artists and society curriculum

Education 2015-2016

Artists and Society Multiple Visit Program Teacher Guide

How to Use This Guide These materials provide additional context for what your students will experience when visiting the museum. Pre- and post-visit lessons target a variety of curricular areas including science, math, literacy, and visual art. They ask students to think critically and solve problems. Lesson plans are carefully aligned to provide either an entry into the conversations that will take place in the galleries, or further ideas that were constructed during time spent at the Blanton. We recommend that you teach them in order and within two weeks of your museum visits. You will notice that lessons vary in duration from thirty minutes to one hour, and many include extensions for both the classroom and home. Specific TEKS are outlined within each lesson plan and also on the Teaching Timeline. The timeline will help you quickly assess the content of all six lessons. The Artists and Society curriculum, both in the museum and classroom, is organized around three Social Studies related themes that build upon one another: traditions, identity, and social issues. The pre- and post-visit lessons have been written for Elementary, Middle, or High School students. TEKS are aligned to grades 3-8. Occasionally suggestions are included for scaffolding content to accommodate student needs. You are encouraged to adapt lessons to meet the needs of your students and to fit your teaching objectives. We welcome your feedback! Please get in touch to let us know how things went! We would love to see pictures of students at work or of completed projects. Don’t hesitate to share suggestions for how we can improve our teacher resource materials. Email us at [email protected]. Blanton Education For more information about education programs at the Blanton, including teacher resources, school programs, opportunities for families and public audiences, please visit our website: www.blantonmuseum.org. Support for K-12 education programs at the Blanton is provided by the Applied Materials Foundation, the Buena Vista Foundation, the CFP Foundation, the Burdine Johnson Foundation, the Lowe Foundation, and by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts.

Additional support is provided by The Brown Foundation, Inc. Education Endowment and the Burdine Johnson Foundation Education Endowment.

Artists and Society Grades: 3-8

Teaching Timeline Visit 1 Visit 2 Visit 3 Concept/s Art and Traditions Art and Identity Art and Social Issues

Subject Area/s

Pre: art, ELA, SS Post: art, ELA, SS



Lesson Pre: Artists’ Cards Post: Obscured Images

Pre: Iconography and Symbols in Art Post: Artists and Self-perception

Pre: Artists as Political Commentators Post: Artists and Photojournalism

Materials

Pre: Pencils Blank 3”x5” index cards Post: Images pulled from magazines Black sharpie markers

Pre: Drawing paper Pencils Post: Large sheets of heavy paper Pencils Chalk pastels in cups Plastic mirrors

Pre: Political cartoons Post: Photographs of current/recent events Large sheets of paper Scissors Glue

Focus Works of Art

for Pre-visit Lessons

Essential Question

Rembrandt Harmensz Van Rijn Self-Portrait Wearing a Soft Cap (The Three Mustaches) 17th century Etching

How have artists marketed their skills throughout history?

Giovanni dal Ponte Madonna and Child with Angels 15th century Painting

How do artists employ icons to assist with viewer interpretation?

Leopoldo Mendez Casateniente 1943 Wood engraving

How can artists use their work to bring attention to social or political issues?

Focus Works of Art

for Post-visit

Lessons

Essential Question

Glenn Ligon Untitled (Hands/Stranger in the Village) How does the juxtaposition of text and images facilitate, complicate, and/ or obscure meaning?

Mequitta Ahuja Parade 2007 Painting

How might a self-portrait embody the artist’s aspirations?

Richard Hamilton Kent State 1970 Screenprint

How can images impact our feelings about and understanding of an event

MVP

Artists and Society

Sequence

Pre Lesson for Museum Visit 1

Lesson Title

Artists’ Cards

Grade Level/s 3-8

Subject Area/s Art, English Language Arts

Duration 55 minutes

Essential Question

How have artists marketed their skills throughout history?

Abstract

Students will learn about the tradition of artists’ trade cards. They will create trade cards that reflect their own specials skills and talents, and share with classmates.

Focus Work of Art

Rembrandt Harmensz Van Rijn Self-Portrait Wearing a Soft Cap (The Three Mustaches) circa 1634 17th century 8.7 cm x 7.1 cm (3 7/16 in. x 2 13/16 in.)

TEKS Correlations

Art (3.b.1, 4.b.1, 5.b.1, 6.c.1, 7.c.1, 8.c.1) The student develops and organizes ideas from the environment. (3.b.2, 4.b.4, 5.b.4, 6.c.4, 7.c.4, 8.c.4) The student makes informed judgments about personal artworks and the artworks of others. English Language Arts (3.b.1, 4.b.1, 5.b.1, 6.b.26, 7.b.26, 8.b.26) The student listens actively and purposefully in a variety of settings. (3.b.29, 4.b.27, 5.b.27) The student listens and speaks both to gain and share knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. (3.b.23, 4.b.23, 5.b.23, 6.b.22) The student understands and interprets visual images, messages, and meanings. (3.b.24, 4.b.24, 5.b.24, 6.b.23) The student analyzes and critiques the significance of visual images, messages, and meanings. Social Studies 3.b.1, The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various communities. (3.b.3A) The student understands the concepts of time and chronology. (3.b.8A) The student understands how businesses operate in the U.S. free enterprise system. (3.b.18, 4.b.22, 5.b.25, 6.b.22, 7.b.22, 8.b.30) The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. (6.b.2B) The student understands the influences of individuals and groups from various cultures on various historical and contemporary societies. (6.b.17A) The student understands relationships that exist among world cultures.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to… 1. Discuss the tradition of trade cards. 2. Reflect on skills they might want to market. 3. Create calling cards.

