THE PINK ELEPHANTConservative Versus Controversial

Lindsay Bailor & David GregoA Ed 323 - Fall 2007

Our Materials

Our Space

Materials… 60 balloons Packing tape Double-stick tape Fishing line Poster board

There’s always time for fun… …or maybe we were just light-headed.

Assembling the body

Suspending the body…

Easier said than done.

Viewer Responses… (from the peanut gallery)

Mike: “is there symbolism behind the color?”“What’s a pink elephant?”

Jon: “Is there symbolism behind it?” (we can’t really discuss that.)

Donna: “aww he’s cute… he’s like an awkward turtle but bigger.”

Kush: “I feel like I’m hallucinating.”“Ahhhh I see… let me think about that for a while.”

Practical Classroom Use

Appropriate Grade Level: grades 8 - 12 (due to societal pressures and issues of censorship

Procedure: Install Elephant before class - in same way presented todayStart lesson with open discussion, talking about societal norms,

boundaries of conversation, & defining “controversy”Relate to big ideas and themes through artworkAsking students to think of one idea (or sketch a few) that they

connect to personallyIntroducing artmaking: creating artwork integrating imagery and

text, exploring such topics discussed in class

Exhibition: Class critiqueDeciding where these artworks would best influence passersby

The obvious truths that everyone ignores…

…or do they?