Transcript Appreciation and Criticism Lessons Proposal 1

Kristen Warskow
Statement of Origin:
The critique process described by Feldman (1994) is his uniquely
developed process that he feels an effective critic should follow. This
process seems to suggest saving overall judgment and feelings for the
end of a critique, though Feldman communicates that there are many
grounds of judgment in critique. Overall, students can certainly learn a
great deal by learning about art critics when being introduced to
critique. Students who hope to work creatively will learn what critics
look for, while some students might become increasingly interested in
developing understanding and appreciation for works of art, which can
be a very interdisciplinary and beneficial interest. Inspired by
Feldman's process and the idea that teaching students what critic's
look for can influence what is created, I have developed this lesson that
looks into the works of graffiti artists Banksy and Mr. Brainwash.
Students will not only critique the works of these two artists, but they
will have the chance to watch the "documentary" on Banksy that offers
critics opinions of his works that range in critical opinion.
Standards/ Objectives
NGSSS:
VA.912.C.3.1
Use descriptive terms and varied approaches in art
analysis to explain the meaning or purpose of
an artwork.
V.A.912.C.1.3
Apply art knowledge and contextual information
to analyze how content and ideas are used in
works of art.
VA.912.C.3.2
Develop and apply criteria to determine how
aesthetic works are aligned with a personal
definition of "art."
NCAS:
VA:Re8.1.IIa
Identify types of contextual information useful in
the process of constructing interpretations of
an artwork or collection of works.
VA:Re9.1.IIIa
Construct evaluations of a work of art or
collection of works based on differing sets of
criteria.
Objectives
Students will be able to critique using
the Feldman method.
Students will understand critical
opinion and interpretations differ
based on the critic.
Students will develop support for their
opinion as to whether or not graffiti
is art.
Procedures:
1. Students will begin by receiving a handout to place in their sketchbook journals
that outline the Feldman method of art criticism. (see Appendix A)
2. Students will then view the works of Banksy and Mr. Brainwash, graffiti artists.
3. The teacher will critique one work for the class using the Feldman method.
4. The class will participate to critique another work together using the Feldman
method. This will require each student recording class answers in their
sketchbooks using complete sentences in all but the describe category.
5. Students will separate into small groups to critique another work by Banksy or
Mr. Brainwash.
6. After the group critiques, students will share with the class what their groups
descriptions, analysis', and interpretations of the work they critiqued.
8. Next, students will watch critic's from Banksy's "docmentary" titled Banksy. This
should help them understand that critics have differing opinions of Banksy's
work, and it is ok to have a different opinion from your classmates.
7. Finally, students will critique one work on their own by Banksy or Mr. Brainwash
to be placed in their sketchbook journals with both a thumbnail of the image
critiqued and the final written criticism. This final critique should also
summarize the student's judgement on whether or not graffiti is or is not art.
Assessment:
I (The Student)…
Participated in class
critique
Worked well with a
group during group
critique
Completed one critique
independently using the
Feldman model
(included in
sketchbook)
Included a thumbnail
sketch or picture of the
image individually
critiqued. Writing was
clear and mostly free of
error.
TOTAL
Student Grade/
Comments
Teacher
Comments
Grade
/25
/25
/25
/25
/100
Banksy
Mr. Brainwash
Statement of Origin:
James Warren (1990) reported that children will see "1 million
T.V. commercials by the time they finish high school" (pg.1). I would
say that number is even higher today, as advertisements come in many
other forms on almost every internet website, as well as on platforms
like Netflix and Hulu. Even in the late 1970's, Goldsen reported that
commercials consumed about 22% of broadcast time on television (p.
6). Not only can commercials be influential, causing viewers to have
brand loyalty, but they interrupt programming causing viewers to have
shorter attention spans. Knowing this information, I hoped that by
introducing students to a media form they are less familiar they with
might develop a further appreciation for this form of advertisement.
