Course Profile
Visual Arts, Grade 9 open, Public
Unit 3
Course Profiles are professional development materials designed to help teachers implement the new Grade 9 secondary school curriculum. These materials were created by writing partnerships of school boards and subject associations. The development of these resources was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Education. This document reflects the views of the developers and not necessarily those of the Ministry. Permission is given to reproduce these materials for any purpose except profit. Teachers are also encouraged to amend, revise, edit, cut, paste, and otherwise adapt this material for educational purposes.
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Public District School Board Writing Team - Visual Arts
Lead Board
Upper Canada District School Board
Management Team: Eleanor Newman
Brenda King
Dorothy Stewart
Dona Cruickshank
Course Profile Writing Team
Susan Jones, Durham DSB
Bob Phillips, OISE University of Toronto
Don Marshall, Halton DSB
Jan Tulloch, Halton DSB
Alan R. Wilkinson, Limestone DSB
Co-ordinating Partners
Andy Ringlet, Renfrew County DSB
Marg Stewart, Limestone DSB
Helen Beck, Hastings & Prince Edward DSB
Kit Rankin, Halton DSB
Anne Clifton, Halton DSB
Unit 3: Environments
Activity 1 | Activity 2
| Activity 3
Unit Developer(s)
Susan Jones
Don Marshall
Bob Phillips
Janice Tulloch
Alan Wilkinson
Development Date: June 1999
The central theme of this unit is "environments." Students explore issues related to environmental citizenship, landscapes, the preservation of things, social responsibility, and art’s relationship to environments through a series of activities, class discussions, and personal research. Certain elements and principles of design are imbedded in the art activities and are used by students, along with a variety of media and materials, to produce of a poster, a mixed media sculpture, and an installation artwork. Students write a proposal for the culminating activity, while inquiry and visual ideas are recorded in the Resource Journal. The chart summarizes how this unit develops the strands outlined in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10, The Arts, 1999; makes use of the Resource Journal; presents three essential questions; approaches assessment and evaluation; and addresses art production, critical thinking, and global understanding.
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Unit 3: Environments 22.5 hours |
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Content focus |
Analysis: Discussion of the essential questions, recording information, drawing, observation Creation: Drawing, painting, sculpture, installation/performance Theory: Ecological and environmental issues, ecological art forms |
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Resource Journal |
Reflection, planning, data collection; note taking; drawing, artist research, issues investigation |
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Essential Questions |
What is worth preserving? (content) How, as an artist, can I improve the environment? (production) What are the rights and responsibilities of the artist? (reflection) |
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Assessment Strategies (observable data) |
Checklists, observations, attendance and lates, work habits, etc. - see Appendix E |
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Evaluation Strategies (assigned marks) |
Scoring rubrics and scales, tests, etc. - see Appendix E |
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Activities |
Activity 1: The Artist’s Role in Society: personal, aesthetic, and environmental Activity 2: Portable Landscape· Activity 3: “Art in Place”: Site-specific/Installation Art |
Strand(s): Creation, Analysis, Theory
Overall
Expectations: VCV.01X - VCV.05X;
VAV.01X - VAV.02X; VTV.O1X - VTV.03X.
Specific
Expectations: VC1.01X - VCV.03X;
VC2.01X, VC2.02X, VC2.03X, VC2.05X, VC2.06X; VC3.01X - VC3.03X; VA1.01X -
VA1.04X; VA2.02X; VT1.01X - VT1.02X; VT2.02X- VT2.03X, VT3.02X.
· Continue to make use of the Resource Journal as a learning tool in visualizing concepts, producing preliminary drawings, for gathering imagery and related research, and for evaluating work accordingly and intermittently.
· Try to select multicultural art images from local communities, popular culture, or from varied historical perspectives.
· Provide students with visual research strategies; schedule library time for on-line internet investigation as well as book, periodical, vertical file, and other electronic media searches.
· Tailor lessons to meet the needs of individual students within the class.
· The three essential questions should be prominently displayed in the classroom so teachers can easily refer to these questions throughout the unit.
Teachers may need to do some diagnostic assessment in order to determine what prior knowledge students have acquired and modify the unit accordingly.
