He then creates a grid on his canvas of an equal ratio. This allows him to look at each square as its own little image to be reproduced. It makes it much easier to recreate an image because you begin looking at what is actually in the square instead of thinking about the fact that you are drawing a facial feature which should look a certain way. This is the method I would like my students to use to draw their portraits. (Chuck Close)
Students will choose their hero and create a portrait of that person, using symbolism to include information about the person's personality. Students' artwork will be submitted to myhero.com upon completion. Students will also be asked to do a short writing piece about their hero. Myself and another teacher would like to create an HSC Heroes night where students honor their local heroes with a dinner and presentation of the writing and artwork.
Lesson Four
This lesson is designed to take about three weeks. The first four classes are broken down here. After that students will continue working on their portraits. Do Nows will relate to what students are working on that particular day and critiques will be scheduled regularly.
Day One
Do Now: Where do you get information about things? Throughout the day what do you collect information from?
Class Discussion: We will create a list of influences on the board. We will also refer back to their photography project for more influences. Next we will look at a popular song (choose a song which is in the moment) and deconstruct it. Students will be asked to list all of the negative issues in the song. Then each student will choose one of these issues and circle the number of times it is present in the song. We will discuss whether students ever listened to the words, and why they like the music.
Ratings: Students will go through their list of influences and choose the top five they that trust the most.
Class Discussion: What five sources do you trust the most? We will put these up on the board and tally which sources are most trusted and talk about how you earn someone's trust and what you have to do to keep it.
Homework: Define hero.
Day Two
Do Now: List three people who you consider heroes. Make sure that one of them is someone you know.
Class Discussion: We will have a discussion defining a hero. Students will then be asked to revisit their own list of influential people. Does anyone on their list fit the definition of a hero? What is it about that particular person that they admire?
Activity: Students will try doing a self-portrait from memory in preparation for drawing a portrait.
Homework: Get an image of your hero if you do not already have one.
Day Three
Do Now: Analyze Robert Arneson's
Klown
using Feldman's method.
Class Discussion: After talking about the analyzing students will discuss what type of person they think Arneson is – what does the portrait say about him?
Activity: Students will learn the correct proportions for the human face and will copy them down into their sketchbooks. They will do a thumbnail sketch of their hero using the correct proportions and the picture as a guide.
Homework: What are qualities about your hero that you think might be important to show in your portrait? List ten.
Day Four
Do Now: Analyze Frida Kahlo's
Self-Portrait as Tehuana
using Feldman's method. Compare to Arneson's portrait.
Class Discussion: After talking about the analyzing students will discuss what type of person they think Kahlo is – what does the portrait say about her? How are the two portraits similar? How are they different?
Activity: Students will be introduced to the grid method which Chuck Close uses to create portraits. They will start their large grid on paper and will grid their small image of their hero.
Other Ideas
Following are a few more ideas for assignments dealing with identity that I did not have time to further explore in this curriculum, but will give you a jumping off point.
Life Story
Students will be broken into groups based on their own ethnicity (usually the class is split fairly evenly) and asked to research the story of that ethnicity. They will be given the opportunity to dispel some of the stereotypes we've talked about while also introducing new information about the ethnicity. Students should include music, food and traditions in their presentations. Students will do a brief timeline of the history of that ethnicity and then will choose a specific event or turning point for that ethnicity as inspiration for a piece of artwork. Students will then create a mural for the particular ethnic group they have chosen. They will study art styles of that ethnicity and incorporate that particular style of art to create a mural about the turning point event which they have chosen. Students will look at examples from Diego Rivera, Pablo Picasso, and other mural artists. We will go on field trips to see the murals around New Haven which have been preserved from the WPA. Students will learn about composition, color theory, human proportions and art history.
My Journey
In contrast to their research on a particular group's journey students will create a narrative artwork about a piece of their own journey. Students will remember a turning point in their lives – an incident which they remember vividly that they would like to express for others to relate to. Students will read "Mother" by Gwendolyn Brooks and look at Frida Kahlo's
Henry Ford Hospital
(1932). Both of these works of art express the loss of a baby in two different forms. The juxtaposition of writing and visual expression should motivate students to express an important event in their lives. Though Frida's work is mostly painting, students will look at the artwork of Faith Ringgold and Romare Beardon to create narrative artwork in the style of these two artists. They will create a collage or quilt square depicting the event they would like to portray. Students will learn about contrast, overlapping, perspective, narrative and composition.
Sometimes the Clothes Do Not Make the Man
Students will be challenged to think about how physical appearance can affect your identity – both the way you are treated and the way you view yourself. I would like students to think about how they feel people view them versus how they would like to be viewed. I would like them to try and create a piece of artwork as if they were someone else. They will do this by having them take pictures of each other and then mixing up the pieces, or having them actually exchange identities with someone else and dress differently for the day. Students will look at artwork by Nikki Lee and Cindy Sherman who disguise themselves in their artwork as other people.
