CLAY!

Fourth Graders have been working with Clay and the hand-building technique called slab rolling. Students first made drawn self portraits (realistic) onto small tiles. Next, students made their own hand-build slab self portraits in an abstracted style. We are also exploring underglazes and if seeing the effect of putting the underglazes on BEFORE we bisque fire in the kiln.

OK GO!

Students went ga-ga for this video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWGJA9i18Co

(and this is how it was made http://jalopnik.com/the-director-of-that-amazing-zero-g-ok-go-video-tells-u-1759201981)

OK GO has some amazing videos... https://www.youtube.com/user/OkGo/videos

Self Portraits

Since coming back to school in January, both third and fourth graders are working on different projects surrounding self portraits. Third graders are working on one large, to-scale self portrait which will be broken up into three pieces and completed with different materials. Fourth graders are working on a series of eight self portraits that encompass varied styles, techniques, and materials. Here are some third graders working from this week!

Updates

AHHHH where did the blog go? We have been busy!

In December, we completed our first round of ceramic work. All of my time was taken loading, unloading, firing, glazing, and installing the gorgeous work from third and fourth graders. Here are some pictures of progress and completed work! What a success!

Third graders used oil pastels for their Marisol-inspired cardboard figure sculptures

Third Graders

Sophia (4th) with her aluminum gesture sculpture

 Jack (4th) with his aluminum gesture sculpture

 Lizzy (4th) with her aluminum gesture sculpture

 Cheresa's 4th grade clay

Nate's 4th grade clay

Ailani's 4th grade clay

Lee's Marisol-inspired Cardboard/Clay figure

 Christina's Marisol-inspired Cardboard/Clay figure

Chris's Clay mask/face

CLAY CLAY CLAY

Here in the art room, we are deep in clay construction!

Third graders are working on heads/masks to add to the top of their Marisol-style figure sculpture.

Fourth graders are learning about different clay techniques including adding clay to pinch pots, stages of clay, and making their gesture figure into a clay figure.

Videos and Images from Art classes

In Art class, we usually start out looking at images, watching a video, or reading a book. We then have a rich and productive discussion. Here are some recent videos and links to discussions we have had.

THIRD GRADE:
Conceptual Art Links: Damien Hirst:

http://www.biography.com/people/damien-hirst-20683781#synopsis

http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/video/2012/apr/18/damien-hirst-tate-modern-skull-video

Reed Seifer http://vimeo.com/46993366

http://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2014/11/blood-swept-lands-and-seas-of-red/100851/ London Poppies

https://vimeo.com/80237736 Environmental Art

http://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/video/tateshots-roman-ondak-measuring-universe Tate Universe

https://vimeo.com/116510462 'melting clock'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ds9fE0tnzE Nino and Ali Sculptures in Georgia
African Masks: https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/search/?q=african+masks and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDE7Z_SVips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qybUFnY7Y8w OkGo This too shall pass

FOURTH GRADE:
https://vimeo.com/137605766 Heartbeat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT7vxQoAbEI Magdalena Abakanowicz
Steinunn Thorindottin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_rgAZCL4-xY
Giacometti http://www.christies.com/features/Alberto-Giacomettis-Lhomme-au-doigt-6013-3.aspx http://www.sothebys.com/en/news-video/videos/2014/10/alberto-giacometti-chariot.html https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRVVFZKDSaw
Circuit Stickers https://vimeo.com/40904471 

Golden Shoes Project http://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150821/washington-park/433-golden-shoes-symbolize-chicago-violence-victims-at-peace-fest.
https://vimeo.com/96499778 Clay stop motion

Golden Shoes Project

This weekend, while downtown to see the Nina Simone documentary, I stumbled upon the most wonderful conceptual art installation.

The Golden Shoes Project is a street art installation created by the Chicago community to raise awareness of the number of people who were lost to violence in Chicago during 2014. Each pair of shoes represents a life.

You are invited to take a pair of shoes and put them somewhere else in the city. I took Paul Land's shoes. He was a 29 year old male who died from a gunshot wound. I placed them in a dry spot on Wabash because it started to rain while we were downtown. If you see these around town, think about taking part of this powerful art installation!