Global Thinkers: Artistic Expression 4. Secondary (sample)

SECONDARY EDUCATION

M.Piqueras

M. L. Maturana R.Arregui

M.D.Callejón

Basic knowledge in the course

1 The creative process

2 Art and society

4 Sustainable design

7 Creating objects

5

6 Narrating with images

THE CREATIVE PROCESS 1

Reading and listening

Louise Bourgeois

Louise Bourgeois (1911-2010) was a French-American sculptor known for her fascinating, yet terrifying giant spiders, which have become celebrated across the world. It stands to reason that she was nicknamed ‘spider woman’.

Louise used art as a way to process her fears and traumas. ‘An artist is capable of showing things that other people would be terrified of expressing.’ She was inspired by difficult experiences and negative feelings, which sparked her ideas, leading her to create large-scale installations. The series Cells displays carefully arranged everyday objects mixed in with her original sculptures, all housed in metal cages. Each ‘cell’ depicts a thought or feeling. She used organic materials, like cloth and wood, to make humanshaped figures. Her giant creations were often made from steel, while her smaller works were made using other industrial materials, such as glass or bronze.

1 What does ‘it stands to reason’ mean?

2 Which words or phrases from the text refer to...

a) ... the idea stage?

b) ... the production stage?

3 Have you ever expressed feelings in a physical format?

4 Is the sculpture in the image beautiful or scary?

Speaking

5 How do you choose an idea for a piece of art? What inspires you?

6 How do you arrange the elements to achieve a composition that is pleasing to the eye? What criteria do you use to choose the colours, materials and style?

7   Is it possible to make art out of any material?

I reckon all materials can be manipulated, and so they can all be used to make some form of art. Any material can be inspiring! I am inspired by materials that remind me of a memorable experience.

LEARNING SITUATION

CHALLENGES THAT LEAVE AN IMPRINT

• Search for information on Greek tragedies and select one.

• Gather materials and make sketches.

Mamá (Maman) (1999), by Louise Bourgeois. Bronze, marble and stainless steel. (927 x 891 x 1023 cm). Guggenheim Museum Bilbao.

GENERATING THE IDEA

We are all artists in some aspect of our lives. For example, when we are cooking, decorating or dressing. We all have our own way of doing things and we may feel a special sensitivity towards some things more than others. While doing things that we like and are good at, we keep learning new ways and more sophisticated methods, thereby becoming more and more proficient.

Artists also evolve in their creative process. Being an artist is not just a matter of techniques. It is about feeling an urgent need to express ideas or feelings, to communicate a way of thinking, the inner world or a way of seeing life, experiences, joys or frustrations. It also means being critical of society, depicting the problems or conflicts that surround us.

The need to express ideas or feelings is fundamental in the creative process.

Understand, think and apply...

Reflect and respond

1 a) What are you good at? Are you an artist?

b) Why do you think some people feel the need to create? What do you like to create?

Strange mixtures

Not all of us have the skill of a painter. Photography can be a more affordable means of recreating our most original ideas. A stage, a costume, a certain light, etc. We retouch the a photo and the dream comes true.

Find information about the provocative and daring work of Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven (1874-1927). This artist used not only painting and sculpture to express herself, but also her body. She was capable of turning anything into a piece of clothing. She dared to walk naked through the streets of Greenwich Village (New York).

Try to imitate her by combining your image with your own objects or ones that characterise you.

Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven posando como modelo.

1.1 We are all artists

With the arrival of the Industrial Revolution, the work of the artisan was mechanised, the concept of the artist changed and the myth of the creative genius arose. They were gifted people with unusual personality traits: melancholic, lonely or crazy people. The creative process was the result of some kind of inspiration. But it is not like that. Although artists do require a special sensitivity, they need to learn the trade and be organised. Technique, skill and creativity form part of the artistic work.

1.2 The importance of imagination

Some artists observe and express themselves with great imagination, in a very special way. They capture our attention and make us dream. They help us see beyond the obvious with a new outlook. For example, imagination overflows in the works of Sandrine Boulet. Through her peculiar outlook, we discover things that are not there. This French artist photographs everyday objects on the streets of Paris and then draws on them to give them a new meaning.

Sometimes, I see a face…

Understand, think and apply...

Getting to know an unconventional museum

2 It might appear that these two images belong to a Disney-style theme park. However, they show the Salvador Dalí House-Museum in Figueras. Find information about the life and work of this artist. You will surely be surprised.

Pareidolia is a psychological and visual phenomenon in which the brain identifies familiar forms or patterns where they do not exist. Use a photography camera to understand this phenomemon. Frame certain elements so that others can see what you see. Look for examples of pareidolia, such as faces, and take pictures. You will find a lot of them!

1. Salvador Dalí Theatre-Museum. 2 The Mae West Room (1934), by Salvador Dalí.

Pom Pom Girl and La Sorcière (The Witch), by Sandrine Boulet.

Using technique, skill and creativity, the Basque artist Chillida (1924-2002) was able to design and build Peine del Viento (1977).

Changing is common in the creative process. Sometimes, there is nothing left of the original ideas when a creative project is finished. The work evolves with the artist, with their moods and new discoveries. Today, thanks to radiological analysis techniques, we know about many of the ideas that were discarded during the creation of the artworks. They still remain under the surface layer.