By the end of Grade 8, students:
· demonstrate how the repetition of elements of design creates rhythm, which unifies the composition;
· show how the elements of design are used to create areas of emphasis;
· organize the elements of design to create symmetrical and asymmetrical balance in compositions;
· select tools, materials and techniques appropriate to the size, scope, and intent of an artwork;
· organize their art works to create a specific effect using at least two of the elements of design;
· produce two and three-dimensional works of art that communicate a range of thoughts, feelings, and experiences for specific purposes;
· describe the main idea that they wish to communicate and the decisions that they have made to support that message;
· identify strengths and areas for improvement in their own work and that of others;
· describe how artists representing various periods, styles, and cultures have used similar materials, tools, and principles of design for a variety of purposes;
· explain how the effective use of the elements and principles of design contributes to an art work's ability to communicate feelings, convey ideas, and enrich people's lives;
· explain their preference for specific art works, with reference to the artist's use of the principles of design, and their understanding of the ideas and feelings expressed in the work.
The teacher makes the following considerations in teaching and learning strategies:
· Focus on performance tasks that generate genuine, demonstrable understanding through experiences that demonstrate explanation, interpretation, application, perspectives (points of view), empathy, and self-knowledge (see Appendix R);
· Strive for a balanced approach to concepts and skills (teacher-directed and student-centred).
· Instruction should include activities that strike a balance between intuition/feeling, reasoning/thinking, repetition of skills to develop depth and experimentation to develop breadth, 2-D and 3-D experiences, individual work, and collaborative activities.
· Continue to model for students that being an artist is a fundamental human response to the world based on thinking, feeling, and expression;
· Incorporate critical thinking skills into lessons (see Appendices F, G, H, J, K);
· Use a variety of instructional strategies (see Appendix D);
· Take opportunities to make career connections, especially in the graphic design task in Activity 3;
· Encourage students to maintain their portfolio (see Appendices C, O, P, Q) and make use of the Resource Journal (see Appendix B);
· Make allowances for individual learning styles and modifications in lesson design (see Appendices D, I).
· A variety of assessment and evaluation strategies should be used throughout this unit (see Appendix E).
· The Resource File assessment (see Appendices V, T) should be given to students at the start of the course, and should be used as a tool to provide ongoing assessment and feedback through all units.
· The Resource File subsequently leads to the comprehensive portfolio evaluation at the end of the course (see Appendices O, P, Q).
· Self and Peer Assessment Rubrics are available (see Appendix U: sample 1, 2, 3) for student reflection and can be added to the resource file.
· The Metacognition Rubrics (see Appendix T) are a useful tool to encourage students to think about thinking.
Time: 6 hours
This initial activity introduces students to the first essential question of this unit: “What is worth preserving?” Following a discussion that leads to a definition of an environmental citizen, students are asked to identify relevant personal, local, and global environmental concerns. Addressing all levels of concern is important so students can explore and comment on a broad range of social issues and aesthetic concerns related to art making. Next, using information from their Resource Journals, students are asked to design and create an advocacy poster that focusses on a particular environmental issue. They address the second essential question, "What are the rights and responsibilities of the artist?" while investigating social/political advocacy concerns and aesthetic approaches to problem solving. The teacher should review (or present for the first time) strategies for "effective" graphic design. Students produce a poster that demonstrates the imaginative use of design elements and principles, including shape, balance, and contrast. These posters should be displayed throughout the school and community once they are completed.
Strand(s): Creation, Analysis, and Theory
Overall Expectations: VCV.01X - VCV.04X; VAV.02X - VAV.03X; VTV.O1X, VTV.04X.
Specific Expectations: VC1.01X - VC1.03X; VC2.01X, VC2.02X, VC2.03X, VC2.04X, VC2.05X; VC3.01X, VC3.02X; VA1.02X, VA1.03X, VA2.02X; VT1.01X, VT1.02X, VT3.02X, VT3.03X.
