| Lesson Title: |
Exploring Cultural Identity
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| Grade Level: |
12th (Advanced Painting)
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PA. Standards for the Arts and Humanities
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| 9.1.12.A. |
Elements - Principles
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| 9.1.12.B. |
Visual Arts
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| 9.2.12.A. |
Explain the historical, cultural and social context of an individual work in the arts.
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| 9.2.12.D. |
Analyze a work of art from its historical and cultural perspective.
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| 9.2.12.J. |
Identify, explain and analyze historical and cultural differences as they relate to the works in the arts.
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| 9.3.12.D. |
Analyze and interpret works in the arts and humanities from different societies using culturally specific vocabulary of critical response.
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Objectives
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| Knowledge: |
Students learn that cultural identity is an important aspect in their artwork.
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| Skill: |
The students learn how to explore their own cultural identity.
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| Attitude: |
The students learn to appreciate their own cultural identity through their own self-exploration.
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| Prepare Ahead: |
-Stretchers
-Canvas
-Oil paint
-Smocks
-Brushes
-Andrea Baldeck 'The Heart of Haiti' book
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| Prior Knowledge: |
-Galleries visit to 'The Heat of Haiti'
-Basics in oil painting and brush technique
-Basic life drawing skills
-How to stretch their own canvas
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Motivation
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Questions Leading Students to
Discovery: |
What was the message Andrea Baldeck was trying to get across in her portraits of the Haitian people?
What everyday life in like in Haiti. To show us the common everyday people.
How did the photos make you feel personally?
Haitian people live and work in poor conditions. Life is not easy for them.
What are the Haitian people doing? What are they wearing? Where are they looking?
They are in their everyday environments. They are working and hanging out. They are wearing worn clothes. Some clothes seem dirty or unwashed. Some of the Haitian people are looking directly into the camera while others seem to not even notice they are having their photo taken.
What about the people themselves? The faces of the people gave off a lot of feelings and emotions. Let's make a list of words that describe what emotions you got from the portraits.
(Students list words.) Hardworking, kindness, despair, sorrow, serious, tired, wise, carefree, mature, etc.
These are all very good words to describe the emotion shown there the portraits. These seem to be everyday emotions that anyone could come across in any given day. Now, how do you think American culture compares to Haitian culture?
It does not compare in the least. American's take for granted everything. Haitian people struggle more than most Americans.
Okay. Those are very strong opinions. Look at the list you just created as a class on the board of emotions the Haitian people portrays. Do they or do they not describe how most human beings feel at some point in their life. Despair, hardworking, kindness are all human conditions. Andrea wanted to show human condition in these Haitian portraits. Each having their own identity. What does the word identity mean to you?
My own personal beliefs, morals, ideas and goals.
Those are good words to describe identity. I have written the definition on the board. (Removes a piece of paper covering the definition.) The distinct personality of an individual, the individual characteristics by which a thing or person is recognized or known. What are the individual characteristics that create your personality? How you define yourself. Now how about cultural identity? What do you think that is about?
Distinct qualities that describe a certain culture. How they behave, what they think as a huge instead of just one individual.
Good answer. I have also written down the definition of cultural identity on the board. The definition reads cultural identity is the (feeling of) identity of a group or culture, or of an individual as far as her/his belonging to a group or culture influences him. This definition is basically stating that people create their own personal identity using influences from their cultural identity. Taking everyday occurrences and making them a part of which they are as a person. Now think to yourself, what are some aspects of your everyday life that create your identity. What characteristics stand out the most? How do they affect your everyday life? Today we are going to begin exploring your own identities through creating self-portraits using oil paints. Just like Andrea Baldeck expressed the emotions and culture of the Haitian people through her photos, you will attempt to portray yourself the same way. Think about what emotion you want to portray. Every detail will matter. The clothes you wear, the position you are in, your expression on your face will all give off some kind of idea about you to the viewer. Your portrait paintings can be representation or abstract, as long as they give us some kind of idea of whom you think you are as a person. We will each stretch a canvas like we learned last week, and get started by creating sketches today in our sketchbooks. I have also brought in more books of work by Andrea Baldeck and other portrait photographers for you to look through for ideas.
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| Demonstration: |
I have also started a self-portrait of myself that I will continue working on with you. As you can see I have made sketches of my composition before lightly drawing on the canvas. (Points to sketches and canvas hung on the wall for the class to see.)
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| Visual Aids: |
- 'Heart of Haiti'
- Reproductions from the show, handouts.
- 'Touching the Mekong'
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| Reference to Art History: |
- Andrea Baldeck Gallery Show
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| Exemplars: |
- Stretched Canvas
- Sketches
- Finished portrait
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| Activity: |
WEEK ONE: Students recap what they have seen at the show and talk about identity. Students stretch gesso their canvas. Students work on sketches of themselves for their self-portrait assignment. Students must come in the following week with at least five sketches.
WEEK TWO: Students lie out their composition and begin working on their portraits. They are reminded of the idea of identity and how to portray it through their work.
WEEK THREE: Students continue work on their portraits.
WEEK FOUR: Students continue work on their portraits. A short critique on student's progress.
WEEK FIVE: Students last class day to work on assignment. Final critique next week.
WEEK SIX: Critique on students work. Students must write a short paper on how they feel they have shown the idea of identity in their work. Due the following week.
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| Supplies: |
- Canvas
- Stretchers
- Oil paint
- Brushes
- Smocks
- Linseed oil
- Turpinoid
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| Vocabulary: |
- Identity
- Cultural identity
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Assessment Strategy
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Students must meet criteria that are given in a rubric for this project.
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Correlated Lessons
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- Exploring the idea of heritage.
- Exploring the idea of personal beliefs rather than society as a whole.
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Interdisciplinary Domains
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- Writing - Short papers about how they feel they got the message of identity across in their portraits and why they think identity is important in artwork.
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Closure
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- What is the definition of identity? Cultural identity?
- What are some characteristics on identity?
- What feelings did Andrea Baldeck want to come across in her portraits?
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Reflections
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I would have liked to have the students focus on more than just the 'Heart of Haiti' photographs, maybe look at more of Baldeck's work with human interaction.
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