ceramics & sculpture level i curriculum & art lesson descriptions
Post on 14-Sep-2014
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DESCRIPTION
This Contemporary Art high school Ceramics & Sculpture curriculum is driven by the artistic behaviors of artists from the past and from the 21st century. The curriculum is divided into 4 parts, labeled as "sequences" which could conveniently each be a focus for a 4-term school year.TRANSCRIPT
SEQUENCE ONE COMPOSITION IN 2D – MAGAZINE COLLAGE TRIPTYCH
PLANAR STUDIES: ORGANIC FORMS w/ GEOMETRIC EDGES
HIGH RELIEF STUDY: OBSESSIVE TEXTURES IN CLAY
2D BLACK AND WHITE SHARPIE DESIGN
SGRAFFITO BOWL – USING UNDERGLAZE & MOLDS (CERAMICS)
ARTMAKING VERBS – INVESTIGATING THE POTENTIAL OF A MEDIUM (WOOD)
Students will create 3 collages using pages from magazines that ask them to investigate 2D visual concepts in composition and arrangement: A) same shape w/ alternating pattern, B) creating unexpected & unusual visuals, C) fragmented pieces & the important of negative space between…
Students will create an original organic form using geometric or flat, angular, planar shapes. No surface treatments are allowed. Students may use any kind of tape as a detail, as long as it is only used on planar edges. Student must also explore how to incorporate negative space –OR-‐ interior space somewhere in the sculpture.
Students will explore ways to make various textures using the additive method to a clay tile that comes across as “obsessive” in order to practice hand-‐sculpting skills as well as slipping and scoring. Students are reminded that this will be hung on a wall, and not lay flat on a table. Basic foundations of “clay-‐care” will also be taught (putting away clay, maintaining clay projects over long periods of time, greenware, bisqueware, kiln firing, etc)
Students will create a design, exploring how using variation in sizes and shapes creates VISUAL INTEREST & FREQUENCY. Students will start with 3 original shapes and then transition them/make variations of them across white drawing paper. Their 3 shapes need to change or be altered at least in 3 different ways (total of 9 shapes). Their composition should fill up the entire paper and activate the edges.
Students will learn how to use clear plastic wrap, a slab roller, hair dryer, and a bowl mold in order to create a perfect bowl by hand. The bottom feet and lip of the bowl will be a big focus during this stage. Then, students will learn the sgraffito glaze application technique and will paint the outside of their bowl with black underglaze. The inside of the bowl will be painted a contrasting color. They will use inspiration from their 2D design to scrape away an interesting surface pattern on the outside of their bowl. Finally, students will coat the whole bowl with transparent gloss glaze.
As a class, we will come up with a list of artmaking verbs and a list of various ideas and concepts in creating dynamic composition. Students will choose 3 artmaking verbs and 3 compositional ideas and apply them to a sculpture using various types of wood.
SEQUENCE TWO INTUITIVE PAINTING (COLOR WORKSHOP)
BAS RELIEF STUDY: ESTABLISHING SPATIAL RELATIONSHIPS
CREATING IMAGERY – CLAY EMBOSSING TILE
POWERFUL ABSTRACTIONS – PAPIER MACHE MEDIA EXPLORATION
DEVELOPING VISUAL CONCEPTS: FROM ORDINARY TO EXTRAORDINARY (CLAY COIL POTS)
100 OBJECTS CHALLENGE – FOUND OBJECT ASSEMBLAGE
Students must bring in 100 objects. These objects must be every-‐day, non-‐traditional objects that are not usually associated with artmaking. (For example, tissue paper and pom-‐poms may not be used, but zip ties or pennies are fine.) Students are not allowed to use any adhesive material (only cutting materials). If the student’s original object does not allow connections or adhesion in any way whatsoever, the student may add multiples of a second object that will allow connectivity such as pushpins or rubber bands.
Students will learn the basic technique of how to build a coil pot in clay. Then, instead of looking at “great” pictures of coil pots, students will observe images of this familiar, “typical” high school ceramics project done all across the country. Students will brainstorm how to elaborate on the concept of a coil pot and take this assignment from “ordinary” to “extraordinary”. This project also includes a discussion of the ideas of “originality”, “creativity”, and if ideas are truly “new/fresh”.
Students will learn the purpose of/how to build skeletal armatures out of cardboard and wire. Students will then create various forms and arrange them into a composition that explores the concept of POWER. Discussions on “non-‐literal interpretations” and “getting beyond surface level/the obvious”, as well as a running list of word associations of “POWER” will supplement the project. Students will be encouraged to explore an idea about POWER that interests them/that they are curious about rather than indicating what they already know.