· "Environmental Citizenship" means becoming informed and getting involved. It means acquiring a better understanding of the environment and environmental issues. It also means using this knowledge as the basis for responsible environmental action. Environmental citizenship is a convenient way of describing the ethical obligations that link us with other members of the biosphere and that we all have the responsibility to care for the environment. This responsibility derives from the fact that we are not isolated units, but members of a broader community. At one level, this community is the political community of Canadian citizens. At a broader level, it includes the community of all humanity. At its broadest level, it is the community of life itself. Acknowledging the responsibilities that flow from this membership reinforces our awareness of interconnectedness, which is the key to the ecosystem concept. There are four main areas of environmental concern:
1. protecting the atmosphere;
2. using water wisely;
3. protecting the natural and historical heritage;
4. reducing waste.
[from Environment Canada. A Primer on Environmental Citizenship. (1993) ISBN 0-662-20803]
· A global education, humanities, or geography teacher or an environmentalist could be invited to speak with students about the impact of ecological issues on the local community. This unit also has strong connections with the "Human-Environment Interactions" strand in the Grade 9 "Geography of Canada" course (The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10, Canadian and World Studies, 1999).
· Students should maintain their findings, discussion notes, and appropriate images/sketches in their Resource Journals.
· Posters can be produced using a combination of cut construction paper and drawing or cut paper with painted details. If x-acto knives are used, review safety procedures for proper cutting and handling.
· Gather examples of both historical and contemporary posters for display. Graphic samples from public service or environmental organizations would be most appropriate, i.e., Greenpeace.
· Teachers should make students aware of the conceptual differences between “design elements and principles” as defined in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10, The Arts, 1999 and “graphic design.” While graphic designers use elements (line, shape, colour, and value) and principles (balance, contrast, or proportion etc.) in their work, graphic design often has a particular visual appearance that separates it from other expressive art forms. A definition for graphic design is “the creative planning and execution of visual communication.” Graphic design includes an arrangement of words, shapes, and images, in various combinations; is usually reproduced on a flat surface; is intended for a particular audience; and has a specific purpose or function, often to inform or influence choices or actions. Graphic design products can include posters, logos or symbols, other forms of advertising, packaging, publication design (books, magazines, newspapers), and typography. [adapted from Foundations of Graphic Design; see Resources section]
· Students should have had some experience in designing posters in senior elementary grades. The differences between graphic design images and fine art illustrations or painted images should be highlighted.
· Some experience with the "creative process" or design process should be a prerequisite for this assignment. (See "Explanatory Notes" in The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 and 10, The Arts, 1999.)
1. Introduce the essential question, "What is worth preserving?" Revisit the issues and questions raised by the class during the discussions about the Time Capsule activity in Unit I. Students should recognize and pose questions about the things that we individually and collectively preserve in our culture. Some questions to instigate discussion and interaction are as follows:
· What does it mean to preserve something?
· Why is it important to save aspects of the past or present?
· How and where are things preserved?
· Does everyone feel the same way about preserving objects or ideas?
· Do we preserve just human-created things?
· How is the act of preserving something related to values?
Allow for an expansive discussion. Eventually, extract from student responses, references to the natural environment, and reframe the essential question in connection with the environment. Connect this with the definition of environmental citizenship (or a version of this) provided in the Planning Notes (see Appendix D).
2. Following a discussion leading to a definition of environmental citizenship, students are asked to identify relevant personal, local, and global environmental concerns. Students can work in partnership/groups, using the four main areas of environmental concern to classify and sort their findings. Students might wish to place their findings on large chart paper and post them around the classroom to use as research material for strategy 6.
3. Extension. See the activity "World as a Village of 1000", in the resource document, Towards an Ecozoic Curriculum, published by the Ontario Society for Environmental Education (1996). This resource should be available in every secondary school science department. This is a more complex version of the above exercise in strategy 2.
4. Extension. To introduce an art historical component, to this unit, students and teachers may wish to investigate a number of contemporary artists who make use of the environment, either as media or subject matter, (e.g., Christo, Chris Drury, Joe Fafard, Andy Goldsworthy, Maya Lin, Richard Long, Robert Smithson, et cetera.). This could form an art history/critical component for the unit. Various art viewing and analytical strategies can be used in approaching these works and artists. (See Appendices F, G, K.)
