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Unit One: The Visual Environment

Introduction

In this unit, students will explore ways of interpreting, documenting and shaping the visual environment. The unit focuses on the natural and the human-made environments as sources of ideas and as a means through which ideas are expressed.

The Arts Education program is based on a broad definition of "arts" and includes fine arts, popular arts, traditional arts, commercial arts and functional arts. When exploring the environment, therefore, the teacher should choose examples from such various art forms as film, painting, sculpture, animation, ceramics, weaving, installation, photography, advertising, architecture, and product and clothing design.

Since earliest times people have sought to document and interpret the natural environment in visual forms ranging from cave paintings through to film, computer graphics and satellite transmissions. The natural environment obviously plays a vital role as a provider of materials and inspiration for artists. In this unit, students have an opportunity to explore their own ideas, responses and relationship to the natural environment, perhaps reacting to current environmental issues that are of interest to them. They will also look at how other artists from Saskatchewan, Canada and elsewhere view the natural environment.

The second major focus of this unit is the human-made environment. Artists create our visual environment with intriguing two- and three-dimensional art works, clothing, furniture, buildings, parks, magazine and book illustrations, advertisements, photographs and film images. This unit should help students become aware of the important relationship between art and their environment.

Teacher Information

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The above symbol separates different activities that fall under the same general heading. The learning objectives in italics apply to the activities immediately following.

This unit focuses on various ways of acquiring, developing and executing ideas in visual art. The emphasis is on awareness of and interaction with the visual environment.

There are many more activities suggested than can be completed in the time allotted for this unit. The activities themselves are not required, but are intended as ideas for the teacher to draw from when planning.

Sample Theme: The Environment

Suggested Activities

Possible Resources

The students will:

continue to examine ways that artists and art forms can affect the visual environment.

Discuss the following question: What is our environment?

Have the students divide the environment into categories. Two large categories are the natural environment with all its components such as air, land, water and living organisms, and the human-made or constructed environment that includes all the products of people.

List and discuss some other ways that environments could be categorized, such as indoor, outdoor, rural, urban, global, sterile, ancient, modern, aural, visual, comfortable, restrictive, frightening, familiar, etc. Include in the discussion the immediate environment of the students, such as the classroom, school, school yard, homes and community.

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Note: All resources listed in this column appear in the Grade 9 Arts Education bibliography, 1992. Citations appear in full in the bibliography, alphabetized by title.

The students will:

continue to examine environmental, historical and social factors that influence artists and their work.

Describe and discuss the natural and constructed environments as they apply to people as residents of Saskatchewan. Compare their environment with other parts of Canada. For example, in Saskatchewan we find grain elevators, wheat fields, forests, small towns, city centres and suburbs, recreation areas, etc.

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Images of Saskatchewan and Canada in postcards, photographs, travel brochures, magazines and visual art

The students will:

increase awareness of the career avenues in the visual arts

continue to explore connections between the elements of art and principles of design, the images, the techniques and the meaning conveyed in the work of art.

Discuss the role that various artists play in creating the world's environments. Include architects, landscape architects and people involved in the design of cities and other living spaces. Discuss their use of space and its effect on people. Discuss their use of the other elements of art and principles of design and the results obtained.

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Books containing information about visual art and environmental design, such as
Art, Culture and Environment,

Canadian Art: Building a Heritage, Douglas Cardinal: Architect

The students will:

continue to examine the ideas of today's visual artists and learn to appreciate original thought as well as product.

Using a process such as "Viewing Art Works" and the Visual Art Resource slide kit, discuss the works of Lorne Beug

Lorne Beug - Saskatchewan Artist {774:261}

and Wilf Perreault and their relationship to the Saskatchewan environment. Look at the work of other artists who draw on the natural and constructed environments as sources of ideas for their work.

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Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slides #3, 24 and 25

"A Road Less Travelled", from the Expressions video series on Saskatchewan artists

Native Imagery (video series)

The students will:

continue to develop an awareness and understanding of the visual art of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada.

