The ClevelandMuseum of Art

Oodles and Oodlesof Lines and Shapes

Kate Hoffmeyer andMichael Starinsky

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Contents

Please feel free to download, print, and distribute allor a portion of this document for educationalpurposes. Copyright 2006 by the Cleveland Museumof Art. All rights reserved.

Written by Kate Hoffmeyer and Michael StarinskyEdited by Kathleen Mills

www.clevelandart.org

We invite teachers and students alike to visit theCleveland Museum of Art in person. We alsoencourage teachers and students to visit the museum’sWebsite for information about the museum’spermanent collection and educational programs.

3 Introduction

8 Vocabulary

9 Getting Started

10 The Presentation

28 List of Objects

29 Lesson Plan

30 Resources

31 Suggestions for Further Reading

32 Multi-disciplinary Connections

Cover: R. B. Kitaj (American, b. 1932). The Garden,1981. Oil on canvas; 121.9 x 121.9 cm. Gift of TheEppler Family Foundation, an Anonymous Donor,The Kangesser Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Frank H.Porter, in memory of William M. Milliken, TheThomas and Mildred Dougherty Foundation, andWishing Well Fund 1981.50

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Introduction

This Art to Go suitcase has been carefully designed tointroduce young students to three basic, fundamentallyimportant elements of visual art: line, shape, and form. Allstudents, especially the youngest learners, need a concreteunderstanding of these elements in order to confidentlyinterpret the visual world around them. Understandingthese fundamental elements of visual literacy also enableschildren to create more advanced works of art as theyattempt to interpret new knowledge in every facet of theirlives. Line, shape, and form are the building blocks in achild’s formative visual vocabulary.

Throughout time, artists around the world have madefunctional objects as well as art objects that rely heavily onthe visual elements of line, shape, and form. Here are a fewexamples:

Decoration in the earliest form of Greek vase painting(the Geometric Period) consists of elegantly arranged lines,triangles, and circles in what may be depictions of mytho-logical places and events.

Workshop of Athens894 (Greek, 800–700BC). Dipylon Amphora,8th century BC. Paintedterracotta; h. 60 cm.Purchase from the J. H.Wade Fund 1927.6

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The French Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne reducedobjects in his landscape paintings to amorphic or organic shapes(nonspecific shapes found in nature) depicting forms in space.

The modern sculptor Constantin Brancusi did the same thingin three dimensions with his sculptures of the human form.

In search of a universal and timeless art form, Charmionvon Wiegand, much like Piet Mondrian, turned to squares andrectangles in his familiar paintings to symbolize themes impor-tant to him.

Examine any drawing you’ve seen, no matter how detailed orrealistic, and notice that the likeness was achieved by a pleas-ing, skillful combination or arrangement of lines and shapes.

We know that a toddler’s first marks are expressive and ex-citedly “scribbled” lines. What we must remember is that a childgrows and learns to control that mark-making ability fairlyquickly. Likewise, children learn the vocabulary of line andshape very early in their development. As these skills improve,confidence grows to a point where visualizing thoughts andideas through nonverbal expression becomes comfortable,achievable, enjoyable, and more commonplace. Lines becomeshapes, and shapes become symbols representing objects andpersonalities in a child’s world where telling stories, conveyingideas, and creating memories through a universal visual lan-guage are important.

Paul Cézanne (French,1839–1906). MountSainte-Victoire, c. 1904.Oil on fabric; 72.2 x92.4 cm. Bequest ofLeonard C. Hanna Jr.1958.21

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Specifically, geometric shapes and forms are importantaids to pre-K and elementary-level students’ knowledge offormative mathematics. Spatial awareness and knowledge ofpattern are critical to the development of early math skillsconcerned with recognizing, identifying, describing, and cre-ating shapes and forms. These skills are central to the OhioState Standards, as is the student’s ability to make compari-sons between shapes (2D) and solid objects (3D). Happily,shapes and forms surround us everywhere, making the worldour classroom. Children can learn the defining qualities ofshapes and forms by identifying them in and around theirenvironment.

The objects in this Art to Go presentation have beenchosen for their strong use of line and shape, and they workwell to solidify young learners’ definitions of their specifictypes. Once the definitions are established, the presentationwill expand a student’s understanding of these importantelements. As students are able to visually identify and namethese elements, newfound vocabulary can serve as a handyspringboard to incorporate the use of new terms; forexample, a “ball” becomes a “circle” (2D) and a “sphere”(3D). A student’s ability to make comparisons between two-dimensional shapes and three-dimensional forms is criticalto the young learner’s understanding of the world. During the

Charmion von Wiegand(American, 1896–1983). Power Plant II,1949. Oil on canvas;50.9 x 61 cm. DorotheaWright Hamilton Fund1982.178

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Art to Go presentation discussion, students will be asked tocompare shapes—for instance, how a square and a rectangleare different or similar. They will be asked to make compari-sons between shapes and forms, identifying 2D and 3Dcounterparts—square and cube, circle and sphere—to betterunderstand the correct definitions.

Visual literacy aside, the objects presented in this suit-case also have been selected for their variety of materials andcultural character. Each tells a fascinating story about thepeople who created it. Some items are purely art objects andsome are functional objects that served specific uses withinthe community. Often, the shape or form of a functional workof art is related to its use. Understanding the link betweenform and function is another important way to understandthe nature of a particular object. The conical candle snufferillustrates this point.

Overall, the objects in this suitcase are intended to serveas memorable examples of line, shape, and form for younglearners, teaching students about an object’s specific use andabout the artisan who created it. Discussions with groups ofstudents will undoubtedly go in many different directions,depending on the students’ prior knowledge and understand-ing. The end result is always a firmer understanding of theimportance of the elements of visual literacy, and an appre-ciation of the world around us through the objects that artistscreate.