Vocabulary

Etching: n. 1. the act or process of making designs or pictures on a metal plate, glass, etc., by the corrosive action of an acid instead of by a burin. 2. an impression, as on paper, taken from an etched plate. 3. the design so produced. Marketing: n. the activities, as advertising, packaging, and selling, involved in transferring goods from the producer to the consumer. Trade Card: n. small cards, similar to the visiting cards exchanged in social circles, that businesses would distribute to clients and potential customers. Trade cards first became popular at the beginning of the 17th century in London. These functioned as advertising and also as maps, directing the public to merchants' stores, as no formal street address numbering system existed at the time. The trade card is an early example of the modern business card. Some businesses began to create increasingly sophisticated designs, especially with the development of color printing. A few companies specialized in producing stock cards, usually with an image on one side and space on the other side for the business to add its own information. As the designs became more attractive and colorful, collecting trade cards became a popular hobby in the late 19th century, since color images were not yet widely available. In its original sense, the "trade" in trade card refers to its use by the proprietor of a business to announce his trade, or line of business. By moving into the realm of collecting, trade cards gave rise to the trading card, the meaning now shifting to the exchange or trade of cards by enthusiasts. Artist Trading Card: n. (or ATCs) are miniature works of art about the same size as modern trading cards baseball cards, or, small enough to fit inside standard card-collector pockets, sleeves or sheets. The ATC movement developed out of the mail art movement and has its origins in Switzerland. Cards are produced in various media, including dry media (pencils, pens, markers, etc.), wet media (watercolor, acrylic paints, etc.), paper media (in the form of collage, papercuts, found objects, etc.) or even metals or fiber. The cards are usually traded or exchanged.

Materials

Image: Self-Portrait Wearing a Soft Cap Pencils Blank 3”x5” index cards Colored pencils (optional) Sample business card (optional) Baseball or other trading card (optional)

Resources

http://collection.blantonmuseum.org (search: Rembrandt) Information on artists’ trading cards: http://www.atcsforall.com

About the

Artwork/Artist

Self-portraiture was at the core of Rembrandt’s art. His studies of his own appearance, unusual enough in number, in their play with guises, and in their variety of formats, transcend any convention in their visible probing of the self. In turn, they prepared a vocabulary to express the inner workings of other personalities and, more universally, the inclinations of the soul. Both the astonishing individuality and general humanity of Rembrandt’s personages arise from, and were rehearsed through, this activity. Rembrandt explored self-portraiture in sustained campaigns. The most intensive and experimental occurred among the late paintings and among the early etchings. Never formally published or reprinted, these prints were created for the artist’s own satisfaction and are therefore among his most rare. Here he presents himself in a rakish cap, ever sensitive but quite confident. It is the most direct and emotionally mature of the first campaign. The early self-portraits were no less experimental in technique. Their incredible spontaneity, economy, and of course size suggests the most intimate sketches. Along with some related portraits, these prints represent the most radical expression to date of the conceptual and procedural relation between etching and drawing. In this sense, they also predict Rembrandt’s accomplishments as the greatest master of etching.

Lesson Components

Introduction to artwork (10 minutes) Using the same strategy that students learn at the Blanton, invite them to silently LOOK at Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait Wearing a Soft Cap. Next, ask students to DESCRIBE what they see. After taking full inventory, students should move on to ANALYZING the artwork. [As facilitator, the teacher should link observations and descriptions to assist student analysis.] The dimensions of the actual artwork are very small- it is only about 4”x3,” or the size of a playing card. How does this change what you think about the etching? Does this demonstrate the artist’s skill more than if it were large? Rembrandt used this drawing and others like it as a way to demonstrate and market his abilities. Artists and merchants began using trade cards around the 17th century, which is the time this etching was made. These trade cards were the predecessors to today’s business cards. Finally, students should be asked to RELATE their discussion to their own lives. What tools do people and businesses use to market themselves today? (Business cards, Facebook, Twitter, and TV commercials might be suggested.) Tell students that they are going to think about what skills or attributes they would like to market and that they will make their own trade cards. Warm-up (5 minutes) Have students brainstorm, either individually or in pairs, using these questions:

1. Name some of your hobbies, or things that you like to do outside of school. 2. What things are you especially good at doing? 3. What are some special things about you that you would like to share with others? (Sense of humor,

good at spelling, fast runner, you love dogs, etc.) Activity (25 minutes) If available, show students examples of traditional calling cards and baseball cards.

1. Pass out 3”x5” index cards and pencils. Each student should receive between two and five index cards.

2. Students should write their full name at the bottom of the front side of each index card. 3. Using their reflections from the warm-up, ask students to start laying out what information will be

contained on the backside of each card. Will they include one piece of information per card? Or will they categorize the information on the cards? For example, one card might relate to school while another relates to hobbies or home life.

4. Once the information is determined, students should choose an image or images to draw on the front of the card. The image/s should correlate to the information on the reverse. For example, if the reverse is all about the student’s soccer skills, the front might have an image of a soccer ball or of the student playing soccer.

5. Students can color in their completed cards. 6. When all students have completed their cards, everyone should share in small groups (or whole

class).

Reflection (10 minutes) What was it like to make a calling card for yourself? How was your card different from Rembrandt’s? How was it similar? What qualities about your card are different from the traditional definition of a calling card?

Assessments

Assess student comprehension throughout the lesson by asking clarifying questions and checking for understanding.

In Class Extensions

Make photocopied sets of each student’s cards for the class to trade. Laminate one colored set of cards and use in the classroom to call on students randomly, for job boards, or to label names on desks and bulletin boards.

