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

Positive and negative space with Andy Warhol

Preparation: Cut stars out of sticky foam sheets and place them on wooden blocks to make stampers. 

Discussion: Positive and negative shapes

Show Warhol’s work of the star tree

What do you think of this piece?

Cut out a star from paper

which is positive and which is negative?
POP art

Andy Warhol

(August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987), 

Born Andrew Warhola 

An American painter, printmaker, and filmmaker 

leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. 

After a successful career as a commercial illustrator, 

Warhol became famous worldwide for his work as a painter

He was also filmmaker, record producer, author, 

Warhol has been the subject of numerous retrospective exhibitions, books, and feature and documentary films.

 He coined the widely used expression "15 minutes of fame." 

The Andy Warhol Museum exists in memory of his life and artwork.

The highest price ever paid for a Warhol painting is $100 million for a 1963 canvas titled Eight Elvises. 

Died during routine gallbladder surgery in 1987

PROJECT

Using large star cut outs and small star stamps create a negative star shape

Step1: Place the large star in the center of the paper

Step2: using the star stamps, stamp on stars all around the paper

Step3: continue with all the colors

Step4: remove the large star to reveal the negative star shape. 

Materials:

Large star cut outs

Small star stamps

tempura paint 

tag board or card stock

Warm and Cool Hearts with Jim Dine

PREPARATION: precut Heart stencils from card stock and tape them to the table. Students will slip their paper underneath. 

DISCUSSION: Warm and Cool Colors

What are warm colors?

How do they make us feel?

Where/When do we see them?

What are cool colors?

How can they make us feel?

Where/when do we see them?

ARTIST

Jim Dine born June 16, 1935

American pop artist. 

He is sometimes considered to be a part of the Neo-Dada movement. 

He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, 

He attended the University of Cincinnati and received a BFA from Ohio University 

 He first earned respect in the art world with his Happenings. 

Pioneered with artists Claes Oldenburg and Allan Kaprow, the "Happenings" were chaotic performance art that was a stark contrast with the more somber mood of the expressionists popular in the New York art world. 

In 1962 Dine's work was included, along with Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol and Wayne Thiebaud, in the historically important New Painting of Common Objects.

This exhibition is historically considered one of the first "Pop Art" exhibitions in America

Jim Dine’s Hearts were included in this exhibit

PROJECT: create oil pastel heart with stencil  

Step 1: name on paper

Step2: place stencil on paper and tape down

Step3: Color inside the stencil with warm oil pastels

Step4: remove stencil

Step5: fill in background with cool color of water colors

Step6: place on drying rack

MATERIALS:

Heart stencils

Oil pastels

Liquid watercolors in cool colors

Positive and Negative space collage with Matisse

DISCUSSION: Complementary Colors:

Let’s revisit color for a moment so that we might learn how to use it to our artist advantage

Emphasis: what does this word mean?

How do we emphasis parts of our art we want the viewer to notice?

Look at Matisse’s first painting: what do you notice first? ALL THE RED

and second? the green window

Red and green are OPPOSITE on the color wheel. 

Placing these two colors next to each other draws your attention.

Name another two colors that would use this idea? and the last?

Positive and negative space?

What is positive space?

If I am a sculpture what is positive space?

What is negative space?

How important and what role does each serve?

could the space not filled (negative) ever speak louder then the positive space?

Look again at his first piece: you noticed the red first...That is Negative space.

What story could we tell about the piece.

Look at the second work: what is positive space?

What do you notice first 

What does this work remind you of

is it the same on both sides?

Artist: Henri Matisse 1869-1954

French Painter, 

Studied law until he was 21

Mother gave him a paint box after surgery and he discovered painting

In 1891 set off for Paris. 

Matisse began his journey of studies which ultimately lead him to his love of line, shape and color. 

Matisse felt that his greatest influence had been the work of the artist Cezanne (1839 – 1906, French). 

In the 1950‘s, Matisse began creating paintings using paint and paper cut outs. 

In his last years, as he aged and fell ill, Matisse continued to paint, this time on the walls of his room, using a piece of charcoal attached to the end of a bamboo pole. 

He painted until his death in 1954. 

Matisse had strong feelings about only one thing, the act of painting. 

The purpose of these pictures, he always asserted, was to give pleasure. 

For additional information please visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Matisse 

PROJECT: create complementary, positive and neg space symmetrical  collage

Step1: choose what two colors you are going to use (must be complementary)

Step2: get one half sheet and one whole sheet of construction paper

Step3: Use your half sheet to cut out positive shapes Organic or geometric

Step4: continue until you have 5-7 pieces cut out 

Step5: Glue down your Negative space sheet on one half of your large construction paper

Step6: using your positive cut-out begin to match up on the opposite side 

Step7: continue until all items are glued on your paper

MATERIALS: Construction paper, Scissors, Glue