Return
to Home Page
In this lesson students will create artworks
that will be placed outside the art room. They will not take the
dwellings they create home with them. An important part of the
experience is placing the dwelling in an external environment. This
photo shows a tiny mushroom shaped dwelling that has been placed in
the support structure of a bridge.
Outline: Lesson designed for sixth grade students with prior experience in creating dwellings, working with three-dimensional clay sculptures, talking about art, and working in groups on art projects.
Materials:
Clay (great use for leftover ceramic clay of any kind - you can mix colors)
Clay tools (simple tools such as toothpicks, Popsicle sticks, etc. will work fine)
Visuals (Included is a list of slides I showed. The list is not definitive and any mix of environmental and site specific artwork could be used.
Objectives:
1. Student will understand what site-specific artwork is.
2. Student will understand environmental art.
3. Student will work as part of a group to create a tiny dwelling from clay.
4. Student will place find a site for, and place their dwelling into the selected environment.
Motivation: Discuss the term "site-specific artwork." Discuss also the idea that site-specific artwork cannot be bought and sold. Some examples of site-specific artwork no longer exist (such as Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty in the Great Salt Lake). Oftentimes the artist just wants the viewer to experience the art at the moment. Site-specific art requires that the viewer experience the art in it's environment. Oftentimes the experience of finding the artwork is integral to the viewing experience.
Discuss environmental art - or art that becomes part of a natural environment. The art can either become part of the environment, or work as a point of contrast to the environment. The contrasting artworks help the viewer be more aware of an environment that they may have become so used to that they no longer notice it. Artist's may work to shake the viewer out of their complacency and into a higher level of awareness.
These pictures show a student placing her group's dwellings in a nearby creek, the second photo is a close-up of the dwellings in their new home.
Procedures: Expose students to a variety of site-specific and environmental artworks. Give them a good bank of images. If students have not had previous experience looking at a wide variety of dwellings, they need that kind of visual exposure at this time also.
Once students have looked at a variety of site-specific and environmental artworks discuss the role of the artist in "giving back" to the community. Explain that in this project they will be creating an artwork that will be "given back." End the discussion with information about New York artist Charles Simmonds who creates tiny dwellings (and in some instances groupings of buildings) that he hides in the cracks of old buildings in New York City. He is intrigued with watching people as they discover his buildings. The random placement of these tiny dwellings, without accompanying information, allows the viewer to create a fantasy world around the dwelling. Provide students with images of Simmonds buildings. Ask students what they think their reaction might be to finding a tiny dwelling somewhere on the school grounds. It is this "experience" they will be designing for other students.
Students will work in groups to create a tiny dwelling (or group of dwellings if students all want to make one). The last day of the lesson will be spent finding a site and placing the dwelling in an environment outside of the art room. This lesson is about giving away your artwork.
Week 1 Discuss site-specific and
environmental art. Look
at images. If students
do not have prior experience making dwellings, look at
images of various dwellings (from many time periods and
cultures). Split into assigned groups. Week 2 As a group, students decide what
kind of dwelling grouping to create. Each student should
create their own dwelling. Begin work on
dwellings. Week 3 Finish work on all dwellings. Allow
at least 30 minutes to "place" the dwellings in an external
environment. Additional adult supervision is recommended
while students are working outside.
Standards addressed:
Communication (#1): identify and discuss the how and why visual images, themes and ideas communicate; select, organize, and use visual images, themes and ideas in works of art, including their own; evaluate meaning and communication in works of art, including their own.
Application/Creation (#3): select and use materials, techniques, and processes that enhance communication of ideas through art, in their own work.
Aesthetics/Art Criticism (#5): identify and discuss the reasons for creating works of art, including their own; use methods of critical analysis and aesthetic inquiry; formulate responses to works of art from personal and critical points of view.
