Guyton Style Relief Collage

Submitted by: Linda McLean
Media Specialist / Art Teacher

Lesson Title: Piece It Together
Presenters: Linda McLean& Cindy Scarpace
Lesson © Linda McLean & Cindy Scarpace
Grades: 3-5
Mosaics/Collage
Time Needed: 2 sessions

Enduring Idea:

Students study the famous Detroit Artist, Tyree Guyton to understand the iconic face images in his work. Students’ art reflects knowledge of the uniqueness and the sameness of all human faces.

Michigan Benchmarks:
All students will
1. Apply skills and knowledge to perform in the arts
2. Apply skills and knowledge to create in the arts
3. Analyze, describe and evaluate works of art
4. Understand, analyze, and describe the arts in their historical, social, and cultural contexts
5. Recognize, analyze, and describe connections between the arts and everyday life

Vocabulary:

Detroit Artist - Tyree Guyton, mosaics, faces in the hood, iconic, skin tones,
collage, differences, facial features, tiles, outline, portrait, details, shapes.

Procedure:

Read selected poems from "The Heidelberg Project: A Street of Dreams," by Linda K. McLean
Discuss “Faces in the Hood," and “Look At Me" (Chapter in The Heidelberg Project book) emphasizing diversity of the human face, and the sameness that we all share.
Discuss Tyree Guyton's style of portrait painting. Note the messages on some faces in the photographs and the primitive art style he uses.

Have students lightly sketch the outline of a head, neck, and shoulders on their black background paper. Students use tiles of paper, magazine pages, or other flat materials such as cardboard, felt, or cloth material to fill in the facial features, skin tones, hair, and clothing of their portrait. Pieces should be glued into place with liquid glue.
Optional- add inspirational words on the portrait.

Visual Aids:

The Heidelberg Project, A Street of Dreams, by Linda K. McLean
Tyree Guyton pictures, news articles, photos, posters, website - The Heidelberg Project.

Materials:

12 X 18 (30.5 x 45.7 cm) black Construction Paper; Various materials suitable for mosaic tiles such as Construction Paper, magazine pages, Felt, cloth material, scrapbook paper, White Glue, Scissors, Drawing Pencils

Optional - inspirational words- stamps such as; Joy, Believe in yourself, Live, Love, Laugh, Take Time to Smell the Roses, Harmony, Believe in your Dreams. ☺
Different colored stamp pads

Assessment:

Is the student’s portrait a recognizable human face? Do students understand mosaic technique?

Photo Credit: www.artprojectsforkids.org/