Candle Snuffer, early20th century. America.Brass. 1961.424

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LineLine is the first of the art elements. It is essential to creatinga work of art and is the starting point for this lesson. Line is amanmade invention. Looking up the word “line” in the dic-tionary yields numerous definitions. Simply put, a line is acontinuous mark made on a surface by a moving point. Whilethere are thick and thin lines, a line is measured primarily byits length. Different types include straight, bent, curving, andzigzag, to name a few based on appearance; based on func-tion, there is the clothesline, the telephone line, and the fish-ing line. One must have line to create a shape. Besides out-lining an object, line can be used to imply texture and vol-ume. Line can be used to describe something one sees. Linesor abstract marks can be imbued with meaning, as in the caseof writing or mathematics. Lines can also be used to expressemotion. This lesson is concerned with the ability of line tobe descriptive, and with its use in defining shapes. Theeasiest way to learn about line is to make one: use a pencil,marker, or chalk, run your finger through some sand, stretcha piece of yarn or a shoelace. Bend a line around to meetitself and you’ve just made a circle. Now you’re makingshapes.

ShapeA shape is space that is enclosed—oftentimes by a line on apiece of paper. It is two-dimensional, measured in two direc-tions: width and length. Shapes can be geometric, createdaccording to identifiable rules and with known names anddefined edges. Other shapes are called amorphic. They areorganic in appearance, marked by natural or unpredictableedges, like the shape of a cloud or puddle.

FormForms have volume. The major difference between shapesand forms is that shapes are flat or two-dimensional andforms are three-dimensional. Forms are measured by theirlength, width, and breadth. An easy way to describe form isto say that one is able to view forms from different sides (youcan walk around them), and they generally stand upright ontheir own.

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Vocabulary The following definitions may be of generaluse to teachers in their understanding ofshapes and forms. These terms are not age-appropriate for elementary students.

polygonA shape with three or more sides made ofstraight lines; a shape with lots of sides. Ex-amples: triangle, square, rectangle, hexagon.A shape has to have at least three sides justto be a shape, but there is no limit on howmany sides a shape can have. Look at thissquare; does it have three or more sides? Yes,so it’s a polygon. How many sides does thesquare have? If a shape has one hundredsides, is it a polygon? Yes!

polyhedronA form (three-dimensional figure) made ofpolygons; each side is called a face. Examples:pyramid, cube, hexahedron. If you take somepolygons and put them together to makesomething three-dimensional, then whatyou’ve made is called a polyhedron. Let’s lookat the sides or faces of my suitcase: whatshape are they? Do they have three or moresides? If each face of my suitcase is a poly-gon, then the suitcase itself is a polyhedron.

equilateralDescribes a polygon in which every side is thesame length.

parallelDescribes two or more straight lines that areon the same plane; they do not intersect.Parallel lines always run next to each other,but they never touch. The two sides of astraight road are parallel.

perimeterThe outside edges of a closed shape (two-dimensional) or the total length of thoseedges. The perimeter of a circle is its circum-ference. If you measure all the outside linesof a shape, you have calculated its perimeter.

circumferenceThe length of the line that forms the outsideedge of a circle.

Additional vocabulary terms follow some ofthe object narratives in the “Presentation”section. These terms should be administeredage-appropriately.

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Getting Started

One of the wonderful things about students in the pre- andelementary-level grades is that they typically need noprompting to begin talking about what they see. As theirteacher, you need only to instill in them a sense of wonderand curiosity about the subject and then guide them in theright direction. While you may want to pick a few points thatyou definitely want to cover, the students’ interests can de-termine the direction of this Art to Go lesson.

As an introduction, we suggest you ask the students to beon the lookout for lines and shapes. Begin by identifyingsome simple shapes that are present in the classroom—forexample, the chalkboard is a rectangle. Discussion of eachobject may begin open-endedly through questions: “What doyou see? Tell me about this object. Do you see any lines? Anyshapes?” The youngest students should be expected toidentify shapes and forms; older students should be able todescribe them. For instance, a preschooler says, “I see asquare,” and you answer by describing the qualities thatmake it a square. A second-grader should be able to tell youhow he knows it is a square.

The objects can be presented in a progressive sequencethat begins with those that emphasize line (for example,“Turtles” Mola and Multiple Sculpture), then moves to shape(Structure Changeante and Pottery Horse), and finally form(Wooden Fish and Candle Snuffer). Of course, there is a greatdeal of overlap among the three categories. With that said,presenters may choose to rearrange the order of presentation.We have attempted to supply enough information in thisdocument for a variety of discussion directions.

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The Presentation

“Turtles” Mola, early20th century. KunaIndians, San BlasArchipelago. Cotton.1971.1011

Molas are appliqué textiles made by the Kuna people, wholive in a region along the Caribbean coast of Panama, innearby San Blas islands, and a strip of coastal land. They alsolive in Colón and Panama City. Kuna Yala (“Kuna Land”) is asemi-autonomous territory within Panama. Kuna women cre-ate molas to wear as decorations for their blouses.

Favorite mola motifs include geometric designs, imagerydrawn from nature (animals, landscape features), and imag-ery from the human sphere (politics, popular culture, andmyth). This mola features two turtles. This piece was chosenbecause of its wonderful use of line. The shape of the twoturtles is created by a line—in fact, multiple outlines. Linesare also used as decorative elements throughout the mola,resulting in a very engaging work. Presenters may use themola simply to allow students to name the animals they seeand to demonstrate the idea of an outline. Let students pointout the color of thread that forms the outline of the turtles.

Molas are made by a reverse appliqué process that caninvolve from two to seven layers of fabric. To make a mola,rectangular pieces of differently colored fabric are basted to-gether and a design is drawn on top. Parts of all but the bot-tom layer are then cut away to form a multi-colored design.The exposed edges of the cut design are then notched, turnedunder, and stitched. Typically, cotton fabric is used; favoritecolors include red, black, and orange.

