Project Principle: Street Art is a contemporary movement in art that has inherent risks. First of all... it's illegal. Some artists, however face the law boldly with blatant disregard for it. In the name of art and social statement, these artists present themselves with physical and social risks as well as artistic risk. The most notable of these are Jean-Michel Basquait, Shepard Fairey, and Banksy. Through investigating these artist's and their philosophy of art, we will discover why they risked so much for art. We'll also take artistic risks that will allow you to express yourself.
Discussion Questions: What is the difference between social risk, physical risks, and artistic risk? Why are art and social issues so closely intertwined? What sort of social issues affect you? How does your art reflect you socially and economically? Why would artists risk so much for their art? Is it destroying property or elevating it to monumental status?
Activity 1: Look at the work of British Street Artist Banksy (see button below). He is known for social statements about capitalism and social issues. Choose a social issue of your own and map out where and how you would create a mural in the school to make your voice heard on that issue. In groups of three, propose the mural by creating an artist's dossier with the following materials; sketch, written explanation of the concept and location for where you would place it within the school. After this is complete, the class will discuss and critique each others' ideas.
Activity 2: Visit the estate site of American Avant Garde painter Jean-Michel Basquiat (see button below) and read the essay written by Fred Hoffman. In the first portion of the essay, Mr. Hoffman talks of the "text-messages" Basquait would scrawl on the walls of New York City in 1981 under the moniker SAMO. Think about some of your text messages. Are there any of your opinions expressed in these short spurts of words (especially in txt language or tweets and hashtags) that have a deeper meaning? In your sketchbook, draw out with charcoal what those five messages mean visually to you. Limit each drawing to 20 seconds. You will present the "message" of your drawings at the end of this activity.
Activity 3: Watch the video on American Street Artist and graphic designer Shepard Fairey below (see button). During his interview he goes into how the "Obey Giant" campaign started. It has since turned into a cultural phenomenon. Using the same technique as Mr. Fairey, find a newspaper graphic and create a stencil for a sticker with a message that reflects your personal interests and/or subculture; whether that is skater, athlete, steampunk, etc. Use traditional methods to create the stencil. Once it is created, make an artwork to be scanned using the stencil backwards on a linoleum block. Create a print using printer's ink and the block. After scanning the print, create a virtual sticker that you can "paste" to your social media sites. E-mail a copy of the artwork to Mr. LeClair. He will post them on this site (see button above). Rubric for Visual Sticker
Extension: Look at the work of Kashink (see button below). Her work is a flurry of color and shape. The bold characters and graphic nature of the work speak to high design principles used in a manner that is publicly accessible. Apply her style and design principles to your sticker by making multiple blocks that print in several colors atop each other OR color in your block prints with acrylic paint to make them even more bold!
Bridge Activity: In the Discussion Blog (see button below), comment on the following questions: How are the three artists alike in their vision of art? Is what they did/do as street artists really art, or is it strictly a criminal act that should be stopped? Should their art be considered monumental of our times? Argue your point using what you know about these artists.
Discussion Questions: What is the difference between social risk, physical risks, and artistic risk? Why are art and social issues so closely intertwined? What sort of social issues affect you? How does your art reflect you socially and economically? Why would artists risk so much for their art? Is it destroying property or elevating it to monumental status?
Activity 1: Look at the work of British Street Artist Banksy (see button below). He is known for social statements about capitalism and social issues. Choose a social issue of your own and map out where and how you would create a mural in the school to make your voice heard on that issue. In groups of three, propose the mural by creating an artist's dossier with the following materials; sketch, written explanation of the concept and location for where you would place it within the school. After this is complete, the class will discuss and critique each others' ideas.
Activity 2: Visit the estate site of American Avant Garde painter Jean-Michel Basquiat (see button below) and read the essay written by Fred Hoffman. In the first portion of the essay, Mr. Hoffman talks of the "text-messages" Basquait would scrawl on the walls of New York City in 1981 under the moniker SAMO. Think about some of your text messages. Are there any of your opinions expressed in these short spurts of words (especially in txt language or tweets and hashtags) that have a deeper meaning? In your sketchbook, draw out with charcoal what those five messages mean visually to you. Limit each drawing to 20 seconds. You will present the "message" of your drawings at the end of this activity.
Activity 3: Watch the video on American Street Artist and graphic designer Shepard Fairey below (see button). During his interview he goes into how the "Obey Giant" campaign started. It has since turned into a cultural phenomenon. Using the same technique as Mr. Fairey, find a newspaper graphic and create a stencil for a sticker with a message that reflects your personal interests and/or subculture; whether that is skater, athlete, steampunk, etc. Use traditional methods to create the stencil. Once it is created, make an artwork to be scanned using the stencil backwards on a linoleum block. Create a print using printer's ink and the block. After scanning the print, create a virtual sticker that you can "paste" to your social media sites. E-mail a copy of the artwork to Mr. LeClair. He will post them on this site (see button above). Rubric for Visual Sticker
Extension: Look at the work of Kashink (see button below). Her work is a flurry of color and shape. The bold characters and graphic nature of the work speak to high design principles used in a manner that is publicly accessible. Apply her style and design principles to your sticker by making multiple blocks that print in several colors atop each other OR color in your block prints with acrylic paint to make them even more bold!
Bridge Activity: In the Discussion Blog (see button below), comment on the following questions: How are the three artists alike in their vision of art? Is what they did/do as street artists really art, or is it strictly a criminal act that should be stopped? Should their art be considered monumental of our times? Argue your point using what you know about these artists.