Students will study and learn how artists have juxtaposed, combined, and arranged images together throughout art history and how these techniques create a mood, metaphor, symbolism, an idea, a narrative, etc. Students will create their own arrangement of images and reproduce them like a printmaking plate with chipboard, matboard, as well as “drawing” with a hot glue gun. Afterwards, the plates will be coated in medium and then printed/stamped using clay and a slab roller.
In similar fashion to the previous assignment, students will receive a list of 50 “things” to make (ie a perfect trapezoid, a “sad” trapezoid, a diamond with 3 holes cut out of it, an awkward shape in 2 different colors, etc) They must choose 10 from the list to make. Once they are done making, they need to re-‐edit and combine their 10 pieces together into a composition that focuses on spatial relationships. (They do not have to use all ten.) Various spatial relationships/concepts will be discussed and analyzed beforehand so students can consider their options.
Students will learn traditional techniques about the color wheel, how to mix paints, and how to achieve certain colors. Then, students will have to complete a list of 10 prompts – but will only know one prompt at a time. Once they have completed a prompt, they will ask the teacher for the next prompt. This method will allow students to focus on the process and not the outcome – also, it will force them to make certain choices about the piece, exercising “on-‐the-‐spot” intuition and decision making.
SEQUENCE THREE ARCHITECTURAL PROPOSAL
THE MISSING CHARACTER -‐ CLAY
CARDBOARD TROMPE L’OEIL
TROMPE L’OEIL HYBRID -‐ CLAY & FOUND OBJECT
FRAMED: SELF PORTRAIT RELIEF – MIXED MEDIA
Students will learn various techniques and strategies in portrait photography. Then, students will learn various ways of manipulating images using simple programs on the computer and apps on their phone. Students must create a relief self-‐portrait using at least 2 of their photo-‐manipulations as well as a symbolic or abstract visual idea using sculptural materials.
Students will bring in a found object and think about how they could combine the object with an animal or insect/ replace a part of that animal/insect using the found object. The goal is to sculpt the animal/insect as realistic as possible (tromp l’oeil fashion) so that the found object can create a sense of humor, cleverness, etc as a visual idea.
Students will choose an object that has several parts or pieces to it. The goal is to make the object exclusively out of cardboard materials and to explore different ways of using cardboard to create a sculpture that is accurate as possible to a realistic depiction of the object. The only rule is that the student must have the actual object in class (no photographs) and the object cannot be in need to “drawing” aspects/be too simple in form (ie iPhone).
Students will study the physical similarities and differences between characters in various movies, shows, and cartoons. The idea of UNITY and VARIATIONS will be discussed. Students will also practice various parts of human anatomy. Ideas of proportions will be discussed. As a final project of this unit, the students will then design and build the prototype of a “new/original” character that could have possibly existed within the aesthetic of a movie, show, or cartoon. For example, a student may come up with a “new” monster for “Where the Wild Things Are”.
After studying various structures & shapes of buildings, students will choose a specific space and spot on Google Maps to plan an architectural building of their own design. Purpose and function will be discussed and should be considered going into the model-‐building phase. Craftsmanship, accuracy, and believability will be a focus of this assignment.
SEQUENCE FOUR FRESH FORM – FUNCTIONAL CLAY CUP
REVIVAL CHALLENGE
SLAB VESSEL NARRATIVE: MISHIMA TECHNIQUE (CLAY)
PERSONAL SYMBOL (FINAL EXAM)
Students will become familiar with the forms and functions of an “average” cup. The students are then encouraged to change the familiar shapes/silhouettes of a cup, but must also keep the cup functional and usable.
Students will be asked to bring in 3 different found objects from a given list, “scavenger hunt” style. One goal is to create an abstract sculpture based on lines from DADA writing. A second goal is to disguise the material so that it is completely unrecognizable –OR-‐ so that it elevates the expectations of the material, ie using a water bottle and making the plastic look expensive or like it is a more expensive, sophisticated material other than plastic.
Students will learn the basic techniques of how to create a simple slab box. Then students will choose various images to apply to each side using the MISHIMA technique. Students will be given a list of prompts to helps them decide how to choose images and relate them thematically so that they make sense. The ideas of “narrative” and “symbols” will be discussed.
Students will create a sculptural symbol that expresses an aspect of themselves.