Units

intermediate works in which rhythm stands out, and lastly to his most abstract works. The evolution of figurative art to abstract art began at the beginning of the 20th century. This can also be taught by looking at other artists such as Theo van Doesburg or Vasili Kandinsky.

1.6 The brain creates original images

Combining images without an apparent relationship is a game which helps develop creativity. This association can be done in class with a game of chance, such as asking students to bring objects from home and combining them with those of their classmates.

Op art and visual effects

Perspective tricks, simulating three dimensions or blurring images are tricks that are used to create optical illusions or visual effects. They were used by artists of the op art movement. Bridget Riley is an artist who applies these tricks to her artistic compositions which quickly began to be used in fashion. The abstract geometry of Vasarely and the perspective tricks of Escher are also good examples to show in class. As activities to expand on this topic, students can find more information about Escher on his official webpage: www.mcescher.com. They can also see more examples of optical illusions and perception in the television show Brain Games.

UNDERSTAND, THINK AND APPLY

4 Play with optical effects. After analyzing different artists and their works, we can do this simple exercise. There are specialized books that provide practical resources. 5 Find the essence. We can use random images from an image bank and play with superimposing them by using transparencies with a design program. 6 Create something original. This activity can be done by drawing and coloring or making collages with printed images.

2 VISUAL COMMUNICATION

What symbols come to your mind when you think about London? Perhaps you thought of some of these: a red doubledecker bus, a telephone box, or Big Ben. Symbols immediately identify a culture in our minds! Discuss the symbols that identify your culture with your classmates.

Understand, think, search...

Reflect and answer

  1 a) What historical images come to mind when you think abut the past? What do they represent? b) What do you express? What do your images represent?

Create a symbolic image

 2 Nominal group. Collect images that say something about and identify your group. Explain what they mean. Humans are social beings. Since we are aware that we can have a visible impact on others, know the importance of visual communication. The first images created by man were mere signs. They included elements like grooves in ceramic pots used for cooking, and a handprint on rocks. Fascinated by this ability, primitive humans began to draw in a way that incorporated religious or ritual significance, such as how to hunt.

Cave painting of the Cave of Hands (c. 7350 BCE) of the Pinturas River (Argentina) Graffiti.

When a specific meaning is given to a sign, it becomes a symbol* that is recognised. With symbols, writing and the important development of images began. This, at the same time, led to the beginning of storytelling. Narratives such as the lives of kings and gods and stories of love and war; large sculptures, temples, cities and tombs were constructed to demonstrate power. Flags and coats of arms were created to identify things such as noble families, nations and groups.

The City of London's coat of arms. Flags from the European Union.

Since the start of the 20th century, communication has advanced and we have been living in an era full of visual stimuli. Nowadays, we not only receive images, but we continuously send messages with icons, photos and videos created, reproduced and transformed by us..

2.1 Visual thinking and communication

Images instantaneously provide us with a large amount of information. They invite us to dream, think and tell stories. Using Visual thinking, we can transform ideas and messages into simple images that are easily recognisable. It is not necessary to know how to draw, to use Visual thinking. Visual communication is created through visual means. It is related to what we perceive with our sense of sight. In visual communication, both complex and simple images can be used.

Understand, think, search...

Say it with drawings

 3  Sometimes words are not enough, especially when we do not understand a language. We can always communicate with images.

Try saying something using only drawings. They must be simple and easy to understand.

Communicate emotions with a single image

 4  Design six simple images that are related to different emotions, feelings and moods. Take pictures of them and incorporate them into your collection of images to use them on social media and communicate with your friends in a quick and efficient way.

UNIT 1

Emoticons have become a simple, expressive, quick way of communicating via images.

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Cooperative learning To create an image that identifies the group, we suggest using the “Nominal group” cooperative learning technique. The dynamics of this technique can be consulted in the project keys, in the resource bank at anayaeducacion.es.

Academic and professional orientation If we are aware of the power of images to communicate, we can learn about professional activities that use them as a means or resource.