At Home Extensions

Invite students to ask family members to share what they would put on their artist cards. What skills would they want people to know about? Do they have achievements of which they are particularly proud?

MVP

Artists and Society

Sequence

Post Lesson for Museum Visit 2

Lesson Title

Obscured Images

Grade Level/s 3-8

Subject Area/s Art, English Language Arts, Social Studies

Duration 55 minutes

Essential Question

How does the juxtaposition of text and images facilitate, complicate, and/ or obscure meaning?

Abstract

Students will understand how text and image are representations of ideas, and that these ideas are illuminated or complicated depending on choices made by the person creating a work of art. They will participate in the construction of meaning using layers of text and image to convey a social message in their own artwork with inspiration from Glenn Ligon’s Untitled (Hands/Stranger in the Village).

Focus Work of Art

Glenn Ligon (New York, 1960 - ) Untitled (Hands/Stranger in the Village) 1999 103.5 cm x 114.8 cm (40 3/4 in. x 45 3/16 in.) Silkscreen, coal dust, and glue on paper mounted on linen

TEKS Correlations

Art (3.b.1, 4.b.1, 5.b.1, 6.c.1, 7.c.1, 8.c.1) The student develops and organizes ideas from the environment. (3.b.2, 4.b.4, 5.b.4, 6.c.4, 7.c.4, 8.c.4) The student makes informed judgments about personal artworks and the artworks of others. English Language Arts (3.b.1, 4.b.1, 5.b.1, 6.b.26, 7.b.26, 8.b.26) The student listens actively and purposefully in a variety of settings. (3.b.29, 4.b.27, 5.b.27) The student listens and speaks both to gain and share knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. (3.b.23, 4.b.23, 5.b.23, 6.b.22) The student understands and interprets visual images, messages, and meanings. (3.b.24, 4.b.24, 5.b.24, 6.b.23) The student analyzes and critiques the significance of visual images, messages, and meanings. Social Studies 3.b.1, The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various communities. (3.b.3A) The student understands the concepts of time and chronology. (3.b.18, 4.b.22, 5.b.25, 6.b.22, 7.b.22, 8.b.30) The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. (6.b.2B) The student understands the influences of individuals and groups from various cultures on various historical and contemporary societies. (3.b.19, 4.b.23, 5.b.26, 6.b.23, 7.b.23) The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working independently and with others, in a variety of settings. (5.b.21, 6.b.18, 8.b.26) The student understands the relationship between the arts and the times during which they were created. (7.b.17) The student understands the importance of the expression of different points of view in a democratic society (8.b.21) The student understands the importance of the expression of different points of view in a constitutional republic.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to… 1. Develop an awareness of representation and obscurity in social issues. 2. Discuss the complication or simplification of meaning through the use of layering text and images. 3. Learn about the appropriation of existing text or images to create works of art.

Vocabulary

Obscure Appropriation

Materials

Image: Untitled (Hands/Stranger in the Village) Images pulled from magazines (should be at least 1⁄2 page) Black sharpie markers Other mark-making options: Oil Crayons, Oil Pastels, acrylic paint To emulate coal dust: glue with colored sand, embossing powder, etc. (optional) To finish, spray with glue & water mix while hanging vertically (optional)

Resources

http://collection.blantonmuseum.org (search: Ligon) http://blantonmuseum.org/interact/itour/welcome.html http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/glenn-ligon http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/382949/Million-Man-March https://pantherfile.uwm.edu/gjay/www/Whiteness/STRANGER%20IN%20THE%20VILLAGE.pdf

About the

Artwork/Artist

Glenn Ligon has long investigated the relationship between image and text, race and identity. Untitled (Hands/Stranger in the Village) superimposes an excerpt from "Stranger in the Village," a 1953 essay by the African American writer James Baldwin, in which he reflects on the year he spent living in a small town in Switzerland, over a photograph taken during the Million Man March in Washington, DC in 1995. In Baldwin the artist found a writer who spoke directly to his own experience of isolation and displacement as the result of being both black and gay. Yet if Baldwin functions as a point of identification for the artist, the exact opposite is true of the Million Man March. Organized by Louis Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam, the Million Man March, with its emphasis on patriarchy and heterosexuality, served to secure the identity of black men while simultaneously assuring the invisibility of black women and gay black men. Ligon transferred the excerpt from "Stranger in the Village" to canvas using stencils and coal dust, a by-product used to sandblast buildings. In addition to a material, coal dust here functions as an allegory for racial prejudice, among other things. As the artist himself has said of coal dust, "I am drawn to it because of all the contradictory readings it engenders. Worthless. Waste. Black. Beautiful. Shiny. Reflective."

Lesson Components

Introduction to artwork (15 minutes) Display Glenn Ligon’s Untitled (Hands/Stranger in the Village) where all students can view. Ask students to describe what they see. Ask: Is anyone frustrated that it is difficult to know what is going on in this image? Why or why not? Discussion might focus on obscured lettering and what is represented in the background (image of hands raised in a protest). Text: taken from "Stranger in the Village," a 1953 essay by the African American writer James Baldwin, in which he reflects on the year he spent living in a small town in Switzerland and the isolation he felt while spending time somewhere that has no relationship with black Americans. Background Image: Taken at the Million Man March, in 1995. Its emphasis on patriarchy and heterosexuality served to secure the identity of black men while simultaneously assuring the invisibility of black women and gay black men. Explain that Glenn Ligon is a contemporary artist who is focused on social issues in American society. As a black gay man, Ligon could likely identify with the ideas from James Baldwin’s essay. The image partially visible beneath these letters shows a group who, in publicly asserting their own identity, likewise obscures the identity of those who are excluded from this group (in this case, black women and gay black men). What is the effect of layering illegible text on top of an image that only presents the perspective of a select group? Activity (35 minutes)

1. Students select a topic or social issue that is important to them. 2. Students choose a magazine image that represents (or counters) this concept. 3. Give students the responsibility of selecting a text that draws attention to their topic (it could be

a text currently read in class). Alternatively, students might choose to use their own writing as their text.

