VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM FOR THE PRELIMINARY COURSE

Transcription

1 VISUAL ARTS PROGRAM FOR THE PRELIMINARY COURSE This program was developed by Janet Rentz, Visual arts consultant, State Office, Ryde Lisa Slade, Creative arts consultant, Penrith District Office Michael Beare, Creative arts consultant, Shellharbour District Office

2 SELF AND IDENTITY 10 week unit of work for the Preliminary course Program Overview Context for syllabus content Although this program focuses on the artworks of Frida Kahlo, it is not a case study of Frida Kahlo; her portraits are triggers for a range of student investigations. It is intended that students explore the theme Self and Identity to gain an appreciation of how components of content, practice and conceptual framework and frames can help organise students understandings in the field of visual arts. It is hoped that repeated reference to the components of content leads to a way of approaching and understanding visual arts. This fostering of explicit understandings of content provides students with the foundations for addressing the types of questions in the Section I of the sample HSC exam. In the HSC course parts of this program could provide the basis for further in-depth study, ie. case study. This might involve researching the practice of Kahlo in comparison with that of another artist, focussing on issues of representation and foregrounding selected aspects of the conceptual framework and frames. This would prepare students for the types of responses relevant to Questions 2, 4 and 9 in Section ll of the sample HSC Outcomes (P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P7 P8 P9) Even though all aspects of content are addressed in this program, there should be an emphasis on a selected range of outcomes that would correspond to the criteria assessed in a subsequent assessment task. Representation This unit of work focuses on theme Self and identity, providing an opportunity for students to understand how art can be used to represent personal and cultural meanings. The forms used in this program are drawing, electronic, 3D forms and painting. The immediacy of drawing as a tool to quickly create images provides a platform for further investigation. Students will utilise the flexibility and power of computers to digitally manipulate images. They investigate ways of organising and manipulating images and layering meanings to communicate a personal visual statement. Students will learn to make works, which demonstrate a clear intention and a coherent point of view.

3 Key content focus Practice The entry point into the program is through the critical practice as students analyse Frida Kahlo s self-portraits. These understandings inform students own artmaking practice as they explore and develop their own works in a range of forms. Through the practice of art history, students investigate Kahlo s painting The Broken Column, as well as a selection of self-portraits from different cultures and historical periods. Students also develop a more critical awareness of their own artmaking practice and collaborate in curating a class exhibition. The conceptual framework Initially the program foregrounds the relationship between artist and world, exploring how representations of personal identity are influenced by such things as experience, class, ideology, age and events of significance. Students also consider the ways in which audiences can change over time and influence the interpretation of artworks as occurred, for example, with the impact of recent feminist theory in reassessments of Kahlo s work. They also consider the role of audience in an exhibition of their own artwork. The frames Students use the subjective frame to consider their own feelings, hopes and desires in relation to Self and Identity. The unconscious, the intuitive, and the imaginative are investigated as a source of ideas and meaning. The cultural frame is used to consider identity within the context of wider society. Students use the structural frame to consider the signs, symbols and codes in their own works as well as a range of works. The postmodern frame is used to examine how the changing context of works can influence their interpretation.

4 SELF AND IDENTITY Unit of work (10 weeks) Term 2 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK FRAMES PRACTICE HISTORICAL/CRITICAL STUDY P7 P8 P9 ARTMAKING P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Art History (teaching/learning activity) Students watch a film, or read an article, about the life and work of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. They discuss the introspection of the artist, the quality of self-revelation, and the ways her painting reflects her own personality, pain, anguish (subjective frame), and cultural background (cultural frame) as a Mexican female artist married to painter, Diego Rivera. Art History (teaching activity) Teacher models how subjective, cultural, structural and postmodern frames can be used to explore the artworks of two artists across place and time (artworks/artists/world): Self Portrait as the Allegory of Painting c 1630, Artemisia Gentileschi and Persona and Shadow 1984, Julie Rrap. Symbols of identity are accounted for in a cultural context (feminist theory and influential contemporary works by such artists as Judy Chicago and Mary Kelly). Art history (learning activity) Students study the painting The Broken Column by Frida Kahlo. Working in four groups they collect information about the work considering the following and focussing on a selected frame and relationships within the conceptual framework. Group 1 - Subjective frame Imagine that you are Frida Kahlo in Write about how your painting The Broken Students explore subject matter relevant to their personal history and identity (concept). They use a mirror to draw a self-portrait, aiming to achieve a faithful representation of what they see, emphasising facial features and expressions, which reveal aspects of their personality. They use line and tone with selected media (material practice) to emphasise their character. Students include a drawn image based on their memory of a dream that they have experienced. Students collect the words of favourite poems or songs, which might be used as a background in their selfportrait to reflect something about their background, personality, or relationship with others. In VAPD, students write comments that link explorations with the subjective frame (feelings dreams, intuitions and associations) and cultural frame (family and cultural background). Students paint a sequence of small selfportraits in a grid. Colour and tone is used to create the illusion of form, and to suggest mood. Images and objects are included in the work to symbolise identity (structural frame). Refer to the use of signs and symbols in Kahlo s work and others and how their work represents their world (artist/world) Students make a number of drawings exploring aspects of their own image. In these drawings they focus on appearance and dress, age, personality, or any

