Unit #2: Art as a means for change
In this next project, you should choose a cause that you are passionate about and that aligns with your values.
You will then use either the approach of TEXT & IMAGE or APPROPRIATION to layer into your work on a particular issue or cause. MEDIA: Your choice but you should combine at least 2 media in this next studio work. CLASS MEDIA TESTING: We will practice image transfers (matte medium, packing tape, colorless blender markers), painting on collaged images/ photographs, writing on photographs etc. |
Essential QuestionsWhat makes art an effective form of social or political protest?
How do images of conflict and resistance speak to a universal audience? How can artists use images to serve or resist institutions of power? What can images of war tell us about attitudes toward war? What makes art an effective form of social commentary or political criticism? |
'CONFLICt & RESISTANCE in Art' - VIDEO
Throughout history, groups and individuals have sought not only to maintain control over their own lives, but also to assert their power over the lives of others. Visual art has played an important role in documenting such conflict and resistance. It also has served as a means for expressing personal views on politics, war, social inequities, and the human condition.
Directions: -Take 1 page of notes on the video (key terms, historical events, artist names, quotes from critics and historians interviewed) and then on your 2nd page choose a C & C question below to unpack in more detail. Each link below will take you to a page with further questions to drive your investigation of the 2 artworks presented.
On page 2, answer all the questions presented to help you think critically about the 2 artworks presented. Also print out each of the artworks you discussing and stick it in your sketchbook. If you need help printing these images, add them in a google doc and share it with me.
COMPARE & CONTRAST
How and Why Do We Represent Scenes of Conflict?
What Happens When Art Is at the Center of Conflict?
How Can Artists Use Images to Serve or Resist Institutions of Power?
What Can Images of War Tell Us About Attitudes Toward War?
What Makes Art an Effective Form of Social Commentary or Political Criticism?
Directions: -Take 1 page of notes on the video (key terms, historical events, artist names, quotes from critics and historians interviewed) and then on your 2nd page choose a C & C question below to unpack in more detail. Each link below will take you to a page with further questions to drive your investigation of the 2 artworks presented.
On page 2, answer all the questions presented to help you think critically about the 2 artworks presented. Also print out each of the artworks you discussing and stick it in your sketchbook. If you need help printing these images, add them in a google doc and share it with me.
COMPARE & CONTRAST
How and Why Do We Represent Scenes of Conflict?
What Happens When Art Is at the Center of Conflict?
How Can Artists Use Images to Serve or Resist Institutions of Power?
What Can Images of War Tell Us About Attitudes Toward War?
What Makes Art an Effective Form of Social Commentary or Political Criticism?
TEXT & IMAGE |
APPROPRIATION |
Robert RaUchenberg / Appropriation with Collage 2D & 3D |
|
Richard Prince /consumer culture/Appropriation
Vulture article : Richard Prince’s Instagram Paintings Are Genius Trolling
|
|
Shirin Neshat
|
CECILY BROWN
|
|
|
Chris JorDan/digital photography/ Appropriation/Environmental destruction
"Gyre," 2009. 8 feet x 12 feet, in 3 panels. From Running the Numbers II: Portraits of Global Mass Culture. Depicts 2.4 million pieces of plastic, equal to the estimated number of pounds of plastic pollution that enter the world's oceans every hour. All of the plastic in this image was collected from the Pacific Ocean.
|
Judy Chicago / Feminism |
Robert Colescott /Race in america/ Appropriation |
|
|
Wangechi Mutu / Nature & Culture & Diversity
|
|
|
Barbara KRUGER / cultural constructions of power, identity, consumerism, and sexuality / Text & Image / APPROPRIATION |
LALLA ESSAYDI / Deconstructing STEREOTYPES OF MUSLIM WOMANHOOD /TEXT & IMAGE |
|
|
Ed RUSCHA / the tension of words / TEXT & IMAGE |
Thao Nguyen Phan/ Researching the Colonial history of vietnam & the Narrative |
|
|
Glenn Ligon/Text & Art/ Race in America |
Lorna Simpson |
|
|
|
Jenny Holzer /Text & Public Art
HURT EARTH projects the words of over 40 climate activists, from Sir David Attenborough to Greta Thunberg, onto landmark buildings across the UK.
