Lesson Plan: 

"I don't get it . . . what is this modern stuff?"

I. RATIONALE:

Students will play a game which will allow them to use critical processes to understand why artists do art, what art is, the time period of when art is made effects the art, who are artists ( or different types of artists and how modern art effects society and their lives.

II. OBJECTIVES:

Art History:

Students will become familiar with the work of all kinds of artists, from folk art, cultural art, art from contemporary working artists to that of museum quality in the modern period.

Aesthetics:

Students will better understand what motivates artists to create, the purposes and functions of art, their personal responses to art and what those responses mean.

Criticism:

Students will make comparisons between two works of art and start to categorize the type and quality of the work.

III. MATERIALS AND RESOURCES:

Game materials, slide projector, prints or internet connection and prints from online. Suggested Works: (may be played with any variety of art reproductions) the contemporary Collection at The Norton Museum of Art is a one stop place for a variety of small images of contemporary artists works for this game.

http://www.norton.org/collect/contempo/contempo.htm

Possible online examples of contemporary artists:

1. Site Projects, Inc./GHOST PARKING LOT./Hamden, Connecticut. 1978./Used Automobiles, bloc bond, asphalt. (available online-  http://siteenvirodesign.com/ click projects, then Ghost Parking Lot)

2. NAVAJO SAND PAINTING CEREMONY an example is available online-  http://lpsl1.coe.uga.edu/oreyPage/navajo/navajo.html

3. PEPPER #30 1930/Edward Weston/Photograph available online- http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/photo/108mac_weston.html

4. THORNCROWN CHAPEL/ 1981 available online- http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Thorncrown_Chapel.html

5. THE SUBWAY/George Tooker/1950/Egg Tempera available online-

 http://www.biggallery.com/art/byimg/A0QQ2000.htm

6. WOLFBORO III, / Frank Stella/1966/ Fluorescent alkyd and epoxy paint on canvas   available online-

http://www.seattleartmuseum.org/Exhibitions/wright/gallery.asp?newPos=14

7.NUESTRO PUEBLO, WATTS TOWER/Sabatino Rodia/1921-1954/ Mixed Media available online- http://www.greatbuildings.com/buildings/Watts_Towers.html

8. CALIFORNIA ARTIST/ Robert Arneson/1982/ ceramics available online- http://www.sfmoma.org/collections/painting+sculpture/ma_coll_arneson.html

9. story quilts/ Faith Ringgold/Quilt many examples available online- http://www.artincontext.org/artist/ringgold/

10. Barnett Newman/ ZIM ZUM/1969/cor-ten steel  available online-

http://www.sfmoma.org/collections/recent_acquisitions/ma_coll_newman.html

11. Constellation (for Louis Kahn)/ Isamu Noguchi/1980-83/ Basalt

http://www.kimbellart.org/database/index.cfm?detail=yes&ID=AG%201983.01%20a-d

12. Louise Nevelson/BLACK ZAG Z /gilded wood availible online-

http://www.wesleyan.edu/dac/coll/threed.html

13. Pablo Picasso/1881-1973 any works available online-

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/ftptoc/picasso_ext.html

14. / Joan Brown/ 1938-1990 any works available online-

http://www.bampfa.berkeley.edu/exhibits/brown/

 

V. CONTENT OUTLINE AND PROCESS:

This game is primarily intended for older students (Middle School and beyond). Students will be given the list from context as part of their game packet along with the following rules and game form. They will work in small groups and have five minutes to fill out the questions for each reproduction. They will be given only the basic information of what the title is, artist etc. from the list. after they complete the list,  look at the works as a class and argue for their findings. The entire list should not be used all at once, but broken down for various sessions of playing the game.

ART REPORTER

INSTRUCTIONS:

Imagine that you are a team of reporters assigned to cover an art opening at a downtown gallery. This is your first day on the job, and your deadline for this story is today. Although your knowledge of art may be limited, you must answer the questions about each pair of art works. No one is available to answer questions about the works, so you must develop your answers making assumptions that your team agrees upon. Back up your assumptions with knowledge that you have about today's society and the world that we live in. These are all modern works of art. Remember your job depends on how well you do, and you will receive $10, (points for your team) for every answer that you can justify to the class, that they agree is logical. You may use the information given to you in this packet if desired in parts of your answers.

ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS ABOUT EACH ART WORK, USING THIS FORMAT.

1. Who is the artist, what is the time period of the work, what media is the work completed in. ( This information will be given to you by the teacher at the beginning of the time period for each pair of slides).

2. For what purpose or reasons did the artist make this work?

3. Explain what you see and how it was done.

4. What does it mean?

5. What else in today's society is like this.

6. What could be added to the work?

7. What could be subtracted?

8. What could be substituted, rearranged or combined in a similar work?

9. Does the work achieve its perceived intention?

10.How does it effect the world around us, or the society?

VI. OUTCOMES:

Students will develop critical skills in use of analyzing art. They will become familiar with different types of modern styles, and come to know it better.

VII. ELABORATION AND REVIEW:

This game could be used to analyze other works, different time periods or given as an evaluation form to test individuals understanding and art appreciation.

granburyartcellar@hotmail.com