Welcome to the 2020-21 School Year!
I will be posting information here about assignments and projects, as well as to MS Teams. You will find the syllabus for this class below. If you have questions, or need extra help, you can check in to my office hours on Thursday, 3-4pm. Or, feel free to email me and we can schedule a meeting at another time. The Zoom link for Office Hours is: https://zoom.us/j/96360932375?pwd=V1kvRi92ZnIzWlVlV29pL21TT2hCZz0 Meeting ID: 963 6093 2375 Passcode: ART [email protected] |
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Q4, Week 7 (5/11-5/15)
End of the school year final thoughts.
Congratulations! You did it! You are to be commended for pushing through barriers and jumping obstacles, finding materials at home, and getting over preconceived notions about what art should be. I think you all did great work, even with limitations.
Think back on your work this quarter. Some of the themes that were incorporated in the assignments were:
--art as protection (Amabie drawing)
--art as lens onto the world (Empty Places photography assignment)
--art as reflection/prediction (mini-book, about before/during/after Covid-19)
--art as historical reference (recreation of famous work of art)
--art as physical symbol (constructed cantilevered structure as outreach extension)
--art as documentation (map of a remembered/imagined place)
The assignments were designed so that you were considering different spheres of influence in each -- personal, community, and global.
Some assignments addressed more than one sphere. For example, the recreation project asked you to find an artwork that spoke to you, by any artist, time period, part of the world (global) and recreate it using people and materials that were found in your home (personal).
This pandemic is going to shape all of our lives for years to come, perhaps for the remainder of our lifetimes. Artists' responses to global events often serve as "snapshots" of the collective social understanding of the time. And, remember, there are artists of all types -- painters, sculptors, graphic novelists, fashion designers, architects, musicians, playwrights, filmmakers. All artists are making work within the context of the current time.
For your final assignment, I would like you to read this article called "How Pandemics End," by Gina Kolata, published in The New York Times on May 10, 2020. It is heavy, and it does not shy away from the dangerous reality of our current situation, and references outbreaks of the past. Some of you may not wish to read it, and that is okay. I ask that you read the last section with the heading, "How will Covid-19 end?"
Then I would like you to create one image that symbolizes how this pandemic ends. You can choose the sphere that you are addressing. For example, you may wish to draw something that symbolizes the end of the pandemic for YOU. Or, you may create a painting, or a photograph, that is a sign of the pandemic being over for your family or COMMUNITY. Or, you may build something that serves as a symbol of the end of the pandemic for the GLOBE.
Choose the materials you want to use -- and remember that you are allowed to use ANYTHING! Use the dirt outside your backdoor, or random things in your house. All I ask is that you think it through, and have reasons to back up why your creation works as a symbol. Write one paragraph that explains your work and make sure to include which sphere (or spheres) it addresses -- personal, community, or global.
Take a photograph of your work and send it to me by Friday, May 15th, at 5pm. But, because I am posting this on Wednesday, if you need more time, you can get it to me by Monday, May 18, at 3pm. Any questions, let me know!
End of the school year final thoughts.
Congratulations! You did it! You are to be commended for pushing through barriers and jumping obstacles, finding materials at home, and getting over preconceived notions about what art should be. I think you all did great work, even with limitations.
Think back on your work this quarter. Some of the themes that were incorporated in the assignments were:
--art as protection (Amabie drawing)
--art as lens onto the world (Empty Places photography assignment)
--art as reflection/prediction (mini-book, about before/during/after Covid-19)
--art as historical reference (recreation of famous work of art)
--art as physical symbol (constructed cantilevered structure as outreach extension)
--art as documentation (map of a remembered/imagined place)
The assignments were designed so that you were considering different spheres of influence in each -- personal, community, and global.
Some assignments addressed more than one sphere. For example, the recreation project asked you to find an artwork that spoke to you, by any artist, time period, part of the world (global) and recreate it using people and materials that were found in your home (personal).
This pandemic is going to shape all of our lives for years to come, perhaps for the remainder of our lifetimes. Artists' responses to global events often serve as "snapshots" of the collective social understanding of the time. And, remember, there are artists of all types -- painters, sculptors, graphic novelists, fashion designers, architects, musicians, playwrights, filmmakers. All artists are making work within the context of the current time.
For your final assignment, I would like you to read this article called "How Pandemics End," by Gina Kolata, published in The New York Times on May 10, 2020. It is heavy, and it does not shy away from the dangerous reality of our current situation, and references outbreaks of the past. Some of you may not wish to read it, and that is okay. I ask that you read the last section with the heading, "How will Covid-19 end?"
