Constructing Identity Lindsay Abramo - Master of Arts in Teaching - School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Using Self Portraits and Alter Ego Portraits to Explore Identity Using a transparency overlay, the students will be able to manipulate a single photograph of themselves while rethinking and recreating their identity. The introduction to the artwork of Cindy Sherman and Nikki S. Lee will provide students with contemporary examples of photographers that manipulate identities within their artwork.
Artist Inspiration Photography by Nikki S. Lee and Cindy Sherman
EXEMPLAR 1
Self Portrait Collage created by choosing ten images from newspaper and magazine clippings that you think describes something about you
EXEMPLAR 2
Alter Ego Painting created by choosing one image from your collage and change transform or switch that part of yourself to create an alter ego
AP Photography
S
- Lane Tech College Prep High School, Chicago IL
SELF PORTRAIT COLLAGE
ALTER EGO PAINTING
DESCRIPTIVE WORD:
DESCRIPTIVE WORD:
Contained because I like
Spontaneous because I
to Escape from life
like to Express Myself
DESCRIPTIVE WORD:
DESCRIPTIVE WORD:
Liberal because I am
Close Minded because I
Accepting of New Ideas
Keep everything to myself
t u d e n t
W o r k
Materials • • • • •
Powerpoint of artists Magazine and newspaper clippings Markers Glue sticks Scissors
• • • • •
Acrylic paint Paint brushes Transparencies Photograph of yourself Clear tape
Lindsay Abramo Photography Lesson Plan TITLE: Constructing Identity: Using Transparencies to Create Self Portraits and Alter Egos GRADE LEVEL: High School TIMELINE: Two 90-minute periods DESCRIPTION: Using portraiture, students will have the opportunity to identify, question, and challenge their ideas about what creates an identity. The introduction to the artwork of Cindy Sherman and Nikki S. Lee will provide students with contemporary examples of photographers that manipulate identities within their artwork. Both artists play with the idea of constructing identity and capturing it within their photographs. The students will have the opportunity to explore their identities by creating a self portrait as well as an alter ego portrait. Using a transparency overlay, the students will be able to manipulate a single photograph of themselves while rethinking and recreating what makes up an identity. Big Idea / Key Concept: Exploring who we are and who we are not through art Essential Questions: • How can identity be revealed in a portrait? • What visual techniques can be utilized to tell the viewer something about the person being represented? Essential Art Questions: • What symbols or objects can be used to display knowledge about identity? • Why did you choose specific imagery to represent your self portrait? OBJECTIVES: • Students will be able to connect their personal identity to their self portraits as well as recreate their portraits in the form of an alter ego. • Students will be able to use the materials to manipulate images and execute a cohesive portrait. • Students will be able to use repetition, color, and shapes within their composition to express their ideas. STATE GOALS: STATE GOAL 27: Understand the role of the arts in civilizations, past and present. A. Analyze how the arts function in history, society and everyday life. 27.A.4b Analyze how the arts are used to inform and persuade through traditional and contemporary art forms. STATE GOAL 26: Through creating and performing, understand how works of art are produced. Lindsay Abramo - Alter Ego Lesson Plan
1
A. Understand processes, traditional tools and modern technologies used in the arts. 26.A.3e Visual Arts: Describe how the choices of tools/technologies and processes are used to create specific effects in the arts. STATE GOAL 25: Know the language of the arts. A. Understand the sensory elements, organizational principles and expressive qualities of the arts. 25.A.3d Visual Arts: Identify and describe the elements of value, perspective and color schemes; the principles of contrast, emphasis and unity; and the expressive qualities of thematic development and sequence. MOTIVATION / ACTIVITIES: Day 1: • INTRODUCTION: [5 minutes] • Introduce myself and explain what we are going to be doing today • CHOOSING VISUAL REPRESENTATION: [10 minutes] • The students will be given instructions to look through magazines and collect ten images that they think best describes something about themselves (keeping in mind the categories we listed earlier) • They will list these images and reason for their inclusion on their think sheets • The think sheets will help them conceptualize how they can create a self portrait that tells something about themselves • CREATING COLLAGED SELF PORTRAITS: [30 minutes] • The students will be shown an example of the project and possible techniques that they can use to create their self portraits • The students will lay a piece of transparent paper over the photograph of themselves • (We will be overlay transparent paper onto the photographs because the same photograph will be used for their alter ego portrait) They will add the ten images they chose to their photograph in order to create a portrait that • tells something about who they think they are • The students can choose to draw or glue the images onto the transparent paper • They must think about how the images tell the viewer something about themselves • Placement, size, and formal elements of design will play a role in how the viewer understands the image • CLEANUP: [5 minutes] • Throw away scraps, put magazines in a pile, and return materials ARTIST PRESENTATION: [10 minutes] • • The students will be shown a presentation of artists • Look at the artwork of Nikki Lee and Cindy Sherman • Discuss the artists and provide context for their alter egos • Discuss the difference between a self portrait and an alter ego • MIND MAPS: [10 minutes]
Lindsay Abramo - Alter Ego Lesson Plan
2
