Course Profile Visual Arts (AVI4M), Grade 12, University/College, Catholic and Public
Unit 1: The Artist as Fact Finder and Experimenter
Time: 22 hours
Activity
1 | Activity 2 | Activity
3 | Activity 4 | Activity
5
Unit Description
This unit focuses
student learning on two activities: information gathering and media
experimentation. Students expand their knowledge base about art through a survey
of selected works from Korea, China, Japan, Indonesia, Africa, South America,
and Central America. Similarities and differences are carefully tracked in a
frame of reference using headings such as motif, subject, ornamentation, and
composition. There are three studio projects that specify creating art works
that display different amounts of culturally specific influences. First,
students respond to a design assignment that involves slicing up and
rearranging a letter, numeral, or calligraphic element to create an entirely
new image. The second assignment invites students to explore the design
possibilities of the three-stranded braid, a motif or craft process found
throughout the world. The third studio assignment, which is the culminating
activity of the unit, challenges students to create a monotype print that
combines Western and non-Western influences in pattern and figurative drawing.
The three essential
questions that frame this unit are:
1. What design motifs are used in non-Western
art? (Theory)
2. How can I use principles of non-Western
design in my art? (Creation)
3. What are the roles that art can play in
different cultures? (Analysis)
|
Activity |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Tasks |
|
1. 2 hours |
THV.01; CRV.01;
CRV.04; ANV.01; TH1.01; TH1.02; AN1.01; AN1.02; AN1.03; CR2.04; CR2.05;
CR2.06 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Application |
Students fragment
a letter, numeral, or calligraphic element and create a new image based on a
design challenge. The media are largely culture-neutral, and the strongest
cultural input comes from the student’s own background. Students self-reflect
on the creative process in their Resource Journals. |
|
2. 4 hours |
THV.01; CRV.01; CRV.02;
TH1.01; CR2.01; CR2.04; CR2.05; CR2.06; CR3.01 |
Application Knowledge/
Understanding |
Students arrange,
frame, draw, and enlarge a braided wire or other accessible object that
presents a repeated shape. The number of cultural influences is increased
from those encountered in Activity 1 and the effects of these influences are
reflected upon in the Resource Journals. |
|
3. 1.5 hours |
THV.01; THV.02;
ANV.01; ANV.04; TH1.01; TH1.03; TH2.03; AN1.03; AN2.01 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/ Inquiry Communication |
Students view two
masterworks, one from Chinese culture and the other from Western culture.
Students create a checklist comparing the principles of Western art and
Chinese art. Similarities and differences are highlighted. |
|
Activity |
Learning Expectations |
Assessment Categories |
Tasks |
|
4. 2.5 hours |
THV.01; THV.02; THV.03; ANV.02; TH1.01; TH1.02; TH1.03; TH2.01;
TH2.03; AN1.02; AN2.01 |
Knowledge/ Understanding Thinking/ Inquiry Communication |
Students create a glossary and frame of reference for non-Western art
in their Resource Journals. A collection of images clipped from mass
circulation media is also included. |
|
5. 12 hours |
THV.02; CRV.01;
CRV.02; CRV.03; CRV.04; TH1.02; TH1.03; TH2.01; TH2.03; CR1.01; CR2.02;
CR2.04; CR2.05; CR2.06; CR3.01; AN1.02 |
Knowledge/
Understanding Thinking/ Inquiry Application Communication |
Students create a
monotype print in response to a design challenge specifying cross-cultural
references and specific formal arrangements. |
Time: 2 hours
This design activity
establishes an environment for creating a work of art that reduces or nearly
eliminates the influences of culture, other than those brought to the work by
the participant. Each student receives a 15 cm cardboard letter, numeral, or
calligraphic character stencil and a piece of black construction paper. The
letter, numeral, or calligraphic character is traced onto the construction
paper and cut out. The resulting shape is sliced into at least 20 pieces, thus
eliminating any characteristics unique to a specific culture. The symbolic
destruction of a culturally derived shape and the challenge to produce a new
image, gives the student artist a unique environment in which to reflect upon
the creative process. Students are given the design challenge of producing a
new image that displays both movement and unity. After testing a number of
preliminary arrangements, the black shapes are configured and then glued on a
piece of Bristol board approximately 28-35 cm. Students track their creative
process with a series of questions (See Appendix 1.1.1). Students reflect on
what influenced their decisions on matters such as scale, personal concerns,
value, objects, abstraction, subject matter, and meaning. In so doing, students
begin the process of bridging the gap between the artist and the critic. This
process, so much a feature of the latter part of twentieth-century movements
such as Minimalism and Post-Modernism, helps to reinforce two key assumptions
of this course. The first assumption is the importance of reflection in the
creative process. Reflection is promoted in this course through the use of the
Resource Journal. The second assumption is the centrality of the intellect in
creating art. The intellectual nature of art is emphasized in the structuring
of the first three units to include empirical, normative, and conceptual
components (Appendix A).