Then I would like you to create one image that symbolizes how this pandemic ends. You can choose the sphere that you are addressing. For example, you may wish to draw something that symbolizes the end of the pandemic for YOU. Or, you may create a painting, or a photograph, that is a sign of the pandemic being over for your family or COMMUNITY. Or, you may build something that serves as a symbol of the end of the pandemic for the GLOBE.
Choose the materials you want to use -- and remember that you are allowed to use ANYTHING! Use the dirt outside your backdoor, or random things in your house. All I ask is that you think it through, and have reasons to back up why your creation works as a symbol. Write one paragraph that explains your work and make sure to include which sphere (or spheres) it addresses -- personal, community, or global.
Take a photograph of your work and send it to me by Friday, May 15th, at 5pm. But, because I am posting this on Wednesday, if you need more time, you can get it to me by Monday, May 18, at 3pm. Any questions, let me know!
Q4, Week 6 (5/4-5/8)
Creating an illustrated map
Right now, it seems like we have been away from school for a really long time. I am wishing that we were still making messes and cleaning them up in the studio. Know that I am thinking about all of you and the really hard work that you are doing this quarter. This is not easy stuff, but we will make it through.
This week, I am asking that you read this article, where Nate Padavick lays out 8 Steps for you to create your own maps. The first step -- Pick Your Destination -- may be the most challenging. Which place will you choose to illustrate? Is it real or fictional place? Is it a place you have been many times, or one that you have only read about? I ask that you choose a place that you can envision in your mind -- whether that place is here in Tucson, or in that small town in Kansas where you cousin lives, or in a video game that you know really well. Nate asks more questions in the article, and I encourage you to imagine all of them before you make your decision.
This assignment challenges you to combine your own artistic perspective with factual information. You may want your map to accurately represent the locations of sites, or you may wish to totally distort it, and "throw accuracy out the window!" Make sure that you cover all the steps, and include them in your map.
Again, choose materials you want to work with. Your map can be black and white, or colored -- it's your choice. I would recommend sketching it out in pencil, and then going over it in with pen or marker. You might base your drawing style for this assignment on a favorite graphic artist or comic/graphic novel. Take a photo of your finished map and email it to me at [email protected].
This is due on Friday, May 8 at 5pm. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. If you are having trouble turning the work in by Friday, let me know, and we can work out a plan.
Take care!
Creating an illustrated map
Right now, it seems like we have been away from school for a really long time. I am wishing that we were still making messes and cleaning them up in the studio. Know that I am thinking about all of you and the really hard work that you are doing this quarter. This is not easy stuff, but we will make it through.
This week, I am asking that you read this article, where Nate Padavick lays out 8 Steps for you to create your own maps. The first step -- Pick Your Destination -- may be the most challenging. Which place will you choose to illustrate? Is it real or fictional place? Is it a place you have been many times, or one that you have only read about? I ask that you choose a place that you can envision in your mind -- whether that place is here in Tucson, or in that small town in Kansas where you cousin lives, or in a video game that you know really well. Nate asks more questions in the article, and I encourage you to imagine all of them before you make your decision.
This assignment challenges you to combine your own artistic perspective with factual information. You may want your map to accurately represent the locations of sites, or you may wish to totally distort it, and "throw accuracy out the window!" Make sure that you cover all the steps, and include them in your map.
Again, choose materials you want to work with. Your map can be black and white, or colored -- it's your choice. I would recommend sketching it out in pencil, and then going over it in with pen or marker. You might base your drawing style for this assignment on a favorite graphic artist or comic/graphic novel. Take a photo of your finished map and email it to me at [email protected].
This is due on Friday, May 8 at 5pm. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. If you are having trouble turning the work in by Friday, let me know, and we can work out a plan.
Take care!
Q4, Week 5 (4/27-5/1)
Can you create a cantilevered sculpture in your home?
Last week, you used objects or figures to recreate a 2-D work of art. They were fantastic! I am so proud of all of you! Make sure to take a couple of minutes to see the original and recreated artworks that your classmates made, which you will find below. [I am still working on posting all of them, so check back again later, too.]
My challenge for you this week: Create a gravity-defying cantilever sculpture at home. Using random objects from around your house, build a sculpture suspended from a counter or table, as far as you can get it to reach, without touching the ground. This is the same principle used in everything from the Brooklyn Bridge to large-scale sculptures that you might see at an outdoor museum like Storm King.
Before you start creating, I want you to imagine a person or place that you are missing during this time of social distancing. You are building a structure that will reach toward and extend out across the distance, so that you can be closer to that person or place. It, in essence, will create a bridge between.
