The art work that people make communicates their experiences. In
doing so, it can create feelings and responses in the viewer. Art
can also affect change and often raises questions about society's
norms and values. Fine art, cartooning and illustration have a
long history of social commentary. Visual symbols such as flags,
logos, clothing and hair styles are used to create cultural and
group unity or identity. Images are used as propaganda because of
their known ability to bring about change. Art forms such as
architecture and design, while mirroring values and ideas, also
cause them to change; witness the great effect of advertising and
shopping malls.
Art and visual awareness play a vital role in decision-making,
whether a person is choosing a product from the shelf, curating an
exhibition or planning a city. This unit should help students
examine their own visual awareness and its importance in the
decisions they make. They should understand that these decisions
in turn influence their daily lives and their society.
By becoming aware of how images affect them and by developing their
own ability to express and communicate visually, students will
begin to understand and value visual expressions as a significant
part of daily life.
This unit focuses on the role of visual art in various cultures,
time periods and in the students' own homes and communities. The
emphasis is on how visual art both reflects and affects
societies.
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 teachers to draw from when
planning.
Suggested Activities |
Possible Resources |
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Societies and Change
The Classroom Society
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Ask students, "What does the word society mean? How is it defined
in a dictionary?" The Concise Oxford dictionary includes the
following criteria: "social mode of life, the customs and
organization of an ordered community; a social community;
companionship, company; association of persons united by a common
aim or interest or principle." Ask the students to consider
whether their class could meet the criteria and be considered a
society.
List some common interests and concerns that the students in the
class may have: social concerns, the environment, extra
curricular activities, sports, music, entertainment and
geographical similarities. Consider and expand upon these common
concerns and interests.
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The students will:
- develop an understanding of the various ways artists
acquire
and transform ideas into visual form.
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Dictionary
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Have students create symbols that would reflect a common interest
or concern of the classroom society. Some common interests might
include, for example, rock music, cars, clothes, holidays, freedom,
independence, parties, sports and friendship.
The Individual in Society
The students will:
- continue to examine environmental, historical and social
factors that influence artists and their work.
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Designing Pictorial Symbols
The Symbol Sourcebook
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Have students create art works that focus upon the individual
student within the classroom society. Ask them to reflect on their
personal interests, cultural backgrounds and individual
experiences. Have each student make a mixed-media collage of
visual images and words that he or she finds interesting. Choose
from magazine pictures and words, drawings, photographs, labels and
newspapers.
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Photographs (could be xeroxed and coloured), magazines,
newspapers
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Observe and discuss the completed collages. Have students look for
similarities and differences in the content, technique and styles.
Make a list of some of the students' common interests, made
apparent through the collages. Discuss common interests and
individuality as it has been expressed within the classroom society
through each art work.
Have students sketch designs for posters, banners or T-shirts based
on one or more common or individual interests of the classroom
society.
Architecture, Societies and Change
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"Memory and Myth" from the Expressions video series on
Saskatchewan artists
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Considering the common interests of the classroom society, have
students design a building for their society to meet in. For
example, if the society shares a common concern for the
environment, design a meeting place that is environmentally
friendly.
The students will:
- understand the various functions of visual art and its
significance in their daily lives
- identify how visual art can transmit or question cultural
values, ideas and beliefs
- extend their knowledge of visual art within various
cultural
contexts.
Ask the students to determine what kinds of things people could
learn about a society strictly from an examination of its
architecture. Examine architecture from around the world.
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Reference books on architecture
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Remind students that the visual environment reflects the societies'
social, economic, political and aesthetic structures. Have
students discuss, for example, in architecture -- What does the
presence of castles and large cathedrals in the middle ages tell us
about people at that time? What does the presence of shopping
malls and domed sports stadiums tell us about people today?
Clothing Design, Societies and Change
The students will:
- extend their knowledge of visual art
within various
cultural contexts
continue to understand that many works of art can be
studied
according to their design, function and environment.
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Reference books on world architecture
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Examine how clothing has been a reflection of changing societies
throughout the ages. Look at male and female fashions from
different time periods and cultures. How do the styles reflect
aspects of societies during that time period? Examples include the
flappers of the roaring 20s, people of Victorian England and the
60s hippies in North America and Europe.