Strands: Theory, Creation, and Analysis
Overall
Expectations
THV.01 - use a wide range of appropriate terminology related to all
areas of art theory to describe art works, crafts, and applied design forms;
CRV.01 - identify and develop ideas and concepts to shape and unify
their own art works;
CRV.04 - document
and evaluate their creative process and art works, using portfolios;
ANV.01 - evaluate,
individually and in groups, the effectiveness of their personal research,
creative process, and art products.
Specific
Expectations
TH1.01 - demonstrate
an understanding of ways in which formal qualities, visual conventions,
concepts, and ideas shape expression in their own and others’ art works;
TH1.03 - identify
the materials, techniques, and processes used to produce art and applied design
forms intended for particular audiences (e.g., for consumers, for
manufacturers);
CR2.04 - solve a
series of artistic problems, showing an awareness of formal qualities, visual
conventions, and relevant ideas and concepts;
CR2.05 - create and
transform visual images, using both new and traditional technologies;
CR2.06 - use
materials, equipment, and processes safely when producing art works;
AN1.01 - write
original comparative analyses of art works, using appropriate terminology;
AN1.02 - analyse the
visual, symbolic, and conceptual aspects of specific fine art, applied design,
and craft works;
AN1.03 - explain the
visual and conceptual aspects of art works in terms of the context (e.g.,
historical, social, political, economic) in which the works were created.
·
Students should
be familiar with the elements and principles of design.
Note: The symbols used in this activity should not have a
sacred or cultural connotation where it would be inappropriate to destroy the
symbol.
·
It is important
that the quality of materials be as high as possible. Use a bright white
Bristol board with a matte finish. If the available black construction paper
appears grey, apply a coat of India ink to create a dark, rich, black surface.
·
Non-wrinkling
glue is essential. Glue sticks are a good choice for adhesive, but it is vital
that the glue be checked; some brands of solid glue are not suitable for
construction paper.
·
Any high quality
coloured layout paper is a good alternative to construction paper.
·
Commercially
prepared cardboard lettering stencils are available in art supply stores and at
office suppliers. Two sets of 15 or 20 cm letters are a suitable resource for
an average size class. If non-Western characters are desired for this
assignment, the teacher or students could create the stencils by hand in
advance of the class. Coloured Bristol board is a suitable material for the
handmade stencil.
·
Students should
receive the learning expectations, the procedures for completion, and the
evaluation for the activity in writing on a handout. This is vital for this
assignment because the questions for reflection should be known from the
outset.
·
The reflective
component of this activity should be prepared with the abilities of students in
mind (See sample in Appendix 1.1.1).
·
The teacher
should introduce the Unit Reflection Sheets and encourage immediate use of
them. Students should be encouraged to use these to record thoughts and ideas
generated or inspired by this activity.
·
The teacher
should assemble a set of fine-line markers and cork-backed metal rulers for
ruling a margin around the Bristol board.
1. After reviewing the simple nature of the
media, the teacher sets the background for the activity. Students should be
aware of the fact that this activity seeks to reduce or eliminate all
references to culturally specific images by cutting up a letter or character.
Students should be made aware that this “wiping the slate clean” activity
permits them to reflect on the creative process in a very personal way with few
references to outside influences.
2. This activity requires a strong introduction.
Students must be motivated to accept the simple black and white media used in
this activity as having the potential for creating powerful visual images.
Distribute a handout at the beginning of the first lesson.
3. The teacher should review the principles of
design and highlight the requirement that the design display a sense of
movement or emphasis.
4. The teacher alerts students about the
importance of the reflective aspect of this assignment and the importance of
reading through the questions before starting the image creation component of
the activity.
5. Students arrange themselves in the pairings
to be used at the end of the activity to discuss their reflections.
6. Students are encouraged to work in silence
while arranging the black shapes on the Bristol board.
7. No slides or other images should be displayed
or discussed during this activity.
8. The teacher advises students that there are
no art historical references for this activity because the objective is to work
briefly in an environment with limited cultural input. Students should be aware
that they will be viewing numerous images from a wide variety of cultures in
the unit.