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Multiple Sculpture,1970. Canada; artistunknown, signed “Q.”on side. Bronze, limitededition 43/100.1984.1036.a–b

Multiple Sculpture is a small bronze work that was made by aCanadian artist in 1970. Although we do not know the artist’sname, he or she marked the initial Q on one of the sculpture’ssides, along with the date and the notation that it is number43 of an edition of 100. The sculpture is in two separate partsthat fit together perfectly along a zigzagging line that bisectsit horizontally. The sculpture can be displayed with thepieces joined together or separated slightly or completely bymoving the top section either forward or back.

This piece was selected for its powerful use of line. Stu-dents can trace the line in the air with their fingers. They canimitate how the line moves with their bodies or they can talkabout how they would move if they moved like the line.Many children will say they would jump up and down. Onemight say something like: “Isn’t that wonderful, an artist candraw a picture of you jumping up and down or he can simplydraw a line like the one before us—both ways work.” Try ask-ing the students what type of line they would use to showsadness or another emotion or what type of movement theywould choose to show the same emotion. Students can dis-cuss what the line reminds them of. Perhaps their answerswill change when they see the pieces separated and the vari-ous ways it can be displayed.

Each face of this sculpture is a rectangle. Its three-dimensional form is called a hexahedron, or more simplya slab. It is heavy for its small size. Multiple Sculpture ismade of bronze. Bronze is an alloy mixture of copper andtin. Artisans have been making objects of bronze since an-cient times; the practice was well established throughoutAsia and Europe by 1500 BC. In this instance, the artist

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Helpful termsand theirdefinitionsconnected toMultipleSculpture

poured molten bronze into a mold to create the sculpture.Using a soft material (wax, lead, wood), the artist first makesa model of what he wants his finished piece to look like.Then a softened material (clay, sand, rubber) is placed allaround the model, so it closely adheres to its form. This willbecome the mold. The model is removed—sometimes byheat, as in the case of wax, or by cutting the mold in pieces.What is left is a mold with an empty space where the modelhad been.

Metal (in this case, bronze) is melted to about 2,000 de-grees Fahrenheit and poured into the empty mold. As themetal cools, it hardens; when this happens, the sculpturecan be removed from the mold. Molds can sometimes be re-used; this sculpture is one of 100 just like it. When describ-ing molds, it is helpful to use the analogy of water in an icecube tray. The artist then files, sands, and polishes the art-work. Multiple Sculpture is a very highly polished piece. Agreat amount of technical skill was required to create sepa-rate pieces that fit together so precisely.

rectangleA shape enclosed by four lines and havingfour right angles. The lines opposite eachother are of the same length, but adjacentlines are not necessarily of the same length(nonequilateral). While technically a square isa rectangle, let’s focus on the idea that rect-angles are shapes with four sides, two thatare long and two that are short. The angles,or corners, of a rectangle are shaped like theletter L. Have everyone make an L with theirfingers; that’s a right angle.

quadrilateralA polygon with four lines; a shape with foursides, each of which can be of any length.The sum of its four angles is 360 degrees.Note: A rectangle, parallelogram, rhombus,trapezium, and trapezoid are all quadrilater-als. This is for a group that has masteredsquares and rectangles.

bronzeAn alloy of copper and tin.

alloyA type of metal made by mixing two or moredifferent metals together. The idea is to makea new metal that has the best parts of eachof the original metals. For instance, copper isreally soft and easy to work with, but some-times it’s too soft. So if you mix it with aharder metal like tin, you get a metal that’sstill easy to work with but a lot harder andstronger.

Multiple Sculpture,shown with the twoparts separated andstanding on end

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Yvaral (French, 1934–2002). StructureChangeante, 1970.Two screenprints ontransparent Plexiglaswith white Plexiglasstand. 1973.1159

Structure Changeante is a relief sculpture made of two squarepieces of Plexiglas held upright and parallel to each other bya small stand. The first piece of Plexiglas is covered withblack vertical lines. The second piece features concentricsquares, placed at an angle to the sheet. The squares are cre-ated by vertical lines; smaller squares stand out against largersquares by virtue of the artist alternating the placement oflines and spaces. When the viewer looks through the printedsheets of Plexiglas, the lines seem to be vibrating or movingas the viewer moves his head. Even slight shifts or move-ments on the part of the viewer result in the illusion that thevertical lines are moving and that the squares are moving to-ward and away from the viewer. The artist Yvaral was part ofthe Op Art movement of the 1960s and ’70s, which focusedon the visual effects of geometric shapes.

This object was chosen because it serves as a good intro-duction to shape: lines are used to create the shape of asquare. The title of this artwork can be translated as “con-tinuously changing.” Presenters may ask the students if this isa good title. Can they suggest other titles? This allows them toverbalize their impressions of the work’s optical illusion.When the viewer moves his head or changes his point ofview, the amount of space visible between the vertical lines

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on each of the Plexiglas sheets changes and gives the illusionthat the image is not only moving, but moving faster than theviewer. By alternating the density of lines in the concentricsquares, Yvaral creates the illusion that the shapes are ad-vancing and receding. He creates the illusion of depth andmovement in this work.

Yvaral (born Jean-Pierre Vasarely) was a painter and maker ofoptical or kinetic reliefs. He was the son of Victor Vasarely(1906–1977), the leader of the Op Art movement. In the1960s, Yvaral experimented with the optical effects causedby the changing position of the viewer, or “optical accelera-tion.” While many artists created optical illusions on a flatcanvas, eventually shallow reliefs, such as StructureChangeante, became a new way to enhance the illusion ofmovement.

Other things presenters may talk aboutwhile the piece is being passed around

Helpful termsand theirdefinitionsconnected toStructureChangeante

squareA polygon bounded by four straight line seg-ments of equal length and at 90 degrees, orright angles, to each other; a shape with foursides that are all the same length. Note:While it may be common for us to designatea square that is placed at a right angle onthe page as a diamond, a diamond itselfdoes not have right angles. Its actual defini-tion is that of a rhombus with two inner ob-tuse and two inner acute angles (see Modelfor “Salt Lick” on page 24).

illusionVisual perception of a real object in such away as to misinterpret its actual nature. Forexample, the vertical lines in StructureChangeante cause an optical illusion.

