Correlation:

Art, Science, Social Studies

Activity:

Painting

Time:

2 class periods: research/discussion; art activity

Introduction:

Over the centuries, artists have often represented the world around them in great detail. In one type of painting, genre painting, artists sought to represent views of everyday, ordinary life. Interest in this type of painting was evident in the ancient wall paintings of Egypt and Pompeii as well as through numerous artists, such as Jan Vermeer, Winslow Homer, Caravaggio, Rembrandt, and William Hogarth.

This intimate view into everyday life was greatly influenced by the advent of flight in the 20th century. Flight offered people the opportunity to view the world from vantage points never before imagined. This aerial perspective became the subject of artistic interpretation. Flight impacted our everyday lives, revolutionizing travel and time.

Objectives:

• Interpret the concept of flight through the creation of a genre painting.
• Apply Newton's Laws of Motion to the way the world works. (Science 4.07)
• Trace changes in the movement of people, goods, and ideas at different periods throughout North Carolina history. (Social Studies 1.4)
• Understand how artists use the elements and principles of design to impact their environment. (Visual Art 3.01)
• Develop original solutions that effectively apply the elements of art in an aesthetic composition. (Visual Art 3.02)
  
  

Materials:

Painting surface (heavy paper, board, canvas board)
Paint (tempera, watercolor, or acrylic), brushes, water containers

Discussion:

Looking at examples of genre painting, discuss the characteristics of the paintings shown. Using the board, ask the students to help you list the characteristics of these works of art. What defines a genre painting? (E.g., everyday scenes, detail, middle class, focal points, perspective)

Now ask them to consider themselves artists at the beginning of the 20th century. What events and discoveries had taken place? (List these also.) One of these events was the Wright brothers' flight at Kitty Hawk in 1903. How did this event change life in North Carolina and the world?

With the advent of flight and its inherent change in vantage point, people now have new everyday activities that include flight and the activities associated with it.

Artists John Schabel and Leo Rubinfien's works (as listed below) reflect a new form of genre as they look at passengers waiting for take off as subject matter. The faces of the subjects reflect every type of feeling as they wait: apprehension, anticipation, contemplation.

Procedure:

Ask students to look through books, CDs, and the internet to find other contemporary artists that use genre subject matter in their works. Discuss similarities and differences with the other artists listed.

Now ask students to imagine they are getting ready to "take off." They may imagine themselves in any type of aircraft or spaceship. What would they be doing as they waited? What would their mood be? What type of environment might they be in?

Students may then sketch themselves as passengers anticipating this moment. Remind them of the ways to use art elements to make an effective composition. Refer back to Schabel and Rubenfien's works for placement of the figures and size relationships.

After they make a quick sketch, allow students to paint the compositions.

1. Were students able to define and create genre paintings?
2. Was each student able to complete the task with appropriate details and explanation?
3. Do the students understand the impact of flight on everyday life and artworks since the early 20th century?
   
   

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