art activism project: multimedia and sculpture gahr high school

1. Art.with.a.Message.
Social Activism in Mixed
Media Projects

2. What is Art with a Message?
Activist art is intended for a wider audience, and sets out to create
awareness for those who have been marginalized and
disenfranchised (I.E. The people of Nicaragua) so they can be seen
and given a voice.
Activist art incorporates the use of public space to address socio-
political issues and to encourage community and public participation
as a means of bringing about social change.
It aims to change society by opening up the dialogue, raising
consciousness, and empowering individuals and communities to
create positive change .

3. Watch the video about who ODFL is

4. For this project…
• -You will be creating a work of
art that sends a message to
your viewer
• -Your point of view may be
extremely obvious OR it may
be obscured and be able to be
read multiple ways
• -The specific proposal for your
project should be something
you feel strongly about or
connected to
• -You may choose to use
words/text to better help get
your point across but text is not
required.

5. Classic examples of POSTER ART with a message: American Propaganda

6. Shepard Fairey
• Born in 1970 (42 years
old, probably the
youngest artist we will
study)
• He went to RISD (Rhode
Island School of Design)
• While at RISD Fairey
made his infamous
“Andre the Giant has a
Posse” and “Liberated”
posters

7. Phenomenology
• The Obey campaign can be explained as an experiment in
Phenomenology.
• The first aim of Phenomenology is to reawaken a sense of
wonder about one‟s environment.
• The Obey campaign attempts to stimulate curiosity and
bring people to question both the campaign and their
relationship with their surroundings.
• Because people are not used to seeing advertisements or
propaganda for which the motive isn‟t obvious, seeing
Obey‟s propaganda on the street provokes thought or
frustration. It reawakens the viewer‟s perception and
attention to detail.
• The medium is the message
- www.obeygiant.com

8. Getting the Message Out
Fairey‟s idea of
phenomenology was
carried out through
posting up images
and posters all
around the world
Some of the images
were vague in
meaning and some
had very clear and
bold messages

9. War and art from Shepard
Fairey

11. War as a theme

12. The environment as
a theme

13. Education as a theme

14. Peace as a theme

15. Art for Change or Revolution

16. Lorraine Schneider (American, 1925-
1972)

17. War Themes in History
Our Flags are Victory!
Used in WWII by
Germany.
Other German
propaganda art was
used to promote
nationalism.
It was also used to
portray Jewish people
as inferior.

18. Examples of German Propaganda

19. Promoting Hope and Change Through Art
“ Hope for Darfur”
By Brett Wilson
And
Shepard Fairey

20. Barbara Kruger
Born in 1945
Themes of feminism, consumerism, sexism
Uses images from old mainstream
magazines
And pastes text over, strategically
Themes: feminism, classicism, consumerism,
and individual autonomy and desire

21. Themes of Domestic Violence

22. Guerilla Girls
“fighting discrimination with facts, humor and fake fur since 1985”
•Theme: “reinventing the „F‟ word: feminism
•Call themselves: “the conscious of the art world”
•Employ guerrilla tactics by putting up posters and flyers in public places

23. The role of women in the art world

24. Shirin Neshat
•Iranian born artist
•She questions the role of women in
Islamic society
•Medium: Black and White
•photographs with ink
•Works in native language

25. Chris Jordan
• Running the Numbers looks at
contemporary American
culture through the lens of
statistics.
• Each image portrays a specific
quantity of something: fifteen
million sheets of office paper
(five minutes of paper use);
The photo to the right depicts
one hundred million
toothpicks, equal to the
number of trees cut in the U.S.
yearly to make the paper for
junk mail.