Op Art“Optical Art is a mathematically-themed formof Abstract art, which uses repetition of simpleforms and colors to create vibrating effects,moiré patterns, foreground-background con-fusion, an exaggerated sense of depth, andother visual effects. . . . With Optical Art, therules that the viewer’s eye uses to try to makesense of a visual image are themselves the‘subject’ of the artwork.” Source:www.artcyclopedia.com.

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This whimsical horse was designed by one of Sweden’s mostimportant postwar designers, Stig Lindberg. Its wonderfullyrounded belly fits nicely in one’s cupped hands. The ceramicpiece is mold-made and decorated with geometric shapes.

Pottery Horse was chosen because it is covered withcircles and the mane is made of triangles. Simple lines areused to designate the tail and reins. It also introduces the ovaland the ovoid (an oval made three-dimensional). Childrenshould be able to easily identify the shapes of the painteddecoration. To talk about ovals, one might ask students whatshape they would use if they were to draw the horse’s body(without worrying about the neck and head) on a sheet ofpaper. Maybe they will already understand the word oval, orthey will learn it by actually drawing one themselves (per-haps one student can draw on the chalkboard). Dependinghow one views an ovoid, it can look like an oval or a circle.

Stig Lindberg (Italian,born Sweden, 1916–1982). Pottery Horse,1965. Ceramic pottery.1965.109

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Stig Lindberg was the top designer at the prestigiousGustavsberg studio in Sweden, where he created tablewareand playful ceramic art sculptures. His fine art ceramics,such as this horse, were mass produced. The popularity ofhis designs is widespread; most Swedes remember growingup with at least one of his creations in their home.

The horse was made from clay and created by using amold, allowing multiple sculptures to be made. This methodis less time consuming than making each horse by hand andensures that all the horses are exactly the same size andshape. The hole in the bottom of the horse is to let air escapeand thus prevent the piece from exploding in the kiln duringthe firing process. After firing, the clay cools and becomesceramic.

Helpful termsand theirdefinitionsconnected toPottery Horse

triangleA polygon bounded by three straight lines; ashape with three sides.

circleA round shape in which every point on theoutside is the same distance from the center,and each segment of the circle’s edge has thesame curve. One can make a circle by curvinga line around to meet itself. Draw a circle byusing a compass or by taking a string andattaching one end to a point on a piece ofpaper and the other end to a pencil. Pull thepencil so that the string is taut and draw thepencil around the point. Imagine putting yourfinger right in the middle of a circle; everypart of the outside of the circle is the samedistance from the center or middle—that’swhat makes a circle round and not oval. Bythe way, the outside line of the circle is calledthe circumference.

radiusA straight line from the center of a circle to apoint on its edge or circumference or fromthe center of a sphere to a point on its sur-face; the distance from the middle of a circleto the outside.

ovalAn egg-like shape that looks like a circle thathas been stretched to make it longer. The twoends of an oval may or may not be the samesize and shape. If one were to take a circleand stretch it, you would have an oval. Findan example of an oval in your classroom. Ifyou put your finger in the middle of an oval,the distance to some parts of the outside islonger than the distance to other parts.

ovoidThe three-dimensional form of an oval. De-pending on one’s point of view, it can lookoval or circular. If I draw a picture of an eggon a piece of paper, I might draw an oval. Thepaper is flat and so is the shape I would draw.An egg or a balloon looks like an oval, butthese aren’t flat. So if the object looks like anoval when you draw it, but isn’t flat in reallife, then it is an ovoid.

Other things presenters may talk aboutwhile the piece is being passed around

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This sculpture is made of two highly polished pieces of woodthat together represent a fish. The body of the fish is spheri-cal, and the separately attached tail is a crescent shape. Theonly detail is small incised lines to indicate the mouth andeyes. It is a great example of Danish modernism, in that anactual animal is depicted by simple abstract means and thematerial’s sensual qualities are accentuated.

This object was chosen for its form. It is a wonderfulexample of a sphere—and has the added benefit of having acrescent-shaped tail. When the students are asked to identifythe form of the fish, perhaps they will say that it is a circle. Itis true that when viewed, the outside edge forms a circle. Orif we were to draw the fish, we would use a circle. However, acircle is flat and the wooden fish definitely is not. The three-dimensional form of a circle is a sphere. In the same way thatevery part of the edge of a circle is the same distance from themiddle, every part of the outside of a sphere is the same dis-tance from the middle. Presenters may ask the students toidentify other examples of spheres with which they are famil-iar. The fish is not a perfect sphere or ball—why not? There is aflat spot on the bottom. Why would the artist do that? It allowsthe fish to stand, and I think he did a pretty good job of hidingthat flat spot so the fish looks as round as possible.

Ernst Henriksen(Danish). Wooden Fish,20th century. Wood.1957.509

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Helpful termsand theirdefinitionsconnected toWooden Fish

One might also ask the students how they know this ob-ject is a fish. Here the idea of a fish is communicated by thesimplest of means. This paring of detail allows the viewer tomore deeply appreciate the artwork’s form, texture, and ma-terial. The fish is made of heavily grained wood. Studentscan guess the material and explain how they came to theirconclusion. Presenters may ask the students whether theyenjoy looking at “Multiple Sculpture” or this fish more. Whichone do they enjoy holding more? This artwork is intended tobe more than visually satisfying; it is meant to appeal to themind and to all the senses.

This fish is a wonderful example of the modernist Danishaesthetic. The unique characteristics of Danish design be-came known around the world in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s.This was due to technological advances and the greater eco-nomic opportunities following World War II, combined witha series of brilliant craftsmen, architects, and artists. A com-mon theme of the work in these various fields was organicsimplification. Forms became more organic; notice that this isthe only object in the lesson that does not include a straightline. The means used to achieve maximum elegance andfunction are reduced to their lowest common denominator.