Watch this video for instructions and inspiration, where educator John Kaiser from Freestyle Arts (who also works with Storm King Art Center in NY State) and his children build really cool sculptures.
You will need to:
1. gather materials that you can find in your house, and then figure out a flat surface where you can build a tall, long sculpture. Since you may be using tape, make sure it's okay to be using tape on the the table you have chosen.
2. spend 15 minutes (ONLY!) and build the longest hanging sculpture you can. Remember, John said that the taller your structure, the more horizontal support your sculpture will have.
3. photograph your sculpture, and send it to me via email.
4. clean up all the materials you used, and put them back where you found them!
5. Go to Storm King's website, browse through the sculptures, and find one that 1.) includes a cantilever structure, and 2.) speaks to your heart. In an email to me, write out the name of the sculpture, the artist, and the year it was created, and tell me why it is interesting to you.
>>If you let the video run after it finishes, you will see another video by the kinetic artist Ruben Margolin, who includes mathematical principles in the artwork that he makes. Apparently, it didn't come up for anyone except me. (Thanks, Orion!). Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2HF-1xjpP8. Extra credit: If you are able to go on a walk outside your house, look to nature for a phenomenon that you would be interested in investigating. What would you want to find out? Can you think of some installation that would help you to know more about it? Write a couple sentences about what and why it interests you, or draw a quick sketch, and send it to me.
You assignment is due Friday, May 1, by 5pm.
Any questions? Email me at [email protected]
Can you create a cantilevered sculpture in your home?
Last week, you used objects or figures to recreate a 2-D work of art. They were fantastic! I am so proud of all of you! Make sure to take a couple of minutes to see the original and recreated artworks that your classmates made, which you will find below. [I am still working on posting all of them, so check back again later, too.]
My challenge for you this week: Create a gravity-defying cantilever sculpture at home. Using random objects from around your house, build a sculpture suspended from a counter or table, as far as you can get it to reach, without touching the ground. This is the same principle used in everything from the Brooklyn Bridge to large-scale sculptures that you might see at an outdoor museum like Storm King.
Before you start creating, I want you to imagine a person or place that you are missing during this time of social distancing. You are building a structure that will reach toward and extend out across the distance, so that you can be closer to that person or place. It, in essence, will create a bridge between.
Watch this video for instructions and inspiration, where educator John Kaiser from Freestyle Arts (who also works with Storm King Art Center in NY State) and his children build really cool sculptures.
You will need to:
1. gather materials that you can find in your house, and then figure out a flat surface where you can build a tall, long sculpture. Since you may be using tape, make sure it's okay to be using tape on the the table you have chosen.
2. spend 15 minutes (ONLY!) and build the longest hanging sculpture you can. Remember, John said that the taller your structure, the more horizontal support your sculpture will have.
3. photograph your sculpture, and send it to me via email.
4. clean up all the materials you used, and put them back where you found them!
5. Go to Storm King's website, browse through the sculptures, and find one that 1.) includes a cantilever structure, and 2.) speaks to your heart. In an email to me, write out the name of the sculpture, the artist, and the year it was created, and tell me why it is interesting to you.
>>If you let the video run after it finishes, you will see another video by the kinetic artist Ruben Margolin, who includes mathematical principles in the artwork that he makes. Apparently, it didn't come up for anyone except me. (Thanks, Orion!). Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2HF-1xjpP8. Extra credit: If you are able to go on a walk outside your house, look to nature for a phenomenon that you would be interested in investigating. What would you want to find out? Can you think of some installation that would help you to know more about it? Write a couple sentences about what and why it interests you, or draw a quick sketch, and send it to me.
You assignment is due Friday, May 1, by 5pm.
Any questions? Email me at [email protected]
Nechama White recreated "L’Annunciata" by the Sicilian artist Antonello da Messina, c. 1476. (April 24, 2020)
If you would like to see a short video of the painting, set to beautiful music, click here.
I told Nechama that I have seen this painting in person at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, when it was on loan from the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia, which is housed in Palazzo Abatellis, a 15th c. palace in Palermo, Sicily. Some consider it to be one of the most important artworks in all of Sicily. Here is a description:
Yet most famous among the artworks on display is Sicilian painter Antonello da Messina’s ‘Virgin Annunciate’ of 1476. A meditative portrayal of a young, Sicilian girl as the Madonna interrupted by the Angel of the Annunciation, the Early Renaissance painting is innovative for its realism and has an important place in the history of art. (Italy Magazine, 4/6/14).
If you would like to see a short video of the painting, set to beautiful music, click here.