1.3 Phases of the creative process

Although the idea is important, the need for prior study must also be recognised. In the creative process, different methodologies are used and different phases, which do not always take place in linear order, are fulfilled.

- Logical phase, or preparation phrase, in which the problem is defined, data is collected and possible solutions are proposed.

- Intuitive phase, which is more creative, in which we develop the different possibilities.

- Critical phase, in which we decide what we will definitely do after analysing the validity of the different proposals.

The creation of a work begins with a first idea, which is a result of mental connections, memories and emotions. Afterwards, artists use lines, shapes, volumes, lights, colours, etc. to represent that idea. They also select the materials and techniques that best adapt to what is being expressed.

1.4 The importance of sketches

Do you know how many preparatory works Picasso did for Guernica? This composition was not completed in a single day nor with a single drawing. Sketches* are preparatory drawings in which the artist changes the details again and again, finding new ideas and results. They are the essential seeds of a great work.

Understand, think and apply...

Investigate the creative process of Guernica

3 Investigate the sketches of Guernica. How many sketches were drawn?

The Virgin Queen (16th century), anonymous (National Portrait Gallery, London). After an analysis with X-rays, it was discovered that the artist first drew a coiled snake in the hand of Elizabeth I of England, but later erased it and replaced it with a rose, since that reptile is a symbol of evil.

Sketch of Guernica (1937), by Pablo Picasso.

Sketches in the search for an idea in the creation of a product.

Hidden secrets

1.5 Symbolism and visual metaphors

Art is influenced by the subjectivity of both the artist and the viewer. Even the most realistic photographs only show what the artist has decided to frame.

Art is a symbolic and metaphorical language. If we carefully analyse the shapes, characters, colours, sizes, composition, frames, etc. we will discover that every detail has meaning and that the meaning may be different from the one that seems most obvious to us.

Virtuosity in paintings and drawings is not exempt from the subjectivity of each artist. Even when it seems reality is copied to the millimetre, it is the artist who decides what we will see.

Focus on English

A sketch is the preliminary work that an artist does before starting the final piece. It is a stage in the process of thinking through an idea. Nowadays, the sketches for a final work of art are valuable. Collectors appreciate being able to see individual steps in the artist’s creative process.

In broader terms, sketching can also mean to do something quickly and indicates something rough or unfinished. In theatre, a sketch is a short unrefined piece, often intended to make the audience laugh.

Understand, think and apply...

Analyse metaphors of visual poetry

4 Do you know the work This Is Not a Pipe? It is a piece of art by René Magritte (1898-1967). Do you know what it means? Investigate metaphors in art and visual poetry. Select some artistic works. You can start by comparing the works of Joan Brossa (1919-1998) and Chema Madoz (1958).

Nedick’s (1970), by Richard Estes (Marlborough Gallery, New York). This hyperrealist artist recreates an image of a city, but in which there is actually no urban movement or people.

1. Ceci N’est Pas une Pipe (This Is Not a Pipe) (1929), by René Magritte. Los Angeles County Museum of Art (USA).

2. Work by Joan Brossa from the exhibition Poesía Brossa (MACBA, 2017).

PRODUCING THE WORK OF ART

Focus on English

Trial and error is the process of arriving at a final answer by learning from your mistakes. By attempting to do something (trial) and observing what went wrong (error), an individual can perfect their experiment or skill. The term is common in science, where it is accepted that a question cannot be solved at the first attempt. Similarly, an artist will work by trial and error before they can finish a piece of art, or even find their personal style.

There are many artistic disciplines, but in all of them artists have to answer the question ‘How do I do it?’ Regardless of the motivation or eagerness to create, they have to choose materials and techniques and learn the processes that allow the work to be carried out. Artists organise themselves based on their personality and the work they do. Some workshops are spaces that are full of objects, with chaos and entropy among cans, brushes and other tools. There are other workshops where everything is clean and tidy, and everything is in its place. They are places full of peculiar smells and objects. They are designed for creative work, experimentation, learning by trial and error* and to put different possibilities of expression to the test.

Understand, think and apply...

Reflect and respond

1

a) Round table. How do you think Velázquez started painting, or Rodin carved his first sculpture from marble? How do you think Baryshnikov started dancing?

b) Have you ever visited an artist’s studio? What was it like?

c) What artistic techniques of expression do you know? What materials have you used for your artistic projects?

The properties of materials

The traits of a specific material (large or small, soft or rough, brittle or strong, etc.) determine its suitability for making a certain object as well as the tools to be used. What would be the most appropriate materials when making a sculpture for a city roundabout, a ninot for the Fallas or a carnival costume? In groups, suggest proposals and find the best solution.

An artist in a workshop.

Sculpture made with polystyrene Sculpture made with paper mache.

2.1 Materials and supports: possibilities of expression

Artists use various techniques and materials. These can be natural (stone, wood, clay) or synthetic (polystyrene, latex, etc.). Artists have to use sophisticated tools to work with some materials, whilst others which are more traditional, such as fabric, esparto, or even metal do not require the use of these tools.