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Examples of popular fashions from the past and present
In Fashion (video)
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How does clothing reflect a culture? Discuss the relationships
between the environment and the traditional clothing of various
cultures. Observe how the environment affected the materials and
design of the traditional clothing of the Inuit, Métis and
Indian cultures.
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Reference books on the traditional clothing of various cultures
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Discuss Ruth Cuthand's He Promised Me Santa Fe. Ask
students to consider what the shirt might represent. How has the
artist used clothing in her work? Study images of clothing in
other art works and the role that these images play in the
interpretation of the work. Refer to Mina Forsyth's work entitled
Tenant Arthur and to Laureen Marchand's work entitled
Singing For a Lost Nation and discuss the role that the
clothing plays in each work.
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Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slides #8, 9 and
19
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Art Reflects Societies
Discuss the following question with students. What can people
learn about society by examining visual art forms such as public
sculptures, murals, billboards, photography or visual images in
films?
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The students will:
- examine ways that visual art can transmit or question
cultural
values, ideas and beliefs
- continue to evaluate the influence of visual images in
their
daily lives, including mass media and popular
culture.
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Have students observe and record various visual images in the mass
media that are or are not a reflection of society. Students could
design and implement a survey to discover how visual images on
television reflect or describe society. Ask respondents to
consider the following:
- How are teenagers portrayed on television? Is this a true
reflection of society today?
- Does violence on television truthfully reflect society?
Does
it influence society?
- What television shows influence the behaviour of their
viewers
in a positive manner?
Societies of the Past
The students will:
- continue to perceive, describe, analyse and interpret art
works and make informed judgements after reflecting upon
their findings
- use factual information about the artist and his or her
work
to increase understanding of the art work.
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Mass Media and Popular Culture
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Select art works from the past to be examined. Choose art works
that reflect political expression, humanitarian concerns, social
description or satire. Use slides if available. Use a process
such as "Viewing Art Works" when discussing the images.
Ask students to use the information in the image to consider
whether and in what ways the art work is a reflection of that
society.
Encourage self-motivated research by initiating a creative activity
that relies upon a work of art, an artist or art movement from the
past.
Study Guernica by Pablo Picasso, painted in 1937. Have
students view, discuss and reflect upon the painting. This
painting had a powerful influence upon society. Research to find
out why this painting was considered so important at that time in
history. What choices did Picasso make to bring about certain
responses in the viewer? Why did Picasso do the painting in black
and white?
In order to give students a direct experience with Picasso's
Guernica, have them participate in the following activity as
a group. (Any other art work may be used).
Preparation: Photocopy a reproduction of the painting.
Calculate the ratio of the photocopy to the size of the actual
painting, 11'6
" x 25'8". Divide the photocopy into a grid that
will allow each student to work with one or more sections. Prepare
large sheets of drawing paper in direct proportion to the small
grid sections. The large drawing papers should combine to form the
actual size of the painting.
Method: Give each student one or more sections of the
photocopy and an equal number of drawing papers. Have the students
recreate the image from the small grid section onto the larger
paper. Place the completed drawings together in the correct
positions. Join the drawings together and display them on a very
large wall.
Discuss: Compare the reproduction the students have created
with the one the students viewed at the beginning.
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Reproductions of art works from the past, including slides, art
history books, art catalogues or other reproductions
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View and discuss the art work by Bob Boyer
called A Minor Sport
in Canada. Discuss similarities and differences between Boyer's work
and Guernica
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Contemporary Societies
The students will:
- increase their understanding of visual art and artists of Saskatchewan, Canada and elsewhere
- continue to examine the ideas of today's visual artists and learn to appreciate original thought as well as product.
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Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slide #6
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Have students view works of art by various artists who are working
today and discuss what the works say about contemporary societies.
Discuss Debby Potter's Community Social and Bruce Anderson's
Self Help.
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Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slides #26 and 1
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Arrange for students to meet and interview artists in their
community about the kinds of concepts that the students have been
exploring. Arrange field trips to allow students to view
contemporary art.
Art Affects Societies
Art Works Make Social Comments
The students will:
- continue to develop an understanding of various issues and
concerns of visual artists
- continue to determine and explore appropriate media,
technology, forms and methods for visual expression.
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Guest artists or field trips
With These Hands video series about Saskatchewan artists
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Discuss works of art that have been created as social commentary.
