GLEN RIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Curriculum Guide
Course Title: Understanding the Visual
Arts
Subject: Visual
Arts
Grade Level: 10, 11 or 12
Department/School: Visual Arts/ High School
Duration: Semester
Number of Credits: 2.5
Prerequisite: None
Elective or Required: Elective
Author: Nancy C. Coon
Date Submitted: Summer 2005
Course Description
Understanding the Visual Arts is a semester course that
introduces students to art concepts with meaningful, hands-on-learning
experiences that will allow for personal growth and an appreciation of creative
expression in the visual arts. The
curriculum integrates the state art standards of aesthetics, creative
expression, historical and cultural contexts and art critique. The course will provide students with an
understanding that the views of artists and their works are reflections of
cultural diversities and the times in which the artists live. An understanding of how similar historical
periods and events influenced all forms of art and how they influenced each
other will be presented. Studio lessons
will correlate with the concepts presented within the readings, research and
discussion explored in the course.
GLEN RIDGE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
VISUAL ARTS
An education in the arts is an essential part of the
academic curriculum for the achievement of human, social, and economic
growth. An arts education enables
personal, intellectual, and social development for each individual and strives
to enhance the student’s sense of confidence and self-esteem. The visual arts are uniquely qualified to
cultivate a variety of multiple intelligences with powerful ways of
communicating ideas, thoughts and feelings.
A well-rounded program for intellectual growth must support the
development of spatial, kinesthetic, interpersonal and intrapersonal
intelligences. Creativity in solving art-related problems provides students
with values that will prepare them for leadership positions in future endeavors
as well as an enriched quality of life.
Visual Arts
STANDARD 1.1 (AESTHETICS)
STANDARD 1.2 (CREATION
STANDARD 1.3 (ELEMENTS
STANDARD 1.4 (CRITIQUE)
STANDARD 1.5 (HISTORY/CULTURE)
Curriculum Description
CCCS: 1.1A1, 1.1A2, 1.1A3, 1.3D1, 1.4A1, 1.4A2,
1.4A3, 1.4B1, 1.4B2, 1.5A1, 1.5A2, 1.5B1, 1.5B2
Objectives:
The student will:
1.
Understand that the visual arts are a basic form
of communication that will allow the student to:
a.
identify the essential difference between the
visual arts, fine arts, and applied arts.
b.
discover why cultures and artists create art.
c.
identify art sources within a community.
2.
Understand the visual arts in order to:
a.
explain the distinction between art media and
the art process.
b.
discover how art criticism and art history
combined are used to make artistic judgments.
c.
describe the benefits of studio experiences in
the study of art. (see activity #1)
3.
Study the language of art that will assist the
student to be able to:
a.
identify the elements of art and principles of
design.
b.
define the media artists have used and
distinguish between the variations of media applications and technology used in
the creation of a work of art.
c.
explain where artists find ideas for their
works.
d.
describe the origins, history and processes used
to create variations in different art forms.
e.
become aware of the latest technology used in
video and digital works.
f.
identify the differences in the art forms of
bas-relief, high-relief, and sculpture-in-the-round.
g.
discover architecture as an art form and a
science of designing structures that enclose space.
4.
Search for aesthetic qualities within a work of
art and will be able to:
a.
identify the four steps in the process of art
criticism.
b.
use the first three steps (description,
analysis, and interpretation) to gather specific kinds of information from a
work of art.
c.
analyze a work of art with the use of a design
chart that will assist in making a final judgment.
d.
identify and discuss three major aesthetic
theories.
e.
discuss how the process of art criticism is used
to examine nonobjective works.
f.
identify and discuss the four steps in the
process of art history.
g.
explain the value of using art history
operations to examine artworks.
h.
apply the knowledge of how a work of art evolves
to the creation of hi/her own work of art. (see activity #2)
Activities:
#1. Learning A Visual Vocabulary
Major Objective: Elements of Art /Principles
of Design
Select one activity within each category to explore an
understanding of the elements of design.
A. Line
1. Look around the room and make a list of
10 different lines that you may see.
Identify, locate and in some way describe each line; e.g. lines on your
writing paper, wrinkles around your knuckles.
Use the following format to describe
the characteristics of each:
a. what and where the item is located.
b. a description of the line.
c. an interpretation with art media of the
line.