In some cases, a support, such as paper, cardboard, a canvas or wood is also needed. All this entails a specific vocabulary that an artist must know.

Understand, think and apply...

Make a dictionary of artistic terms

2 To describe certain processes or techniques, you must express yourself with the right words; using specific vocabulary. In groups, create an illustrated dictionary of artistic terms that includes concepts, techniques, materials and tools.

Experiment with alternative supports

3 Did you know that there are artists who use everyday objects as supports? Gilbert Legrand, an artist whose hallmarks are humour and irony, transforms everyday objects.

Choose a household object, transform it and change its meaning.

Gilbert Legrand with two of his works from the exhibition The Big Show of Small Things (Segovia, 2017).

1. Printing workshop with a press.

2. Wall painting with acrylics.

3. Sculptor with a hammer and chisel.

Examples of different artistic pieces with volume:

2.2 Types of techniques: flat and with volume

We are used to working on a plane, but most things are volumetric. Artists can draw figuratively or abstractly on different supports: paper, a canvas, cardboard, boards, wood, a wall, etc. They apply colour with different materials and techniques: graphite or charcoal, pencils or wax crayons, oil paint, acrylic paint, spray paint, etc.

To build volumetric shapes, artists use techniques such as modelling with flexible materials, carving wood or stone, or metal casting. They also use new materials, such as latex or polystyrene.

Understand, think and apply...

Make a field notebook

4 Provocative questions. A field notebook is an artist’s primary support. It arises from the need to create when out on the street or on a trip. Artists use them to take notes and record what they see and think, capturing the bustle of the city or nature. Get a small notebook and draw in it for seven days. Then show it to your class and talk about the stories behind the drawings.

Build volume with new materials

5 Did you know that you can build large volume works using cork or even just paper? In doing so, you could imitate the pop-up cards of Peter Dahmen (Germany, 1967) or the sculptures of Li Hongbo (China, 1974) which are made from laminates. Use paper mache. Model the paste or apply it to a mould. You can also build in volume with assembled flat pieces.

Flower (2016), pop-up sculpture by Peter Dahmen.

1. Wood carving.

2. Modelling with clay.

3. Metal casting.

2.3 Beyond the object: conceptual art, action art and digital art

Art is a reflection of an era. In conceptual art, the result or final product is no longer important. The idea is paramount. The same concept applies to action art and to any performance, as they have a certain duration. In the era of new technology, digital art arises when artists substitute their usual materials with computers, tablets and mobile phones to create multidimensional works. Comic illustrators, video game creators, graphic designers, painters and even sculptors use new technology.

Did you know that David Hockney’s most recent work exhibited at the Royal Academy is not made with brushes but with a tablet?

Find information and discuss with your classmates how new technology has changed the art world and how professional opportunities in the art field have multiplied.

Understand, think and apply...

Paint with the sunlight

6 Did you know that you can use the Sun to make artistic compositions thanks to the fact that solar radiation discolours objects? Start by organising a composition with leaves, stoppers or any other object, and place them on a piece of dark-coloured cardboard. Leave it exposed to the sunlight for a few hours. Then remove the objects. You will see that the silhouettes have been stamped on the cardboard.

1. Wrapped Reichstag (German parliament), artistic installation by Christo and JeanClaude.

2. Performance, by Esther Ferrer (Val-de-Marne Museum of Contemporary Art, France, 2014).

Arrival of Spring at Woldgate (2011), by David Hockney (United Kingdom, 1937).

Art and tablets

ARTISTIC WORKSHOP

MIXED TECHNIQUES

There are mixed techniques for drawing, painting or sculpture. Mixed techniques are those that use more than one material or technique in the creation of the artwork: prints or engravings with acrylic paint, watercolours with markers, charcoal drawings with sanguine and ink, clay modelling with wood inlays, etc.

Materials

• In mixed techniques, specific materials from the fine arts (acrylics, gouache, inks, markers, graphite pencils, clay, steel, wood) can be mixed with any other type of material or object out of the field of art (coffee, tea, seeds, soil). The range of possibilities is inexhaustible and only limited by the artist’s imagination.

MIXED TECHNIQUES IN ART

Remedios Varo (Girona, 1908 - México, 1963)

Remedios Varo was a Spanish artist who belonged to the Generation of ’27 and to a group of surrealist painters from Paris. She had a free and independent personality and stood out for the creation of esoteric worlds in her works, full of enigmas, objects and characters from stories. The fantastic and dreamlike elements in her work acquired real qualities thanks to their symbolic meaning. This was one of the most outstanding merits of this artist.

Remedios Varo was one of the first women to study at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid. She lived and worked in Paris, but had to go into exile to Mexico during the Second World War. She died there just when her career was recognised as one of the most influential of the time.

Process

In a mixed technique, the process can be very diverse, but we can highlight some general rules. Regardless of the chosen technique, it is very interesting to photograph the creation process while it is taking place.

➜ In wet techniques, such as oil painting, watercolour, or acrylic, a basic rule to follow is the ‘fat over lean rule’. In other words, oil or wax techniques can be applied over others that do not have them in their composition, like acrylics, but never the other way round since water-based paint would be repelled over oil-based paint.