4. Using sharpie or other marking implement, students stencil their text over the top of the image, being selective of where letters overlap and obscure pieces of the image. Which parts of the image are most important to leave visible? Which should be covered? Note: This activity can be scaffolded to many grade levels and use many different materials. For younger students, teachers may wish to focus on the use of meaning and representation: How can you make a picture and words say something more loudly than they would say it alone? What image and text can you combine that say opposite things? With older students, teachers might choose to concentrate more heavily on the representation of social issues: What is and isn’t shown in the media? Who makes these choices? Where do we receive information about social issues? What is missing from these conversations and what is emphasized? Materials for this activity can range from those as simple as magazine images and sharpies, to as complex as stenciled lettering using acrylic paint sprinkled with “coal dust” (sand, glitter, dirt, etc) and secured with glue and water-based adhesive. Final products might also be mounted using glue or spray mount onto cardstock or heavyweight paper.

Reflection (5 minutes) Give students the opportunity to share their works with the class, explaining the social issue they represented. Discuss the decisions students made about textual placement. How did they choose to leave certain areas of their images uncovered and cover others? Did they layer certain words and make other words very obvious or large? Discuss as a class how their appropriations of images and usage of text to convey social images were successful or could have achieved more.

Assessments

Assess student comprehension throughout the lesson by asking clarifying questions and checking for understanding. Assess completed student work by asking students to articulate the rationale for what they obscured and what they left uncovered, and the words with which they used to do this.

Sample Outcomes

In Class Extensions

Show 16:13- 19:08 of Art 21 documentary about Glenn Ligon. http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/glenn-ligon This portion discusses Untitled (Hands/Strangers in the Village) and shows the artist explaining both the media used and his inspiration for the artwork. He also explains his fascination with text that is difficult to read; it is a vehicle that asks viewers to slow down in a fast paced world.

At Home Extensions

Ask students to work with their families to create poems from the spines of books they have at home. Books should be stacked in a way that when the spines are read as a poem, new meaning is created.

Attendees gathering in Washington, D.C., on October 16, 1995, to participate in the Million Man March.

Doug Mills/AP

MVP

Artists and Society

Sequence


Lesson Tit le

Iconography and Symbols in Art

Grade Level/s 3-8


Durat ion 30 minutes

Essential Question

How do artists employ icons to assist with viewer interpretation?

Abstract

Students will consider how artists use iconography and symbols to communicate large ideas. They will brainstorm and discuss popular symbols found in their daily lives.

Focus Work of Art

Giovanni dal Ponte Madonna and Child with Angels

15th century Painting

TEKS Correlat ions

Art (3.b.1, 4.b.1, 5.b.1, 6.c.1, 7.c.1, 8.c.1) The student develops and organizes ideas from the environment. (3.b.2, 4.b.4, 5.b.4, 6.c.4, 7.c.4, 8.c.4) The student makes informed judgments about personal artworks and the artworks of others. English Language Arts (3.b.1, 4.b.1, 5.b.1, 6.b.26, 7.b.26, 8.b.26) The student listens actively and purposefully in a variety of settings. (3.b.29, 4.b.27, 5.b.27) The student listens and speaks both to gain and share knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. (3.b.23, 4.b.23, 5.b.23, 6.b.22) The student understands and interprets visual images, messages, and meanings. (3.b.24, 4.b.24, 5.b.24, 6.b.23) The student analyzes and critiques the significance of visual images, messages, and meanings. Social Studies 3.b.1, The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various communities. (3.b.18, 4.b.22, 5.b.25, 6.b.22, 7.b.22, 8.b.30) The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. (6.b.2B) The student understands the influences of individuals and groups from various cultures on various historical and contemporary societies.

Learning Objectives

Student will be able to… 1. Articulate the importance of iconography in art, as well as the usage of icons and symbols in their

daily lives. 2. Identify and describe the meaning behind icons and symbols found in their daily lives.

Vocabulary

Iconography: n. the images or symbols relating to something 1. pictorial material relating to or illustrating a subject 2. the traditional or conventional images or symbols associated with a subject and especially a religious

or legendary subject 3. the imagery or symbolism of a work of art, an artist, or a body of art

Icon: n. a widely known symbol

Materia ls

Drawing paper Pencils

Resources

http://collection.blantonmuseum.org (search: “Giovanni dal Ponte”) http://www.historyofpainters.com/virginmary.htm

