Philosophy of Art Education

Art is a vast and complicated thing and it is essential to be educated in the arts to appreciate the world and survive. Art is the sum of culture, including the visual, performing, and language arts. A rounded knowledge of arts is essential for an educated well-rounded person. Simply to be conversed in the forms of art and have experimented with them is vital to development of young people. Children need to experience as much as possible as they grow. By learning and practicing various forms of art they will better understand themselves and their world. Everything from writing to baseball is a form of art, it needs to be practiced and it requires thought, patience, and endurance. Art encompasses a tremendous amount of ideas and practices; a wealth of knowledge that needs to be addressed in all public and privet schooling.

Sense of Place Silhouette: The City Paper

I decided that I would place a silhouette of myself within the City Paper. I feel very much apart of the city of Philadelphia and very much enjoy the City Paper. I thought about my sense of place and realized my sense of place is more the city of Philadelphia than anything else. I don't feel at home at 2131 Catharine (my current residence), if anything my home is the entire city of Philadelphia. I read the city paper, somewhat religiously; I've read the city paper more then any other text. The city paper is a gateway to experiencing the city and in many ways is the embodiment of the city in a weekly news paper. I chose to place a silhouette of myself within one of the pages of the city paper to symbolize my sense of place in Philadelphia. The paper silhouette in the City Paper symbolizes me in Philadelphia and all the great things I've experienced in Philadelphia.

Lesson Idea: have students place a silhouette in one of their favorite texts and have them explain why they have chosen their text, why, and what it means to them.

Silhouette Lesson Plan, abbreviated for Web viewing

Teacher: Mr. Tyler Anewalt

Grade Level: Middle school

Title: The Silhouette and its Place

Brief History and Background:

A silhouette is a view of an object that consists of only the outline. Details within the object are left blank, creating a flat shape (usually in black) that is still recognizable without interior detail. Silhouettes can be thought of as seeing the outline of a dark image against a light background.

Silhouettes became a popular form of portraiture in the 18^th century and are still used today in all kinds of visual art. Kara Walker is an African American artist who uses silhouettes in much of her artwork. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara_Walker

The Silhouette can carry with it a tremendous amount of emotion and meaning. By seeing only a black outline of an object the viewer is forced to think about the object as a whole and it’s meaning. The silhouette of an object can be used as a vehicle to express wholeness or emptiness by not being able to see detail within. A silhouette is the ghost image on an object.

PA Standards:

9.1. Production Performance and Exhibition

9.3. Critical Response

9.4. Aesthetic Response

1.4. Types of Writing

3.6 & 3.7 Technology Education and Devices

NET standards

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Goal: Students will make a silhouette of themselves either with digital manipulation or drawing, cut their silhouette out of black paper neatly and paying attention to details, and then place it according to their choice. Write a short response about their silhouette, the place they chose, and meaning created.

Objectives:

Students will recognize silhouettes and identify silhouettes as images

Students will illustrate a feeling by putting their silhouette in text or a place and discussing it

Students will be able to use techniques in cutting, drawing, and photo manipulation

Students will address an emotion by creating meaning in the place they choose to put their silhouette.

Resource Materials/Visual Aides: PowerPoint with links to artists’ works, exemplars

Supplies/Materials: Digital camera, black paper, scissors, glue

Teacher Preparation: PowerPoint on silhouettes, examples, meanings for examples, history, current uses in arts and media.

Teaching:

Introduction: Show PowerPoint on silhouettes and history, how does a silhouette make you feel? What is the purpose of a silhouette? If silhouette is a ghost of an image, where would the silhouette of yourself be? What book or text?

Directions: Take a photo of each student and have them think about where their silhouette should be placed and what it should be doing. Show students how to Photoshop a silhouette, print it out, enlarge and cut out of larger black paper. Create meaning in the placement of silhouettes.

Critique/Evaluation/Assessment: Students can be graded on a rubric including criteria for craftsmanship, meaning to their placement of the silhouette, and a brief response to the meaning of their silhouette and where it’s placed.

Time Budget: two to three fifty minutes classes

Vocabulary:

Silhouette – outline of an object, profile image of a person in black against a light background

Contre-jour – French ‘against daylight’, photography taken with camera pointing directly toward light source

Shadow – area created as an object blocks light source

Shadow Play – Shadow puppetry

Safety Concerns: N/A

Bibliography/References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shadow

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silhouette

http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/walker/index.html

http://www.henri-matisse.net/cut_outs.html