LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Students will ...
* learn about Surrealism and many Surrealist artists.
* review perspective concepts.
* review color theory and color mixing.
* employ the characteristics of Surrealism in their work.
* draw a connection between the Surrealistic art movement and the scientific study of the subconscious.
MATERIALS
* Scrap paper
* Watercolor paper
* Tempera paint
* Egg yolks
* Stretchers if available
* India Ink
* Surrealistic visuals as examples
* Clothespins
A characteristic of Surrealism is often the juxtaposition of objects that are incongruent to one another, thereby creating a sensation of discomfort to the viewer. There are other visual tricks, too, that the artist might employ to present a composition that would please even Sigmund Freud.
With the advent of psychoanalysis, artists such as Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, Giorgio de Chirico, Marc Chagall and others jumped on the nightmare bandwagon, playing with key issues dealing with this unique and exciting science of human behavior.
This field of study was an exciting tool for artists, and it's still a viable way to link psychology to the visual arts. Who better than an artist to visually express the strange turnings of the human mind, the absurdity of dreams and nightmares, along with the recurrent images that become symbolic to us, hiding the depths of personality?
I found the concept of this lesson in a Savannah College of ka-t & Design favorite lesson binder from their Art Educators' Forum collection many years ago. Since I'm a fan of Surrealism, I thought my Art Introduction students would have fun with the idea.
The lesson takes ordinary (though unknown to most students of today) clothespins as the recurrent objects, placing them within a surreal environment.
I gave my students some information on the aforementioned Surrealists, and the characteristics noted in Surrealistic artwork. These devices were, of course, to be part of their final painting.
Any Surrealism assignment is beneficial for a number of reasons. One, it is, as mentioned above, a nice way to integrate other disciplines--an equal partner to and companion for the study of psychology. Two, it's a good way lo re-teach or test students' perspective skills, since perspective is a tool employed by Surrealists. And, three, it also introduces a terrific tool for writers and visual artists alike: symbolism.
Part of the assignment meant that the work needed to include a feeling of atmosphere, and perhaps have some nightmarish and/or realistic elements in it, too.
The addition of the clothespins became the portion of the composition that needed to be handled realistically. By rendering the clothespins, they served a two-fold purpose: the realistic and the symbolic elements.
Of course, with all of my lessons, this too became something more than a brief foray into Surrealism. I also wanted to give the students an unusual painting technique I had seen and had practiced at home.
These students (mostly freshmen) had taken our Art Introduction I course and had painted a watercolor. In our second semester course we also have a painting unit, in which I use oils with my students, though the rest of the department uses acrylics. This semester also includes a unit in Art History so I feel it's important to infuse historical references in every unit I teach.
I had the students draw out their ideas, that were to include a sense of perspective, a hint of symbolism (that, to some, became the clothespins), a feeling of atmosphere, and the incongruent alignment of discordant elements.
Once the students had come up with an idea, we enlarged the image on student-quality watercolor paper. I taught them how to "wet stretch" the paper and staple it to homosote boards (the three sample paintings I had tried at home had been stretched on wooden painting stretchers, but that was a luxury that we couldn't afford for 50 students).
I refreshed their memory about color theory and color mixing, and we proceeded to paint--general to specific, background to foreground--using tempera paints. When the students' finished paintings had sufficiently dried, I gave them an option to give their paintings a dark, brooding, almost antiquated appearance by coating the surface with India ink, waiting a couple minutes, then hosing it off. I bought a hose for only one of the classroom sinks and I was the only one who washed off the ink, for fear that ink would be sprayed all over. A different kind of nightmare!
Both my examples were done with this twist, but my watercolor paper had been stretched on stretchers, which may have made it easier to rinse off the ink. By the time I ran from the second floor of my home, outside to use the hose and washed off the ink, the effect I achieved looked pretty good. I did have one painting that just looked awful, so I was honest with the students about the one that failed.
Many of my kids were too proud of their finished paintings to take a chance with the ink and risk losing their work. I took photos of every student's work before any ink application. Regardless of whether they chose to apply the ink or not, we all used an ageless methods of varnishing the finished work with egg yolk. I brought in 64 eggs, separated the yolks from the whites and had the students varnish their paintings using haki brushes.
The paintings had a somewhat glossy appearance that really height-end the colors. And, regardless of an ink application or not, these are wonderful compositions that have all the elements of Surrealism, either through the use of color, symbols or incongruent imagery.
We became aware of the close connection between psychology and the arts. The possibilities of drawing connections to other disciplines makes good sense for the students, and reinforces the unique qualities that the visual arts provide.
I think Dali and the others would be proud of my students' accomplishments ... or would they be alarmed at the competition?
Now retired, Arts & Activities Contributing Editor Geri Greenman was head of the art department at Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Ill., when this lesson took place.