The Human Figure
The Human Figure
The Human Figure
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Table of Contents
Artist List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 1 Gesture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 2 Nudes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 4 Portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 6 Style . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 9 Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 11 Figure Drawing for Beginners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 13 Face Mapping for Beginners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 15 Additional Ideas: Some Parts Move, Some Parts Dont . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 16 Blind Contour DrawingsElementary Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 17 Hands On Drawing Blind Contour and Contour Drawings of HandsSecondary . . . . page 21 Figure and Portrait DrawingElementary through Secondary Drawing Yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 23 Expressive Self-Portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 26 80/20 DrawingAn Expressive Way to DrawSecondary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 29 Rubric for Scoring Artworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 34 Sketching the Body: Nude Art in the ClassroomElementary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 35 Nudity as a SymbolSecondary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 39 George Segal Tape Sculptures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 45 A Matter of Identity: Exploring Self-Portraits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 51 Additional Ideas for Lessons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 57 Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 59 So What if You Cant Draw? Painting the Human Form Through Character Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 67 Artist Biographies Sources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 69 Howard L. Kearns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 69 Joseph V. De Santis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 70
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Artist List
Gesture John Held Jr., Dancin in Jazz Age (1920) gouache, 8-1/2 x 9 SMA Franz M. Johansen, Resurrection: Restored 2 Nephi 2:12 (1995) bronze, 34-3/4 x 19-5/8 x 10 SMA Gary E. Smith, Youthful Games (1984) oil on canvas, 48 x 48 SMA Minerva K. Teichert, Love Story (1935 ca.) oil on masonite, 36 x 48 BYU, MOA Mahonri M. Young, Grecian Women Dance, ink on paper, 4 x 7 BYU, MOA Mahonri M. Young, Hopi Snake Dance I (1930 ca.) oil on canvas, 22 x 18 BYU, MOA Mahonri M. Young, Da Winnah! (1927) bronze, 34-5/8 x 35-1/2 x 18-3/8 SMA Mahonri M. Young, Sketch of Boxers Fighting, graphite, 5 x 8 BYU, MOA Mahonri M. Young, Sketch of Shot Put, graphite, SMA Nudes Shauna Cook Clinger, Prayers: Imploring, Resistance, Crucifixion, and Surrender (1993) oil on canvas, 76 x 144 SMA Avard T. Fairbanks, Rain (1932) bronze, 41-1/2 x 23-1/4 x 16-1/2 SMA James T. Harwood, Exhausted Dancer (1924) oil on canvas, 24-1/2 x 16-1/2 SMA James T. Harwood, Male Figure Study (1889) oil, 31-5/8 x 19-1/2 Namdi Okonkwo, Repentent Magdalene (1995) bronze, 16-1/4 x 10-1/4 x 7-3/8 SMA Trevor J. Southey, Eden Farm (1976) oil on board, 48 x 72 SMA Trevor Southey, Flight (1981 ca.) oil, 27 x 21 Trevor J. Southey, Pieta (1983) bronze, 11-1/4 x 7-7/8 x 31 SMA Mahonri M. Young, Adam (1925 ca.) pastel, 20 x 13 BYU, MOA Dmitri D. Zhilinski, The Bridge Builders (study) (1959) oil, 16-1/2 x 34-1/4 SMA Portraits Lee Udall Bennion, Self in Studio (1985) oil on canvas, 48 x 22 SMA Connie M. Borup, A Compromise of Freedom and Control: Self-Portrait (1986) pastel, 28 x 22 SMA Alex B. Darais, A Hill to Climb (1978) mixed media, 28 x 22 SMA Avard T. Fairbanks, Lincoln the Railsplitter (1941) bronze, 54 x 26 x 23 SMA Thomas S. Hoffman, Mini-Me (2001) oil on canvas, 18 x 14 SMA Howard L. Kearns, Self-Portrait (1930) oil on board, 18 x 14 SMA Beverly W. Mastrim-Miller, Self-Portrait (1958) oil, 19-3/4 x 13-3/4 SMA George M. Ottinger, Self-Portrait as Fire Chief (1877) oil on paper, 21-1/4 x 18 SMA Bruce H. Smith, Amanda (1981) oil on canvas, 48 x 51-1/2 SMA Gary E. Smith, Self-Portrait: Divine Symmetry and Sacred Geometry (1970) oil on canvas, 23 x 19-1/2 SMA Trevor J. Southey, Johnnys Apron (1974) pen and ink, 12-3/4 x 18 SMA William F. Whitaker, Ruth: the Listener (1985) oil, 40 x 56 SMA Style Carlos J. Andreson, Curtain Time (1940) lithograph, 12-1/4 x 17-3/4 SMA Robert T. Barrett, Camille, Seated (2002) charcoal, 22 x 30 SMA Donald Beauregard, Artists Father Clearing Sagebrush (1907) oil on canvas, 15 x 22 SMA Elzy J. Bird, The Gossips (1940) oil on canvas, 38 x 40 SMA Cyrus E. Dallin, Appeal to the Great Spirit (1903) bronze, 26 x 23 SMA Joseph V. DeSantis, Head of Woman (Opus) (1930) Stone, 11 x 8-1/2 x 9 SMA Irene T. Fletcher, Laid Off (1938) oil on board, 24 x 18 SMA James T. Harwood, Harvest Time in France (1890) oil on canvas, 17-3/8 x 31 SMA 1
Gesture
Nudes
Shauna Cook Clinger, Prayers: Imploring, Resistance, Crucifixion, and Surrender Avard T. Fairbanks, Rain
Portraits
Style
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Mahonri M. Young, Sketch of Boxers Fighting Brigham Young University, Museum of Art
This is a series of very basic lessons for beginning students to give them a foundation in the rudiments of figure drawing. Notice: These lessons are not necessarily for young students but for beginning students at any age. Very young art student work has a certain look not because of their age, for the most part, but because they are beginners. If a child starts art instruction at age 6, the childs work looks a lot like that of a beginning student. If an individual begins art education (institutional, informal or self-taught) at age 10, age 15, or age 25 or 35 or 45, the persons work looks a lot like that of a beginning student because in spite of their age, they are all beginners. What we often mistake as child art is actually beginner art. While it is true that there are issues of eye-hand coordination, visual aquity, and thinking strategy maturity; most of these issues are irrelevant by about the fourth grade and then the issue is education. Older students may start out with a little more maturity because they have experienced some art education through their environment without ever being aware of it. If you have ever looked at artwork or watched someone making art,
thinking spaces. Draw a pencil line over the folds to create a window-looking sheet. Have students choose four actions that they would like to draw and write the word at the bottom of each thinking space. Make sure the younger students write small, or they will take up all the drawing space. Remember that the board has all of the brainstorming actions written and correctly spelled. Once the thinking space paper is ready, have students pair up and begin to pose the action gesture. Demonstrate quick scribble drawing to
find the action. These should be done quickly, with attention given to proportionsand gesture, but not to detail. Some students will have a hard time abandoning detail (detail is primarily what young artists get praise for) and others dont even know the word, detail. Have students start rendering their chosen gestures. Keep the drawing time short. Even as short as 5-second gestures. Try some as long as a minute. Experiment as the teacher to see what works well for you and your students.
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artists to draw. Demonstrate a sketchy search for the line around the egg shape for the head. Start light and as you find the form, make the lines a little darker, but not too dark to change your mind. Do not let students use erasers. The eraser, no matter how good, is actually a smudge maker and does not actually remove the line if it was drawn darkly. Remember that this is a search and not a finished product. Show students from your living model that the eyes are about half way between the crown of the head and the chin. Show them how to draw a very light arched line to indicate the roundness to the surface of the face and the approximate placement of eye. The bottom of the nose is about half way between the eyes and the chin. The mouth (bottom lip) is about half way between the bottom of the nose and the chin. These are only approximate proportions and will change with observation and further instruction of trained art teachers, but learning to draw this generic face map is the first step. The eyes are about as big as the space between them. People with large eyes usually have
a large space between their eyes. The width of the nose is about the same as the space between the eyes. The width of the mouth can be determined by measuring down from the center of the eye to the corners of the mouth. Ears are approximate from the bottom of the eye to the edge of the mouth. The secret to drawing hair is to draw the shape of the hairdo and then add texture rather than trying to draw each hair. Later in another lesson we can focus on details like shading to show three dimensionality and the specific organic detail of the facial features.