5. (a) Review the brainstormed lists of environmental concerns (personal, local, global) and ask students what people can do to affect change pertaining to some of these identified concerns. What can one do personally? How can community support or actions make a difference? Can one person make a difference globally? Find examples of environmental concerns. See if examples can be cited from the news, or human interest stories (see Appendices S, T, U).
(b) Present the essential question, "What are the rights and responsibilities of the artist?" Ask students to consider how artists can affect social change. How best can they use their skills and command of visual language to cause people to think about and act differently towards environments? Show examples of artworks by artists who have attempted to change dangerous or unhealthy ways of thinking and acting, to get people to regard the natural environment from a different point of view. For example, activist artists whose work comments on environmental preservation are: Andy Goldsworthy (British); Joseph Beuys (German); Keith Haring, Ana Mendieta, Nancy Rubins, Nancy Holt, Ann Hamilton (American); Noel Harding, Fastwürms, Mendelson Joe, Gathie Falk (Canadian). (See Unit 2, Activity 1 for ideas pertaining to point of view.)
(c) Show samples of posters designed for various purposes. Ask students to explain what they communicate. How do they know? What things about these posters help them to communicate effectively? Is the image or the wording more important? How do they compliment or support one another? What makes them persuasive or attention-getting? Introduce the concept of "graphic design" as a particular form of communication. Explain that graphic design is a form of visual communication, usually associated with industry or advertising; it can combines images with text set in type. Designs often depend on contrast, simple shapes, bold colours or value contrasts, and lines (direct or implied) to lead the eye. Show more samples of posters or large advertising images from magazines. Posters from environmental or ecological organizations such as Greenpeace, and would be most appropriate.
6. (a) Present the poster project. Students are to select an environmental issue that concerns them personally and to review ideas captured in their Resource Journals. Using 18"x24" cartridge paper or Mayfair cover stock as a backing, students are to use cut construction paper and a colour drawing medium (e.g. markers) to create a poster design that makes a persuasive statement about an environmental concern. Lettering can be word-processed, photocopied onto an overhead transparency, traced onto coloured stock, and cut from paper. Free-form letterforms can also be encouraged. Design: review ideas about balance, contrast, emphasis (using colour and line), and various methods of depicting the illusion of space (overlapping, size change, vertical height, etc.). Also consider concepts of open (extending beyond the edges) and closed space (contained within a border or edge) for suitable impact.
(b) Students should follow a design process in planning their posters. Various thumbnail sketches and roughs should be attempted first in order to give visual form to their thinking about a particular environmental concern. Teachers consult individually with students throughout this initial part of the design process. Having students share ideas in progress, either in pairs or table groups, can provide valuable, objective feedback from a broader audience.
· Encourage student self-evaluation of final design solutions.
· Teacher evaluation of group work/discussions may be conducted using a checklist. Assess components of effective co-operative learning (see Appendices S, U).
Archer, Michael. Art Since 1960. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1997. ISBN 0-500-20298-2
Barnicoat, John. A Concise History Of Posters: 1870 – 1970. NY: Oxford Press, 1980.
Brommer, Gerald F. and Joseph P. Gatto. Careers in Art. 2nd edition. Worcester, Ma: Davis Publications, 1999. ISBN # 0-87192-377-7
Chasty, J., T. Palmer, and D. Spencer. The Green School. Toronto: OSSTF, 1991. ISBN 0920930-50-6
Environment Canada. A Primer on Environmental Citizenship. 1993. ISBN 0-662-20803
Gatta, Kevin, Gusty Lang and Marilyn Lyons. Foundations of Graphic Design. Worcester, MA: Davis Publications, 1991. ISBN 0-87192-220-7
Goldsworthy, Andy. A Collaboration with Nature. New York: Harry N Abrams Inc., 1990. ISBN 0-8109-3351-9
Landa, Robin. Graphic Design Solutions. Scarborough, ON: Delmar Press, 1996. ISBN 0-8273- 6352-4
Meggs, Philip B. A History of Graphic Design. 3rd edition. NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1998.
Ontario Society for Environmental Education. Towards An Ecozoic Curriculum. Toronto, ON: OSEE, 1996.
Pike, G. and D. Selby. Global Teacher, Global Learner. London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd., 1988.
