OverviewModule Four: |
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| Foundational Objectives | Vocabulary and Concepts |
The students will:
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| Common Essential Learnings | Resources |
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| Instruction | Assessment |
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Student assessment in visual art is based on the foundational objectives. Teachers should take into account students' perceptual development, procedural and conceptual understanding, and personal expression. Assessment should be ongoing and include a wide range of assessment techniques focusing on the students' creative and responsive processes, as well as on any culminating product. In visual art, teachers must rely to a great extent on their observation and record-keeping abilities. Students should be encouraged to take an active role in their own assessment.
The teacher should:
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Many of the earliest societies and cultures have given us insights into their lives and traditions through their art works. Students will study art works from a variety of cultures and time periods, with a focus on class distinctions as evidenced in the works. Students will look at traditional symbols of power such as land and wealth, and move to more contemporary aspects such as knowledge and communication. In this study, students will make comparisons between art works from a variety of cultures and time periods and their own.
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| Powerful People
The students will:
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| Establish research groups to investigate ways artists have represented positions of class and power within a variety of cultures. Students may choose to research a time and place of interest to them. In Early Egypt, for example, the artist carving the king was a "great" artist. The sculpture of the king or queen was larger than that of the common people and it was carved in stone in an idealized fashion. The sculptures of the common people were made by a craftsperson or an untrained artist. The sculptures were created from wood in a more organic style that appears technically less proficient. | Resources with information on a variety of cultures
The Art of Asia: India, Southeast Asia, China, Korea and Japan (video) |
Students may want to study early paintings from a variety of cultures and determine how the artists have shown class differences. For example, in the Rococo period in France of the Eighteenth Century, upper class figures are depicted as light and carefree with elongated bodies, intricate design on the beautiful materials of their apparel, detailed facial features, and gold and other trappings of the wealthy in evidence. When the students have collected the information, have them present their findings in a chronological manner. When the presentations are complete, reflect on how the images of powerful people change over time. What are some of the reasons for the changes from culture to culture? What are some of the common characteristics used to show position or class? How are images and monuments metaphors for the culture they represent? In their journals, have students compare works of two time periods. Students may explore further by painting, using the techniques that were characteristic of a time period. When the works are complete, reflect upon how the techniques used reinforce the ideas presented in the works. |
Examples of portraits where the status of the individual is apparent
The Triumph of Popular Realism in 19th Century France from Art History III: Mastery in Three Media Series (video) |
| Look at contemporary royalty, politicians and other leaders, and the images they present. Analyze the ways the clothes they wear, the angle of the camera, the lighting, etc. all work to present a desirable image to the public. Compare images of these contemporary people to images from previous cultures.
The following activities could extend from this study:
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Images of people from the news, magazines and newspapers
Photographic Eye: Learning to See with a Camera by M. O'Brien and N. Sibley |
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| Modern Art and Class Distinction
The students will:
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| With the beginning of what is known as modern art, artists began to depict ordinary working people as worthy subjects for works of art. View works where common people are depicted as important individuals, such as works by G. Courbet, J.L. David, H. Daumier, F. Millet, F. Goya, etc. Research and report on the art movement known as romanticism. Compare romanticism and realism in their depictions of working people. | Art works of ordinary people rather than royalty or aristocracy |
| View M. Forsyth's work "Tenant Arthur" for an example of a Saskatchewan artist depicting an ordinary working man. What has M. Forsyth done to reveal the character of the individual? Use the "Project Planning Sheet" found in The Planning Guide of this document to help students plan a painting of an individual that interests them. Consideration can be given to how brushstroke, lighting, colour harmonies, symbol and framing express meaning in works of art.
View pop art works from the sixties and seventies. Artists of this era were of the middle class and they directed their art to the middle class. They used aspects of contemporary society such as fast food, lack of individuality, monotony, consumerism, etc. in their works and the public could easily relate to these works. This extended the audience for art works and began to break down the conventional belief that the arts are for the wealthy. Instead, they become an important part of the world in which we live. During this time in North America, the power of the ordinary individual was developing. Wealth and social status were no longer birthrights, but were things to be worked toward. With new communications technology, knowledge and communication are fast becoming means to power. How is this reflected in contemporary visual art? |
Arts Education: Visual Art Resource for Grades 9 and 10 (slide set) slide #9 |
| With more and more computer automation, what will happen to the working class? Will computers become the powerful agents of the future? What will be important in our lives in the future? Discuss the qualities of machine-made images in relation to freehand drawings. Examine the work of artists who use technology or express ideas about technology in their work.
Using some of the ideas presented, have students brainstorm ideas for art works that relate to their own concerns about social classes, work and the power of individuals within society. Students may want to:
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| Visual Art Going Out to the Community
The students will:
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| Artists sometimes go out in the community and make art works that bring attention to certain objects, heighten public awareness, change the way we see or think about particular objects, etc. Look at E. Roth's and K. Wodiczko's work. How do these artists change and comment on the buildings or environments with which they work? View J. Sures's and L. Streifler's work and reflect upon their messages for the mass audience.
View the video Valley Curtain and explore some of Christo's other works. Reflect upon the artist's purposes. Is the work art? Others volunteered their services in the making of the work so he does not actually make the work. Who should receive credit for the work? Are ideas, processes or products the most important aspect of art-making? Christo's works are often large and outside of the gallery so many people will experience them as they go about their daily lives. Who pays for the works? Do the rich and powerful still control the making of art? Sometimes controversy can accompany the works due to the waste of resources, environmental factors, etc. Should artists have the freedom to do and make as they please? What problems could Christo encounter in the making of his works? In journals, have students design a project that could be taken out into their community. If possible, plan to initiate one or more of the student proposals as group or class projects. Students will find that as the work progresses they may have to adjust their thinking to accommodate certain situations or problems. Discuss the process of making the work and the finished product. How does the scale of an art work affect its meaning and how does scale affect the artist's choice of materials? How was the students' experience similar to and different from Christo's? |
Ideas and Inspiration: Contemporary Canadian Art (slide set and CD-ROM) slide #A50
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