Grade 9 Art - Day 75: "Applying the Elements and Principles of Design to the Work of Others"

One of our goals in Grade 9 Visual Art is to use appropriate terminology when identifying and describing the use of elements and principles of design in the works of others.  Therefore, we will examine the following works and identify those elements and principles that are prevalent.

Tom Thompson, Jack Pine

(colour, value, proportion)

Sol Lewitt, X with Columns

(line and space)

Eva Hess, Contingent

(layers of tone and texture)

Grade 10 Art - Day 75: "Artistic Conventions: Satirical Art"

Source: www.polyp.org.uk

Satire is the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. (dictionary.com)

Therefore, satirical artwork holds up and scrutinizes "vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings" (wikipedia).  

Let's go on a virtual tour of 36 pieces of art work that "describe everything wrong with the world today": http://digitalsynopsis.com/inspiration/36-thought-provoking-paintings-pawel-kuczynski/

Grade 11/12 - Day 76: "How Curators Curate, Step Seven: Opening Night!"

Opening Night!!

You made it!  Opening Night.  This is where the fun begins.  The photos above are from the student art show that we put together in Blyth every year. Thanks to http://ontariotraveldivas.com/tag/blyth-festival-art-gallery/.

From fineartabout.com:


"When curating an art exhibition, make your art opening fun, exciting and memorable. You want to create an exciting buzz so that people will keep coming back for the exhibition. Schedule your opening for the evening when most people are free to attend.

Begin the opening with a live art or music performance or light show, and then introduce the curator, artists and other significant figures to the audience.


Serve refreshments and let the visitors see the artwork.

Artists should be near their installations so they can answer any of the visitor’s questions. Have volunteers, who wear identifiable clothing like matching shirts, stand in the various rooms of the exhibition to help explain the work and make sure it does not get damaged."

Grade 11/12 - Day 75: "How Curators Curate, Step Six: Site Installation"

source: askharriete.com

The actual installation of a gallery show is a time consuming process.  Hopefully, your hard work when you first planned the layout using sketchup, or some other design method, will pay off now as things seamlessly come together! (fingers crossed) 

From fineart.about.com:

"Site installation is a key task when curating an art show. Typically one week before the opening, you and your team will need to do the on-site installation which includes the construction and painting of walls. The artists and assistants will install the artwork, and the technicians will set up the lighting and technical equipment.

If artwork was shipped, carefully unwrap the crates, bubble wrap and other packaging materials as you do not want to damage any of the work with a box cutter.

A museum will have its own staff to set up the installation; however, if you are starting out you will need to do DIY. Artists are pros at setting up their work and there are also art installation companies for hire."

What unforeseen circumstances might arise...that you might try to plan for ahead of time? 

• wall structure 
• hanging issues 
• artist's concerns 
• supply of paint for walls 
• necessary labour 
• lighting concerns

This list can go on and on.  Remember, the more thoroughly that you plan for circumstantial inconveniences and concerns, the more likely you are to succeed!

Souce: http://fineart.about.com/od/Curator/ss/Curating-A-Show-In-10-Easy-Steps-A-Step-By-Step-Guide-For-Art-Curators.htm#step8

Grade 10 Art - Day 74: "Artistic Conventions: Narrative Art"

Joe Forkan, The Deposition (scene from The Big Lebowski)

"Narrative Art tells a story. It uses the power of the visual image to ignite imaginations, evoke emotions and capture universal cultural truths and aspirations. What distinguishes Narrative Art from other genres is its ability to narrate a story across diverse cultures, preserving it for future generations."

- Lucas Museum

Let's take a virtual tour of a museum dedicated to narrative art, the aforementioned Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.  We will start at this link and proceed:

http://www.lucasmuseum.org/collection/category/history-of-narrative-art-114.html

Our second virtual tour involves perhaps the most famous narrative artist of all time, Norman Rockwell.  Follow this link to view some of his work:

http://collections.nrm.org/search.do?highlight=9

Grade 11/12 - Day 74: "How Curators Curate, Step Five: Written Materials"

Source: http://juseone.com/

At this point, I wanted to be a little more specific about the written materials involved in curating an art show.  If necessary, you will create a catalogue of the pieces within the show.  Here is an example from the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

https://books.google.ca/books?id=to-pF5vd3VoC&printsec=frontcover&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false

