MONIKA GRZYMALA. Lesson Plans. Introduction. Background

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1 Lesson Plans Introduction This workshop celebrates drawing and will focus on encouraging young people to explore the possibilities of drawing and take part in a drawing competition, with eight to twelve candidates being selected to participate in a weekend master class at the Bluecoat during the END OF THE LINE exhibition which runs from the 22nd of May to the 19th of July 2009.This workshop explores the question what is drawing, and draws inspiration from the work of Monika Grzymala a contemporary Polish artists who will be showing in the END OF THE LINE exhibition at the Bluecoat. MONIKA GRZYMALA Background Monika Grzymala is a Polish-born artist who has lived in Germany for many years, primarily in Hamburg and now Berlin. Grzymala makes installations that might be described as a kind of three-dimensional drawing, exploring the basics of line and mark. Her signature material is tape, tape of all colours and kinds: packing, masking, adhesive, etc. She describes each drawing in space in terms of kilometres of used line which refers to the personal investment of time and energy used to create the drawing. To borrow Paul Klee's phrase, line is a point taken for a walk. Grzymala's drawings move off the page and into space. She started using tape to draw into the room, walls, floors, ceilings and the space between them became her canvas or page. Grzymala has made tape installations at many different venues in Europe and the US. Each work is site- specific, created in response to the conditions and architecture of a given space. These large scale drawings are constructed and eventually dismantled in the gallery space. The work exhibited is recorded through photography, and once dismantled no longer exists except as a photographic image.

2 Aims and objectives The Lesson will explore: The work of Monika Grzymala within the context of approaches to drawing. Different approaches to drawing including traditional methods and materials, contemporary drawing practices and the use of more experimental methods and materials. Processes The Lesson will aim to develop: Creative thinking skills through the act of making. Practical drawing skills, through experimentation. New work that reflects an understanding of the conceptual possibilities of drawing, working from observation, memory and imagination. An understanding of the possibilities line and mark making, through experimentation with different materials. An understanding of the difference between 2D and 3D. An understanding of spacial relationships, particularly negative space. An understanding of the basic principal s of installation and site-specific art. Activity 1: (15mins) Class room set up: Pupils should be seated. Resources: Visual aids, images of Momika Grzymala s work. Approaches to Drawing: Thinking Skills The teacher will introduce the work of Monika Grzymala (see introduction and web link). It might also be useful to show a couple of examples of the work of other artists working in a similar way. Examples: Monika Grzymala, Ranjani Shetter, Eva Hesse

3 The teacher will then initiate a short discussion about different approaches to drawing. A starting point might be Monika Grzymala makes room drawings using tape to represent line; she draws into the space to create a three dimensional drawing. Suggested questions: Do you consider this to be a drawing? Activity 2 What materials does she use to create line? What other materials could you use to create line? How do Gryzmala s installation/ drawing differ from more traditional methods of drawing? Based on your understanding of traditional methods of making drawings what other kinds of material and surfaces could one use to create a drawing? Drawing can take a number of forms e.g. observational, doodles, diagrams, can you think of any others? Drawing from touch (5min setting up, 5min drawing, 5min discussion) Classroom set up: Each pupil will need a separate work space, either wall or table big enough for A1 sheet of paper. Materials: A1 paper, a selection of drawing materials e.g. pencil, pens, charcoal, blind fold, object. Object Object drawn from observation Object drawn from touch

4 This drawing exercise is a great way to warm up, and is a fun way of generating discussion about how we perceive objects. The idea is for each pupil to feel an object with one hand, exploring its surface carefully, while simultaneously drawing what he or she feels with the other hand. The process never at any time involves the artist looking at the object until the drawing is completed. Each pupil will need a piece of A1 paper which would be best attached to the wall, if this is not possible a desk will do. A selection of drawing materials should be made available, and each person should select from these before the activity begins. The teacher will need a selection of small objects, one for each pupil something that can be held in one hand and moved around with ease. These objects should be hidden from the pupils until the activity begins. The teacher will need to ask each pupil to place a small marker in the centre of the A1 sheet of paper as a reference point, a small piece of masking tape is ideal. At this point each pupil should be standing or sitting in a position that will enable them to make the drawing. Since this activity is about touch and not about looking, it is essential to cover one s eyes, this can be done either by using a blind fold,or simply by keeping one s eyes closed for the duration of this five minute drawing activity. The teacher will then place an object in the palm of the hand of each pupil, encouraging then to explore the object with one hand while drawing with the other, using the marker to locate their position on the page. The teacher will need to encourage the pupils to really explore the object in their hand, while transferring that information onto to their drawing surface with the other hand. It is important to reassure pupils that this is not about making a perfect representational drawing, but about drawing in a tactile way. This is a short exercise five mins, and the teacher will need to keep the class aware of the time. Once the drawing is finished and the blindfolds removed pupils can take a couple of minutes to examine their object and drawings. The teacher should then initiate a short discussion, encouraging pupils to give feedback about how they experienced this activity, how the drawing relates to the object and what is particular about this drawing including the nature of the line or mark. Activity 3: Drawing from observation (5min setting up, 20min drawing, 5min discussion. ) Classroom set up: As before pupils will need a separate work space, either table or wall space big enough for an A1 sheet of paper with their object placed in view. Materials: As before A1 paper, a selection of drawing materials. The class will now be asked to make an observational line drawing of the same object first used in the drawing from touch exercise ; this activity should take about 15 minutes. Put the object in front of you spent two minutes just looking at the object, examining it in great detail, notice it s shape, form, texture, scale, where it touches the surface,does it cast a shadow? Now you are going to make a line drawing of the object. Using a different material to draw with you are going to let your eye rove around the outline of the object, let your pencil, charcoal, pen or whatever you have chosen to draw with feel its way round the paper. Remember as you make your drawing to look at the whole picture, how the parts of the object relate to the whole, how one line will effect another. Notice the quality of your line, where you would like to place emphasis, can you make it darker in places, lighter in places, thicker or thinner in places. Once you have completed your drawing place it on the wall next to you first drawing, take a couple of minutes to look at both drawings of the same object. The teacher will then bring the group together for a brief discussion focusing on the differences between the two approaches to making the drawing, and how this impacts on the final drawing. The class should be encouraged to view each other s work and comment on the processes used.

