Contemporary Art Curriculum Amy Holzer University of Central
Florida
Slide 2
Contemporary art education must become a sophisticated hybrid
practice that uses style (in its visual and verbal manifestations)
to interest (and even enchant) students in order to enhance
students abilities to engage, to analyze, to apprehend, to make,
and to enjoy. (Gude, 2008, p. 101) Goal- Identify contemporary
artists that are creating artwork from ideas of today and use their
imagery and content as inspiration in my classroom. Result-
Students are more engaged and therefor are able to express their
ideas, create art with content important to them, and understand
and critique others work. Introduction
Slide 3
Artists & Media Gehard Demetz Banksy Ron English Deborah
Faye Lawrence Alex Gross Media- Shoes
Slide 4
Gehard Demetz Biography Demetz was born in Italy in 1972 and
has a background in art and sculpture from the Institute of Art in
Selva. I assemble the ideas of my work by reading and living. I try
to create a dialogue, to make questions and to think over possible
answers with every sculpture. (Moroder, 2012)
Slide 5
About His Work His sculptures use children to investigate
contemporary culture and issues of war, religion, and politics. He
constructs his sculptures by using small woodblocks, making some
parts finely polished and others having very rough and sketchy
surfaces. He fits the blocks together, but leaves the lines exposed
which is especially visible when viewing the children's backs,
which expose a hollow body. Each child holds an object associated
with themes of religion, adulthood or war, creating a contrast of
power. The children's expressions seem to be calm, showing that
they are not victims, but that they now know a secret or new
knowledge. His sculptures show the awareness of becoming adults, a
choice that children may or may not have made.
Slide 6
Application Class discussion about the meaning behind Demetzs
sculptures. Identify the innocence that children possess before
they learn about the truth behind something. Students brainstorm
ideas about their childhood experiences in the sketchbooks of when
they learned or became aware of something that changed their
innocence or view; something that altered their perspective of
life. Writing- Students choose one of these important times and
write a narrative essay about their experience. Studio- Students
create a piece of art to represent their story. This would include
1 to 2 sketches and a final piece.
Slide 7
Standards VA.68.C.2.3 Examine artworks to form ideas and
criteria by which to judge/assess and inspire personal works and
artistic growth VA.68.H.1.1 Describe social, ecological, economic,
religious, and/or political conditions reflected in works of art.
VA.68.H.1.4 Explain the significance of personal artwork, noting
the connections between the creative process, the artist, and the
artists own history.
Slide 8
Gehard Demetz Stones in my pocket, 168,5 x 38 x 35 cm, wood,
2013 -The boy wears the gloves of an adult, but loses his ability
to use his hands as a child. -Shows the sacrifice that children
make to become adults.
Slide 9
Gehard Demetz The mouth full of stars, wood, 166 x 50 x 40 cm,
2006
Slide 10
Gehard Demetz Your monsters are just like mine, wood, 168,5 x
38 x 35 cm, 2006
Slide 11
Gehard Demetz How you reacted was right, wood, 51 x 15,5 x 14,5
cm, 2011
Slide 12
Gehard Demetz My Shadow Can Walk on Water, 2011, lime wood and
acrylic paint, 66 1/8 x 20 1/2 x 12 5/8 inches
Slide 13
Gehard Demetz For my Fathers, 2009, 260 x 90 x 51 cm, wood
Slide 14
Reflection I think that Gehard Demetzs work would be great to
use in my 8 th grade classes. The students would benefit from using
their personal experiences to help them understand this artists
work because they would get a look back into a moment in their
childhood that changed their perspective on life. The writing
component would not only help students plan for their studio art,
but it would also be considered an inclusion of Common Core.
Slide 15
Alex Gross Biography Born August 30, 1968 in New York,
currently working in Los Angeles, California. He specializes in oil
paintings on canvas with themes that include globalization,
society, dark mayhem, and the passage of time. Alex graduated in
1990 from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA. In
2000, he received a fellowship from the Japan Foundation. He spent
two months in Japan, researching and collecting a wide variety of
Japanese Fine and Commercial art, as research for his own artwork.
In 2007 Alexs book The Art of Alex Gross featuring Alex's painting,
drawing and printmaking from 1999 through 2007 was published.
Slide 16
About his Work His artwork contains ideas about marketing,
globalization, and consumerism. He uses bright colors, realistic
portraits, and familiar products to express his view of society.
Gross gives us a tsunami of consumer culture that is drowning our
collective soul in a sickly- sweet flood of lattes and Double
Gulps. We are clones with phones, guarded by drones, grimly
satisfied by the perks of consumerist culture and just distracted
enough to avoid introspection and all its inconveniences. (Steen,
2014, para.2)
Slide 17
Application Questions to ask ourselves: Is it impossible to
escape from corporate influence? How is the world we live in today
different from 10 years ago? How are we influenced by technology
and consumer goods? What do we really need and want do we want?
Writing- Artist Statement Studio- Self-portrait painting inspired
by the idea of a consumerist society. Must contain a media driven
product, company, or image of something they personally use, eat,
or have.
Slide 18
Standards VA.68.C.1.3 Identify qualities of exemplary artworks
that are evident and transferable to the judgment of personal work.
VA.68.C.1.1 Apply a range of interests and contextual connections
to influence the art- making and self-reflection processes.
VA.68.F.2.5 Create an artist statement to reflect on personal
artwork for a portfolio or exhibition. VA.68.O.1.4 Create artworks
that demonstrate skilled use of media to convey personal
vision.
Slide 19
Alex Gross Distractions, 2014, Oil on Canvas, 60 x 42
inches
Slide 20
Alex Gross Cascade, Oil on Canvas | 51.75'' x 77'' | 2011
Slide 21
Alex Gross Candy Crush, 2014, Oil on Canvas, 48.25 x 33.5
inches
Slide 22
Alex Gross Narcissism, 2014, Oil on Canvas, 28 x 28 inches
Slide 23
Alex Gross Shopaholics, 2014, Oil on Canvas, 37 x 37
inches