Political cartoons are a good example of this type of art.
Have students create a cartoon, video or photographic display that
makes a social statement about some aspect of importance to their
classroom society. Perhaps the students would like to make a
strong social statement about "competition in sports". They could
explore both the positive and negative effects of competition. A
positive aspect may be that competition pushes an athlete to
greater personal heights. A negative aspect might be that many
students feel badly when they don't make the team. Students might
like to make a social statement about the concept of "popularity",
for example, and include both the positive and negative aspects.
Have students interview people within and outside of the classroom
society for their perspectives on the issues.
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The students will:
- continue to reflect on and discuss the intentions, the
development and the interpretations of their own and their
peers' art works.
Have students reflect on their own and their peers visual social
comments. It is possible to adapt the "Viewing Art Works" process
to view student work, incorporating summary comments rather than
judgement in Step Seven.
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Examples of political cartoons and other visual images that
function as social commentary
Cartooning: The Art and the Business
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Using a process such as "Viewing Art Works" discuss Edward
Poitras's Indian Territory and Laureen Marchand's Singing
For a Lost Nation.
Art Works May Bring About Change
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Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slides #25 and
19
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Have students create art works that will focus attention or
possibly alter viewer's attitudes regarding a relevant social
issue. These might include racism, farming subsidies, free trade,
demise of small towns, unemployment, pollution, ecology, endangered
species, drinking and driving, teen independence, war, injustice,
politics, technology, crime and so on.
Discuss with students the following questions:
- How could we create art that would influence the behaviour
of
people outside of our classroom society?
- How could we create art that would express or describe the
collective aspects of existence within our society?
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Indigena: Contemporary
Native Perspectives
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Observe and discuss the art work Acid Rain by Iris
Hauser.
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Visual Art Resource for Grades
9 and 10, slide #13
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Images of Saskatchewan Change
Brainstorm a list of how the things people see can affect them.
For example, the things we see might affect our thoughts, feelings
or our actions.
Examine the following statement "Visual images of Saskatchewan can
affect how we see ourselves. They also affect how others see
us."
Have students view visual portrayals from around the world of
various environments and people. Include visual art reproductions
and media such as television and magazines. Ask students to
consider the impact that visual images have on their perception of
those people and environments. (For example: the Caribbean, New
York, California, Ghana, Alaska.)
Collect visual images of various environments in Saskatchewan to
discuss as a whole group and in small groups. When discussing the
visual portrayals, consider how the visual images made by the
artist, photographer, video camera operator, etc. affect what
people think and feel about:
- rural Saskatchewan
- farm life
- inner cities
- suburbia
- people
- issues.
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The students will:
- understand the various functions of visual art and its
significance in their daily lives
- continue to evaluate the influence of visual images in
their
daily lives, including mass media and popular
culture.
While examining the images of Saskatchewan, discuss the concept
that visual art is created for a variety of different reasons. For
example:
the advertiser who wants to sell travellers on the idea of
a
Saskatchewan environment
the newspaper photographer who wants to capture an inner
city
environment that will expose inner city poverty
the magazine illustrator who is creating an art work to
accompany an article about drought and resulting hardships in
Saskatchewan
the artist who is responding to an inner drive to express
a
concern about an environmental issue.
Art, Design and Change
Have students recall some of the many ways that artists may affect
the visual environment. Make a quick list of different visual art
forms. Review how choices that artists make about such things as
subject matter, composition, materials and design can affect the
visual environment. Include, for example, architects, sculptors,
painters, photographers, filmmakers, illustrators, clothing
designers, furniture designers and automobile designers.
Ask students to consider how changes in art and design affect the
visual environment through the ages. For example, when looking at
architectural changes, examine how today's architects are creating
tall buildings, shopping malls, housing projects in the suburbs,
museums, etc. Discuss how these environments have changed. How
does an architect's decision to include garages at the front of the
house affect the visual environment of a typical suburb in the
city? How does the architect's choice to have a skyscraper covered
in reflective glass affect the visual environment? How do the
rules made by city planners and developers affect our visual
environment? Discuss local issues, such as demolition of heritage
properties.
People and Change
Have students find and use images of actual people to demonstrate
change. Use magazines, newspaper pictures or books such as
biographies to explore the concept of change in people.