5 Activity 4: Drawing Negative Space (15 mins) Classroom set up: Groups of 4-6, place the objects together to form a still life. Materials: A2 paper, drawing materials. Monika Grzymala began her career as a sculptor making objects, she became more interested in the space around the objects, and her interest in the negative space prompted her recent drawing installations in which she uses the space of the room to create large scale drawings. The class will make line drawings of the negative space around their objects these drawings will be used as a starting point for the final piece of work in activity 5 drawing in space. When we look around, we tend to see recognisable objects, rather that the spaces between the objects. Take a couple of minutes to really focus on the spaces between and around your group of objects. Now look at the objects themselves, and now look at the negative space between the objects. When you have a clear idea of the negative space you are ready to begin the drawing. Using only line you will now draw the space between, in and around you group of objects, this will take about 15 minutes. To help you see the negative space you can make a view finder (a piece of card or paper with a window cut into it) hold the view finder in front of your eye, and frame the thing you are drawing. Use the frame of the view finder to create a boundary for the negative space. Once the drawing is complete isolate the most interesting area of your drawing block in the negative spaces using marker pen or pencil. Now that the negative spaces have been blocked in the objects form will be revealed. Notice that at no time have you drawn the object, only the negative space. See examples below

6 Activity 5: Taking the drawing off the page and into space (1-3hours) Classroom set up: Ideally this activity would be best carried out in an empty room or allocated space. Materials: Working drawing i.e. the last drawing of the negative space. A selection of tape e.g. coloured electrical tape and masking tape. A video and/or digital stills camera should be used to document the work in progress and the finished installation. This activity is better suited to smaller groups the teacher will need to explain to the group that this activity is very physical that it is important to consider other peoples space! Remember that this is a site specific installation/drawing and will be dismantled at the end of the session; it will therefore be wise to do document the process and finished work. The teacher needs to ask the students to pair up. Each group will collect their working drawings and select materials i.e. tape and scissors. Each pair will now take a couple of minutes to look at their drawings, paying particular attention to the shapes they have created, and how these drawings could be recreated in the space of the room with tape to represent line. Consider the scale of the drawing, with the teachers lead the class will need to negotiate the most effective way of working in the space e.g. some drawings will require more space than others or a very different approach. The teacher will then ask the pupils to consider the space of the room and any architectural features that could be used to effect in their installation/ drawing. Each pair should now choose a space in the room. Using the wall as a starting point for the tape drawing, each pair will take it in turns to act as assistant to their partner to transform their drawing from the page into the space. Remember your working drawing is a guide, once you start working with other materials your drawing will become something very different, keep your mind open to all the possibilities. Things you may wish to consider: Can the drawing go around a corner? Can it be made in a corner? Can it move from the floor to the wall? Can it wrap around other objects or architecture? Thinking about the line itself, could the tape be twisted or bent in places to create different effects? What is the feel of your drawing? Do you want to create calm lines or spiky lines? Do you want your lines to overlap or collide? How could colour be used to make some lines stand out from the rest? Could other elements be introduced? Once the drawing is well under way, you will have to renegotiate your space, you will also need to consider how each of these drawings relates to one another, and to the whole installation. You may even decide to develop this by for instance overlapping lines from each other s drawing or connecting them in some way. Once the drawing is finished, the class will need to take a few minutes to stand back and look at the work. The teacher will lead a brief discussion with the class, focusing on the process used and the final outcome.

7 Evaluation The teacher will lead a discussion with the class about the processes they have used from the beginning of the project through to the final installation Do the pupils have a better understanding of different ways of making drawings?. Have the pupils understood the range of materials that can be used to make drawings and some of the contemporary drawing practices used today? Evidence Each pupil should have a series of drawings demonstrating a better understanding of processes, method and materials. Each pupil will have photographic evidence of the drawing/installation. ICT Use the internet to find out more about other artist who make three dimensional drawings, and who use unusual materials to create their drawings. Use the list of artists below to help you. Karel Malich, Eva Hesse, Richard Tuttle, Claude Heath, Ranjani Shetter and Julie Mehretu Literacy Key Words Installation, sight specific, architectural, collide, process and manipulation Numeracy Key Words Scale, space, 2D and 3D Useful web Links