This project should be
assessed with a rubric so that feedback on the importance of creation,
reflection, and documentation can be communicated to students at the beginning
of the course. The rubric should contain the following categories/criteria:
·
Knowledge/Understanding:
The student uses appropriate terminology of the elements and principles of
design to describe the work.
·
Application: The
student identifies and uses design principles such as emphasis and movement.
·
Application: The
student documents the creative process.
·
Thinking/Inquiry:
The student evaluates the creative process and reflects on the unique creative
process in the project.
·
Some students may
need assistance with the abstract nature of the questions that accompany this
project.
Appendix 1.1.1 –
Fragmentation and Reconstruction - Questions for Reflection
Time: 4 hours
This drawing
assignment progresses from the largely culture-neutral and non-objective
environment of Activity 1. The Triadic Braid activity uses a motif common to
many cultures throughout the world and one that is based on objects that can be
easily observed from everyday life. Students discover first-hand how artists
and artisans draw upon their own environment to create images such as patterns.
The three-stranded braid is seen in such diverse places as hairstyles, rugs,
and rope manufacture; thus it is equally familiar to almost all people
regardless of cultural background. It is sometimes used, as an element of
ornamentation in fine art and thus it is an ideal adventure for student
experimentation. Each student receives three differently coloured pieces of 14
gauge unstranded electrical wire. The wire is braided left over middle, right
over middle. Students draw a section of the braid in their sketchbooks in a
frame
12 ×18 cm using graphite pencil. The braid may be stretched or partially opened
as desired. The rendering must touch at least three sides of the frame. The
drawing is recreated on a standard 12 × 18 inch piece of grey construction
paper in oil pastel. A triadic colour scheme is used, shadows are depicted in
complementary colours, and form is modelled using graded values. Students track
how the use of graded values, colour schemes, magnification, and close cropping
are culture specific in Activity 4.
A variation on this
activity is to issue a design challenge that requires each student to create or
arrange his or her own original objects in a pattern to draw. The objects
should be recognizable to most cultures, just as a braid is.
Strand(s): Creation and Theory
Overall
Expectations:
THV.01 - use a wide
range of appropriate terminology related to all areas of art theory to describe
art works, crafts, and applied design forms;
CRV.01 - identify
and develop ideas and concepts to shape and unify their own art works;
CRV.02 - choose the
materials, tools, techniques, themes, and processes best suited to their fine
art, applied design, or craft forms, and use materials and tools safely.
Specific
Expectations
TH1.01 - demonstrate
an understanding of ways in which formal qualities, visual conventions,
concepts, and ideas shape expression in their own and others’ art works;
CR2.01 - demonstrate
competence in representational drawing, drawing as an expressive art form, and
drawing to document process;
CR2.04 - solve a
series of artistic problems, showing an awareness of formal qualities, visual
conventions, and relevant ideas and concepts;
CR2.05 - create and
transform visual images, using both new and traditional technologies;
CR2.06 - use
materials, equipment, and processes safely when producing art works;
CR3.01 - use
appropriate specialized terminology when discussing materials and processes.
·
Students should
be familiar with colour theory, colour schemes, and the rendering of form with
graded values in graphite pencil and oil pastel.
·
It is important
that the material used to form the braid is rigid enough to hold its shape
while being drawn. A good material to use is 14-gauge unstranded wire. It is
widely available in hardware stores and home improvement centres.
Three-conductor cable contains a red, black, and white wire along with an
uninsulated ground wire. A choice of colours in single wires is available at
commercial wiring distributors.
·
Use a vice or
pair of pliers to bend or twist one end of the wires together so that the braid
can be started.
·
Oil pastel sets
should contain the three primary colours, the three secondary colours, and
white.
·
The construction
paper should be light grey. Darker paper may be used if the yellow pastel is
sufficiently opaque or if extra white is applied underneath the yellow.
1. Students receive a handout outlining the
learning expectations, studio procedures, and evaluation.
2. The teacher establishes a connection between
Activity 1 and 2 by inviting students to think, pair, and share their ideas on
predicting what differences will exist for them working in this activity with a
familiar shape versus working with the unfamiliar shapes of Activity 1.
3. The teacher shows several examples of pattern
motifs from cultures around the world, e.g., Indonesian linked figures,
Egyptian papyrus, African geometrics, Greek egg and dart, Roman acanthus,
Chinese lattice, and Japanese turning plum blossom. Invite students to try and
identify the culture from which each pattern comes. Be sure to have students
link the object that forms the motif of the pattern with the culture wherever
possible. A class will usually enjoy considerable success in this exercise.