Emotional education Working on our emotions allows us to talk about them, identify them and learn to manage them. In this activity, we identify feelings and moods and represent them; furthermore, we recognize the role emotions play in perception and communication.

Visual communication

SUGGESTED METHODOLOGY

After reading the text, students should reflect on the importance of visual aspects in the field of communication. We suggest collecting images from different moments in history and having students determine what the communicative intention was behind them. We can begin by explaining how visual images, including any type of image not only those in the field of art, have been used throughout history as a means for communicating a wide variety of messages, and how they have currently reached their maximum development in the visual world through new information technology. We can then have a discussion about the images that students often create of themselves or of their environment, the ones they use to decorate their folders, the ones they hang on their walls, wear on their clothes, have on their phones, or upload onto social media. Discuss what these images are expressing and the way in which they are shared.

2.1 Visual thinking and communication

There is a direct relationship between the ability to synthesize, which is needed to draw, and the way in which we perceive through patterns. Emoticons are an example of simplification. Visual communication is a quick and efficient way to communicate an idea but it does not encourage reflection or analysis. Art appeals directly to our emotions and, therefore, it is important to objectively analyze what we see from a certain emotional distance so as to not be persuaded by undesirable content.

UNDERSTAND, THINK AND APPLY

1 Reflect and respond. By looking at images of different historical places and moments, as well as the symbols and flags that identify them, we can make students see the powerful ability these objects have for establishing identity. 2 Create a symbolic image. To continue analyzing identity using images, we can do this simple activity. Students can also create their own images and slogans with personalized fonts, instead of finding them elsewhere. 3 Say it with drawings. This activity is not intended to be done as a graphic narrative. However, it is an introduction to this field and should be done in an intuitive way. Students can pretend to be mute and have to communicate only by drawings.

4 Communicate emotions with a single image. This activity allows students to personalize the emoticons they use the most. An emoticon, which is an icon that expresses an emotion, is a common way to emphasize the message in communication based on short texts. Since it is not always possible to find one that is suitable for a specific mood, we can create new ones.

2 VISUAL COMMUNICATION

In visual communication, the communicator creates an image/message which they send to the receiver through a channel.

2.2 Elements of visual communication

Communication is a complex phenomenon in which there are many factors at work. The communicator feels a need to express themselves and thinks about how to do it. He/She constructs an image which expresses what they want to say, and communicates through the means they feel is most suitable. Their message has an appearance or signifier, and content or meaning. The receiver receives an image/message. However, to understand it, they, along with the communicator, must know the visual code and its syntax. The receiver enriches the message with their own memories, experiences, thoughts and feelings. It is possible that the message being communicated may not be understood in the same way by everyone. If the receiver feels the need to respond to the communicator, the process repeats and there is communication.

2.3 The meaning of images: visual memory and connotation

All the images we perceive and store in our memory make up our visual memory. Visual memory is a collection of subjectively classified images. They're classified based on their importance or the amount of times they have happened in our lives. The images can be of friends and family members, what we admire, people, objects, places, etc. We associate these images with experiences, emotions and feelings. These images are full of added meaning, unclear references and connotations. Thus, an image can have many meanings, which are not always easy to read.

Understand, think, search...

Discover different meanings

 5  A single image can have very different meanings.

Ask several classmates what they see in this picture and compare their answers.

Investigate the meaning

 6 Paintings in the tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs weren't created to be seen by anybody. Why do you think they were painted? What do you think their meaning was?

UNIT 1

2.4 The functions of images

Images are created for different purposes. We can classify them into different categories. • Communicative images expect a response from the viewer.

Exhortative images such as a traffic light give orders. Persuasive images, such as advertising, try to convince us to do something by enticing us. • Informative images transmit information as objectively as possible, such as layouts or maps, designs of objects or buildings. • Expressive images evoke, suggest or express emotions, such as paintings, sculptures or films. They may also have the intention of entertaining or making you laugh, which we call playful images.