➜ In drawing techniques in which washes or gouaches are applied, the rule is to first apply the watercolour technique, and then use other techniques to make graphics on top, such as markers, inks, chalks or wax crayons.

Celestial Pablum (fragment) (1958), by Remedios Varo. Private collection..

Making a symbolic self-portrait

1 Growing is a vital process in our life and our image is linked to this growth. We make decisions about our appearance. We decide how we want to show ourselves to others or if we want to identify ourselves with an urban tribe or style.

Portraits and self-portraits have always existed in art history. The art world has experimented with the self and the image. In portraits and self-portraits, the artist always wants to tell us something about the person’s character. Artists paint portraits or self-portraits to express a person’s personality, mood, or power. At other times, they choose to be someone else for fun, to denounce or criticise something, to imitate somebody, to reinvent themselves, to disguise, hide or not be seen.

Mona Hatoum (Beirut, 1952)

Due to conflicts in the Middle East, Mona Hatoum’s Palestinian family fled, first to Lebanon and then to London. As a Palestinian woman who has never been able to live in her country, she works on issues that speak of political and religious conflicts, the role of women in the Arab world, domestic violence and exile. She has done performances and she has made videos and large sculptural installations featuring domestic objects taken out of context to find new meanings.

Form groups establishing a membership criterion. For example, having the same hobby, being on the same team or belonging to an urban tribe. All the members will create their self-portraits using a mixed technique. All kinds of graphic-plastic techniques and materials can be used, such as collage, decollage, acrylics, stencils, airbrushes or markers. The works will be exhibited grouped by subject, so that the viewer can discover the personal touch, the imprint of each person despite their belonging to a group.

Photograph the creation process

2 Photograph the entire creation process to create a GIF or time lapse to present to the class. You must also write a brief explanation of the idea and intention behind your project.

Microbo (Catania, 1970)

This Italian artist is interested in what is not always visible but is fundamental to our existence. She is inspired by microbiology and the microcosm, since she uses organic forms to express the complexity and diversity of life.

Hot Spot (2006), de Mona Hatoum.

Fragment of a mural by Microbo.

REVIEW & PRACTISE

THE CREATIVE PROCESS

We are all artists

The importance of sketches

Generating the idea

GLOSSARY

A-P

Phases of the creative process

The importance of imagination

Producing the work of art

Materials and supports

Types of techniques

Beyond the object

Symbolism and visual metaphors

Conceptual art

Digital art

Ebru technique Painting technique that consists of transferring oil paint, which floats on the surface of water, onto paper leaving a marbling effect on the sheet. This technique is native to Turkey. In the Turkish language ebru means ‘cloud’.

Entropy Measure or degree of disorder of a system.

Latex A watery white substance that some plants, such as the rubber tree, expel through the bark.

Oil painting Painting technique that consists of mixing the pigments with an oil-based binder, usually of vegetable origin.

Pareidolia Perceptual error that occurs when a vague and random stimulus is mistakenly perceived as a

Action art

recognisable shape. For example, seeing faces or objects where there are none.

P-Z

Performance A work of art or artistic exhibition in which elements from different fields are combined, such as music, dance, theatre and the plastic arts.

Polystyrene Foamed plastic material.

Pop-up cards Cards that display three-dimensional or mobile shapes.

Sketch A simple drawing that serves as a draught for any work. It is the preliminary idea of a project.

Visual poetry Visual or pictorial interpretation of any narrative genre.

UNDERSTAND AND APPLY

The part of myself that I portray

1 Reveal your identity through a self-portrait. Make a list of your personal data: your style, important objects in your personal life or objects that describe you, your physical and psychological features, your feelings, etc. Using the items from the list, think about what you would like to show about yourself. Take a close-up photo of yourself and work on the image.

Let’s reflect together

3 Answer the following questions. You can discuss them with your classmates. Then, evaluate your learning on a scale of 1 to 5.

a) Do I know the possibilities of expression that exist through visual language?

b) Am I able to express ideas using a graphic-plastic creation technique?

c) Do I see sketches as a trigger for the creative process?

d) Have I understood how the creative process should be organised in phases in order to properly complete an artistic work?

e) Do I understand what a visual metaphor is?

f ) Am I able to create visual metaphors to express a personal idea or feeling?

g) Do I understand the difference between the representation and the interpretation of images?

h) Can I identify and name different drawing, painting and sculpture techniques?

i ) Can I use different graphic-plastic techniques when doing my creative work?

Create a piece of work using the ebru or marbling technique

2 Did you know that water can be the support of an artistic work? Thousands of years ago, the decorative technique ebru, also called marbling technique, emerged in Asia. This technique consists of painting on water, taking advantage of the difference in density between water and oil paints. Once the drawing is made on the water, it is transferred to a paper.

Find out about this technique. Create a small artistic piece of work using coloured nail polish.

REFLECT, ASSESS AND TEST YOUR COMPETENCES

Reflect on the progress made in the learning situation throughout the unit at anayaeducacion.es

Steps in the ebru technique process. It is first drawn in water and then transferred to paper.

ART AND SOCIETY 2

Reading and listening

Banksy

Banksy is a British artist whose identity remains a mystery. Banksy’s artwork is found in streets, on public transport and on walls all over the world. This artist believes that art belongs to everyone, not just to the people who can afford to pay vast sums of money.