You may also choose to advertise your art show in the local paper, with a write up about the artist and what to expect.  Check out this example, taken locally from the Goderich Star!

http://www.goderichsignalstar.com/2015/05/20/barb-alkemade-is-junes-quest-artist-at-goderich-co-op-gallery

Advertisements, such as flyers will help to bring in your prospective audience. Check out this template from graphicriver.net:

You may also choose to design and mail out invitations.  Posters could be hung at the gallery and around town. The possibilities are endless, but it really shows how important your written communication skills must be as a curator.  Remember, your materials are a first impression of the show's content.  If you are professional, timely, and creative, you can help ensure success!

Grade 9 Art - Day 74: "Creative Redesign"

I wanted to introduce you this term and style of art.  Quite simply, when you take any existing object and resign it for a new purpose, you have creatively redesigned it: Way to go!  I like creative redesign because it allows artists to recycle materials, appropriating their original and sometimes iconic design, shape, or form, and arriving at something new that is quite distinctly their own.

Many artists refer to their work as "upcycling".

Here are some great examples of creative redesign:

Adidas Superstar Upcycled by Gabriel Dishaw

Trash People by HA Schult

Finally, let's go to this website with a couple of cool examples of Canadian Creative Redesign.

Grade 9 Art - Day 73: "Representational, Abstract and Non-Representational Art"

As we build our lexicon of terms related to visual art, I wanted to break down the differences between Representational, Abstract, and Non-Representational Art.

Representational Art is meant to be a direct representation of something in the real world, such a realistic landscape painting or battle scene.

David Abed, Still Life with Brown Jug

Abstract Art is meant to be an abstraction from what is considered to be realistic. The form or subject may still be recognizable. Rudolph Arnheim, in Visual Thinking stated "Abstract art uses a visual language of shape, form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world."

Pablo Picasso, Girl Before a Mirror

Non-Representational art does not use imagery, symbols, or subjects that may be found in the natural visual world.  It is essentially non-recognizable, borrowing nothing that you might recognize from reality.

Source: http://fineartamerica.com/

Grade 10 Art - Day 73: "Artistic Conventions: Heroic Works"

The heroic ethos is a set of values that permeates our literature, art, dramatic presentations, and music.  This set of values glorifies the courageous acts of heroic individuals. For thousands of years, people have rallied behind the valourous, singing odes to their exploits and trying to capture their greatness in paintings and plays.

In visual art, heroic works are prolific. They are dynamic in their range from vibrant colour to dark and gloomy battle scenes.  Our heroes are taken from religious doctrine, historic battles, political upheaval, and sources too numerous to mention.  Let's take a look at a few heroic works and try to better understand the culture, society, and ideologies behind them:

Landing of Captain Cook, at Botany Bay, 1770 1902 (National Gallery of Victoria)

by E. Phillips Fox

(read more about Cook`s first voyage at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_voyage_of_James_Cook)

National War Memorial Ottawa by Vernon March

(read more at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_War_Memorial_(Canada)#cite_note-CE-6)

"The Recapture of Buda Castle in 1686" by Gyula Benczúr

As a group, I would like to visit the following site: http://gizmodo.com/this-amazing-3d-render-lets-you-dive-into-a-medieval-ba-1548660882, which shows how Ekho, a Hungarian 3D artist, has turned this painting into a compelling 3D rendering.

As a parting note, I wanted to share a portion of an essay entitled ``The Heroic Ethos: Reality and Representation" by Rebecca A. Tierney-Hynes:

Contrasting the Code with Reality:

Graham Caie warns against the literalization of the heroic ethos in present analyses of Anglo-Saxon society. He points out that there are only five ‘heroic’ works extant, and that the "constant battle, acts of heroic bravery, [and] supernatural feats of individual strength"(79) can hardly be taken as an accurate representation of any society that necessarily includes women, children, farmers, tradespeople and all the paraphernalia of everyday life.

Grade 11/12 - Day 73: "How Curators Curate, Step Four: Funding and Budget"

Source: americansforthearts.org

Continuing our discussion on how curators curate, we return to the fineart.about.com stages that we have been working through.