Playful images include comics, jokes or video games. Images may even be therapeutic if we use them to relax, to make us feel better or even to heal us.

• Aesthetic images are made to decorate, embellish or provide a specific style, such as the pattern of a dress, a garden, a curtain or a bracelet. We must keep in mind that an image can have several functions, or can be created for one function, but end up having another. Understand, think, search...

Look and analyse

 7 What do you think is the purpose of this piece by Barbara Kruger (1945)? What could it be used for?

I shop therefore I am?, by Barbara

Who could the author be?

 8 Look at the images at the bottom half of the page. Who do you think created them? In your opinion, what was their intention?

Communicative function.

Expressive function. Informative function.

Aesthetic function.

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Linguistic plan To do the suggested communication activity, students may consult the “descriptive text” file in the resource bank on the Anaya website (www.anayaeducacion.es). They can describe the image and discuss the possible meanings, working on their written and oral expression.

Enterprising culture The first step when creating an image is to be clear on what its intention will be: an image in a work of art is not the same as one in the media or in advertising. This will help encourage the social dimension of the enterprising culture.

2.2 Elements of visual communication

We must point out the importance of reciprocity between the communicator and receiver, since even when they speak the same language, the meanings of images may not be understood due to cultural or social circumstances or one's own personal experiences. In fact, many authors dispute the connection between verbal and visual language. A clear example is the meaning of the use of black or white in different traditions. Thus, some commercial brands change their advertising techniques depending on the countries to better adapt their message to the public.

23 The meaning of images: visual memory and connotation

It is necessary to highlight the importance of social and cultural context in the creation of both individual and social visual memory. Personal experiences add to this a collection of images that make up our personality and largely determine our capacity to visually perceive information. It is crucial to invite students to reflect on similarities and differences that occur in the process of visual communication, which are based on prior information, images seen beforehand and personal experience with respect to the content.

2.4 The functions of images

The classification of the functions of images in this section is very simple as it is adapted to this educational level. It might turn out to be ambiguous or insufficient, and therefore it is important to reiterate that there can be more than one function in the same image and that functions can change depending on the context.

UNDERSTAND, THINK AND APPLY

5 Discover different meanings. This activity is proposed with the aim of seeing how one image can be perceived in different ways, depending on the individual. Choose significant images in the local or international news, artistic works, etc. and have students survey people of different ages and contexts. 6 Investigate the meaning. The difference between images created in ancient times, which had a religious or funerary purpose, and current artistic images is clear. Nowadays, images are created to transmit messages to society. It is difficult to imagine that current images are created not to be seen but to be used as a tool to communicate with a greater power. 7 Look and analyze. Artist Barbara Kruger focuses her work on the bombardment of messages in the advertising world. She often transforms common messages into others that inspire us to think differently. We can find other examples and have the class analyze them and debate them. 8 Who could the author be? A good way to know the intention behind an image is to know who created it. Although an advertisement aims to communicate values; if it is created by a company, selling will be its function. This will be entirely different if it is a counter-advertisement or if it is created by an institution for informative purposes.

artistic workshop Artistic Workshop

A collage is a technique that consists of pasting different elements on a support, forming a unified whole. When a collage is made with photographs, it is called a photo collage.

Materials • The most commonly used materials are pieces of paper or photographs. If we want to create collages with relief, we can use thicker materials, such as cloth, cardboard or cork. • As a support we can use thick paper, cardboard, wood or canvas. • Adhesive such as a glue stick or white glue. If necessary, staples or thread.

Process • It is important to first make a sketch of possible ideas and then choose the most suitable one. • Prepare the support and the background, which can be left as is, or be painted or decorated. • Prepare the elements that you want to include in the collage (if necessary, you can cut them, fold them, tear or crumple them) and organise them on the background until you like what you see. Then glue them. • You can put the finishing touches on your collage by painting or writing on the collection of images and then putting on a layer of white glue or varnish to protect it and strengthen the adhesive.