‘A wall is a very big weapon. It’s one of the nastiest things you can hit someone with.’ The often-political pieces are known for their irony, humour and for championing freedom and non-violence. Banksy criticises consumerism, capitalism and makes fun of the hypocrisy in society today.

Banksy can be considered a chronicler of the modern world. But to some, Banksy is also a revolutionary. By challenging and criticising the things that most people accept or tolerate, the artist shines a light on the injustice of the issue in question. Banksy’s work can be considered a campaign for social change.

1 Do you think art is for the wealthy people or for everyone in society?

2 Why do you think Banksy wants to stay anonymous?

3 Can you explain the difference between championing, challenging and criticising?

4 Do you agree that ‘the wall is a weapon’?

5 Look at the image. How is it ironic? What is significant about its location?

Speaking

6 What topics or issues do you like to explore in artistic projects? Do you champion anything? What does your work say about you and the society you live in?

7   Do you think social change through art is possible?

I think that art can spark social change, but only when it is available to everyone. Street artists like Banksy are potential leaders for social change. However, art that is hanging on a wall in a private house is unlikely to have much impact on society.

LEARNING SITUATION

CHALLENGES THAT LEAVE AN IMPRINT

• Reinterpret a tragedy by updating the historical and social context.

• Customise it with your own vision of the story and theme.

Girl Searching Soldier (2005), by Banksy. Dheisheh refugee camp, West Bank.

ART AND CULTURE

Art is linked to society and changes as history progresses. Primitive cultures represented elements and symbols of nature. During the Renaissance, a great artistic revolution took place due to the use of perspective. Abstract expressionism developed in the interwar period, when it was difficult to take a stance. Historical and artistic evolutions go hand in hand.

Even two works of art by the same artist can be very different since their intentions, personal experiences and the society they live in change. Art, as a mirror of society, helps us to build our identity within a collective.

Many of our current sensory experiences are part of old rites, connected with artistic and cultural objects from different periods and styles, such as the baroque sculpture at Easter or the masks at carnival. This is called heritage, which helps us know where we come from.

Understand, think and apply... Reflect and respond

1 a) What do you know about the history of art? Why do you think styles change? What differentiates them?

b) What is your heritage? What are the most popular images nowadays? When the people of the future see them, what will they think about us?

Analysing my heritage

2 Look for elements of your heritage (natural or cultural, tangible or intangible). Describe and classify them. Then see how they have changed throughout history and identify different styles. Discuss which ones should be part of art history and explain why.

Two sculptures by the artist Camille Claudel (France, 1864-1943) with very different styles: 1. La Petite Châtelaine (The Little Lady of Islette) (1893). Joseph Denais Museum (Beaufort-en-Vallée, France). 2. L’Âge Mûr (The Age of Maturity) (fragment) (18931903). Musée d’Orsay (Paris).

Celebration of the pilgrimage of the hermitage of Maristella (Mallorca). Pilgrimages are part of the intangible cultural heritage.

1.1 Art as heritage

We create objects that become part of our tangible and intangible heritage, such as a building, a ritual object, a poster, a typical dish, a traditional fabric, or a piece of furniture. They become part of our collective memory.

These objects are not always given the same value, nor are all artists considered equal. These creations are valued based on aspects such as aesthetics, expressiveness, ethics, ideology, cost, etc. Creations are often valued subjectively.

Understand, think and apply...

Reflect and respond

3 a) From your point of view, is art valuable? What do you think adds value to a piece of art? Why do you think only some pieces of art are exhibited in museums?

b) Have you ever visited an exhibition? Which one? What do you remember about it? What did you learn? What is art for you? Explain.

1. Porte Bouteilles (Bottle Rack) (1914/1964), by Marcel Duchamp (1887-1968). State Gallery, Stuttgart (Germany).

2. Antique handmade bottle rack. There is a difference between these two works: one is a work of art accepted as such in a more or less consensual way (1) and the other is not valued as art (2).

From imitation to reinterpretation

Although we need to experiment by ourselves, the best way to learn is by looking at what others have already done. Look for examples that prove this statement and share them. Then reinterpret the work of an artist that you like. Change the colour range, compositional scheme, size or scale; introduce new elements, etc. Does it still have the same meaning? Has its meaning changed? Ask your classmates for their impressions.

1. The Mona Lisa (1403), by Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519). Louvre Museum (Paris).

2. The Mona Lisa (1983), by Jean-Michel Basquiat (1960-1988). Private collection.

3. Collage of the Mona Lisa (2019), by Solange Gautier. Solange Gautier collection.

Understand, think and apply...

Observe and respond

4 Look at the following images.

a) What feelings do they provoke in you?

b) Why do you think your feelings are different?

1. The Black Square (1915), by Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935). Hermitage Museum (Saint Petersburg).

2. Dos Postes (Two Poles) (1987), by Miquel Barceló (1957). Soledad Lorenzo Gallery (Madrid).

5 Look at the following artworks.

a) Is the use of colour realistic? What is the intention behind the colour?

b) Where is the attention focused? Why?

c) What did the creators want to convey?