About the Artwork/Art ist

The iconography and technique of this panel are medieval. Set against a cloth of honor held by angels and wearing a crown, the Virgin appears as Queen of Heaven. This is also implied by her seated position; before it was cut along the bottom edge, the panel may have shown the step of a throne. Christ’s erect posture and gesture of benediction signal his theological identity as the New Church, while his finch and strand of coral symbolize the Passion, fate of his human incarnation. The exposed upper corners prove that the panel originally had an attached gilt frame. In a typical arrangement, the painting would have been the central image of a many-staged altarpiece, with panels of saints to either side. If the austere composition and bold shapes hark back to early Florentine painting and the work of Giotto, a pronounced stylization and a remote feeling reflect intervening developments in the later fourteenth century. At the same time, the intricate ornamentation, the curvilinear rhythm in the Child’s cloth and the Virgin’s hem, and even the hint of graduated modeling in their flesh are evident responses to the extreme refinement and incipient realism of International Style painting. The work of a conservative master, in beautiful condition, the painting sums up currents in Florentine painting on the eve of the Renaissance. Iconography, the science of identification, description, classification, and interpretation of symbols, themes, and subject matter in the visual arts. The term can also refer to the artist’s use of this imagery in a particular work. The earliest iconographical studies, published in the 16th century, were catalogs of emblems and symbols collected from antique literature and translated into pictorial terms for the use of artists. The most famous of these works is Cesare Ripa’s Iconologia (1593). Extensive iconographical study did not begin in Europe until the 18th century, however, when, as a companion to archaeology, it consisted of the classification of subjects and motifs in ancient monuments. In the 19th century, iconography became divorced from archaeology and was concerned primarily with the incidence and significance of religious symbolism in Christian art. In the 20th century, investigation of Christian iconography has continued, but the secular and classical iconography of European art has also been explored, as have the iconographic aspects of Eastern religious art.

Lesson Components

Introduction to artwork (10 minutes) Using the same strategy that students learn at the Blanton, invite them to silently LOOK at Madonna and Child with Angels. Next, ask students to DESCRIBE what they see. After taking full inventory, students should move on to ANALYZING the artwork. [As facilitator, the teacher should link observations and descriptions to assist student analysis.] Tell students that this is an image from Christianity depicting the figure Mary (Madonna) and the Christ child. Discuss how the Madonna and Christ child are dressed. What clues does the artist provide that they are important? (The gold, her crown, the ornate robes, his intricate halo, the angels.) You might wish to discuss the different elements in the painting and their symbolic importance. For example, the blue robe is associated with Mary, and the crown, signify that she is the queen of heaven. For more symbolic references, look here: http://www.historyofpainters.com/virginmary.htm. Finally, students should be asked to RELATE their discussion to their own lives. Has anyone seen an image like this before? If yes, where? Warm-Up (5 minutes) In pairs or small groups, have students brainstorm what symbols they encounter in their daily lives. Activ ity (10 minutes) Pass out paper, pencils, and colored pencils. Ask students to draw a few of the symbols they discussed during their brainstorm, or others that come to mind. This can also be accomplished in pairs or small groups. Once finished, students should share. What big ideas do these icons, or, symbols communicate? Reflect ion (5 minutes) Discuss: How are symbols, or, in the case of the painting Madonna and Child with Angels, a shorthand for big ideas? What icons, or, symbols might be universally understood?

Assessments

Assess student knowledge throughout the lesson by circulating to observe and asking questions to check for understanding.

In Class Extensions

Encourage students to continue thinking about and looking for symbols in their social studies curriculum.

At Home Extensions

Invite students to look for examples of symbols used in their household.

MVP

Artists and Society

Sequence


Lesson Title

Artists and Self Perception

Grade Level/s 3-8


Duration 60 minutes

Essential Question

How might a self-portrait embody the artist’s aspirations?

Abstract

Students will explore the concept of portraiture by looking closely at a self-portrait by artist Mequitta Ahuja. They will then create a self-portrait to record the way they see themselves.

Focus Work of Art

Mequitta Ahuja Parade 2007 Painting

TEKS Correlations

Art (3.b.1, 4.b.1, 5.b.1, 6.c.1, 7.c.1, 8.c.1) The student develops and organizes ideas from the environment. (3.b.2, 4.b.4, 5.b.4, 6.c.4, 7.c.4, 8.c.4) The student makes informed judgments about personal artworks and the artworks of others. English Language Arts (3.b.1, 4.b.1, 5.b.1, 6.b.26, 7.b.26, 8.b.26) The student listens actively and purposefully in a variety of settings. (3.b.29, 4.b.27, 5.b.27) The student listens and speaks both to gain and share knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. (3.b.23, 4.b.23, 5.b.23, 6.b.22) The student understands and interprets visual images, messages, and meanings. (3.b.24, 4.b.24, 5.b.24, 6.b.23) The student analyzes and critiques the significance of visual images, messages, and meanings. Social Studies 3.b.1, The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various communities. (3.b.18, 4.b.22, 5.b.25, 6.b.22, 7.b.22, 8.b.30) The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. (6.b.2B) The student understands the influences of individuals and groups from various cultures on various historical and contemporary societies.

Learning Objectives

Student will be able to… 1. Students will understand that a self-portrait is a work of art that someone makes of himself or

herself. 2. Students will identify how they perceive themselves and incorporate symbolic elements of their

self-perception into their self-portraits.

Vocabulary

Self-portrait: n. a work of art that is created by the artist, of the artist Self-perception: n. the idea that you have about the kind of person you are

Materials

9 x 12” drawing paper chalk pastels plexiglass mirrors Set up: Place mirrors on tables. Paper on tables. Containers of chalk after students have finished observation exercise.