I told Nechama that I have seen this painting in person at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, when it was on loan from the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia, which is housed in Palazzo Abatellis, a 15th c. palace in Palermo, Sicily. Some consider it to be one of the most important artworks in all of Sicily. Here is a description:
Yet most famous among the artworks on display is Sicilian painter Antonello da Messina’s ‘Virgin Annunciate’ of 1476. A meditative portrayal of a young, Sicilian girl as the Madonna interrupted by the Angel of the Annunciation, the Early Renaissance painting is innovative for its realism and has an important place in the history of art. (Italy Magazine, 4/6/14).
Sara Atkin's and her sister, Alyssa, recreated Kristen Brown's painting, “Basket with Ribbons”, created in 1869. (April 23, 2020)
Look at that toilet paper scarf!
Look at that toilet paper scarf!
Nadia Mehr recreating Girl with a Pearl Earring, an oil painting by the Dutch Golden Age painter Johannes Vermeer, dated 1665. (April 22, 2020)
Miyah Dykeman recreated "Still Life with Apples," a painting by Paul Cezanne that he created in 1893. (April 21, 2020)
The Art Institute of Chicago, which received this important painting as a gift in 1926, included a very good description of the work in their online exhibition (below). Can you see that the perspective in his painting is not quite right? Look at the lines of the table, and notice that they don't connect, or make a complete rectangle. Miyah's recreation is excellent, but she couldn't take liberties with the perspective of real life (unless she used photo editing tools).
The Basket of Apples, c. 1893Paul Cézanne, French, 1839-1906
About this Artwork
Art, Paul Cézanne once claimed, is "a harmony running parallel to nature," not an imitation of nature. In his quest for underlying structure and composition, he recognized that the artist is not bound to represent real objects in real space. Thus, The Basket of Apples contains one of his signature tilted tables, an impossible rectangle with no right angles. On it, a basket of apples pitches forward from a slablike base, seemingly balanced by the bottle and the tablecloth’s thick, sculptural folds. The heavy modeling, solid brushstrokes, and glowing colors give the composition a density and dynamism that a more realistic still life could never possess. This painting, one of Cézanne’s rare signed works, was part of an important exhibition urged on the artist by the Parisian art dealer Ambroise Vollard in 1895. Since Cézanne had spent the majority of his career painting in isolation in his native Provence, this was the first opportunity in nearly twenty years for the public to see the work of the artist who is now hailed as the father of modern painting. (Art Institute of Chicago, 2020)
The Art Institute of Chicago, which received this important painting as a gift in 1926, included a very good description of the work in their online exhibition (below). Can you see that the perspective in his painting is not quite right? Look at the lines of the table, and notice that they don't connect, or make a complete rectangle. Miyah's recreation is excellent, but she couldn't take liberties with the perspective of real life (unless she used photo editing tools).
The Basket of Apples, c. 1893Paul Cézanne, French, 1839-1906
About this Artwork
Art, Paul Cézanne once claimed, is "a harmony running parallel to nature," not an imitation of nature. In his quest for underlying structure and composition, he recognized that the artist is not bound to represent real objects in real space. Thus, The Basket of Apples contains one of his signature tilted tables, an impossible rectangle with no right angles. On it, a basket of apples pitches forward from a slablike base, seemingly balanced by the bottle and the tablecloth’s thick, sculptural folds. The heavy modeling, solid brushstrokes, and glowing colors give the composition a density and dynamism that a more realistic still life could never possess. This painting, one of Cézanne’s rare signed works, was part of an important exhibition urged on the artist by the Parisian art dealer Ambroise Vollard in 1895. Since Cézanne had spent the majority of his career painting in isolation in his native Provence, this was the first opportunity in nearly twenty years for the public to see the work of the artist who is now hailed as the father of modern painting. (Art Institute of Chicago, 2020)
Francesco De Grazia recreating Caravaggio’s “Boy With a Basket of Fruit.” (NYT, April 16, 2020)
***If you need help finding a work of art, send me an email about what you are imagining...
Is there type of setting? mood of piece? number of figures? colors/shapes/forms that you would like to work with? I will come up with three pieces that might work and send them back to you!***
Is there type of setting? mood of piece? number of figures? colors/shapes/forms that you would like to work with? I will come up with three pieces that might work and send them back to you!***
Q4, Week 4 (4/20-4/24)
Can you re-create a masterpiece in your home?
Museums and galleries have shuttered their doors during this time. Instead of visiting these spaces to see artwork, people around the world have been recreating famous images in their own homes.
My challenge for you this week: find a well-known work of art online, recreate the image to the best of your ability, using things that you find in your house, and take a photograph of it. The artwork may or may not include people. You are welcome to use yourself as a model, or enlist the help of your family members. You can earn bonus points if you include the following: toilet paper, face masks, or hand sanitizer.