"Procuring funds when curating an art exhibition is one of the most daunting tasks of a curator. Apply for art grants through government and non-profit agencies. Be thorough in your research and follow any possibilities in receiving support. Seek corporate sponsorship and loans of equipment such as computers and digital projectors. Get local support from schools and neighborhood organizations. Getting the community involved with your exhibition can help give you extra support.

Include in your budget: artists’ fees, project fees, overhead, advertising, printing catalog and invitations, shipping and handling, customs duty, framing, installing, lighting and opening expenses. Putting on an exhibition can quickly add up.

Kwanyi Pan said when she worked as a curatorial assistant at the non-profit art space PS1, the key to procuring funding was to demonstrate co-operation with the funding body to let them clearly know what they will receive in return. "It is a give and take situation."

For funding opportunities in Canada, check out: http://canadacouncil.ca/

Source: http://fineart.about.com/od/Curator/ss/Curating-A-Show-In-10-Easy-Steps-A-Step-By-Step-Guide-For-Art-Curators.htm#step4

Grade 9 Art - Day 72: "Creative Process Review"

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

As we prepare for our presentations for the ISU, you are reminded that each stage of the creative process must be addressed in your presentation.  8 slides, 8 stages.  To make sure that there are no questions or concerns about the process, I thought that it would help us to review this process as it is identified in our curriculum document.  I will expand upon each stage in our discussion:

"Students are expected to learn and use the creative process to help them acquire and
apply knowledge and skills in the arts. Use of the creative process is to be integrated
with use of the critical analysis process in all facets of the arts curriculum as students work to achieve the expectations in the three strands.

Creativity involves the invention and the assimilation of new thinking and its integration
with existing knowledge. Creativity is an essential aspect of innovation. Sometimes the
creative process is more about asking the right questions than it is about finding the
right answer. It is paradoxical in that it involves both spontaneity and deliberate,
focused effort. Creativity does not occur in a vacuum. Art making is a process requiring
both creativity and skill, and it can be cultivated by establishing conditions that encourage
and promote its development. Teachers need to be aware that the atmosphere they create
for learning affects the nature of the learning itself. A setting that is conducive to creativity
is one in which students are not afraid to suggest alternative ideas and take risks.

The creative process comprises several stages:
• challenging and inspiring
• imagining and generating
• planning and focusing
• exploring and experimenting
• producing preliminary work
• revising and refining
• presenting and performing
• reflecting and evaluating

The creative process in the arts is intended to be followed in a flexible, fluid, and cyclical
manner. As students and teachers become increasingly familiar with the creative process,
they are able to move deliberately and consciously between the stages and to vary the
order of stages as appropriate. For example, students may benefit from exploring and
experimenting before planning and focusing; or in some instances, the process may
begin with reflecting. Feedback and reflection take place throughout the process."

Grade 11/12 - Day 72: "How Curators Curate, Step Three: Audience"

 Image Source: www.indietips.com

 Just like when you write a piece of prose or construct an essay, you must consider your audience when you curate an art show! Following our set of curator tips from fineartabout.com, here is the next step as it relates to audience:

"The art audience is one of the foremost concerns of the curator.

Kwanyi Pan says, “A curator is not a creator but a facilitator for both the audience and the artists and a messenger who delivers ideas from contemporary society. A good curator needs to understand the audience and to fully communicate with the artists to let their work speak out to the public.”

When she curated a show at Mission Gallery, a government-owned space in Wales, her focus was on
the audience and what they could receive from the exhibition.

Her overriding concern was to allow for audience interaction with the artwork."

You may think to yourself, "Well that's all fine and dandy, but I have no experience in selecting or understanding an audience!" 

No problem.  Let's analyze these helpful tips, provided by textileartist.org, that detail how 23 different artists select and tailor their work to meet their audience's needs! http://www.textileartist.org/finding-an-audience-for-your-art/

Grade 10 Art - Day 72: "Artistic Conventions: Synectics"

Today, I want to introduce you to a term we have not discussed this term: synectics.  Here is the dictionary.com definition of synectics:

•  a method of identifying and solving problems that depends on creative thinking, the use of analogy, and informal conversation among a small group of individuals with diverse experience and expertise.