• Each table will have printed out copies of the artwork shown during the presentation (different artist at each table) • As a table they will create a mind map of one image they choose (example of mind map will be shown during the artist presentation) • This will help students start to breakdown and recognize what visual elements and techniques go into creating an alter ego • PRESENT MIND MAPS: [10 minutes] • After the mind maps are complete, the groups will present their mind maps to the rest of the class • Collectively we will create a list of visual elements that go into creating an identity or alter ego • DISCUSSION: [10 minutes] • Wrap up todays workshop, discuss the artwork students created, and possible ideas for their alter ego project Day 2: • INTRODUCTION: [5 minutes] • Recap what we did last class and discuss what we have planned for today • DISCUSS ARTISTS: [15 minutes] • Ask students to discuss the artists we looked at in the previous class • Talk about how both artists use specific and carefully chosen visual techniques to create believable characters / alter egos • ADDRESSING SELF PORTRAITS: [5 minutes] • Discuss self portrait collages the students created in the previous class • Looking at their self portrait collage, as a reference, fill out think sheet • The “Who Are You? / Who Are You Not?” think sheets will help isolate specific parts of who you think you are so you can change, transform, or switch those characteristics to create a believable and complex alter ego CREATING ALTER EGOS: [45 minutes] • • Students will be shown the exemplar and the process for creating their alter ego self portraits • Using the “Who Are You? / Who Are You Not?” think sheet, students will draw inspiration for creating an alter ego • Students will lay a transparency over the same self portrait photograph they used in the previous class and paint over the image using acrylic paint • CLEANUP: [5 minutes] • Throw away scraps, clean paintbrushes, and return materials • REFLECTION [25 minutes] • Students will be given the opportunity to reflect on their self portrait and alter ego portraits out loud • Students who chose to share, will explain their artwork, differences between their alter ego and self portrait, or just tell the class something that they want us to know about their artwork Lindsay Abramo - Alter Ego Lesson Plan
3
• As a class we will discuss the projects and get feedback from the students ADAPTATIONS FOR EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS: If students have trouble using scissors to cut their images, they will be able to use stamps or other techniques to include images on their collages. There will also be precut images that anyone can choose from. MATERIALS: • Powerpoint of artists • Magazine and newspaper clippings • Markers • Glue sticks • Scissors • Acrylic paint • Paint brushes • Transparencies • Photograph of yourself • Clear tape VOCABULARY: • Collage - An artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface, often with unifying lines and color. • Alter Ego - A second self that is distinct from your original personality. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS: Powerpoint, artist inspiration images, step by steps, think sheets checklists, reflections, and exemplars
Lindsay Abramo - Alter Ego Lesson Plan
4
ASSESSMENT RUBRIC: Rated 1-6 Students will be graded on the following criteria
(six being the highest and one being the lowest)
Collage has at least ten images Images are cut in interesting shapes Images are combined and attached to the collage in a purposeful way Collage tells a story about who the student is Think sheet is complete Name is written on the back of the artwork Student chooses one image from collage as inspiration for the alter ego portrait Alter ego worksheet complete Alter ego portrait is complete
Lindsay Abramo - Alter Ego Lesson Plan
5
Name: ___________________________
Self Portrait Think Sheet
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
LIST the 10 IMAGES you chose for your
EXPLAIN how EACH IMAGE tells the viewer something about
SELF PORTRAIT
WHO YOU ARE
1
2
3
Self Portrait Collage STEP BY STEP
4
CHOOSE TEN images
CUT images into INTERESTING SHAPES
CHOOSE a PHOTOGRAPH of yourself
5 REMEMBER TO: • Use color, shape, line,and pattern to make your portrait visually interesting • Think about the way each image contributes to the overall portrait
TAPE a TRANSPARENCY on top of the PHOTOGRAPH
GLUE IMAGES onto the TRANSPARENCY
• Keep in mind what you want the viewer to know about you after looking at your self portrait Exemplar
1
2
Alter Ego STEP BY STEP CUT PHOTOGRAPH of yourself (decide what you want
CHOOSE a COLORED piece of PAPER
to include or exclude)
3
4
GLUE PHOTOGRAPH onto the PAPER
5
TAPE a TRANSPARENCY to PAPER
PAINT on top of TRANSPARENCY to CREATE ALTER EGO
NAME: ____________________________!
CLASS PERIOD: ___________
CHECKLIST: Day 1 Checklist: Please check YES or NO box after completing each step
YES
NO
YES
NO
1. Did you CHOOSE 10 IMAGES? 3. Did you CUT your IMAGES in INTERESTING SHAPES? (example: no square corners) 3. Did you COMBINE and ATTACH your IMAGES in a PURPOSEFUL way? (example: payed attention to what images you placed next to one another) 4. Do your IMAGES TELL A STORY about WHO YOU ARE? 5. Did you FILL OUT the THINK SHEET? 6. Did you WRITE your NAME on the BACK of your ARTWORK?
REFLECTION: Day 1 Checklist: After your artwork is complete - Please check YES or NO 7. Are you happy with your self portrait? 8. Did you have fun? 9. Did you learn something new? 10. Did you look at the artwork your classmates created? Please answer the following questions: What do you want the viewer to know about you when they look at your self portrait?
Is there anything you would have done differently or anything you would like to change?
Is there anything else you would like to share about your artwork?
NAME: ____________________________!
CLASS PERIOD: ___________
Final Checklist Checklist: Please check YES or NO box after completing each step
YES
DAY 1: 1. Completed THINK SHEET listing at least 10 images 3. Completed SELF PORTRAIT COLLAGE with at least 10 images 3. Completed the CHECKLIST and REFLECTION (Half Sheet) DAY 2: 5. Completed Who Are You? / Who Are You Not? 6. Completed ALTER EGO PORTRAIT 7. Completed the WRITTEN REFLECTION (Below)
Written Reflection: Day 2 Please answer the following questions: What are the SIMILARITIES between your SELF PORTRAIT and your ALTER EGO?
What are the DIFFERENCES between your SELF PORTRAIT and your ALTER EGO?
Are you interesting in exploring the alter ego you created during the alter ego photography project you are doing next? Explain why or why not:
NO