Educators Resource Guide Final 12-07-07

7/27/2019 Educators Resource Guide Final 12-07-07

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EDUCATORS RESOURCE GUIDEEL MUSEOS B IENAL: THE (S) FILES 007

Contemporary Latin American Art



El Museos Bienal: The (S) Files 007July 25, 2007 January 6, 2008

The exhibition is made possible through lead support provided by Altria Group, Inc., Jacques andNatasha Gelman Trust, Bloomberg LP, The Greenwall Foundation, Peter Norton Family Foundation,

Angel Collado Schwarz/ Fundacin Voz del Centro. Additional support provided by Mary McCaffrey,Latincollector, National Endowment for the Arts, El Museo's Contemporary Art Circle.

Free admission to El Museo's Bienal and related programs made possible by MetLife Foundation.Additional public funding is provided by New York State Senator Jos Serrano and New YorkAssemblyman Luis Daz.

Exhibition programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department ofCultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts. Media sponsors for the exhibition areUnivision 41 / Telefutura 68. The presentation at Instituto Cervantes has been made possible by BBVA.

Instituto Cervantes New York will host part of the exhibition (September 13, 2007 through January 6,2008).

Education and Public Programs are made possible through the support of The Altman Foundation, Miltonand Sally Avery Arts Foundation, Inc., Citigroup, Con Edison, JPMorgan Chase, Helena RubinsteinFoundation, Steven A. and Alexandra M. Cohen Foundation, The Starr Foundation, The WallaceFoundation, and Wachovia. Public programs are supported, in part, by public funds from the New YorkCity Department of Cultural Affairs and the New York State Council on the Arts, a state agency.

Cover: From left to right: Franklin Evans, Regeneration: Franklin Garcia, 2007; Augusto Zanela,Apunte,2007; Shaun C. Leonardo, Self-Portrait Icon, Painting 2, 2006; Jessica Lagunas, Para Besarte Mejor,2003

For further information, please contact the Education Department:

El Museo del Barrio1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th StreetNew York, NY 10029General information: (212) 831-7272Group Visits: (212) [email protected]://www.elmuseo.org



A NOTE TO EDUCATORS

Dear Educator,

El Museo del Barrio welcomes you and your students to explore the fifth installation ofEl Museos Bienal:The (S) Files 007, curated by Elvis Fuentes, Associate Curator of El Museo and Carmen Ramos,

Assistant Curator of the Newark Museum. The (S) Files 007highlights the most innovative, cutting-edgeart being produced by emerging Latino and Latin American artists currently living and working in the

greater New York area. The artists are literally selected from the files. This fifth edition highlights fifty-one artists working in diverse media, as well as five artists from Ecuador, this years guest country. The(S) Files offers students and teachers an opportunity to explore Latino contemporary art through a varietyof media from painting and photography to video, installation, and performance.

For K-12 school groups, tours and workshops will focus on themes that figure prominently in the artistswork including identity, gender, immigration, conflict, and the environment. Gallery discussions andworkshop projects will touch upon the artists' use of unconventional materials, pattern, and abstraction toexplore such diverse topics as the war in Iraq, border politics, environmental awareness and thepreservation of cultural traditions. To help you and your students get the most out of your visit to theMuseum, we have created this Resource Guide to provide educators with in-depth information about theexhibition and select artists, as well as pre- and post-visit activities to use with students in the classroom.These projects focus on core curriculum subject areas and address New York State Learning Standards,including art, English language arts, and social studies. Also included are strategies for looking at art andresources for further research.

In addition to the materials presented here, The (S) Files 007features an excellent catalogue, with over50 images, and curators essays. The catalogue is available in El Museos gift shop and could serve asa valuable resource in the classroom.

If you are interested in scheduling a guided tour or hands-on workshop for your class, please contact theEducation Department at 212-660-7113 or [email protected]. You may access more informationabout El Museo's School and Educator programs, as well as our exciting calendar of fall programs byvisiting www.elmuseo.org.

We encourage you to use the materials provided here both before and after your visit, in ways that areappropriate for your age group and setting. Please feel free to adapt, modify, and expand upon thesesuggestions as necessary. Our hope is that they will serve as an introduction to the myriad possibilitiesfor exploring this exhibition further.

Feel free to contact us for more information, or with comments and suggestions.

El Museo del Barrio1230 Fifth Avenue at 104th StreetNew York, NY [email protected]://www.elmuseo.org



TABLE OF CONTENTS

A Note to Educators 03

About the Museum 05

Introduction to The (S) Files 007 06

Participating Artists 07

Using the Resource Guide 08

Using Works of Art as Primary Sources 09

Highlighted Artists and Thematic Activities 10

Why is this art? Making Art with Unconventional Tools and Material 10

Identity: Gender, Race and Ethnicity 13

Immigration: Displacement, Biculturalism and Home 16

Conflict: Reflecting on Global or Personal Struggles 19

Patterns and Abstraction in the Natural and Built Environment 22

The Environment: Issues and Awareness 25

Other Selected Artists 28

Resources for Further Study 43

Art Terms 33



ABOUT EL MUSEO del BARRIO

MISSIONThe Mission of El Museo del Barrio is to presentand preserve the art and culture of PuertoRicans and all Latin Americans in the UnitedStates.

Through its extensive collections, variedexhibitions and publications, bilingual publicprograms, educational activities, festivals andspecial events, El Museo educates its diversepublics in the richness of Caribbean and Latin

American arts and cultural history.

By introducing young people to this culturalheritage, El Museo is creating the nextgeneration of museum-goers, while satisfyingthe growing interest in Caribbean and Latin

American art of a broad national andinternational audience.

This mission reaffirms the vision of RaphaelMontaez Ortiz, who founded El Museo delBarrio in 1969 and of the Puerto Ricaneducators, artists, and community activists whoworked in support of this goal.

HISTORYEl Museo del Barrio was founded in 1969 byartist and educator Raphael Montaez Ortiz in

response to the interest of Puerto Rican parents,educators, artists and activists in East Harlemwho were concerned that their culturalexperience was not being represented by NewYorks major museums. The contexts of ElMuseo's founding were the national civil rightsmovement and, in the New York City art world,the campaign that called for major art institutionsto decentralize their collections and to representa variety of non-European cultures in theircollections and programs.

From the outset, El Museo defined itself as aninstitution that would educate through acollection of culturally significant objects and asa place of cultural pride and self-discovery forthe founding Puerto Rican community. Initially ElMuseo operated in a public school classroom asan adjunct to the local school district, and then inbrownstones in El Barrio, the Spanish-speakingneighborhood that extends from 96th Street tothe Harlem River and from Fifth Avenue to theEast River on Manhattan's Upper East Side.Between 1969 and 1976, El Museo moved to a

series of storefronts on Third and LexingtonAvenues, in the heart of El Barrio. In 1977, ElMuseo found a permanent home in thespacious, neo-classical Heckscher Building at1230 Fifth Avenue.

The move to upper Fifth Avenue allowed ElMuseo to maintain contact with its corecommunity yet reach out to a wider non-Latinoaudience. In 1978 El Museo became a foundingmember of the Museum Mile Association,comprising nine of the city's most distinguishedcultural institutions along 20 historic and scenicblocks on Fifth Avenue, including TheMetropolitan Museum of Art, the GuggenheimMuseum, The Jewish Museum, and TheMuseum of the City of New York. The

accessibility of the site, participation in thisprestigious association, one of New York City'smajor tourist attractions, and a growing interestin Latin American art have brought a hugeincrease in our non-Latino visitors, today about40% of our audience.

El Museo's original educational missioncontinues to drive its collections and programs.

At the same time, in response to substantialgrowth and demographic shifts in El Barrio, inNew York, and across the U.S., El Museo

broadened its mission, collections, andprograms in 1994. El Museo's permanentcollection remains a treasured resource fordeveloping exhibitions and education programs.In recent years public programs have beendeveloped to address the educational needs ofdiverse populations--seniors, adults,adolescents, public school students, and veryyoung visitors.

El Museos renovat ion is underway!



ABOUT THE EXHIBITION: EL MUSEOS BIENAL THE (S) FILES 007

El Museos Bienal celebrates the experimental,immediate pulse of contemporary art, andsupports the work of emerging Latino / Latin

American artists based in the New Yorkmetropolitan area. The exhibition was curatedby Elvis Fuentes, Associate Curator, El Museodel Barrio, and E. Carmen Ramos, AssistantCurator for Cultural Engagement, The NewarkMuseum, NJ. In addition, guest curator RodolfoKronfle Chambers (independent curator,Guayaquil, Ecuador), has included in theexhibition a selection of works by five artistsfrom Ecuador, this years invited guest country.

The (S) Files are literally the selected files, as

many of the works on display have been chosenfrom the unsolicited submissions to El Museos

Artists Archive over the past two years. Thisselection is the most expansive to date, with 51artists showcasing work in traditional mediumssuch as drawing, painting and photography, aswell as more experimental projects incorporatinglight, sound, and interactive elements, mobilesculptures and site-specific installations.

