Gu Xiong: a journey exposed

Transcription

1 Artists for Kids Curriculum for the exhibition Gu Xiong: a journey exposed Food and Drink Developed and designed for Grades K- 3 By Kory Bogen Secondary Art Teacher and Artists for Kids Teacher

2 1 Curriculum for Gu Xiong: a journey exposed Curriculum for Gu Xiong: a journey exposed Food and Drink For Grades K- 3 By Kory Bogen Secondary Art Teacher and Artists for Kids Teacher Introduction: Gu Xiong s politically charged artworks are infused with important global and personal ideas. His affecting portrayal of the contaminated HuangPu River leads the viewer to wonder about the state of his/her own water supply. Xiong s work also forces the viewer to ponder the ethics behind food production, and what people consume on a daily basis. Xiong uses his experiences as a culturally diverse Chinese- Canadian to examine these issues. Narratives are constructed through the use of recognizable imagery through which the vast topics of food production, ethics, and human necessities are discussed. Xiong is a masterful multi- media artist, and his installation at the Gordon Smith Gallery of Canadian Art has allowed hundreds of artists from children to adults to help in the production of his work. A journey exposed is truly an inspiring and thought- provoking exhibition that will resonate with students, teachers, artists, and viewers alike for years to come.

3 2 Curriculum for Gu Xiong: a journey exposed Lesson 1: Below the Surface This project will take 4+ art blocks Objectives: Respond to Gu Xiong s artwork Understand issues relating to water sources Effectively use watercolour paint and transparent washes Vocabulary: Contamination, water source, watercolour, wash, transparent Materials: Computer, digital projector, 11x17 photocopy paper, Opus student watercolour paper (22x30 ), watercolour paint, watercolour paint brushes, watercolour pencil crayons, painter s tape Engage/Respond/Reflect: Review images of Gu Xiong s A Pigs River project. Display images of and have students respond to the pig project. Where did the pigs come from? Who put them in the river? What do you think would happen to the water? Why are the pigs in plastic water containers? Break students into groups of five. Have them brainstorm on a large piece of paper (11x17 or larger) some of the things that can affect their local water source. Are there animals, people, industries, chemicals, waste, etc. that can affect the water? Students will share their responses with the class, and teacher will make a list of factors on the board.

4 Curriculum for Gu Xiong: a journey exposed 3 Create: Prior to Lesson 1: Cut watercolour paper down to size (one sheet of 22x30 water colour paper cut in four will yield 11x15 pieces) Lesson 1: Set up: 11x17 photocopy paper, pencils, erasers, Opus student watercolour paper (11x15 ) Refer back to the Engage/Respond/Reflect activity ideas that were generated. Ask the students to pretend that they are investigating the quality of their water, and on 11x17 paper, students will draw 5 different things that can contribute to water contamination. These will be used as a reference for their finished piece. Distribute one piece of Opus student watercolour paper to students (11x15 ). Students will divide their paper in half with a pencil line (paper may be either landscape or portrait format). This pencil line represents the divide between above water and below water. Students will draw the water contaminates below the water line, and draw a river disappearing into the distance above the water line. Above the water can include any other additions that the students want to include. The river may be in a forest, a city, etc., but it must appear to be receding into the distance. Lesson 2: Set up: Previous drawings on 11x17 photocopy paper, Opus student watercolour paper, pencils, watercolour brushes, watercolour paint, water buckets or containers, drawing boards (larger that 11x15 or students can use their desks), painter s tape Teacher will demonstrate taping the watercolour paper drawings to a board (or desk) to achieve a clean white border, and to prevent the paper from bucking and warping. Teachers of Grades 1 and 2 students will have to tape the paper down for the students. If taping to a desk, do this lesson as the last lesson of the day so that the artwork may dry undisturbed over night. Press firmly along the edge of the tape to ensure that no paint bleeds under. Teacher will demonstrate painting with watercolour paint on the watercolour paper. Focus will be placed on using lots of water and only a very small amount of paint to create transparent washes of colour. Teacher will demonstrate colour mixing from primary to secondary colours. Teacher will also demonstrate overlapping too many colours, which results in a muddy painted surface which is undesirable. Remind students to continually change their water to keep colours clean and keep their paintings vibrant, and not to create muddy colours. Students will block in their