Resources

http://collection.blantonmuseum.org (search: “Parade”) http://www.nationalportraitgallery.org

About the Artwork/Artist

Mequitta Ahuja’s work explores the construction of identity, including her own. Recognizing that there is always an element of invention when it comes to depicting oneself, the artist refers to her heavily manipulated self-portraits as “automythography.” The term was inspired by a genre invented by the writer Audre Lorde, who braided personal history together with mythology in her “biomythography,” published in 1982. Ahuja’s process of self-documentation begins with photographs. Using a remote shutter control, she performs privately for the camera. Then, through a series of sketches and preparatory drawings, she introduces inventive, often fantastical elements into the resulting images. Her final works wed the real with the surreal, nonfiction with fiction. Parade captures this complicated marriage, offering in two parts the primary modes of painting: figuration and abstraction. The artist appears, poised mid-stride, on the right-hand canvas. Bright colors describe her figure and emanate from her black hair, which, as it carries over toward and onto the left-hand canvas, expands to become a dense cloud of increasingly abstract markings. The brushwork conveys Ahuja’s lively kinetic process in laying down pigment. She has referred to her interest in “the psychic proportions hair has in the lives of Black people,” which here dominates the composition, both physically and conceptually.

Lesson Components

Introduction to artwork (10 minutes) Using the same strategy that students learn at the Blanton, invite them to silently LOOK at Parade. Next, ask students to DESCRIBE what they see. After taking full inventory, students should move on to ANALYZING the artwork. [As facilitator, the teacher should link observations and descriptions to assist student analysis.] Let students know that this is a self-portrait by the artist, Mequitta Ahuja. How did the artist choose to portray herself? What can you guess about her by looking at this work of art? Do you artist looks exactly like her portrait, or are parts exaggerated to create a message? If the late, what message might she be trying to relay? Finally, students should be asked to RELATE their discussion to their own lives. Have they seen similar portraits? Or portraits that are very different? Discuss. Warm-Up (5 minutes)

1. Let students know that they will be creating their own self-portraits. Like Mequitta, they will exaggerate or emphasize qualities they consider central to who they are. For example, a student might choose to depict their stance in a particular way or make their legs longer if they love to run or head larger if they enjoy learning.

2. Ask students to brainstorm in pairs to uncover what they would like to emphasize in their self-portraits.

Activity (40 minutes)

1. Students look in mirrors, set up at their tables. Guide their observations by asking about the shape of their faces, eye color, etc.

2. Pass out pastels after observations have been completed. Drawings can be rendered in either a portrait or landscape format.

3. Have them begin by drawing the shape of their head and body. This should be large- almost filling the page. They should pay special attention to the position of their bodies. What does the pose they are drawing infer? Details should be added after their head and body are drawn.

4. Students should consider what will they draw themselves wearing for this self-portrait, as well as their facial expressions and if they will carry anything with them (a soccer ball, a book, etc.). Do they have a favorite item of clothing or personal item? Do they want their portrait to reflect how they dress every day or on special occasions? Do they want their portrait to reflect their interest in a particular hobby?

5. What will the background of the portrait contain? What are their favorite colors? Students should fill the page, so that there isn’t any white space remaining.

6. Students should continue working until their portraits are complete. The entire paper should be filled with either their portrait or background color/s.

7. Once finished, students should sign their own work on the front in pencil. Reflection (5 minutes)

1. Clean up by placing pastels back in container. 2. Leave portraits on tables and have students walk around room to view (this is often called a gallery

walk). As class looks at portraits, ask students how they are different from the image Parade. How are their portraits similar to one another and to Ahuja’s? How are they different? Ask for a show of hands to see who would like to draw a portrait of someone else. Ask for volunteers to say who they would like to draw. Is that person a family member? Is he or she famous? What makes them an interesting subject?

Assessments

During closing discussion, check for students’ ability to identify similarities/differences between their self-portraits and that of Ahuja.

In Class Extensions

Talk to students about school portraits and family portraits. Look at portraits of historic figures and notice what artistic choices were made about their rendering. Encourage students to practice drawing portraits in a sketchbook they make. Students can take turns drawing each other.

At Home Extensions

Look at old family portraits and pictures of family members as children. Compare these portraits to how the student’s family members look today by observing eye color, hair color, shape of face, features, etc. What familial features are the most dominant?

MVP

Artists and Society

Sequence


Lesson Tit le

Artists as Political Commentators

Grade Level/s 3-8



Essential Question

How can artists use their work to bring attention to social or political issues?

Abstract

After discussing an engraving by Leopoldo Mendez, students will review political cartoons found in today’s media. They will discern the artistic viewpoint of the cartoons viewed and consider if they do or don’t agree with the artists’ opinions.

Focus Work of Art

Leopoldo Mendez Casateniente 1943 Wood engraving

TEKS Correlat ions

Art (3.b.1, 4.b.1, 5.b.1, 6.c.1, 7.c.1, 8.c.1) The student develops and organizes ideas from the environment. (3.b.2, 4.b.4, 5.b.4, 6.c.4, 7.c.4, 8.c.4) The student makes informed judgments about personal artworks and the artworks of others. English Language Arts (3.b.1, 4.b.1, 5.b.1, 6.b.26, 7.b.26, 8.b.26) The student listens actively and purposefully in a variety of settings. (3.b.29, 4.b.27, 5.b.27) The student listens and speaks both to gain and share knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. (3.b.23, 4.b.23, 5.b.23, 6.b.22) The student understands and interprets visual images, messages, and meanings. (3.b.24, 4.b.24, 5.b.24, 6.b.23) The student analyzes and critiques the significance of visual images, messages, and meanings. Social Studies 3.b.1, The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various communities. (3.b.3A) The student understands the concepts of time and chronology. (3.b.18, 4.b.22, 5.b.25, 6.b.22, 7.b.22, 8.b.30) The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. (6.b.2B) The student understands the influences of individuals and groups from various cultures on various historical and contemporary societies. (6.b.17A) The student understands relationships that exist among world cultures.