The (S) Files is an exciting endeavor that isreceived every year with great enthusiasm by

artists, critics, gallery owners, and art collectorsin New York. In just one decade, this project,conceived and implemented by Deborah Cullen,Director of Curatorial Programs of El Museo, hasestablished itself as a launching pad for new andemerging Latin/o artists while recognizing thecontribution of our community to, andencouraging dialogue with, the wealth of thecity's art scene.

Even among the diversity within the workspresented in El Museos Bienal: The (S) Files007, the curators recognize several recurrentthemes that have emerged organically within the

exhibition. Some of the artists reference thehyper-reality of contemporary culture of violenceand war, often in relation to social perceptions ofmasculinity. Others explore the publicdimension of art and examine issues of labor,immigration, language and identity, frequentlydocumenting the artists experience or citing arthistorical traditions. Resounding another globalconcern, many of the artists approach theenvironment and the natural world throughlandscapes real or imaginary, most especiallyevident in the selection of work from the five

artists from Ecuador.

In curator Carmen Ramos words: Bypresenting the work of contemporary artists ofLatino and Latin American descent working andliving in the greater New York region, The [S]Files offers a unique opportunity to witness anexpansive picture of American art in progress.However clichd, it is important to highlight thatthe work of the over forty-nine artists in theexhibition, performance and video programs thatcomprise The [S] Files resonate in multiplecultural, aesthetic and historical contexts. Manyare American by birth or born elsewhere andhere to stay. Others live much more virtually,here (U.S.) today, there (Latin America, Europe,Asia, etc.) tomorrow. Several resonant themesemerged organically. Some artists explore ourcontemporary culture of violence, war, riskand/or notions of masculinity itself. Others affirma return to naturereal, artificial, orconstructedexpressed as landscapes orpotent natural forces that evoke cultural heritageand personal experience. Appropriate to artistsworking in a nation at war, some biennial artistsexamine the pressing concerns of the publicspherefrom labor, to immigration and themyths of nations.



PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

1. Alejandro Almanza Pereda(1977) Mexico City, Mexico.

2. Blanka Amezkua (1971) MexicoCity, Mexico.

3. Alessandro Balteo Yazbeck(1972) Caracas, Venezuela.

4. Saidel Brito (1973) Matanzas,Cuba; lives in Ecuador.*

5. Melissa A. Calderon (1974) NewYork, NY; Puerto Rican.

6. Pablo Cardoso (1965) Cuenca,Ecuador; lives in Ecuador.*

7. Liset Castillo (1974) Camagey,Cuba.

8. Vidal Centeno (1960) New York,Nuyorican.

9. Cecile Chong (1964) Guayaquil,Ecuador.

10. Cesar Cornejo (1966) Lima,Peru.

11. Pedro Cruz-Castro (1970)Caracas, Venezuela.

12. Franklin Evans (1967) Reno, NV;Mexican descent.

13. exit static (latino & gringocollective)

14. Fernando Falcon (1980)Guayaquil, Ecuador; lives inEcuador.*

15. Andrs Garca-Pea (1961)Milan, Italy; Colombian.

16. Florencio Gelabert (1961)Havana, Cuba.

17. Eduardo Gil (1973) Caracas,Venezuela.

18. Tamara Kostianovsky (1974)Jerusalem, Israel; raised in

Argentina.

19. Jessica Lagunas (1971)Managua, Nicaragua; raised inGuatemala.

20. Cristbal Lehyt (1973)Santiago, Chile.

21. Shaun El C. Leonardo (1979)Queens, NY; Dominican/Guatemalan.

22. Jos Lerma (1971) Seville,Spain.

23. Adriana Lpez Sanfeliu (1976)Barcelona, Spain.

24. Luis Mallo (1962) Havana,Cuba.

25. Cecilia Mandrile (1969)Cordoba, Argentina.

26. Norma Mrquez Orozco (1966)Chicago, IL; Guadalajara,Mexico.

27. Justin Mata (1979)Woodland,CA; Chicano descent.

28. Ivn Monforte (1973) Merida,Yucatan, Mexico.

29. Alex Morel (1973) New York,NY; Dominican descent.

30. Lisette Morel (1974) New York,NY; Dominican descent.

31. Andrea Nacach (1975) BuenosAires, Argentina.

32. Oscar Oiwa (1965) Sao Paulo,

SP, Brazil.

33. Renzo Ortega (1974) Lima,Peru.

34. Sebastin Patan Masuelli(1978) San Juan, Argentina.

35. Javier Pin (1970) Miami, FL;Cuban descent.

36. Maria Teresa Ponce (1974)Quito, Ecuador; lives inEcuador.*

37. Dulce Pinzn (1974)MexicoCity, Mexico.

38. Manuela Ribadeneira ( 1966)Quito, Ecuador; lives inEngland.*

39. Jess Rivera (1956)Ciego deAvila, Cuba.

40. Carlos Rodrguez Crdenas(1962) Cabaiguan, Cuba.

41. Jos Ruiz (1975) Lima, Peru.

42. Reinaldo Sanguino (1973)Caracas, Venezuela.

43. Analia Segal Rosario,Argentina.

44. Courtney Smith (1966) Paris,France; raised in Brazil.

45. Germn Tagle (1976) Santiago,Chile.

46. Sandra Valenzuela (1980)Mexico City, Mexico.

47. Mary A. Valverde (1975)Queens, NY; Guayaquil,Ecuador.

48. William Villalongo (1975)Hollywood, FL; Puerto Ricandescent.

49. Karin Waisman (1960) BuenosAires, Argentina

50. Katarina Wong (1966) York,PA; Cuban-Chinese descent

51. Augusto Zanela (1967)Quilmes, Buenos Aires,

Argentina

* Indicates artists from The (S) Files 2007 Guest Country, Ecuador



USING THE RESOURCE GUIDE

This Resource Guide has been designed aroundsix themes that are referenced by differentartists in The (S) Files 007.

This year, unlike previous biennials, the curators(people whose responsibility it is to select and

install works of art) identified three overarchingthemes that emerged organically during theprocess of selection:

A Wild Eye: Nature is present in the workof many artists in the exhibition. Theyapproach the subject from differentperspectives: landscape, decorative arts,ecology, economy and politics.

Adrenaline: Urban culture and itsmanifestations of hyper masculinity are

explored in works that refer to subjects likeextreme sports, violence, risk,superheroes, among others.

Art Agora:A group of works dealing withlanguage, communication and expressionin relation to both Art History and themigration experience of the artists andtheir milieu.

In turn, for educational purposes, the exhibitionthemes have been divided into the following

sub-themes:

Why is this art? Making art withunconventional tools and materials

The environment: issues and awareness

Patterns and abstraction in nature and thebuilt environment

Conflict: reflecting on personal and globalstruggles

Identity: gender, race and ethnicity

Immigration: displacement, bi-culturalidentity and home

Each theme is accompanied by pre- and post-visit activities as well as information aboutrelated artists and artworks. A full page image ofthe highlighted artwork for each theme has beenincluded. Educators can print this image ormake a transparency of it to use in class. Onpage 28, you will find brief information onadditional artists who are connected to each ofthe six themes previously referenced. The

themes are followed by a number of suggestedquestions to guide your discussion withstudents. Resources to aid in developing someof the pre-and post-visit activities are found inthe webography starting on page 43. Wheneveryou find words that are bold and underlined inthis guide, please refer to the webographycorresponding to this section or theme. Artterms used throughout the guide are defined onpage 33.

The suggested questions are based on object

based learning and the use of inquiry to exploreworks of art. Using open-ended questions,works of art may be used to develop studentscritical thinking, communication skills, and visualliteracy. Growth is stimulated by three activities:looking at art of increasing complexity,responding to developmentally-based questions,and participating in group discussions that arecarefully facilitated by teachers. Using a learnercentered method, students are engaged inmaking connections with works of art throughquestions based on observation, analysis and

interpretation. Museum educators facilitatediscussions encouraging scaffolding ofobservations and interpretations. Studentssupport opinions with evidence, listen and shareinformation and ideas, and construct meaning.Through this method of teaching, museumeducators nurture students curiosity, anddevelop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.



USING ARTWORKS AS PRIMARY SOURCES

What is a primary source?

Primary source information is original material,such as a first-hand account of an event or awork of literature or art that has not beeninterpreted by anyone other than its creator.

Common types of primary sources are diaries,letters, autobiographies, oral history interviews,speeches, organizational records, poetry,drama, sheet music, government documents,maps, artifacts, films, video, sound recordings,photographs, artwork, and natural specimens.Primary sources enable the researcher to get asclose as possible to what actually happenedduring an historical event or time period.Primary sources were either created during thetime period being studied, or were created at alater date by a participant in the events beingstudied (as in the case of memoirs) and theyreflect the individual viewpoint of a participant orobserver.

How can we use art as primary sources forteaching?