Montage screen print, Bash (1971), by Eduardo Paolozzi (19441977).

At the beginning of the 20th century, Georges Braque and other cubist artists were the first to use collages in their artwork. Several other avantgarde artists followed, such as Hannah Höch, as well as Richard Hamilton with Pop Art.

Hannah Höch (18891978) This German Dadaist artist and photographer is considered a pioneer in her use of collages. She made photo collages in which she mocked the elitist bourgeois style. She was also a feminist activist who defended women’s rights and spoke out against the male chauvinistic society.

Beautiful young girl (1920), by Hannah Höch.

UNIT 1

Let's create

Travel through history

1 Timeline. In groups, make a timeline of images representing your lives. Think of the most significant moments in your life and find pictures of them.

Mix the personal images with other images of people and social events that took place at the same time. You can also add comments to the images.

Personalise your folder

2 Make a photo collage on your folder that represents you. Choose some personal images and others from magazines or from the media that are meaningful to you.

You can add other elements that you feel are important.

The collage should show interesting aspects of your personality, what you like and your hobbies; in other words, it must be an image that says something about you.

Reflect on the events and people that appear in your collage. Show your collage and compare it to your classmates’ collages.

Examples of personalised collages.

Richard Hamilton (19222011) and Pop Art Pop Art was an important artistic movement of the 20th century that challenged tradition and used images of popular culture as a way to reach out to people. As such, the main theme of Pop Art is daily life and one of the most commonly used techniques is the collage. Richard Hamilton was a British artist and a pioneer in Pop Art. He created paintings, sculptures, photographs, collages and installations. In his collage Just what is it that makes today’s homes so different, so appealing?, he used images from the media to reflect the impact of television on our lives.

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Developing thinking We suggest using the “Timeline” technique, which in this case allows us to be aware of and reflect on the role of images throughout our lives. The dynamics of this technique can be consulted in the project keys, in the resource bank at anayaeducacion.es.

Artistic workshop: Collage

SUGGESTED METHODOLOGY

Collages allow us to be very versatile, not only by mixing different types of images, but also by using different types of techniques. Vinyl glue can be applied using brushes and penetrate paper and other light objects, completely seeing into them. It is transparent when it dries. It is important that the supports are water-resistant. Collages in art

Hannah Höch was a pioneer in this field and can be an example to show how the unique style of her collages actually reflects her own identity. Other artists and movements which reflect on the illusions of perception, such as Escher and op art, are also suitable references, as well as pop art and new pop art, which focus on the subject of a world full of images and visual culture. Popular culture and its relationship to consumption and visual communication has been a very prolific subject in art since the 1950s. Richard Hamilton and Andy Warhol were pioneers in the use of images from advertising, or the mass media,

transforming the image by using collages or screen printing. Portraits of famous people done by Andy Warhol not only create impressive images, they also invite the viewer to reflect on the depersonalization of the people portrayed, the difference between the perceived image of them and their real lives. Nowadays, there are many artists who continue along these lines. Murakami also uses images from the visual culture, highlighting sensationalism and seduction, sometimes converting his works into a candy-like artificial and childish pastiche. His exhibition at the Palace of Versailles (France) in 2010 was very controversial, sparking a debate between tradition and modernity.

LET'S CREATE

1 Travel through history. The image that every student has of him or herself is constructed by an accumulation of many other images, such as the ones on digital media (videos, photos) or in their memory and imagination. Visual memory is selective, meaning we have greater recollection of what affects us emotionally or marks periods of significant changes or aspirations, all of which forms part of our visual autobiography.

If we decide to make this work the cover of the portfolio, it should be representative of every person and go with their personality. It is essential to insist on prior reflection, proper selection of images and to make decisions regarding the composition that are mindful and justified. 2 Personalize your folder. In artistic expression, concept and creativity are two important aspects. We must transmit a visual message that is powerful and communicates ideas in a simple yet efficient way. To achieve this, we should have students do some prior reflection, make some sketches and search for references. Afterwards, you should have them do some self-criticism and allow them time to choose the images. Have them properly plan their work and analyze it once it is finished.