Learning

Objectives

Student will be able to… 1. Articulate how cartoons and caricatures can be useful tools for expressing a viewpoint about a

certain issue or person. 2. Discuss issues relevant to them and to society today and consider how artists have presented these

in cartoons.

Vocabulary

Casateniente: n. a man who is both the owner and head of a household. The closest English language equivalent is patriarch.

Materials

Image: Casateniente Political cartoons from magazines, newspapers and/or online journals

Resources

http://collection.blantonmuseum.org (search: “Casateniente”)

About the

Artwork/Art ist

Leopoldo Méndez is considered the finest printmaker in the history of Mexico. In 1937, Méndez, Luis Arenal, and Pablo O’Higgins founded the Taller de Gráfica Popular (TGP). Established in Mexico City, the TGP (or Peoples' Graphic Workshop) was active through the 1960s, creating thirty-five major portfolios of woodcuts, linocuts and lithographs, and a total output of over 4,000 prints. TGP fervently believed in art’s capacity for social protest and the betterment of the masses. Its productions celebrated revolutionary heroes, Mexico’s ancient history, and the folk culture of the native peasantry. Artists wished to declare a national Mexican identity based on a deep pride in the country’s pre-Hispanic and colonial past. It was a shared belief that indigenous peoples were the cultural foundation of a modern Mexico.

Working quietly and preferring to be relatively anonymous during his life, Méndez did not gain immediate recognition. It was only after his death that art historians and museum curators began to realize the importance of his contributions. He now ranks among the greatest of twentieth-century Mexican artists, keeping good company with artists such as José Clemente Orozco, David Alfaro Siquieros, and Diego Rivera.

Art as social commentary is a major theme in modern and contemporary art. The artist assumes the roles of reporter and analyst in an exploration of the nature of society. Subjects range from momentous historical events to everyday activities. Always at stake is the artist's wish to uncover the workings of society and draw conclusions for understanding it more effectively. Art that falls within this theme is often critical of political structures seen as harmful, but it also celebrates the achievements of human communities and can poeticize everyday life. Its ultimate ideals are to preserve what is good and to condemn what is threatening in hope of a better society. Taken from Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, http://www.mmoca.org/mmocacollects.

Lesson

Components

Introduction to artwork (10 minutes) Using the same strategy that students learn at the Blanton, invite them to silently LOOK at Casateniente. Next, ask students to DESCRIBE what they see. After taking full inventory, students should move on to ANALYZING the artwork. [As facilitator, the teacher should link observations and descriptions to assist student analysis.] What is happening here? Who do you think these people are? What does the artist do to influence your opinion about them and about what is going on? Finally, students should be asked to RELATE their discussion to their own lives. Mendez made this print, and many others, because he wanted to stand up for people who were being abused or mistreated by people in power. Who are some people that you want to stand up for? How would you want to do this (examples: political art, a speech, a letter…etc)? Warm-up (5 minutes) Relate Casateniente to today’s political cartoons. Ask students if they have ever seen or read comics or cartoons in the newspaper. Have they ever seen political cartoons? Can you name other people/issues that might be popular to include in political cartoons today? Activ i ty (15 minutes) Provide students with several different political cartoons/caricatures from recent newspapers, magazines, online journals, etc. Split the students into groups of 3-4 students and ask each group to choose one cartoon to work on together (or, you can choose the cartoons yourself and distribute to each group). Ask them to work together to discuss what they think is happening in the cartoon. They should then try to determine whether the artist has a particular viewpoint or opinion that he/she is trying to communicate to us. If so, what do they think that opinion is? Do they agree with it (be sure to tell them that they don’t have to all agree or disagree, they can have different opinions within the group). After the groups have finished their discussions ask one student from each group to share their readings of the cartoons with the class, and if there are differences in opinion. Reflect ion (10 minutes) Discuss everyone’s cartoons together. Were there any people/issues/places/things that appeared in more than one cartoon? Why do you think these artists chose to represent the people, events or issues that they did? If you were to make a cartoon about any person or event or issue, what would it be and why?

Assessments

Assess student comprehension throughout the lesson by asking clarifying questions and checking for understanding. If a hypothesis was recorded, ask students to write a conclusion that either verifies or corrects their hypothesis.

In Class Extensions

Think about a political person or event from history that you’ve learned about. Imagine what a political cartoon about that person or event might look like. If there is time, have the students create their own historical political cartoon.

At Home Extensions

Look through newspapers, magazines, etc. and try to find political cartoons. Look at them with family or friends and discuss what you think about the issue that the artist is addressing.

MVP

Artists and Society

Sequence


Lesson Tit le

Artists and Photojournalism

Grade Level/s 3-8

Subject Area/s Art, Social Studies


Essential Question

How can images impact our feelings about and understanding of an event?

Abstract

Students will learn about Richard Hamilton’s screenprint, Kent State, and will learn about the Kent State shootings. They will consider whether photography is always a form of art and will think about how images, especially photographs, can affect our understanding of an event, person, or thing.