When concluding the exercise, ask a transitional question such as: What would
it be like for us to use a common motif, not frequently found in art, to create
a pattern right here in the classroom? This serves as a springboard for
introducing the triadic braid project, and the review of drawing and colour
that it contains.
4. Students should arrange their braids and
begin drawing immediately. Spreading the wires out at the end or introducing a
slight curve to the overall braid can help to avoid difficulties in arriving at
a rendering that touches three sides of the composition.
5. The teacher reinforces the multi-step
approach to this activity; the two preliminary drawings are essential to
success in the final product.
6. Students benefit from a teacher demonstration
of blending colours with white and using complementary colours for deeper
values and shading.
7. Students reflect on the creative process by
writing an entry in their Resource Journals. Students are invited to compare
the process used in this activity with that used in Activity 1, noting
experiences associated with the more culturally specific subject matter and
media.
Checklist or
rating scale with the following criteria is useful:
·
Demonstrates
competence in representational drawing;
·
Transforms
original drawing using magnification;
·
Demonstrates
understanding of complementary colours in rendering form and shadow;
·
Solves design
problem in accordance with stated requirements.
·
For enrichment,
students may respond to a design challenge requiring that their design be
integrated into the design of an everyday object such as a ceramic vessel, a
tile border, a fabric design, or a piece of jewellery.
·
For enrichment,
students may work in groups by coordinating the width of the wires and the
compositions so that drawings could be linked together into a unified
composition.
Jones, Owen.
The Grammar of Ornament. New York: Dover Publications, 1989. ISBN
0486254631
Linenthal,
Peter. Indonesian Folk Motifs. New York: Dover Publications, 1998. ISBN
0486400409
Williams, Geoffrey. African
Designs from Traditional Sources. New York: Dover Publications, 1996.
ISBN 0486227529
Time: 1.5 hours
In this activity the
teacher leads a comparison of two works of art: one by the eleventh century
Northern Sung artist Fan K’uan and one by the French Post Impressionist painter
Georges Seurat. This detailed comparison serves two purposes. First, the
analysis of the painting by Seurat provides an opportunity for the teacher to
review the elements and principles of design, as they are understood in the
West. Second, the examination of Fan K’uan’s work permits the teacher to
introduce some of the principles of Chinese art such as ch’i, yun, k’ai-ho,
yin-yang, lung-mo, and ch’i-fu. Similarities and differences are carefully
tracked in the glossary and frame of reference used in Activity 4. The teacher
uses this activity to develop an interest in a type of art very different from
that of the Western world and to build in the student an appreciation of the
complexity and subtlety achieved in Asian art.
Strand(s): Analysis and Theory
Overall
Expectations
THV.01 - use a wide
range of appropriate terminology related to all areas of art theory to describe
art works, crafts, and applied design forms;
THV.02 - demonstrate
an understanding of modern and contemporary art, especially Canadian (including
Native Canadian) art, as well as African, Oceanic, and Central and South
American art;
ANV.01 - evaluate,
individually and in groups, the effectiveness of their personal research,
creative process, and art products;
ANV.04 - explain the
influence of aspects of social, cultural, and political contexts, including
arts organizations, on the creation and understanding of fine art, applied
design, and craft works.
Specific
Expectations
TH1.01 - demonstrate
an understanding of ways in which formal qualities, visual conventions,
concepts, and ideas shape expression in their own and others’ art works;
TH1.03 - identify
the materials, techniques, and processes used to produce art and applied design
forms intended for particular audiences (e.g., for consumers, for
manufacturers);
TH2.03 - describe
the history of the form, function, and content of selected works of art (e.g.,
paintings, architectural structures, textiles, furniture) from several
non-Western cultures, nations, or groups;
AN1.03 - explain the visual and conceptual aspects of art works in terms
of the context (e.g., historical, social, political, economic) in which the
works were created;
AN2.01 - explain how
representational elements, the formal organization of visual content, and the
expression of moods, feelings, and ideas are used in both the creation and the
analysis of art works.
·
Knowledge of the
elements and principles of design
·
Knowledge of how
to do an aesthetic critique (description, analysis, interpretation, judgment)
·
Teachers
unfamiliar with the principles of Chinese art should consult the books listed
in Resources.
·
A detailed lesson
plan for the comparison in this activity is provided in Appendix 1.3.1. This
lesson plan should be reviewed in advance of the lesson.