It appears that the generic face map is hard wired into an infants brain before birth. Newborns can recognize human facial proportions immediately, while they seem to not be able to recognize even very similar images. This is obviously a pretty good survival strategy for the human race. If you want to take the time to have students label each thinking window with generic, neighbor, memory, and self, that is a good idea but not particularly necessary.
Additional ideas for beginning figure drawing: Some Parts Move, Some Parts Dont Have a couple of students come to the front of the class. Have them bend and straighten various body parts. Have the rest of the class identify what parts bend and what parts dont. Then have students look at how the different parts bend some parts, like knees and elbows, bend in sharp angles while other parts, like your back, bends in a curve.
Have students make simplified gemetric figures, using circles or ovals for joints and rectangles, triangles, or ovals for body parts. Then have students do gesture drawings, keeping in mind which parts bend and which dont. If you have access to a skeleton, show how the different joints articulate. have students do gesture drawings with lines that indicate the shapes of the major bones and the spine, then lightly indicate the 16
Lesson: Show the students the first toy or other classroom object. Turn it in various directions to give them a good view. Hide the object and question the students about the details of the object. Have several students describe the object. Discuss details that are not mentioned and why students may have different opinions about the descriptions, such as the colors and shapes, etc. Show the second object. Tell the students you are going to ask the same questions. See if the results are better. *Seeing is a learned skill that requires us to actually think about the things we look at. People who are good artists are not people who are born with artistic skills, but people who have a natural or learned ability to think more carefully about what they look at. In other words, they are more observant. Have a student model take a pose. Tell the students the art project they will be doing will require them to be more observant. Discuss the pose. (There is no need to discuss color.) Tell the students that since they will be drawing what they see, the pose will look different depending on where each student is sitting in the classroom. Tell them it is important they draw what they see, and not what they think they should see. Ask students the following: What are the main angles they see? Where is the center of balance? How can that be determined? Where are the arms and legs in relation to other parts of the body? What are some things that cant be seen? For example: maybe some students cant see part of a leg, or one of the shoulders, etc. Pre-drawing Exercise: Tell students they are going to do a practice run before they do the actual drawings. Point to a starting place on the edge of the model. Have the students follow with their eyes as you move your finger or pointer fairly quickly around all the contours of the model. (They will lose their concentration if you go too slow. On the other hand, if you go too fast, they will think they can draw that fast and miss the whole object of the experience.) Stop every once in a while when you get to something like the folds in the clothing or the
pockets, and ask the students what contour lines you are tracing. Ask them to notice when their eyes may have wandered away from where you are pointing. Tell them it is important for them to be aware of when they lose their concentration. Repeat this exercise if the students are interested in doing it again.
Project: Pass out papers, pens and lap boards. Have the student model get in a pose that can be held for about 3 minutes. (seated poses using chairs are fine, but students must include the chair in their drawing.) Have the students put their lap boards on their laps and scoot up their chairs to the tables or desks, so they cant see their paper. Tell them to find the place on the model where they want to start, preferablly near the head and to put their pens near the top middle of their paper. Encourage them not to draw too fast and to stop moving their pens if they lose their concentration and move their eye away from the spot they are 18
drawing. They can start drawing again when their eyes are back on the place they were last looking at. (This is not really a timed drawing, but it is hard for an inexperienced model to hold a pose for more than three minutes and most of the students will finish before that, especially on their first drawing.) Remind the students to draw as many details as they see and that they are not to pick up their pens until they are finished. This means there will be extra lines when they have to move their pen to draw some unconnected details such as the eyes and nose, or pockets etc., but that is normal for this kind of drawing.
Dont be discouraged by their whining when they see their first drawing. They will most likely want to quit because they think it is too hard and their drawings look bad or funny. Change models and do at least three more drawings. The students will probably need to be reminded each time that it is not whats on the paper that matters, but the tactile experience and the eye/hand coordination. Have the students number each drawing.
NOTE: Most of the students will pick up their pens on their first drawing. Let them look at their paper and put their pen down on the spot where the line stopped and continue their drawing.
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Assessment: Have the students line up their drawings from the first to the last. Discuss the differences. Did they improve their ability to keep their eyes on the subject? Did they improve their ability to keep the pen on the paper? Did they improve their ability to see the details? Did they include more details in the drawings?
(this reflects improvement in eye/hand coordination) Have them discuss their change in feelings from the first drawing to the last. Were they able to let go of their concern for how the drawing on the paper was turning out? *The change in feeling is one of the most important parts of the experience. Discuss how improving our ability to see details and relationships might be an important skill in things other than art.
The two drawings below, by Nate, 6th Grade, clearly show his improved ability to capture the shape and gesture of the body as well as indicate details.
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3. Objective: Students will train their eyes to see details as they use blind contour and modified contour drawing to draw their hands. Materials: Examples of hand drawings by artists such as Van Gogh and M.C. Escher Examples showing blind and modified contour drawing techniques Drawing Paper Pencils Vocabulary: LineAn element of design that refers the path of a point moving through space ContourThe outline or edge of a figure of object. In contour drawing, it is an edge as you perceive it. ProportionThe relationship of the size of parts of the body or an object to the whole or to other parts. SymbolSomething that stands for something else, especially a figure or sign that represents a real object. Instructions for Creating (Process): 1. Look at examples of symbols and real objects. Note and compare similarities and differences among them. Discuss when and how they are used. 2. Look closely at your hand. Follow the contours or outlines very slowly moving 21
Sources: Edwards, Betty. The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. New York: Penguin Putnam, Inc., 1999. Hubbard, Guy. Art in Action. Chicago: Coronado Publishers, 1986. Reid, William. Developing Creativity: A Classroom Resource. Portland, Maine: J. Weston Walch, 1989. 4. Now you are ready to practice modified contour drawing by occasionally glancing at your paper as you draw. Take a clean paper or simply turn your blind contour drawing over to the blank side. Once again slowly move your eyes along the contours of your hand while your pencil draws the lines at the same slow speed. This is not a race to see who finishes first. It is an opportunity to train your eyes to look for details. Allow yourself to glance at your drawing only to note relationships of one part to another and to check lines and proportions. Your eyes should be focused on the hand you are drawing for ninety percent of your drawing time. When you have finished this drawing, look at it and compare it to the first. Did your eyes and hand talk to each other? Sources for examples: M.C. Escher, Drawing Hands, 1948 http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/ggescher/ ggescher-53953.0.html Vincent van Gogh, Study of Three Hands for Potato Eaters 1885 http://sorrel.humboldt.edu/~rwj1/van/e065.html
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Bright ribbon sold to building contractors. Paper and drawing supplies images from the CD: Robert Barrett, Camille, Seated; William Whitaker, Ruth: The Listener; Lee Bennion, Self in Studio; Connie Borup, A Compromise of Freedom and Control; Thomas Hoffman, Mini-Me; Howard L. Kearns, Self-Portrait; Beverly W. Mastrim-Miller, Self-Portrait; George M. Ottinger, Self-Portrait as Fire Chief; Gary E. Smith, Self-Portrait: Divine Symmetry and Sacred Geometry; examples from the Gesture folder 23
Discuss with students where the eyes are located, and various other proportions of the face. Have them come up with ideas first. Some might include: Eyes are the distance from top on head to bottom of the chin; Face is 5 eyes wide; One eye width between the eyes; Ears located across from brow line and extend to nose; Mouth is as wide as pupils; Mouth is 1/3 distance from bottom of nose to chin; and so forth.
