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So,
So Surreal Self-Portraits
Take
your class on a virtual trip back in time, to 1924, when a Dada
manifesto sparks the surrealist movement in Europe and
United States. Using
digital media, students will create their own surreal self-portraits. |
Session
1-
Start
the process with a brainstorm/list about the meaning of the word “surreal”
and what an “ism” is. (Where have you heard of “isms” before? Possible
answers: communism, socialism.)
Using
the So, So, Surreal Worksheet (attached), students working individually or in
small groups will:
•
go to the Webmuseum of Paris for an overview of the history of Surrealism.
http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/glo/surrealism/
• become critical viewers at a small virtual gallery of
artwork by a number of noted surrealist painters at http://www.mcs.csuhayward.edu/~malek/Surrealism/
•
See the work of contemporary surrealist artists at http://www.surrealism.co.uk/
The
class discusses the “dream like” qualities of surrealism and its influence
on contemporary art, design and entertainment.
The
class is introduced to its task: create a surreal image of and/or about yourself
in the world of art or entertainment. For example, you might place yourself
within a painting by a surreal artist or in concert with your favorite band.
In
pairs, students use a digital camera to take self-portraits in a “pose” they
would like to use for their So So Surreal Self-Portraits.
HW:
Write at least two paragraphs describing what you want your surreal portrait to
represent about you. Make a sketch of proposed “So, So Surreal
Self-Portrait”.
Session
2-
Teacher
Preparation: Download digital portraits taken with the camera into a
common accessible folder on the network or at individual computer stations.
Using
the homework as reference, each student writes a list of key words that will
help them find images and information to composite with their digital
photograph.
Depending
on technical ability of students, teacher may need to demonstrate how to
download images from the Internet and how to Photoshop or another imaging
program to composite and alter images. The layering effect in Photoshop
will also be useful.
HW:
Write an artist’s statement to accompany your So, So Surreal self-portrait.
Session
3-
Students
complete their So, So Surreal Self-Portrait and word process their artist’s
statement. The images need to be saved in .jpg or .gif file format for
exhibiting on the WWW.
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