Introduction to Conceptual Art

Submitted by: Anita Dallar
Title of Lesson: Introduction to Conceptual Art / Art is the Answer - What is the Question?
Goals/Objectives: Art is the Answer – What is the Question
Grade Level: K-12, adjust the complexity of the concept, medium and materials to the grade/ability level.
Subject: Visual Arts, Social Studies

 

Objective:
Introduction to conceptual art and using art as visual language to illustrate beliefs and concepts.

This is a lesson designed to get students to think about what art means to them and how art can be used to define personal, societal, cultural or global beliefs. It also encourages awareness and tolerance for differing beliefs and perspectives.

 

Art is the answer – what is the question utilizes elements of 2 dimensional design, color theory, verbal presentation skills, multimedia, art history, critical thinking, creative problem solving and social studies.

Materials:
Poster Board used whole, halved or quartered. AquaMarkers, Colored Pencils, paints (Acrylic Paint or Tempera Paint), magazines for collage or printed out digital imagery, White Glue. For advanced classes more advanced mediums can be used.

 

Planning:
Have students make their own poster or make one computer poster and make copies using only the words Art is the Answer – What is the Question, replace the image in the center with a blank box.

 

Students will fill in the box with a drawing, painting, collage or digital image of what they think the question is, could be, or should be.

 

Show examples of artistic works that use different ways of conveying the same concepts – art history or current trends in art.

 

Open Discussion; what does art mean to you? If art is the answer what do you think the question is? How many questions can you come up with where art is the answer? How do your beliefs define what the question is and what art is? Draw or paint your answer in the box in the middle – as the image example shows.

 

Examples:
I chose a digital image of myself playing the banjo and used digital manipulation to include many colors because I am a visual artist who also plays instruments, so the question might be "what do I like" – art is the answer.

What can be done to beautify the world? Art is the answer – in the blank box create visual representations of how art can help beautify the world.

 

What can be done to promote world peace? Art is the answer – in the blank box create visual representations of world peace.

 

What can be done to encourage acceptance of diversity? Art is the answer – in the blank box create visual representations of acceptance of diversity. Any question can be used as long as "art is the answer".

 

Each student can choose their own question based on their beliefs and perceptions of what art is and how art can be used to illustrate thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions OR the teacher can choose one question for all students to uniquely illustrate how "art is the answer" to that one question.

 

This lesson can cross subject lines by replacing Art is the Answer with Science is the Answer – What is the Question, Math is the Answer – What is the Question, etc.

 

Critique:
During the critique have each student discuss the imagery they chose, what medium/mediums they used, what the imagery means, why they chose it and how it relates to "art", this builds verbal communication and presentation skills, and also encourages tolerance for diversity.

 

Assessment:
Use a standard rubric to assess project and critique participation