I recommend that you learn more about this phenomenon, by reading this article that was posted in the NY Times last week. You can also see more examples by looking up the hashtags #mettwinning, #betweenartandquarantine, #gettymuseumchallenge and #tussenkunstenquarantaine.
You will be considering the Elements of Design that we have discussed in the past, which include line, shape, form, color, etc. See the graphic below for a reminder of the elements that you will be looking for when setting up your scene to match the work of art as best you can.
Send me an email that includes:
--an image of the famous artwork, and make sure to include the title, name of artist, and date when it was created, AND
--the photograph of the recreated artwork.
If you post your image to one of the hashtags, capture a screenshot and send that to me as well.
You assignment is due Friday, April 24, by 5pm. Dig into your quarantine creativity, and have fun!
Any questions? Email me at [email protected]
Can you re-create a masterpiece in your home?
Museums and galleries have shuttered their doors during this time. Instead of visiting these spaces to see artwork, people around the world have been recreating famous images in their own homes.
My challenge for you this week: find a well-known work of art online, recreate the image to the best of your ability, using things that you find in your house, and take a photograph of it. The artwork may or may not include people. You are welcome to use yourself as a model, or enlist the help of your family members. You can earn bonus points if you include the following: toilet paper, face masks, or hand sanitizer.
I recommend that you learn more about this phenomenon, by reading this article that was posted in the NY Times last week. You can also see more examples by looking up the hashtags #mettwinning, #betweenartandquarantine, #gettymuseumchallenge and #tussenkunstenquarantaine.
You will be considering the Elements of Design that we have discussed in the past, which include line, shape, form, color, etc. See the graphic below for a reminder of the elements that you will be looking for when setting up your scene to match the work of art as best you can.
Send me an email that includes:
--an image of the famous artwork, and make sure to include the title, name of artist, and date when it was created, AND
--the photograph of the recreated artwork.
If you post your image to one of the hashtags, capture a screenshot and send that to me as well.
You assignment is due Friday, April 24, by 5pm. Dig into your quarantine creativity, and have fun!
Any questions? Email me at [email protected]
Joel Ruiz
Sara Atkins
Max Speagle
4.15.20 | Please excuse the delay. Everything about my life has been experiencing technical difficulties.
I had created a different long post the other day, and when I went to publish it, I accidentally deleted it. There was no back-up version, I couldn’t undo the action, and I hadn’t written out a first draft. For those of you who have had it happen to you, know that I felt your pain.
I have learned many lessons over the past two weeks, and I will be sharing them with you over the course of this next week. But right now…
For this week’s assignment, I would like you to create a small ‘zine that documents your response to our new reality. Again using materials that you find at home, you will be making a small book. To be clear, for your 2-D pages, you can use any of the following: drawing, painting, collage, your own photography (assuming you can print it out), printmaking, stamping, mark making, whatever you come up with is fine. The only requirement is that it fold up into a book format at the end.
To make the book, you will need one sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper and a pair of scissors.
I have posted a video here, showing you how to make the book.
Your book will include:
--A front cover
--6 pages
--A back cover
--A “poster” on the reverse side
For the content of the book, I am going to ask you to divide it into 3 sections.
For the first section (pages 1-2) you will come up with two images that illustrate your life during this school year, BEFORE the threat of Covid-19 came to be real for us here in the U.S.
For the second section (pages 3-4), you will create two images showing what you have experienced since our school closed, or what you are currently experiencing.
For the third section (pages 5-6) you will create two images that show what you imagine things will be like after the world “opens up” again.
I recommend that you write down some notes or make some sketches BEFORE you start working on the book. In draft form, think about what images you want to show. They can be very full detailed pages, or quite spare and minimal. Somewhere on each page, you will write 1-3 sentences describing the image.
For example, if I were to think of something that would illustrate my life before the coronavirus came on the scene, I might draw/paint/photograph the marquee for the Loft Cinema, showing a movie title on it that I have seen. I LOVE going to see movies there, and that is a place that I am really missing. Underneath my image, I could write, “The last movie I saw at The Loft might have been Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. It’s hard to remember. Even though it’s only been a month, my brain feels like the last time I sank down into my seat and watched a film in the dark theater was years ago.”
When I am involved with a project like this, I usually work on the content first, and then create the cover (or title) afterwards. But you may have a different process. Your cover page needs a written title. You can choose to have your name on the front or back cover. Please write the date on the back cover and any other information that you wish to include (acknowledgments, funny notes, etc.)