Holzer's Truisms have become part of the public domain, displayed in storefronts, on outdoor walls and billboards, and in digital displays in museums, galleries, and other public places, such as Times Square in New York. Multitudes of people have seen them, read them, laughed at them, and been provoked by them. That is precisely the artist's goal.
|
Mark Bradford / TEXT & IMAGE / Community & History |
NarSiso Martinez/ Workers rights |
|
|
William Kentridge/Text & Image/complicated histories
|
|
|
|
Art 21 Artist / Theme Lookup-link
8 Artists who harness the power of words in their art-LINK
Ed Rushca Frohawk Two Feathers Shirin Neshat Mariane Ibrahim Robert Lee Davis Zohra Opoku Miriam Shapiro Hollis Sigler Chen Ke Deborah Barrett Lalla Essaydi Romare Bearden Kerry James Marshall Fang Lijun Takashi Murakami Andy Warhol Jenny Holzer Mel Bochner Yasumasa Morimura Cindy Sherman |
ART 21-Language and Text
Ben Sakoguchi Frank Romero Judith Baca Tschabalala Self David Wojnarowicz Claude Cahun Kerry James Marshall Do Ho Suh Judy Chicago Kara Walker Lorna Simpson Shahzia Sikander Glenn Ligon Victoria Villasana Frida Kahlo Ana Teresa Fernandez Carrie Mae Weems |
Artists who work with 2D Mixed Media
Lari Pittman
John Baldessari Shirin Neshat Mark Bradford Tschabalala Self Lorna Simpson Nijideka Akunyili Crosby |
Collage mixed media works above by Xue Song
Mixed Media Pinterest Board-Link
Ian Murphy-Mixed Media Artist
|
|
|
|
The Creative Process: In the Sketchbook
PROCESS PORTFOLIO-link
1. 2 pages: Conflict & Resistance-1 page notes from the video, 1 page Compare/Contrast
Take 1 page of notes on the video (key terms, historical events, artist names, quotes from critics and historians interviewed) and then on your 2nd page choose a C & C question below to unpack in more detail. Each link below will take you to a page with further questions to drive your investigation of the 2 artworks presented.
On page 2, answer all the questions presented to help you think critically about the 2 artworks presented. Also print out each of the artworks you discussing and stick it in your sketchbook. If you need help printing these images, add them in a google doc and share it with me.
COMPARE & CONTRAST
How and Why Do We Represent Scenes of Conflict?
What Happens When Art Is at the Center of Conflict?
How Can Artists Use Images to Serve or Resist Institutions of Power?
What Can Images of War Tell Us About Attitudes Toward War?
What Makes Art an Effective Form of Social Commentary or Political Criticism?
On page 2, answer all the questions presented to help you think critically about the 2 artworks presented. Also print out each of the artworks you discussing and stick it in your sketchbook. If you need help printing these images, add them in a google doc and share it with me.
COMPARE & CONTRAST
How and Why Do We Represent Scenes of Conflict?
What Happens When Art Is at the Center of Conflict?
How Can Artists Use Images to Serve or Resist Institutions of Power?
What Can Images of War Tell Us About Attitudes Toward War?
What Makes Art an Effective Form of Social Commentary or Political Criticism?
2. Media Testing-Image Transfers
We will experiment with a minimum of 3 image transfer techniques:
You will need to choose a compositional guideline as a base for your media testing. See this document for guidance on the compositional guidelines.
Either stick these 2 compositions directly in your sketchbook OR take photos of your media testing and I'll print it for you in color and you can stick the printed photos of your media testing in your sketchbook.
Other options for media testing:
-wrinkled paper layer using matte medium with acrylic color stain
-experimenting with positive/negative space and zooming in with torn paper, masking tape, ink and graphite
-image transfer with colorless blender
-photocopy collage on cardboard with translucent matte medium color coating
-textured/multi-patterned surfaces-using modeling paste, masking tape, gesso
- Clear tape on image (photocopy or laser print only)
- Matte medium on image
- *Colorless blender (xylene) on image
You will need to choose a compositional guideline as a base for your media testing. See this document for guidance on the compositional guidelines.
Either stick these 2 compositions directly in your sketchbook OR take photos of your media testing and I'll print it for you in color and you can stick the printed photos of your media testing in your sketchbook.
Other options for media testing:
-wrinkled paper layer using matte medium with acrylic color stain
-experimenting with positive/negative space and zooming in with torn paper, masking tape, ink and graphite
-image transfer with colorless blender
-photocopy collage on cardboard with translucent matte medium color coating
-textured/multi-patterned surfaces-using modeling paste, masking tape, gesso
3. 1 page - brainstorm/idea web exploring causes you care about
choose at least 3 different causes and create a
mini idea web based on EACH of the 5 issues addressing:
-why is this issue important?
-why do you care about it?