A WORLD OF IMAGES

Images and visual effects

Visual perception

Look and see

Laws of perception The brain simplifies The brain creates original images Communicating with images

Visual communication

Elements of communication

Functions of images

Meaning of images

Aesthetic: Related to beauty. Avant-garde: Artistic movements at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century that experimented with new ways of expression. Cubism: Artistic movement that uses geometric shapes. Dadaism: Artistic movement that began at the beginning of the 20th century that questioned the traditional aesthetic standards of the time and encouraged the liberation of fantasy. Favela: In Brazil; a marginal neighbourhood of shanties in a city. IZ

Installation: A type of contemporary art in which the artist uses the medium (walls, floor, lights, etc.) and other objects as part of the composition. Intervention: Artistic action that modifies space. limbic system: Part of the brain that regulates emotions and memory, as well as other functions. Syntax: The way in which elements of an image are organized and ordered through rules or techniques. Street art: The type of art that uses the city as a support for its creations. Visual code: The principles that give meaning to a visual message. Visual cortex: The part of the cerebral cortex (nerve tissue that covers the cerebral hemispheres) that processes visual stimulation. UNDERSTAND AND APPLY

Learn about portraits prior to photography

Capture an optical illusion

1 Artists create optical illusions, but you too can capture one in a natural way by taking a picture. To do so, you must be a good observer and position yourself in the proper place. Look at the example and find another surprising image that makes you look twice.

Look for examples of camouflage

2 Many creatures in nature are able to hide themselves in their environment to avoid being seen or to trap their prey more easily. Just as in the game Where's

Wally?, Chinese artist Liu Bolin (1973) camouflages himself in the city streets to criticize the lack of attention given to art. Look for other examples of camouflage.

Groundzero, by Chinese artist Liu Bolin, in New York. 3 When photography did not exist, a family's memories consisted of portraits. Diego Velázquez painted one of the most analysed portraits in the world of art: The family of Philip IV, also known as

Las Meninas. Find information on this artist and his most famous work.

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) Do I know the mechanism of visual perception and factors that condition it? b) Do I know the laws of the Gestalt Theory? c) Am I able to analyse what I see, such as the images that surround me? d) Do I recognise when images are not real, when they are illusions or tricks of perception? e) Have I discovered how our visual memories are different? f) Do I recognise elements of visual communication? g) Do I know how to differentiate between the different functions and the meaning of images? h) Am I able to communicate with images? i) Do I understand the differences between the representation and interpretation of images? j) Can I recognise manipulation in images? k) Have I learned about new artists, styles or artistic movements?

REFLECT, ASSESS AND PUT YOUR SKILLS TO THE TEST

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

25

Reinforce your learning

SUGGESTED METHODOLOGY

At the end of the unit, we can ask students to write what they have learned, using the unit outline and final questions for help. This proposal together with the final activities serve as a self-evaluation (individually or in groups) and as a starting point for new knowledge, since knowledge is an ever-expanding realm in which students can constantly broaden their horizons. This will also help students to become aware of how to connect different knowledge, skills and values, making learning an integral experience. We must always pay attention to the use of proper vocabulary and make sure expression and writing are consistent.

A WORLD OF IMAGES

Images and visual effects

Visual perception

Look and see

Laws of perception The brain simplifies The brain creates original images Communicating with images

Visual communication

Elements of communication

Functions of images

Meaning of images

Aesthetic: Related to beauty. Avant-garde: Artistic movements at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century that experimented with new ways of expression. Cubism: Artistic movement that uses geometric shapes. Dadaism: Artistic movement that began at the beginning of the 20th century that questioned the traditional aesthetic standards of the time and encouraged the liberation of fantasy. Favela: In Brazil; a marginal neighbourhood of shanties in a city. IZ