If we consider the mission of the artist as thethermometer of an era, that is, if we see the roleof the artist to portray and interpret their times,then we can understand the importance of usingartworks as tools to teach various subject areas.Using an inquiry-based approach, students canlearn to look at artworks in a critical way andmake connections between the arts and othersubjects such as Social Studies, Language Arts,Science and Technology. Examples of artworksas primary sources in The (S) Files 007can beseen in Almanza Peredas piece and hiscomment on immigration and border crossing inEl Paso, Texas; in Alessandro Balteos mobilewhich is based on historical events in Iraq; inEduardo Gils collection of objects that are acriticism of Hugo Chavez democratic socialistgovernment; in Tamara Kostianovskyscomment on the effects of the Argentineaneconomic crisis in the year 1999; in JustinMatas depiction of the fourth branch ofgovernment; in Oscar Oiwas paintingrepresenting the growth of violent worldconflicts; in Dulce Pinzons photographs whichshare stories about immigrants living andworking in New York, and in ManuelaRibadeneiras comment on the war betweenEcuador and Peru in 1986.

Artists themselves often use primary sources toinform their artworks.

A good example of this is (S) Files 007Ecuadorian artist Saidel Brito with his piece Quela multitude conviva (Let the Masses Interact).

The painting isinspired by theindigenousuprising thatshook the countryin 2000 andtoppled PresidentJamil Mahuad.Brito reproducedthe paintingscreated byindigenous peoplefrom the Tiguacommunity bysubstantiallyenlarging thescale and altering their cheerful chromatictreatment. In doing so, the artist calls attentionto a historical moment and a group of peoplethat may have otherwise been forgotten

Saidel Brito, Que la Multitud Conviva (Let the MassesInteract), 2003-2007. Mixed media installation.


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El Museo del Barrio 200710

HIGHLIGHTED ARTISTS AND THEMATIC ACTIVITIES

THEME: WHY IS THIS ART? MAKING ART WITH UNCONVENTIONALTOOLS AND MATERIALS

What is art? This question has no definitiveanswer. Throughout the history of art, thefunction of art and role of the artist has evolvedin response to the times. Though many have

debated the nature and purpose of art, mostagree that contemporary artists incorporate avariety of ideas, techniques, materials andapproaches. As a result, however, sometimes,a viewer may find contemporary art to bechallenging or difficult to understand, spurringthe question why is this art? Through carefulobservation of materials and process, viewersmay discover the many layers of meaninginherent in a work of art.

What kinds of materials do we usually associatewith art-making? Artists have always madechoices about color, line, texture andcomposition and the materials used to expressan idea, concept, story or emotion. Morerecently in the history of art, artists have movedfrom only using materials that are traditionallyassociated with art making, such as oil paintsand canvas, to using a wide variety of materialsto create art.

Many contemporary artists experiment witheveryday materials, thus changing the publicsperception of what is allowed in art-making, andopening their minds to other possibilities toconvey meaning. Several ofThe (S) Files artistsmake artworks with unconventional materialssuch as tissues, plastic trees and flowers, cornhusks, joss paper, carpeting material,vegetables, cardboard boxes, electrictransformers, and even their own clothes! Thesekinds of materials are also known as alternativemedia.

Why do artists choose to work withunconventional materials? Does the materialused to make an artwork affect the idea theartist wishes to communicate with his or herwork? Does the material suggest meaning or isit the other way around? The activities in thisresource guide prepare you to start aconversation around this topic, and reachanswers as a group.

HIGHLIGHTED ARTISTMelissa Calderon (1974; New York, NY)Melissa Calderon is a multidisciplinary artistand curator born and raised in the South Bronx.

Calderons work examines the intersection ofrace and gender for Latina women. Her artworkis both personally cathartic and socially critical.Calderon explains that her work is reflective of[her] extreme introspective and emotionalnature. However, Calderon also attempts toreconstruct the stereotype that Latina womencant be emotional and self-sufficient, confidentand independent. She expands: [My work]speaks of the internal conflicts of the female rolein society and how outward expressions ofemotions are classified as typical femalebehavior and viewed as a weakness. Within thecontext of the vulnerability of the medium I used,everyday household [objects], my artworkspeaks of the feminine role of domestication andtodays feminist conflict to break that traditionalbarrier.

ABOUT THE ARTWORKPermanence o f Pain-1100 (La perm anenciadel dolo r), 2005. Steel, cried-on tiss ues,si lver t issu e box. 66 x 120 inches.

Permanence of Pain-1100is made with a largeamount of cried on tissues, that is, tissues usedby the artist to wipe away her tears. The tissuescontain the artists tears and therefore symbolizeher pain. What made her cry? We dont know forsure, but she created a beautiful and powerfulpiece in response to that pain. If you look at thiswork from a distance, you will see the tissuescome from a silver tissue box attached to the


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wall. The tissues take the shape of a curveoverflowing onto the floor like a waterfall. Thisartwork is minimalist in color and the use ofmaterials, yet overflows with emotion andmeaning. While the artist has chosen to use amaterial that is delicate or weak in nature, shehas used it to create a powerful structuresupported by steel rods and wire. About thiswork, the artist states, it speaks of the internal

conflicts of the stereotypical Latina role insociety and how outward expressions of emotionare classified as dramatic and over-exaggerated. Calling attention to thevulnerability of the medium, I use tissues toillustrate the whirlwind of emotions and clashingcultural ideologies. I challenge the newdynamics Latina women face having to balancethe traditional and modern feminist roles.

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

Take a minute to look at this artwork.

What has the artist used to create it?

When do we usually use tissues?

All of these tissues have been used to wipeaway the artists tears. How much do you thinkthe artist cried?

What makes you cry?

Discuss the concept of artists choice. Whatkinds of choices do artists make? (i.e. type ofmaterials, colors, surfaces, techniques). Whatare the reasons behind those choices?

Describe the material used to create this work ofart. Why do you think she would choose to usethis material?

How does the artist use this material to conveymeaning?

Where do the tissues seem to be coming from?

What shape has the artist formed with thetissues? What do you think it resembles?

Why might she have chosen to design it in thisway?

Do you think the artist is a man or a woman?Why? What stereotypes exist about men orwomen crying?

OTHER ARTISTS RELATED TO THE THEME

See pages 28 to 32 of this Resource Guide forbrief artist bios and thumbnail images of thefollowing artists and works of art:

Cesar Cornejo

Justin Mata

Manuela Ribadeneira

Analia Segal

The following artists are highlighted in othersections of this guide as follows:

Alejandro Almanza Pereda: p. 16

Franklin Evans: p. 13

Mary Valverde: p. 22

VOCABULARY

Artists choice

Artists intention

Concept

Contemporary

Curator

Installation art

Interpretation

Minimalist

Multidisciplinary artist

Process

Symbol

TechniqueUnconventional


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PRE VISIT ACTIVITIES

Activity 1This activity is designed for Elementary schoolstudents but can be used with other grades aswell. Have students stand in a circle and passaround an object that they will take turns toconvert into something other than the objectsoriginal function. For example, pass around a

broom. What else could it be? A Q-Tip! Abaseball bat! Ask students to demonstrate theuse of the broom in its new role. In this way, thestudents understand the use of an object ormaterial in an unconventional way and will alsobe introduced to the concept of symbolism (avocabulary word they will use during theirMuseum visit).

Activity 2This activity is best suited for Middle and HighSchool students. In a writing exercise, ask

students to research the meaning of the wordunconventional and then have them write astory responding to this concept. They canchoose to talk about an unconventionalsituation, character or place and develop afictional piece. They can also choose to writetheir story in an unconventional way, forexample starting with the end of the story, or notusing punctuation. In this way, they will explorethe meaning of the word and apply it to acreative piece of writing. As an example,students could look at the way the Argentinean

writerJulio Cortazarwrote his book Rayuela(Hopscotch)1 in an unconventional way, as aliterary experiment. American writerHubertSelby Jr. used unconventional punctuation innovels such as Last Exi t to Broo klyn. Anexcerpt from this novel can be used as anexample of unconventional writing.

1Written in an episodic, snapshot manner, the novel has

155 chapters, the last 99 being designated as

"expendable." The book can be read either in directsequence from chapter 1 to 56 or by hopscotching throughthe entire set of 155 chapters--except chapter 55--according to a table provided by the author that leaves thereader, finally, in an infinite loop between the last twochapters in the sequence. Some of the "expendable"chapters fill in gaps in the main story, while others addinformation about the characters or record the aestheticand literary speculations of a writer named Morelli (possiblya stand-in for the author). The novel is also considered tobelong in the genre of Latin American magical realism andis an example of multiple endings.

Activity 3Have students explore unconventional use oflanguage in a group poem based on the shareddrawing exercise, Exquisite Corpse. Pass apaper around in a circle and have everyone adda word to the poem without looking at the priortext. An alternative Exquisite Corpse poem isdone by random word selection (such asdrawing words out of a hat or blindly pointing at

words on flipped dictionary pages).

POST VISIT ACTIVITY: Develop a groupinstallation using unconventional tools andmaterials

Objective: To give students the experience ofexperimenting with different tools and materialsto make art; to reflect on the possibilities of artmaking and to connect the concept of the piecewith the choice of materials.

