Inspiration:
Being myself a product of the sixties, I wondered were there any social or political problems that today's students felt strongly enough about to protest. Cognizant of our society's obsession with getting ahead and acquiring material wealth, I became intrigued with discovering what my students thought was important to them and their larger community. Was there an area or topic that they felt passionately about? If so, would they want to develop a work of art in order to express those feelings?
Problem:
Students will create a low-level relief with the image based on a current social or political issue that they feel deserves attention. Students will create a visual protest image without the use of words.
Materials:
recycled magazines, newspaper images, photocopies
15" x 20" foam core board
a variety of drawing and painting materials (water color paint, pastels, colored pencils, felt-tip markers)
18" x 24" white drawing paper
Start Up Activity:
Gather a variety of recycled materials. Ask students to brainstorm current political or social issues and to consider how they might develop one visually. To encourage students to look beyond themselves and relate to the society they live in, discuss with them issues that affect society such as poverty, pollution, ecological stability, or international relationships. Ask students: "How can you respond artistically to the issue you feel strongly about?" Encourage students to work on a variety of social and political causes.
Process:
Begin by giving students creative control of their protest statement. Allow students to choose their subject, any tools needed, media, and size of work. Encourage students to take risks and combine materials. Remind students that their goal is to express their views on their chosen issue without the use of words and to achieve the strongest visual image possible. Students should select media they feel will best produce a strong visual impact. To increase the challenge, ask students to work in a low-level relief with images raised no higher than 1 1/2". Developing the concept in relief allows the artist to direct the viewer's attention to significant areas of the sculpture. Remind students that their composition needs to be clear and readable. The viewer should easily understand the issue and the artist's viewpoint on this issue.
Choices:
subject
media
size
Evaluation:
Have students respond in a verbal critique. Ask:
Did you create a strong visual image that the viewers will easily understand?
Was the subject of the protest obvious?
What makes the image visually readable to the viewer?
What aspects, such as color, composition, or subject, add visual impact?
Results / Observations:
Because they chose varied subjects and media, students produced diverse results. Independent decisions led to greater ownership of their work. Students interested in science were encouraged to share their work with science classes. This gave science teachers and students an opportunity to see how art and science relate to each other and thus provide another level of relevance to the project.
Conclusion:
Because the project gives students many opportunities to make decisions, it enhances their sense of power and commitment to the choices they make. The art teacher gains insight into and appreciation for the belief systems of his or her students and experiences the satisfaction of watching students move from being teenagers to young adults by dealing with issues that relate to the larger world community.
National Standard:
Students conceive and create works of visual art that demonstrate an understanding of how the communication of their ideas relate to the media, techniques, and processes they use.
