Art & Politics for Grade 11s

For my Grade 11's ...........
We will start looking at this Matric theme by going back in time.

Now let's look at how the power of art has impacted on the human race in the Neo-Classical and Romantic eras.

The Oath of Horatii by Jacques-Louis David 1784 (1792 was the French Revolution) Neo-Classical style / movement

LINK to DGHS presentation

LINK to the Louvre

Create your first 'infographic' of the year by analyzing the above painting using these chunks:-

• Basic data & context of the 'message' - makes a good introduction .....
• Symbolism / meaning / messages of the most obvious images that help convey the message
• Most important elements and principles that help convey the message
• Characteristics of a Neo-classical work shown here..
• Your opinion of the success of this painting. Would something like this work TODAY? This would make a good conclusion .......

An infographic should have at least 2 illustrations and 300 words (in full sentences) clearly divided into the above chunks. It may be on an A3 card, a double A4 or be digital (a Google Slide show shared with studio@dghs.co.za) 
Don't use bulleted lists and keywords because this has to end up as a mini-essay for exams.

Willie Bester - The Chair

For my Grade 12s ........

Theme 3: Socio-political art - including resistance art

of the 1970s and 1980s

Bester expresses his intentions ........

"What I try to get behind is why it is so difficult for people to change from their old ways. It hasn't worked out the way I imagined. People who thought they were superior before haven't really changed. I try to find out through studying history what gives people the right to think that way. I try to find a solution, not to be disappointed, to reach an understanding." (ArtThrob)

http://www.artthrob.co.za/99aug/artbio.html

Another link ....... Biography

Critics have found his work to be 'preachy' and 'tritely literal' - what do you think?

You may use the link below for a reminder of our discussion in class.

Link to discussion (with more photos)

Create an infographic on Bester's work below.
Some guidelines:

• Work with loose paper 'chunks' - don't glue them down - Prestik them.
• Use full sentences and explain well.
• Writing should be in black and bigger than usual - print!
• Aim for about 300 words in total.
• You may work digitally - share a Google Slides presentation with your teacher.
• At the end - organize your work and glue down the chunks. 
• Add some headings suggestions:
• Data & context
• International influences
• Symbolism - metaphors and meanings (lots of mini-chunks)
• Integrative principles

The Chair - installation from the 1990s
 - Durban Art Gallery

Inside the seat .....

Bester's self-built house in Kuils River   

Bester would have been aware of the past use of assemblage as an art form. For example, assemblage as an installation became very important in the USA in the 1960’s. Rauschenberg used urban ‘found objects’ to comment on the world around him - often politically. First Jump Landing (1961) (above) shows his use of tires as 'junk' sculpture.

LINK to Rauschenberg

Personal Geographies

For my Grade 11s ............

I have found over the years that the learners at this school are fascinated by the human face, so this term we will learn to draw a self- portrait. This is often required in your portfolio when  you apply to tertiary institutions.
In order for this portrait to 'message' something other than mere skill, we will put it into a landscape using digital or physical collage methods. What will the concept/messaging be in your 'Personal Geographies'?

Activity ONE: Collect a number of self-portraits against a plain background. Share these in a digital album with your teacher.
Make sure this has your NAME on it  e.g. Clarissa_Personal Geographies. Create a QR code for this album for your sourcebook. You may also print some of the the best.

Activity TWO: At the same time, start collecting photos of your environment. Some of this can be done at school, but most will done in your own time. You may have some photos already. Share these in the same digital album with your teacher. You may also print some of the the best.

Activity THREE: Create a number of small experiments in various drawing and coloured media showing ideas and learning regarding proportion; textures; form and tone; colour and form; other? Add these to your sourcebook. Keep writing and making notes about the concept / message that you are trying to communicate. 

Activity FOUR: Collect some artworks like these below and write about what the artist was trying to communicate. 

Create a Google Slides presentation for these and use the Research Tool so that you collect the references as well. Share this with your teacher right in the beginning. It will be live and so will grow as you add to it. Don't forget to say what you think the artist is trying to communicate.

Maggie Laubser - Portrait of a man 1930 (SA Expressionism)

Da Vinci - Mona Lisa (Italian Renaissance)

Evaluate your own sourcebook on the 4th March............ [50 marks]
LINK to self-evaluation 

You will then create your own A3 or A2 mixed media artwork for LO2 - due at the end of the term. [50 marks]
LINK to self-evaluation 

2015 ceramic animals

For my Grade 11s ...............