So how can we use synectics to improve our visual art? You may begin by collaborating with your peers or the instructor to arrive at a new approach.  Whether or not you have collaborators available, let's look at a matrix, from learn.durkin.com, that will help you analyze what you have done and help you proceed:

And finally, we will review this prezi, created by Rob Swartz, that really captures the ideas associated with design synectics.

Grade 9 Art - Day 71: The Critical Analysis Process Review

The critical analysis process is one that we started early this term and as we are reviewing at this juncture, I present the following mind-map from our curriculum document:

Using these stages, let's look at a couple famous pieces and analyze them!

Claude Monet's "Impression, Sunrise"

Edouard Manet: "A Bar at the Folies-Bergère"

Grade 11/12 - Day 71: "How Curators Curate, Step Two: Space and Date"

"Get floor plans and start mapping out the layout of the exhibition. You need to get to the nuts and bolts of your exhibition when curating an art show. What goes where? Some curators build 3D models of the gallery space and artworks, while others use software like sketchup.

Work with the gallery or museum staff to create a positive and productive environment for all involved. Along with short deadlines go short tempers.


Try and make the experience as stress-free as possible by having everything planned out beforehand.

Set the opening and closing dates of the art exhibition. Mark your calendar with deadlines for each facet of the project. It can be helpful to work backwards from the opening date and schedule the necessary steps needed to put on the exhibition."

Source: http://fineart.about.com/od/Curator/ss/Curating-A-Show-In-10-Easy-Steps-A-Step-By-Step-Guide-For-Art-Curators.htm#step2

Grade 10 Art - Day 71: "A Final Exploration of Artistic Conventions: Symbolism"

The symbolist movement had a strong rooting in both literature and visual art.  To fully explain the differences between the two, let me define what it meant to both:

Symbolism in Literature: Generally speaking, some persons or objects may have more than one meaning when introduced in a text.  It may be something as simple as a man dressed in black, and we immediately imagine that he may be a villain because of the associations this colour brings.  A graffito skull at the beginning of a dark alley might cause you to want your favourite character not to enter that dangerous place!

Symbolism in Art: Symbolism as a movement in art is quite the opposite of other movements that we have studied.  Where impressionism paints a realistic "impression" on the canvas, and naturalism paints realistic subjects in their natural surroundings, Symbolist artists "suggested ideas through symbols and emphasized the meaning behind the forms, lines, shapes, and colors. The works of some its proponents exemplify the ending of the tradition of representational art coming from Classical times. Symbolism can also be seen as being at the forefront of modernism, in that it developed new and often abstract means to express psychological truth and the idea that behind the physical world lay a spiritual reality. Symbolists could take the ineffable, such as dreams and visions, and give it form." (http://www.theartstory.org/)

Take a look at James Ensor's "Death and the Masks", painted in 1897 (above). Here is an analysis from artstory.org:

Artwork description & Analysis: Ensor imparts lifelike qualities to the skull of Death in the center, with its chilling grin, and to the masks of the people; the mask becomes the face, and yet it is still a mask that tries to cover up the spiritual hollowness of the bourgeoisie and the decadence of the times. The crowded composition suggests that this is a pervasive problem and that the painting is the artist's critique of contemporary society. Ensor had an interest in masks because his mother owned a souvenir shop selling such articles as these papier mache masks worn at carnival time in Belgium. Ensor desired a return to the "pure and natural" local carnivals and festivals of his native Belgium with a view toward creating cultural unity, but realized that tourism, commercialization, and industrialization would prevent that from happening.
Moreover, Ensor was heir to the whole Northern tradition of caricature, the grotesque, and fantasy, as seen in the work of Hieronymus Bosch and even Pieter Bruegel. But as opposed to the naturalistic underpinnings of the work of Bosch and Bruegel, Ensor works with a light, bright palette that suggests whimsy and absurdity at the same time that he employs a rough and textural application of paint, which signals the depth and horror of the malaise of the times. Thus, Ensor's contribution to Symbolism was that before the Expressionists of the early twentieth century, he called upon raw color and savage texture to strip down to the layers of the human psyche, plumbing its depths -- in addition to supplementing his Symbolic vocabulary with subtle political overtones.