2. Select a painting. On a piece of tracing paper identify the
major lines within the painting. Include
the lines of direction the eye moves as well as the actual lines. Transfer the lines on white paper using
different colors for different kinds of line, (vertical=red, horizontal=blue,
diagonal= green, curved=orange, etc.)
Select copies of 5 paintings to include in your presentation for
classmates to identify as one of the paintings in which you interpreted the
element of lines.
3. Create a series of 16 small squares
(2"x2") of combinations of parallel lines; crosshatched lines; curved
lines; horizontal, diagonal, or vertical lines; etc. Develop a variety of characteristics with
your choice of media and process. Be
inventive with the expressive quality of your lines.
B. Shape,
Form, and Space
1. Make a drawing of a variety of negative
spaces between shapes. Color in the negative
areas only and comment on the shapes the negative spaces became. Make a copy of the first drawing and treat
the positive and negative areas differently with color. Write a paragraph on a comparison of the
results of both drawings.
2. Make a sculpture-in-the-round design
with toothpicks. Spray paint the finished piece. Set up the form with a spotlight on the form
and write a reaction to the way the light affects the form.
3. Cut photographs of geometrically-shaped
objects from magazines. Look for cans,
boxes, tires, gears, etc. and arrange into a mechanical creature. Cut photographs of free form objects and
arrange them to create a fantasy creature.
Duration of Project: 1
week of class work and homework
#2. A
Search for Aesthetic Qualities: Designing
A Personal Logo
Major Objective: Symbolism / Pictographs and Logos
Artists use pictorial symbols to express ideas and give
meaning to their work. A symbol is a
visual representation of an idea or concept.
In the
Duration of Project: 1
week of class work and homework
Goal: The student will discover through readings
and discussions an understanding of the visual arts in the modern era ranging
from the school of neoclassicism to the present time.
CCCS: 1.1A1, 1.1A2, 1.2D1, 1.2D2, 1.2D3, 1.3D1,
1.3D2, 1.4A1, 1.4A2, 1.4A3, 1.4B1, 1.4B2, 1.5A1, 1.5A2, 1.5B1, 1.5B2
Objectives:
The student will be able to:
Neoclassicism
1.
Explain how the growth of academies in
2.
Describe the neoclassic artists and their style.
Romanticism and Realism
3.
Define Romanticism and discuss the works of
artists with this style.
4.
Identify the two major English landscape
painters of the period and compare their works.
5.
Define Realism and identify artists with the
style.
Impressionism
6.
Identify the objectives of the Impressionists
and describe their techniques.
7.
Identify major Impressionist painters and
describe their work.
8.
Describe the sculptures of Rodin and explain his
relationship to the Impressionists.
Art of the Late 19th Century and Early 20th Century
9.
Define and explain Post-Impressionism.
10.
Describe the painting styles of Cezanne, Van Gogh,
and Gauguin.
11.
Discuss how the major Post-Impressionist
painters influenced the artists who followed them. (see activity #3)
12.
Explain the style and objectives of the Fauves
and identify two artists associated with this movement. (see activity #4)
13.
Discuss the objectives of the Expressionists and
name some artists associated with this movement. (see activity #5)
14.
Define nonobjective art.
15.
Describe the ideas underlying Cubism and
identify artists associated with this style.
16.
Name the Mexican muralists and tell what they
chose as subject matter for their art.
17.
Identify and describe the American art movement
responsible for challenging traditional painting techniques and subject matter.
18.
Discuss the importance of the Armory Show of
1913.
19.
Describe the architectural contributions of
Eiffel and Gaudi.
20.
Discuss the reasons for the eclectic style of
architecture practiced by American architects.
21.
Explain how Sullivan created a new architectural
style.
22.
Apply knowledge of cubism in the form of a
painting. (see activity #6)
Modern Art Movements to the Present Activities
23.
Explain what is meant by Dada, Surrealism, and
fantasy in art. (see activity #7)
24.
Define Regionalism and point out the features
that made it a uniquely American style.
25.
Identify the most important characteristics of
Pop Art, Op Art, Hard-Edge Painting, and Photo-Realism.
26.
Define the abstract and nonobjective works
created by 20th century sculptors.
27.
Identify the trends in architecture since the
middle of the 20th century.
28.
Describe postmodern architecture and identify
the important architects of the movement.
29.