Installation: A type of contemporary art in which the artist uses the medium (walls, floor, lights, etc.) and other objects as part of the composition. Intervention: Artistic action that modifies space. limbic system: Part of the brain that regulates emotions and memory, as well as other functions. Syntax: The way in which elements of an image are organized and ordered through rules or techniques. Street art: The type of art that uses the city as a support for its creations. Visual code: The principles that give meaning to a visual message. Visual cortex: The part of the cerebral cortex (nerve tissue that covers the cerebral hemispheres) that processes visual stimulation. UNDERSTAND AND APPLY

Learn about portraits prior to photography

Capture an optical illusion

1 Artists create optical illusions, but you too can capture one in a natural way by taking a picture. To do so, you must be a good observer and position yourself in the proper place. Look at the example and find another surprising image that makes you look twice.

Look for examples of camouflage

2 Many creatures in nature are able to hide themselves in their environment to avoid being seen or to trap their prey more easily. Just as in the game Where's

Wally?, Chinese artist Liu Bolin (1973) camouflages himself in the city streets to criticize the lack of attention given to art. Look for other examples of camouflage.

Groundzero, by Chinese artist Liu Bolin, in New York. 3 When photography did not exist, a family's memories consisted of portraits. Diego Velázquez painted one of the most analysed portraits in the world of art: The family of Philip IV, also known as

Las Meninas. Find information on this artist and his most famous work.

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) Do I know the mechanism of visual perception and factors that condition it? b) Do I know the laws of the Gestalt Theory? c) Am I able to analyse what I see, such as the images that surround me? d) Do I recognise when images are not real, when they are illusions or tricks of perception? e) Have I discovered how our visual memories are different? f) Do I recognise elements of visual communication? g) Do I know how to differentiate between the different functions and the meaning of images? h) Am I able to communicate with images? i) Do I understand the differences between the representation and interpretation of images? j) Can I recognise manipulation in images? k) Have I learned about new artists, styles or artistic movements?

REFLECT, ASSESS AND PUT YOUR SKILLS TO THE TEST

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

25

Assessment For their evaluation, students will have to turn in a portfolio in which they have incorporated everything we have worked on (from the initial ideas to the final development of the activities), including comments and reflections regarding the texts, which will remain as a report showing their learning process. In this unit, we suggest as a task that students personalize it. Encouraging self-evaluation and co-evaluation is essential for students to develop the ability of learning to learn, value their strengths and discover the areas in which they can improve.

Challenges that leave a mark

CHECK YOUR PROGRESS

1 Capture an optical illusion. In this activity, students can easily understand optical effects and how easy it is to fool one's perception. 2 Look for examples of camouflage. The eye can be fooled in many different ways, and mimesis is one of them. It does not only occur in nature, but also in design and art through illusions. See the example of Liu Bolin shown in the book. In this case, the artist's work has a critical focus on that he symbolizes “disappearing” in the city, conveying the idea of a lack of consideration in society. Students can find more information on camouflage and do a presentation in class, linking it to the idea of being an individual and the idea of being considered. 3 Learn about portraits prior to photography. Because of a belief of not being recognized in the afterlife (such as in Ancient Egypt), or due to vanity, those who have been able to have portraits made of themselves have done so with the intention of making their image permanent for posterity. This was an issue of such importance that among the king's court there were painters whose only task was that of painting portraits of the king. In addition to

Las Meninas, we can provide examples of other portraits by Velázquez and other artists of princes, princesses, kings, popes, and even of jesters. Many artists were portrait painters. We can even have students find images of portraits of families throughout history and analyze what they represent, what characters, scenes or moments and why. 4 We reflect together. Let's reflect together. This activity consists of a series of questions, to be discussed in groups, on the contents and artistic references of the unit.

NOTES

At anayaeducacion.es, students have a questionnaire that will help them reflect on their own performance in the tasks proposed in this unit. Students also have a test available at anayaeducacion.es that will help them assess their level of acquisition of the skills brought into play during the completion of the proposed "Challenge".

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