Grade 9 Art - Day 70 "Elements and Principles of Design Review"

As the semester slowly comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to review a few very important elements and principles that we have worked on this year....the elements and principles of design!

Let's have a look at the word wall:

These words hover over you at all times in this class for a reason!  When I conference with you to arrive at a mark and feedback for the work that you do, I refer to the elements and principles you used well and make recommendations on how each element might be better used.  This will carry on through your high school art experience!

Many of you will still have your handout of the elements and principles from early in the year, but for the sake of a fresh perspective, let's study the following poster from the New World School of the Arts!

Source: http://nwsa-2dart.blogspot.ca/2012/08/elements-and-principles-of-design.html

Grade 11/12 - Day 70: "How Curators Curate, Step One: Conceptualize"

photo source: phaidon.com

In this grade level, you are expected to demonstrate an understanding of curatorial considerations, including those relating to the purpose of, and audience for, an exhibition, and explain the impact of curatorial judgments.  To better understand the role of a curator, let's review these ten steps, provided by fineart.about.com:

1) Conceptualize the Art Exhibition

A curator conceives of an art exhibition idea first when curating a show.

In today’s art world, you do not need to be a museum staff member to curate an art exhibition. You could be an independent art curator and work -- that’s right -- independently.

A curator’s job is like a movie director’s in that you need to oversee every detail of the production so it helps to be extremely organized and that you can work well with others as it takes many skilled people to put on an exhibition.

There is not a one-size-fits-all approach, but various methods. Here is one simplified process to put on an exhibition from start to finish. If feasible, give yourself at least six months to arrange all the necessary details.

Conceptualize

For many curators this is the fun and creative part of the job. Think of the idea and overall theme for your exhibition. Write a mission statement. What is the purpose of your exhibition: a survey show, a showcase of new talent, a cross-cultural exchange, an illustration of a theme or topical issue?

Before you begin, you need to think through every exacting detail and leave nothing to chance. This requires a lot of preliminary research on your part.

For Beijing-based independent curator Kwanyi Pan who has curated exhibitions around the world, she recommends to research the country's artists and audience, to understand the environment you are working in and what subsequent issues may arise. She says working as a curator in Asia is different from working in the west in that the social context is “totally a money-driven phenomena.”

Select the artists for your exhibition. Will they make new works which adds to your budget or will they exhibit older works? Are you working entirely with local artists? If not, will you need to arrange travel, accommodation, and visas for your visiting artists?

Where is the exhibition site? If it is in a museum or gallery, how much will they sponsor? Is it in a traditional gallery space or is it in alternative venues such as public parks and shopping arcades? Will it travel around by taxi?

Consider intriguing juxtapositions between art works. Create an interesting dialogue amongst the works and the audience. Walk through the space in your mind; is there a logical flow between the works? Will the audience understand what you are trying to convey?

Grade 10 Art - Day 70: "Artistic Conventions: Visual Metaphor"

source:plasticenglish.files.wordpress.com

A visual metaphor uses images rather than words to create a comparison.  In the image above, the world is compared to an ice cream cone that is melting.  The result is to focus our attention on global warming and climate change.

Today we will work with a lesson plan that was created by artsalive.ca and can be found at http://www.artsalive.ca/collections/posters/pdf/en/ArtsAlive_visualmetaphor_e.pdf. I will distribute this handout to you and we will work our way through it together!

Grade 10 Art - Day 69: "A Final Exploration of Artistic Conventions: Exaggeration"

I want you to be able to demonstrate an understanding of several conventions used in visual art works.  Today's convention is exaggeration.

Exaggeration in literature really describes something as being better or worse than it actually is.  The use of exaggeration in visual art is very similar....features of your subject, be it human or a landscape, are purposely altered for effect.  One of the easiest examples to use of this sort of exaggeration occurs in caricatures.

If I take a photo of a celebrity and purposely exaggerate the celebrities physical features that are most prominent, I can create a cartoon likeness that is instantly recognizable.  Just for fun, I chose a photo of John Travolta and did a caricature of him...see above.  

