• Home
  • Art Lessons
    • Art Lessons
    • Pre-School Lessons
    • Elementary Lessons
    • Jr./Middle Lessons
    • High Sch. Lessons
    • College Art Lessons
    • Substitute Lessons
    • Art/Drama Lessons
    • Art Activities
    • Art Lesson Links
    • Cartoon Lessons
    • Files for Teachers
    • Submit a Lesson
  • Art Jobs & Careers
    • Art Jobs & Careers
    • Advertising Art
    • Animation Careers
    • Art School Search
    • Art Career Advice
    • Desktop Publishing
    • Fashion Design
    • Graphic Design
    • Illustration
    • Art Job Openings
    • Art Job Search
    • Special Effects
    • Video Game Design
    • Web Design
  • Art Departments
    • Art Departments
    • Art Room Home
    • Elem. Art Depts.
    • Secondary Art Depts.
    • Art Schools
    • World Art Schools
    • Art School Search
  • Art Resources
    • Art Resources
    • Great Architects
    • Activities & Games
    • Art Advocacy
    • Artist Encyclopedia
    • Art Associations
    • IAD Art Gallery
    • List of Art Galleries
    • Art Associations
    • Art of India
    • Art of Mexico
    • Art News
    • Art Periods & Styles
    • Art Schools
    • Art Test
    • Art Magazines
    • ASCII Art
    • IAD Art Awards
    • Art Blogs & Podcasts
    • Cartoon Gallery
    • Christmas Art
    • Clip Art & Images
    • Constitution Day Art
    • Easter Art
    • Great Art Sites
    • Halloween Art
    • Holi Festival Art
    • Impressionator
    • John Lloyd Wright
    • Mayan Art Culture
    • List of Art Museums
    • Native American Art
    • Pet Peeves in Art
    • U.S. Art Museums
    • Great Photographers
    • Pointillator Game
    • St. Patrick's Day Art
    • Student Art Galleries
    • Art Tessellations
    • Thanksgiving Art
    • Valentine's Day Art
    • Art Video & Cameras
  • Art Teacher Toolkit
    • Art Teacher Toolkit
    • Art Activitites
    • Art Assessment
    • Art Community
    • Best Practices
    • Brain Research
    • Common Core Art
    • Art Contests
    • Art Curriculum
    • Classroom Discipline
    • Flipped Classroom
    • Free Art Things
    • Art Instruction
    • Art Links
    • NCLB & the Arts
    • PBIS & the Arts
    • Art Rubrics
    • School Law
    • Special Education

 

Metaphoric Self Portrait Sculptures

Submitted by: Melinda Zacher, Forest Hill
Community High School in West Palm Beach, FL
UNIT: Sculpture
Grade Level: High School
Time: Four to five weeks (or more - depending on length of class)

 

Objectives:

  1. Synthesize art concepts and skills in works that are personally, socio-culturally and aesthetically meaningful.

  2. Exhibit technical skills and an appropriate use of media.

  3. To illustrate concepts imaginatively and creatively, avoiding clichéd objects and obvious symbols.

Goals:

Translate a concept into a 3D form utilizing appropriate media

 

Materials:

Handouts, DVD (Art: 21. - also see season 3. and season 5),. slides of student work, Sketchbooks., thesaurus, Plaster of Paris., Stoneware Clay, Twisteez Wire., cardboard, found objects, and misc. sculpture materials; criteria sheet - Alternate: Plastic packaging tape along with found object/collage

 

Sculpture      Sculpture      Sculpture

Sculpture      Sculpture
Click images for larger views

 

Resources:

DVD (Art: 21.) This release contains the first and second season of PBS' acclaimed documentary, which takes a look into the future at how art will be changing people's lives in the 21st Century.

Betye and Alison Saars' sculptures

 

Activities:

  1. Introduce project. Show slides of student work.

  2. Pose questions to students about what they should consider when coming up with ideas for their self-portrait. (Describe and analyze themselves and how they relate to the world). Think of symbols / actions that represent each. Explain how to capture the essence of something, rather than being literal or clichéd. Think of more imaginative and creative ways of addressing topics.

    1. How do you fit into society / school?

    2. How do you relate or react to your family / peers?

    3. Do you have any traditions your family follows? Do you come from another country or culture? Does religion play a part in your life?