Show images from the Gestures folder and have students identify how the artists have captured the gesture of their models. 2. 500-Mark DrawingSecondary Using chalk or charcoal and working as rapidly as you can, counting to yourself, make 500 short marks that reflect the pose of a model. Keep your eyes on the subject during the entire process. When you are finished, look at your figure and try to think of it as a large piece of clay to be modeled and carved into. You are, in effect, trying to reestablish a greater affinity with the original motif by erasing into the tones and re-drawing areas as you see fit. Do not strive for photographic realism. This drawing is expressivea result of the process of your total involvement in it.
Students might draw themselves with a head piecesomething unique on top of their head that represents something about them. Use the images of Camille, Seated and Ruth: The Listener to introduce the section on drawing, to spark interest, for students to examine for ideas on how they can improve their figure-drawing skills, and/or for students to compare with their own work and find ways their work is similar to the professionals work.
SAFETY NOTE: Use only thin plastic ribbon that can break very easily. Use only with adult supervision. Do not tie knots. Fasten ribbon with pieces of tape.. Some good artists to study along with the artists in this packet are Kath Kollwitz, Frida Kahlo, Pablo Picasso, Rembrandt, and others. Search others by artist name, self-portrait, and drawing. An Internet image search will find many examples of their work.
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the gesture, and rearrange your hair or add a hand or jewelry. Select one image or yourself, and work from a black surface replicate the image on a large scale by erasing back to reveal the tonal image the paper offers. It is interesting to work backward to reveal the form, and helps students stop drawing LINES but create more with value patterns and planes. Instead of first putting the line to reveal the oval of the face, and then dividing the oval to reveal the correct proportions, they use light and dark to record all areas at the same time. The image is oddly out of focus until very late in the drawings development, which seems to help control the self-conscious impulse of many students to have it immediately look like them. The copy machine face has frequently added areas where the face has been flattened, adding to the distortion of the image. It makes it fun to draw. I posted the images drawn by my students on a window in the ahll, and it looked like there were all these faces with their face smashed up to the glass, wanting to come in.
Lee Bennion, Self in Studio (1985)
A rubric needs to be established with each assignment depending on the concepts the teacher
EXPRESSIVE SELF-PORTRAITS
You may want to use the following imges of selfportraits to introduce the lesson. Have students discuss the variety of ways the artists have represented themselves. However, if you prefer to have the students explore their own ideas without being influenced by the artists work, use the images as part of a discussion of the results of the students explorations: Lee Bennion, Self in Studio; Connie Borup, A Compromise of Freedom and Control; Thomas Hoffman, Mini-Me; Howard L. Kearns, SelfPortrait; Beverly W. Mastrim-Miller, Self-Portrait; George M. Ottinger, Self-Portrait as Fire Chief; Gary E. Smith, Self-Portrait: Divine Symmetry and Sacred Geometry 1. Using oil pastels, create a self-portrait using expressive colors. ( see examples of student work on the previous page). 2. Using a copy machine, smash your face to the window, and try several different expressions, vary
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is attempting to teach. For, example, proportions of the face may be included as part of the rubric. Or color application. Or value contrast. The rubric needs to be consistent with the core concepts. Since the portraits are expressive, it might be interesting to see if the viewer understood the expression the artist was trying to portray. For example, questions like the following might be given to students: Artist: Write what you meant to express through your artwork. On a separate sheet of paper, ask the viewer to write a response to your artwork. Viewer: Without looking at what the artist wrote, write what you think this work is about and what it means to you. Answer these questions about the artwork you are viewing. If you are working with other students, choose one student to write down what the group decides. Then discuss the artwork as a group. What do you see? What does it mean? How do you know?
Artist: Read the viewers comments and think about them carefully. If you then would want to change your artwork to improve it and better communicate your intent, write notes about what you would do.
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This teacher example of an 80/20 Drawing clearly shows how the marks of the eraser are as critical to the drawing as the graphite is.
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Can you tell what the subject of this drawing is or what can be seen in the background? How important is the identity of the subject to the success of the drawing as an artwork? Why?
The image to the right is a portrait done using the 80/20 process. The expressive nature of an artwork created by the 80/20 approach is clearly demonstrated. The images on the next pages show the process, from the blank sheet of paper taped to a drawing board to the finished artwork.
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Name:_____________________________________
Assignment:___________________________
EFFORT/PeRSeVeRANCe
A: B: C: D: F: A: B: C: D: F: A: B: C: D: F:
FOLLOWING DIReCTIONS
The project was continued until it was as complete as the student could make it; gave effort far beyond that required; took pride in going well beyond the requirement. The student worked hard and completed the project, but with a little more effort the preject might have been outstanding. The student finished the project, but it could have been improved with more effort; adequate interpretation of the assignment, but lacking finish; chose an easy project and did it indifferently. The project was completed with minimum effort. The student did not finish the work. The student carefully planned each step in the directions after exploring several choices. The student followed the directions more than adequately. The student adequately followed directions but was indifferent in the execution. The student completed the project but did not follow directions. The student did not complete the work. The artwork was beautifully and patiently done; it was as good as hard work and care could make it. With a little more effort and care, the work could have been outstanding. The student showed average care; adequate, yet a bit careless. The student showed below average care, lack of interest in finished work. The student exhibits laziness and lack of understanding or interest in finishing.
NeATNeSS
STUdeNT SeLF-ASSeSSMeNT
Effort Score: _____ Following Directions Score: _____ Neatness Score: _____ 3 _____
TeACHeR ASSeSSMeNT
Effort Score: _____ Following Directions Score: _____ Neatness Score: _____ 3 _____
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Grade 6 Standard 4The student will interpret and apply visual arts in relation to cultures, history, and all learning. Objective 2Connect various kinds of art with particular cultures, times, or places. Explain how experiences, ideas, beliefs, and cultural settings can influence the students perceptions of artworks. Describe the impact of significant works of art in the time and place they were created. Hypothesize if the meanings of significant works of art change over time. Grade 7-12 Drawing Standard 1, MakingStudents will assemble and create drawings by manipulating art media and by organizing images with the elements and principles. Objective ARefine techniques and processes in a variety of media. Select and analyze the expressive potential of drawing media, techniques, and processes.
Objective BCreate drawings using art elements and principles. Create expressive drawings using art elements, including line, shape, form, value, contour, and perspective. Create expressive works of art using principles to organize the art elements, including mood, emphasis, and unity. Standard 3, ExpressingStudents will create meaning in drawings. Objective ACreate content in drawings. Identify subject matter, metaphor, themes, symbols, and content in drawings.
comes from the lines the artist uses to show position. The shot putters legs (which are bare), on the other hand, have muscle definition and give the sense of straining and movement with just the muscles. Contrast this to the figure in Southeys work. The straining figure reaching up to fly has a more powerful sense of movement because each muscle can be seen. Even without a face to carry the emotion, the unclothed figure gives the viewer the sense of reach, stretch, and energy.
Activity: Give the students a glove and have them draw their gloved hand. Then have the students draw their hand without the glove (nude). Which is harder to draw? Which is more interesting? Which has more texture, color, light and shadow, line, or shape? Which drawing is more expressive? Assessment: Ask the students why they think art students today take life drawing classes - drawing nude models. If they are able to understand that students need to be able to draw muscles, skin, and textures of the human form, the lesson was successful.
