assemblage art made from throwaways

Student assemblage sculptures. Objects where first glued to a wooden panel and then spray painted a solid color.

Resources:  The lesson plan adaptations and written content, excluding State and National Standards, is written and copyrighted by Kathy Grimm, 2009. The use of the ideas and 10% or less content constraint on previously published materials is met in accordance to United States copyright law. Some descriptive information comes from public domain resources. Interested parties may visit the following link to read about Fair Use and Teachers http://home.earthlink.net/~cnew/research.htm#Purpose%20of%20use

Details:

Topic: Assemblage Art has been created from cast-off materials since art has been in existence. Certain artists are drawn to making something out of what would generally be considered nothing—taking what most people would view as useless and arranging it in an artistic manner, or placing it with traditional materials or in a particular setting that elevates it from junk to art.

      Art created in this manner is often referred to as “assemblage” and endless varieties of it exist. It can be very sculptural, as seen in the recycled automobile parts assembled by John Angus Chamberlain. It can resemble a stage set, as demonstrated in Ed Kienholz’s large-scale installations. Or it can be confined to a plane or box, such as the assemblages of Joseph Cornell.

      In this particular lesson plan, students will look closely at the work of Joseph Cornell and Louise Nevelson. Louise Nevelson was a Russian-born American artist who was known for her abstract sculptures made from cast-off pieces of wood — actual street “throwaways” — uniformly coated with black or white spray paint. Joseph Cornell was an American artist and sculptor, one of the pioneers and most celebrated exponents of assemblage. Influenced by the Surrealists, he was also an avant-garde experimental filmmaker.

Ojective(s):

Show-me Performance Standards:

Strand I: Product/Performance- Sculpture, Ceramics, Other Media - Select and apply three-dimensional media, techniques, and processes to communicate ideas and solve challenging visual art problems

• Build or layer materials to create a relief, grade 4
• Create a relief artwork by joining two or more surfaces, grade 6
• Create a sculpture by layering and adhering materials or objects, grade 9
• Create a mixed media sculpture using a variety of processes and techniques, grade 11

Strand V: Historical and Cultural Contexts – Historical Period or Culture – Compare and contrast artworks from different historical time periods and/or cultures

• Indentify works of art from the United States, grades 4, 5, 7, 8

National Standards:

Content Standard #2 — Using knowledge of structures and functions

5-8 Students employ organizational structures and analyze what makes them effective or not effective in the communication of ideas

9-12 Students create multiple solutions to specific visual arts problems that demonstrate competence in producing effective relationships between structural choices and artistic functions

Content Standard #4 — Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures

5-8 Students analyze, describe, and demonstrate how factors of time and place (such as climate, resources, ideas, and technology) influence visual characteristics that give meaning and value to a work of art

9-12 Students analyze relationships of works of art to one another in terms of history, aesthetics, and culture, justifying conclusions made in the analysis and using such conclusions to inform their own art making

Content Standard #4 — Understanding the visual arts in relation to history and cultures

5-8 Students analyze contemporary and historic meanings in specific artworks through cultural and aesthetic inquiry

9-12 Students identify intentions of those creating artworks, explore the implications of various purposes, and justify their analyses of purposes in particular works

Student assemblage art works in silver and red.

Materials needed:

• Scraps of wood pieces and shapes
• Cast-off objects such as buttons, machine parts, wire, toy parts, recycled plastic pieces, old jewelry, foamboard or heavy cardboard, scraps, small boxes, lids and so on
• Scrap fabrics, all textures and wieghts
• Aleene’s “Tacky” Glue
• Acrylic Gesso
• Heavy Cardboard or Economy Canvas Panels
• Foam Brushes
• White or Black Spray Paint

Phase 1: Clarify goals and establish set

• Students will observe and then demonstrate knowledge of art assemblage within the 80% guidelines suggested by the Show-Me Performance Standards of Missouri for the creating of a mixed media relief.
• Students will study the slide collection and reading materials provided by their instructor about the two American artists, Joseph Cornell and Louise Nevelson.

