MEMORY COLLAGE

Read this:Known for his narrative collage work, Romare Bearden created scenes that reflect traditional stories and contemporary life. The themes in Bearden’s works are often relatable, containing modern commentary on well-known stories. For example, Bearden reimagined the parable of the Prodigal Son (from the Bible) in his 1967 collage Return of the Prodigal Son. He took the old parable and used pictures from his present time to portray the story.

Romare Bearden (American, 1911–1988), Return of the Prodigal Son, 1967Mixed media and collage on canvas, 50 1/4 x 60 inches (127.6 x 152.4 cm)

Answer this:What sorts of things are in this picture that probably did not exist when the Prodigal Son was written? (Hint: look at their clothing styles.)

Art Project:Like Bearden, we can create an artwork that uses older stories or memories and reflects changes that would be made in our time. Especially today things are VERY different than they were even just a couple of weeks ago, due to the Coronavirus.

1. Choose a story or memory of an event that happened long ago.

2. Make a list of things that would be different if the event were to happen today.

3. Create an artwork that shows a scene in that memory or event with the changes your listed.

Art Materials needed:Ideally, this is a collage assignment, which means that you would glue cut pictures onto another piece of paper. However, because resources vary from home to home, I urge to be creative in how you go about completing this assignment.

You may use magazines, pictures you printed from the internet, old pictures you have at the house, or even artworks you previous created that you don’t mind cutting up.

o If you don’t have access to paper, copy and paste picture to a PowerPoint slide or some other app on your computer or ipad.

If you are using paper pictures you will also need:o Scissorso Glue (sticks or white glue)o Paper (to attach the cutouts to)

It is also a good idea to make a quick sketch of what you want included in the picture and where it can be placed, before you start gluing down.

If you don’t have access to any of this, Try drawing a picture of how things would be different.

Lesson Example:

**Example of a finished artwork, Dinner at Grandpa’s House, inspired by a childhood memory and based on this lesson plan. Artwork by School Program Coordinator Kelly Macagnone.

Resource:https://www.albrightknox.org/learn-discover/educators/lesson-plans/memory-collage