Political cartoons are highly charged with information, symbolism,
narrative, and current events, which could certainly aid students in
developing understanding of contemporary works of art. I feel this
lesson will encourage students to make themselves aware of what is
happening in the world around them, while learning about visual
symbols which can be transferred into understanding art.
Standards/ Objectives:
NGSSS:
VA.912.C.3.1
Use descriptive terms and varied approaches in art
analysis to explain the meaning or purpose of
an artwork.
VA.912.C.1.4
Apply art knowledge and contextual information
to analyze how content and ideas are used in
works of art.
VA.912.C.3.2
Develop and apply criteria to determine how
aesthetic works are aligned with a personal
definition of "art."
NCAS:
VA:Re8.1.IIa
Identify types of contextual information useful in
the process of constructing interpretations of
an artwork or collection of works.
VA:Re9.1.IIIa
Construct evaluations of a work of art or
collection of works based on differing sets of
criteria.
Objectives
Students will learn how current events
influence the media and art.
Students will develop criticism skills using
the Feldman (1994) method of art
criticism.
Students will be able to recognize and
distinguish visual symbols in a work of
art.
Students will use contextual clues to
hypothesize what an artworks message
is.
Procedures:
1. The class will discuss cartoons, comics, and political cartoons and their belief as
to whether or not they consider these art.
2. A chart will be made as a class to record student answers in each category,
which they will write on post-it notes and add to the chart.
3. As a class, we will look at a political cartoon, and attempt to decipher the
message by using the Feldman method. This will lead to discussion on visual
communication, and how artists can tell a story or use symbols in their
artworks.
4. Students will then be asked to find a political cartoon from either a newspaper
or online and analyze it according to visual elements to understand the
message. This will likely require some research on current events.
5. Students will (time permitting) create a simple sketch of their own political
cartoon, this can relate to school politics, home life, pop culture, or current
events. Students can also base their cartoon on a historical event.
6. Students will share with the class or in groups for critique, using a critique
sandwich.
7. Students will be graded on their completed analysis of a political cartoon and
the success of their own cartoon.
Assessment:
I (The Student)…
Participated in class
critique/ discussion
Completed one critique
and explanation of a
political cartoon
independently
(included in
sketchbook)
Created a sketch for a
cartoon that relates to
"Politics in MY life."
(included in
sketchbook)
Completed one critique
of a group member's
work using the Feldman
model, feedback was
given in a critique
sandwich (included in
sketchbook)
TOTAL
Student Grade/
Comments
Teacher
Comments
Grade
/25
/25
/25
/25
/100
Statement of Origin:
Statement of Origin: The following lessons were inspired by the idea that
students all seem to be quick to judge the overall quality of an artwork. This
finding was expressed by Feldman (1994) and in order to guide students his
method suggests redirecting students through three other critical stages before
administering judgment. I feel the hope with this construct is to look beyond
quality to uncover content in the work of art. This is why there is a great push to
use contemporary examples in art classrooms, for both the relate-ability and a
focus on content in works of art. Feldman (1994) believes we instill a value for
quality early on, "Unfortunately, artists and art instructors are quite capable of
concentrating on form while ignoring content. As a result, we see a great deal of
technical ingenuity devoted to the expression of trite ideas, trivial ideas, and
even vicious ideas" (pg. 67). Understanding content can also mean developing
appreciation for cultures, time periods, and minorities, which can create a well
rounded critique based on visual interpretation. The following lesson, which
introduces judging forgeries, will also teach students to research, plan, and
create a work of art with complex effort and ideas. Students will critique one
another's works using Feldman's method after they have completed their own
"forgery" and inevitable judge each student's work in their sketchbook journals.
Standards/ Objectives
NGSSS:
VA.912.C.1.4
Apply art knowledge and contextual
information to analyze how content and
ideas are used in works of art.
VA.912.C.3.2
Develop and apply criteria to determine
how aesthetic works are aligned with a
personal definition of "art."