We have allocated 2 weeks for the completion of your ceramic animal.
[Self-evaluation to be done on Wednesday 4 Feb 2015]
This will be done on the UNFIRED animal.
Ceramic Self-evaluation 1

The animal will then be fired and you may add an 'effect' or glaze it. You will then evaluate it again.

Ardmore crocodile

Ceramic Self-evaluation 2

Criteria:
Technical skill (unfired) [10]
Handling of Es & Ps of clay [10]
Animal drawing [10]
Innovation / creativity / originality - 'wow' factor [10]
Presentation & effort [10]

This is worth 50 marks of your Term 1 practical mark.
WORK HARD!

Our Land 2015

For my Grade 12s .......

Last year we started work on the 2014 Matric Final Practical Brief. 

This year we will consolidate all the preparatory work into your sourcebook. We will work on this in class and it is due on the 13th Feb 2015. You will then evaluate it yourself. 
Please do your self-evaluation HERE on the 16th Feb 2015

The Final (Topic 2) piece is due on the 1st April (last day of term). Please do your self-evaluation HERE in the first week of Term 2.

Hood - drawing

List Poem for Grade 10

For the new Grade 10s .......

List Poem writing stimulates creative thinking about identity and issues you might care about. In this way we can get to know you.
Follow the activity steps below. 
Save ALL your rough work for your Term 1 process poster!

1. People say I ____________________ 

2. Sometimes I struggle to ____________________ 

3. I wish I could speak to/for ___________________

4. I create _________________________ 

5. My community is ______________________

6. We can change _________________________ 



(Thanks to the Adobe Youth Voices Program)

The List Poem Activity creates an opportunity for young people to represent the lines from their list poems visually and metaphorically using magazines cut-outs, photos and drawings within six storyboard frames. This introduces  the storyboard concept and primes the pump for metaphorical thinking. 

Look at the link below for photographic tips.

AYV shot composition

Use ANY collage cut-outs and drawing/painting/sculpture techniques that you would like...... ask for help if you need it!

Remember - still beginner steps - don't get too complicated.

Mrs Moore's Listpoem

Evaluation

THE ARTWORK (LO2) - Listpoem

CRITERIA

Choice and use of materials/techniques (i.e. level of skill and effort) 10 

Use of some formal art elements (e.g. colour; line; composition; texture;) 10 

Overall impression of work – originality, creativity, innovation 10 

Interpretation of your identity (and some research - include this on a poster) 10 

Completion (deadline) and presentation of artwork 10

TOTAL 50

Remember .... all the preparatory work that you have saved will be part of the assessment.

Put up the listpoems for a mini-exhibition and discussion. 

Evaluation form

Perceptions of Beauty 2015

Welcome Grade 9's!

Our theme for the year is the question ...

How do we perceive beauty in art?

Our first activity is in Visual Literacy.

Jane Alexander - Oh Yes Girl.......(3-D)

Disney's new Sofia princess (2-D)

Discuss the 'beauty' you see here with your group. 


Now create a chart on foolscap so you can write your observations on the types of Beauty that you see in these two figures. Find and interpret 5 aspects for each. 

1. OBSERVE carefully!
2. Follow the links to read up about them.

This chart method helps you think ......but now you need to write this up as an article to post to our blog. Please write using full sentences, good spelling and punctuation. Explain what you mean so that readers can understand you.

Link to Sofia article

Here is a very interesting article on Baby-face Bias which may influence your thinking
....... LINK

"Baby-face characteristics include round features, large eyes, small noses, high foreheads, and short chins. Super-neonatal and super-mature features are usually only found in cartoon characters and mythic creatures. Baby-face features correlate with perceptions of helplessness and innocence, whereas mature features correlate with perceptions of knowledge and authority."

Mrs Hellmann made an interesting presentation on application examples of this 'baby-face bias' - have a look!
HERE

Miss de Vries collected these interesting images of other Disney princesses - have a look!  HERE
And another one......  HERE

Open a Google Doc and work in this until you are happy with the result. Copy and paste your answer into the Activity 1 Reply Form link below. This will take the answer directly into your teacher's mark-sheet. If you 'share' the Doc with her then it will go to her email and Incoming Drive traffic - not good for her!

Activity 1:
Write an analysis of Princess Sofia in Docs and copy and paste into this LINK.
It will send to me automatically as a reply.

RUBRIC LINK

Activity 2:
Write an analysis of 'Oh Yes Girl ...'
Your teacher will tell you how to hand this in.
Possibility ... work in Docs and then paste into the Form LINK?

Link to 'Oh Yes Girl.......'
Link to Tatham Art Gallery

Link to Assessment Rubric