Seventh Grade and Project Examples

STUDENTS WILL BE GIVEN VOLUME FOUR: FROM COMMUNES TO CONDOS BY EILEEN PRINCE.

UNIT 1: IMPRESSIONISM AND POST-IMPRESSIONISM

Introduction with slides. The relationship between art and technology, science, philosophy and psychology will receive special focus. Final project: Students will create an artwork using an appropriate "broken color" style requiring optical mixing. The medium will be oil pastel and students will not be allowed to use black, gray or brown.

TWENTIETH CENTURY APPROACHES -EACH STUDENT WILL PROVIDE A TOOL/OBJECT (E.G. MONKEY WRENCH, TELEPHONE, CAMERA, CAN OPENER, ETC.) USING THE SAME OBJECT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, THE STUDENT WILL RENDER IT IN A VARIETY OF STYLES.

UNIT 2: REALISM TO SUPER-REALISM

Introduction to theories with slides. Include realism, social realism, socialist realism, Regionalism, super-realism, etc. Final project: the object will be photographed. Using a grid, the student will enlarge the object and render it precisely in pencil or the computer will be used to achieve a realist result.

UNIT 3: FAUVISM AND EXPRESSIONISM

Introduction to theories with slides. Include Die Brucke, Der Blau Reiter, various independent artists, abstract expressionists, Mexican expressionists, etc. Final project: the student will render the object in a Fauvist/expressive style by creating a torn paper montage. Special project: during one class period student will use face paints to "become" expressionist artworks.

UNIT 4: CONTOUR DRAWING

This is a technique rather than a theory of art. Students will view a demonstration rather than a slide introduction. Final project: the student will do several contour drawings of the object.

UNIT 5: CUBISM, FUTURISM, FORMALISM

Introduction to theories with slides. Include Cubism, Suprematism, Constructivism, De Stijl, Minimalism and Abstract Formalism. Final project: the student will render the object in a formalist style. He or she may choose analytical or synthetic Cubism, focusing, contour continuation, etc.

UNIT 6: FANTASY ART AND SURREALISM

Introduction to theories with slides and video. Include Dada. Focus on political aspects of Dadaism and its impact on later 20th Century art. Discuss the effects of psychoanalysis. Final project: the student will use the object in a surrealist or fantasy artwork. These projects may be 2- or 3- dimensional.

UNIT 7: OP, POP, CONCEPTUAL ART

Introduction to theories with slides. Include performance art and earthworks. Focus on aesthetic questions. Final projects: student may choose between a pop or op art interpretation of the object. The latter choice may be 2- or 3-dimensional. All students will write a short paper describing a conceptual project utilizing their objects. (If time permits and the project is feasible, the student may actually produce the conceptual project.)

INDEPENDENT STUDY PROJECT: EACH STUDENT WILL SELECT THE NAME OF A 20TH CENTURY ARTIST (AT RANDOM) FROM A GROUP PRESENTED BY THE TEACHER. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ARTIST, THE PUPIL WILL CREATE A "HOUSE" FOR THE ARTIST FROM A MILK CARTON. THE HOUSE WILL REFLECT THE ARTIST'S BEST-KNOWN STYLE.

AT THE CONCLUSION OF EACH UNIT, STUDENTS MAY BE ASKED TO SUBMIT (AT LEAST) FOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE WORKS THEY HAVE VIEWED. ONE QUESTION MUST BE FROM AN AESTHETIC PERSPECTIVE, ONE FROM A CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE, ONE FROM A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND ONE QUESTION ABOUT PRODUCTION.

	An example of broken color impressionist project
	a realist object drawing
	Torn paper montage in the Fauvist/expressive style.
	a contour drawing of the object
	a cubism interpretation of the object.
	Examples of painted face Expressionist artworks.
	Independent project