Art History Lesson Plan

Enduring Idea:

Rationale:
- Studying from Masters, and creating master copies is a traditional approach to understanding painting and drawing techniques.
- Appropriation or "stealing" is an essential idea and in post-modern art practice.

Artists/Artworks: Andy Warhol, Walter Keane & Margaret Keane, Pablo Picasso, Shepard Fairley, John Baldisarri, Sherrie Levine,

Key Concepts:
Where does originality come from?
How are ideas generated?


Essential Questions:
- How is copying, stealing, appropriating art?
- Where does a originality, or creativity come from?
- Can you own an idea or images
- Is appropriation ethical?
- Do Copyright laws inhibit or protect artists?

Instructional Plan:

1. MASTER COPY/FORGERY - Have students choose an artist. They will then try to create a "fake" painting by this artist. They will study the style of the work, the artist's process, subject matter, and historical context of the artist's works create a convincing forgery.
- What clues could you add to the painting to make it more convincing?
- What is the artists primary subject matter? What concepts does the artist primarily deal with, and how do they portray that in their work?
- What techniques does the artist utilize? - grid systems, under painting, layers, color palette, paint quality, composition
- What is the historical context of the piece? How can you distress, or age the work appropriately?

2. Show and tell the story of a few famous artists that "stole" throughout art history.
- Marcel Duchamp

  http://old.theartnewspaper.com/articles/Did-Marcel-Duchamp-steal-Elsas-urinal/36155

- Andy Warhol  

- Pablo Picasso

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2014/12/15/2413349600000578-2875240-image-a-6_1418683430070.jpg

- Walter Keane


- Shepard Fairey

3. Review the Current Copy Right and Fair Use laws
4. Watch "steal like and artist"

http://austinkleon.com/tag/influences/

5. Create a artistic genealogy for yourself. What are your influences? What are your influences, influences?

Chapter 4 response

Art Criticism, Theory, and History

I feel it very important for art history to be taught in the classroom. Teaching about where art has been and the changes that have been made, and the theory and rational behind these movements allows students to build on that groundwork and conversation. Also, as they learn about art students will be able to latch on to things that they like and are interested in. They also will be confronted with art that they don't like - exploring these artists and movements that they find distasteful may give them an even greater understanding of what their artistic taste and sensibilities are. 

As I thought about how to incorporate teaching Art Criticism, Theory, and History, I thought back to successful ways that my teachers in the past have taught it. I found that my most successful art and history teachers - instead of drawling over dates, timelines, and numbers - taught history as a compelling and engaging narrative. Providing nuanced details, and interesting side events in conjunction with the main even.

I feel that it would be interesting to propose the ideas and theory of certain moments through art making activities. I feel like the best way to teach Art History would be to incorporate the art history into art making. Maybe present scenarios to students where they have to go through the same problem solving process that important artists went through. A few activities that I thought of are:

- Dadaism: Teach some rules or conventions to the students, then have them deliberately break those rules in a project. 

- Impressionism: Set up a still life, and move the light source every 10 minutes, having the students try and capture the differences and subtleties of the light. 

- Abstract expressionism: Have students try to create a replica of a Pollock, Rothko, Kooning, Kline, Gorky etc.