Other things presenters may talk aboutwhile the piece is being passed around

sphereA form that is circular from all possible pointsof view; a sphere is shaped like a ball. Spheresare the 3D counterpart to the circle. All of thepoints on its surface are the same distancefrom the center.

crescentA shape with concave and convex edges termi-nating in points. This shape looks as if youtook your scissors and cut off part of a circle.One side of the crescent bends out, like theoutside of a circle, and the other side bendsin. When we can’t see the entire moon, it is acrescent shape.

organicOf, pertaining to, or derived from living organ-isms; also, simple, basic, and close to nature.

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This brass object was created to extinguish a candle flame. Itis simple in design, a cone with a short cylinder attached forthe user’s finger. The only decoration is a crest or shield,which probably identified the owner, stamped onto thecone’s surface.

This piece was chosen as an example of a cone—and be-cause it demonstrates the principle of form following func-tion. Ask the students if they know this object’s use and howthey would hold it. Specifically, it is a finger snuffer for put-ting out a candle: one puts one’s finger through the circle tohold it. Candles were the earliest form of lighting in ColonialAmerica. The shape of a cone is ideal for the purpose of put-ting out a flame. The wide opening at the base covers the topof the candle, while the narrow closed top robs the flame ofoxygen so that it cannot continue to burn. The circularholder is the perfect shape to accommodate one’s finger.

An ice cream cone is another example of form followingfunction. What’s the function of a cone for ice cream? Tohold the ice cream. What is the form of a scoop of ice cream?A sphere. A sphere fits perfectly in the cone’s large circularopening. Now why is the bottom tapered? To catch the drips!So the form of the cone is just right for the function of hold-ing a scoop of ice cream.

Of course, we now use electricity as the primary means oflighting our homes, but throughout the 19th and into the20th century candles were very important. In some areas ofthe rural South, Americans continued to burn candles and

Candle Snuffer, early20th century. America.Brass. 1961.424

Other things presenters may talk aboutwhile the piece is being passed around

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kerosene lamps into the 1930s. When do we usually usecandles today? Candles on birthday cakes are certainly in-tended to be blown out; however, using a candle snuffer is asafer and neater way to extinguish other types of candleflames. The snuffer keeps the wax from spraying and keepsthe wick centered. (Note: There is a technical difference be-tween “snuffers,” instruments designed to cut and removeburnt wick, and “conical extinguishers” or “dousing cones.”Since modern candles do not need to have their wickstrimmed as they burn, either name is sufficient for our pur-poses.)

Brass is an alloy made of copper and zinc. Zinc is addedto make the brass harder than copper. Brass, as we know ittoday, came into use around the 16th century. Like other met-als, it can be worked by melting and also by external pressureapplied to its solid form—such as hammering the brass intothin sheets. The candle snuffer was made by heating brassuntil it was malleable and then hammering (annealing) itinto the conical form. Brass is recyclable. Old, broken, orscrap pieces can be melted down to create new objects. Aperson who works with brass or bronze to make functionalobjects is called a founder. Brass is used today to make deco-rative and functional items like door knockers, letter boxes,and candlesticks.

A helpful termand its definitionconnected toCandle Snuffer

coneA three-dimensional shape having a surfaceformed by a straight line (the side length, orgeneratrix) passing through a fixed pointand moving along a circular curve (the direc-trix). As with cylinders, we usually use theterm to refer to a right cone, in which theside length remains the same. Another wayof putting it: This is a form whose base is acircle and whose sides taper (becomesmaller) to a point. Examples include a tee-pee or a party hat.

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Hishaku (Dipper for TeaCeremony), late 20thcentury. Japan.Bamboo. 1985.1068

Helpful termsand theirdefinitionsconnected toHishaku

This simple-looking piece is a dipper or ladle made from asection of a bamboo plant’s stem. A hishaku is a utensil usedin the Japanese tea ceremony. The tea master uses the dipperto ladle hot water from the kettle or cold water from the wa-ter jar when he is preparing a cup of tea.

The hishaku is an example of a cylinder. It is also a func-tional work of art; ask the students how they would use it.Most ladles are shaped like half of a sphere or ball. Why wasthis one made in the form of a cylinder? In this case, the na-ture of the materials used dictates the form of the ladle. Bam-boo is one of the world’s largest grasses. Bamboo has hollow,hard-walled stems with ringed joints. The dipper was madeby cutting a cross-section of the stem; the resulting form is acylinder.

The tea ceremony was brought to Japan from China by Eisai,the founder of the Rinzai school of Zen, in the beginning ofthe 13th century. The tea ceremony is more than a way toprepare and serve tea. Its purpose is that of Zen Buddhism: tofocus one’s senses and awareness of the moment. The uten-sils used in the tea ceremony are made of natural materialssuch as iron, clay, and bamboo. They may seem simple orrough in appearance, but in fact they are skillfully made.Dippers are usually made of wood, metal, or bamboo.

Other things presenters may talk aboutwhile the piece is being passed around

cylinderA three-dimensional shape generated by astraight line (the generatrix) intersecting andmoving along a circle (the directrix) while re-maining parallel to a fixed straight line that isnot on or parallel to the plane of the directrix.Cylinders are easiest to understand by lookingat one or calling to mind familiar objects suchas cans, drums, and rolling pins. Have thestudents identify the two circles on thecylinder’s top and bottom. The circles are thedirectrices. When we talk about cylinders, weare referring to a right cylinder. The

directrices are parallel to one another and at90 degrees to the generatrix. The generatrixis a straight line that generates a surface bymoving in a specified fashion. In this case, thegeneratrix moves around the edge of thecircles. A cylinder is three-dimensional. Cylin-ders have circles at both ends with straightlines that connect them to each other. Ex-amples of cylinders are paper towel rolls, tincans, rolling pins, and unsharpened pencils.