NCAS:
VA:Re8.1.IIIa
Analyze differing interpretations of an
artwork or collection of works in order to
select and defend a plausible critical
analysis.
VA:Re9.1.IIIa
Construct evaluations of a work of art or
collection of works based on differing
sets of criteria.
Objectives
Students will interpret and
evaluate the works of their
peers.
Students will use the Feldman
method along with their own
opinions to answer the question,
"Is forgery art?"
Students will apply research and
knowledge about an artist to
create a work that looks like it
could have been created by that
artist.
Procedures:
1. Students will view the images by Max Earnst, and the forgery by Wolfgang Beltracchis.
2. Students will vote using plickers (a polling app) on which image they believe to be the fake
Earnst.
3. After polling and learning which is the actual forgery, students will watch an interview
and read an article about forger, Wolfgang Beltracchis.
4. Once students have learned about Beltracchis 's process of immersing himself in the
artists life, and creating a unique artwork, we will discuss whether or not they consider
what he did a forgery.
5. Students will then pick an artist to research that must be approved by the teacher.
6. Students will research their artist, where they lived, what they created, and when there
was a gap in their production.
7. Given knowledge of the artist's style and medium, the student will create their own
"forgery" during the gap in the artists production.
8. Students will present to the class about their artist along with the work they created
during a class critique using the Feldman model.
9. Students will include their final judgements on each work, along with the answer to the
question, "Is forgery art? Why or why not?" in their sketchbook journals.
Assessment:
I (The Student)…
Participated in class
plickers survey and class
discussion
Studied an approved artist
to present and create a
forgery of using the artist's
style, medium, and
knowledge of life timeline.
(included name and
summary of research in
sketchbook)
Participated in peer critique
(2 peer critiques included in
sketchbook)
Student Grade/
Comments
Teacher
Comments
Grade
/25
/25
/25
Presented my work and
research to the class.
(Powerpoint slide included
in sketchbook)
/25
TOTAL
/100
Real or Fake? Max Ernst
Forgery- is it art?
 http://www.cbsnews.com/news/art-forger-wolfgang-
beltracchis-multimillion-dollar-scam/
 Students will read the above article about the famous
art forger Wolfgang Beltracchis.
 After reading the article and viewing the works, we will
discuss as a class whether or not forgery is considered
art.
 Students can share a presentation about another art
forgery or create a forgery themselves (the way
Beltracchi did).
Statement of Origin:
This lesson was inspired by Parson's questions that are used in
art criticism. I feel Parson's questions are a great aid in the critique
process and would certainly help when applied to any formula of art
criticism. Parson's (1992) questions are as follows: "(1) describe the
painting to me, (2) what is it about? Is that a good subject for a
painting?, (3) what feelings do you see in the painting?, (4) what about
the colors? Are they good colors?, (5) what about the form? The
texture?, (6) was this a difficult painting to do? What would be
difficult?, (7) is this a good painting? Why?" (pg. 19). These questions
address the idea of emotion which is not a main concern in the
Feldman model of art criticism. Throughout researching criticism, I
stumbled upon art teacher and critic, Marvin Bartel's (2008), Empathic
Critique model. Bartel's model incorporates feeling and emotion,
which is important to considering the content and message of many
artists works. This lesson uses the works of Thornton Dial, an artist
with highly charged, emotive works that use influence from events,
history, and life experience.
Standards/ Objectives:
NGSSS:
VA.912.C.3.1
Use descriptive terms and varied approaches in art
analysis to explain the meaning or purpose of
an artwork.
VA.912.C.1.4
Apply art knowledge and contextual information
to analyze how content and ideas are used in
works of art.
VA.912.C.3.2
Develop and apply criteria to determine how
aesthetic works are aligned with a personal
definition of "art."
NCAS:
VA:Re8.1.IIa
Identify types of contextual information useful in
the process of constructing interpretations of
an artwork or collection of works.