1. Blue Lovers (1914), by Marc Chagall (18871985). Private collection.

2. The Kiss, by Gustav Klimt (1862-1918). Austrian Art Gallery (Vienna).

6 In the following artworks, light is not reflected in the same way.

a) Why? Is it intentional?

b) What feelings do they awaken in you?

1. Rabbit (1986), by Jeff Koons (1955). Ileana and Michael Sonnabend collection (New York).

2. Le Chien (Dog) (1957), by Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966). Guggenheim Museum (New York).

1.2 Formal analysis of a work of art

The different elements that make up a work of art can be distributed in multiple* ways. A different message can be conveyed depending on where the centre of interest is, where the lines of force go, the types of lines we use, how we distribute the colours, the light, the textures, etc. The analysis ends up with a personal interpretation and emotional assessment.

1.3 Sociocultural analysis of a work of art

Works of art cannot be understood outside of the historical and sociopolitical context in which they have been created. The critical analysis of a work of art goes beyond formal aspects, opening a window to the time, customs, ideas and interests in which the creator was immersed. For this reason, art is a good way of understanding the rules and values that govern or have governed a specific society.

We do not need to be experts in history and art criticism to observe, enjoy and value a work of art. However, knowing the historical context in which it was created helps us to better understand and enjoy it.

1.4 The artist: a reflection of society

The concept of the artist has changed throughout history: magicians, whose works are attributed a mystical function (good hunting season, fertility, etc.); propagandists, who glorify a powerful figure or institution to influence people’s opinions; narrators, who help us to understand the world and history; misunderstood geniuses, social outsiders who are not understood by their peers; and social artists, whose art is specially made for the good of the community.

Representations of maternity in different countries and times. We can observe different techniques and concepts of maternity:

1. Madonna and Child (1450), by Jean Fouquet (France, 1420-1481). Museum of Fine Arts (Antwerp, Belgium).

2. El Abrazo de Amor del Universo, la Tierra (México), Yo Misma, Diego y el Señor Xólotl (The Love Embrace of the Universe, the Earth [Mexico], Myself, Diego and Señor Xólotl) (1949), by Frida Kahlo (Mexico, 1907-1954). Jacques and Natasha Gelman collection.

3. Mujer y Niño (Mother and Child) (Oaxaca, Mexico; c. 1929), photograph by Tina Modotti (1896-1942). MoMA (New York).

4. Maternidad (Motherhood) (1953), by Baltasar Lobo (1910-1993).

Understand, think and apply...

Make a catalogue of emotions

7   Create a catalogue of images from different periods of art history that convey different sensations (peace, confusion, speed, weight, lightness, etc.). Analyse the different elements of the compositions and how they are distributed.

Reflect and respond

8 What type of artist do you identify with the most? Why?

SOCIAL ART

Artists can make us observe, feel, and enter other worlds. Their artworks are created within the context of the society that surrounds them.

Artists of all types are necessary: from the chronicler, who records society more or less objectively (and whose works become witnesses of the memory and identity of a people), to the revolutionary (seeking change and evolution through their work), who urges us to rise up.

2.1 The value of art

What is the purpose of art? This is a widely discussed topic, especially in recent times. Although the monetary value is quite subjective and questionable, the testimonial role of art and the need for its conservation seem to be completely agreed upon.

Museums join the web

Museums used to be places to deposit and preserve art, but now they are spaces of interaction and encounters, places to enjoy an artistic experience. They have been modernised, and many have mobile applications for the visitors. Do you know what means they use to attract their customers? Do you know any museum websites or apps?

Museums and art centres exhibit and preserve artistic works, favouring cultural education. There are many professions within the art world, including restoration, conservation, involving visitors in activities at a museum, publicising exhibitions, invigilating exhibition rooms, etc. Art has also moved from large private spaces to public places and small social centres, such as galleries, alternative cultural spaces, etc.

Understand, think and apply...

Reflect and respond

1 How do you think the historical moment in which a work of art is made influences the message and the way it is conveyed? Why do you think works of art are kept? Why are they exhibited? What is the purpose of art?

1. La Vuelta de la Pesca: Remolcando el Barco (Return from Fishing) (1894), by Joaquín Sorolla (1863-1923). Musée d’Orsay (Paris). 2. Liberty Leading the People (1830), Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863). Louvre Museum (Paris).

2.2 The people’s art

Popular art and community art can gather people together thanks to common creative processes and shared experiences. Feeling that one is part of a group and collective identity boosts our well-being. Some people consider crafts, popular festival objects, regional dances, traditions, etc. to be ‘minor arts’. They attribute a lack of originality and aesthetic quality to them, since they consider that the more useful an object or a manifestation is, the less artistic value it has. However, these are often the best reflections of a people’s identity.

Manifestations of floral art:

1. Silleteros parade, in Medellín (Colombia).

2. Paradise, Delirium and Desire (2017), installation by Belgian Tomas de Bruyne in the Vimcorsa room in Córdoba. Córdoba International Flower Festival.

Art burnt to the ground Shared milestones

Las Fallas began as a purifying festival, in which old junk was burnt in honour of San José. It celebrated the arrival of spring. Now, it is a festival in which authentic works of ephemeral art with a high content of protest and criticism are exhibited and burnt. What popular festivals and traditions do you know? What objects and clothing are used? What crafts do you value? Why? Collect images of them and share them with your classmates.

