works of art like One Number 31, by Jackson Pollock. After I give the students time to
look at and discuss the painting, I then have them choose one line at a time and follow
it with their finger and their eyes, mapping the trajectory of the line through space in
front of them. Once they follow their line, then I have them jump to another and repeat
this process for a few minutes. This guided looking gives them time to consider the qualities
of their chosen lines. Are they thick or thin? Solid or intermittent? Does their line travel
over or under other lines? What does the quality of the lines, tell us about the artist process?
These are all questions that can be discussed just from looking closely. For any age student,
this is a great activity for practicing observational skills and recording visual information with
the body. It's also an example of an activity that gives a sense of the importance of movement
and gesture in the artist's process.
Getting students physically engaged can be challenging, but often times, I find it one
of the most effective ways to encourage students to interact. Some of us are more kinesthetic
type learners, who benefit from exploring concepts through the use of movement. To engage
these types of learners, you can create a "Living Sculpture". As always, we start with
our observational techniques. For example when looking at this Brancusi sculpture, have
your students consider the material. How does what the sculpture is made of, affect its
form? Is it solid? Heavy? Tall? Short? Now you will allow individual students or groups