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In Celebration of: BLACK HISTORY MONTH & February Character Traits: COMPASSION~EMPATHY 

"This story is about being color blind, or free of color prejudice--one of the most difficult things to achieve in our society. How do you deal with this problem in your life?" writes Faith Ringgold artist and author of How the People Became Color Blind (quoted from her website). In this lesson, inspired by Ringgold's story, students visually interpret the story using symbols and visual form as a method of non-verbal communication; meant to stimulate a dialogue regarding color prejudice and cultural diversity, students are encouraged to incorporate their own, personal experiences in their painting. 

(Write in Sketchbook)

Create a painting inspired by Faith Ringgold's story How the People Became Colorblind incorporating:

 

A Personal Experience where I was Judged by How I Look On the Outside: by the Color of my skin, my height, weight, whether I wear glasses, how I dress, or any other physical attribute or another's perceived (thought of) ideas regarding who I am on a superficial (surface) level:

A Personal Experience incorporated in the form of a SYMBOL, representing the experience:

REALISTICALLY : through an object (i.e. Eyeglasses representing the time I was was called "four eyes"& made fun of for wearing glasses);

ABSTRACTLY: communicating my feelings/emotions regarding/about this experience through my use of the Elements of Art (COLOR, LINE, SHAPE,  VALUE, TEXTURE, FORM, SPACE). 

To COMBINE the SYMBOL(s) for my personal experience with my ideas about the story, with elements/parts of the story in an unusual unique way.

HOPE FOR THE PRESENT/FUTURE: To diffuse the effects of this traumatic/hurtful experience by incorporating/including my ideas about a world where we judge each other not by how we look on the outside (RACISM) but by our character/how we act , by feeling COMPASSION and EMPATHY for those who are different from us.

Experiment with the EXPRESSIVE aspects of paint to communicate mood/feeling through mixing & blending COLOR (in my palette and on the surface of my painting) and through LINE through my  brushwork.   

(Write in Sketchbook)

ABSTRACT: (adjective) art with little or no recognizable or realistic forms from the physical world; focus on formal elements (colors, lines, or shapes); nonrepresentational: not aiming to depict (show) an object but composed with the focus on internal structure and form.  (Artists often "abstract" objects by changing, simplifying, or exaggerating what they see).

BRUSHWORK:

CIVIL WAR:

COMPASSION:

DIFFUSE:

EXPERIMENT:

EXPRESSIVE:

PREJUDICE:

QUILT:

RACISM:

REALISTIC:

REPRESENT:

SLAVERY:

SUPERFICIAL:

SYMBOL:

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD:

ACRYLIC PAINT: Primary Colors (Red, Yellow, Blue),
White, Black, Gold, Silver, Iridescent Tinting Medium, Clear Acrylic Medium;
 Secondary/Tertiary Colors must be mixed.
 
PAPER: 24 x 36 or 18 x 24

WEB SITES:

FAITH RINGGOLD:
Website: http://www.faithringgold.com/ringgold/default.htm
Artwork on Art in Context: http://www.artincontext.org/artist/artist_images.aspx?id=9002

QUILTING & THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD:
National Geographic Online: The Underground Railroad: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/index.html
Underground Railroad Quilt Code: http://www.osblackhistory.com/quilts.php

STUDENT POEM OBJECTIVE:

Analyze the ABSTRACT (not-real) and realistic imagery-pictures in my painting to understand what the what it represents/stands for.

Write a poem based on this ANALYSIS which helps the viewer understand what they are looking at, and, how it represents my ideas/interpretation of the story combined with a SYMBOLIC representation of a personal experience where I was discriminated against (judged) for my outer appearance.

SHORT CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS:

All SCR’s must include the following: A MINIMUM of 9-10 Sentences:

1. Topic/Introductory Sentence: (BEGINNING); the beginning, or the topic sentence, forecasts what the paragraph is going to be about. *

2. 7-8 Supporting Sentences: (MIDDLE); the middle develops the idea in detail by giving specific support for it. *

3. Concluding Sentence: (END); the conclusion emphasizes the insight you have arrived at. *

* http://www.paragraphorganizer.com/

 

SCR: Exploration of Internal Aspects and Developing their Visual Communication

Procedures:
Display your painting; stand back and examine painting as a whole, how the individual parts relate to each other collectively, as well as, work individually.  As you visually examine ask yourself the following questions:

 What is your painting communicating about who you are through the shape, size, texture, color, etc. ?

SCR Student Objective: (Copy in Sketchbook)

       

Questions to ask while Visually Analyzing:

1. Where does my attention go first?  Do I have a FOCAL POINT?   What am I emphasizing?