Sources: Blair, Lorrie, Strategies for Dealing with Censorship. Art Education, September 1996 36
Braithwaite, Arlene, The Rodin Show Reflects South, Will, Making Waves: Controversial Art in a Male Gaze. Letter to the editor, University Utah Exhibition Catalog, Salt Lake Art Center, Journal, Southern Utah University, November 7, Salt Lake City, UT 1997. South, Will, Nudity versus Lewdity - The Campbell, Rebecca, Controversy in Education: A Denuded Figure in Art. The Arts Magazine, Case in Point. Utah Museum Association, 1997. June 1993. Cannon, Ann, Nude and Naked: The Difference is More than Skin Deep. Deseret News, November 2, 1997. Clark, Kenneth, The Nude, a Study in Ideal Form, Doubleday Anchor Books, 1972 Cole, Kelleigh and Kristen Sonne, 200 BYU Students Protest. The Daily Universe, Brigham Young University, October 31, 1997. Duncan, Carol, Virility and Domination in Early Twentieth-Century Vanguard Painting, Feminism and Art History: Questioning the Litany, Harper & Row, 1982. Fehr, Dennis Earl, Dogs Playing Cards: Powerborkers of Prejudice in Education, Art and Culture. Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 1993. Garrard, Mary D., Artemisia and Susanna, Feminism and Art History: Questioning the Litany, Harper & Row, 1982 Nicholson, Claudia J., Teaching in the Curatorial Wake. The Docent Educator, Spring 1997. Nochlin, Linda, Eroticism and Female Imagery in Nineteenth-Century Art, Women, Art, and Power, and Other Essays, Harper & Row, 1988 OBrien, Joan, Still Moving the Nudes. Salt Lake Tribune, October 17, 1997 Potempa, Ann, Finding Art in the Nude Form. The Daily Herald, November 21, 1997. Ross, Aden, A Brief History of Nudity in Utah, Lecture given at the Salt Lake Art Center, November 6, 1997 Trevor Southey, Flight ca. 1981 Brigham Young University Museum of Art
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ure nude?
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change the meaning of the sculpture? How would the sculpture read if the figure were a nude male? After the discussion, go to the activity below to reinforce the idea of nudity in art as symbolic. Background information from the Springville Museum of Art (www.sma.nebo.edu) Avard Tennyson Fairbanks (1897-1987) Payson/ Salt Lake City, Utah Avard T. Fairbanks was born in 1897, in Provo, Utah. His initial instruction in art came from his father, John B. Fairbanks, who was an art teacher at Brigham Young Academy and also from his brother, J. Leo, who was a painter. Avards first sculpture, a rabbit in clay, was done when he was 12. The sculpture won first prize at the 1909 Utah State Fair, but the judge refused to give Fairbanks the medal because he said the contest was for professionals, not for boys. His family decided Avard should go to New York to study, where his father was making private sale copies of the masterpieces at the Metropolitan Museum. The curator at the museum gave reluctant permission for Avard to make copies because he was so young (13). After seeing the quality of Fairbanks work, the curator apologized. After an article about him appeared in the New York Herald, calling him the Young Michaelangelo of this modern day, he was allowed to model animals at the Bronx Zoological Gardens. A scholarship to study at the Arts Students League with James Earl Fraser soon followed. During this time, Fairbanks came to know several notable sculptors who gave him advice and critiqued his work. He returned to Utah after a year and a half in New York because he wanted to study abroad. Avard created the sculpture Buffalo when he was 15, planning to pay for his travels by sales of the sculpture, but enough funds came from sales resulting from attention garnered by a lion sculpture he made of butter for a creamery exhibit at the Utah State Fair. While in France in 1914, he became the youngest artist to be admitted to the French Salon: he was
17. However, his studies in Paris were cut short by the start of World War I, so he returned to Utah where he finished high school and continued modeling in clay.
His first major commission was with his brother, J. Leo, to work on the statuary and friezes of the LDS Hawaii Temple. In 1918, he attended the University of Utah. Then, at the end of World War I, he was commissioned to do a war memorial called Victorious American Doughboy for the state of Idaho. This commission led to other commissions and to a teaching position at the University of Oregon. Among his other commissions were the Ninety-first Division Monument, Pioneer Family, Pony Express, and four marble busts of Abraham Lincoln. In 1925, he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Yale and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to study art in Rome and Florence the following year. His Mother and Child was sculpted during this period. He became a member of the faculty at the University of Michigans Institute of Fine Arts in 1929 and while there, earned a Master of Fine Arts and also a Ph.D. in anatomical science. Fairbanks always spent time researching his intended subjects to find background information that allowed him to include accurate details. For example, Fairbanks studied historical details of Lincolns life as well as the presidents life mask in order to portray him accurately. The anatomical studies he had done in college helped him make his figures very accurate. In 1947, he returned to Salt Lake City with his family and was appointed Dean at the University of Utah where he was given the responsibility of 40
organizing a college of Fine Arts. Considered an innovative and effective teacher, Fairbanks was, nevertheless, an arch-conservative artist. That conservatism resulted in departmental conflict as modernist teachers were hired but also resulted in a new generation of academically trained realist sculptors. Among Fairbanks most successful students were Ed Fraughton, Justin Fairbanks (his son), Alice Morrey Bailey, Grant Speed, and Clark Bronson. Retiring as Dean of the College of Fine Arts in 1955, Fairbanks taught for another ten years. He continued to produce sculpture and to criticize modern abstractionism until he died at age 90 in 1987. Avard Fairbanks believed art should be simple and understandable, not only to the educated and technically trained, but also to children and the untutored. He believed art should be uplifting and represent the finer qualities of life to all men and women. He received numerous important commissions and honors throughout his career. In addition to his religious sculptures, small and large bronzes, marble carvings, medals, and relief panels, Fairbanks created hood ornaments for Chrysler Motor Co. He had been asked to design a hood ornament for the Plymouth, and had designed a mermaid, which was approved. After approval of his mermaid design, Fairbanks was asked to design an ornament for the Dodge car. The design he came up with was a ram. When management from Chrysler came to see the design, they asked Fairbanks what a ram had to do with Dodge. Fairbanks replied that a ram was sure-footed, king of the trail and wont be challenged by anything. Then, humorously, he added, that if you were on a trail and a ram was charging you, youd think dodge! He got the commission. Activity: Divide the class into four groups. Have two groups choose Shauna Cook Clingers painting Prayers and two groups choose Nnamdi Okonkwos sculpture Repentant Magdalene. Have each group take a side as whether the nude figure adds to the symbolic meaning of the artwork or if the meaning could
be conveyed without a nude figure; then debate. Some questions to think about: Prayers: Does knowing that the Clinger painting is a self-portrait add to the symbolism? What impact do the fully clothed figures in contrast tot he nude have on the symbolism of the painting? Look closely at the body positions of the figures in the painting. Do they have a role in the meaning of the painting? Repentant Magdalene: What is the Christian Biblical story behind this sculpture? (look up Mary Magdalene on the internet for the story). Why would Okonkwo depict her nude? How does her pose add to the symbolism of the sculpture? How would the symbolism and impact of the piece change if there were color added to the bronze? Have the class vote on who won each debate and why. Background information from the Springville Museum of Art (www.sma.nebo.edu) Shauna Cook Clinger (1954- ) Salt Lake City, Utah Shauna Cook Clinger was born on July 7, 1954, in Salt Lake City, Utah. She began her artistic training under Harold Peterson. She was awarded a four-year Presidential Scholarship at the University of Utah, and while there, she studied under Doug Snow and Alvin Gittins. She graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1976. After graduation from the university, Clinger continued her studies with William Whitaker at Brigham Young University from 19781979. Clinger has had many one-woman shows and group showings. One such show was at the Kimball Art Center in Park City, Utah. The show was titled, Seven Realists. Her works also can be seen at the University of Utah Medical Center and at Utah State University. She has won awards for her paintings such as Best of Show at the Utah State Fair.