·
The teacher
should obtain reproductions for this activity. Travellers Among Mountains
and Streams by Fan K’uan is a commonly reproduced work of Chinese art, but
it should be remembered that reproductions of non-Western works of art are not
as easily found as those from the west. A reproduction of Fan K’uan’s painting
can be found in A History of Far Eastern Art by Sherman E. Lee. High
Tide at the Outer Harbour of the Port-en-Bessin is typical of many
paintings executed by Seurat in that region and there are several of his
paintings that could easily be substituted.
·
Slides are
recommended as the mode of reproduction for these works, especially the Fan
K’uan work. This painting is very tall and there is a great deal of fine detail
that needs to be seen clearly.
1. Distribute the Checklist for the Comparison
of Chinese Art and Western Art (Appendix 1.3.2). Students use this outline to
track terms and record examples discussed in the comparison.
2. Use the lesson plan to examine the two works
(Appendix 1.3.1). Involve students through invitations to describe passages in
the paintings and ask questions.
·
The teacher
assesses students’ entries on the checklist and responds to the comments and
questions included on the sheet.
·
Students who have
difficulty seeing fine detail in projected images may benefit from having
access to a reproduction in a book along with extra light and a magnifying
glass.
Fleming,
William. Arts and Idea, 9th ed. New York: HBJ College and School Division,
1997.
ISBN 0155011049
Homer,
William. Seurat and the Science of Painting. Hacker Art Books, 1984.
ISBN 0878172955
Lee, Sherman
E. A History of Far Eastern Art. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1994. ISBN
0810934140
Rowley,
George. Principles of Chinese Painting. Princeton, NJ: Princeton
University Press, 1974.
ISBN 0691003009
Silbergeld, Jerome. Chinese
Painting Style: Media, Methods and Principles of Form. University of
Washington Press, 1985. ISBN 0295959215
Appendix 1.3.1 – Lesson Script for Comparison of Fan K’uan’s Travellers
Among Mountains and
Streams and
George Seurat’s High Tide at the Outer Harbour of the Port-en-Bessin.
Appendix 1.3.2 –
Checklist for the Comparison of Chinese Art and Western Art
Time: 2.5 hours
This activity introduces students to the art of Korea, China, Japan, Indonesia, Africa, South America, and Central America; it encourages the study and use of material from sources very distant from the student. This is a progression from the non-objective nature of the first activity and individual nature of the second. Students view images from the above cultures and acquire a knowledge base about art outside their own experiences. This new knowledge or information is structured using descriptive and analytical terminology appropriate to the culture. Students make three major entries in their Resource Journals:
·
a glossary of
terms used in class in connection with non-Western art;
·
a frame of
reference for works viewed in class using headings such as space/perspective,
colour, form, balance, line, motif, and use;
·
a collection of
images and patterns found in mass circulation media that show the influence of
a wide range of cultures.
Strand(s): Analysis and Theory
Overall
Expectations
THV.01 - use a wide
range of appropriate terminology related to all areas of art theory to describe
art works, crafts, and applied design forms;
THV.02 - demonstrate
an understanding of modern and contemporary art, especially Canadian (including
Native Canadian) art, as well as African, Oceanic, and Central and South
American art;
THV.03 - demonstrate
an understanding of the historical context and stylistic evolution of some fine
art, applied design, and craft forms;
ANV.02 - analyse and
evaluate modern and contemporary Western works of art, as well as selected
works of fine art, works in applied design, and works in crafts from African,
Oceanic, Central and South American, and emerging art communities.
Specific
Expectations
TH1.01 - demonstrate
an understanding of ways in which formal qualities, visual conventions,
concepts, and ideas shape expression in their own and others’ art works;
TH1.02 - explain how
the technical approaches and the elements and principles of design found in a
specific work of art support the expression of ideas in that work and
contribute to its function;
TH1.03 - identify
the materials, techniques, and processes used to produce art and applied design
forms intended for particular audiences (e.g., for consumers, for
manufacturers);
TH2.01 - describe
aspects of the history of modern Western art and of selected forms of African,
Oceanic, and Central and South American art;
TH2.03 - describe
the history of the form, function, and content of selected works of art (e.g.,
paintings, architectural structures, textiles, furniture) from several
non-Western cultures, nations, or groups;
AN1.02 - analyse the visual, symbolic, and conceptual aspects of
specific fine art, applied design, and craft works;
AN2.01 - explain how representat