Bird Pong, 1949 (oil on canvas)
Leonora Carrington
Get Surreal!
Grade: 6
Objective: For students to gain an understanding of what Surrealist art is and how it came about, learn basic tools of Photoshop, and employ these skills to make their own Surrealist image that portrays a sense of space by considering foreground, middle ground, and background.
Enduring Ideas:
* Surrealism is an art movement in which artists wanted to explore the unconscious mind. Surrealist art is characterized by dream-like images with random juxtapositions of objects, people, and settings.
* Juxtaposing an unusual collection of images can make the viewer think about those objects in different ways.
* Having a foreground, middle ground, and background in a picture creates a sense of space and depth, and can help the viewer get an idea of what's most important adn what's less important in a picture.
* Photoshop software is a form of technology that can be used to manipulate and recontextualize images.
Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks Standards:
1.6 Create artwork that demonstrates an awareness of the range and purpose of tools (i.e., a computer).
1.7 Use the appropriate vocabulary related to the methods, materials, and techniques students have learned and used.
2.11 For space and composition, create unified 2D and 3D compositions that demonstrate an understanding of balance, repetition, rhythm, scale, proportion, unity, harmony, and emphasis. Create 2D compositions that give the illusion of 3D space and volume.
3.6 Create artwork that employs the use of free form symbolic imagery that demonstrates personal invention, and/or conveys ideas and emotions.
6.3 Interpret the meanings of artistic works by explaining how the subject matter and/or form reflect the events, ideas, religions, and customs of people living at a particular time in history (i.e., Freud's influence on Surrealism).
9.2 Identify and describe examples of how the discovery of new inventions and technologies, or the availability of new materials brought about changes in the arts in various time periods and cultures (i.e., compare creating Surrealist work using the more traditional method of paint and canvas vs. using Photoshop).
Materials:
slideshow of Surrealist work, computers with Photoshop software and internet access, images to scan
Time-Frame: 3 to 5 45-minute class periods
Process:
First Class. Introduction to Surrealist Art and Photoshop
We will begin by looking at Surrealist Art and talking about its relationship to psychology, the unconscious mind, and Freud. The class will be asked to identify unusual juxtapositions; what do they make you think about? We will also discuss the use of fore-, middle, and background; what's in front, what's in back? What does this tell you about the importance of these objects? Does the space look deep or shallow?
The remainder of the class will be spent explaining and demonstrating key tools students will need to know how to use for their final piece. We will talk about ways to show depth in Photoshop by using foreground, middle ground, and background, and by adjusting the sizing of images.
Second Class. Exquisite Corpse
This class will begin with an explanation of the Exquisite Corpse exercise developed by the Surrealists in which one person starts a picture, folds the paper over to show only the bottom bit of their image, passes it to the next person who adds to it, folds the paper again, and passes it to the next person, and so on. At the end, the final collaborative picture is revealed. Students will be told that they will be doing a Photoshop version of this. Each student begins with a different picture. They create a new layer and experiment with the tools to make any changes they'd like. They then hide the layer, and everyone switches computers. Repeat this a few times. At the end, show all the layers on each picture to see the end result of this "blind" collaboration. This exercise is a way for the students to learn more about Surrealist techniques as well as to hone their Photoshop skills.
Third Class and Beyond. Final Assignment
Students will use Photoshop, their own images they've brought in, and images from the web to create a Surrealist-inspired piece. The criteria on which these will be assessed are use of foreground, middle ground, and background to create a sense of space; interesting juxtaposition of images; and use of a variety of tools in Photoshop.