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And, in the Fall of 1992, one of her paintings was shown at the National Museum for Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. Her work is described as having a sense of strength, sensitivity and quiet dignity. Clinger has much experience as a portrait artist, and she focuses on and pays attention to the human form. Her paintings also have the characteristic of vibrant color and demonstrate her proficiency with oils. Clingers first love is the human form. She believes the body is an embodiment of the spirit. In her work entitled The Prayers, Clingers theme is transformation. The person portrayed in this work is Clinger herself. She is undergoing transformation, both literally and metaphorically, as seen in the four panels, or stages, of the work. Prayer, for Clinger, is a personal thing and a way an individual can express his or her hopes and desires. Clingers desire with this painting, as well as with all her works of art, is to be able to speak to all viewers on different levels. In fact, Clinger believes art is a mirror, and in looking at a work, viewers should be able to learn something about themselves. Nnamdi Okonkwo (1965- ) Orem, Utah Nnamdi Okonkwo was born in Eastern Nigeria in 1965. He is the first of three sons and currently reside in Orem, Utah with his wife Deidra, son Jacob, and daughter Nkechi. The rest of his family is still in Nigeria . As far back as Okonkwo can remember he has always been drawn to art, especially drawing. It wasnt until he was about 17 years of age that he realized that his artistic sensibilities were best expressed in the three dimensional art of sculpture. Around this same time he was introduced to basketball, which suited him well as he am six feet nine inches tall. Later, after obtaining a Higher National Diploma (equivalent to a Bachelor Degree) in painting in Nigeria, bas-
ketball became the avenue for him to come to the United States . He was recruited by BYU-Hawaii where he played from 1989-1993, and graduated with a BFA in Sculpture. Immediately after that, he enrolled in the graduate program at BYU-Provo where he received an MFA degree in sculpture in 1997. While going to school in Provo, he met and married his wife, Deidra, who is from Idaho and graduated in 1996 with a Master of Accountancy. He now works full time out of his studio in Orem. Assessment: Have the students write a synopsis of their own opinion about the debate and whether their opinion changed or stayed the same after the debate. This not only helps assess whether the students took part in the activity and understood the learning goals, but it also allows the student to express his or her own opinion regardless of what side they took in the debate. Extension: You can extend the lesson to talk about how nudes in art are not only symbolic, they can be used to tell a story. Below are three images that use nudes to tell a story. All the stories are Christian in nature and can be looked up on the internet. Other art that uses nudes to tell a story: Trevor Southey, Eden Farm (1976) Trevor Southey, Pieta (1983) Mahonri Young, Adam Sources: Blair, Lorrie, Strategies for Dealing with Censorship. Art Education, September 1996 Braithwaite, Arlene, The Rodin Show Reflects a Male Gaze. Letter to the editor, University Journal, Southern Utah University, November 7, 1997. Campbell, Rebecca, Controversy in Education: A Case in Point. Utah Museum Association, 1997. 42
Trevor Southey, Pieta (1983) SMA Cannon, Ann, Nude and Naked: The Difference is More than Skin Deep. Deseret News, Nochlin, Linda, Eroticism and Female Imagery in Nineteenth-Century Art, Women, Art, and November 2, 1997. Power, and Other Essays, Harper & Row, 1988 Clark, Kenneth, The Nude, a Study in Ideal Form, OBrien, Joan, Still Moving the Nudes. Salt Lake Doubleday Anchor Books, 1972 Tribune, October 17, 1997 Cole, Kelleigh and Kristen Sonne, 200 BYU Students Protest. The Daily Universe, Brigham Potempa, Ann, Finding Art in the Nude Form. The Daily Herald, November 21, 1997. Young University, October 31, 1997. Duncan, Carol, Virility and Domination in Early Twentieth-Century Vanguard Painting, Feminism and Art History: Questioning the Litany, Harper & Row, 1982. Ross, Aden, A Brief History of Nudity in Utah. Lecture given at the Salt Lake Art Center, November 6, 1997
South, Will, Making Waves: Controversial Art in Fehr, Dennis Earl, Dogs Playing Cards: Utah Exhibition Catalog, Salt Lake Art Center, Powerborkers of Prejudice in Education, Art and Salt Lake City, UT Culture. Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 1993. South, Will, Nudity versus Lewdity - The Garrard, Mary D., Artemisia and Susanna, Denuded Figure in Art. The Arts Magazine, Feminism and Art History: Questioning the June 1993. Litany, Harper & Row, 1982 Nicholson, Claudia J., Teaching in the Curatorial Wake. The Docent Educator, Spring 1997. 43
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Objectives: Students will learn about George Segal and figure sculpture by creating a Segal-like sculpture out of packaging tape. They will choose a pose that best expresses the high school experience and display it in their school. State Core Standards: Standard 1 Making Experience and control a variety of art media Create expressive sculptures using art elements and principles Standard 2 Perceiving Interpret sculptures Standard 3 Expressing Identify subject matter, metaphor, themes, and content in sculpture. Materials: Packaging tape (about 3-5 rolls per model) Scissors, or letter openers, or bandage cutters George Segal images, including The Holocaust and Abraham and Isaac Images of Duane Hansons work (or other figure sculptors: Antony Gormley, Magdalena Abakanowicz) Vocabulary: Installation art Pop art Ideal figure Outline of lesson procedure: Day 1 Art History: Introduce George Segal and Pop art. What is it that makes his art unique? Expressive? 45
How is it Pop art? Show them Segals procedure through powerpoint. Demo how to make a tape version of Segal sculpture demo on a students arm (see Tape sculpture process). Explain the assignment and have students group themselves in teams of three. They need to discuss possible poses they want, make a list of 15 ideas pick five to write an explanation of how that pose would express the high school culture.
http://www.chgs.umn.edu/Visual___Artistic_Resources/ Public_Holocaust_Memorials/public_holocaust_memorials.html
Day 2 Art Criticism: Show the class an image of The Holocaust by Segal. Use the Feldman model to do criticism on it (journal entry). Discuss it as a class. Rest of class time to start taping their model.
Day 3 Art Criticism: Show Segals Abraham and Isaac and sk students to discuss. Explain the background of the sculpture and the Kent State shootings. Ask: Is the sculpture appropriate? (journal entry) Use rest of class time to continue working on tape figures. Images and information: http://speccoll.library.kent.edu/4may70/exhibit/ memorials/segal.html George Segal, Sculptor: There is a strong connection in my mind between the image of Abraham and Isaac and the killings at Kent State Segal explains. Its an attempt to introduce difficult moral and ethical questions as to how older people should behave toward their children. Segal sees the May 4 incident as a genuine tragedy in that both sides were well meaning, each convinced of its own point of view and unable to see the others. Day 4 Aesthetics: Discussion on the concept of the ideal figure. (journal entry) Should there be an ideal figure? What is our societys concept of the ideal figure? What was it 20 years ago? What about other eras? What can we learn from this? Show images of ideal figures from different time periods. Rest of class time to continue working on tape sculptures. Day 5 Introduce Duane Hansons figure sculptures. Discuss his work. Compare and contrast Segals work and Hansons work. (journal entry) Rest of class time to work on tape sculptures. Day 6 Continue as needed until class is ready to install the sculptures. Teams must fill out an evaluation form and explain the meaning of their pose. If time permits, address the issue of art materials. Aesthetics: What are legitimate materials for art? Show some of Tom Friedmans work (sculptures made of toothpicks, straws, construction paper, etc), or Marc Quinns self-portraits in his own blood and
Tape sculpture process: Wrap a section of the models body with tape, first a couple of layers of sticky side out, then a couple of layers of sticky side down.
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Tip# 1. Dont pull hard when you are wrapping you could easily cut the circulation off to limbs.
Tip# 2. Plan before starting, so you know what sections your pose will need the smallest number of separate sections is best.
Tip # 3. When doing the head, leave either the nose or mouth uncovered, and cover it up with tape after it is off the models head.
Tip# 4. Anything the model is uncomfortable having someone else tape, the model can tape first and then classmates can tape the rest. 47
Once you are done doing a section, cut it off with scissors, making the fewest cuts possible that will allow you to get the taped section off.
Tape the seam(s) back together with the same packaging tape.