Collect and view images of famous people at different periods of
their lives:
- a young Elvis Presley
- an older Elvis Presley
Collect and view images of people before and after important
historical events:
- people before war
- people after war
Have students bring something from home which reflects a change
they have experienced:
- photograph, postcard, certificate
Have students observe and consider the ways that people can change
throughout their lives. For example, they may experience physical,
economic, social, value, belief, personal action or spiritual
changes.
Ask students to think about how historical events can change
people. What factors might influence change in the values and
beliefs of people? Have students list and categorize the kinds of
change they have discovered through their observations.
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The students will:
- continue to determine and explore appropriate media,
technology, forms and methods for visual expression
- develop an understanding of the various ways artists
acquire
and transform ideas into visual form.
Have students create a photo history reflecting change in an
imaginary person using magazine pictures.
Students could draw the face of a child, then develop the drawing
by adding ten years at a time to the portrait.
Students could also create cartoons that look at the humourous
possibilities in the ways that people change. Examples might
include aging, dieting, fads, vacations or education. They could
also make a flip book to demonstrate change.
Objects, Nature and Change
Have students close their eyes and visualize a small seed in the
ground. Describe to students the plant pushing up through the
soil, wobbling its way towards the sun, the stem growing stronger,
small sprouts extending, bud growing, flowering, etc. Use any
other growth, change or metamorphosis imagery.
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Create a series of images that will indicate metamorphosis in
nature, such as caterpillar to butterfly, egg to dinosaur, etc.
This may be done in two- or three-dimensions or as animation flip
books, etc.
Students might instead create a sequence of drawings that show one
object transforming into another. For example, use a common image
and change it through drawing into totally different objects using
a method such as the following:
Place cut-out images or draw two unrelated objects on a piece
of drawing paper. Put one object in the top left hand corner
of the paper and put the other object in the bottom right hand
corner. Fill in the spaces with a sequence that demonstrates
the stages the top object would have to go through to change
into the bottom object. This would look similar to a
storyboard. For example, change a soup can into a fried egg;
a snake into a leopard, a leaf into a hedgehog, a brick into
a flower, etc.
Artists and Change
The students will:
- continue to examine environmental, historical and social
factors that influence artists and their work
.
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Flipbook Animation: and Ways to Make Cartoons Move
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Have students consider what factors might affect change in the work
of an artist throughout his or her life. Discuss influences,
education, travel, experiences, religion, politics, current events
and cultural changes.
Have students consider ways in which the interests, values or
beliefs of artists can change. How can historical events change
artists?
Have students research and examine the development and change of an
artist. Choose any Canadian artist that can be easily
researched.
Research projects can be assigned as individual or group projects.
As part of their research the students might:
- view appropriate material and films listed in the grade 9
bibliography
- visit a Fine Arts library or the Fine Arts section of a
public
library
- learn to access information from Canadian art magazines
- visit an art gallery
- interview a local artist
- study original artworks whenever possible, although other
options include slides, photographs, magazine images,
reproductions and postcards.
~
The students will:
- continue to develop an understanding of various issues and
concerns of visual artists
- become aware that different art forms and styles call for
completely different kinds of evaluation criteria
- continue to develop an understanding of the different
concerns
and purposes in representational and non-representational art
works.
Examine the ways in which the values and beliefs of a group of
people might affect the art works of a particular group or school
of art.
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Expressions video series on Saskatchewan artists
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How have cultural changes and influences affected the artists of a
particular culture? For example, explore the work of a
contemporary Canadian female artist or Aboriginal artist. Provide
research material on historical art works produced by women or
Aboriginal artists of the past and have the students compare and
discuss any changes and/or similarities to the contemporary
work.
Have students present their research information to other students.
View and discuss art works by the artists researched. Discuss any
evidence of the artists' development and/or change as reflected in
the artwork.
Change in an Historical Context
The students will:
- increase their understanding of visual art and artists of
Saskatchewan, Canada and elsewhere
- continue to determine and explore appropriate methods,
media,
technology and forms for their visual expressions.
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Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10, slides by female
artists or Aboriginal artists
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Examine historical events and their influence on the artists of the
time. Use any historical event the students are studying in Social
Studies, for example, and research the art works that were created
at that time.
Choose an artist whose work can be studied over a long period of
time. Choose an activity that will involve research and
observation of the work of an artist.