26. Guns
photos depict 29,569 handguns, equal to the number of
gun-related deaths in the US in 2004.

27. Dada Style Collage:

28. Mark Jenkins:

29. Mark Jenkins:

30. Mark Jenkins:

31. Clothe your sculpture so it blends
into the school environment

32. Nicaragua: current classroom state

33. About nicaragua: ANSWERS

34. About nicaragua: ANSWERS
• $10,694 is spent on each student PER YEAR in the US.
• 2009 Elementary School Classroom for Village of San
Martin, Nicaragua Project Cost:
$14,725.85 Background Nicaragua, bordered by
Honduras and Costa Rica in Central America, is the
second poorest country in the Western
Hemisphere. Over 28% of the population in Nicaragua
lives in poverty with a per capita average annual income
is $945. According to UN figures, 80% of the indigenous
population lives on less than $1 per day.

35. Now it’s your turn!
• You and a partner in this class will be
responsible for making each of the following:
– 1 Collection box for a teacher or room on campus
– 1 inspirational poster that reflects our goals, ideas
and efforts behind the ODFL mission
– 1 page spread of a zine
• As a class we will make a large tape sculpture
installation that sells a message to our
audience. We will choose a theme together
and each person in class will contribute at least
1 tape sculpture to be put in the installation

36. Time to make your own…
Collection Boxes: using a combo of the paper
template and paper mache technique
Your pair will be given a teachers name, make a
flashy box to collect funds in homeroom
Mixed Media Poster campaign.
-an 11x17 inch art poster illustrating an idea/fact
that will create awareness for ODFL using mixed-
media collage style including images, stencil,
block print, drawn design or collage.
-The poster will be installed around campus to
further support „the cause.‟

37. Time to make your own…
Zine:
-a 5.5x8.5 inch zine (pronounced Zeen), a do-it-
yourself style pamphlet exposing truths and
spreading the word about the ODFL movement.
-You and your partner will create a cut-and paste
layout for a spread (2 pages), using various materials
like type, stamps, handwritten notes, bits of paper,
images from the web or magazines, fabric, hand
drawn designs or images, etc.
-The best spreads will be photocopied and distributed
around campus in the form of a zine. We need
center spreads, front and back cover.

38. Time to make your own…
Packing Tape Sculpture
-a large, campus installation, made out of packing tape that
explores an idea from the ODFL movement.
-The impressive sculptures will be conceptual, complete with an
artist‟s statement and will be installed around campus to raise
awareness for ODFL and Friday Night Live.
-each period will collaborate on an idea for their installation,
each pair (partners) will contribute to the period‟s sculpture
concept.
- Your tape sculptures will be formulated as a class and
therefore, graded as a class. We will grade the installation and
individual pieces as a whole and will be looking at concept,
message, craftsmanship, installation, location and individual
participation

39. • Each pair will
Collection boxes create a box, for
each homeroom
• The box can be
personalized for
the teacher, and
should stand out
to encourage
students to
donate.
• How you design
and decorate your
box is up to you!

40. Collect Box Ideas!
Start with a simple box shape and add additional pieces
and decorations to turn it into a themed box

41. Additions on top or back to serve a
purpose or for decoration

42. Diorama message or themed according to
the class your box will be put in

43. Or no message at all- just an
original design

44. A few more examples:

45. Mixed Media
Poster Examples

46. Mixed
Media
Poster
Examples

47. Scott Chenoweth
Click the link ^
Zine examples

48. Zine examples

52. Zine made by “Invisible Children”

53. Packing Tape Sculpture Installation

54. GAHR Tape Sculpture Installation

56. Think about
how your
project will
have the
most impact.

58. warning due dates are strictly enforced!
• Thur/Fri – partner up and start brainstorming
• 3/4 - 3/8 – Different ODFL demos each day
• 3/6 – Glazed slabs DUE!
• 3/7 – Friday Night Live Auditions (3-5 pm)
• 3/13 – Collection boxes DUE! Deliver that day
• 3/15 – Zine spread DUE!
• 3/18 – Poster DUE! Install that day!
• 3/19 – Tape sculptures DUE! Install that day!
• 3/22 – FRIDAY NITE LIVE! Fundraiser! 6 pm
* Make sure to check the calendar for days in which you can/cannot wheel throw!

59. See More from last year‟s students
@
MissGgallery.blogspot.com