Focus Work of Art

Richard Hamilton Kent State 1970 Screenprint

TEKS Correlat ions

Art (3.b.1, 4.b.1, 5.b.1, 6.c.1, 7.c.1, 8.c.1) The student develops and organizes ideas from the environment. (3.b.2, 4.b.4, 5.b.4, 6.c.4, 7.c.4, 8.c.4) The student makes informed judgments about personal artworks and the artworks of others. English Language Arts (3.b.1, 4.b.1, 5.b.1, 6.b.26, 7.b.26, 8.b.26) The student listens actively and purposefully in a variety of settings. (3.b.29, 4.b.27, 5.b.27) The student listens and speaks both to gain and share knowledge of his/her own culture, the culture of others, and the common elements of cultures. (3.b.23, 4.b.23, 5.b.23, 6.b.22) The student understands and interprets visual images, messages, and meanings. (3.b.24, 4.b.24, 5.b.24, 6.b.23) The student analyzes and critiques the significance of visual images, messages, and meanings. Social Studies 3.b.1, The student understands how individuals, events, and ideas have influenced the history of various communities. (3.b.3A) The student understands the concepts of time and chronology. (3.b.18, 4.b.22, 5.b.25, 6.b.22, 7.b.22, 8.b.30) The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. (6.b.2B) The student understands the influences of individuals and groups from various cultures on various historical and contemporary societies. (6.b.17A) The student understands relationships that exist among world cultures.

Learning Objectives

Student will be able to… 1. Reflect on the differences and similarities between art and documentation. 2. Recognize that images have the power to communicate not just information but also feeling.

Vocabulary

Screenprint: n. also known as serigraphy, screenprinting is a method of creating an image on paper, fabric or some other object by pressing ink through a screen with areas blocked off by a stencil. The technique is used both for making fine art prints and for commercial applications, such as printing a company's logo on coffee mugs or t-shirts.

Materia ls

Image: Kent State Photographs of current/recent current events, protests, or conflicts , or magazines/newspapers to be used for collages Blank sheets of paper on which to make collages Scissors

Glue

Resources Resources cont.

http://collection.blantonmuseum.org (search: “Kent State”) http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hamilton-kent-state-p77043 (Details about Richard Hamilton and Kent State) http://dept.kent.edu/sociology/lewis/lewihen.htm (information about the Kent State shootings) http://www.slate.com/blogs/behold/2013/05/04/may_4_1970_the_kent_state_university_shootings_told_through_pictures_photos.html (photographs of Kent State shootings)

About the Artwork/Art ist

Richard Hamilton obtains imagery directly from television, but he is concerned more with the content. In an image inspired by this medium, he has sought to transfer the emotion surrounding the tragic event at Kent State through various means of mechanical reproduction, from film to video to still camera, and finally to print. -Sarah Abare, Blanton Museum of Art Hamilton’s practice draws on and comments upon a wide range of popular culture media and current events. Imagery found in newspapers, magazines, television, film and advertising is subjected to collage and painting techniques. Photographs are painted over and paintings are made from photographs. The techniques of screenprinting and lithography provide further versions of an image. More recently Hamilton has worked with a Quantel Paintbox graphic image which has allowed him to collage on computer and produce inkjet prints. Images often reappear in successive states of a large series. Swinging London, for example, is the title of seven paintings and many more prints based on a 1967 press photograph of rock star Mick Jagger and Robert Fraser (Hamilton’s gallerist at the time) handcuffed together inside a police van. Hamilton’s treatment of the image in some of its states pushes at the limits of representation. Photographs of seductive women, still lives, landscapes, interiors and buildings are all treated with a nod to art history and a questioning of the relationship between painting and photography, representation and reality. At the same time Hamilton’s use of the language of popular culture reflects on the nature of the imagery we all find so appealing today. -Adapted from Elizabeth Manchester, http://www.tate.org.uk

Lesson

Components

Introduction to artwork (10 minutes) Using the same strategy that students learn at the Blanton, invite them to silently LOOK at [Kent State]. Next, ask students to DESCRIBE what they see. After taking full inventory, students should move on to ANALYZING the artwork. Who do you think this person is? What is happening to him/her? This is a photograph. Finally, students should be asked to RELATE their discussion to their own lives. Think of times when you’ve seen scenes of violence, fictional or real, in videogames, on television, in films, etc. What is it like when you see an image of violence that you know is fake? How is it different if an image depicts a real event, like this print by Richard Hamilton? Explain briefly the Kent State shootings to the students; ideally, do this with the help of photographs of the event (refer to resources section for website). Explain that in 1970, the National Guard was sent to control students protesting America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Four students were killed and nine wounded during this protest. Warm-up (5-10 minutes) Ask them how Richard Hamilton’s image is different from the documentary photographs that depict the event. Does Hamilton’s image make us think or feel something different than the photographs do? Why is Hamilton’s image considered “art?” Are all photographs art? Activ ity (25 minutes) Collage making: Provide students with pre-selected images of modern-day protests or conflicts (examples: Ferguson, Hong Kong protests, any other images of contemporary social issues) or simply provide them with magazines/newspapers; ask them to look through and find any images or figures that make them feel something. When they find images that they like or feel moved by, have them cut them out and assemble a collage on a separate piece of paper. Like Richard Hamilton, they are manipulating another image to create a new one that sends a different, or perhaps more deliberate, message. Tell students they should be prepared to discuss their collage. Does it tell a story? Or convey a particular emotion or message? Ask them to title their work. Reflect ion (10 minutes) Ask students to share their collages with the class. Think about how they have changed the meaning of the photographs/images that they chose by removing them from their original settings and putting them in a collage. How do the titles affect our understanding of their collages?

Assessments

Assess student comprehension throughout the lesson by asking clarifying questions and checking for understanding.

In Class

Extensions

Discuss historical events that have famous photographs/film associated with them (Iwo Jima, Great Depression) and people who we can know through images (MLK, Abraham Lincoln, Marilyn Monroe, etc.). How do the photos of these events and people affect the way we feel about them?

At Home Extensions

Pay attention to images that you see on the news or in magazines. Which ones affect you the most? Why?

artists and society curriculum

Documents