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Lesson Plans—Activities
Mutations: Creation by Revision

Matisse documented 22 stages of development in his painting Large Reclining Nude. In this exercise students will create a composition based on a verbal or written description of a work of art in the exhibition.

Choose one of two approaches:

1. “Telephone game” and art making. This can be done with one work as a class or with multiple works by breaking into small groups. Start by giving one student an accurate description of a work of art in the exhibition. The student will verbally pass this description on to the next student, and so on, through the rest of the group. The final student will write down the description he or she heard on the board or overhead. Let students create a cut-paper composition based on this final description. Display the compositions next to an image of the original work of art, and compare and contrast the similarities and differences as a class. Put on an exhibition of the results and include wall labels that explain the process.
   
2. Vocabulary building and art making. Assign works of art in the exhibition for students to write an attentive description. Using a thesaurus, select works with similar meanings as key words in the description and rewrite using the new words. Repeat this process through three or four rounds. Instruct students to illustrate a scene based on the new description using a selection of media. Compare to original works of art, consider differences, and discuss how word choices can alter meanings or an understanding of a piece of writing.