VA:Re9.1.IIIa
Construct evaluations of a work of art or
collection of works based on differing sets of
criteria.
Objectives
Students will learn a new method of
art criticism that eliminates any
negative talk about art.
Students will apply the Empathic
Critique format to emotionally
charged works in order to identify
meaning, ideas, and context.
Students will work to incorporate this
method into future class evaluations
and critiques.
Procedures:
1. Students will be given guidelines for a new critique format to add to
their sketchbooks for this lesson.
2. Using the Empathic Critique format of art criticism. We will critique
one of the emotionally charged mixed-media works of Thornton Dial.
3. Students will use the same format to critique another work of Dial's on
their own, taking note of the subject matter and possible meaning of
the incorporated found objects.
4. Students will place their critique in their sketchbook, and should
include an answer to whether or not they believe using found objects
should be considered art.
5. We will share criticism and judgments as a class after critiques are
complete.
6. Students will then have an opportunity to create using found objects in
a follow-up lesson where we will explore artist Vik Muniz and his
documentary WasteLand.
Empathic Critique questions
What do you see?
Why do we notice that?
What else do you see?
Why?
What is the most original or creative thing you see?
How would you guess it happened or how would you explain
that?
What do you think it means?
Why do you think so?
How does it make you feel?
Why does it do that?
What open question does the work suggest to you? (state it in
positive or neutral terms - no negatives)
What do you wonder about? (state it in positive or neutral terms no negatives)
Assessment:
I (The Student)…
Participated in class
critique/ discussion
Completed one
Empathic Critique done
as a class. (included in
sketchbook)
Completed on individual
critique using the
Empathic Critique
method (included in
sketchbook)
Answered all questions,
including "Do you think
found objects can be
considered art?"
(included in
sketchbook)
TOTAL
Student Grade/
Comments
Teacher
Comments
Grade
/25
/25
/25
/25
/100
Thornton Dial
References
Banksy (2013). I Heart New York. Retrieved from artstor.com. Oct. 13, 2014.
Banksy (2012). My First Tag. Retrieved from Art Basel Miami, December 2013.
Bartel, M. (2008). Empathic Critique: Using empathic critique to foster the culture of
collaborative
discovery in studio art classes. Retrieved from:
[http://www.bartelart.com/arted/critique08.html]
Beeler, N. (2013). You Can Trust the Government. Retrieved from
[http://townhall.com/political-cartoons/natebeeler/2013/02/04/106911]
Brainwash, M. (2012). Soup Paint Cans. Retrieved from Art Basel Miami, December 2013.
Feldman, E.B. (1994). Practical Art Criticism. Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River: New
Jersey.
(Pg. 44-80)
Hamblen, K., & Galanes, C. (1997). Instructional Options for Aesthetics: Exploring the
possibilities. Art Education, 50(1), 75-83
Lee, S. (1993). Professional Criticism in the Secondary Classroom: Opposing Judgments of
Contemporary Art Enhance the Teaching of Art Criticism. Art Education, 46(3), 4251.
Brainwash, M. (2011). Mickey. Retrieved from Art Basel Miami, December 2013.
Parson, M. (1992). How We Understand Art. Cambridge University Press. New York, NY.
Dial, T. (1993). Top of the Line. Retrieved from artstor.com. Oct. 13, 2014.
[1-36]
Dial, T. (2003). Setting the Table. Retrieved from artstor.com. Nov. 12, 2014.
Ernst, M. (1926). Foret. Retrieved from artstor.com. Oct. 13, 2014.
Ernst, M. (1927). Forest. Retrieved from artstor.com. Oct. 13, 2014.
Ernst, M. (1928). The Sea. Retrieved from artstor.com. Oct. 13, 2014.
Feldman, E.B. (1994). Practical Art Criticism. Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River: New
Jersey.
(Pg. 1-40)
Warren, J. (1990). 1 possible reason why schools fail: TV teaches too much about too little.
Chicago Tribune (15, Nov., 1990)