For the “poster” part of your book, open it up to the back side, and write a hopeful message in a beautiful way. You may include an image there as well. Maybe it’s a message for someone you love, or for the doctors and nurses in the hospitals, or the essential workers. Or a message urging someone to help with this crisis.
You can turn in your assignment by:
-- taking photographs of all parts of your book (front/back covers, 6 pages, and the poster), and send them to me in email. Please attach the .jpg images to the email, instead of inserting them into the document. Or, you can send me a Google Slides presentation.
--taking a video of yourself reading and showing your book, and sending me the video via email.
The assignment is due on Sunday, 4/19/20 at 12pm. I will be posting your assignment on the website Monday, 4/20/20.
Any questions? I am here to help! Email me at [email protected]. Have a good week!
I had created a different long post the other day, and when I went to publish it, I accidentally deleted it. There was no back-up version, I couldn’t undo the action, and I hadn’t written out a first draft. For those of you who have had it happen to you, know that I felt your pain.
I have learned many lessons over the past two weeks, and I will be sharing them with you over the course of this next week. But right now…
For this week’s assignment, I would like you to create a small ‘zine that documents your response to our new reality. Again using materials that you find at home, you will be making a small book. To be clear, for your 2-D pages, you can use any of the following: drawing, painting, collage, your own photography (assuming you can print it out), printmaking, stamping, mark making, whatever you come up with is fine. The only requirement is that it fold up into a book format at the end.
To make the book, you will need one sheet of 8.5” x 11” paper and a pair of scissors.
I have posted a video here, showing you how to make the book.
Your book will include:
--A front cover
--6 pages
--A back cover
--A “poster” on the reverse side
For the content of the book, I am going to ask you to divide it into 3 sections.
For the first section (pages 1-2) you will come up with two images that illustrate your life during this school year, BEFORE the threat of Covid-19 came to be real for us here in the U.S.
For the second section (pages 3-4), you will create two images showing what you have experienced since our school closed, or what you are currently experiencing.
For the third section (pages 5-6) you will create two images that show what you imagine things will be like after the world “opens up” again.
I recommend that you write down some notes or make some sketches BEFORE you start working on the book. In draft form, think about what images you want to show. They can be very full detailed pages, or quite spare and minimal. Somewhere on each page, you will write 1-3 sentences describing the image.
For example, if I were to think of something that would illustrate my life before the coronavirus came on the scene, I might draw/paint/photograph the marquee for the Loft Cinema, showing a movie title on it that I have seen. I LOVE going to see movies there, and that is a place that I am really missing. Underneath my image, I could write, “The last movie I saw at The Loft might have been Parasite by Bong Joon-ho. It’s hard to remember. Even though it’s only been a month, my brain feels like the last time I sank down into my seat and watched a film in the dark theater was years ago.”
When I am involved with a project like this, I usually work on the content first, and then create the cover (or title) afterwards. But you may have a different process. Your cover page needs a written title. You can choose to have your name on the front or back cover. Please write the date on the back cover and any other information that you wish to include (acknowledgments, funny notes, etc.)
For the “poster” part of your book, open it up to the back side, and write a hopeful message in a beautiful way. You may include an image there as well. Maybe it’s a message for someone you love, or for the doctors and nurses in the hospitals, or the essential workers. Or a message urging someone to help with this crisis.
You can turn in your assignment by:
-- taking photographs of all parts of your book (front/back covers, 6 pages, and the poster), and send them to me in email. Please attach the .jpg images to the email, instead of inserting them into the document. Or, you can send me a Google Slides presentation.
--taking a video of yourself reading and showing your book, and sending me the video via email.
The assignment is due on Sunday, 4/19/20 at 12pm. I will be posting your assignment on the website Monday, 4/20/20.
Any questions? I am here to help! Email me at [email protected]. Have a good week!
Scroll down to see the artwork created during Week 2. The students were asked to reflect on their own artwork (drawing, painting, collage) in relation to the empty images published in The NY Times, and to write about a public place that they are missing and/or a place that they have visited in the past.
Kayshan Mouzet /// I choose [the photograph of] Hong Kong for several reasons. Number one reason is that the protest was a major event that took place there before covid-19. I also choose Hong Kong because of how pretty the streets look. Covid-19 has put [a] stop to the protest in Hong Kong. /// The public space I miss is restaurants. I miss them because I like to have a variety of different food options.