5 Column expresses your personal feelings and experiences (artist/world/work). Group 2 Structural frame Find images in The Broken Column, which symbolise and signify aspects of Frida Kahlo s identity. Write about the meanings these signs and symbols communicate about the artist s life (artist/world/work). Group 3 Cultural frame Compare The Broken Column with works, which show the martyrdom of religious or cultural heroes. Write about the similarities and differences that you can see. What relationship does Frida Kahlo s work have with Mexican culture (artist/world/work)? Group 4 - Postmodern frame With the emergence of feminist theory since the 1970 s Frida Kahlo s work has been reassessed. Write an article explaining how Kahlo s work The Broken Column can be interpreted from a feminist perspective (work/world/audience). Art Criticism (learning activity) Students share these different perspectives in a class discussion. Students use selected excerpts from their group work research assignments based on Kahlo s Broken Column to jointly construct a text in which all four frames are represented. This collaborative class text is photocopied and shared. Art History (teaching activity) Teacher selects an artist s works from the list below to outline issues of material and conceptual practice. This would refer to the theme of self-portraiture in their body of work. This could cover process, decisions and selections of the artist. Art history (learning activity) Students write a research assignment special characteristics. Line and media is investigated for expressive potential to represent qualities of the student (subjective); for example, fine delicate lines may suggest sensitivity or introversion, strong bold lines may suggest power or independence. To evaluate their work, students consider the difference between the responses, to their work, of their friends and family (artist/audience). Students develop a collage or relief selfportrait re-contextualising the images and ideas from their previous artmaking activities (postmodern frame). Using a firm support such as cardboard as a base they use paint, ink, graffiti and collage to build up an expressive image. They suggest qualities about themselves through the layering of textured surfaces (artist/work). Students consider their collage or relief portrait and photocopy their images. These new works are combined with their original images to develop understanding of how meaning can be layered in artworks. Students scan the layered image and digitally manipulate the work, superimposing and juxtaposing images, using distortion, repetition etc. as means of representation. Students decide which frame is predominantly at play in their work. They can refer to work they have studied. Students discuss each others work and decide how signs, symbols and markmaking can give meanings in their work and symbolise identity (structural frame and audience/work/world). Students summarise in VAPD a) Issues explored for and process of conceptual development

6 exploring artist s practice, examining the work of Frida Kahlo and one or more of the following female artists. Students identify which frames are predominant for each work and why: Vicki Varvaressos, Best Face Value for Autumn 1978 Jill Orr, She Had Long Golden Hair 1980 Davida Allen Death of my Father 1982 Julia Ciccarone, Secret Self 1990 Wendy Sharp, Diana of Erskineville 1996 Cindy Sherman Unitiled # Students select a work studied to demonstrate to class how this work relates to a selected frame and the relationship between the work and the artist s world. the relationship between selected media/technique (material practice) and the concept Self and identity Art Making and Art Criticism (learning activity to be carried out after assessment task) b) Students critically consider the exhibition, in particular its impact on the audience, specific interpretations and the influence on their subsequent work. RESOURCES: Teaching/learning activity support material for Frida Kahlo pp 90-93, (this activity includes references to other resources Glenys Israel, Senior Artwise (pp ) Jacaranda Press, Qld.

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