Pike, G. and D. Selby. In the Global Classroom 1. Toronto: Pippin Publishing, 1999. ISBN 0- 88751-081-7
Resnick, Elizabeth. Graphic Design: A Problem-Solving Approach to Visual Communication. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1984. ISBN 0-13-363259-8
Williams, Robin. The Non-Designer's Design Book. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press Inc. 1994.
Wrede, Stuart. The Modern Poster. NY: The Museum of Modern Art, 1988.
Yenawine, Philip. How to Look At Modern Art. NY: Harry N. Abrams, 1991. ISBN # 0-8109- 2485-4
Blurring the Boundaries: Installation Art 1969 – 1996. San Diego, CA: Museum Of Contemporary Art, 1997. ISBN 0-934418-44-6
Time: 11 hours
The central concept of this activity is "preservation/protection." Students view a variety of images, both past and present, in which artists have represented the landscape. Using ideas collected from their Resource Journals, students design and construct a landscape that fits into a portable carrying case. Teachers can choose, or have students pick the medium, (e.g., drawing, painting, and/or collage media, to create an environment (or landscape) that they wish to preserve or protect). This sculpture/object takes on attributes that are both personal and political, while simultaneously addressing aesthetic and environmental concerns. The essential questions, “What is worth preserving?" and "What are the rights and responsibilities of the artist?” should be reconsidered in connection with this project.
Strand(s): Creation, Analysis, and Theory
Overall Expectations: VCV.01X - VCV.04X; VAV.01X- VAV.02X; VTV.O1X, VTV.02X.
Specific Expectations: VC1.01X; VCV.02X; VC2.01X, VC2.02X, VC2.05X, VC2.06X; VC3.01X - VC3.03X; VA1.02X - VA1.04X; VA2.01X, VA2.02X; VT1.01X, VT1.02X; VT3.02X.
· Make certain that discarded or junk containers are properly cleaned before students use them.
· Waste or post-consumer materials should be non-toxic and safe for student handling. Teachers may want to inspect things brought into the classroom, prior to their use.
· Have available a "flea market" collection of containers and boxes for those students unable to obtain their own.
· Students should have previous experience with critical looking and inquiry about works of art.
· Teachers should review media-specific skills and techniques that may be required for this activity, (e. g., tempera painting techniques).
1. (a) Students review notes and drawings in their Resource Journals collected during the previous activities. Ask students to think about specific environments in the smaller community or larger world using questions such as: Where would you like to be? Where have you visited? What kinds of places make you feel good? What aspects of nature are awe-inspiring? What forces of nature make them awe-inspiring ? Which natural environments are worth saving? Can you describe this relationship that humans have with the natural environment? Show some examples of landscapes, either photographs or paintings, to instigate responses. Reiterate the essential question “What is worth preserving?”
(b) Look at examples of landscapes by Canadian and international artists, both historical and contemporary: Canadian - Emily Carr, William Kurelek, Paterson Ewen, Lawren Harris; American - Ansel Adams, Fitz Hugh Lane, April Gornik, Andrew Wyeth; European- John Constable, Jean-Baptiste Corot, Paul Cézanne, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Akseli Gallen-Kallela (Finnish)); (Japanese: Utagawa Hiroshige. For resource information, check the AGO web site for the link to AMICO. Review some essential characteristics of a landscape as subject matter, e.g., methods of representing space, colour change, atmospheric effects, the horizontal impact on landscape, etc.
(c) Have students begin some landscape sketches in their Resource Journal based on images they have viewed directly from their local community, e.g., parkland, forests, school property. A class session scheduled for outdoors or a field trip would be appropriate. These student drawings are used later in 2c.
2. (a) Review the idea and concept of preservation and introduce the term treasure. What kinds of objects and/or containers are used to preserve, protect, and treasure objects? Museums, art galleries, and libraries perform this function for communities - how do private citizens preserve valuable or significant things? Some religions have placed sacred objects in portable containers so they may be easily transported for many to see. Introduce the project, the "portable landscape." This will be a sculptural representation that fits into the case or container. Parts should be affixed to the lid as well. (Teachers can easily make career links to jobs found in art galleries or museums.)
