For high schoolers, identity is everything. From the clothes they wear, the music they listen to, to the friends they choose, teenagers are in a constant flux of identity exploration and change. This is why the enduring idea of "Exploring Identity" is a great theme to use as a framework for an Art 1 or 2D design class. The following curriculum is intended for High School Freshman or Sophomores.
The first two projects of the year will focus on self-portraiture as a means of exploring identity. The first self-portrait that students will complete will be a representation of how they view themselves. Students will work from a photo and use the grid method. Students will have the option of bringing in a photo of themselves (must be school appropriate), or have the teacher take one for the assignment. Students are encouraged to take a photo outside of class to alter so that they can concentrate on the ways in which they want to depict themselves. Students will have to alter the image into black and white, print out the photo, grid both the final piece of paper and the image itself, and transfer the image using 2H graphite. Students will then use the remaining graphite value pencils to shade their portraits.
The second project out of five would concentrate on using line and color to create a self portrait contour drawing (refer to blog post about contour drawings for lesson content). After students render themselves in modified contour using mirrors, they will fill in the space with watercolors. Students should consider color choice as imperative--what connotations do each color carry? How do you feel when you see the color blue? Is that how you want people to feel when they see your portrait? ect. Students may choose to completely cover their paper in color (using at least 3 colors), or fill in individual sections of contour with a color scheme in mind. The final product should be a representation of how they think others view their identity in a abstract or non-representational way.
The third assignment will utilize a multi media collage approach. Students are encouraged to explore their interests, desires, and future plans using torn or cut magazine images, text, and/or drawn/painted images. Students will consider the way they see themselves in a social context: What issues really matter to you? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What hobbies/interests do you have? Who are the most influential people in your life? Students should answer a handout list of questions like the ones listed above to begin brainstorming about their collages. They should consider all of their answers when designing their layout/composition. Students will use modge podge to attach and overlap their images.
The fourth project will again focus on their future plans. Students will think about where they see themselves in 5 years. What roles will they play? What identity do they want to have? Students will create a thumb print using ink on white paper, scan the image into the computer, enlarge the image to roughly face size, and using tracing paper, write an "In five years I will..." letter to themselves using the lines of their fingerprint to guide their text placement. Students should consider text size, bold, underlines, and font when considering their piece. Students may chose to create their work using black, or colored ink.
The final and most in depth piece of the semester will focus on the collective identity. Students will compose a photographic triptych of themselves in three of his/her social and/or cultural group. Students should first consider themselves in the social context of the school itself, the community as a whole, and the world at large. Students will take photos of themselves in their collective identities using props, strategic clothing, other people ect. arranged in a compostitionally appropriate way. This is the big picture piece: Who are you in relation to those around you? What social circles/clubs/hobbies do you partake in that help shape/define your identity?
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