That is your challenge today! Do a quick caricature of someone you know, or a celebrity.  It's a fun and easy exercise to build your understanding of this convention.  

Grade 9 Art - Day 69 "Experimenting with New Technology: 3D Self-Portrait"

Our curriculum document asks us to explore and experiment with a variety of media/materials and traditional and/or emerging technologies, tools, and techniques, and apply them to produce art works.

So this is your challenge today:

Use your iPad to download 123D Sculpt.  Use the app to create a sculpture of yourself!  A digital self-portrait in three dimensions! Experiment with the different brushes and options that are available to you.  The person who creates the greatest likeness can have their print printed on the 3D printer!  Talk about an awesome souvenir of your time in Grade 9 art!

I look forward to working with all of you on this one!

Grade 11/12 Art - Day 69 "Art and the Environment"

I ask you today to explain how art works can have both a positive and negative impact on the environment.  

Our task will be to identify a list of ways that art affects the environment in both good and bad ways.  To do this I will put a T-chart on the board and we can brainstorm our ideas! Try to think of ways you can use art to help the environment....

After that, I want to review the following article together and get your input as to how you feel about what we read:

http://www.earthtimes.org/going-green/environmental-impact-art-design-films/1858/

Grade 9 Art - Day 68: "Art and Activism"

I want to talk about three terms today and explore the role that art plays in all three. The words are:

- community
- activism
- activist

A community is as a group of people living or working together and sharing some common ideas.  

Activism is fighting for change or for what you believe in. If you are engaged in this fight, are an activist.  

Art has been employed by activists to change the community that they live in for ages.  

I want to talk about a popular street artist that goes by the name Banksy.  We will look at some of his work today and read and respond to an article from the Smithsonian at:

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-story-behind-banksy-4310304/?no-ist

How can you use art to be an activist in your community?  How would you get started?  What is important in your community to you?

Grade 10 Art - Day 68: "Interpretation, Purpose, Meaning...Redux"

In this curricular cut-back, we need to explore and interpret art, to identify and describe its purpose and style, the materials used, and the meanings the works convey.

For this task, I have selected Banksy's, "Slave Labour".  Let's have a look....

What do you think was the purpose of this painting?  What aspects of the style or content of the painting support your opinion?

I ask you to interpret this piece and we will have our class discussion.

Grade 11/12 Art - Day 68: "Deep Viewing"

I want to introduce you to a concept called "Deep Viewing".

Ann Watts Pailliotet coined this phrase and it consists of three phases:

• Literal observation
• Interpretation
• Evaluation/application

Literal Observation Phase

I will give you a hard copy of the Eckford and Bryan photo, seen above. To help you internalize the image, please study it for one minute before turning it over and doodling a version of it from memory. Next have students write what they literally observe (What is pictured? What type of language is used? How is space used?).

Interpretation Phase

I will use your words to create a collaborative word cloud for the class to view. You are invited to interpret the word cloud while periodically re-examining the photo. (What are the most important words? Which words do you have questions about? Describe your feelings about the photo. What other images are you reminded of, past or present? What messages are implicit and explicit? How did you analyze the photo? What do you understand now that you didn't before?) We will then summarize the conversation.

Evaluation and Application Phase

Write about the image's relevance on a separate piece of paper. (Does the implied purpose of the photo convey ideas that are important? How? Is the image biased? How so?) 

Now that we are though the Deep Viewing exercise, I want to give you the history behind the photo.

Check out this video, which is a trailer about a book written about this moment and the years that followed:

Thanks to Todd Finley for inspiration for this lesson.  http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-strategies-todd-finley

Grade 9 Art - Day 67: "Visual Literacy - Creative Maps"

We have become used to seeing perfectly drawn maps that help us get from one place to another.  Modern maps are computer-generated using pinpoint accuracy.  Historically, maps were hand-drawn works of art created by cartographers.  In the art world, many maps are created in an artistic way that makes the "lay of the land" an interesting and interactive experience.  Here are a few examples:

Southbank, London, UK:

Bloomsbury, London, UK:

Source: http://editorial.designtaxi.com/news-bloomsbury1903/1.jpg

Now let's have a look at a truly artistic rendering of London, completed by Stephen Walter in 2008.
It will form the basis of our analysis using the handout: Map Analysis Worksheet, which can also be found at http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/map_analysis_worksheet.pdf

Grade 10 Art - Day 67: "Visual Literacy - Photo Analysis"

In today's class, I will be distributing a photo analysis worksheet.  Here is the link to the worksheet:
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/photo.html

The purpose of this assignment is to help you with literacy testing and overall ability to read and understand photos that might be included in any type of publication.  Here is the photograph we will be analyzing.  I will explain the context of the photo as we progress.