    4. What passions do you have? What liberates you? What confines you?

    5. What best represents you: Body, Mind, Spirit, or Society?

  3. Discuss different media choices and how different materials convey different meanings and emotions.

  4. Discuss relief sculpture vs. sculpture in the round.

  5. Discuss an artists’ relationship to the viewer. View slides and ask questions about how students react to individual pieces.

    1. How will the viewer react to this piece?

    2. What do you want the viewer to feel when interacting with your work?

    3. Do you want them to know it is about you specifically, or about your meaning in a more ambiguous way?

  6. Watch Art: 21 DVD, answer questions based on the artists’ intention and meaning, cultures, traditions, and background, and how they incorporated it all into their artwork. Focus on the process of reaching an idea.

  7. Students will fill two pages in their sketchbooks of words describing themselves. Answer all the questions above when brainstorming ideas. Use thesauruses to come up with new words. Students can decorate, tone, collage, etc. anything they want to pages. Must have a minimum of 100 words.

  8. Students design 2 different sculptures based on written theme.

    1. Design must include approximate dimensions, media to be used, colors, and surface treatment.

    2. Each design should include multiple views if it is a sculpture in the round.

  9. Students begin collecting materials and building sculpture.

Assessments: Students will receive a criteria sheet where they will grade themselves from 1-20 on each of the following criteria:

  1. How well does your choice of media relate to your subject? How did you treat the surface? How effective did you use media and color? Does your surface add interest or detract from the finished piece?

  2. How innovative / original is your design? Does your design follow your proposal? Does your design flow and hold the viewers’ attention?

  3. Evaluate your form. Evaluate your use of movement. (energized or static?) Balance and proportion. Is it freestanding? Evaluate its strength and your craftsmanship.

  4. Evaluate your use of time in class and the level of completion of your work. Is it finished? Did you work in class every day?

  5. Uses this area to describe any other criteria you think I should consider when grading and critiquing your work.

Metaphoric Self-Portrait Sculpture –Student Guidelines

Fill two pages in your sketchbook of words that describe you (minimum of 100 words).

Some questions to consider when coming up with ideas for your self-portrait: (Describe and analyze yourself and how you relate to the world). Think of symbols / actions that represent each. Try to capture the essence of something, rather than being literal or clichéd. Think of more imaginative and creative ways of addressing topics.

1. Who am I?

2. What is my story?

3. Where am I ?

4. Do I belong?

5. Why am I here?

6. Where am I going?

7. What am I learning?

8. Is it relevant to what I know?

9. How do I perceive the world?

Answer the following questions along with your 100 words.

10. How do you fit into society / school?

11. How do you relate or react to your family / peers?

12. Do you have any traditions your family follows?

13. Do you come from another country or culture?

14. Does religion play a part in your life?

15. What passions do you have?

16. What liberates you?

17. What confines you?

18. What best represents you: Body, Mind, Spirit, or Society?

Also keep the viewer in mind:

  1. How will the viewer react to this piece?

  2. What do you want the viewer to feel when interacting with your work?

  3. Do you want them to know it is about you specifically, or about your meaning in a more ambiguous way?

And finally, the media. Plaster, clay, wire, cardboard, found objects, etc. How does the media you choose relate to your subject / theme?

 

Design 2 different sculptures based on a written theme.

  1. Design must include approximate dimensions, media to be used, colors, and surface treatment.

  2. Each design should include multiple views if it is a sculpture in the round.

Student Critique

If you have not scored your work consistently in the 15 to 20 points range, now assess what its strengths and weaknesses are, and how to rework the piece and raise it to a 20. Explain your rationale in a paragraph below, considering:

1. Have you done anything special with the use of the art elements (line, color, shape, texture, value)?

2. What are some of the dominant shapes, expressive forms, color schemes, and textures that carry significance in this artwork?

3. Is the work ordered/balanced? Or chaotic/disturbing? What makes for the order or chaos? Would you use words such as unity, variety, contrast, balance, movement, and rhythm to describe formal characteristics of this work?

