Cubist Geometric Design

Lesson Plan: "Squares"
Submitted by: Stephen Watson, at The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
for ART 130: Design I (2D), Summer 2013

 

DESCRIPTION:
Create an interesting design using only five squares. (5x)
Create an interesting design using only one square divided into five pieces. (5x)

 

OBJECTIVES:
Function thoughtfully and creatively within limitations.
Learn "muscle memory" by designing quickly and repeatedly.
Understand the unlimited potential of arranging and altering simple elements.

 

IMPLEMENTATION:
Materials and Tools:
Black Cardstock, White Cardstock (8.5" x 11" [21.6 x 28 cm] sheets)
Rulers
Drawing Pencils
Sharp Scissors
Glue Sticks
Tape and Push-pins

 

 

Five white 8" squares, arranged on a black 8" square, Student Work, Ayana, Summer 2013

 

Five 5 Square Projects:
1) Five white 1"[2.54 cm] squares, arranged on a black 8" [20.3 cm] square.
2) Five white 2" [5.1 cm] squares, arranged on a black 8" [20.3 cm] square.
3) Five white 4" [10.2 cm] squares, arranged on a black 8" [20.3 cm] square.
4) Five white 8" [20.3 cm] squares, arranged on a black 8" [20.3 cm] square.
5) Five black 4" [10.2 cm] squares, arranged directly on the wall. Use tape, border rule does not apply.

You have eight minutes to complete each project.
Timed by instructor. All students will begin and finish each project at the same time. Up to twelve minutes may be needed on some designs.

Make sure your measurements are accurate, your cuts are clean and straight, and your gluing is clean and effective.

You must use all five squares.

After gluing the five white squares to the black square, if any portion of any white square extends beyond the bounds of the black square, trim the excess white so that the original border of the black square is maintained.

 

Five 5/5 Square Projects:
1) One black 1" "[2.54 cm] square cut into five pieces, arranged on a white 8" [20.3 cm] square.
2) One black 2" [5.1 cm] square cut into five pieces, arranged on a white 8" [20.3 cm] square.
3) One black 4" [10.2 cm] square cut into five pieces, arranged on a white 8" [20.3 cm] square.
4) One black 8" [20.3 cm] square cut into five pieces, arranged on a white 8" [20.3 cm] square.
5) One black 8" [20.3 cm] square cut into five pieces, arranged directly on the wall. Use tape, border rule does not apply.

You have 8-12 minutes to complete each project.
Timed by instructor. All students will begin and finish each project at the same time. Up to twelve minutes may be needed on some designs.

Make sure your measurements are accurate, your cuts are clean and straight, and your gluing is clean and effective.

When dividing a black square, you must make exactly four cuts resulting in exactly five pieces.

All cuts made to the black square (or a black fragment) must be straight.
A cut may not curve, turn, or angle.

Each cut made to the black square (or a black fragment) must result in a complete division.
Each individual cut must create two separate fragments.

If you cut two black fragments simultaneously (creating four new fragments), it counts as two cuts.

You must use all five pieces.

After gluing the five black pieces to the white square, if any portion of any black fragment extends beyond the bounds of the white square, trim the excess black so that the original border of the white square is maintained.

 

 

One black 8" square cut into five pieces, arranged directly on the wall, Student Work, Ayana, Summer 2013

 

Critique:
Rather than critiquing all ten projects at once, we will evaluate the projects corporately as each eight-minute project is completed.

After the eight-minute time limit is reached on an individual project, your instructor will immediately collect them, shuffle them, and hang them in a row on the wall.

Once all of the projects are hung, carefully examine each design. You must decide (silently) which design you believe to be better than all others (i.e., more interesting, enjoyable, or compelling). Mark your favorite design with a push-pin beneath it. You may not vote for your own project.

We will discuss all of the projects briefly, and we will give special attention to the project(s) which accumulated the most push-pins.

After we discuss the set of designs, retrieve your project and your push-pins, return to your desk, and begin the next eight-minute project when notified to do so by the instructor.

 

EVALUATION:
Projects will be graded with consideration to the following: evidence of thinking and planning, craftsmanship, evidence of improvement from one project to the next, and the student's participation in and receptivity to critique.

QUESTIONS:
In what ways were the limitations of this project helpful?
What is gestalt? How is it that arranging five squares in various ways alters their value?
If art is subjective, why was the quality of certain designs corporately agreed upon?