Grade 11/12 Art - Day 67: "Artists That Defy Barriers"

Every so often, I like to do a "Curriculum Cut Back" to make sure that we are covering the basics! Our curriculum document specifies that our students must "demonstrate an understanding of a wide variety of techniques that artists use to achieve specific effects."  We have certainly covered a great many techniques in a variety of media.  However, here is a question that I have for you:

What would you do if something in your life changed and you could no longer achieve specific results and techniques?

I will explain.  As we age, our eyesight diminishes.  We may not be able to discern between hues or transitions of value as well as we once did.  As our hands age, holding a pencil my become more of a chore and our lines become less steady.  A car accident may affect any number of our abilities, both cognitively and physically.  As artists, your ability to replicate what you see, in both the physical world and your mind's eye, may be mitigated by any number of factors.

My message to you is this: Adaptable artists are artists with longevity!  Adapt, adapt, adapt! When an ability diminishes, refocus and re-engineer your artistic persona, technique, and creative process.  If your hands stop working, paint with your feet!

Let's look at a couple of truly inspirational individuals.  The first is Mariam Pare. Mariam was paralyzed by a stray bullet. Let's read her story and watch a video at:
http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/moments/2014/09/29/paralyzed-painter-uses-teeth-for-masterpiece/16414043/

The second inspirational individual is Phil Hansen. Phil developed nerve damage to a degree that he could no longer hold his hand steady.  Let's watch a Ted Talk about his story:

What I want to leave you with is that these people are heroes and mentors.  They took the hand they were dealt, and turned it into a royal flush.  If you make art your career, there may come a time where a physical, emotional, or cognitive challenge is presented to you.  If this happens, I hope you can remember these inspirational people and alter your course....you might just achieve your greatest work!

Grade 11/12 Art - Day 66: Science and Art with Julian Voss-Andreae

Continuing our study of melding science and art, I want to introduce you to the work of Julian Voss-Andreae.  From Julian's website:

"Julian Voss-Andreae is a German sculptor based in Portland, Oregon. Starting out as a painter he later changed course and studied physics, mathematics, and philosophy at the Universities of Berlin, Edinburgh and Vienna. Voss-Andreae's work, often inspired by his background in science, has captured the attention of multiple institutions and collectors in the United States and abroad." 

- See more at: http://julianvossandreae.com/about/biography/#sthash.C0NsUyEM.dpuf

Let's have a look at this video of Julian's work:

To further explore Julian's portfolio of work, visit:

http://julianvossandreae.com/works/

Grade 9 - Day 66: Visual Literacy - Cartoon Analysis

For this assignment, I would like you to find a cartoon on your iPad, or, if you would prefer, use the one below.  I will distribute a analysis sheet for you to complete.  We will then discuss your analysis!

Cartoon sheet link: http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/cartoon.html

Sample cartoon:

Grade 10 Art - Day 66 "Visual Literacy and the 4Ws"

Asking the 4WS

I had a really good discussion with my Grade 9 group yesterday, using this exercise.  I altered it for this Grade 10 group.

The following is a "4Ws" activity to help you make observations, connections and inferences about an artist's agenda, and develop ideas about a work's significance.  Please use the following chart to analyze the works that I present to you:

Inspired by: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-strategies-todd-finley

Grade 9 Art - Day 65: "Visual Literacy and Asking the 4Ws"

Asking the 4WS

The following is a "4Ws" activity to help you make observations, connections and inferences about an artist's agenda, and develop ideas about a work's significance.  Please use the following chart to analyze the works that I present to you:

Pablo Picasso: The Tragedy

Salvador Dali: The Temptation of St. Anthony

Inspired by: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/ccia-10-visual-literacy-strategies-todd-finley