Sumner County Schools

Arts Content Area: High School Visual Arts Week of May 18, 2020

Part 1: Yayoi Kusama

Read:https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/explore/who-is/who-yayoi-kusama

WHOISSHE?

YayoiKusamaisaJapaneseartistwhoissometimescalled“theprincessofpolkadots”.Althoughshemakeslotsofdifferenttypesofart–paintings,sculptures,performancesandinstallations–theyhaveonethingincommon,DOTS!

WHAT'SWITHALLTHEDOTS?

YayoiKusamatellsthestoryofhowwhenshewasalittlegirl,shehadahallucinationthatfreakedherout.Shewasinafieldofflowerswhentheyallstartedtalkingtoher!Theheadsofflowerswerelikedotsthatwentonasfarasshecouldsee,andshefeltasifshewasdisappearingorasshecallsit‘self-obliterating’–intothisfieldofendlessdots.Thisweirdexperienceinfluencedmostofherlaterwork.

Byaddingall-overmarksanddotstoherpaintings,drawings,objectsandclothesshefeelsasifsheismakingthem(andherself)meltinto,andbecomepartof,thebiggeruniverse.Shesaid:

‘Ourearthisonlyonepolkadotamongamillionstarsinthecosmos.Polkadotsareawaytoinfinity.Whenweobliteratenatureandourbodieswithpolkadots,webecomepartoftheunityofourenvironment’.

Shealsocreatesenvironmentsofdotssothatwecanexperiencethisfeelingofself-obliterationtoo.Shecallstheseroomsher'InfinityRooms'andcreatesthembyinstallinghundredsofflashingcoloredLEDlightsintomirroredrooms.Thepinpricksoflightinthedarkroomreflectendlesslyinthemirrors,makingyoufeellikeyouareinanapparentlyendlessspace.Thedotssurroundandengulfyou…it'sveryhardtotellwhereyouendandwheretherestoftheroombegins

HOWDIDSHESTART?

YayoiwasborninJapanin1929.Sheloveddrawingandpaintingandalthoughherparentsdidn'twanthertobeanartist,shewasdetermined.Whenhermumtoreupherdrawings,shemademore.Whenshecouldnotaffordtobuyartmaterials,sheusedmudandoldsackstomakeart.Thisisadrawingshemadeofhermumwhenshewas10yearsold.

EventuallyYayoiKusamapersuadedherparentstolethergotoartschoolandstudypainting.

Inthelate1950sshemovedtoNewYorkaslotsofthemostexcitingartseemedtobehappeningthere.Itmusthavebeenabitfrighteningarrivinginabigcitywithsuchadifferentculturefromwhatsheknew.ButshewasdeterminedtoconquerNewYork.Shelaterwroteaboutherfeistyattitude:‘Iwouldstanduptothemallwithasinglepolkadot’.

Shehadthefirstofmanyexhibitionstherein1959.ShemetandinspiredimportantartistsincludingDonaldJudd,AndyWarholandJosephCornell,andherartwasapartofexcitingartdevelopmentssuchaspopartandminimalism.Shewasalsooneofthefirstartiststoexperimentwithperformanceandactionart.

Aswellasbeinganartpioneer,YayoiKusamaputhercreativityintootherthingsincludingmusic,

design,writingandfashion.

Step1:Research:

-GoogleYayoiKusama–youneedtoseeherworkincolor!

-SpecificallylookupKusama’spumpkins,piecesinclude“AlltheEternalLoveIhaveforPumpkins.”Yayoi’spumpkinsarelikeWarhol’ssoupcans–shelovedthe“generousunpretentiousness”ofthesquash.

Step2:Design:

-Drawyourownpumpkindesign.Thinkaboutline,shape,andcolorandhowtheseelementsinteractwitheachother.Youcanfindmanyexamplesonline!

Yourdesignmustinclude:

- 2ormorepatterns(onepatternmustbepolkadots)- 2ormorecolors

Step3:Create

Createapumpkinusingthefollowingmaterials(orsimplywhatyouhaveathome!):

constructionpapergluecolorpencilsmarkerspaperscissorsnewspaper

Anyfoundmaterialsitemstobethrownaway(dryfoodboxes)

Therearenorules,exceptthatitmustbebiggerthanyourhandandincludethesamedesignrequirementsasyourdrawing.Takeyourtime,thinkaboutyourdesignandbepurposefulwithyourartisticchoices.

Step4:Share:Sendimagesofyoursketchesandyourfinishedpumpkinstoyourteacher.

Part 2: Wayne Thiebaud – As American as Apple Pie

Step1:Read(informationprovidedbytheSFMoMA) BayAreaartistWayneThiebaudworkedfirstasagraphicdesignerandcartoonistbeforebeginninghispaintingcareerinthemid-1950s.HecombinedanumberofintereststhencurrentinAmericanart:thick,gesturalbrushwork,everydaysubjectmatter,andcommercialimagery.Thiebaudisbestknownforhispaintingsofcakes,pies,andcandiesarrangedinclassicdinerorcafeteriastyle.Thiebauddepictstheseobjectsascommodities,theiremphasisonappearanceasmuchastaste.Heachievedthiseffectthroughserialrepetition,syntheticcolors,and,famously,bypaintingwithaknife,asifhewerespreadingthe"frosting"ontohiscakes.Byfocusingonsugaryfoodstuffs,Thiebaudupdatedthetraditionalstill-lifegenrefortheageofmassproductionandconsumption. Step2:ResearchmoreabouttheartistusingGoogleArts&Culture,artnet,Artble,ArtHistory.net,etc.

Lookspecificallyatthefollowingimages: Confections,1962 DessertTray,1992-1994 ThreeMachines,1963 Sandwich,1963

Step3:Usehttps://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/glossary/todefinethefollowingterms a. Definecomposition:b. Definestilllife:c. Definehorizonline:

Step3:Design! Whatisyourfavoritefood? Refertopage8,theArtist’sProcess.Create4thumbnaildrawingsofyourfavoritefood.Playwithavarietyofcompositions.ConsiderthesimplicityofThiebaud’sworkandhowhedisplaysthefoodinhispaintings. Step4:Create! Usingthematerialsyouhaveavailable,createyourownfoodinspiredworkofart.Itcanbedrawn(pencil,oilpastel,marker,coloredpencil),painted,collaged,etc.Focusoncompositionandhowyourobjectsinteractwiththespaceandeachother.Thinkaboutvalue,color,andtextureandhowtomakeyourfoodlookgoodenoughtoeat! Step5:Share!Sendimagesofyourprogressandfinishedproducttoyourartteacher.

Supplemental/Alternate Activities available on the following page.

Supplemental/Alternate Activities:

Shadowology/Vincent Bal

VisualArtTemplate1.pdf