Discuss Edward Poitras's work Indian Territory and the effect that the eradication of the buffalo had on the environment and lives of the Aboriginal peoples. Discuss the relationship between the gallery environment and the installation itself. How has the artist taken the physical environment of the gallery space into consideration in his work? Look at other examples of installations and discuss the relationship between the work and the site or space that was chosen.

The Visual Environment The students will:

continue to examine ways that artists and art forms can affect the visual environment

continue to evaluate the influence of visual images in their daily lives, including mass media and popular culture.

Discuss possible meanings of the term "visual environment"?

Remind the students that just as they were previously categorizing the environment in such ways as urban or rural, the term "visual environment" is one more way of categorizing the environment. The visual environment may be defined as everything that is seen by people as they go about their daily lives.

Information or resource person discussing the significance of the buffalo to traditional Aboriginal ways of life

"Indian Territory", from the Expressions video series on Saskatchewan artists

Catalogues and photographs of installation art

Discuss the effects of the visual environment on daily life. Ask students to begin to consider the many ways in which visual images can affect people. These visual images include the architecture that they see and the interior design, wallpaper, furniture, clothing and other visual images that they are exposed to on a daily basis.

Study advertisements, posters and other forms of mass media, both old and contemporary, and discuss the power of visual images to affect peoples' lives, communicate and persuade.

Improving the Visual Environment

The students will:

develop an understanding of the various ways artists acquire and transform ideas into visual form

use, with a sense of purpose, various aspects of the creative process when developing works of art.

"...The Great Effect of the Imagination on the World...", from the Expressions video series on Saskatchewan artists

In Fashion (video)

A variety of old and contemporary advertisements

Have students examine and discuss the visual environment of the classroom or school. Devise and present a plan for improving either of these visual environments. The plans could be completely imaginary or could actually be carried out to completion. Plans could range from quick idea sketches for discussion, to imaginary drawings for display, to detailed scale drawings or models that would eventually be completed. Refer to the section "Transforming Ideas Into Visual Form" for suggestions in guiding projects.

Students, Structures, Spaces:
Activities in the Built Environment

Reference books on architecture, murals, interior design or landscape architecture

The students' plans might include:

sketches of ideas for murals, banners, photographic displays or sculptures to be placed on walls, alcoves or in display cases
fantasy drawings of the "ideal" school environment
creative but realistic and economically feasible ways of improving the school environment
architectural-like plans for an imaginary school
a focus on a small area such as a stairwell, bulletin board, playground or hallway
designs for one aspect of the school environment, such as designs for the perfect school desks of the future, considering form and function. Discuss the work of Saskatchewan artist Brian Gladwell and examine furniture making as an art form.

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Resource books

Guests, such as a visual artist, gardener, landscape architect, building architect, carpenter, house painter, furniture builder, etc,

"The Love of Gardens", from Hand and Eye Series (video)

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #10

The students will:

continue to evaluate the influence of visual images in their daily lives, including the mass media and popular culture

understand that problem-solving is basic and essential to the creative process.

Have the students examine their community environment for possible placement of a mural. Have them imagine they can position the mural anywhere they like, then choose a site and consider the effect the mural will have on its surroundings. Is the site secluded and personal, such as the inside of a backyard fence? Will the imaginary mural be viewed by many people as it would on a downtown building or the side of a barn facing a main roadway? Sketch the site and then draw or paint the mural into the drawing.

Some points for the students to consider are:

What ideas would you like to express?
How will you transform these ideas into visual form?
What selection of materials would you choose?
How will the mural affect the environment?
Who will view the mural?

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The students will:

increase their understanding of visual art and artists of Saskatchewan, Canada and elsewhere.

Books and videos on murals and muralists such as Richard Haas and Diego Rivera

Painting the Town: The

Illusionistic Murals of Richard

Haas (video)

No Barrier These Walls (16mm film)

The Mexican Muralists: Painting With Fire (video)

Examine and discuss the mural by Jack Sures. Refer to the questions above while viewing.

