Object Transformations
Grades K – 3
Object Transformations
The idea of repurposing everyday objects came to life during the Modernist period when artist began to question traditional art processes and materials. Taking inspiration from Kristi Malakoff’s tissue paper installation and paper money objects, as well as Gordon Smith’s mixed media sculptures, this workshop will take and object from its everyday function to a piece of artwork through transformative work with paint and mixed media. Curriculum Connections: observation, imagination, principles of design, pattern, experimentation, abstraction, collage, superimposition
Tour Highlights: during the tour make note to discuss Kristi Malakoff’s work and Gordon Smith’s mixed media works, talk about repurposing, how objects change when we change them, ask questions about the original purpose of the object and how it might function now: Is it usable? Is it a piece of art? If it were yours what would you do with it? If you could touch it with your finger how would it feel? Would the object make any sounds if your rolled it, or bounced it?
Resources: MOMA Claes Oldenburg 2 Cheeseburgers, Rachel Whiteread (Paperbacks), Kiki Smith Untitled
Materials:
objects (1 per child)
acrylic paint
tissue paper
magazines for collage
white glue/ water mix
containers for white/ glue water mix
old paint brushes for glue mix
potential: glue gun for mixed media gluing
small mixed media items (fabric, beads, glitter, shapes, buttons, eyes etc.)
Prep:
each table requires a water and white glue mix & old paint brushes for this, as well as a water cup to place the brushes when finished
cover the tables in paper because the glue mix with get sticky
have an additional materials table prepared with tissue paper & magazines for gluing onto the objects, a selection of mixed media objects, a station for hot glue guns to be monitored and operated by a volunteer teacher or the Art Instructor, you may also choose to use paint, markers or pastels to add colour
Grades 4 – 6: Décollage
Taking its cues from the Pop Art scene with artists using mass-produced imagery to create work, décollage began in Paris, France in the 1950s. The artists would literally remove areas of the layers of posters tacked up around the city to compose beautiful images. Similarly, in this workshop students will work with pre-glued layers of advertisements, posters and paper to peel, tear, texturize, paint and draw their way to a décollage inspired by Jacques de la Villegle’s work included in On the Nature of Things.
Curriculum connections: serialization, animation, creating images that show form, using a range of materials, principles of design, examining different periods and styles of art, balance and rhythm, subtraction, distortion
Tour Highlights: take note of the decollage works by Jacques de la Villegle, discuss the idea of collage, what the process of collage is – to layer and add and build an image, now what might the process for decollage be? How do you create images? Is there a 3D quality to the work? If yes do you think this is an sculpture or a flat surface like a painting? Talk about depth: foreground, middleground & background. Talk about how colour might create depth. Talk about the surface and what it might feel like if you touched it. This artists is one of a few in the world who started this process in the 1950s by using the posters around Paris, France and peeling them back to create works of art.
Resources: Jacques Villegle You Tube Video of his work & Jacques Villegle performance SOFARIDA
Materials:
pre-prepped magazine layers on cardboard (must be dry for the class)
popsicle sticks for rubbing
paint or pastels to add colour
additional magazines or tissue/ specialized paper/ fabric for later additions by the students
glitter
Prep & Instructions:
Each child should have one magazine covered surface to work from. Remember that peeling, tearing, using popsicle sticks for rubbing and creating texture should be done before any additions of paint, pastel, additional paper or fabric because tearing and peeling can’t be done while the work is wet, it must be dry
Grades 7-9:
Pop Culture & Posters
Artists have been using the mass produced function of the poster or print since the 19th century. Differing largely from original works of art, posters can be reproduced many times over in many different ways as long as the original template exists. One of the most commonly known artists who exploited the function of postering and advertising was Andy Warhol, his mass produced work questioned the notion of the precious art object. Using Kathy Slade and Rodney Graham’s posters as a reference, students in this workshop will create their own posters through various methods of printmaking and image transfers. Curriculum connections: experimentation with image making techniques through mediums, tools and strategies, creation of work to convey personal or social concepts and meanings, reflection of historical and contemporary styles of art making, consideration of 2-D and 3-D images
Tour Highlights: Kathy Slade’s work is the best example of this project, but it would be a good idea to talk about the various kinds of work that are similar. From a generalized standpoint photographs, films and posters are all accessing the same kind of journalistic mediums, reference this idea throughout the tour. This is an ideal opportunity to talk about the differences in art medium from traditional means of drawing and painting (which are included in the show to mediums which have been popularized in modernism and post modernism). Please also discuss these terms. Ask questions like: do you consider this a work of art? What do you think of art that can be mass-produced, because posters are not original objects? How do we change the context of a poster or photograph by bringing it into the gallery? Where else do you commonly see these things? Does the simple act of bringing them into the gallery make them works of art? Or is it that they are accompanied by other works of art as well?
Resources: Andy Warhol eats a hamburger, MOMA Jasper Johns, MOMA Andy Warhol Soup Cans
Materials:
pre-cut vertical white sheets of Stonehendge paper
Printmaking supplies: rollers, paint, cutters, pre-cut squares of Soft-Bloc, plexi-pieces for paint
Image Transfer supplies: packing tape, water bins, photocopied images for transferring
Text can be added to posters by providing photocopies for Image Transferring or magazine text
Prep: discuss print making & or image transfers, where it has been used & the fact that we’re using a simple process
depending on the class you might set up two stations: 1 for print making and one for image transfers
Text & Images should be used