5 Curriculum for Gu Xiong: a journey exposed 4 paintings using transparent washes of watercolour paint. If paintings are taped to desks, remove paintings once dry. Lesson 3: Set up: watercolour paper, pencils, watercolour brushes, watercolour paint, water buckets or containers, drawing boards (larger that 11x15 or students can use their desks), painter s tape Students will continue to work on layering washes of watercolour paint to add more depth, tone, and colour to their paintings. Have students walk around the room to view other students artwork to see how their classmates are using materials. Ensure that students do not overlap too many different colours and create brown colours, which will make the paintings appear muddy. If paintings are taped to desks, remove paintings once dry. Lesson 4: Set up: watercolour paper, pencils, watercolour brushes, watercolour paint, water buckets or containers, drawing boards (larger that 11x15 or students can use their desks), painter s tape, watercolour pencil crayons, one larger container of blue watercolour wash. Students will finish their paintings using watercolour pencil crayons to add detail and refine areas that need some attention and detail. Students will use a small brush and clean water to gently blend the watercolour pencil crayon and turn it to paint. Teacher will demonstrate applying a blue wash over the entire underwater section of the painting to give it the appearance that it is covered by water. Remove tape once dry. Assessment: Display the artwork and have students discuss what they notice and appreciate about each other s work. Students may write a short statement telling where their river is, and what its contaminates are, and where the contaminates came from. Students will hold an oral critique focusing on what they like about each other s work, and things they could improve upon. Did the students: Contribute to class discussions about Xiong s pig project? Contribute to group brainstorming? Construct and paint a neat, thoughtful, and clean painting? Handle materials in a mature and responsible manner?

6 Curriculum for Gu Xiong: a journey exposed 5 Enrichment Extensions: Grades K- 1: Students may selectively add coloured chalk pastels to their paintings to add extra colour and information. Teacher will demonstrate adding highlights and shadows to shapes to make them appear more three- dimensional. Ensure that students do not cover up their paintings, only add more dimensionality to the images on the paper. Teachers may also lead students on a walking field trip to a nearby creek or stream to look for possible contaminates and generate a discussion. Grades 2-3: Students may exchange paintings and write a story based on the images presented. Students will have to explain what all the images are and where they came from in a narrative format. They can use the information in the painting from above and below the water line, as well as other information that they may choose incorporate (such as farmers, littering, natural disasters, etc.). These stories can be displayed beside the artworks. Resources: Short video about Gu Xiong: A Scattering of Seeds: The Yellow Pear: The Story of Gu Xiong Book by Gu Xiong: The Yellow Pear tide- of- dead- pigs- in- china- but- dinner- is- safe.html?src=recg&_r=1& water/ dead- pigs- found- chinese- river- threatening- shanghais- water- supply.html Watercolour painting lesson special effects video:

7 Curriculum for Gu Xiong: a journey exposed 6 Lesson 2: Dissection This project will take 4+ art blocks Objectives: Respond to Gu Xiong s artwork Understand aspects of genetically modified food Use and control India ink and chalk pastel Vocabulary: India ink, observation drawing, dissection, genetic modification Materials: Computer, digital projector, accent opaque vellum cover stock, 8.5x11 sketching paper, pencils, India ink, chopsticks, small containers for ink, chalk pastels (one set of 12 coloured pastels for approximately 4 students), erasers, 4-5 fruits and/or vegetables, one paring knife Engage/Respond/Reflect: Have students respond to Xiong s tomato installation. Why did Gu Xiong hang tomatoes in a gallery? Where did the tomatoes come from? What happened to the tomatoes in the gallery?

8 Curriculum for Gu Xiong: a journey exposed 7 Ask students: What things help our fruits and vegetables grow? Make a list on the board. Discuss with students issues around genetic modification and food production issues after watching GMO a Go Go! ( Q). Ask students: Based on the video, what is really in your fruits and vegetables? (pesticides, animal products, chemicals, genetically modified ingredients). Make a list on the board. Discuss with students some terms from the video (GMO, radiate, pesticides, biotech, toxin). Create: Prior to Lesson 1: Cut accent vellum paper to size (12x20 or similar), 4-5 fruits and/or vegetables, paring knife, pencils Lesson 1: Set up: Computer, digital projector, several fruits and vegetables (4-5 apples, oranges, tomatoes, etc.), one paring knife, 8.5x11 paper for sketching, accent opaque vellum Discuss ideas generated from the Engage/Respond/Reflect activity. Watch video: Critique and Feedback the story of Austin s Butterfly ( Discuss with students the importance of using the scientific eye when drawing from real life, as detailed in the Critique and Feedback video. Teacher dissects fruits and vegetables into halves (vertically so that the fruits and vegetables are cut into elevations). Teacher demonstrates observation drawing, and using contour line to describe the fruits and vegetables in dissected profile adding much detail. Have students break into groups of 4 and sketch the insides of the fruits or vegetables whichever they may have. Students will draw the dissected object on sketching paper in pencil, and then share their drawings with their group. Students will give constructive feedback to their group mates, in the same manner as outlined in the Critique and Feedback video. Students will then move on to starting the good copy of their drawings on large accent opaque vellum paper. Students will draw a light pencil line through roughly the middle of the page and draw the dissected fruit or vegetable large- scale on the left- hand side of the page, taking their group mates feedback into consideration. Students will draw the fruit or vegetable to fill the left half of the page (as large as possible). Teacher will collect and store the dissected fruits and vegetables.