(b) Ask students to look for appropriate containers, e. g., briefcase, jewel box, toolbox, lunch box, gift package, cigar box, make-up containers, a drawer from a dresser. Stress that this must be a recycled container, something that might be retrieved from the garbage or found at a garage sale (environmental responsibility). Have students consider the proportions and size of the case in relationship to the concept of landscape and preservation. While the outside of the container should be personally relevant, it should give no direct indication of the "secret" of its contents. Some students may choose more symbolic containers for their visual statements, e. g., a cigar box could represent ideas about pollution, and old make-up case raise questions about chemicals poisoning our environment. Have students examine and analyse the work of artists who have worked with boxes and contained art forms such as Joseph Cornell, Marcel Duchamp, Max Ernst, Lucas Samaras, Kurt Schwitters, Betye Saar, and Christan Boltanski.
(c) Once a container or box has been selected, students should commence planning drawings and designs in their Resource Journals. Design: Review design elements and principles that are significant to these landscapes, both 3-D and 2-D components. Have them consider the following in their planning: flatness or interior space of the box; use of both upper lid and bottom of the container, techniques for creating spatial illusion, and three dimensional parts. Their use of materials and media can take one of two different approaches:
· use of new materials, including drawing and painting media; plasticene, papier maché, plaster, or cardboard; found photographic or collaged images; OR
· students can only use "post-consumer" materials that are used, discarded or "garbage" materials (that include glues, hardware, and paint). In this way, they are helping to preserve the natural environment by recycling and reusing previously used materials. The essential question “What are the rights and responsibilities of the artist?” certainly applies to this approach. Overall, the nature of the envisioned landscape and the need for preservation should dictate the decision-making process.
(d) Following consultation with the teacher regarding their plans (including the effectiveness of their design to demonstrate preservation), students construct their portable landscapes.
3. Have students complete a self-evaluation based on their final product and their planning.
A class critique could be organized to share ideas and solutions.
1. The teacher may need to have some found containers available for a few students
2. A modification for some students might include preparing the landscape on a flat fabric or paper surface and then applying the work to the inside of the container
3. Some students may need a simplified formula to follow for landscape design, i.e., the horizon line is 1/3 from the bottom, the main focal point is to the right of the centre.
4. Some students may need special considerations with the choice of media.
· Teacher evaluates final products through the use of a rubric and anecdotal comments.
· Providing feedback at each stage of the project is important e.g., the choice of container.
· Student feedback and critiques work well for this activity.
Johnson, Mary F. Visual Workouts. Englewoods Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1983.
ISBN 0-13- 942664 -7
Ontario Society for Environmental Education. Towards An Ecozoic Curriculum. Toronto, ON:
OSEE, 1996.
Time: 5.5 hours
As a culminating activity for this unit, students use research from their Resource Journals and personal subject matter/content to design and construct a site-specific installation artwork. Information in the form of an artist's statement addresses decisions around the selection of a site, the specific issues addressed in the work, and the thinking used in the design and selection of materials. Minimum expectations require that students develop a proposal for the installation; where materials, time, and space are available, students could complete a full-scale version of their installation. Revisit the essential questions, “What are the rights and responsibilities of the artist?” and “What is worth preserving?”
Strand(s): Creation, Analysis, Theory
Overall Expectations: VCV.01X - VCV.04X; VAV.01X & VAV.02X; VTV.O1X & VTV.02X.
Specific Expectations: VC1.01X - VC1.03X; VC2.02X, VC2.03X, VC2.05X; VC2.06X; VC3.01X - VC3.03X; VA1.02X -VA1.04X; VA2.02X; VT1.01X - VT1.02X; VT2.02X- VT2.03X; VT3.02X.
· Installation artists or site-specific sculptors are primarily interested in three-dimensional forms that extend beyond the physical confines and institutional restrictions of the gallery or museum. Many artists construct works that interact with the earth or natural sites while others choose to activate spaces within an architectural setting or human-created environment. The relationship between the sculptural form, the artist's message, and the physical space in which it is located creates the fundamental dynamic of any installation art piece.
· Appropriate clearance from and discussion with school administration and custodial staff about this activity will ensure its success. Interior space restrictions or fire codes must be adhered to. Proposals for outdoor installations must attend to community standards and respect/preserve the natural environment.