Compare murals with other large scale art works. What aspects are similar to murals and what are the differences?

Discovering Art In Your Environment Discover and discuss the forms of visual art which can be found in the students' own environment.

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #30

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slides #14, 19, 27 and 29

With These Hands video series

about Saskatchewan artists

The students will:

increase their understanding of visual art and artists of Saskatchewan, Canada and elsewhere
continue to understand that many works of visual art can be studied according to their design, function and setting
become aware of commonalities and individual characteristics found in the art work of all cultures

expand their visual art vocabulary.

Have students observe and explore visual art works in their community, such as:

sculptures, paintings, murals, banners, flags, photographs and prints
functional art forms such as architecture, clothing or product design
advertising such as billboards and posters
visual images in mass media (television, magazines and newspapers).

Field trips, walks, museum visits.

Reproductions, slides, videos and other information about art works in the students' community

Use a map and mark places where works of art exist, or have students create their own maps and sketch in works of art they would like to see in these locations. Have students work as a whole group on one geographical area, or divide their community into sections and work in small groups. Students should devise a creative way to present their findings. The students might document the art by using video, photography, poetry or drawing. They could write their descriptions as journal entries or as if they are tourists or newspaper reporters.

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Maps of the community

The students will:

challenge themselves to take risks, attempt to solve unexpected problems and try a variety of new ways of working.

Using a process such as "Viewing Art Works", have students select one or two of the art works they have encountered in the community and investigate them in more depth. They may choose to write about the work from their own point-of-view or from the point of view of a fictional character. They might create their own art work in a similar style, create a photo collage of the visual art in their community, create a mural documenting the art in their community, etc.

Examples of write-ups of art works from local papers

Visual art and artists in the students' own community and surrounding communities

The following is an example:
The class visits a Ukrainian church and observes, photographs and documents the art work within this setting. They examine the icons, alter cloths, woodwork, sculptures, stained windows, furnishings, nativity scene display, floral displays, etc. The students interview or research the artists who designed and built these objects. They examine traditional Ukrainian costumes and design and make one of their own. They discuss other art works in their community, including the billboards in the local arena. They also create murals to alter their immediate environment and make banners for a community celebration.

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The students will:

identify how visual art can transmit or question cultural values, ideas and beliefs

continue to develop an awareness and understanding of the visual art of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada.

Resource books and people who can provide information about specific aspects of a culture

Discuss other works of art which reflect cultural perspectives found in Saskatchewan. Examine, for example, the works of Bob Boyer,

Bob Boyer - Saskatchewan Artist {773:236}

Ruth Cuthand, Michael Lonechild and Edward Poitras. What are some of the cultural and personal perspectives presented in each work and how are they conveyed to the viewer? Discuss the possible materials used in Bob Boyer's and Edward Poitras's work. How have these artists achieved meaning in their work? Examine the importance of the materials or media used in each work. Have the students create works of art that reflect their own cultural perspectives and the environment.

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slides #6, 8, 17 and 25

Discuss the work of art entitled Fragile Rock No. 2 by Michael Robinson. Read To Be Part of the Gift which was written by the artist to accompany the work.

Have students create visual interpretations of the poem. The images might personify earth, for example. The art works could be made into slides and during a class presentation of the poem they might be flashed in the background as the students read or perform a soundscape of the poem.

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #41 and supplementary materials section

Researchers have described the relationship between the Aboriginal peoples of North America and their environments as profoundly ecological. Discuss this statement with students. Share opinions and provide examples of visual art by Aboriginal artists that reflect the environment and ecological themes.

Guest Aboriginal artist

Native Imagery (video series)

Architecture and The Environment

The students will:

develop an understanding of the various ways artists acquire and transform ideas into visual form
understand the various functions of visual art and the significance and influence of visual art in their daily lives
examine environmental, historical and social factors that influence artists and their work

understand that problem-solving is basic and essential to the creative process.