9 Curriculum for Gu Xiong: a journey exposed 8 Lesson 2: Set up: Dissected fruits and vegetables, accent opaque vellum, pencils, Discuss with students ideas behind genetic modification. Make a list of ideas on the boards from students and from the What is Genetically Modified Food Instant Egghead #45 video. Watch the video a send time if necessary. Teacher will then demonstrate drawing the same pencil outline of his/her dissected fruit or vegetable on the right- hand side of the page. Teacher will then draw the inside of the dissect fruit or vegetable not with its regular insides, but with genetically modified insides instead. This may include chemicals, enlarged seeds, different colours, no seeds, animal parts, toxins, etc. Students will then do the same. This may be as creative and interesting as they wish, and use much imagination and exaggeration. Lesson 3: Set up: Dissected fruits and vegetables, accent opaque vellum, pencils, India ink, chopsticks (soak the chopsticks in water for 10+ minutes beforehand to ensure that India ink will effectively saturate the wood), small containers for ink Teacher will demonstrate using India ink and chopsticks on sketching paper to show the different kinds of marks that are achievable using both ends of the chopsticks (round, square, corners, etc.). Teacher will outline and draw over top of existing fruit or vegetable drawings on the accent opaque vellum paper. Discuss emphasizing darker areas by adding more ink, and using both ends of the chopstick to experiment with different kinds of marks. Students will then practice drawing and making marks with the chopsticks on a piece of sketching paper to experiment and get used to using the materials for fifteen minutes. After that, students will trace all of their existing pencil lines on the accent opaque vellum using the ink and chopsticks, focusing on making different kinds of lines and marks. Allow these to dry flat. Lesson 4: Set up: Accent opaque vellum, chalk pastels (full spectrum of colours one set of twelve for each group of four students), erasers Teacher will demonstrate using chalk pastels to fill in white areas of India ink drawings on the inside of the fruits and vegetables. Focus is on overlapping layers of chalk pastel to achieve a realistic surface. Teacher will also demonstrate cleaning edges with an eraser, and using the eraser to subtract information to create texture and varied line quality.

10 Curriculum for Gu Xiong: a journey exposed 9 Assessment: Display the artwork and have students discuss what they notice and appreciate about each other s work. Students may write a short statement telling what the difference is between the two sides of the drawing (one being a normal fruit or vegetable, and one being a genetically modified fruit or vegetable). Did the students: Contribute to class discussions about Xiong s tomato project? Contribute to group brainstorming? Construct and draw a neat, thoughtful drawing? Handle materials in a mature and responsible manner? Enrichment Extensions: Grade K- 1: Students may add in a background to the drawing. Divide the paper in half between the two fruits or vegetables. On the half with the regular fruit or vegetable, students may draw where they think that the unmodified side came from (i.e.: a farm, orchard, meadow, etc.). On the genetically modified side of the drawing, students may draw where the genetically modified fruit or vegetable came from (i.e.: lab, factory, artificial environment, etc.). This may be done in pencil, added to with India ink, and then have chalk pastels added after the ink is dry. An acrylic- based finishing spray may be used to seal the drawings and ensure there is no smudging. Grade 2-3: Discuss with students and make a list on the board of words, ideas, images, shapes, all pertaining to genetically modified food and food production. Students will copy these down in notebooks or on separate pieces of paper. Watch How to Draw Bubble Letters ( SzhaM). Have students select five words, phrases, or ideas and draw them into the background using the same method for effective bubble lettering as detailed in the video. Students will overlap letters and words to create a dynamic and interesting background for their drawings, and add in textual information about the assignment. Focus is on neat, clean lettering, and creating an active, original background for the two ink and pastel drawings. Students may draw in pencil, outline in Sharpie, and erase all pencil lines. Chalk pastel may then be added to fill in letters and negative space. An acrylic- based finishing spray may be used to seal the drawings and ensure there is no smudging.

11 Curriculum for Gu Xiong: a journey exposed 10 Resources: Short video about Gu Xiong: A Scattering of Seeds: The Yellow Pear: The Story of Gu Xiong Book by Gu Xiong: The Yellow Pear GMO a Go Go! Q Critique and Feedback the story of Austin s Butterfly Tips for observation drawing: observational- drawings How to Draw Bubble Letters SzhaM What is Genetically Modified Food? Instant Egghead #45