Understand, think and apply...

Capturing the powers of the mask

2 The origin of the mask is as old as the human need to seek the transcendent. It gives its wearer a mystical power, vigour, wisdom, etc. Have you ever used one? How did you feel?

Find examples of masks and recreate one that represents the power you want the most.

Japanese Noh mask. Mexican mask.

Fallas de Valencia. 2008.

Images of urban art:

2.3 Urban art

Urban art is any artistic intervention or manifestation on the street. It is instantaneous, rapid and generally ephemeral. It is the closest form of art that we have. We do not need to go to a museum to see it. It does not ask us for permission to enter our lives, we enjoy it while walking. Some works are promotional, but many others carry critical, subversive or thought-provoking messages. They are works that occupy entire streets or neighbourhoods, intervene in space, on street furniture or vegetation. They can be made by one or more artists who stand against the violation of human rights, and raise topics, such as politics, health, etc.

Understand, think and apply... Reflect and respond

3 a) What do you think about urban art? Do you think it can be qualified as art?

b) Take a walk around your neighbourhood or your city. What expressions of urban art can you see?

4 a) What do you think urban art brings to cities? Do you know any urban artists?

b) Do you think urban art (in private or public spaces, in abandoned spaces) should be regulated by a contract?

1. Neighbourhood Las Palmitas (Pachuca, Mexico), painted by Germen Colectivo (209 house facades).

2. Catanianonsiferma, urban art work in Catania (Sicily).

3. Children on the Swing, by Louis Gan, in Georgetown (Malaysia).

4. Love verses written on a pedestrian crossing in Madrid, by Boa Mistura.

2.4 Relational art

Beyond action art, which focuses on the process of creation and encourages audience participation, relational art poses art as a ‘state of encounter’ between the spectator and the work, establishing relationships with the place. Relational works are open and participatory.

2.5 Artivism

Artivism implies a greater social involvement of the artist. It proposes a social change and encourages mobilisation and subversion through art. It makes us question our principles and helps us look at our reality from a different perspective.

For artivism artists, the street is no longer just a place. It is a space full of life and reflection. They transform the shared public space into a place that calls for revolution, which is feared by the authorities.

Understand, think and apply...

Have you ever participated in a relational work of art?

5 Have you ever been involved in a performance, installation or other artistic work in which the artist invited the audience to participate? Describe it to your classmates. How did you feel? What did you like the most?

Look for information and collect images about this type of art.

The Miracle of Candeal

Do you know the singer Carlinhos Brown and the film The Miracle of Candeal? It is a documentary that deals with a social intervention project in the favelas of Brazil, which involves the community in improving the neighbourhood. Pracatum, a music school there, is a sociocultural centre. Look for information on other similar social action projects through art.

Suicide Penguins (2010), by Vincent Huang. Installation on the Millennium Bridge in London in protest against the global ecological threat.

The Miracle of Candeal, by Fernando Trueba (2004).

Untitled/Blue Placebo, by Félix González-Torres (1957-1996). Astrup Fearnley Museum (Oslo, 2015). This Cuban artist placed spread out or stacked sweets wrapped in coloured cellophane on the ground. People were allowed to pick them up.

ARTISTIC WORKSHOP

MURAL PAINTING

Mural painting is a two-dimensional artistic expression that is done on a wall. This support usually conditions the work.

Mural painting has always been present in history, from paintings in caves to graffiti on the streets of a city. It has been used to decorate tombs, palaces, temples, houses, and squares, illustrating scenes from daily life and the religious universe.

Many murals deal with social and political issues, as they are a good means of sociocultural transmission due to their public exposure. Mural painting is a tool to teach and a canvas to criticise social injustice.

Materials

Painting a mural is an opportunity to learn about and experiment with various materials and different graphic-plastic techniques:

• Water paints or oil paints. Today acrylics are used. A mural can be painted with saturated or dull colours.

• You can use templates (stencil), a brush, a sprayer, etc.

ARTISTS AND SOCIAL ART

Diego Rivera and Mexican muralism

Diego Rivera (1886-1957) was one of the most important artists of Mexican muralism. This is an artistic movement that emerged at the beginning of the 20th century. It sought a political, social and economic revolution, extolling nationalism against colonialism.

The ideas and life of an artist influence their work, sometimes causing problems. Rockefeller commissioned Rivera for a mural, which he filled with communist symbols and a portrait of Lenin. For this reason, the mural was destroyed. The artist painted it again elsewhere.

• Embossed murals are created with layers of textures or they have fixed materials (tiles, ceramics, stucco) that adhere to the wall with binders. They can also be engraved or sgraffito carved (uncovering the layer beneath the surface). In this type of mural, light plays an important role, since it generates volume. Even stained-glass windows can be considered murals that occupy hollow spaces in the wall (the stained glass is set with lead or resins).

• Wheat pasting is a technique that uses an adhesive paste (usually wheat flour and water) to paste a piece of work (the sticker) to the wall. In addition, you can colour some areas with paint.

