LESSON #1
Introduction: Art Criticism & Art History
Description
This lesson is an introduction to the theme of “Contemporary Conflict and Resolution.” Initially students will be shown two videos of notorious British ‘Street Artist’ Banksy making a work on the wall separating Palestine and Iraq. Without background information, students will be asked to comment on how this artist demonstrates conflict. In large and small group discussions students will collaborate on idea gathering and investigate the complexity of the issue of conflict. Using given artworks as a starting point for investigation, students will see how various artists have responded to and represented conflict in their work. This lesson is a starting point for Lesson #2 which will require students research a topic of conflict and Lesson #3 where students will create two finished artworks; one presenting a conflict, and the other offering a solution.
Objectives
Materials and Preparations
Procedures
Day 1:
Guiding Questions
- What conflict is the artist responding to?
- What symbols, images and text does the artist use to draw his viewers awareness to the issue of the
conflict?
- Is his aim to be critical, raise awareness, or inspire resolution, how do you know?
- How does the setting or context of Banksy’s work affect its message?
Day 2:
Sample Questions
- What conflict is represented? Is this still going on today? Where?
- Explain how the artist chosen to represent this conflict?
- Is the artist’s aim to be critical, raise awareness, or inspire resolution and how do you know?
- Where do you imagine this work would be viewed? Who is the audience?
- How does the setting or context of the work affect its message?
2. Conflict exists at all levels of human existence: political, social, religious, interpersonal and
intrapersonal.
3. Artists represent conflict from a particular point of view, perspective, and/or bias.
4. Artistic creation and expression can transform conflict and bring about resolution.
5. Art can affect change both personally and politically.
Closure
Teacher will explain that for their project students will have to select a particular conflict that they don’t have personal experience with (to promote empathy). In preparation for their research, students will brainstorm a list on the worksheet of specific examples of conflict from current global events, personal or interpersonal conflict as well as find 2 newspaper, magazine or internet articles discussing a current local, national, or international source of conflict.
Assessments
This lesson is an introduction to the theme of “Contemporary Conflict and Resolution.” Initially students will be shown two videos of notorious British ‘Street Artist’ Banksy making a work on the wall separating Palestine and Iraq. Without background information, students will be asked to comment on how this artist demonstrates conflict. In large and small group discussions students will collaborate on idea gathering and investigate the complexity of the issue of conflict. Using given artworks as a starting point for investigation, students will see how various artists have responded to and represented conflict in their work. This lesson is a starting point for Lesson #2 which will require students research a topic of conflict and Lesson #3 where students will create two finished artworks; one presenting a conflict, and the other offering a solution.
Objectives
- Students will understand how artists (contemporary and past) represent conflict using symbols, words, and actions to convey political and/or social beliefs.
- Students will identify how representations of conflict can reveal a particular point of view, perspective, and/or bias.
- Students will identify the various causes of conflict ranging from personal to international and global.
- Students will make connections between how personal and family conflicts can lead to larger scale conflicts and vice versa.
Materials and Preparations
- Computer with Internet and Digital Projector
- Current Newspapers and Magazines (last 3 years)
- Conflict Brainstorming worksheet (See Educational Resources Page)
- Reproductions of art historical examples with discussion and inquiry questions
Procedures
Day 1:
- Initially students will be told that this Unit revolves around the concept of conflict and resolution. Teacher will post various definitions of conflict and resolution, so students can expand their understanding of this “big” idea.
- The teacher will show a video (raw footage) of notorious British ‘Street Artist’ Banksy making a work on the wall separating Palestine and Iraq. Without background information, students will be asked to comment on how this artist demonstrates conflict. Students will support their responses with details from the video clip. Answers may include: representation of guns (armed people watching the artist), the fact that he has probably not received permission to paint the wall (footage taken at night in stealth mode), imagery represented presents a contrast to the surrounding of the site (tropical paradise scene pasted on bleak cement wall and girl floating over the wall supported by balloons).
- Teacher will show a second video clip (Channel 4 news), which provides some information about the artist, the artwork and the conflict to which Banksy is responding.
- In a large group discussion students will comment more specifically on how Banksy represented and responded to conflict in these works.
Guiding Questions
- What conflict is the artist responding to?
- What symbols, images and text does the artist use to draw his viewers awareness to the issue of the
conflict?
- Is his aim to be critical, raise awareness, or inspire resolution, how do you know?
- How does the setting or context of Banksy’s work affect its message?
Day 2:
- Students will form groups of 4-5, each group will be given an artwork that represents conflict and/or resolution. Each image will have a set of related questions for the group to discuss.
Sample Questions
- What conflict is represented? Is this still going on today? Where?
- Explain how the artist chosen to represent this conflict?
- Is the artist’s aim to be critical, raise awareness, or inspire resolution and how do you know?
- Where do you imagine this work would be viewed? Who is the audience?
- How does the setting or context of the work affect its message?
- Each group will present their artwork to the class and summarize the answers their group gave to the various discussion questions. The teacher will affirm answers and provide the class with historical background and iconographical details missing from the group’s presentation. Through discussion the teacher will enforce the following enduring ideas:
2. Conflict exists at all levels of human existence: political, social, religious, interpersonal and
intrapersonal.
3. Artists represent conflict from a particular point of view, perspective, and/or bias.
4. Artistic creation and expression can transform conflict and bring about resolution.
5. Art can affect change both personally and politically.
Closure
Teacher will explain that for their project students will have to select a particular conflict that they don’t have personal experience with (to promote empathy). In preparation for their research, students will brainstorm a list on the worksheet of specific examples of conflict from current global events, personal or interpersonal conflict as well as find 2 newspaper, magazine or internet articles discussing a current local, national, or international source of conflict.
Assessments
- Formative Assessments:Teacher will monitor small group discussions, based on student responses teacher will determine the students’ degree of understanding. Teacher will informally assess group presentations based on their level of critical thinking, interpretations (specifically if they can identify and support the viewpoint or bias of the artist in the given work) and connections of ideas.
- Summative Assessment:Students will individually generate a list of conflicts on the provided worksheet. This will be awarded points based on completion (4 or more examples for each sphere of conflict)