4. Describe the quality of execution and technique. What gives the work its uniqueness?

5. Does the work evoke any feelings? To what do you ascribe your feeling – the use if colors, shapes, technique, theme?

6. Is there "symbolism" used in the work to convey meaning other than what one sees?

7. What is your general impression of the work? What did you want the viewer to think about? Did you successfully get your message across?

Discuss if the work is a significant success, why or why not, and support your judgment with evidence (Use this area to describe any other criteria you think I should consider when grading and critiquing your work.)

 

Assessment - Rubric

Metaphoric Self-Portrait Rubric

Possible student teacher

 

1. Materials well used; technique is excellent

How well does your choice of media relate to your subject?
How did you treat the surface? How effective did you use
media and color? Does your surface add interest or detract
from the finished piece? Evaluate its strength and your
craftsmanship

20

2. Inventive / Imaginative

How innovative / original is your design? Does your design
follow your proposal? Does your design flow and hold the
viewers’ attention?

20


3. Evidence of thinking / clear visual intent

Did you challenge yourself? Does your piece show evidence
of research and investigation on yourself?

30

4. Purposeful composition

Did you think about the elements and principles of art and
design when planning the composition of your piece?

20

5. Awareness of style and format

Evaluate your form. Evaluate your use of movement, balance
and proportion. Energized or static? Is it freestanding?

20

6. Sensitive / Evocative

Does your piece prompt memories or images from the
viewer? Is your piece an experience?

20

7. Use of time / Dedication

Evaluate your use of time in class and the level of completion
of your work. Is it finished? Did you work in class every day?

20

Total:

150

 

National Standards

 

1. Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

2. Using knowledge of structures and functions

3. Choosing and evaluating a range of subject matter, symbols, and ideas

5. Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others

Students apply media, techniques, and processes with sufficient skill, confidence, and sensitivity that their intentions are carried out in their artworks

Students demonstrate the ability to form and defend judgments about the characteristics and structures to accomplish commercial, personal, communal, or other purposes of art

Students reflect on how artworks differ visually, spatially, temporally, and functionally, and describe how these are related to history and culture

Students identify intentions of those creating artworks, explore the implications of various purposes, and justify their analyses of purposes in particular works

Students conceive and create works of visual art that demonstrate an understanding of how the communication of their ideas relates to the media, techniques, and processes they use

Students evaluate the effectiveness of artworks in terms of organizational structures and functions

Students apply subjects, symbols, and ideas in their artworks and use the skills gained to solve problems in daily life

Students describe meanings of artworks by analyzing how specific works are created and how they relate to historical and cultural contexts

 

Students create artworks that use organizational principles and functions to solve specific visual arts problems

(Advanced)Students describe the origins of specific images and ideas and explain why they are of value in their artwork and in the work of others

Students reflect analytically on various interpretations as a means for understanding and evaluating works of visual art

 

(Advanced) Students demonstrate the ability to compare two or more perspectives about the use of organizational principles and functions in artwork and to defend personal evaluations of these perspectives

Students evaluate and defend the validity of sources for content and the manner in which subject matter, symbols, and images are used in the students' works and in significant works by others

(Advanced) Students correlate responses to works of visual art with various techniques for communicating meanings, ideas, attitudes, views, and intentions

 

Students create multiple solutions to specific visual arts problems that demonstrate competence in producing effective relationships between structural choices and artistic functions

 

 




HOME | ABOUT | CONTACT | ADVERTISE | NEWSLETTER | © Incredible Art Department


Popular Pages

  • High School Art lessons
  • High School Art Lessons - Categorized by Subject
  • High School Art Lessons- Categorized by Medium
  • High School Art Lessons- Categorized by Art Period
  • High School Art Lessons- Integration into other subjects

More Info

  • Incredible Art Home
  • Pre-School Lessons
  • Elementary Lessons
  • Jr./Middle Lessons
  • High Sch. Lessons
  • College Art Lessons
  • Substitute Lessons
  • Art/Drama Lessons
  • Art Activities
  • Art Lesson Links
  • Cartoon Lessons
  • Files for Teachers
  • Submit a Lesson


Search

Navigation

  • Home
  • Art Lessons
  • Art Jobs & Careers
  • Art Departments
  • Art Resources
  • Art Teacher Toolkit

Social

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
© incredibleart.org
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy