Visual Arts
Teacher Materials
Assessment
Differentiation
There are a few things I think you ought to know... student materials and learning activities will assist students to analyse and appraise Louisa Bufardeci’s artwork. The materials can be explored individually, in partners or as a class.
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Discuss the affect the artwork has on the laneway. What is the viewpoint of the artist and what are the possible viewpoints of the audience. consider tourists, locals, immigrants etc…
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Discuss the use of maths being used as inspiration for maths. Consider looking at different graph and plotting activities which create a picture.
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Through a small group or class discussion, compare and contrast the students’ description of the elements of art (colour, line, shape) used in Louisa’s painting.
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Discuss students’ responses to the question: What might Louisa be telling us about Melbourne’s people through her painting?
Jump to
Key question
How are visual conventions including elements and principles of art, techniques and mediums used to represent Australia’s diversity?
By the end of this unit... students will have built an understanding of visual conventions, techniques and processes and how they are used to communicate ideas.
Students will discuss and describe artworks made by Louisa Bufardeci and Michael Cook, their classmates and themselves identifying similarities and differences and the viewpoints of both the artists and audiences and how they communicate diversity in Australia.
Key ideas
Responding
Students will learn to understand, appreciate and critique artworks as both the artist and the audience. Students will learn that different meanings can be interpreted and represented according to different viewpoints and that viewpoints are dependent on experiences and background.
Making
Student apply inspiration from viewed artworks and develop knowledge, skills and understanding of visual conventions including elements and principles of art, techniques and mediums and how they can be used to express meaning and create their own artwork.
Links to Australian Curriculum
Discussions Formative
Use students responses during discussions to make judgments about student understanding and progress.
Portfolio Formative and Summative
It is recommended each student keep a portfolio (A4-A3 student art diary). This portfolio can be used to record responses to learning activities, experimentation and exploration of art conventions and design and making processes.
Student Booklet Formative and Summative
The student booklet contains worksheets, templates and an assessment rubric. A copy of this booklet can be provided to each student to work through. Alternatively provide students worksheets as required
Assessment
Significant artwork activities
The questions and activities presented in There are a few things I think you ought to know… and Majority Rule student pages have been designed to be worked through in order. However, they can be worked on individually, with a partner, small group or in a whole class discussion.
Gallery Walk
Instruct students to walk around the classroom silently during Making lessons.
Students should observe other students work before sitting down again in their seats. When all students are sitting again, ask several students to provide positive feedback to their classmates. Gallery walks can also be implemented when the making process is complete. Student are then encouraged to interpret and discuss each other’s work.
Introduction
The Parts of Art
Majority Rule student materials and learning activities will assist students to analyse and appraise Michael Cook’s photography series. The materials can be explored individually, in partners or as a class.
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Introduce analysis and appraisal to class. What is the purpose of analysis and appraisal? How do we analyse and appraise artwork?
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Introduce the artwork and work through the questions provided to analyse and appraise Majority Rule 3 as a class.
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For independent work, inform students if they will be required to discuss questions with a partner or as a class.
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Introduce and explain how to use Venn diagram. Students compare and contrast Majority Rule 3 And students selected Majority Rule photograph
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Using selected photograph, students use elements and principles of art language to analyse and appraise the other image.
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Students can use the worksheets provided to label individual parts of the artwork and describe what those elements do eg: create movement or balance. This activity could be completed in groups.
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Introduce viewpoints and discuss the differences between artist and audience viewpoints. Discuss how people's experiences including culture etc mean everyone interprets art differently and there is not one correct answer.
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Discuss Majority Rule and consider the different viewpoints. What might an Aboriginal person think when viewing this artwork?
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Discuss the artist's question: What if Indigenous people represented the majority of the Australian people? And what students think their community would look like if the majority of the population was Aboriginal? How would they feel?
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Discuss how the area in which their community is located has changed since the colonisation of Australia. If possible display photographs/ artwork of the local area.
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Discuss how the artist used photography to create his artwork and present his question. Would the same effect have been able to be achieved with another method?
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Discuss what the artist is trying to say about diversity in Australian artwork. Currently there is a limited representation of Australia's diversity and multiculturalism in Australian artwork. If possible, visit the local gallery and identify Australian artworks and if they represent diversity in Australia or your community.
Making
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Students to use Michael Cook’s Majority Rule as inspiration to create their own ‘crowded’ artwork.
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Explore different ways to create ‘crowded’ artwork. Students could use collage, photography techniques (depending on school resources) or apps such as PicCollage. Let the students explore and experiment with different methods.
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After exploring different methods to create the layering effect used by the artist, students should record which methods worked and which ones didn’t produce the desired effect.
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Students should be encouraged to draw plans and record ideas and experimentation in their portfolios.
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Discuss how the students’ artwork should be mounted and hung and where it should be displayed.
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Discuss if the students’ artworks represent their community. Why? why not?
Making: Your Melting Pot
Explore different effects and techniques students can use when working with water colour and acrylic paints, oil pastels, pencils. (worksheets for students to record effects can be found in student workbook).
Encourage students to experiment and be risk takers
There are a few things I think you ought to know... is a temporary laneway installation commissioned by the City of Melbourne for Temporary Laneway Project in 2014. The artwork is an abstract interpretation of Melbourne's demographics and is made up of eight brightly coloured graphs painted directly onto the asphalt surface of the laneway. The artwork is 90 meters long. Upon completion, people engaged with the artwork walking through the laneway and attempting to find how they had been represented.
The Artist
Louisa is an Australian Artist based in Melbourne. Her artwork is regularly inspired by statistical data which she sources from public resources “including the CIA Fact Book, national census data and opinion polls” (MCA, 2009). Her interpretation of this data then “draws playful attention to gaps, biases and inequalities” (MCA, 2009).
Introduce The Elements of Art and and Principles of Art.
Using famous artwork identify how the element has been used. When students are more confident with the terms, students can work in small groups to describe an artwork using art language.
Provide students with Elements and Principles of Art worksheets to record learning.
Student workbook
Download the workbook for each student to record their learning or print individual pages as required.
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Introduce and discuss the colour wheel and colour theory
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Complete colour wheel and theory worksheets
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Experiment with colour mixing and create a large colour wheel (12 bowls, spoons and paint brushes).
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Arrange 3 bowls in a triangle (inside large drawn colour wheel)
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Introduce and discuss primary colours - fill a bowl each with red, blue and yellow paint
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Introduce secondary colours: add a bowl in between each primary colour.
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Instruct students to scoop one spoonful from the two neighbouring primary colours into their bowl and mix
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Introduce tertiary colours: add a bowl in between each secondary colour.
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Instruct students to scoop one spoonful from two neighbouring secondary colours into their bowl and mix
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Using the mixed colours fill the segments of the colour wheel
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Create a colour wheel collage using images from magazines.
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Introduce and identify complementary colours
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Introduce and identify warm and cool colours
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Discuss, define and explore shade and tint
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Create tone and tint ice cream cones
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Assign each child a colour.
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Students add varying quantities of white or black to their colour and paint an ice cream scoop.
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Students cut out and stack ice cream scoops in order of shade/tone
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Describe the different shades and tints. Students brainstorm to name and describe the colours.
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Introduce value and contrast. – discuss in terms of colour.
COLOUR
(MVM Art Room, 2012, May 23)
(Mrs. T's First Grade Class, 2011)
(Karin Katherine, 2011)
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Introduce and discuss line.
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Students can watch the YouTube clip provided
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Students can draw contour line self-portraits. Challenge children to draw portrait with a continuous line (not lifting their pencil)
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Introduce students to Zentangle designs. Discuss how abstract lines are used to create and represent texture and patterns. Students are to draw a picture eg: landscape using basic shapes and fill the areas using line. Students to consider what lines/patterns would best represent the features of their picture
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Introduce and discuss real, represented and invented textures.
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Go on a textures scavenger hunt around the school or classroom.
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Students to complete textures worksheet.
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Using different mediums, experiment with creating different textures that can be created. Discuss if they are real, represented of invented
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Introduce and discuss shape and form. Highlight the differences between organic, geometric etc
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Practice drawing geometric shapes and creating depth
Shape and Form
Texture
Assessment
Portfolio formative and summative
Analysis and appraisal formative
Students participate in discussions when analysing and appraising artwork
Differentiation
Demonstrate and step out techniques to students
Provide specific questions regarding artworks students are discussing
Scaffold students understanding of elements and principles of art
Worksheets provided for students to record answers to questions and experimentation
Students can also record answers to questions, analysis and appraisal and artist statements on video or audio devices
There are a few things i think you ought to know...
Making
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Students are to draw inspiration from Louisa’s There are a few things I think you ought to know… to create their own artwork which represents their community.
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Determine which community students will be required to represent through their artwork. This could be their classroom, school, local area, state etc.
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Depending on which community is selected, data can be collected through survey or via a public source.
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Determine which demographics students are to represent in their artwork. Students brainstorm which demographics would be most appropriate for their selected community eg: Classroom and country of birth or Adelaide and occupation etc.
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Discuss the elements and properties of design Louisa has used to represent statistics in her other artworks.
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Students to record ideas and experimentation with different designs and media in their art journal. Students should be encouraged to record choices made and their thought process.
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When complete, students present their artworks in small groups. Students identify and explain their artwork and the choices they made to achieve their final product. Group members are to respond by providing positive critique and asking questions.
Techniques
Students response to questions Formative
Participation in discussion Formative
Making Formative / Summative
Sharing Self & Peer assessment
Presentation Formative
Provide students with worksheets where required.
Scaffold students understanding of activities and terminology
Consider student understanding /class completion of elements of art and principles of art activities prior to completion of student learning materials and activities
Provide students with data of community or school
High literacy support needs
Record responses via video – eg seesaw or typed on computer
Record responses on worksheets
Teacher / support staff read questions to group
Partner / Group work
Assign groups/partners with cross section of reading ability levels for completing online tasks.
Extension work and Gifted and Talented Learners
Students access Australian Bureau of Statistics (or similar website) to source data from previous census to create their artwork.
Students can compare data from 2011 census and 2016 census. How would their artworks differ?
Majority Rule
Majority Rule is a series of photos created by Australian artist Michael Cook. The photographs are of crowded city locations however the crowd has been created with one Indigenous man positioned multiple times.
Even though Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are Australia’s first people, this photographic series forces the audience to compare the number of Aboriginal men in this image to the number seen in communities around Australia. By representing a crowd in a city location, using only one Indigenous man repeated numerous times, and an Aboriginal flag (not an Australian flag) the artist is asking the audience to consider What if Indigenous people were 96 percent of the Australian Population and non-indigenous people defined as the four percent? This is highlighted by the title of the series of photos: Majority Rule. In addition to the question the series asks, the use of one man to represent ‘many’, may also be a comment on the lack of representations of Australia’s diversity in other Australian artwork. (Cook, c. 2014).
The Artist
Michael Cook was adopted and raised by a family who fought for Indigenous rights. He considers himself an Australian with ‘mixed ancestry’ (biological father was Aboriginal) but through his artwork he acknowledges that he is ‘part of the human race’ (Cook, c. 2016). Michael uses his artwork to explore Indigenous issues in Australia including issues of diversity and identity.
Assessment
Differentiation
Students response to questions Formative
Participation in discussion Formative
Making Formative / Summative
Presentation Summative
Provide students with worksheets where required.
Scaffold students understanding of activities and terminology
Consider student understanding /class completion of elements of art and principles of art activities prior to completion of student learning materials and activities
High literacy support needs
Record responses via video – eg seesaw or typed on computer
Record responses on worksheets
Teacher / support staff read questions to group
Partner / Group work
Assign groups/partners with cross section of reading ability levels for completing online tasks.
Extension work and Gifted and Talented Learners
Students explore local / state art gallery website to explore the representation of diversity in Australian artwork.
Students write analysis and appraisal of additional photographs as a paragraph. Students are required to describe the artwork and elements eg: The man in the centre of the artwork appears as though he is running. This effect has been achieved through the man's position. He has one foot off the ground, is leaning forward and has bent arms. This creates emphasis and movement.
Students can draw what their community would look like in 2017 if it had not yet been colonised by Europeans.
Display a series of artworks created by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Ask students to identify which artwork is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art? Discuss what makes art Aboriginal art (created by an Aboriginal person). Discuss if Majority Rule is Aboriginal Art.
Making: Your Melting Pot provides students an opportunity to reflect on their community’s diversity and represent their ideas and viewpoint through elements and principles of art
Excursion
Take students on an excursion to observe their community.
Homework task
Students observe the community and take photos, sketch or record notes about what they see during a set time period eg: 1 week
Assessment
Differentiation
Folio and final artwork summative
Scaffold student research of community demographics, significant celebrations, and symbols of the people who make up the community. Websites students could access include Commonwealth, state and local government website and Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Artists statement: record artist’s statement in video or audio format
Adjustments can also be made based on specific literacy ability re folio and artist’s statement.
Extension work and Gifted and Talented Learners
Students represent a comparison of the diversity in their community now and 100 years ago. Through this comparison, students will be required to research how the community has changed during this time period.
(Heidabjorg, 2011, October 26)
Line
(ARTipelago, 2013, January 13)
(DIYReal,2013, May 7)