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Evaluation strategies: 1) Teams turn in a paper with list of 15 ideas and explanation for five of them. 2) Journal entries (scored in journal rubric) 3) Sculpture rubric with categories of: Expression of idea (5 pts) Proportions and form (5 pts) Craftsmanship (5 pts) Effort (15 pts) Extensions or adaptations: 1) Use plaster bandages (just like Segal) and do body parts (faces, arms, legs, etc.) instead of the full figure. Could maybe make relief sculptures like Segals with them. 2) Watch Segal video George Segal: an American Still Life (from pbs) 3) Address installation art more in depth. Use other installation artists as examples (like Sandy Skoglund and Ann Hamilton) 4) Compare Segals work with sculptor Antony Gormley or Magdalena Abakanowicz. Antony Gormley www.antonygormley.com Magdalena Abakanowicz http://www.abakanowicz.art.pl/ Resources: www.artsandactivities.com/Page/Article0505b.html www.xmarkjenkinsx.com/tapesculpture.html
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VOCABULARY analytic cubism anti-anti-essentialism anti-essentialism essentialism expressionism modernism postmodernism realism
RESOURCES AND MATERIALS Teacher Battin puzzle of Picassos Portrait, handouts of the Anderson Model of Criticism, packets of philosopher handouts, five very different portraits for aesthetic activity, computer with Photoshop, scanner ARTISTS TO KNOW / WORKS TO KNOW Rembrandt (any self-portrait) Vincent Van Gogh (any self-portrait) Pablo Picasso (any cubist self-portrait) Chuck Close Self-Portrait, 1991. Any of the artists whose works are included in the Portraits section of the disc Theme Motivation Present Battins puzzle of Picassos portrait of Francoise Gilot as a flower. Show a photograph of Francoise and/or how different artists have portrayed her. Students then bring in objects, pictures, or works from magazines to create a psychological self-portrait using collage. Find photos of Gilot at: http://www.panopt.com/photogra/mack/gilotthumbsum1.html
INSTRUCTION VISUAL CULTURE MOTIVATION: 1. Have students bring in a picture or portrait of any individual from contemporary culture that represents how he or she would want to portray him or herself. (Not an art image, just a picture from a magazine, newspaper, movie poster, and so on). LEARNING TASK: 2. Discuss why they picked who they did, and what the picture says about the person to the viewer. 3. List on the board what we perceive about others based on how they are depicted pin pictures. ART HISTORY MOTIVATION: 4. BLIND DATED GAME: Set up portraits from art history and have the class analyze how successful a dated when between the two individuals. Ask the students where the couple would go, what they would do, what would they talk about, who would pay, and so on, using only the visual clues from the portraits.
Peggy Battins puzzle can be found in Puzzles About Art, a volume of case-puzzles in aesthetics, By Margeret Battin, John Fisher, and Ron Moore (St. Martins Press, 1989) Or, create your own aesthetics puzzle about portraiture and what does or does not constitute representation of an individual.
Compare these two images: La Femme-Fleur, by Picasso (A paintng of Francoise Gilot), and Self Portrait in Riviera, by Francoise Gilot. www.popartuk.com/art/ and www.gallerym.com/ Educational use
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ART PRODUCTION LEARNING TASK: 11. In any medium, have the students create either an Expressionistic self-portrait or a Cubist self-portrait. ART CRITICISM LEARNING TASK: 12. Give the students a handout on the Anderson Model of Criticism, and as a class goes through the steps looking at a contemporary digital self-portrait of Chuck Close. Have the students take turns writing the class responses to each step of the model on the board or flip chart. ART PRODUCTION LEARNING TASK: 13. Students create a contemporary self-portrait through either option listed below: a. Photoshop distortion: Students scan in an image and distort it. Then, they can use this as a guide to compose a painting or drawing, or fine tune it and turn it in as computer art. *If there are no computers available for class use, then the teacher could distort the portraits of each student differently, and give the distorted images as guides for further studio work. b. Composing using randomness: Students bring in ten small color copies of each of three to five different pictures of themselves. Trim some of them to the outline of the students face or figure, leave the others with the background. Using a small grid, pick one picture, roll a dieif the number is even, glue it down, if odd, omit the picture and skip to the next square. Continue with all of the pieces, overlapping when needed. Then, choose a small 2 x 2 square of the grid that represents a self-portrait of the student, and enlarge that section for display and inclusion in the portfolio. 53
LEARNING TASK: 5. Using a Rembrandt self-portrait, explain why and how artists used Realism. 6. Or, use Gary Smiths self-portrait from the packet ART PRODUCTION LEARNING TASK: 7. In any medium, have the students create a realistic self-portrait. ART HISTORY LEARNING TASK: 8. Using a Van Gogh self-portrait and Lee Bennions Self in Studio, move into why artists became more Expressionistic. 9. Then, with a Picasso self-portrait, show how art paralleled what was happening in society at that time and discuss the development of Cubism. 10. Or, using Howard Kearns Self-Portrait, examine how the Dirty Thirties style related to American Society during the Great Depression.
AESTHETICS MOTIVATION: 14. PORTRAIT OF A PATRON: Tell the students that they have sent their picture out to five different artists, and this is what they received back as proposals (show five very different portraits). Who would they hire for the job and why? 15. Looking at their packets of philosophers, students decide which portrait each philosopher would choose (see Special Instructions).
Students are given a packet with one-page outlines or summaries of the following philosophers; Plato, Epicurus, and Clive Bell. ADAPTATIONS Students with physical disabilities could create paintings or drawings using colors that they like or think represent themselves. Other students could help them cut images out of magazines and/or create a found-object, self-portrait sculpture. Or, these students could also create a large self-portrait by lying down on the floor and having someone trace their outline on large paper. Students can then paint or color this self-portrait. Or, have someone help the students take photo-copies of themselves. They can color one, add, stamps to it, combine several, or if they cannot operate scissors, they could direct another student how to combine the photocopies. EXTENSIONS: Going back to the theme motivation, students could create a portrait of a class member that would be compared to how that student portrayed himself or herself. Show the class both pieces and ask which is a better representation of the student. Ask students to compare the ideas of a self-view and an outsiders viewwhat is the relative worth of each? INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS English Students write in their journals, write paragraphs after each studio piece, and write an aesthetics paper at the conclusion of the lesson.
LEARNING TASK: 16. Discuss whether any form of self-expression is art, addressing main ideas within What is Art? 17. Ask the students to reflect on their piece, and decide whether or not contemporary methods (i.e. computer art or digital manipulation) can produce just as legitimate works of art as the traditional, historical methods (i.e. painting, drawing, and sculpting). SPECIAL INSTRUCITONS:
ASSESSMENT -Students write in their journals a brief summary of the issues discussed and how they feel about the reasons listed on the board in the class discussion. Checked off in their journals. 54
-Students list three reasons in their journals, two pros and two cons for making portraits realistic. Checked off in their journals. -Students list three reasons why artists use abstract methods like Expressionism and Cubism for self-portraits. Checked off in their journals. -Students will compile a mini-portfolio throughout the lesson. They must write reaction paragraphs to each work, dealing with how they incorporated the style and whether they felt it was an accurate representation of them. The portfolio will be graded at the completion of the lesson using points for the inclusion of specific elements, and a holistic rubric for the overall process and quality of the work. -In the criticism discussion, each student must write something about his or her initial reaction, analysis, personal interpretation, contextual examination, synthesis, or judgment of Chuck Closes self-portrait. Checked off for participation. -Give each student a worksheet with a philosophers name. Have them write what portrait that philosopher would choose and a reason why. They can work in groups. ASSESSMENT -Students write a one-page paper of their experiences representing themselves, including a conclusion as to which method proved more effective for their self-portrait. They should respond to the question of whether this experience changed their opinions of the legitimacy of digital media and techniques.
Bruce D. Robertson, Rosa (1994)
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Fashion
Introduction In this lesson students will explore all the disciplines of art through the theme of fashion. In aesthetics, students will discuss and explore artistic creation. In art history, students will observe various artists and artworks which show a dependence on the fashion of clothing in the artwork and will also examine some of the fashion designs of todays top high fashion designers. In criticism, students will explore a new way of critiquing through fashion design. Students will create their own criticism model for fashion with all the components they find most important. Students will look at the visual culture of runway fashion and compare it to the clothing worn by stars and worn by students in their own school. In studio, students will have the opportunity to design and create a conceptual work of art that is a piece of clothing. The ideas covered in this lesson are appropriate for this high-school age because the lesson allows for self-expression through a medium that students usually use because they observe it repeatedly in the media. Students are able to conceptualize ideas and gain insight into their personal judgments about fashion and how much control those ideas will have on how they express themselves through clothing.