Workshop Procedure: What kinds of tools andmaterials do you use for making art? Have youever thought about using tools you use forcooking or beauty products to make an artwork?Brainstorm a list of traditional andunconventional materials with your students andwrite their responses as a list on a large sheet ofpaper. Which kitchen utensils, beauty products,or other everyday materials might you choose toexperiment with to create a group installation?

As a group, choose a theme to focus your

installation on, such as identity, immigration orthe environment. It could be one of the themesdiscussed during your visit to the Museum, orincluded in this guide.

Once you have selected the theme, brainstormwith your students on the choice of materials toconvey the right meaning. Examples of materialsto use: beauty products such as cotton balls, Q-Tips, fake nails, hair rollers, hair pins or officesupplies such as Post-It pads, paper clips,rubber bands, index cards, and file folders.

Since most schools have space constraints, youmay want students to work individually on partsof the installation, and once finished, find a placeto install the work built from the individual parts.The actual form of the installation depends onthe theme and the materials you decide to workwith. Have students write an artist statementdescribing the work they did and use it toaccompany the display of the installation.


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IDENTITY: GENDER, RACE AND ETHNICITY

Gender, race and ethnicity are some elementsthat compose a persons identity. Some ofThe(S) Files 007artists reflect on or question thestereotypes associated with gender, race andethnicity.

What are the elements that define our identity?How can we define the self? What makes uswho we are? Are there elements of our identitythat are qualities dictated or constructed bysociety and others that we are born with?

New York is a multi-ethnic city. People from allover the world have migrated here for centuries,mainly in search of opportunities that theycannot find in their countries of origin. Thisproduces a city of many multiple races andethnicities; of mixed identities. As a city, NewYork responds to its diversity and the specificneeds of every different community in terms oflanguage and cultural traditions. These culturalmanifestations shape the city. Immigrants, inturn, adopt what is known as transitory ortransient identities, that is, to swing from oneside to the other, to have two countries,throughout your life, () to swing from one sideto the other, to have two countries throughoutyour life and yet none, to feel at homeeverywhere and yet to be forever alien.Text byIvo Andric, excerpted from Ivo Andric Revisited:The Bridge Still Stands (University of California,Berkeley International and Area Studies, 1996).

How does culture define our identity? Can anindividual alter culture? Is it important to know asclearly as possible what shapes OUR identity?To what point are we in charge of shaping it?How do we understand ourselves as individualsand also as part of a collective? While thesequestions have no exact answers, by reflectingon them, we may increase our awareness ofwhere we stand as unique individuals in theworld.

HIGHLIGHTED ARTISTFranklin Evans (1967; Reno, NV; Mexicandescent)

Franklin Evans is a third generation Mexican-American artist born in Reno, Nevada in 1967.Evans completed his Masters in Fine Arts inPainting from the University of Iowa in 1993. Hiswork primarily consists of paintings anddrawings that combine various elements, such

as watercolor, ink, color pencil, graphite, andmixed media on walls. The artwork ischaracterized by the use of vivid color andpowerful, yet precise, brush-strokes. Evanslatest undertaking is the exploration of hisidentity as a mixed-ethnicity artist. Evans

states: I have frequently been misunderstoodas white, particularly with the name FranklinEvans.In the past year I have begun works thatoffer the artist signature as Franklin Garcia as away of disrupting what some of the public hascome to understand my work and identity to beas Franklin EvansMy interest lies less inidentity construct and politics and more theprevalence of misreading and its companion: thepossibility of knowing.

ABOUT THIS ARTWORK

Regenerati on : Franklin Garc ia, 2007. Site-specif ic m ixed media ins tal lat ion, 124x96x96.

In his site specific installation Regeneration

Franklin Garcia, Evans presents us withquestions about his own dual identity. Using avariety of everyday materials such as tape andstring; and an unconventional surface(sheetrock), Evans builds a mini-environmentwhere he repeats a figure which he calls amutation of a Mesoamerican2 god. According to

2Mesoamerica is a region in the mid-latitudes of the

Americas, namely the culture area within which a numberof pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanishcolonization of the Americas in the 15th and 16th centuries.


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the artist, this double figure represents howEvans, as a mixed-ethnicity artist, may be seenas one person with two or more identities,recombinant, fragile, decaying, transient. AsCarmen Ramos, one ofThe (S) Files007curators states: Franklin Evanss expansive wallcompositionbeautiful, messy anddestructiveblends painting, drawing and mixedmedia as a meditation on hybrid, miscegenated

cultures.

(Detail)


Take a moment to observe this artwork.

What surface has this artist used?

Describe any patterns you may find in thisinstallation.

Do the patterns resemble something from natureor from the built environment?

Find and describe the figure that is repeated inthis installation. What could this imagesymbolize? What might this tell us about theartists identity?

The artist, Franklin Evans was born in the US ofimmigrant parents. How does this informationchange your thoughts about the installation, andthe dual image?

What do you think it means to have a dualidentity or to be bi-cultural?

The culture area extends from central Honduras andnorthwestern Costa Rica to Mexico. This culture areaincluded some of the most complex and advanced culturesof the Americas, including the Olmec, Teotihuacan, theMaya, and the Aztec.

How do you think the artist feels about having adual identity?

OTHER ARTISTS RELATED TO THIS THEME

See pages 28 to 32 of this Resource Guide forbrief artist bios and thumbnail images of theirworks of art:

Lisette Castillo

Cesar Cornejo

Jessica Lagunas

Shaun El C. Leonardo

Adriana Lopez San Feliu

Renzo Ortega

Analia Segal


Melissa Caldern: p.10Mary Valverde: p. 22

VOCABULARY

Installation

Mixed media

Symbol

Memoir

Photo essay


Activity 1 : Read When I Was Puerto RicanbyEsmeralda Santiago. This book is a narrative ofa young girl's coming-of-age in 1950s PuertoRico and of her subsequent move to the verydifferent world of New York City. Have yourstudents reflect on the issues of identity sheencounters as she starts a new life in New York.

After reading the book, ask students to write amemoir based on their own experiencesconsidering how their identities were formed bytheir experiences and family background. When

they finish their written memoirs students candesign a cover for it, trying to capture theessence of what the memoir portrays aboutthemselves.

Activity 2:Ask students to build a word self-portrait. Ask them to think of words that describewho they are and type them in a Microsoft Worddocument. Ask them to then think of differentfonts they can use, depending on the meaningof each word. Ask them to proceed to cut out thewords and glue them onto a piece of colored


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cardstock, creating a design of a symbol thatcan represent them. The color of the cardstockthey choose can also be chosen intentionally toadd to their portrayal of their identity. Ifcomputers are not available, the activity can bedone by cutting out fonts from magazines ornewspapers.

POST VISIT ACTIVITIES

A Visual MemoirThis activity is an extension of the Pre Visit

Activity using the book When I Was PuertoRican. The activity can also be adapted as avisual memoir portraying a loved one or familymember.

Objective: Through this project students willdevelop an artwork about identity balancing theuse of image and text. Students will learn how tocreate a self-portrait or a portrait of a loved one

in a narrative form.

Workshop Procedure:After completing theirwritten memoirs in response to EsmeraldaSantiagos When I Was Puerto Rican, askstudents to create a photo essay representingtheir identity. Several examples of photo essaysare listed in the Resources section at the back ofthis guide. Alternatively, you may ask yourstudents to think of an important person in theirlives who has impacted their growth and identity.

Students may use disposable or digital cameras.The camera they choose will affect thepresentation of the photo essay. You may wantto give students the option of using color orblack and white photography, or a combinationof both. Discuss how these choices affect theportrayal of the person.

Ask students to take a series of photographs ofthemselves, of their friends, or family membersin various environments or of the person theyhave selected to portray in their photo essay.

Ask them to not only include posedphotographs, but to try to capture candid shotsof their subject(s) during daily life. They mayalso want to focus on important objects in theirhome (favorite books, foods, toys, etc.) that areassociated with themselves or their subject.

Ask students to use excerpts from their writtenmemoirs or to interview their subject and selectexcerpts to add as text narrating the photoessays. Students can also write poems about

their subjects and include them in their finalproject. Another alternative is to include lyricsfrom songs their subject enjoys or identifies with.

Once their photos are ready, have students editthem to a selection of 10 to 12 photos and toorganize them in a logical sequence to tell theirstory. You may want to give students a numberof options for displaying the photos and text.

One option is to make a simple accordion book(see Resources section of this guide). The photoessays can also be presented digitally using thewebsite http://www.flipbook.com or go tohttp://www.blogspot.comto present them as ablog. Their blog could contain photographs,poems, journal entries, podcasts, videos, etc.Blogs may be displayed in class using an LCDprojector connected to the internet.

For Elementary students:Books tell stories. Ask students to create a

simple accordion book that tells theirstory. Usethese guiding questions as a starting point: Whoam I? Who do I want to be? Where do I comefrom? Students are encouraged to use texts,photographs, drawings and objects to conveywho they are. Students books can be exhibitedin the classroom when finished.


