Personal Expression Through Embellished Photography
PERSONAL EXPRESSION THROUGH EMBELLISHED PHOTOGRAPHY
Suitable for Grades K-3
Curriculum connections
//Expression of self through creative processes
//image development strategies
//create meaning through symbolism
Bookings available January 29 through March 30, 2018
On a tour of Re Present: Photography from South Asia, students will explore historical and contemporary South Asian art and photograph, and discuss the role of photography as an authentic source of information. Back in the studios, we will guide students through creating “whole self” self portraits.
MATERIALS
BIG pieces of paper
Pencils
Oil pastels
SET UP
All materials will be on the tables up front. The room will be cleared of all other tables and chairs as students will be working on the floor. You can have some chairs out for the adults.
PROCESS
Back in the studio, have students take a seat on the floor. Ask students what they remember about the painted and embellished photographs in the gallery. Explain that it became a very popular practice since the start of photography in the 1840s and has now become a craft and tradition of the Indian people to this day! They decorate photographs of themselves, loved ones and gods they worship. They do this because they want even more of the personality of the person in the photo to come through the photograph. Today we are going to create portraits of our whole selves and decorate it! We want to fill these self portraits with our favourite things, so whoever looks at it can get to know us a little bit better!
Have a short conversation with everybody and ask them what their favourite things are (ie colours, shapes, food, toys, place, etc.) so they can get their minds thinking about what they would like to decorate their portraits with!
Once you are done introducing the project, have everyone grab a big piece of paper and a pencil and pair up.
Pairs will take turns tracing each others bodies. If they need help, they can get an adult to help them!
Once they have the basic shape of their body on the paper, have kids come up and trade in their pencil for a cup of oil pastels.
They will go back to their space and start decorating their paper with their favourite things!
Have students stop halfway through and get up and stretch their bodies and walk around the room so they can see what the other students are making.
If you have time, you can get some or all the students to show and explain their portraits.
To finish, you can roll up the portraits and seal with a small piece of masking tape
CLEAN UP