Douglas Cardinal: Architect

(video)

View and discuss examples of Saskatchewan and Canadian architecture. Have students choose a row of buildings in their environment or select a picture that features buildings. Have them either draw the buildings on a sheet of drawing paper or use the actual picture they have selected. Remove one of the buildings by erasing, cutting or covering. Design a building of the student's choice and imagination to replace it. Have students consider the following:

What is the function of the building?
Will your building suit the climate?
What selection of materials would you choose?
What effect will the building have on its environment?
What effect will the building have on the people who use it and see it?

Books containing examples and information about Saskatchewan and Canadian architecture, such as, Canadian Art: Building a Heritage, Historic Architecture of Saskatchewan, The Architecture of Douglas Cardinal

Discuss examples of Saskatchewan architecture and its cultural and historical significance. Examine the relationships between the architecture and the Saskatchewan environment.

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The students will:

develop an understanding of the various ways artists acquire and transform ideas into visual form.

Books, resource people and field trips related to Saskatchewan architecture

Discuss aspects of the set design that students may recall from a movie such as Batman, paying particular attention to the architecture. The British artist who designed the sets for Batman took ideas from interesting and unusual architectural forms from around the world and combined aspects of them to create the environment for this movie. Discuss individual responses to the set design. What kind of atmosphere does the architecture create? How did the designer create this dark and foreboding environment?

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The students will:

continue to explore connections between the elements of art and principles of design, the images, the techniques and the meaning conveyed in the art work
challenge themselves to take risks, attempt to solve unexpected problems and try a variety of new ways of working

use, with a sense of purpose, various aspects of the creative process when developing works of art.

Books and magazine articles about set design

Just as the environment of Gotham City was designed to reflect evil and corruption, have students design a city or part of a city for the following: zany characters; children; ecologists; robots; burglars; rock musicians; the year 3000; to create a mood; etc. Discuss the work of Louise Labrecque entitled United City, in which bridges were built to reunite the two halves of the fictional city.

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #33

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The students will:

generate ideas for art works through internal and external sources, manipulating these ideas to achieve meaning and expression.

Research artistic styles and create a design for a city or part of a city as though it were designed by Van Gogh, Picasso, Seurat, Mondrian.

Exploring Non-Traditional Art Forms and The Environment

The students will:

expand their visual art vocabulary
continue to examine a variety of new and non-traditional art forms

examine how artists' views about visual art have changed over time and will continue to change.

Have students try to define the term "non-traditional art forms". Mention that art forms that were considered non-traditional at one time in history often became traditional forms of art after a period of time had passed. Consider performance art, installations, video and conceptual art.

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The students will:

continue to develop an awareness and understanding of the visual art of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada.

Reference books on art history, styles of art and individual artists

Ask students if they can find non-traditional art forms in their community. Refer to Edward Poitras's installation. Discuss reasons why an installation may be considered a non-traditional art form. Students might consider that installation is perhaps no longer non-traditional and is becoming a traditional art form. Discuss how artistic traditions develop.

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The students will:

continue to determine and explore appropriate media, techniques, forms and methods for their visual expression

become aware of health and safety hazards and procedures in visual art.

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #25

"Indian Territory" from the Expressions video series on Saskatchewan artists

Based on dialogue about non-traditional art forms, have students create their own ideas or do one of the following:

script a performance (consider using masks, wearable art works, props and/or art structures)
sketch ideas for a sound sculpture using materials and objects that produce different sounds and involve audience participation
create edible art and invite the community to enjoy it
sketch ideas for transforming an existing environment within your school (classroom, stage, hallway) into an art environment.

Art Affects The Environment

The students will:

continue to examine ways that artists and art forms affect the visual environment
increase their understanding of visual art and artists of Saskatchewan, Canada and elsewhere

continue to perceive, describe, analyse and interpret art works and make informed judgements after reflecting upon their findings.

