Sumner County Schools
Arts Content Area: High School Visual Arts Week of May 18, 2020
Part 1: Yayoi Kusama
Read:https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/explore/who-is/who-yayoi-kusama
WHOISSHE?
YayoiKusamaisaJapaneseartistwhoissometimescalled“theprincessofpolkadots”.Althoughshemakeslotsofdifferenttypesofart–paintings,sculptures,performancesandinstallations–theyhaveonethingincommon,DOTS!
WHAT'SWITHALLTHEDOTS?
YayoiKusamatellsthestoryofhowwhenshewasalittlegirl,shehadahallucinationthatfreakedherout.Shewasinafieldofflowerswhentheyallstartedtalkingtoher!Theheadsofflowerswerelikedotsthatwentonasfarasshecouldsee,andshefeltasifshewasdisappearingorasshecallsit‘self-obliterating’–intothisfieldofendlessdots.Thisweirdexperienceinfluencedmostofherlaterwork.
Byaddingall-overmarksanddotstoherpaintings,drawings,objectsandclothesshefeelsasifsheismakingthem(andherself)meltinto,andbecomepartof,thebiggeruniverse.Shesaid:
‘Ourearthisonlyonepolkadotamongamillionstarsinthecosmos.Polkadotsareawaytoinfinity.Whenweobliteratenatureandourbodieswithpolkadots,webecomepartoftheunityofourenvironment’.
Shealsocreatesenvironmentsofdotssothatwecanexperiencethisfeelingofself-obliterationtoo.Shecallstheseroomsher'InfinityRooms'andcreatesthembyinstallinghundredsofflashingcoloredLEDlightsintomirroredrooms.Thepinpricksoflightinthedarkroomreflectendlesslyinthemirrors,makingyoufeellikeyouareinanapparentlyendlessspace.Thedotssurroundandengulfyou…it'sveryhardtotellwhereyouendandwheretherestoftheroombegins
HOWDIDSHESTART?
YayoiwasborninJapanin1929.Sheloveddrawingandpaintingandalthoughherparentsdidn'twanthertobeanartist,shewasdetermined.Whenhermumtoreupherdrawings,shemademore.Whenshecouldnotaffordtobuyartmaterials,sheusedmudandoldsackstomakeart.Thisisadrawingshemadeofhermumwhenshewas10yearsold.
EventuallyYayoiKusamapersuadedherparentstolethergotoartschoolandstudypainting.
Inthelate1950sshemovedtoNewYorkaslotsofthemostexcitingartseemedtobehappeningthere.Itmusthavebeenabitfrighteningarrivinginabigcitywithsuchadifferentculturefromwhatsheknew.ButshewasdeterminedtoconquerNewYork.Shelaterwroteaboutherfeistyattitude:‘Iwouldstanduptothemallwithasinglepolkadot’.
Shehadthefirstofmanyexhibitionstherein1959.ShemetandinspiredimportantartistsincludingDonaldJudd,AndyWarholandJosephCornell,andherartwasapartofexcitingartdevelopmentssuchaspopartandminimalism.Shewasalsooneofthefirstartiststoexperimentwithperformanceandactionart.
Aswellasbeinganartpioneer,YayoiKusamaputhercreativityintootherthingsincludingmusic,
design,writingandfashion.
Step1:Research:
-GoogleYayoiKusama–youneedtoseeherworkincolor!
-SpecificallylookupKusama’spumpkins,piecesinclude“AlltheEternalLoveIhaveforPumpkins.”Yayoi’spumpkinsarelikeWarhol’ssoupcans–shelovedthe“generousunpretentiousness”ofthesquash.
Step2:Design:
-Drawyourownpumpkindesign.Thinkaboutline,shape,andcolorandhowtheseelementsinteractwitheachother.Youcanfindmanyexamplesonline!
Yourdesignmustinclude:
- 2ormorepatterns(onepatternmustbepolkadots)- 2ormorecolors
Step3:Create
Createapumpkinusingthefollowingmaterials(orsimplywhatyouhaveathome!):
constructionpapergluecolorpencilsmarkerspaperscissorsnewspaper
Anyfoundmaterialsitemstobethrownaway(dryfoodboxes)
Therearenorules,exceptthatitmustbebiggerthanyourhandandincludethesamedesignrequirementsasyourdrawing.Takeyourtime,thinkaboutyourdesignandbepurposefulwithyourartisticchoices.
Step4:Share:Sendimagesofyoursketchesandyourfinishedpumpkinstoyourteacher.
Part 2: Wayne Thiebaud – As American as Apple Pie
Step1:Read(informationprovidedbytheSFMoMA) BayAreaartistWayneThiebaudworkedfirstasagraphicdesignerandcartoonistbeforebeginninghispaintingcareerinthemid-1950s.HecombinedanumberofintereststhencurrentinAmericanart:thick,gesturalbrushwork,everydaysubjectmatter,andcommercialimagery.Thiebaudisbestknownforhispaintingsofcakes,pies,andcandiesarrangedinclassicdinerorcafeteriastyle.Thiebauddepictstheseobjectsascommodities,theiremphasisonappearanceasmuchastaste.Heachievedthiseffectthroughserialrepetition,syntheticcolors,and,famously,bypaintingwithaknife,asifhewerespreadingthe"frosting"ontohiscakes.Byfocusingonsugaryfoodstuffs,Thiebaudupdatedthetraditionalstill-lifegenrefortheageofmassproductionandconsumption. Step2:ResearchmoreabouttheartistusingGoogleArts&Culture,artnet,Artble,ArtHistory.net,etc.
Lookspecificallyatthefollowingimages: Confections,1962 DessertTray,1992-1994 ThreeMachines,1963 Sandwich,1963
Step3:Usehttps://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/glossary/todefinethefollowingterms a. Definecomposition:b. Definestilllife:c. Definehorizonline:
Step3:Design! Whatisyourfavoritefood? Refertopage8,theArtist’sProcess.Create4thumbnaildrawingsofyourfavoritefood.Playwithavarietyofcompositions.ConsiderthesimplicityofThiebaud’sworkandhowhedisplaysthefoodinhispaintings. Step4:Create! Usingthematerialsyouhaveavailable,createyourownfoodinspiredworkofart.Itcanbedrawn(pencil,oilpastel,marker,coloredpencil),painted,collaged,etc.Focusoncompositionandhowyourobjectsinteractwiththespaceandeachother.Thinkaboutvalue,color,andtextureandhowtomakeyourfoodlookgoodenoughtoeat! Step5:Share!Sendimagesofyourprogressandfinishedproducttoyourartteacher.
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