Apply the knowledge of design to a 3-dimensional
relief portrait. (see activity #8)
Activities:
#3. Still Life Painting
Major Objectives: Structure / Thermal Quality in Colors
Paul Cezanne searched for the missing form, solidity and
structure within the works of the Impressionists. He was concerned with experimenting with
still life paintings, figures and landscapes. He often painted them over and
over again until he was completely satisfied.
He arrived at a technique in which he applied his colors in small, flat
patches. He used warm and cool colors to
make the forms come forward or recede in space.
Set up a still life to be used in a composition that will be
painted with acrylic paints using only warm and cool colors to denote the
three-dimensional characteristics of the forms.
Realism is secondary to having the forms look solid and heavy, massive
or monumental.
#4 New Vision:
Harmony Within a Form
Major Objectives: Color and Pattern / Harmonious Form
Experimentation with color and pattern through color, line
and composition expressed feelings. An
exercise to understand how Matisse reworked forms to bring the shapes and
curves into harmony with one another until the painting became unique to itself
and not a record of the original subject follows.
Select a magazine photograph in frame 1, redraw in frame 2,
alter the shapes into a flat pattern, and draw it a final time in frame 3,
harmonizing the shapes and the curves.
#5 Expressionism
Major Objectives: Emotional Color /Painting Process
The following self-portraits of German Expressionists
(Beckmann, Kirchner, & Mueller) are from original paintings and are strong
enough to present uneasiness. Consider
their expressions and color each in a way that supports the expression. Explain the color choices on the lines next
to the portrait.
#6. Cubist Collage
Major Objectives: Collage / Synthesism / Analytical Cubism
Using a simple shape, such as a cup, chair or a lamp, draw different views of the form on a sheet of paper.
Arrange the forms in a design overlapping the shapes using
arbitrary lines to cut the shapes into more planes if needed to make the design
more interesting. Using mixed media
(paints, paper, string, cardboard, scraps of other materials, etc.) develop the
image to take on a new life of its own.
#7. New Directions: Dada and Surrealism
Major Objectives: Imagination and Fantasy / Ready-Made Objects
Imagination is the key word in Surrealism. The Dada movement was the forerunner in its
imagination approach. Surrealism jumbled
the realistic objects and combined them in confusing ways as it tried to create
the impression of an unreal world. The
automatism used allowed the artist to unleash the unconscious mind to create
the image. Create a surrealist creature
within the space of famous creatures designed by surrealist artists. Interpret the form in a cardboard sculpture.
#8. Three-Dimensional Relief Portrait
Major
Objectives: Crayon Etching / Simulated Textures
/ Emotional Color Combinations
A full-face portrait in which features and expressions are
exaggerated and distorted to illustrate a particular emotion will be
created. The portrait will be cut into
six or more shapes and reassembled to make a three-dimensional relief. Each shape will have a different simulated
texture obtained with a crayon-etching technique. Colors that emphasize the emotion to be
portrayed must be inherent in the work.
a. Select the emotion to use as a theme for a
portrait…lonely, angry, joyful, etc.
b. Work with another student (one as a model and
the other, the artist).
c. Model with an expression…smiling, frowning,
snarling, etc. Use one continuous pencil
line and show the face from the front.
Exaggerate and distort the features and expression to emphasize the
emotion. The portrait will be broken up
into a number of different shapes that will provide more flexibility later when
you are adding color. Reverse the roles of
model and artists.
d. Reproduce your portrait on illustration
board. The face should fill the board
and may go off the edges.
e. Use a heavy application of crayon to color the
shapes in your portrait. Select colors
and combinations of colors that you associate with the emotion. Avoid dark hues and cover the entire surface
of the board with crayon.
f. Divide the illustration board into six shapes
by drawing straight or curved lines on the back with a pencil and ruler. Cut out these shapes.
g. Cover the crayoned surface of each shape using
a brush and India ink. Several coats may
be necessary to cover the crayon completely.
Ink the edges of each shape as well.
h. While the ink is drying, use pencil and sketch
paper to design six different textural patterns made up of closely spaced
lines.
i. Use a pointed tool to etch your patterns into
the inked shapes. By carefully
scratching through the ink, you will bring out the crayon color beneath.
j. Assemble the six shapes of your portrait on
the larger sheet of illustration board.
Use small pieces of cardboard stacked to different heights to position
the shapes at different levels. Glue the
shapes in place to create your relief portrait.
CCCS: 1.1A1, 1.1A2,
1.1A3, 1.1B2, 1.2D1, 1.2D2, 1.2D3, 1.4A1, 1.4A2, 1.4A3, 1.4B2
Objectives:
The student will:
1.