· Have still cameras and video equipment on hand to document these impermanent, temporary creations before they are dismantled. Students should be encouraged to document their entire working process through images and journal descriptions. After all, the artists will want some record of what has been created.
· Due to the potential assortment of materials that may be used for this project, safety procedures and the proper handling of equipment should be specifically reviewed and emphasized throughout the duration of the project.
· Review one- and two-point perspectives for sketching in this activity.
· Drawing skills and basic photo taking skills should be reviewed.
1. Re-acquaint students with the over-arching concept of the environment for this unit. Review the various meanings of this term as it has been presented throughout the preceding activities: landscapes, the natural environment, global perspectives and community concerns, preserving things or places that are special or valued. Talk with students about contemporary artists who make use of specific places in which to create their works of art. Possibly introduce this concept by considering examples of art created for specific spaces or locations, (e.g., Michelangelo's frescos on the Sistine Chapel ceiling; the American presidents carved into the face of Mount Rushmore; and Northwest Coast aboriginal totems). Introduce students to examples of works of artists who create installation art or site-specific works. Ask them to think about a definition for "installation art" after they have viewed the images. Some artists to consider are Christo, Robert Smithson, Mona Hatoum, Dan Flavin, Daniel Buren, Richard Serra, Charles Simonds, Claes Oldenberg, Gordon Matta-Clark, Rachel Whitread, Doris Salcedo, Joe Fafard, Ann Hamilton, Richard Long, Andy Goldsworthy, General Idea, Fastwürms, Antony Gormley, Sandy Skoglund, Judy Pfaff, Barbara Kruger, etc. Choose two or three specific works and ask students to ponder meanings of these works and artists' intentions. Use some of the viewing art questions from the appendices.
2. (a) Explain the installation art project to students. They should be given the choice whether to work alone or to collaborate in small groups. Subject matter/content for these installations should be extracted from ideas in their Resource Journal. Some ideas to spark creative thinking could include "preservation," "the landscape," environmental issues, global concerns (see the issues listed in Activity 1). The essential question, “What are the rights and responsibilities of the artist?” should be briefly discussed in terms of making social statements about relevant issues or raising concerns or questions about local or global matters.
(b) Due to space, time, resource, and supervision constraints in most schools, three different alternatives for this activity are proposed. Teachers can choose the version that best suits their needs and location:
· Alternative "A" would see students complete a written proposal and accompanying drawings;
· Alternative "B" moves students slightly closer to the final installation by having them create a scale model or maquette along with the written proposal;
· Alternative "C" allows students to fully realize the proposal as a large-scale installation.
The materials available for student use depend on local supplies and their proposal. Drawings should be of finished quality, rendered in colour, and could possibly illustrate various views of the proposed work. Models can be made from heavy cardboard, plaster, clay or other mixed media. Materials for a full sized installation depend entirely on the subject matter and site. Students may wish to draw inspiration from artists who have been considered previously in this unit.
(c) Have students do site drawings or take photographs of appropriate installation sites to use in the development of proposal renderings. The developed proposal could contain structural drawings, site photographs, working plans, and an explanation of the issue being presented in the work. Remind students to carefully consider the relationship of their final site to the development of the environmental focus in this unit. Design: Obviously students need to draw upon many of the elements and principles of design in visualizing their ideas. Unity, emphasis, contrast, and rhythm are probably the most prominent organizing principles required for this project.
(d) Reiterate the essential question, “What is worth preserving?”, in relation to the temporary nature of installation art. Students should be made to realize that, unlike other works of art, installation art does not exist as a permanent object: once its time is past, it is dismantled and exists only as memory or in documented evidence such as photographs. Encourage individual students or groups to continually document their work in progress and to insure a final record of the finished installation is produced.
· Use group/peer/individual evaluation of final products.
· Teacher and student-designed rubric can be used for the installation art evaluation.
· Elicit anecdotal comments and reviews from people in the school or community who view these installations; these opinions and interpretations could be incorporated as a component on the final evaluation.
de Oliveira, Nicolas, et al. Installation Art. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd., 1994.
ISBN 0- 500-23672-0
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