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This object is a ceramic model of a type of house seen insouthwestern pueblo architecture. It is small in scale and wasprobably created as a souvenir for tourists visiting the ZiaPueblo in New Mexico. Pueblo means “village” in Spanish.The term is used to describe Native American villages thatshare a similar architecture—defined by multi-family, multi-story adobe structures organized around plazas (public areas)with kivas (underground religious structures). Adobe is abuilding material that uses bricks made of earth, clay, andstraw; these brick structures are plastered over to create thefinal smooth, organic-looking surface that is characteristic ofsuch architecture.

Pueblo dwellings like the one represented here weremulti-storied; the lower floors were often used for storage,with sleeping and dining areas in the upper levels. Tradition-ally, these buildings were accessed through the roof by meansof a ladder, which could be pulled up in times of trouble forgreater security. This detail is lacking in this modern version,which features a front door like most Western-style buildings!

This pueblo model was chosen for the variety of squaresand rectangles that make up the details of the building(doors, windows, etc.) as well as the faces of the three-dimensional form. Looking at this object is a good wayto demonstrate how flat squares or rectangles can be puttogether to create forms. If the second story of the building

Model of a PuebloDwelling, 1928.Southwest AmericanIndian, Zia Pueblo, NewMexico. Pottery.1928.331

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Helpful termsand theirdefinitionsconnected toModel of aPueblo Dwelling

could be removed, it would be a cube. The stepped side ofthe building (perhaps a reference to a ladder) is a good ex-ample of right angles. The model is also a good piece for talk-ing about symmetry: the squares and rectangles are sym-metrical, while the model itself is not.

Traditionally, pottery was made by the women of the pueblo.They used simple hand-building techniques, such as coiling,to shape the clay. The Zia Pueblo model was probably builtby joining together square-shaped slabs of clay.

The sun symbol of a circle with four rays that is on NewMexico’s state flag was inspired by a similar design on a claypot found at the Zia Pueblo. Four is a sacred number to theKeres nation, as well as other Native American groups.Presenters may ask the students if they can think of thingsthat come in fours: the four directions, the four seasons,the four stages of life. Ask if they can think of shapes thatinvolve fours.

Six main nations are considered to be Pueblo Indians:Hopi, Zuni, Tiwa, Tewa, Towa, and Keres. Members of theKeres nation built and have lived at the Zia Pueblo sinceabout 1250 AD. Comprising about 190 square acres, the landis approximately 35 miles from Albuquerque. At one time thepueblo had 6,000 inhabitants; now only about 650 peoplelive there.

Other things presenters may talk aboutwhile the piece is being passed around

cubeA polyhedron with six square faces. It is alsoone type of hexahedron. If you took squaresand put them together to make a box, youwould have a cube. Each face is the same sizeas all the other faces, just the way each sideof a square is the same size as all the othersides. There are four sides on a square. Howmany squares are there in a cube? Six.

plazaA public square or similar open area in a townor city.

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This object, a model for a sculpture in the Cleveland Mu-seum of Art’s permanent collection, comprises four white,equal-size parallelepipeds arranged in a staggered pattern.Each form is offset from the others—placed behind, higher,and to the side of the one before it. Like the final work of art,the model sculpture is painted wood. Frederick Hollendonnerwas a Cleveland painter and sculptor who graduated from theCleveland Institute of Art in 1953. He participated in many ofthe museum’s annual May Shows, winning first prize inpainting in 1956 and 1958. Hollendonner was also a valuedmuseum employee for more than 36 years, becoming chiefconservator.

Salt Lick was chosen as a pure example of how beautiful ashape or repeated shapes can be. It also clearly shows paral-lelograms in their three-dimensional form: the parallelepi-ped. As a side note: Most people can barely pronounce paral-lelepiped, and besides that, it may not be the most useful termthat the students will learn during their lesson. It is best herefor students to know about parallelograms, how they are differ-ent from rectangles, that they are flat shapes and have beenput together to make a three-dimensional sculpture. This is agood piece to use to talk about congruency, or shapes and ob-jects that are similar.

Frederick L.Hollendonner(American, Cleveland,1928–1990). Model for“Salt Lick,” 1967.Painted wood. 1968.16

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Other things presenters may talk aboutwhile the piece is being passed around

Salt Lick belongs to the minimalist school of art. Minimalismoriginated in New York City in the 1960s. Like Pop Art, itwas a reaction against the subjectivity and gestural artworkof Abstract Expressionism. Minimal art describes painting orsculpture that is made with a minimum of means. Everythingis reduced to the essentials of geometric abstraction; nothingis extraneous. The viewer relates to the work by how he per-ceives it: what you see is what you get. The abstractions arenot meant to be symbols of something outside the work ofart. They are meant to be exactly what they are: geometricshapes and forms, usually precise and hard-edged.

The artist may or may not use color. He may choose touse only one color, or commercially mixed colors. For ex-ample, the minimalist artist Sol Le Witt frequently paints hissculptures white, because he believes white is the color withthe least emotional connotations. The surfaces of minimal arttend to be smooth; the hand of the artist is not visible.Minimalist artists often use repetition of shapes or forms toemphasize the geometry of the figure and the subtle relation-ships between the figures themselves and their environment.In Salt Lick, the staggering of the four parallelograms servesto accentuate the essence of the geometric form, to highlightthe “parallelogramness” of the parallelogram.

Helpful termsand theirdefinitionsconnected toSalt Lick

parallelogramA four-sided polygon, all opposite sides beingparallel to each other. This is a shape withfour sides, and the sides across or oppositeeach other are parallel. Notice the word “par-allel” in its name. Squares and rectangles areparallelograms with right angles.

parallelepipedA polyhedron with six faces, each a parallelo-gram, and each parallel to its opposite face.Note: A regular hexahedron is also a parallel-epiped.

rhombusAn equilateral parallelogram. A parallelogramwith sides that are all the same length is arhombus. Notice that there is no right anglerequirement.

rhombohedronA polyhedron with six faces, each of which isa rhombus.

