STANDARDS

Lexile: 940L

Core Art Standards:

VA5: Develop and refine artistic techniques.

VA7: Analyze artistic work.

VA10: Synthesize knowledge and experiences to make art.

CCSS Anchor Standards:

R1: Make inferences and cite textual evidence.

R2: Determine central themes.

R4: Interpret words and phrases.

Essential Question: What methods and processes are considered when preparing artwork for presentation?

Enduring Understanding: Artists consider a variety of factors and methods when preparing and refining artwork for display.

Vocabulary: bordered, closed shape, concentric circles, flat colors, fluorescent lights, industrial, industrial materials, light, monumental, mood, negative space, positive space, repeats, segment, shaped canvas, space, time, torques

Materials: Computer or interactive whiteboard, “Graphic Organizer: Working With Ideas” skills sheets from Lesson Plans 1 and 2,

Lesson: Simple Shapes Big Ideas

Use with pages 8-9.

Objective: Students will learn about three artists who work with geometry.

PREPARATION:

Review students’ notes from their “Graphic Organizer: Working With Ideas” skills sheets.

PROCEDURE:

As a class, read “Simple Shapes Big Ideas.” Invite students to observe each artwork closely.
Divide the class into groups or pairs, with each group focusing on a featured artist and artwork. Ask: How do these artists work with shape? (Richard Serra creates monumental sculptures in geometric shapes that invite viewers to experience negative and positive space; Dan Flavin uses fluorescent lights and repetition of a rectangular shape to affect space; Frank Stella paints concentric circles on a large-scale shaped canvas to fill the viewer’s field of vision.)
Have each group share their findings with the class, and have students record the findings in their “Graphic Organizer: Working With Ideas” skills sheets.

DISCUSSION:

Compare these works with Sol LeWitt’s works on pages 4-7 and on the cover. (Answers will vary but should refer to the artworks and text.)
Why is space important in each of these works? (Answers will vary but should refer to Serra’s invitation to the viewer to move through his sculptures, Flavin’s use of light to transform the space around the sculpture, and Stella’s use of a large shaped canvas to fill the viewer’s field of vision.)

REMOTE LEARNING:

Create a design for a monumental work that features geometric shapes. What materials would you use? How would viewers experience your work? How would the work relate to the space around it?
Research another Conceptual artist. Write a short paragraph or more describing his or her work.