Demonstrate knowledge of the process of
critique.
2.
Apply criteria for observing, analyzing, and
understanding visual expressions to decode in order to share the meanings of
art works through art criticism.
3.
Establish a set of evaluative criteria to assign
to personal artwork and the work of others.
4.
Articulate and support criticism based upon
aesthetic criteria.
Activities:
-
Assess the characteristics and merits of
artistic works through the identification of the implications of various
techniques utilized in the communication of ideas, attitudes, views, and
intentions in the artwork with the use of art criticism operations.
-
Select 3 pieces of artwork by artists studied in
class and assess the work relating to the criteria for critique using:
a. Imitation theory
b. Formalism theory
c. Emotionalism theory
|
DESCRIPTION |
ANALYSIS |
INTERPRETATION |
JUDGMENT |
|
What is in the work discovered through an inventory of the
subject matter and/ or the elements of art found in the work. |
How the work of art is organized or put together; concern
centers on how the principles of art have been used to arrange the elements
of art. |
Possible ideas, or moods, or feelings communicated by the
work of art. |
Facts relevant to making a decision about the degree of
artistic merit in the work of art. |
|
IMITATIONALISM |
FORMALISM |
EMOTIONALISM |
|
Literal
Qualities The most important
thing about a work of art is the realistic presentation of subject
matter. A work is successful if it
looks like and reminds us of what we see in the real world. |
Visual
Qualities The most important
thing about a work of art is the effective organization of the elements of
art through the use of the principles. |
Expressive
Qualities The most important
thing about a work of art is the vivid communication of moods, feelings and
ideas to the viewer. |
THEORIES OF
CCCS: 1.1A1, 1.1A2, 1.1A3, 1.1B1, 1.1B2, 1.3D1,
1.3D2, 1.4A1, 1.4A2, 1.4A3, 1.4B1, 1.4B2, 1.5A1, 1.5A2, 1.5B1, 1.5B2
Objectives:
The student will:
1.
Identify and describe various visual art forms
from different historical and contemporary periods and cultures.
2.
Recognize various styles and trends in the
history of art through research.
3.
Recognize representative artists and their roles
in society.
4.
Develop an understanding of art history as a
reference tool for personal expression.
5.
Utilize a variety of sources which can be found
in museums, galleries, cultural institutions, and the community to identify the
different art forms used in business, industry and the professional fields.
6.
Recognize the different techniques used to
produce a work of art through an investigation of the works of various artists.
7.
Recognize the importance of preserving the
artistic heritage of various cultures as well as the art from American ethnic backgrounds
which illustrates variations in style.
8.
Develop an understanding of recurrent social and
cultural themes and the subject matter in different cultures.
9.
Develop a comprehension of how the visual arts
interrelate with other forms of creativity through comparisons of contemporary
dance, music, drama, and literature with contemporary visual arts.
10.
Develop an understanding of the relationship
among works of art, individuals, and the societies in which they were created.
11.
Identify the general style and period of major
works of art and relate to the social, political and economic factors that
influenced the works.
Texts, Resources and/or Literature
·
Text: Mittler,
Gene Art in Focus,
·
Archuleta, Margaret and Strickland, Rennard Shared Visions: Native American Painters and Sculptors in the Twentieth Century,
·
Cohen, Jean-Louis; Colomina, Beatriz; Friedman,
Mildred; Mitchell, William; Regheb, J. Fiona Frank O. Gehry: The Art of Architecture, NY, NY: The Guggenheim
Museum, 2000
·
Forrer, Matthi Hokusai: Prints and Drawings, NY: Prestal, 1991
·
Hamill, Peter
·
Hamill, Peter
Painting-Sculpture-Architecture,
·
Lee, Sherman E.
A History of Far Eastern Art, 5th
edition,
·
Minor,
·
Pastory, Esther Pre-Columbian Art,
·
Peter, John The
Oral History of Modern Architecture,
·
Varnedoe, Kirk; Antonelli, Paola; Siegel, Joshua
Modern Contemporary Aspects of Art at MOMA since 1980, NY, NY:
·
Visona, Monica Blackmun; Poynor, Robin; Cole,
Herbert M.; Harris, Michael D. A History
of Art in
·
Welch, Stuart Cary
·
·
Zhen, Lian Quan Techniques for Exquisite Watercolors,