Trent Chollar /// Due to the Covid-19 disease most places are closed. The only places open are considered essential and have strict rules to follow while helping people. One of the many places closed are community spaces such as pools. I think that's what I miss the most because it has been perfect swimming weather for a few days. It usually would just be me swimming and maybe my mom at the pool. It was relaxing to me and good exercise. (The photographs above were taken in New Delhi, the capital of India, after the country issued lockdown orders to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. The articles Trent found discuss how there has been a great reduction in air pollution since the city of 20 million people was locked down. --AW https://www.wamc.org/post/coronavirus-lockdown-indias-cities-see-clear-blue-skies-air-pollution-drops; https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/31/asia/coronavirus-lockdown-impact-pollution-india-intl-hnk/index.html; https://www.voanews.com/coronavirus-outbreak/covid-19-diaries/new-delhi-shutdown-brings-cleaner-air-no-one-breathes-easy )
Nechama White /// I chose the Oculus in the World Trade Center because it is a major part of New York. It’s a major transit system in New York that allows many of people transportation. Because of Covid-19 it is more risky to take public transit and because this one is very well traveled it affects a lot of people.
https://www.archdaily.com/901840/world-trade-center-transportation-hub-oculus-designed-in-remembrance-of-9-11; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/23/world/coronavirus-great-empty.html; https://mymodernmet.com/the-oculus-santiago-calatrava/ ;https://www.archdaily.com/783965/world-trade-center-transportation-hub-santiago-calatrava/58505cbce58ece894b000031-world-trade-center-transportation-hub-santiago-calatrava-photo
https://www.archdaily.com/901840/world-trade-center-transportation-hub-oculus-designed-in-remembrance-of-9-11; https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/23/world/coronavirus-great-empty.html; https://mymodernmet.com/the-oculus-santiago-calatrava/ ;https://www.archdaily.com/783965/world-trade-center-transportation-hub-santiago-calatrava/58505cbce58ece894b000031-world-trade-center-transportation-hub-santiago-calatrava-photo
Ty Wabaunsee /// The public space I miss these days are hiking with my dad. That’s where we would exercise. It is closed right now. It would only be my dad and I. People go there for exercise. To go, you need hiking shoes, hiking sticks, hats, food and water. The most memorable thing about hiking is we saw a snake before.
Thomas Ruiz /// I chose these images of India because I miss traveling, like hiking and other outdoor things. There was not very many people. Sometimes people would pass you once in a while. Some people go here to exercise, others just to enjoy nature. Well, nature can not be replicated because every part of it is unique. The most memorable thing is when you would hike and see an animal or old houses that had to be at least 100 years old. The old houses were mainly just in shambles and looked kinda like normal houses, just broken.
Nadia Mehr /// I chose these images because I thought they were cool looking. The process I used was to search for The Spanish Steps in Rome online and choose the best photos and put them into a google slides presentation and I added in the sources at the very end. I chose to make a collage on The Spanish Steps in Rome because I really liked how the The Spanish Steps in Rome looked and I am sort of interested in the history of Rome and Italy. /// I’m missing my dance studio. On a normal day there's usually quite a lot of people. People would go there to dance. Its purpose is to give people a place to dance and have fun. My favorite thing about my dance studio is the happiness it brings to me from being there. Picture 1: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/03/23/world/coronavirus-great-empty.html; Picture 2: https://www.romeactually.com/spanish-steps-facts/; Picture 3: https://www.tripsavvy.com/things-to-do-near-the-spanish-steps-rome-4156745; Picture 4: https://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory/police-patrol-romes-spanish-steps-enforce-sitting-ban-64831515
Miyah Dykeman /// I chose the park looking picture because it looked nice and easy to draw. I didn't originally pick this one to draw. I went through like seven others before I stuck to this one. I cannot draw people, so my mom said to draw stick figures. So that's what I did. /// So I'm just going to write about a park, because why not? When I was there, it was only me, my siblings, and a couple of other families. It's not the best park I've been to, but it's pretty nice. I used to go there with friends after school last year. I didn't mean to write and draw about a park, but it kind of just happened.
Santa Rosa Park, 4.12.20
PLEASE NOTE: For this week also, the assignment will be the same for all classes.
