Week #2- Simplify with Mondrian

Since the New Year I’ve been thinking about simplifying. Simplifying my life and my future goals. For example I have a goal to create more art this year. This is a lofty and vague goal so I've decided to set a goal to create a piece of art each Sunday. This helps me break down my big goal into actionable goals.

When we cut out all excess noise, sometimes the purest form of language can speak to us. In this lesson students will analyze a still life and execute a drawing in the simplest form.

Simplify with Mondrian

• Students will analyze a collaborative still life and execute a Mondrian inspired drawing in the simplest form.

Artists: minimalist artists; Richard Serra, Agnes Martin, Louise Bourgeois, Robert Ryman.

Unit Objectives:

• Study Mondrian’s painting and recognize the artist’s stylistic choices such as abstraction, minimalism, color theory
• Investigate the class still life and select which parts to include
• Apply knowledge of his work and create a still life in the style of Mondrian

Key Concepts:

• Piet Mondrian limited his palette to white, black, and primary colors.
• His paintings are asymmetrical and balanced.
• The different colors create harmonious rhythms that stabilize the canvas.
• Students will recognize primary colors

Essential Questions:

• How did Mondrian progress to his abstract style?
• What creates a harmonious and balanced painting?
• How did the artist use composition?

Art Project:

Students will assist teacher in arranging a still life with objects around the classroom. Students will each choose a perspective and arrange their project around it.

From their perspective they will choose colors that represent the simplest form of the objects they are viewing.

Using black tape they will tape off sections on their paper according to where they want their still life. Using the simplest colors from their still life perspective they will color(colored pencils) in each section, like a Mondrian.

Summative Assessment:

• At the end of this assignment students will be able to recognize how to simplify in art.
• Students will be able to communicate their still life through abstract piece.

End of Unit assessment task:

Students will pair with a peer. Each will swap art pieces and align them with their perspective. Students will assess each other on how well they arranged their abstract still life on their papers. Students will add one compliment and criticism to back of paper. Students will also sign the back of papers to check off task.