To find non-traditional art forms, teachers can:

explore film titles and annotations in bibliographies and view appropriate films
utilize art magazines in the school library, or subscribe to a magazine featuring non-traditional art forms
search fashion magazines or news magazines for articles about the arts
get on the mailing list of an art gallery that features non- traditional art forms.

Discuss with students how visual art affects the environment. Remind them that every art work affects its environment even when it is not created for a specific location.

Reproductions and visual art in the students' community

Using a process such as "Viewing Art Works", examine various works of art to determine their connections to the environment. Include questions such as:

How does each of the following art works affect its environment?
What do the following art works tell us about our environment or the artist's environment?

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The students will:

continue to develop an awareness and understanding of the visual art of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada.

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10:
slides #2, 10, 29 and 30

slides #1, 3, 7, 11, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 24 and 27

In Gerald McMaster's work Five Indian Artists, the artists are working together on a tipi painting. Discuss how tipi painters create art that is viewed by the community. Are there similarities with murals and other forms of public art? Study tipi painting.

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #22

Resource materials and people to provide information on tipi painting

Mass Media Affects The Environment

The students will:

continue to evaluate the influence of visual art in their daily lives, including the mass media and popular culture.

Have students design and implement a survey to discover the effect of mass media on their environment.

Examples of surveys that various companies have made

Consider the following:

How much of our information do we receive through television?
What is the source of this information?
Do we accept or question the information we receive from television?
How are visual images used in television?
What role do special visual effects play in the mass media?
Do we allow television to replace real experiences?
In what ways does mass media influence our visual environment?
In what ways does mass media influence our preferences for art forms such as architecture, clothing, furnishings or even fine art?

Mass Media and Popular Culture

The Computer Graphics Special
(video)

Discuss the positive and negative effects of visual images in advertisements found in magazines and on television. Consult bibliographies for films, videos and books about advertising.

A variety of examples of advertisements

Discuss the placement and intentions of billboards in and around your community. If billboards are absent or rare in the students' community, have them collect magazine pictures of billboards in other locations.

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The students will:

develop the ability to think and reason in flexible, critical, creative, analytical and reflective ways.

A field trip or individual observation of billboards

Compare the intentions and design of commercial billboards with the intention of Leesa Streifler in the Regina Billboard Project.

The students will:

continue to examine the environmental, historical and social factors that influence visual artists and their work
challenge themselves to take risks, attempt to solve unexpected problems and try a variety of new ways of working

discuss their own decision-making and problem-solving processes, discuss the ideas represented and value their work as an expression of their own unique viewpoint.

Develop ideas for billboard designs that would have different effects on the environment. Have students consider the following:

Do you want your billboard to contain a message?
Is it your intention to please the eye?
Are you revealing your personal beliefs and what is important to you?
Are you trying to persuade someone, impress someone, excite someone?

Students could also:

Design a scaled down drawing of their billboard.
Display large cardboard and paper billboards in the school.
Construct portable wooden billboards that could be used to advertise upcoming events at school. They might be placed outside whenever the school wishes to let the community know about upcoming events or simply to make an artistic statement. They can be painted over periodically and the message or images changed.

Creating Art for a Specific Environment

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #29

The students will:

increase their understanding of visual art and artists of Saskatchewan, Canada and elsewhere
continue to develop an understanding of various visual art issues and concerns of visual artists

continue to develop an awareness and understanding of the visual art of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada.

Books and articles about artists who create for specific locations other than galleries

Discuss the following with students :

Many artists are commissioned to create art for public places. Discuss the work of Jack Sures, Bob Boyer and others.
Artists create installations for specific sites, museums or art galleries. Discuss the work of Edward Poitras and others.
Artists often create art for alternate settings other than art galleries. Discuss the work of Jean-Marie Michaud and others.