Process

The process will depend on the size of the project. If it is large, it will require a lot of preparation and teamwork. You can work directly on the wall or do it on supports that are later placed on it. The composition must be harmonious with the elements that are already on the wall.

➜ Decide if your work is going to have relief or not. Think if you will paint it, paste elements on it or if you will use several techniques.

➜ Make preparatory drawings. Choose materials and techniques and prepare the support.

El Hombre Controlador del Universo (Man at the Crossroads) (fragment) (1934), mural painting by Diego Rivera (485 x 1145 cm). Palace of Fine Arts, Mexico City.

Make a mural to celebrate an anniversary

1 Brainstorming. The whole class will decide on the event you are going to represent with a critical approach. Then you will all look for a wall in poor condition and ask the owner for permission to create a mural on it. As a group, suggest proposals. Discuss them and choose one. The composition must interact with the elements that are already on the wall. Decide if you want your work to have relief or not. Think if you are going to paint the mural, paste elements on it or both things. You can develop the graphic part on white continuous paper and reuse images.

Decorate the multipurpose room of your school

2 The school’s multipurpose room is usually a frequently visited space, but sometimes it is left undecorated and lacking in personality. We suggest decorating this room in a colourful and positive way through which your educational community is represented. It can be done on recycled supports, such as acrylics, stencils, wheat pasting, etc. You could work on an artistic project along the lines of the mural Love What You Do!, by Boa Mistura.

Marina Abramović (Belgrade, 1946)

This artist has been called the ‘godmother of performance art’. She specialises in performances with a close relationship between the artist and the public. In her controversial works, she studies the limits of the body and mind.

The Artist is Present (2010), performance by Marina Abramović (1946). The artist is sitting in front of a chair that anyone can sit on to lock gazes with her. (MoMA, Nueva York).

Young volunteers painting a mural on an empty building (Detroit, USA).

Ama Lo Que Haces (Love What You Do!) (2012), mural by Boa Mistura (Barrio de las Letras, Madrid).

REVIEW & PRACTISE

ART AND SOCIETY

Art and culture (Heritage) Social art

Formal analysis of a work of art

Sociocultural analysis of a work of art

Artistic activism

Art as testimonial evidence

The artist as a chronicler

GLOSSARY

A-l

The revolutionary artist

Popular art

Community art

Artivism

Artivism Word formed by the combination of ‘artist’ and ‘activism’. It refers to artistic productions with an explicit social content.

Chronicler An official historian or a person who records chronicles.

Community art Type of artistic production made by a group of people. The artistic process and the social intervention are more important than the work itself.

Formal analysis The analysis of the formal characteristics of a work, whose purpose is to identify the style and understand it.

Intangible heritage Set of intangible assets that have been created by past societies.

Lines of force Lines of dominant tension produced by visual movement when contemplating an artwork.

Urban art

Relational art

M-Z

Performance An artistic activity based on improvisation and direct contact with the audience. Relational art Type of art in which the relationships established among the people at whom the intervention is aimed are more important than the work itself.

Revolutionary Person in favour of revolution and change.

Sensory experience An activity to experience the world through sensations.

Stencil Artistic technique in which you work with a template of a cut-out drawing.

Tangible heritage Set of tangible assets that have been created by past societies.

UNDERSTAND AND APPLY

Analyse the images that surround you during a day

1   Reflect on the society in which you live by analysing the images that surround you throughout a day. Use a camera or mobile phone to capture these images. Then explain what they tell you, their intentions, what they make you feel, etc. Reflect on the influence they have had on you. Make a collage with them and add words to define it.

Look for ground-breaking works of art

2 A new artistic style arises when an artist breaks the rules. Manet’s work Lunch on the Grass (1863) was an avant-garde piece of art and represented a rupture with the art of the time. When it was presented to be exhibited at the Paris Salon, it was rejected as scandalous since it showed a naked woman next to a dressed man. Look for other examples of ground-breaking images and find out why they were considered to be so.

your ideas into an image. Then look for examples of other artists who criticise today’s society and the myths and rites that we have today. For example, Steve Cutss or John Holcroft.

Graffiti criticising meat consumption (Düsseldorf-Eller, Germany).

Let’s reflect together

4 Answer the following questions. You can discuss them with your classmates. Then, evaluate your learning on a scale of 1 to 5.

a) Am I able to understand the relationships between the artwork and its historical context?

b) Am I aware of how these relationships are reflected in the artwork?

c) Am I able to improve society with artistic resources?

d) Do I understand what heritage is and its social function?

e) Can I identify the formal aspects in the analysis of a work of art?

f ) Can I recognise different types of social art?

g) Can I identify different types of popular art?

h) Do I value popular art and accept it as another form of artistic expression?

i ) Do I understand the differences between an artist and an activist?

Are you a nonconformist person?

3 Have you ever asked yourself if you do things just because they have always been done? Have you ever thought about the trends you follow and the reasons to do so? How do traditions and conventions influence you? Reflect on an absurd or unhealthy habit or on a type of conformism. Write a short text about its causes and consequences, and condense

REFLECT, ASSESS AND TEST YOUR COMPETENCES

Reflect on the progress made in the learning situation throughout the unit at anayaeducacion.es

Lunch on the Grass (1863), by Manet. Musée d’Orsay (Paris).