Wire Sculpture with Alexander Calder

Art Link: 

What is Form

Compare and contrast Form to art we have created in the classroom

INTRODUCTION to lesson (Anticipatory set): 

Analyze the pillow artwork by Mathilde Roussel

Use Critique/discussion form to enhance conversation

Think-Pair-Share 

Group discussion about this work of art

OBJECTIVE: Using uncut Wire, create a piece of art inspired by Alexander Calder. Include Form Space and balance in the final work of art. 

Discuss with table form and space as pre-assessment

Discuss and practice drawing your final project on paper

Work closely with teacher before receiving wire

Students will understand new vocabulary as is relates to visual art: 

Form Space Balance Relief Sculpture 

Mobiles High Relief Middle Relief Ladder perspective

Low Relief Space shapes Free-standing sculpture

Linear perspective Mobile Kinetic Stabiles

CA STANDARDS: 

1.1 Identify and use the principles of design to discuss, analyze, and write about visual aspects in the environment and in works of art, including their own.

1.4 Analyze and describe how the composition of a work of art is affected by the use of a particular principle of design.

2.1 Solve a visual arts problem that involves the effective use of the elements of art and the principles of design.

2.2 Plan and create works of art that reflect complex ideas, such as distortion, color theory, arbitrary color, scale, expressive content, and real versus virtual. 

3.3 Identify and describe trends in the visual arts and discuss how the issues of time, place, and cultural influence are reflected in selected works of art.

4.5 Employ the conventions of art criticism in writing and speaking about works of art.

5.2 Compare and contrast works of art, probing beyond the obvious and identifying psychological content found in the symbols and images.

PURPOSE: complete a wire sculptue addressing elements and principles of art

INSTRUCTION: 

Students will discover review the elements of art, explore, form, space and balance, look at the artwork of Alexander Calder and create a wire sculpture piece as a final art project. 

MATERIALS: four feet of wire per student

Sketch paper

Pencils

DIRECT INSTRUCTION:

Power Point Presentation FORM

Pre-assessment: Sketchbook: 

How does this art effect you? 

Opening: Art Link: What is Form activity

Review: Elements of art 

Discussion: Form, Space, Balance

Space: Overlapping

Ladder perspective

Linear perspective

Form and Sculpture

Relief Sculpture

Free Standing Sculpture 

Space and sculpture

Review Principles of Art

Balance

Symmetry

Asymmetry

ART HISTORY: ALEXANDER CALDER

Expressionist

Began with wire circus

Invented Mobile

VIDEO: Calder’s Circus

Wire sculptures

Describe, Interpret, Analyze

Calder had plans in his sketchbook

Teacher Models: 

Form, Space and Balance throughout discussion 

Students take notes in their sketchbooks 

Teacher Monitors throughout discussion

Check for Understanding: 

Monitor room during Pre-assessment in sketchbook

Monitor throughout discussion to be sure notes are being taken 

FINAL PROJECT: Students will create a wire sculpture in the style of Alexander Calder

Sculptures must be in the shape of a box and have objects inside

Wire may not be cut, students will solve the problem of the wire in its 

full length

Students will draw and submit three plans for their wire before receiving 

Wire. They must consider measurements, interior content Form,   Space and Balance. 

Op Art Wire sculptures

Art Link: 

What an Optical Illusion

How do artists create illusions in their work

Name three ways we have used illusions in our artwork

INTRODUCTION to lesson (Anticipatory set): 

How does this art effect you? 

OBJECTIVE: Create wire sculpture from found objects, finished in two colors to give the illusion of visual movement. 

Students will understand new vocabulary as is relates to visual art: 

Op Art Kinetic Optical Illusion Chromatic Achromatic

Negative Space Positive Space Complementary

Neutral Contrast Value Hue

Saturation

CA STANDARDS: 

1.3 Research and analyze the work of an artist and write about the artist's distinctive style and its contribution to the meaning of the work.

1.4 Analyze and describe how the composition of a work of art is affected by the use of a particular principle of design.

2.1 Solve a visual arts problem that involves the effective use of the elements of art and the principles of design.

2.2 Plan and create works of art that reflect complex ideas, such as distortion, color theory, arbitrary color, scale, expressive content, and real versus virtual.

3.3 Identify and describe trends in the visual arts and discuss how the issues of time, place, and cultural influence are reflected in selected works of art.