Q4, Week 2 (4/6-4/10)
What are you noticing these days? If you have gone out into the community these past two weeks, undoubtedly, you will have noticed that spaces look and feel different. People are being asked to stay at home, and only venture out for necessary work, food, and medicines. This means that there are not as many people on the roads, on the sidewalks, in the essential stores that are still open. The New York Times published a special section last week that was focused on public spaces around the world. They sent photographers out to capture images of these spaces that are usually filled with people. Today, as almost every country across the globe has implemented measures to limit gatherings to stop the spread of Covid-19, these spaces are empty. For your 2nd assignment: Read this article, from the NYT section that I mentioned above. Then address the following two sections: 1) The author writes: "Thousands of years later, public squares and other spaces remain bellwethers and magnets, places to which we gravitate for pleasure and solace, to take our collective temperature, celebrate, protest." What is a public space that you are missing these days? It could be here in Tucson, or maybe it's a space that you visited once and can remember well, from a trip you took. Write one paragraph about your experience while inhabiting that space. Some questions to consider: Who else was there? Were there lots of people, or only a few? Why do people go there? What makes it unique? What is its purpose? What is the architecture like? What was the most memorable thing about the space? 2) Choose ONE of the photographs in the article. Take your time looking at them and reading the captions. One of them will speak to your heart. Then choose to create a work of art based on that photograph, from the options below: A. Digital or traditional collage Conduct a search online for that same place pictured. Find three different images of that place on a typical day. If you are able (using Google Slides or another program), create an arrangement of those three images PLUS the original image from the NYT. If you would like to print out the images, you can arrange and paste/tape them down onto a piece of paper. (Please note sources of images and send them to me via email.) B. Drawing/painting Create a drawing or painting of your own that is INSPIRED by the photograph you chose. You should be working to create the same mood or feeling that the original photo has. C. Photography Create a place in your home or outside, imagining that it is an actual public space. For instance, you could set up a scene near a tree in the park, that looks like a miniature version of a place where people would gather, using sticks, wood chips, rocks, etc. Use materials that you have in your home or find outside. (Remember when some of you built cities in the art classroom, using any materials that you found? This is a similar idea.) You will be taking TWO photographs of the space. One will show the space being used by many "people"; the other will show the space empty, like in the photographs in the article. You are exercising your imagination here. People could be represented by any object -- pebbles, leaves, Cheerios, etc. If you are showing many people, you will use multiples of the item you chose. From your phone, or computer, send the images to my school email: [email protected]. They are due this Saturday, April 11th at 5pm. I will be posting them on our class skylink page on Sunday. We will get through this. Reach out for support from friends, family or teachers if you need. We are here for you! Your Amabie drawings can be seen here, below, from the photos you shared with me. I arranged them to show the detailed view of the drawing, and then the location that you chose for it.
Let's hope that they, in accordance with their legend, will be able to provide your family with protection during this time when we are sheltered in place. Great work! PLEASE NOTE: For this week only, the assignment will be the same for all classes.
Q4, Week 1 (3/30-4/3)
Artmaking in the age of Covid-19 For the time being, we will not be working in the studio. This means that we will not have access to materials supplied by the school. While this may invite disappointment, I think it affords us the chance to reframe how people around the world -- including students like you! -- can create from the things that you find around you. This is also known as "making art where you are." Making art with the materials you have/find/repurpose makes sense for many reasons, and honors the current global situation, where people are being asked to stay in place, limit their movements, and take a collective pause. Working with what you have means:
By this point in the school year, you know what I believe: that making things from stuff is important. But it's during times like these, when we are being asked to reach inside and pull out our best selves, that making things from stuff is essential, for the soul, for the community, and for the world. Week 1: A graphic novelist/cartoonist friend of mine, David Lasky, shared an article with me that references the legend of the Amabie, which is one type of "Yokai, or 妖怪, strange and supernatural creatures from Japanese folklore. The word is a combination of the characters 妖 (yō) — attractive, bewitching, calamity — and 怪 (kai) — mystery, wonder." I found an explanation on this website, which isn't very comprehensive, but it does contain some interesting imagery. For your first assignment, I would like you to do the following: 1) Read this article about the Amabie legend and tradition of people drawing them at particular times. 2) In the tradition of drawing, and sharing, images of the Amabie, I would like you to create your own version. Make sure that you understand the features that are described in the article -- and then embrace our own artistic license. You are encouraged to be wild or organized, simple or sweet. --On a sheet of paper, draw it in pencil or pen, and add color in some way (colored pencil, marker, watercolor, tea leaves, crushed food scraps... whatever you can find in your home.) --I recommend that you make a few sketches that are different. Get your ideas out in quick gestures, and then work your favorite parts into your final drawing. 3) When your drawing is finished, place or hang it in a public place (inside your house, or outside in the community), where people will be able to see it. Then, using your phone/device, take two photos: --a close-up of the drawing, and --a long view that shows the location where you chose to place it. 4) From your phone, or computer, send the images to my school email: [email protected]. They are due this Friday, April 3rd at 5pm. I will be posting them on our class skylink page over the weekend. Let me know if you have questions via email. Be kind with yourself and others, stay safe, and have fun! |
Remember the tube brigade? All all that you have learned about using clay?
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