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This ceramic tile features one-quarter of a star pattern. Islamicart is filled with geometric shapes and patterns. The star is anauspicious symbol in Islamic iconography. The points of thestar radiate from one central point equally in all directions.The one point represents one God and Mecca, the center ofIslam. One-quarter of a star is visible in the top right and bot-tom left corners of the tile.

This tile is believed to come from the Alhambra, a walledcity and fortress in Granada, Spain. The Alhambra was builtduring the last Islamic sultanate in Spain, the Nasrid dynasty(1238–1492). It was conceived as paradise on earth, and hadmany gardens and impressive halls. The palace, still preservedtoday, is lavishly decorated with stone and wood carvings, andmosaic tiles cover most of the walls, floors, and ceilings.

The tile is an interesting object with which to end the les-son. The white lines, raised in relief above the colors of blue,green, and brown, bring students back to the first point in thislesson: line. This is also a good time to discuss intersectinglines. Students have spent the lesson reviewing and learningnames of geometric shapes and forms and the rules that definethem. All the colored shapes that are created by the whitelines are polygons, but the definitions end there. It’s possibleto make lots of shapes that don’t have a name at all. Studentscan make up their own rules.

Tile from the Alhambra,13th century?. Spain,Islamic. Ceramic,carved into part of astar design. 1923.853

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We began the lesson identifying lines, later we under-stood how lines are used to create shapes, and finally howshapes are used to create forms. This object brings us back tothe beginning and also allows the students to visualize howshapes can be put together to make other shapes. It is impor-tant for younger children to take a square and cut it diago-nally from corner to corner, discovering that they have cre-ated two triangles. Older children should be able to look atthe square and visualize how it can be made into two tri-angles. They are learning to anticipate the outcome.

The name Alhambra means “the red one” and refers to thecolor of the mountain, the Sierra Nevada, on which it isbuilt. It is the most important and the best conserved Arabianpalace of its time. Spain was conquered by Muslim armies in714 AD and remained under Islamic control for the next 800years. During that time, Muslims greatly influenced the cul-ture of Spain and made it an intellectual center.

The tile in this lesson is one part of a star pattern. Islamicreligious art traditionally does not use representations of liv-ing beings; as a result their art contains some of the mostbeautiful uses of patterning and calligraphic design. Complexgeometric designs with their impression of unending repeti-tion are symbols of infinity and the unending nature of God.M. C. Escher, an artist well known for his unending patterns,was fascinated by the intricate designs that he found at theAlhambra.

Other things presenters may talk aboutwhile the piece is being passed around

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Resources

List of Objects “Turtles” Mola, early 20th century. KunaIndians, San Blas Archipelago. Cotton.1971.1011

Multiple Sculpture, 1970. Canada; artistunknown, signed “Q.” on side. Bronze, lim-ited edition 43/100. 1984.1036.a–b

Yvaral (French, 1934–2002). StructureChangeante, 1970. Two screenprints ontransparent Plexiglas with white Plexiglasstand. 1973.1159

Stig Lindberg (Italian, born Sweden, 1916–1982). Pottery Horse, 1965. Ceramic pottery.1965.109

Ernst Henriksen (Danish). Wooden Fish,20th century. Wood. 1957.509

Candle Snuffer, early 20th century. America.Brass. 1961.424

Hishaku (Dipper for Tea Ceremony), late20th century. Japan. Bamboo. 1985.1068

Model of a Zia Pueblo, 1928. SouthwestAmerican Indian, Zia Pueblo, New Mexico.Pottery. 1928.331

Frederick L. Hollendonner (American,Cleveland, 1928–1990). Model for “SaltLick,” 1967. Painted wood. 1968.16

Tile from the Alhambra, 13th century?.Spain, Islamic. Ceramic, carved into part ofa star design. 1923.853

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FocusStudents will be introduced to the art ele-ments of line, shape, and form through ahands-on session with genuine art objectsfrom a variety of world cultures. The lesson isbest presented to grades K–3, but works wellfor students up to grade 6.

PurposeTo allow students the opportunity to handlegenuine art objects that highlight concepts inart appreciation and production, and that alsomake solid formative math connections.

MotivationStudents will be both intrinsically and extrinsi-cally motivated to participate in discovery-based discussion while handling objects.

ObjectivesStudents will learn and appreciate the impor-tance of the visual art concepts of line, shape,and form as they pertain to objects they ob-serve and handle and to the world aroundthem.

Students will comprehend connections be-tween visual arts and formative math con-cepts, including two-dimensionality, three-dimensionality, and illusion.

Students will become familiar with and willuse in discussion vocabulary words such ascircle, square, triangle, sphere, cube, cylinder,and others, and will be able to identify themwhen viewed in their surroundings.

Students will be introduced to general art-making production techniques.

ParticipationDiscussion will be encouraged through induc-tive reasoning techniques during the presen-tation. Questions both simple and complexwill be posed. Identification of new and re-view terms will be woven into the discussion.

Comprehension CheckThroughout the Art to Go presentation theCMA instructor will consistently weave newterms and concepts into the discussion as ameans of reviewing and reaffirming knowl-edge.

Continued ExplorationTeachers and students will continue to expandtheir visual arts vocabulary by identifying newterms and knowledge as they study othersubjects and the environment in which theylive. This process will reinforce all learnedknowledge.

Lesson Plan

Pre- and post-discussions bythe classroomteacher furthermotivate andsolidify studentcomprehensionof conceptsduring the Art toGo presentation.

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Resources

Cleveland Museum of Art, clipping file:Frederick L. Hollendonner.

Delay, Nelly. The Art and Culture of Japan.New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1999.

Feldman, Edmund Burke. Thinking About Art.Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, 1985.

Stokstad, Marilyn. Art History. New York:Harry N. Abrams, 1995.

