Goal (Terminal Objective):

Students will create quick figure sketches that convey movement and weight.

Introduction and Motivation (Set):

Students will view exemplars of sculptures by the French artists Edgar Degas, Auguste Rodin, and Henri Matisse. Teacher will elicit responses from students about the movement conveyed by the exemplar designs and the placement of weight in the figures. The teacher will direct student attention to the use of line, mass, form, and texture, as well as the individuality expressed in each example.

Objective:

Each student will create a series of quick sculptural studies of classmates posing to display a variety of active movements.

National Standards:

Visual Arts Grades 9-­12 Content Standard 1: Understanding and applying media, techniques, and processes

Visual Arts Grades 9­-12 Content Standard 2: Using knowledge of structures and functions

Visual Arts Grades 9­-12 Content Standard 5: Reflecting upon and assessing the characteristics and merits of their work and the work of others

Purpose:

Students will use exaggerated movement and design elements to express gesture and weight in their subjects. Students will view and examine works of Edgar Degas, Auguste Rodin, and Henri Matisse. Students will create sculptural products.

New Vocabulary:

Three-dimensional, figurative sculpture, gesture, movement, weight, exaggeration, form, texture, sculpture

Materials:

art prints

#22-4044 Color of My Friends Assorted Modeling Clay

Time:

This lesson may be modified to last from 20 minutes to one hour, depending upon number and length of poses.

Introduction and Motivation (Set):

Begin by showing images of gargoyles as part of architectural structures. Relay the function and stories of gargoyles and chimeras to the students. Ask if any of them have ever noticed gargoyles at the top of buildings before. There are contemporary examples as well as classical Gothic gargoyles. See “resources” section for website links.

Instruction:

Teacher presents and discusses exemplars. Teacher organizes the classroom to facilitate students’ easy, orderly access to materials and clear viewing of student models.

Activities:

(1) Guided Practice:

1. Students reflect upon images provided byteacher.
2. Teacher selects from student volunteers models to take turns posing for the group. Poses should accentuate movement, e.g. sports, dance, daily activities. Students from the class may suggest poses, or the class may play the game “Statue Maker.” Models should hold a pose for a short time; poses may vary from one to twentyminutes.
3. Students create quick “sketches” of the model in modeling clay, working quickly to emphasize the weight and movement of the pose rather than details, proportion orlikeness.



4. Students may reuse their modeling clay for successive poses until they complete a figure they would like to keep. Teacher provides additional clay for students once the produce a satisfactory result so that they can continue to practice the concept.





5. Clean up with soap andwater.

(2) Independent Practice and Check forUnderstanding:

Teacher encourages students to create challenging poses for each other to help in emphasis of movement.

Teacher circulates among the working students visually recording (checklist) students demonstrating understanding of objectives, asking direct questions when understanding isn’t observable, and asking peers to critique each other.

Teacher helps and reinforces students as they work, paying particular attention when students capture movement in their work.

(3) Closure:Students display theirwork.

Evaluation:

Use teacher or class critiques to evaluate particularly strong works and strong qualities within works.

Level One — Multiple finished sculptures clearly and consistently express gesture and weight. The sculptures are balanced and interesting from all views. Craftsmanship is excellent.

Level Two — A finished sculpture clearly expresses gesture. The sculpture is balanced and interesting from all views. The movement of the figure is clear. Craftsmanship is good.

Level Three — A finished sculpture demonstrates the intention to express gesture but the concept is conveyed with limited success. The sculpture may be unbalanced or only interesting from select viewpoint(s). Craftsmanship is variable.

Level Four — The finished sculpture does not effectively express gesture. The sculpture is unbalanced. Craftsmanship is poor.

Extension:

This project can be extended to a larger sculpture, more detailed figure sculpture in Sargent Sculpt-It, clay, or cast metal. This project can also be used in conjunction with a unit on figure drawing.

Resources:

http://www.rodinmuseum.org
http://www.musee-rodin.fr
http://www.musee-matisse-nice.org
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/dgsb/hd_dgsb.html