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IMMIGRATION: DISPLACEMENT, BICULTURALISM AND HOME

For many years, immigrants have come to theUnited States in search of economic opportunityand personal, political, and religious freedom.Once in the U.S., they often experience racismand cultural stereotyping. Immigrants' many

important contributions to American culture havea significant impact on all aspects of life in theUnited States. Immigrants move from onecountry to another, start a new life and build anew home.

In the case ofLatino immigration, families fromall over South and Central America and theCaribbean come to this country, specifically toNew York, searching to improve their economicsituation, support their families back home, andgive their children a better education. Thismigrationof people inevitably brings a change inthe culture of the City as well as in its physicalaspect. Immigrants bring their own traditionswhich are then mixed with American cultureproducing unique hybrid-communities in NewYork City.

Many of the artists in the (S) Files 007addressing the theme of immigration are sons ofimmigrants or immigrants themselves. Throughtheir work, they question and reinterpret theirnew identity, or express their biculturalism. Theyportray what their new homes look like, byexploring language, neighborhood, space, andtheir identities.

HIGHLIGHTED ARTISTAlejandro Almanza Pereda (1977; MexicoCity, Mexico)

Alejandro Almanza Pereda earned his BFA inSculpture from the University of Texas at ElPaso in 2005, after leaving his native Mexico.Peredas work explores elements of risk anddanger in our daily lives. His aim is not to gratifythe audience with scenic images of beauty, butto deliberately create discomfort. He states, Itake preconceived ideas of what is considereddangerous and create tension and awkwardnessfor the spectator. Whether they are light bulbssuspended in mid-air holding the weight of acement of block, or light beams suspendingchairs in midair, his work manages to do justthat.

ABOUT THIS ARTWORKUnt itled (after Diony siu s) [ Sin ttu lo (Despusde Dionisos) ], 2007. Cinder blocks, lightbulbs, electrical cable, industrial plugs.Dimensions variable

Almanzas piece is made using a combination ofmaterials that are very dissimilar in nature. Theheaviness of the cinder blocks contrasts with thelightness of the light bulbs, which actually holdthe cinder block in place. This is achievedthrough balance and tension. Altogether, thepiece looks like a chandelier made withunconventional materials. It creates a sensationof uneasiness and awkwardness in thespectators. Can it fall? Can the balance be

maintained? Is it precarious? The artist went toschool in El Paso, Texas, which is near theU.S./Mexico border. In this work of art, Peredarefers to issues related to immigration and therisk involved in border-crossing from Mexico tothe US. The immigration experience can bepacked with uncertainties just as the light bulbsin this piece can explode or the cinder block canfinally fall. The title of the artwork may refer tothe Greek god Dyonisius who in a number of hisstories moved into a city, was resisted, and thendestroyed those who opposed him.


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What materials did the artist use to create thiswork of art?

What do you notice about how the materialsinteract? (Is the cinder block supporting the lightbulbs or is it the other way around?)

Where has this artwork been placed?

How would you feel if I asked you to stand belowit? Would you do it? Why or why not?

Why do you think the artist would choose tohang this object in this way?

In what ways do you think risk forms part of ourdaily lives?

If I were to tell you that the artist is interested inaddressing issues related to immigration anddangers involved in border-crossing from Mexicoto the US would this change yourinterpretation of the work?



Pablo CardosoLisette Castillo

Cesar Cornejo

Tamara Kostianovsky

Adriana Lopez San Feliu

Renzo Ortega

Sebastian Patane Mauselli

Dulce Pinzon


Franklin Evans: p.13

VOCABULARY

Collection

Space

Symbol

Unconventional materials

Haiku

Stencil


Activity 1Have your students discuss words theyassociate with personal space. Where do theylive? Do they have a space they consider theirown? Is this space special, a haven, does itprovide a sense of comfort? Is a home made uponly of material things like walls and tiles, or are

there other intangible things that form onesconcept of home? What happens when oneloses their home or is displaced? Make a list ofthe students responses.

Ask students to describe their bedroom in detailas a journal entry. What about it makes themfeel that its their space? What material thingsin it give them a sense of comfort and safety?What do they feel when they are in their room?

Ask students to think of the kinds of objects theycollect in their personal space. What do these

objects say about them?

An alternative is to have students to write ahaiku poem about their home that describeswhat makes You can find several examples ofhaikus online (see Resources section of thisguide for more information). The journal entriesand haikus can be displayed in your class.

This activity can also be done as a blog wherestudents can post entries, photos, drawings andpodcasts.

Activity 2Immigration: Map your class immigrationexperience on a world map. Use a large worldmap to identify the places where your students,their parents or grandparents came from. Askthe students to interview family members totrace back the experience of immigration in theirfamilies. Have students make a comic book withtheir findings. Their comic books should tell thestory of how their families came to the U.S.A.,describing their journey until the present day.

Activity 3Transition and Movement

Ask students to document their daily trips toschool for a week. Using a journal or portfolio,students may take notes, write poems, collectfound objects, draw places seen, or takephotographs. This journal will depict their

journey from point A (home) to point B (school),and will allow them to experience their routine

journey in a special way. This activity will help


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students pay close attention to this movementand to then be able to further understand thetopic of immigration (e.g. to leave home and goto school, I choose certain objects that I need inmy day, like books, but also, others that will giveme comfort, like an I-Pod).

POST VISIT ACTIVITIESArt as Activism

Objective : Students will each produce a posterusing simple printmaking techniques. The posterwill raise awareness about a group of peoplewho have been displaced or are homeless.They will use their posters in a campaign toraise awareness at their school or in theircommunity.

Workshop Procedure: Study Puerto Ricanartist Pepon Osorios work Home Visi ts.Brainstorm with your class on groups of people

that have been displaced or have lost theirhomes due to war or natural forces. According toThe NYC Department of Homeless Services,there are 34,620 homeless people to date in NY.http://www.nyc.gov/html/dhs/downloads/pdf/dailyreport.pdf. These individuals and familieslive in temporary shelters and drop-in centers.Students will design a poster to help raiseawareness about homeless people. Due to theirliving conditions, many homeless adults andhave a difficult time rebuilding their lives andfinding a permanent home. Often society looks

at the homeless with disdain. Reflect on theseissues and add a slogan to your poster. Useyour posters to begin a campaign in a neighborschool.

Take a piece of stencil paper or sturdy cardstockand a pencil. Draw a symbol that speaks aboutfinding a solution to the problem ofhomelessness in New York. Cut out the shapewith scissors, this will be your stencil. If needed,tape the paper. On a separate stencil paper,design a slogan that explains the concept of

your campaign, for example Respect theHomeless. On colored cardstock paper printyour symbol and slogan using water-solubleprintmaking ink and a foam roller.

When the posters are completed, decide as agroup how to display them at school or distributethe posters throughout the community.

As an extension to this activity you can visitother cultural organizations like The Lower East

Side Tenement Museum where students canexplore how immigrant families established newhomes in the early twentieth century andcompare their experiences with modern dayimmigrants in New York City. Visit the EllisIsland Immigration Museum, where nearlytwelve million immigrants landed in their searchof freedom of speech and religion, and foreconomic opportunity. At the museum, students

can experience immigration history directly.


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CONFLICT: REFLECTING ON GLOBAL AND PERSONAL STRUGGLES

Throughout the history of art, artists have beenconcerned with representing conflict, such ashistories of war, national strife or personalstruggles. Violence, terror, post 9/11 societyhow do artists reflect on these current events

and interpret them? What do (S) Files artistshave to say about these issues? What does itmean to live in a country at war? What are theeffects ofconflict and war on a population oryour community? What kinds of conflicts do youexperience closer to home? How can werepresent conflict? Why do artists feel itsimportant to portray these issues? What is themission/role of the artist in society? Several (S)Files artists address the topic of conflict fromdifferent perspectives: personal, social, global.When artists address war and conflict in theirwork, they oftenrepresent two sides engaged inoppositional struggle, and thus encourage theviewer to consider alternative views on an issue.

HIGHLIGHTED ARTISTAlessandro Balteo Yazbeck (1972;Caracas,Venezuela)

Balteo is an interdisciplinary artist born andraised in Caracas from an immigrant family ofItalian and Lebanese descent. He completed hisBFA in Fine Arts and a Masters in Sculpture,while in Caracas, as well as coursed otherstudies in photography and architecture indifferent Venezuelan universities. After movingto New Jersey, he completed studies ontranslation at Montclair State University. Balteo'swork is concerned with the effects of modernityin contemporary societies. To show theseeffects he traces complex entanglements withinthe modern world involving history and politics.Balteo explains that he bases theseentanglements in personal and socialexperiences of art history and mainstreamculture.

ABOUT THIS ARTWORKUNstabi le-Mobi le, 2006. Installation ofdocuments, magazine and sculptural modelof Iraq oil infrastructure, artist proof inCalders style. Dimensions variable.