Objectives AestheticsStudents will be able to: Cdescribe aspects of artistic creation Sanalyze the concept of creativity as seen in fashion Ajudge the artistic merit of fakes/forgeries, repair work, and additive works in art and fashion Art HistoryStudents will be able to: Cfind evidence of fashion being used for communication in art Sexamine a famous designer and interpret his/her motive in design Ajudge popular fashion on a personal level Art CriticismStudents will be able to: Crecall the important aspects of a basic criticism model, like the Anderson model Smake a new criticism model geared for fashion design Ajustify judgment through application of using fashion model of criticism on each others work StudioStudents will be able to: Coutline a conceptual idea to be used in designing an article of clothing Screate conceptual article of clothing using various mediums and techniques Aexpress conceptual intent through class fashion show. Visual CultureStudents will be able to: Crecognize what factors and which people influence fashion Sanalyze the effects high fashion has on the clothing that the majority of society actually wears. A-determine personal reasons for following fashion trends or abstaining from them
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Resources/ Materials Teacher: information on artistic creation imposter clothing Images of Maynard Dixons Forgotten Man, the Greek Nike of Samothrace works done by famous designers Prada, Calvin Klein, Versache paper dolls and outfits crazy outfit clips from runway modeling and from everyday fashion in magazines and on pop stars. Student: Sketchbooks any materials needed to carry out conceptual clothing design, obtain if not in classroom.
Skills Expanding viewpointA,VC Formulating questionsA,AH Reflecting main ideasAH DiscussingAH,VC,A CreatingC,S Structuring, analyzingC OutliningS ConceptualizingS SolvingS,A ObservingVC,AH JudgingVC,A,AH
Vocabulary Concepts Artistic creationA Clothing in artAH Maynard Dixon, Nike of Samothrace, famous designers such as Prada, Versache, Calvin KleinAH Model of criticism for fashion designC Make a conceptual article of clothingS Who sets fashion?VC High fashion (runway), artistic clothingVC 60
Theme Motivation: Fashion Before class starts select a few students in the class to help you with a small fashion show. The classroom should be set up with music and a small runway. These students only need to walk down the runway to the music wearing the clothes that they wore to school that day. The teacher should be the narrator for the models. The narrator should compare much of what the students are wearing to these they see entertainers or designers wearing. This will be making the point that much of what these students are wearing was decided by those who are seen in the media all the time. An example would be to say that the student is wearing something that looks like it couldve come out of Britney Spears closet. After the fashion show, continue to discuss how stars, name brands, and certain events like war can cause a change or decide how fashion will go. Discuss how fashion can make the person. Does one have to be in style in order to be somebody socially? How do students feel about these ideas? Ask students what styles have changed through the students lifetimes, and in what ways have they changed, and what may be some reasons for the changes?
1) Do theme motivation.
INSTRUCTION
2) Show various runway fashion clips and allow students to state opinions on many of the designs. What do students feel the designer is trying to do with his/her designs? Discuss what the more artistic aspects of the designs in high fashion runway shows are. Have students try to identify connections between these designs and the designs they find in the clothing that they wear everyday. Or the designs that are more popular to the public than the rich and famous. Why is fashion important to students and why is it important to the rich and famous? Are the reasons the same, what are some differences? Do the rich and famous seem to be more expressive in what they wear?-VC 3) Do motivation #1. Follow with a discussion of how fashion is used to communicate in art certain feelings or ideas. Show Maynard Dixons Forgotten Man. Discuss what the students see being portrayed in this painting. Ask the students what effect the mans clothing have on the meaning and ambiance of the painting. Discuss how Maynard Dixon painted this painting during the great depression and was making comments about this time period. Now what do the students see in the clothing? The mans clothing in the painting is torn and faded and holes are in his shoes. The people walking behind the man are wearing the latest fashions and the movement in the lines and clothing show a fast-paced
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life. The forgotten man is sitting and his clothes are dull and lifeless fashion that has been forgotten. Discuss all aspects of clothing in this painting and whether Dixon used fashion and clothing successfully to futher express his conceptual idea.-AH 4) Show the greek sculpture the Nike of Samathrice. Many aspects of clothing can be discussed through this sculpture. Discuss the meaning of Nike, victory, and how the clothing is used to further portray this idea. How does the movement in the clothing work for the piece. How is the clothing worn and how is this greek style still used in todays design. Discuss importance of movement in clothing today. What different types of clothes are used for different activities. Discuss how the Nike logo uses the idea of the Nike of samathrice to portray movement and victory in all of their products. -AH 5) Discuss how texture in clothing appeals to people by passing aroudn swatches of various types of fabric. Silk, wool, burlap, cotton, rayon, latex, and vinel can be included. Discuss what moods or feelings are portrayed or recieved by touching these different materials. Are some more appealing to wear or look at then others. Discuss the importance of durability or maliability in many clothing designs.-AH 6) Discuss and show examples of famous designers such as Prada, Versache, Calvin Klein, and even Jennifer Lopez.
-participation points
Can you identify either of the designers whose work is shown below? library.thinkquest. org/05aug/00370/southamericandesigners.html
INSTRUCTION (cont.)Discuss how the fashions of these designers differ and are similiar. What seems to be the audience these designers are playing to? Discuss if some designers seem to be more artistic and designing conceptually or just for the masses? Have students write a one page paper on their favorite designer, whatever brand name they usually wear or would like to wear. Have them express why they love this designer and how this designers clothing expresses the type of people the students are.-AH 7) Do motivation #2 8) As a class use some of the criteria that students found important to a fashion design to create an original criticism model based for fashion. This model can be recorded on the front board and in the students sketchbooks. Students can also do this alone without the rest of the class so many of the models will be different. Discuss what might be examples of steps. Criteria might include the cut, color, and texture of the design. The models should include steps and discriptions of steps like the anderson model exemplified.-C
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9) Have students choose a high fashion designer to study and research. A profile of the artist and ideas on their designs should be added into a paper written on the designer. Each research project should include pictures of the designers work or sketches if picture copies are not available. Any information that the designer offers up as to the intent of their work should be included as well.-AH 10) Do motivation #3-Discuss what is creativity? Talkabout creativity being confluent and having many aspects to it. Further discuss fakes and forgeries and discuss if creativity is lost when it is just reproduced or knocked off as an original. Can an artist reproduce an old work as an original if the concept is different? Ask students to define what they think is creativity in their sketchbooks. Then discuss as a class creativity. How can someone work on being more creative.-A 11) Discuss the terms forgery, additive process, and repair processes in accordance to fashion. Have students raise their hands if they have ever had a tear or a rip in their clothes and then there mother fixed it. Ask if it is still considered the original designers work even though it came apart and was fixed by someone else. Does it lose some of its value? Many times people buy something with the intent to alter it, can it be passed off as their own personal design or does the majority of the credit go to the first designer even if the addition made the design much better? Many knock off brands are sold on the streets of many major cities and people buy them with the intent to fool those around them. Why is an imposter piece less valuable even if it is the same design out of the same materials?-A 12) Discuss the aspect of using clothing to express conceptual ideas rather than to just wear to be covered. Why would clothing be a good way of expression?-VC 13) Do motivation#4-follow by asking students to brainstorm a concept or issue they would like to explore and express through an article of clothing. Students should come up with at least three different ideas and should sketch the idea in their sketchbook along with a small summary of concept and materials used in making the article of clothing. It should be added that if the materials cannot be found in the classroom the students will be responsible for getting the material. Any of this can be discussed with the teacher as well. When students design the piece they should consider the fashion
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INSTRUCTION
creative like high fashion designs. It should be stated that accessesories are also ok to be designed. This might be more desired by the boys, but either sex should have fun creating a artistic peice of clothing for high fashion. Discuss the term haute-coutour with the students and how fashion made to be displayed on the catwalk is almost like a museum and seems more artistic. Their work should be made for haute-coutour. All of the descriptions should be written in sketchbooks. These discriptions should include description of design or cut and materials used a long with concept or issue intended to be addressed. Later this information should be transfered to a notecard later to be used for a class fashion show.-S 14)Have students decide how to set the room up like a catwalk with runway and lights and all. They should decide the best place for the audience to sit and the commontator to be placed, and music should also be selected. Each student should model his or her own work for the show unless the design is intended for a certain type. In that case, they can ask for a standin for their work, for example if a boy designed a female piece of clothing or vice versa. A teacher or student can be the commontator for the works and read off the notecards what each designer wanted to be said. After the fashion show, discuss the creativity level among the different designs. The critiques of the works should be done with the ideas from the fashion criticism model that was created earlier.-S,VC,A,C
Assessment -finished design will be place in portfolio and will be graded with a growing tree assessment.