Create an art work in the style of an artist from the time period
studied. Another option is to create a functional object in the
style of the artist. For example, create a mailbox in the style of
Mondrian or Seurat.
Ask students to consider how the artist might depict modern
concerns. For example, have students make a poster of
environmental concerns in the style of the chosen artist, such as
Andy Warhol
.
Students might study one artist and make
a chart or collage to
demonstrate some of the influences that affected change in his or
her work.
Students could also choose one factor that influenced change in the
artist being researched and make a personal art work that shows the
students' response to that factor. For example, Gauguin was
influenced by his travels to Tahiti. The student could either
create a work that shows his or her feelings about tropical
islands, or show through an art work a personal response to some
place he or she has travelled to.
Consider and demonstrate through a personal art work how modern
technology might have influenced your chosen artist.
Create an installation or a model for an installation in the style
of the chosen artist.
Create a video in the style of the chosen artist.
Change in a Contemporary Context
The students will:
- continue to examine the ideas of today's artists and learn
to
appreciate original thought as well as product
- examine how artists' views about visual art have changed
over
time and will continue to change
- use factual information about the work of the artist to
increase their understanding of the art work.
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Art history books, magazine articles, videos, reproductions,
gallery catalogues, etc.
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Select a slide from the visual art resource set and discuss with
students how the art work might reflect a change from art work of
the past.
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Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10
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Have students examine the art of contemporary Saskatchewan artists
and look for factors that have influenced change in their work.
This would be accomplished by interviewing the artist, viewing an
exhibition of the artist's work, examining a catalogue of an
exhibition, or by researching articles about the artist.
Change in a Personal Context
Work with students to brainstorm ideas, techniques and methods to
help students grow and/or change in their artwork.
The students will:
- continue to determine and explore appropriate methods,
media,
technology and forms for their visual expressions
- increase their understanding of visual art and artists of
Saskatchewan, Canada and elsewhere.
Students may study the styles of other artists to help them develop
and/or change their own art work. Following are some ideas to
encourage this exploration. Students can:
- study work by an artist whose work they admire
- copy an art work by the artist they researched
- imitate the style of an artist while creating original art
work
- learn the technique of an artist while creating an original
art work
- employ similar content as an artist while creating an
original
art work
- use the same materials as an artist while creating an
original
art work.
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Ask students to interview or research to find out what teenagers
were like during various time periods such as the 50s or 60s. What
were the predominant styles of many teenagers, in general, at these
times? Do the styles reflect the times?
Discuss some common interests and values of teenagers, as a whole,
today. Are there any common values? If so, create an art work
which expresses or reacts to these values. For example, students
could:
- design a record jacket for the music preferred by the
majority
of the class
- design a record jacket to motivate others to appreciate a
different kind of music.
~
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Catalogues and articles about
Saskatchewan artists
Joe Fafard: Cows and Other Luminaries (video)
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The students will:
- continue to examine a variety of new and non-traditional
art
forms
- continue to develop an understanding of how symbols and
images
are used by various artists to express ideas, feelings, social
and political position, etc.
- recognize that their cultural background and experiences
affect their understanding of visual art.
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Students will recognize the influence of environmental, historical
and social factors on visual art
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Discuss current news events. Ask students to create an artwork in
a new or non-traditional style that will reflect how they are
affected by these events. For example, students could examine the
headlines of a newspaper for interesting topics and then in small
groups create several responses to the event.
Encourage students to discuss their art work by adapting a process
such as "Viewing Art Works". When discussing students' work, it
would be appropriate to replace the informed judgement step with a
general summary. Students may be encouraged to summarize the
success of their own works based on the original criteria of the
assignment, on their own artistic intentions and/or by comparing
their work to others done in similar style, technique, content or
materials. Incorporate discussion of the elements of art and
principles of design whenever appropriate. For example, if a
student has used colour in an interesting way, review colour theory
as it relates to the work to help the student expand his or her
knowledge of art concepts.
Options for the Future
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Newspaper or magazine
articles on current events
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Ask students to research options for further study in visual art.
Examine various career opportunities and training required.
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Careers in Art: An Illustrated Guide
Careers in Television
Cartooning: The Art and the Business
Co Hoedemann, Animator (video)
The Movie Movie (video)
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