Websites

http://www.artlex.com [Art dictionary]

http://www.tomthomson.org/education/shape.pdf [Art exhibition based on shape]

http://www.dartmouth.edu/~matc/math5.pattern/lesson5A&M.connection.html

http://www.nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/the_art_of_being_kuna

http://encarta.msn.com [Metalworking andalloys]

http://www.tate.org.uk/servlet/ArtistWorks?cgroupid=999999961&artistid=2182&page=1&sole=y&collab=y&attr=y&sort=default&tabview=bio [Yvaral]

http://www.nordicmuseum.com/lindberg.htm

http://danishdesign.denmark.dk

http://web-japan.org/factsheet/tea/tea_c.html

http://www.ipl.org/div/pottery/index.html[Pueblo pottery]

http://www.indianpueblo.org/index.cfm?module=ipcc&pn=15

http://www.rain.org/eagle/pueblo1.htm

http://www.indianpueblo.org

http://netra.glendale.cc.ca.us/ceramics/alhambratile.html

http://weasel.cnrs.humboldt.edu/~spain/alh[The Alhambra]

http://www.tuspain.com/alhambra.htm

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/orna/hd_orna.htm [Islamic art]

http://www.askasia.org/frclasrm/lessplan/l000030.htm [Islamic art]

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Bial, Raymond. Lifeways: The Pueblo. NewYork: Benchmark Books, 2000. [Containsphotos of pueblos.]

Cobb, Vicki. Imagine Living Here: This Place IsCrowded—Japan. New York: Walker Publish-ing, 1992. [Illustration of tea ceremony, in-cluding a hishaku.]

Ehlert, Lois. Color Zoo. New York: HarperCollins, 1989.

———. Color Farm. New York: HarperCollins, 1990. [Great, simple graphics. Shapesare combined to create various animals.]

Florian, Douglas. A Potter. New York:Greenwillow Books, 1991. [Simple text andbeautiful illustrations show a potter at work.]

Gilbreath, Alice. Slab, Coil and Pinch: ABeginner’s Pottery Book. New York: WilliamMorrow, 1977.

Good, Keith. Shape It! Magnificent Projectsfor Molding Materials. Minneapolis: LernerPublications, 1999. [How molds work.]

Greenberg, Jan, and Sandra Jordan. TheSculptor’s Eye: Looking at ContemporaryAmerican Art. New York: Delacorte Press,1993.

Hoben, Tana. Shapes, Shapes, Shapes. NewYork: Greenwillow Books, 1983.

———. Round & Round & Round. New York:Greenwillow Books, 1986.

———. So Many Circles, So Many Squares.New York: Greenwillow Books, 1998.

———. Cubes, Cones, Cylinders and Spheres.New York: Greenwillow Books, 2000. [All theTana Hoben books feature photographs dem-onstrating that shapes are everywhere aroundus. They are wonderful!]

Knapp, Brian, and Colin Bass. Math Matters!Shapes. Danbury, Conn.: Grolier, 1998. [Ex-plains how shapes apply to math lessons forprimary school students.]

Metropolitan Museum of Art. Eye Magic: Vi-sual Trickery in Art. Hauppauge, N.Y.: BarronsEducational Series, 2005. [Includes examplesof Op Art.]

———. Museum Shapes. New York: Little,Brown, 2005.

Micklethwait, Lucy. I Spy Shapes in Art. NewYork: Greenwillow Books, 2004.

Yenawine, Philip. Shapes. New York: Museumof Modern Art/Delacorte Press, 1991. [Ex-amples of how artists use line and shape tocommunicate ideas through art.]

Further Reading

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ResourcesResources

Resources

Art to GoSuitcasePresentations

Oodles and Oodles ofLines and Shapes

Repeat, Repeat,Pattern, Pattern

Museum Zoo:Animals in Art

Masks: Let’s Face It

Let’s Discover Egypt

Cool Knights: Armorfrom the EuropeanMiddle Ages andRenaissance

Native American Art

Early America:Artistry of a YoungNation

Problem Solving:What in the World?

Classical Art:Ancient Greece andRome

China: Art andTechnology

Ancient Americas:Art fromMesoamerica

Natives and Settlers:Early Artifacts fromthe Ohio Region

Journey to Asia

Journey to Japan

Journey to Africa:Art from Central andWest Africa

Multi-disciplinaryConnections

Visual ArtsMake drawings of 2D and 3D counterparts.Use pastel chalks of similar color (such as yel-low, orange, and red) to shade the sides of adrawn cube, creating an illusionistic render-ing. Create a simple flip-book using Post-Itpads illustrating a bouncing ball.

Physical ScienceObserve architectural examples that can easilybe broken down into geometric forms: cubes,parallelograms, pyramids. Use stacking blocksto explore the structural possibilities whencreating buildings or even bridges. Create aclassroom city where each student designstheir own building.

Social StudiesCultures have long used flags to identifythemselves to others. Observe internationaland historical flags that highlight simpleshape compositions. Have students createflags for their own imaginary country usinggeometric and/or organic shapes.

MathematicsUsing the correct shapes create paper tem-plates or have students create paper tem-plates that when cut out form counterparts.For example, six squares sharing the correctedges, cut out, folded, and taped togetherbecome a cube.

Language ArtsRead Hispanic children’s stories and illustrateyour own mola. Write a creative story thattells the tale of how a square became a cube,how a line became a circle, how the squareand the triangle got together to make thepyramid.

The Art of Writing:The Origin of theAlphabet

Diego Rivera: AMexican Hero andHis Culture

Materials andTechniques of theArtist

Artists of Our Region

THE CLEVELANDMUSEUM OF ARTDepartment of Educationand Public Programs11150 East BoulevardCleveland, Ohio44106–1797

ART TO GO SERVICES216–707–2160TDD 216–421–0018FAX 216–421–9277info@clevelandart.org

The museumreceives operat-ing supportfrom the OhioArts Council.

Oodles andOodles of Linesand Shapes