In UNstabile-Mobile, Balteo presents us with acomplex piece that addresses the currentpolitical moment. His installation mergeshistorical and political issues with an art

historical reference to American sculptorAlexander Calder (1898-1976). To create thiswork of art, Balteo gathered research and datafrom http://www.judicialwatch.org, including amap that detailsthe location of Iraqi oilfields,pipelines, refineries and terminals. Balteotransposes data from this map to create visualpatterns that ultimately form the basis of hisstabile. The organic forms of the sculpture referto the sites of the oil fields, the star at the centerrepresents Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq, andthe color chosen is black to represent oil. While

most elements of the piece are based on factualresearch, he includes one fictional element -- thesignature on the artwork: Calder 2006. Theinstallation is accompanied by a handout whichcontains a map and documents which describeBalteos primary sources.

As Balteo explains, the Judicial Watchdocuments show us the motive for the invasionof Iraq. In Spanish, Balteos native tongue, theword motive would be translated to mobilwhichalso means mobile. In this way, the artist plays


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with both words, signifying the mobile as artisticobject and also the motive for the invasion ofIraq. It contrast to a mobile that is a kineticsculpture based on the principle of balance,Balteos sculpture is a stabile. A stabile is anabstract sculpture that has movable parts similarto a mobile, but that is attached to a solid,unmovable base rather than suspended. In thiscase, Balteos stabile is purposely unbalanced,

as one arm of the sculpture is weighted to theground. This element symbolizes the loss ofbalance that is present in conflict. The pieceaddresses three moments in time: the past withits reference to Marcel Duchamps coining ofCalder's new sculptures as "mobiles," a pun inFrench referring to both motion and motive andthe formation of Iraq as a nation (both in theyear 1931); the present by addressing thecurrent war in Iraq, and the future Balteosprediction of future world conflict caused by thepermanent desire for oil in Iraq.


How can we describe this artwork? What do wecall an artwork with these characteristics?

Do you think this piece moves? Why or why not?

Notice the title of the piece. How does thismobile differ from others you might be familiarwith?

Though titled UNstabile-Mobile, Balteossculpture is actually a stabile. How is the artistusing balance in this stabile?

What is the color of this stabile? Why do youthink the artist would choose to only use black?

Lets look at the first page of the handout thatthe artist has included with this piece, and nowobserve the shadow produced by the mobile.What do you think the symbols the artist is usingmight stand for?

What part of the world is the artist referencing?

Do you think the artist has made up thisinformation or is it based on facts?

What kind of conflict is this artwork referring to?



Cesar Cornejo

Tamara Kostianovsky

Jessica Lagunas

Justin Mata

Renzo Ortega

Manuela Ribadeneira



VOCABULARY

BalanceMobile

Stabile

Zine


Activity 1Study the lyrics ofGrandmaster Flashs songThe Message. Analyze the struggles the songdescribes. What are the struggles you and yourstudents face living in New York City? Ask

students to reflect on conflicts in their life,community and country. Have them keep aConflict journal for two weeks. It can containimages and written entries. In their journal, theycan reflect on how they deal with conflict in theireveryday life.

Activity 2: In class, write a list of local, nationalor world conflicts. Ask students to work in pairsto research about the issue of their choice andwrite a position paper on both sides of the givenconflict. Ask the pairs to present their findings

on the issue in class in the form of a debate.

POST VISIT ACTIVITIESMake your own zine!

Objective: To create opportunities for self-expression for young people, using the zineformat.

Workshop procedure: Use the researchcollected in the Pre Visit Activity 1 or 2 to createa zine about personal or global conflicts. You


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may use images such as your own photographs,drawings; texts such as brief essays, poems,song lyrics or mix both. If computers are notavailable, students can do it the old school wayby cutting and pasting their written texts on topaper and reproducing their zine with the help ofa copy machine. If computers are available, usesoftware such as Microsoft Word, Photoshop orPublisher to design your zine. You may choose

to do this project individually or in groups. Whenfinished, you can make multiples of your zine bycopying and stapling it. Students may choose todistribute the zine widely to members of yourschool community, and to friends and family.This project could become an ongoing one, asstudents could make monthly or bimonthlyissues of their zines. This project could also takethe shape of an e-zine (see Resource page atthe end of this lesson plan for more information).


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PATTERNS AND ABSTRACTION IN THE NATURAL AND BUILTENVIRONMENT

Nature presents itself to us in wonderful andunique ways, but we rarely take a moment totruly pay attention to it. How do we respond toand record the world around us? For those livingin an urban environment such as New York City,

it is easy to lose ones connection with thelandscape and nature. Throughout our dailylives, nevertheless, we are surrounded by avariety of patterns such as those created bybricks in a wall, the giant publicity posters placedrepetitively on the streets, the tiles in a subwaystation and Manhattans grid of streets andavenues.

Many of the artists in The (S) Files007usenature and the landscape as backgrounds toexplore different concerns such as national

conflict, chaos, identity, emotional turmoil andcultural stereotypes. As artists living in the NewYork City, they also look at the built environmentfor inspiration. Many, inspired by nature and thebuilt environment, use patterns to createabstract works of art, developing a uniquepersonal language. Cities are created byhumanbeings. Their structures follow patterns similar tothose thatexist in nature, and many timesrepeat patterns and rhythms from it.

HIGHLIGHTED ARTIST

Mary Valverde (1976, Queens, NY)

Mary Valverde received her BFA at the Schoolof Visual Arts in 1999. Valverde was born inQueens, New York and is of Ecuadoriandescent. She currently lives and works in NewYork City. Mary Valverdes work is informed bymemory, ritual and culture. Valverde isinterested in how patterns both strengthen andbeautify physical spaces, our bodies and ourpsyches; creating abstract works that can beread in multiple ways such as random patterns,

pure design or expressions of divine order.

ABOUT THIS ARTWORK12 Angles(12 Angulos), 2007. Mixed mediainstallation. Dimensions variable.

The title of this piece refers to the Incan wall of12 angles in Cuzco, Peru. Valverde states, Theidea that it could not be destroyed because of itsperfect points led me to initiate the investigationwith these 12 points as a statement ofendlessness/ so perfect it could not be torn

down. Like the culture of the Incas still till thisday transcends time.12 Angles is a site-specific installation made with unconventionalmaterials such as corn husks, joss paper, fabric,and metal mesh all which hold symbolicmeaning for the artist. With these materials,Valverde builds a variety of abstract patternsthat are organized mainly in groups of twelve.Valverde is interested in memory, ritual andculture. There are twelve corn husks in thecentral part of the piece that refer to the vitalimportance of corn for her Andean Inca

ancestors. These husks are displayed in theform of a lotus leaf, referencing Asian culture.The braid-like structures, made of cloth, refer toQuipus or counting systems used by theancient Incan culture. The piece is suspendedby four braids which reference the four seasons,while twelve braids on the lower portion ofinstallation refer to the twelve months in a yearor a life cycle. In addition, Valverde uses josspaper (Chinese hand made paper) to refer to theritual of burning paper in traditional Chinese


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funerary ceremonies, and the colors red andgold, which symbolize good fortune in some

Asian cultures.


Take a few minutes to look closely at thisartwork. Describe the different materials theartist has used.

Have you ever used these kinds of materials tomake an artwork?

Describe the textures and patterns created bythese materials.

What kinds of shapes can we find here? Whatdo these shapes remind us of?

Count how many braid-shape elements arepresent in the lower part of this artwork. Do you

think that number has a specific meaning? Whydo you think the artist would choose to highlightthis number (in the braids and in the title)?

Explore the materials more closely. Why mightthe artist have chosen to use some of thesematerials? What might they symbolize? Discussthe symbolic significance of Valverdes materials(the braids, joss paper, corn husks, etc.)

Knowing all this, what do you think this artist isconcerned with?



Pablo Cardoso

Luis Mallo

Justin Mata

Lisette Morel

Carlos Rodriguez Cardenas

Analia Segal


Melissa Caldern: p.10


Florencio Gelabert: p.25

VOCABULARY

Abstract

Built environment

Composition

Design

Joss paper

Mandala

Mixed media

Pattern

PrintmakingRepetition

Rhythm

Symbol

Unconventional


Activity 1Read An Open L etter to New York City. Theselyrics show us a view of New York City as seenthrough the eyes of Brooklyn based hip-hop

band The Beastie Boys. What kind of city arethey describing? How is it different to living inthe suburbs or in the country? Listen carefully tothe song. How do the lyrics and the rhythmscreate patterns? Write your own lyrics inresponse to your experience of living in the city.Consider the sights, sounds, smells of yourneighborhood.

Activity 2Discuss the meaning of the word pattern andask students to keep a pattern journal for a

week. Students can include photographs offound patterns from magazines, drawings oftheir own patterns, rubbings of patterns they findat home and in school, and texts.

Activity 3After studying the meaning of pattern, take aphoto pattern safari in your neighborhood. Thiscould be a walk around the block from yourschool with digital or disposable cameras. Takephotos of different patterns you find in yourneighborhood both in nature and the built

environment and display them in your class as agroup installation. As another option, create anonline photo essay and display it on a classroomblog.

POST VISIT ACTIVITIESPrintmaking and creating patterns withunconventional materials

Objective: To create an abstract work of artusing patterns and unconventional materials.


