Unit # 2: RELATIONSHIPS

MARY CASSATTLTC 4240: Art for Children

Created by Mary Franco

INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS between her models communicated through gaze & expression; gesture, posture, & proximity; muted colors

& soft edgesCOMPARATIVE RELATIONSHIPS between men’s & women’s experience of their worldSTYLISTIC RELATIONSHIPS with work of other artists & cultural art traditions

Cassatt’s art reflects a multiplicity ofRELATIONSHPS

Mary Cassatt, “The Loge, 1882

• Fused Japanese aesthetic with Western printmaking techniques

Drypoint –image incised into print plate w/ “needle” Aquatint – print plate of copper covered w/ powder blocking agent; marks cut into it w/ acid to permit subtle color tones

Cassatt’s Prints reflect all of these.

Mary Cassatt, “The Tub, 1891”Drypoint, Aquatint, Hand-coloring

Prints can be created in other ways!

Fingers & hands

Vegetables & fruits

Glue Lines

Styrofoam Prints

String Painting

Production of multiples; work in “series”

Reduction of cost per imageWider dissemination of an image

An art form in its own right

Advantages of Printmaking

DESIGN PROBLEM: TSW create a series of original prints from one print plate to depict an important relationship.

OPTION #1 Subtractive Cardboard Print Make a SIMPLE drawing on corrugated cardboard

that depicts an important RELATIONSHIP Using an Exacto knife, cut through the top layer of

cardboard (not too deep!) Using a SUBTRACTIVE PROCESS, peel away desired

sections of cardboard to reveal the corrugated interior.

STUDIO ACTIVITY

OPTION #1 Collograph Print & Frottage

Ink the print plate w/ brayer and printing ink Center inked plate, face down, on print paper; press

down firmly so paper temporarily adheres to plate With plate still stuck to surface of paper, turn the

unit over. Use the bowl of a spoon as a “barren”. Rub in circles over the back of the print paper until sure that you have covered the entire printing area

Carefully peel the paper from the plate (“PULL THE PRINT”)

STUDIO ACTIVITY

Instructor Exemplar: Subtractive CardboardWhat RELATIONSHIPS do you see?

OPTIONS #2 & #3: Additive Collograph Cut simple shapes from thin cardboard and arrange

them on a sheet of corrugated cardboard to produce the image of a RELATIONSHIP. Allow to dry for about 15 minutes. This will become your print plate.

FROTTAGE TECHNIQUE:Place collograph, face down, on a piece of white paperTape in place (top & bottom edge) with masking tapePeel desired crayons. Rub sides of crayons over surface

of the paper to transfer image from the collograph plate that is tapped underneath it.

DO NOT REMOVE TAPE FROM COLLOGRAPH until you are satisfied with the rubbing.

STUDIO ACTIVITY

Instructor Exemplar: Collograph & FrottageWhat RELATIONSHIPS do you see?

COLLOGRAPH PRINTING TECHNIQUE: Ink the plate with a brayer and printing ink. Center inked plate, face down on print

paper; press down firmly to temporarily adhere paper to plate.

With plate still stuck to surface of paper, turn the unit over. Use the bowl of a spoon as a “barren”. Rub in circles over the back of the print paper until sure that you have covered the entire printing area

Carefully peel the paper from the plate (“PULL THE PRINT”)

STUDIO ACTIVITY

Instructor Exemplar: Additive Cardboard CollographWhat RELATIONSHIPS do you see?

Briefly describe the printing option you chose.

Briefly describe the RELATIONSHIP you depicted.

Briefly describe the artistic choices you madeWhy did you choose the lines, shapes, colors

textures, & space used in your picture?How did these choices add meaning to the

RELATIONSHIP you depicted?What problems did you encounter in this

studio & how did you solve them?How might you integrate this studio activity

into non-art subjects with your future students?

PRINTING REFLECTIONS: (1-2 sentences each)

Cassatt, M. (1896). [Image]. Maternal caress. Philadelphia Museum of Art. Retrieved from http://www.philamuseum.org/collections/permanent/66441.html

Cassatt, M. (1890). Mother and her child. Wikipaintings. Retrieved fromhttp://www.wikipaintings.org/en/mary-cassatt/mother-and-child-1

Cassatt. M. (1901) [Image]. Sara with her dog. Wikipaintings.net. Retrieved from http://www.wikipaintings.org/en/mary-

cassatt/sara-with-her-dogCassatt, M. (1891). [Image]. The bath (the tub). Library of Congress. Retrieved

from http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2002719192/Cassatt, M. (1882). [Image]. The loge. National Gallery of Art. Retrieved

from http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/ggcassattptg/ggcassattptg-46571.html

References