Research and discuss contemporary artists who create art for specific locations or places other than art galleries; for example:

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slides #6 and 30

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #25

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slides #36 and 37

Saskatchewan artist Bob Boyer has created work for the Coronet Theatre and the Albert Library in Regina, as well as banners for the Sky-Dome Stadium in Toronto. Other Saskatchewan artists, such as Joe Fafard, have created many works of art for numerous public locations in Canada and elsewhere.
The artist Christo wrapped a coastline in Australia with a million square feet of material to draw attention to the environment and such characteristics as form and line.
Artist James Turrell began constructing his work in Arizona's Roden Crater in 1979. Turrell dug craters or meditation chambers into this extinct volcano. He sometimes directs your view into the darkness, sometimes into the light, and sometimes into the sky or the desert.

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The students will:

continue to develop an understanding of various visual art issues and concerns of visual artists.

Art gallery catalogues and other books containing information about Saskatchewan art works

Reference books and videos on contemporary artists

Discuss Leesa Streifler's billboard art. Explain that the Regina Billboard Project was one example of taking art out of the galleries and into the streets. Discuss why there have been deliberate movements by many artists to exhibit in spaces other than galleries. Include political factors such as the politics of art and art galleries. Include questions such as, "How do artists become famous? What role do art galleries play in creating famous artists?"

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The students will:

continue to determine and explore appropriate media, technology, forms and methods for visual expression.

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #29

Invite a gallery educator or curator and an artist to speak about these issues

Design a sculpture for a public place. Make sketches that show how the sculpture would appear in the intended environment. Create a model of the sculpture.

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The students will:

increase their understanding of visual art and artists of Saskatchewan, Canada and elsewhere.

Reference books and videos that show contemporary artist's creative process, for example, Christo, Henry Moore, etc.

Examine and discuss the art work by Douglas Bentham, including its relationship to the environment in which it is placed.

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The students will:

develop an understanding of the various ways that artists acquire and transform ideas into visual form
continue to determine and explore appropriate media, technology, forms and methods for visual expression

become aware of health and safety hazards and procedures in visual art.

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #2

Have students develop a special project designed to integrate art into their school or alter the visual environment of their classroom, such as:

posters	ice sculpters
murals	installations.
banners

See "Transforming Ideas Into Visual Form" for suggestions on guiding students in the development of their ideas.

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The students will:

increase their understanding of visual art and artists of Saskatchewan, Canada and elsewhere.

Invent the criteria for an art commission and create an artwork to meet that criteria. For example, the criteria states that the work must make a statement about an environmental issue.

View and discuss the art work entitled Acid Rain by Iris Hauser.

Safety in the Art Room

View and discuss the students' fictionally commissioned work. Students can incorporate this project into a contextual drama where they are working in role as members of the board of directors who have commissioned the work. They could also decide that the work of art is controversial in some way and develop the drama around the public controversy.

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #13

Teacher Information

Incorporating The Elements of Art and Principles of Design Into Ongoing Activities

As students discover and create art in any unit, discuss and apply understanding of the elements of art and principles of design. For example, in this unit on the environment, incorporate a lesson on perspective in an activity on designing a city or street in the style of a famous artist.

As well as discussing in the intentional use of the elements of art and principles of design by artists and designers, discuss and examine the unintentional occurrence of these elements and principles in the environment.

Throughout the unit, include when appropriate such questions as:

How is your view of the environment affected if you are looking through the slats of venetian blinds?
In a row of brown houses, if one house is painted lime green, where will you find yourself looking?
What is the effect of one geodesic dome in a suburb of traditionally rectangular houses with triangular roofs?

Transforming The School Environment

The "before" and "after" pictures below document a project undertaken by students and art teacher Bob Nadurak of Robert Usher Collegiate in Regina. The installation includes art works, a real parking meter, awnings, furniture, and actual sections of a Volkswagon car, complete with working radio. This is only one of the many student-created environments in the school.