-students should do the formative assessment complex teaching (teaching tool #1 in resources)
Special Instructions
Motivation#1-Teacher should hand out sets of paper dolls complete with a varying wardrobe. A set should be given to groups of four or table groups. The group should take turns changing the outfit of the doll. A boy and a girl doll should be given to each group with both girl and boy clothes. Past fashions and present, plus accessories should be included. As the students explore the outfits they should observe the differences it makes to the mood the doll is portraying. Do some outfit portray a certain idea or feeling? Ask students to take out a notecard and write down what they wore that day and a description of why they wore it. Did they feel it expressed the mood they were in or is it what they always wear on tuesdays? Whatever the reason have it stated.-AH Motivation#2-Teacher should put on a crazy or ugly outfit. Students should evaluate the outfit and its intent critically. Students should ask questions about the outfit and make observations. Discuss what aspects of fashion are important to critique. The students should come up with some basic aspects that are important to make a fashion piece successful for whatever its purpose is.
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Motivation#3-The teacher should bring in or wear an imposter piece of clothing. This piece of clothing can really be imposter or just said to be imposter. Teacher should tell the students that it is designed by a famous designer and then ask students to pin a price or value to the article of clothing. After various values were put on the piece then tell the students that the piece is a forgery or a fake or a reproduction of the famous work. After the students know this information ask them now what value they pin to the piece. Ask if value should be found in a name or a piece of work. Motivation#4-Give examples of conceptual clothing that either other students or designers have created. An example would be making a T-shirt out of tea bags. The concept can be tongue in cheek or very serious. Perhaps making shoes out of water balloons or out of glass to play with phrases like walking on water or broken glass. Maybe a social issue like racism can be addressed by a muti-colored vest or hat.
Multiple Intelligences
Adaptation Students who use english as a second language must be assessed every day as to their understanding of the concepts and projects. Use translation if needed, but extra visuals should be used for representation if translation isnt an option. Have other students help them along as well so the teacher doesnt have to spend constent time with them. Extension Push talented students to do more extensive research on their designers. If finished early have them work on the fashion show or help other students develop conceptual ideas. They may even extend their own idea with assessories that also express their concept.
Left, dresses made of feathers by Jenni Dutton www.jennidutton.com/index. html Right, The Souper dress www.worldcollectorsnet.com/ magazine/issue31/iss31p6. html
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www.wesleyan.edu/east/mansfieldf/exhibitions/faces.html
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Definitions: Metaphor: any comparison between/among objects/ ideas which might not normally be compared (Most other figures of speech are essentially some kind of metaphor.) Simile: a stated comparison, typified by the presence of the words like or as Personification: a comparison in which non-human objects/ideas are given human attributes (Even body partseyes, ears, nose, arms, legsmay be given other human attributes normally reserved for the whole human figure.) Hyperbole: an exaggeration of a quality/object/idea; also called overstatement Understatement: presenting a situation/object/quality/idea as less than it really is Process: Present several examples of quality character description. Ask for images created in the minds of the readers/listeners through the description. Help students draw conclusions about what stands out and why. Point out particular instances of figurative language. Help students create examples of what theyve seen/heard by brainstorming in whole-class discussion, using visual models: photographs, portraits, paintings, etc. Invite students to create figures of speech from prominent physical features in small groups. Have students volunteer those who have created outstanding examples to share them aloud. Challenge students to individually experiment with figures of speech from a photo, painting, portrait, etc. of their choosing. They may do beyond physical description to include descriptions of what characters say, do, and think. Also, they may include what others say about and do in reaction to the target character. This helps in painting the complete picture through character description.
Extensions: Select songs which include strong description. Play these as models for student reaction/experimentation. For those who do wish to draw, sketch, paint, etc., another approach is to present a written description and have students draw their vision of what they see/hear. Description is especially prominent in written visions of the natural world. Places also have character which begs to be presented in writing as well as in scenery paintings/drawings.
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Howard L. Kearns
Born in Springville, Utah, in 1907, Howard La Salle Kearns entered this world in the usual way. He was the fourth child of his parents, William H. and Loretta Chase Kearns, and grew up with expectations of a great future. To the bewilderment of his mother and disappointment of his father, Howard proved to have a strong creative drive, leading him towards artistic and musical endeavors. Despite the fact that Howards father expected him to become a successful businessman, Howard continued to develop his artistic talents. At the age of 12 Howard began painting and taking piano lessons. While still in high school, Kearns got a job at the Villa, a local cinema, playing the piano for five dollars a week. In 1925, he went on to play the organ accompaniment to silent films and vaudeville programs for $45 a week. Initially, this may have proven to be a good career choice for Howard, but after the movie industry created audio to go with their videos, he was no longer needed for the job. He decided to 69 move in with his older sister, Ella, and her family, in San Francisco where he finally graduated from Mission High School. Kearns began his college career in Stockton, California, where he majored in music and art. Later he transferred to the
California School of Fine Arts, which is now called the San Francisco Art Institute. After receiving a scholarship to continue his education, Kearns transferred to Brigham Young University and studied for two years under Professor B.F. Larson. Howard ended his school quite abruptly in 1934 to organize a dance orchestra. During this time, he realized more than ever his intense drive to express himself through painting. His various jobs, including cooking at a sheep camp and various musical employments, were merely the means to make a living. His true love was painting. In 1940, Howards father died, and he moved in with his mother. Kearns lived a strange lifestyle, one that was not at all conducive to marriage and was especially hard on his health. His doctor had warned him for years not to stress himself out with all of his activities, but Howard never paid him any attention. After years of pushing himself beyond his physical limits, Kearns died of a cerebral hemorrhage at the Salt Lake Hospital in 1947 at the age of 40.
This was certainly no ordinary man. Howard L. Kearns was a very talented individual and lived an ideal artists life. He made his money by using his musical talents, including private piano and accordion lessons, and spent his quality time painting, equally adept in oil and watercolor. So strong was his urge to paint that he didnt care if his work sold, he just needed to express himself. When he felt his life was ending, he drove out of town, madly trying to finish one last painting before his death. As a Social Realist, Kearns paintings fit into the Dirty Thirties style, an American scene genre of the Depression Era. His technique included thin pigmentation, grayed-out color, simplified forms and interest in the working-class. His Self-Portrait is a classic example of the Dirty Thirties style: he has made no attempt to show himself as other than an ordinary man. However, the subtle coloration and lack of detail are enhanced by his sensitivity and together, his artistic skill and personal insight create an evocative self-portrait.
Joseph V. De Santis
Joseph V. De Santis was a talented sculptor, but he was better known as an actor who appeared in thousands of radio and television shows over a 60year career. In addition to his work in radio and television, De Santis also appeared on the stage and in films. When he was young, De Santis studied art and was apprenticed to a sculptor. Then in 1936 he began teaching sculpture at the Henry Street Settlement House and at the 92d Street Y, continuing to teach until 1940. Joe De Santis sculpted busts of a number of prominent people including one of the actor Walter Hampden as Cyrano de Bergerac, which is in the Hampden Memorial Library. Some of his work was shown in galleries at the 1939-40 Worlds Fair. Although he was working as an art teacher, De Santis had also been acting, first on an Italian
radio show and then in 1940, on Pepper Youngs Family. He was a regular in such series as Dick Tracy and The Goldbergs. He also became a television actor in 1940 and appeared in all the major live series that ran during the 1950s. He continued to play roles in long-running series including Bonanza, Gunsmoke, Perry Mason, Hawaii Five-o and many other shows. De Santis also worked on the stage and in film and as an acting teacher and dialect coach. He retired from acting at age 80, dying a few months later of chronic obstructive lung disease. http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/ nytarchive.html Accessed 3/11/06
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