Lesson Objective
Work with elements of art: Form
Work with Principles of Art: Unity
Solve the challenge: Creating Unique Art from a common industrial item.
Plastic drinking straws are one of the hallmarks of our disposable society. The little tubes are manufactured to be used just once, then they are discarded to sit in landfills for hundreds of years. And with our love of fast food and iced coffee, there are untold numbers of plastic straws being sent to the landfill every year. The artists and designers featured here all use these ubiquitous disposable items to create objects of unexpected beauty. While these artists use new straws, as opposed to recycled straws, to make their creations, there’s no reason their designs couldn’t provide inspiration for someone who chooses to use recycled materials. -http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2009/10/28/suck-it-8-brilliant-examples-of-plastic-drinking-straw-art/
Key Vocabulary:
Organic Shape: Organic shapes and forms are typically irregular or asymmetrical. Organic shapes are often found in nature, but man-made shapes can also imitate organic forms.
Polymeric: chemistry : a chemical compound that is made of small molecules that are arranged in a simple repeating structure to form a larger molecule
Mass: a collection of incoherent particles, parts, or objects regarded as forming one body
Industrial: Of, relating to, or resulting from the manufacturing industry
Recycle: convert (waste) into reusable material.
Additive Sculpture: process of creating sculpture by adding material to create the work.
Disposable: intended to be used once, or until no longer useful, and then thrown away.
Materials:
Straws
Hot Glue
White glue
Cardboard for relief if needed.
Focus Artist/s: Francesca Pasquali
Project Requirements:
Additive sculpture: Add Straws together to create unique final artwork, work in groups or as individuals. Limited by number of straws per student only. (must use all straws).
Sketchbook: Students draw construction plans for each side of their straw sculpture and submit plans for approval.
Final Sculpture:
Uses all straws to form unique and original final piece of artwork
Assessment:
Informal: Written Self Critique
Formal: Artist Statement
Formal: Grading final sculpture
CA STANDARDS:
1.1 Analyze and discuss complex ideas, such as distortion, color theory, arbitrary color, scale, expressive content, and real versus virtual in works of art.
1.6 Describe the use of the elements of art to express mood in one or more of their works of art.
2.1 Solve a visual arts problem that involves the effective use of the elements of art and the principles of design.
2.4 Demonstrate in their own works of art a personal style and an advanced proficiency in communicating an idea, theme, or emotion.
2.5 Use innovative visual metaphors in creating works of art.
3.1 Identify contemporary styles and discuss the diverse social, economic, and political developments reflected in the works of art examined.
4.2 Identify the intentions of artists creating contemporary works of art and explore the implications of those intentions.
4.5 Construct a rationale for the validity of a specific work of art artwork that falls outside their own conceptions of art.
5.2 Compare and contrast works of art, probing beyond the obvious and identifying psychological content found in the symbols and images.
Modifications:
English Language Learner: Handout for project, project samples, Power point with visuals, Critique for additional understanding, Demonstration of techniques, group activities to check for understanding
Special Needs: Handout for project, project samples, Power point with visuals, Critique for additional understanding, Demonstration of techniques
Accelerated Learner: Expand on skills learned to create a unique project.
Advanced art students will be asked to increase the difficulty of their final sculpture They will also be expected incorporate more details and art principles into the final project
Scaffolding adaptations:
Students will revisit Organic shape from the earlier learning. We will use similar visuals to refresh earlier learning. Notes on Art history, Key Vocabulary and artists will be taken throughout discussions for added understanding. Creating sketchbook plans and Constructing final sculpture will be demo started in class using guided instruction.
Anticipatory Set: Art Link:
Pre-assessment form
Students fill out pre-assessment on their own
Large Group Activity
Watch Ted-Talk on creativity
Take notes
Large group talk about
Large Group Discussion on creativity and the classroom
Do they prefer:
Strict perimeters (Josef Albers)
Loose guidelines (Ra Paulette)
Total freedom (Straw)
OBJECTIVE: Introduce the concept of creative freedom in the classroom. Provide materials and the one requirement to use all of the materials to complete project. Allow students to solve the visual arts problem of creating a new object with the original materials.
DIRECT INSTRUCTION:
Power Point Presentation Creativity in the classroom
Pre-assessment: Questionnaire on creativity with ranking system
Discussion: Creativity
Watch Video: Ted Talk on Creativity in the classroom
Teacher Models
Examples of vocabulary on the board throughout discussion
Students take notes in their sketchbooks
Teacher Monitors room throughout discussion
Check for Understanding:
Monitor room during Pre-assessment in sketchbook
Monitor throughout discussion ensure comprehension and active note taking
Various Activities Designed to check/enhance student comprehension
Activity: Remaining studio time day 1 and day 2
Sketchbook Drawing: Students will begin thinking about their ideas in their sketchbooks.
Work in groups or alone
Search Vs. Research: plethora of straw art online. Does it inhibit your personal creativity for the next 48 hours to expose yourself to other peoples ideas?
Day 3: Student present their ideas to the class and except feedback as part of the creative process.
Day 4: Art Link: How did yesterdays presentations help your ideas?
Please write in your sketchbook
Be prepared to share your thoughts to the large group
Ted Talk: Where do good ideas come from?
4 Minute video on sharing ideas and collaboration
Discussion on sharing ideas in the art classroom
Direct Instruction:
Critique Pasquali’s work
Describe
Analyze
Evaluate
Francesca Pasquali
Francesca Pasquali is an Italian contemporary artist born in Bologna
Francesca Pasquali graduated from the Academy of Art Bologna
She lives and works between Bologna and Brescia in Italy
Recent work by Francesca Pasquali are sculptures made of straws cut to various sizes and placed one by one in a large mass.
The artist seeks to give an organic appearance to its facilities, which swing between natural forms and industrial materials
**Art Bazil: “ A Paris gallery had no trouble finding a buyer for Francesca Pasquali ’s $30,000 “Light Yellow Straws,” a wall relief made from drinking straws cut at varying lengths so that the surface appeared to undulate.” -Wall Street Journal
Key Vocabulary:
Organic Shape: Organic shapes and forms are typically irregular or asymmetrical. Organic shapes are often found in nature, but man-made shapes can also imitate organic forms.
Polymeric: chemistry : a chemical compound that is made of small molecules that are arranged in a simple repeating structure to form a larger molecule
Mass: a collection of incoherent particles, parts, or objects regarded as forming one body
Industrial: Of, relating to, or resulting from the manufacturing industry
Recycle: convert (waste) into reusable material.
Additive Sculpture: process of creating sculpture by adding material to create the work.
Disposable: intended to be used once, or until no longer useful, and then thrown away.
FINAL PROJECT:
Additive Sculpture can be relief, freestanding or hanging
In addition to straws students have access to any additional materials for construction they need.
Project Requirements:
Additive sculpture: Add Straws together to create unique final artwork, work in groups or as individuals. Limited by number of straws per student only. (must use all straws).
Sketchbook: Students draw construction plans for each side of their straw sculpture and submit plans for approval.
Final Sculpture:
Uses all straws to form unique and original final piece of artwork