4.2 Compare the ways in which the meaning of a specific work of art has been affected over time because of changes in interpretation and context.

5.2 Compare and contrast works of art, probing beyond the obvious and identifying psychological content found in the symbols and images.

5.3 Prepare portfolios of their original works of art for a variety of purposes (e.g., review for post secondary application, exhibition, job application, and personal collection).

PURPOSE: complete a wire sculpture with contrast that creates the illusion of movement

INSTRUCTION: 

Students will receive details about Op Art

Students will aid in instruction by researching one of nine artists and sharing the information with the class. 

MATERIALS: 

Wire Hangers

Wood block

Nylon sock

Acrylic paint

brushes

DIRECT INSTRUCTION:

Day 1: Power Point Presentation Op Art

Opening: Art Link: What is an Optical Illusion

Pre-assessment: Sketchbook: 

How does this art effect you? 

Review: Describe, analyze, interpret

Discussion: Op Art

History

Impact on culture

Objective of Op Art

Requirements to be considered Op art

ART HISTORY: Indirect Instruction

Each table will receive research paper on one of nine artists

Students will read, collect data and present one artist to the class as a

Group

Students will take notes in their sketchbook about each of the nine artists

MC Esher

Julian Stanczak

Josef Albers

Yaacov Agam

Jesus-Rafael Soto

Richard Anuszkiewicz

Bridget Riley

Frank Stlla

Victor Vasarely

Teacher Models: 

Optical illusion and art History

Students take notes in their sketchbooks 

Teacher Monitors throughout discussion

Check for Understanding: 

Monitor room during Pre-assessment in sketchbook

Monitor throughout discussion to be sure notes are being taken 

Presentation assessment

FINAL PROJECT: Students will create a wire sculpture using op art style

Sculptures must be made from supplies received

Students will use two contrasting colors to achieve optical movement

Day 2: Color theory

Art Link: Prep for presentations

Student artist Presentations

Day 3:

Art Link: 

Favorite artist studied from day 2

Discussion:

Complete presentations

Rubric

Studio: Begin to construct sculptures

              Wire hanger into wood block

Day 4: Color Theory

Art Link: Compare and contrast Vasarely’s two works of art

One black and white, one in color. 

Studio: Artists construct their three piece wire sculpture. 

               Paint it with a glue mixture

                     1/3 Elmers glue 2/3 water

Discussion: 

Color Theory with Josef Albers

Day 5: Black and white study

Art Link: 

Studio: artists paint sculpture with glue mixture

Draw sculpture in sketchbook to study

Fill in sculpture study with black and white pattern

Day 6: Color study

Art Link

Studio: artists paint sculpture with glue mixture

Draw sculpture in sketchbook to study

Fill in sculpture study with a two color pattern

              Paint with acrylic paint

                 no blue tape allowed

MATERIALS: 

   Wood blocks (all shapes) two drilled holes that will hold wire hanger

   Wire hanger

   Glue 

   Water

   Paint brushes (small brushes for details)

Value hands with KAWS

 

DISCUSSION: 

Talk about The Kaws painting below:

              What is happening in the piece

What type of art does it most remind you of?

Look at the second piece

Have you seen this before? When? 

What is the same about the two pieces of art? 

color and mood how does it make you feel? 

Value: tints and shades

Black: You only need a dot to change the color

Monochromatic mono (one) chrome (color)

Pure color: color from the bottle. 

ARTIST: Kaws

KAWS (1974-)

American Painter and illustrator

was born Brian Donnelly in Jersey City, New Jersey.[1] 

He graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in illustration in 1996.[2] 

After graduation, KAWS briefly worked for Disney as a freelance animator painting backgrounds. 

He also contributed to the animated series 101 Dalmatians, Daria and Doug.[3]

PROJECT: 

Step 1: On card stock, trace your hand. Make sure you finger tips are at the top of the paper and draw your wrist/arm till the bottom. 

Step 2: Draw four horizontal lines through the paper making five stripes (1 is the stripe with fingertip 5 is the bottom stripe with the wrist) seven spaced apart

Step 3: Add pure color through the middle both in and outside of the hand drawing

Step4: Paint white on the inside of the fingertips and opposite end the outside of the wrist

Step5: Mix white with red 

Step6: Add the new color inside the hand (2nd Stripe) and outside the wrist (fourth Stripe)

Step7: Paint black on the inside of the wrist (5) and the outside of the fingertips (1) 

Step6: Add black to your pure color

Step7: Add your new color inside wrist (4) outside the hand (2) 

MATERIALS:
card stock

Tempura Paint in white Black and red

Scrap paper

Negative and positive Space with Mathilda Roussel

Discussion

Positive space and Negative

What is positive space? 