-what type of images/imagery/text could you possibly incorporate into it?
possible causes/issues:
accessibility
ableism
Gender binary
racially motivated fetishization
cultural appropriation
migration and displacement
climate change/climate crisis
Race in America
Consumer culture
Feminism
LGBTQ+ rights
overpopulation
homelessness/poverty
school to prison pipeline
deforestation
reproductive freedom
human rights
decolonization
Colorism
Gentrification
Mental Health
Gun Violence
Toxic Masculinity
Lack of Representation
The Rise of Nationalism
4. 1-2 pages - notes on text & image OR appropriation/research on chosen issue/cause
Using 1 or 2 pages, choose the approach for your project - text and image OR appropriation. Watch the videos at the top of this page giving you an overview of each approach with artists who have worked with this approach as well, as perhaps these are artists you will investigate later on. Take notes on the video.
Out of the causes/issues you selected in your idea web, choose 1 that will be your focus. Research issue: Read 2 peer-reviewed academic articles related to chosen issue and take notes/paraphrase what you learned. Write in your own words. Art notes may ALWAYS include sketches of imagery or symbols that were discovered in your research. Make sure to cite your sources in MLA format.
5. 1 pages - 1 full FTC on the artist of your choice
-It is important you use ART SPECIFIC vocabulary when describing the work under the column of FORM. See this vocabulary handbook for support.
As a reminder, use 1 artwork to analyze Form, and for Theme and Context, it would be wise to look at multiple artworks by the specific artist and learn more about the artist's background to fill in these areas.
-3 paragraphs with complete sentences: 1 paragraph for Form, 1 for Theme and 1 for Context
Please refer to the FTC Analysis page under the Resources section for support.
5. 1 page- Initial Ideas
Draw out at least 3 sketches/ideas of where you could take this project. Make annotations (written descriptions) of what media you might use for this work and how your choice of imagery helps support your message/idea. You may have 1 idea that you are feeling very attached to, and if this is the case how could you visualize this idea in 3 different ways.
6. 1 page -Developing Ideas / Composition Planning
Delve into more detail about your favorite of the 3 ideas you jotted down for initial ideas. Or perhaps you can combine the best of your 2 ideas together to create something new.
Answer these questions as you write about your envisioned work:
-How does this idea address your cause/issue? What approach (text & image or appropriation) will you use and why?
-What additional research do you need to do to be informed of the cause you are quietly highlighting in your work?
-How will the media and imagery (FORM) support the THEME of your work? Think about the visual effects you can create with particular media and how it will help the intended mood/meaning for your work?
Create 3 compositional sketches envisioning more detail about your favorite idea. Will it be 1 piece? Will it be a series of smaller pieces together?
Do you have to do any additional media testing in order to start your project successfully?
7. 1 page -Final Plan
Final Idea/Final Plan Critique
1 page in sketchbook-The final idea page is a thorough plan in your sketchbook of what you plan to do in your project before you begin.
The final idea page should include:
VISUAL:
-a quarter to half page sketch in color of what you imagine your project to look like.
-Think about your layout and composition (organization of shapes within the picture plane).
-What type of compositional balance are you using? Symmetrical, Asymmetrical? Where will the visual weight lie in the image? What size/scale do you intend for your work to be?
WRITTEN:
-INTENTION: What is your "thesis statement" or intention of this artwork. What is the message/meaning in this piece related to your chosen cause(s)?
-FORM SUPPORTING THEME: How are you expressing this message visually? This can be from a variety of things: your chosen color scheme, use of value contrast, materials, imagery, how you create visual emphasis etc.
-ARTIST INSPIRATION: What artist has influenced your ideation so far? Explain what you are "borrowing" from them.
-MEDIA: What media will you use in this project? How will your choice of media support your message/meaning?
-PROCESS: What will your steps be in making this work? List out your steps of what you need to acquire, what you need to do first, second, third etc.
The final idea page should include:
VISUAL:
-a quarter to half page sketch in color of what you imagine your project to look like.
-Think about your layout and composition (organization of shapes within the picture plane).
-What type of compositional balance are you using? Symmetrical, Asymmetrical? Where will the visual weight lie in the image? What size/scale do you intend for your work to be?
WRITTEN:
-INTENTION: What is your "thesis statement" or intention of this artwork. What is the message/meaning in this piece related to your chosen cause(s)?
-FORM SUPPORTING THEME: How are you expressing this message visually? This can be from a variety of things: your chosen color scheme, use of value contrast, materials, imagery, how you create visual emphasis etc.
-ARTIST INSPIRATION: What artist has influenced your ideation so far? Explain what you are "borrowing" from them.
-MEDIA: What media will you use in this project? How will your choice of media support your message/meaning?
-PROCESS: What will your steps be in making this work? List out your steps of what you need to acquire, what you need to do first, second, third etc.
Examples of Final Idea pages
Final Plan Group Critique
Artist Statement Guidesheet
artist_statement_identity_mixed_media.pdf |