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Workshop Procedure: Study artworks fromThe (S) Files 007that show a use ofunconventional materials and others thatincorporate patterns and abstraction. Discusshow these artists are not limiting their work tothe use of traditional materials and how they areexperimenting with various everyday materials.Discuss basic printmaking techniques with yourstudents. You may ask them to make simple

hand prints first for them to better understandthe printmaking technique. Ask them to thenthink of objects found in the kitchen they canprint with. Here are some examples:

Vegetables: cucumbers, pepper, carrots, onions,broccoli; onionsFruits: apples, pears; oranges, grapefruitOther: Mushrooms, potatoesKitchen utensils: potato mashers, cheesegraters

Use water-soluble printing ink or thick temperaor acrylic paint (the thicker, the better), cleanmeat trays and rollers. You can roll each coloryou want to use in each meat tray with a roller,and then dip the piece of fruit or vegetable to beprinted, and stamp it onto paper.

Ask students to create patterns as they print. Agood example would be to use a mandalapattern.

When the printing is complete, students can

choose a detail of the finished print (using aviewfinder - two L- shaped pieces of paper).Using pencil and paper, ask students to sketchthis detail, paying close attention to therepetition of shapes or lines. Display theirabstract drawing next to the print in yourclassroom.


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THE ENVIRONMENT: ISSUES AND AWARENESS

We live in and share one world, but howconcerned are we with preserving theenvironment? We destruct to construct; to buildcities and living spaces, we often destroy nature.

Consumerism is a major problem of modern

society and especially of developed countriessuch as the U.S. Consumerism and wasteaffects our natural resources and creates globalwarming. Natural resources such as water arecommodities to be sold in the modern world.How long will natural resources last? What doartists have to say about living in environmentsthat are slowly being destroyed?

How do contemporary artists observe, respondto and record the world around them? Several(S) Files artists are inspired by nature, by theirenvironment and the power struggle betweennature and its human inhabitants. But, as citycreatures, artists are not only referring to thenatural environment; in many cases they areconcerned with the built environment and spaceas a broad concept. As first or secondgeneration immigrants, many of these artists arealso reflecting on the environment or home onemust create when starting a new life in adifferent country.

HIGHLIGHTED ARTISTFlorencio Gelabert (1961; Havana, Cuba)

Cuban born artist, Florencio Gelabert, receivedhis Masters in Fine Arts from the University ofMiami in 1998, after leaving Cuba in 1991.Gelabert dissects and attempts to reconstructthe relationship between humanity and theenvironment. Over the years, Gelabert hasconstructed a series of sculptures andinstallations, using artificial materials (wood,foam, artificial grass), ironically, to remind us ofthe value of the natural world. He states, Mysculptures alter the intrinsic value of the

definition of objects in such a way as to evokenew interpretations of conception alchemyforcing the audience to reevaluate therelationship between organic elements andtechnology. I am fascinated by creatingsculpture and site specific works relating topeople and their environment, and in particular,power, destruction and violence as globalproblems of a new age.

ABOUT THIS ARTWORKImagine The Poss ible Island, 2007.Plywood, crystal resin, artificial plants, clay,foam. 10 x 96 x 38 inches.

Gelaberts work asks the viewer to look at theisland of Manhattan stripped of the buildings andconcrete that characterize it. In his interpretationof this New York City borough, he has replaced

the built environment with artificial plants and apond made of fiberglass and resin. There is alsoa small island located in the center of the pond.Imagine the Possible Island, as the piece istitled, is placed on the floor on casters and ismeant to be moved; Gelabert has conceived itas a nomadic sculpture. His choice of usingsynthetic materials to represent natural ones isironic and refers to his concern with how we, ashumans, relate to the environment.

Gelabert drew inspiration from the image of the

island of Manhattan which can be seen on NewYork City subway maps and the place known asStrawberry Fields in Central Parks Westside, amemorial to musician John Lennon. The title ofthe piece refers to John Lennons song Imaginewhich speaks of tolerance and respect amonghuman beings. Strawberry Fields remindsGelabert of a small island in the immensity ofthe park. Another reference in this project is aninvestigation Gelabert began in 2006 aboutendemic plants, after visiting the BotanicalGarden of Washington, Gelabert states I was

deeply impressed by the immense deforestationand the absence of conscience in people aboutthis fact. Gelabert brings together three ideas:the map of the New York City subway, anhomage to John Lennon in Central Park and theidea of deforestation. In this way, he intends toprovoke the viewer to consider these ideas andexperience an aerial view of the City as theywalk around the sculpture.



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Lets look at the shape of this artwork. Whatdoes it resemble?

Describe the elements of this island.Do you think the flowers and plants look real?Why or why not?

How is this similar or different to the island of

Manhattan?

What has the artist left out? Why do you think hedid that?

This piece is titled Imagine the PossibleIsland. What kind of island of Manhattan isGelabert imagining?

Why do you think he is imagining this kind ofisland?

OTHER ARTISTS RELATED TO THIS THEMESee pages 38 to 42 of this Resource Guide forbrief artist bios and thumbnail images of theirworks of art:

Fernando Falcon

Luis Mallo

Justin Mata

Sebastian Patane Mauselli

Maria Teresa Ponce

Manuela Ribadeneira


Alessandro Balteo Yazbeck: p. 19

VOCABULARY

Land or Earth Art

Shape

Fiberglass

PRE VISIT ACTIVITIESActivity 1Begin the session by discussing environmentalissues such as climate change, conservation,energy, land degradation, nuclear issues,overpopulation, ozone depletion, pollution,resource depletion and toxic waste. Discusshow recycling can benefit a community. Start arecycling program in your school.

Activity 2Have students study the artwork of British artistAndy Goldsworthy who gets his inspiration andmaterial from the natural world. Discuss how theartist makes these pieces. Have students selectone of his artworks and ask them to write apoem that describes their response to the work.Study the art movement known as Land or Earth

Art that came to be in the U.S. during the sixties.

Take a class trip to a natural area such asCentral Park, Prospect Park, Rockaway Beach,or any park or community garden in yourneighborhood to collect materials from nature.Be sure to check the parks policies on collectingnatural materials before you begin. Use thefound materials to create onsite installations anddocument them by taking photographs. Displaythe photographs in school or online on a classblog. A list of community gardens and parks isavailable in the Resources Section.

POST VISIT ACTIVITIESEnvironmental Campaign-Poster or CanvasTote Campaign

Use the research about environmental issuessuggested as a pre-visit activity to build anenvironmental campaign for your schoolfocusing on one of the environmental issuesstudied.

POSTER CAMPAIGN1. Using newspaper from the classroom

recycling campaign, select a two-page spreadas your printing surface.

2. Take a piece of stencil paper or sturdycardstock and a pencil. Draw a symbol thatspeaks about finding a solution to the selectedenvironmental issue.

3. Cut out the shape with scissors, to use asyour stencil. If needed, tape the shape backtogether.

4. On a separate stencil paper, design a sloganthat explains the concept of your campaign, e.g.Help preserve the environment: please recycle!

5. On the newspaper surface, print your symboland slogan using water-soluble printmaking inkand a foam roller or sponge. Use bright colors tocontrast with the newspaper print.

You have created your poster!


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TOTE BAG CAMPAIGNPre-order blank canvas tote bags for thisproject.

Canvas bags are the best alternative to usingplastic bags when buying groceries.Environmentalist state that it may take up to1000 years for one plastic bag to disintegrate.While paper bags may seem environmentally

friendly, trees are cut down to produce them.This campaign will help students raiseawareness about a chosen environmental issueinside and outside of the school. Canvas bagscan be stenciled using the same processdescribed above for the poster campaign or silkscreened. You can also do Xerox transfers. Thisprocess allows you to transfer images generatedfrom magazines, newspapers, photographs,photocopy/Xerox machines, onto any surfacethat will accept acrylic paint. It can be done witha wide variety of acrylic mediums depending

upon your desired effect.

Directions: Selecting Image1. Select image of your choice and make aXerox of it. If your image has text, you will needto use the mirror option on the copy machine

Coating Image1. Brushing Method: Using a soft brush, coatimage with gloss medium acrylic varnish or thickwhite acrylic paint. Place acrylic paint face downon the tote bag and flatten carefully. A dry hard

roller is good for this.2. Allow to dry overnight.

Soaking Transfer1. Submerge the tote bag in lukewarm water andsoak 10-15 minutes. The longer the image issubmerged in water, the easier it will be toremove the paper from the back of the image.Do not soak the tote bag longer than 20minutes. When submerged in water, the clearmedium may turn slightly milky.2. Remove the tote bag from the water and

using your fingers, gently rub off the paper.Continue to rub off the paper until only theimage remains.

Drying Transferred Image1. Blot with paper or cloth towel. Place flatbetween layers of wax paper, then paper towel.2. Place a weight on top and allow the tote bagto dry, insuring that image dries flat.3. When tote bags are completely dry, iron them.