When we cut something out positive is the object

Negative is the hole

In a sculpture positive space is the materials

Negative space is the holes in and around the work

Space is also the distance between points and planes in an artwork

Show the artwork of the pillow and hands from the artist: 

What do you think of this piece? 

What is positive

What is negative

What is the work made from? 

ARTIST: Mathilde Roussel (Ma-tit   Rou-sel) 

French artist based in Paris. 

Her work is a sensible and symbolic research about the nature of physical life. 

She is interested in the cyclic metamorphoses that transform organic matter, whether vegetable, animal or human. 

Roussel interrogates the ways in which time weighs on our body, leaving its traces as an imprint and thus creating an invisible archive of our emotions, a mute history of our existence. 

She uses a diversity of materials from paper to fabric, from rubber to graphite. 

Her ephemeral sculptures she uses organic matter such as wheat grass, pollen, sap or milk. Her work becomes a mapping of the body, an anatomy of the time and space inhabited by our fragile presence in the world.

PROJECT: 

Step1: Fill your paper with different colored tissue paper. Glue them down

Layer and overlap to show change in color

Step2: Using a second paper cut out a shape, any shape and throw the shape away

Keep the hole

Step3: Layer the hole on top of the paper with the tissue. Glue it top top

Step4: crop the sides if needed. 

MATERIALS
Tissue

Two pieces of card stock the same size

Scissors

Glue

Tint Wire Sculptures with Elizabeth Murray

Day One: 

Prep: Create a 24” in wire circle for each student in class: Easier to work with, prevents eye pokes. 

DISCUSSION: 

Form: What is form? 

What is sculpture? 

How is sculpture different from a painting? 

3d vs 2d

Show Elizabeth Murray’s work again

How is it like s sculpture?

How is it like a painting? 

ARTIST: Elizabeth Murray (1940-2007):

Inspired by Abstract Expressionist Jackson Pollock’s work, as well as Pablo Picasso’s Cubist works, American painter Elizabeth Murray’s oeuvre span styles from a Minimalist use form and color to bold, cartoonish Surrealism. 

Her works push the boundaries of a two-dimensional medium;

The irregular triangles in the “Giant Maiden” series (1972) strain against the edges of canvases painted in high relief, 

While the explosive colors on an intricate collage-like canvas in Do the Dance (2005) lend the Painting a kinetic, almost optical quality.

Project: 

Step1: Using your wire circle, create an organic shape

Step2: Using plaster strips, cover wire with plaster

Step3: To Identify: put your name on the paper plate your wire sculpture is sitting on to dry. 

Materials: 

Bowl for water

Plaster wrap http://www.dickblick.com/products/plastr-craft/?clickTracking=true

Paper plates

Wire 

Day two

 Discussion: impressionism

Value

Making colors lighter

White

Light

Art Movement: impressionism

Impressionism is a 19th-century art movement 

originated with a group of Paris-based artists. 

Their independent exhibitions brought them to prominence during the 1870s and 1880s, 

Harsh opposition from the conventional art community in France. 

The name of the style derives from the title of a Claude Monet work, Impression, soleil levant (Impression, Sunrise)

Impressionist painting characteristics include relatively small, thin, yet visible brush strokes, open composition, emphasis on accurate depiction of light in its changing qualities (often accentuating the effects of the passage of time), common, ordinary subject matter, 

inclusion of movement as a crucial element of human perception and experience, and unusual visual angles. 

The development of Impressionism in the visual arts was soon followed by analogous styles in other media that became known as impressionist music and impressionist literature.

For additional information: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impressionism 

PROJECT

Step1: students  receive one pure color and white

Step2: mix their color with as much or little white as they like

Step3: paint the wire sculpture with their new color

Step4: add movement lines in black around the edges

Materials: 

Paint in many colors and white

Black paint

Paint brushes

Water containers

Paper plates for palettes. 

Post Project Week one and two: create the large sculpture by glueing the smaller works all together. I used Loctite All purpose Adhesive Caulk in Clear.