Teacher Information
Providing an Historical Context for a Unit
Sometimes teachers may decide to have the class examine a particular period of history in visual art. Individual students also might want to examine a period of history that they find particularly interesting. Teachers may find it appropriate to choose the time period due to availability of resource materials and relevancy to other curricula.
The following sequence of lessons titled Art in the Environment of Ancient Egypt has been developed as an example. Substitute any other time period in its place. It is not necessary to study art history sequentially.

Sample Historical Context: Art in the Environment of Ancient Egypt
The students will:

become aware of the commonalities and individual characteristics found in the art work of many cultures
continue to examine environmental, historical and social factors that influence artists and their work
extend their knowledge of visual art within various cultural contexts
develop an understanding of the various ways that artists acquire and transform ideas into visual form.
View art works from ancient Egypt . You might include pyramids , statues, wall paintings, jewelry, clothing.

Use the methodology in "Viewing Art Works" to discuss the Egyptian art selected for study. This process will encourage dialogue about what students are viewing and how, why, when and where it was created. Answering these questions will give insights into the life and visual environment of ancient Egypt.
Examine and discuss Egyptians Carrying Fish by Gerri Ann Siwek.
Architecture
Have students re-design their school according to the architectural means and designs of ancient Egypt.

Slides, reproductions and reference books on Egyptian art, such as art history texts, social studies books, art catalogues, museum reproductions

Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #28

Consider the architecture of ancient Egypt. How might it have changed if the Egyptian architects had our modern resources? Redesign buildings such as the Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops), incorporating modern resources and technology.

Books on architecture

Sculpture
Who are the pharaohs of modern society? Design a coffin for a modern-day pharaoh based on ancient Egyptian coffin designs and considering their traditional beliefs about life and death.

Magazine articles and photographs of famous or powerful contemporary people

Murals
Design a contemporary mural in accordance with drawing styles of ancient Egypt. Consider the content of Egyptian wall paintings. How will the content of a contemporary mural be different?
Masks
Create masks in the style of Egyptian mummies' masks. Students might research and explore mask-making techniques in plaster, wood or clay, or use materials such as tin foil and permanent coloured markers.

Books and videos on murals or muralists such as Richard Haas or Diego Rivera
Painting the Town: The Illusionistic Murals of Richard
Haas (video)

Books on mask-making

Mass Media
Develop a script and storyboard for a television show that profiles the lifestyles and values of the ancient Egyptian people.
Design a record album cover in the ancient Egyptian style.

Books on mass media with examples of storyboards

Advertising
Create an advertising campaign for a contemporary product, such as a soft drink or tissue paper, employing concepts and styles of ancient Egyptian art.

A guest resource person in the advertising business

Clothing Design
Design, on drawing paper, contemporary fashions based on Egyptian clothing. Model the figures in traditional drawing styles and techniques such as those found in the wall paintings of ancient Egypt.
Design and make jewelry in the style of ancient Egypt.
Paint Egyptian images and hieroglyphics onto T-shirts, white canvas running shoes, plain straw or canvas hats, or make and paint canvas carry-bags using acrylic paint.

Books on jewelry design such as Jewelery: Contemporary Design and Technique or Jewelry Making: A Guide for Beginners

Books containing information about hieroglyphics

Non-Traditional Art Forms
Have students investigate ancient Egyptian beliefs about life and death, and the rituals and ceremonies of funerals and tombs. Create a video to be placed in the burial chambers of either an imaginary Egyptian pharaoh, or a contemporary pharaoh-like person.

Books or videos on video production techniques
That's A Wrap: How Movies are Made

Create a performance art piece based on ancient Egypt, incorporating art works, props and involving audience participation.
Create an art work or design based on ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, or use them in any of the above suggestions.
View and discuss students' work. The method outlined in "Viewing Art Works" can be adapted for viewing student work also.
Look at other slides in the Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10 and discuss any perceived influence of art history on the work.

Slides such as Egyptians Carrying Fish by Gerri Ann Siwek, could be used as an example even when another time period or culture has been selected, as it offers the opportunity to discuss the influences of art history in contemporary art
Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slides #13, 22, 28 and 31

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