4. Spread the word: share these tote bags withfamily and friends.


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OTHER SELECTED ARTISTS (in alphabetical order)

Pablo Cardoso (1965: Cuenca, Ecuador)Lejos c erca lejos (Far Close Far), 2004Acrylic on wood , 320 pieces, 3.9 X 5.9 inches eachThematic connections: Pattern and abstraction in nature and the builtenvironment;Immigration: displacement, biculturalism and home

Far Close Far tells about my journey from the threshold of my house in

Cuenca, Ecuador to the pavilion of the Bienal de Sao Paulo. Three hundredand twenty photographs that were later copied using a paintbrush: a slow

process that, in contrast to the ephemeral nature of photographic images,introduces some themes Im interested in, especially in relation to time andthe perception of reality.

Lisette Castillo (1974; Camaguey, Cuba)From the series Pain is Universal but so is Hope: Wh ite(De la serie El dolor es universal , pero tambien lo es la esperanza:Blanco), 2007C-Print on Dibond 70 x 92 inches. Edition 5, 2 artist proofsThematic connections: Identity: gender, race and ethnicity; Immigration:

displacement, biculturalism and home

Castillo works with photography and sculpture, expressing her particularinterest in urban landscape. She states: Im really interested in architectureand urbanism. I think cities as amalgams of buildings and people, inhabitedsettings from which daily rituals---the mundane and the extraordinary---derivetheir validity.Since her departure from Cuba, Castillo began to work withsand as metaphor for the re-building of a new home, the inevitability ofchange, and the ties that unite humanity. Shehas created a series ofbuildings, cities, labyrinths, and urban grids, that although small in size, aregrand in their significance. She explains: I work with sand and water asmetaphor for the inconsistence and the ephemeral state of things in lifeIdocument with photographs the moment something in which something isborn and will disappear, the fragile memory of an extinguished world.

Cesar Cornejo (1966, Lima, Peru)q.e.d.(quod erat demonstrandum)*2006Electric transformers, cable, light bulbs, woodThematic connections: Why is this art? Making art with unconventionalmaterials; Immigration, displacement, biculturalism and home; Conflict:reflecting on personal and global struggles; Identity; gender, race andethnicity

With q.e.d. Cesar Cornejo makes a statement on our global culture and whatgets lost in translation. In this work I tried to present that transformation:language, cultural, general, said Cornejo. And in a way, the transformers dothat to the light and then you'll see how the intensity of both, even thoughbeing from the same watts strength, they come differently from the change in

the transformers. Cornejo considers this piece to be open to manyinterpretations. He refers to how different cultures misunderstand each other.Having lived in different countries like Japan and England, he feels languageand culture present a barrier and the messages loose their meaning. Thepiece is also a comment on how government institutions function in Latin

America. Just as the light bulb that is directly plugged into the outlet producesmore light than the one that is hooked to several transformers, so doesbureaucracy in countries like Peru make you go through unnecessary ordealsto get to the same results (although, less brighter ones).

*This title refers to l.q.q.d Lo que queriamos demostrar, which during the90s was an expression highly used in Peru by circles of professors andintellectuals. It comes from an expression used in mathematics afterdemonstrating a thorem.


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Tamara Kostianovsky (1974; Jerusalem, Israel)Second SkinVarious articles of clothing belonging to the artist, embroidery floss,batting, armature wire, and meat hookThematic connections: Why is this art? Making art with unconventionalmaterials and processes; Immigration: displacement, biculturalism and home;Conflict: reflecting on personal and global struggles

For Argentineans, the cow is a symbol of national identity: it is the coreingredient in most peoples diet and one of the main exports of the country.By creating sculptural works where cows appear skinned, tortured, or

dismembered, I intend to speak about the escalating violence that we havebecome accustomed to and the conflictive relationship between homelandand migrs.

Adriana Lopez San Feliu (1976; Spain)From the series Life on the Block(De la serie Vida en el bloqu e), 2006Women o f the Block (Mujeres del bloque), 2006Silver gelatin print, 16x20 inchesThematic connections: Immigration: displacement, biculturalism and home;Identity: gender, race and ethnicity; Conflict: reflecting on personal and globalstruggles

Life on the Blockis a photographic exploration of the physical and mental

boundaries of young Puerto Rican women living in Spanish Harlem(Manhattan, NY) today. It is a testimony of the roles of women in a machistaculture, as Latinas in a dominant white society, and as mothers of theupcoming American generations. I see photography as an open window, aninvitation to dialogue that turns conversation into compassion.

Jessica Lagunas (1971; Nicaragua; raised in Guatemala)Para besarte mejor (The Better to Kiss You With), 2003Single-channel video57:48 minutesThematic connections: Conflict: reflecting on personal and global struggles;Identity: Gender, race and ethnicity

Contemporary society rarely explores the condition of woman, her sexuality,

beauty and aging. I am interested in questioning womens obsession withtheir images and bodies. With a minimalist approach, I use various media:installation, collage, objects and video-performances. In The Better to KissYou With video, I experiment with feminine beauty rituals, performing them inexaggerated ways to reflect pressures imposed by todays society.


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Shaun El C. Leonardo (1979; Queens, NY)Self-portrait Icon , Paintin g (Icon o autor retrato, pintu ra 2), 2006Sign enamel on cut plywood54x46x.5 inchesThematic connections: Identity: gender, race and ethnicity; Conflict:reflecting on personal and global struggles.

With his current body of work Shaun El C. Leonardo creates and manipulateshyper-masculine heroes to discuss the difficulty a person of complex raceand nationality encounters while trying to locate himself within his pop

cultures during his own development of masculinity.

I believe I have skewed my sense of self since childhood. By projectingmyself as hypermasculine heroes, I manifest the ongoing tensions betweenmy desires to represent male virility and the vulnerabilities within my identitydeveloped by these images of power.

Luis Mallo (1962: Havana, Cuba)In Camera, No. 60, 2004C-Print38x48 inchesThematic connections: Patterns and abstraction in nature and the builtenvironment; The environment: issues and awareness.

The urban landscapes depicted in these large-scale color photographs arepartially obstructed. The patterns and surfaces in the foreground act like veilsthat simultaneously reveal and conceal urban vistas. Like visual puzzles, weare invited to peek into and look beyond the holes, gaps, tears and openingsin the foreground in order to fill in the entire landscape.

Justin Mata (1979, Woodland, CA)The 4th Branch(La cuarta rama), 2006Site-specific installationOil on panel, spray paint, charcoal, cardboard, newspaper, metal studsDimensions variable

Thematic connections: Conflict: reflecting on personal and global struggles;Patterns and abstraction in nature and the built environment; Why is this art?Making art with unconventional materials and processes.

Matas use of traditional (paint and canvas) and non-traditional (newspaperand cardboard) materials result in innovative mixed media installationsbubbling with meaning. As a self-proclaimed Chicano artist, Mata oftenutilizes a hybrid of imagery and text to explore issues of identity, oftenhighlighting the complexities of multi-cultural identities. His work alsoillustrates a critique of the dominating influence of the media on social-political values. His artwork often simultaneously evokes feelings of bothfrustration and anxiety caused by the media-saturated, judgment-dominated,

prejudiced world. Matas artwork demands that the audience confront thecreators of history, and the version of history that seeps through the pulsatingveins of popular culture.

Lisette Morel (1974; New York, Dominican descent)Untitled (Sin titulo), 2007Pastels and graphite on paperSite specific drawings on wallDimensions variableThematic connections: Identity: gender, race and ethnicity; Pattern andabstraction in nature and the built environment.the limited colors and the limited materials, the rough materials, had alot to do with how, inside my head and subconsciously, I was reactingtowards this whole idea of identity, and who I am.


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Renzo Ortega (1974; Lima, Peru)Bitco ras d e ciu dad(City Diaries), 2000-2006(details)Artist BooksMixed media, watercolor, acrylic, markers, collage, fabric, crayons,pencils, pen, ink, spray paintDimensions variableThamatic connections: Immigration: displacement, biculturalism and home;Identity: gender, race and ethnicity; Conflict; reflecting on personal and globalstruggles

Artist books are not just useful to take down notes for future works. In manycases, these books compile your experiences, becoming a record of your life,not simply a work of art. These City Diaries I share are a selection from my

personal diaries from the last 7 years in New York. They contain personalinformation and aesthetic/political opinions; they describe what it means to bean immigrant and activist-engage artist in Babylon

Sebastian Patane Mauselli (1978; San Juan, Argentina)Jul ia s Last Dream(El Ult imo Sueno de J ul ia), 2007Site-specific interactive video installationDimensions variableThematic connections: Immigration, displacement, biculturalism and home;The environment: issues and awareness.

Any work of art is an infinite number of things. This one is above all theawakening of Julia (who is still dreaming), an attempt to understand what aliminal space is conceptually (the space between sleep and wakefulness),

physically (the space between the real and the false museum wall, inside andoutside, the window), and historically (the space between pre-establishedspaces that an immigrant carves for him/herself).

Dulce Pinzon (1974; Mexico City, Mexico)The Hulk, 2005

C-Print20 x 24 x 2 inchesThematic conn

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Educators Resource Guide Final 12-07-07

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