Phase 2: Demonstrate knowledge or skill

Task Analysis:

1. Distribute one panel to each student.
2. Invite students to select objects for their assemblages from the boxes.
3. Give students time to arrange their objects before distributing the glue.
4. Encourage students to discover ways to layer the objects, create patterns and incorporate a variety of textures.
5. Glue objects in place and allow time to dry. It may be helpful to have paper clips, clothes pins or something heavy to hold objects in place while the glue dries.
6. To create a unified piece of art, use a foam brush to coat the finished assemblage with acrylic gesso. Gesso is very white, opaque and adheres well to most surfaces.
7. After gesso is dry, assemblages may be spray-painted black or another color. Read the label carefully and follow all precautions when using any spray paint.

Phase 3: Provide Guided Practice

• The classroom teacher will demonstrate methods used to attach all different types of objects to the wooden panels or boxes students will be working with.
• The instructor will describe and write on the black board procedures so that students may hear and read the instructions.
• The teacher will show a slide presentation of art assemblages.
• The teacher will circle the room and discuss at length the ideas and practices of each individual student according to their needs.

Phase 4: Check for understanding and provide feedback – A standardized rubric will be used to analyze and critique each individual student’s artwork.

Phase 5: Provide extended practice and transfer – Students will be encouraged to create even more projects at home. Materials used during class and the research conducted on their own computers at home may be duplicated in their own home environment at very little expense.

Reflections: Reflections are attached to rubric. There is room enough for both the instructor and student to respond. Copies of reflections are returned to students to keep in their three ring binders. (phase 4 above)

Modifications for Students With Special Needs:

Modifications for the hard-of-hearing or deaf student: The teacher will need to be careful about explaining the procedures for the application of materials in this project for a hard of hearing or deaf student. This should be a simple art lesson for a hearing impaired pupil to conceive and assimilate in their own home environment as well.

• Student will be seated closer to instructor so they will be better equipped to hear instructions or read lips
• I will make sure that my face is visible to the student when I speak with him
• Student will be provided with written instructions so that they read about the discussions and demonstrations
• The instructor may use a amplification devise provided by the school or student’s parents
• The student may have a translator accompany him or her to class in order to interpret the art lesson plan
• The student should receive additional information to take and read about Joseph Cornell and Louise Nevelson at home.

Modifications for the student with limited vision or blindness: Students with limited vision should be given materials that they will not accidentally cut themselves with during this project. They should have continual guidance in selecting the placement of objects as well. This is an excellent project for a blind student to take part in. It is well worth the extra care needed to guide their methods in attaching objects to a wooden panel. The teacher should perhaps expect a vision-impaired student to repeat the project several times over before tiring of it. This is an excellent art assignment for family members to establish a mutual activity with a blind or vision impaired child/young adult in their home. Both parties can learn to assemble interesting objects that have shared meaning for the whole family and can be appreciated by all the family members. Family members may even consider hanging a “tactile” exhibit in their student’s room or down a corridor in their home!

• Students will be allowed to observe samples of assemblage art projects with their hands and for extended periods of time
• I will tell the student I am moving before walking away
• I will address the student by his/her name first before beginning a conversation with him/her
• Students will be provided with safe tools and one-on-one guidance during a demonstration of the project
• The project may be slightly adjusted to accommodate the student’s limitations or for safety reasons. In the case of this particular assignment, all sharp edged items will be eliminated from the materials used to create the assemblage.
• Student will be given ample time to exist classroom before large crowds gather outside of the classroom.
• Student may be given special seat assignment in order to enable his participation in class appropriately. Specific peers may be better equipped to articulate projects visually for this student.
• The student should receive additional information about Joseph Cornell and Louise Nevelson to take home and have a parent or guardian read aloud to them if possible.

Modifications for students with mild brain injury: Students with TBI have difficulty remembering instructions and sequencing. Therefore it is best for them to take notes relating to processes/instruction on their desk at all times. The following adaptations are general practices that all teachers should apply to a TBI student several years after their accident. Recovery from head injuries may be long and arduous.

• Students will be provided with duplicate instructions for home and school. Student will not need to remember to carry home materials to review.
• Students will be given ample time to exist classroom with a predetermined aid or peer before the official end of a class.
• Instructor will provide for parent e-mail communication concerning the progress and needs of their student.
• Student may be given special seat assignment in order to enable his participation in class appropriately. Specific peers may be better equipped to articulate projects visually for this student.
• The student should receive additional information to read about Joseph Cornell and Louise Nevelson at home. This lesson will be sent to his/her home via the e-mail or along with other art materials included with second set of instructions at his residence.

Student variations of the assemblage art sculptures.