Symbolic Found Material Collage

 
David Driskell (United States, 1931–2020), Ghetto Wall #2, 1970, oil, acrylic, and collage on linen, 60 x 50 inches Museum purchase with the support of the Friends of the Collection, including Anonymous (2), Charlton and Eleanor Ames, Eileen Gillespie and Timothy Fahey, Cyrus Hagge, Patricia Hille Dodd Hagge, Alison and Horace Hildreth, Douglas and Sharyn Howell, Harry W. Konkel, Judy and Leonard Lauder, Marian Hoyt Morgan and Christopher Hawley Corbett, Anne and Vince Oliviero, D. Suzi Osher, Christina F. Petra, Karen and Stuart Watson, Michael and Nina Zilkha, 2019.16

David Driskell (United States, 1931–2020), Ghetto Wall #2, 1970, oil, acrylic, and collage on linen, 60 x 50 inches Museum purchase with the support of the Friends of the Collection, including Anonymous (2), Charlton and Eleanor Ames, Eileen Gillespie and Timothy Fahey, Cyrus Hagge, Patricia Hille Dodd Hagge, Alison and Horace Hildreth, Douglas and Sharyn Howell, Harry W. Konkel, Judy and Leonard Lauder, Marian Hoyt Morgan and Christopher Hawley Corbett, Anne and Vince Oliviero, D. Suzi Osher, Christina F. Petra, Karen and Stuart Watson, Michael and Nina Zilkha, 2019.16

Best for Middle School students and above

Lesson Plan written by Anne Hayes
Inspired by Ghetto Wall #2 by David Driskell

Through VTS (Visual Thinking Strategies), students will explore Ghetto Wall #2 by David Driskell. Emphasis will be placed on imagery and visual symbolism. Students will also learn about contemporary artist, Mark Bradford, due to the similarities between his work and art process and that of Driskell. Through a poetry brainstorming activity and visual symbolism exercise students generate their own ideas about their current situation amidst COVID-19. Students will use this brainstorming to design and create a found material mixed media collage that reflects their personal experiences.

Materials Needed

  • Scissors

  • Glue (or tape or another adhesive)

  • Drawing tool (pencil, pen, marker, etc)

  • Scrap paper

  • Any kind of flat material that could be used for the collage base (cardboard, old packaging, stiff paper, etc)

  • Found papers from around the house that can be used for collage (old artwork, magazines, newspapers, old books, wrapping paper, tissue paper, old photos, postcards, letters, etc…)

 

Visual Arts Standards Met (for classroom use)

A1 Artist’s Purpose
Students explain and compare different purposes of artists and their artwork, in the context of time and place.

B1 Media Skills
Students choose suitable media, tools, techniques, and processes to create original art works.

B3 Making Meaning
Students create artworks that communicate an individual point of view.

a. Demonstrate skills in the use of media, tools, techniques, and processes.
b. Demonstrate knowledge of visual art concepts.
c. Communicate a variety of ideas, feelings, and meanings.


VOCABULARY

  • Mixed media: Using a variety of materials.

  • Collage: An art process that uses different pieces of paper or small objects and combines these smaller pieces to make a complete artwork.

  • Symbolism (visual): the use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities.

Essential Question

How can we tell our own stories and experiences through visual symbolism and the use of found materials?

Instructions

Watch the video to go through a guided looking activity with Teaching Artist, Anne Hayes.

Step 1: Collect your materials

Various kinds of paper or scraps to collage with, a flat and sturdy base to collage on, scissors, cglue, something to draw with, and scrap paper.

Step 2: Brainstorm

Poetry Edition! The topic is your experience during COVID-19.

  • What is the first word that pops into your head? Write it down somewhere

  • What is a word that relates to this word? Write that down.

  • Continue this process until you have 6 or 7 words. Try not to think too hard and to go with your gut instinct. This is just a warmup!

  • Now, create a sentence with each word. This will be your poem, a reflection of your feelings and interpretation of the project topic.

Step 3: Sketch

Grab your drawing tools and scrap paper, and your imagination!

  • What imagery or visual elements do you see when you read your poem?

  • Sketch out at least 2 symbolic images or designs.

Step 4: Draw Thumbnail

  • Draw a thumbnail sketch of your future collage. A thumbnail sketch is a small & quick sketch.

Step 5: Collage

  • Keep your sketches and poem handy and grab your drawing tool and collage papers.

  • Draw your thumbnail sketch onto your larger collage base using a drawing tool.

  • Prep any of the collage papers by ripping them into smaller pieces or cut them into smaller pieces using your scissors.

  • Collage over your drawing using the collage materials and glue (or tape).

  • Add any finishing touches with marker or a similar drawing tool.

Share

  • Share your artwork with someone! You can either show it to someone in your home, your teacher, or you can send a photo of it to someone.

  • Share a photo of your finished artwork to The Susie Konkel Family Gallery. We look forward to seeing what you made!

ANNE HAYES is a recent graduate of Maine College of Art's MAT program. She is an educator and artist, working as a high school Visual Arts and French teacher in Portland. Her personal artwork explores a variety of media, including collage, painting, and printmaking and is strongly influenced by experimentation and the natural world. Similarly, Anne's teaching style is marked by a multi-sensory and interdisciplinary approach that aims to engage and spark curiosity in her students. 


EducationGuest Useractivities, weekly activity