Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Host Betty Van Etten introduces us to the work of four distinctive artists:
Georgia O'Keefe, Joyce Scott, Nam Paik and Carl Hancock Rux. The
setting for the stories' introduction is the National Museum of Women in the
Arts where an exhibit of costume designer and director Julie Taymor is seen.
Ms. Taymor is best known for her work as the designer and director of the
Broadway show " The Lion King."
Culture
Seductive
Equivalence
Copy
Icon
Durable
Imitation
Paint
Inspired
Part two: Joyce Scott
Risk (as artist)
Sculpture
Contradictory
Derogatory
Fabulous
Freedom
Bead/beaded
Rodney King (see above)
Idle
Ignite
Riot
Criminal
Stereotype
Violence
Quilt
Experiment
Project
Laser
Waterfall
Teaching activities
Connections 1 is in four segments, each featuring a single artist. The narrator
talks about Julie Tamor, who designs costumes for plays, in between the other
four sections to link the show together. The other artists are:
1. Georgia O'Keefe, a painter.
2. Joyce Scott, a sculptor.
3. Nam Jun Pak, works with video.
4. Carl Hancock Ross, a poet and writer.
Introduction
Depending on the level of the students, several activities can take place
Low-level students: play the introduction once, and have the students write down
any words that they recognize. Write the words on the board and ask students to
give a definition. Encourage students to write down any words they are unsure of
for later revision. Play the introduction again and check for comprehension.
Mid-level students: Play the introduction, then ask students to write down any
words that they don't understand. Write them on the board and go over them as a
class. Play the introduction again and check for comprehension.
Higher-level students: Describe the costumes you saw.
Content questions:
What country did Julie Tamor live in. How long did she live there? What play did
she design the costumes for?
Part one
Talk with the students about the difference between representational and
abstract art. Why do some artists like to make the picture look like the thing, but
others like to paint more how they feel?
What do the pictures remind you of?
What other landscape artists do you know?
Stop the tape at (insert time) and get the students to describe the painting by
Georgia O'keefe.
Part two
Joyce Scott
Ask the students to discuss the feelings of an artist and how they express those
feelings in their art. Look at any examples of art you have brought in; how do
they make you feel. After you have watched this segment, compare those
feelings with how Joyce Scott's pieces make you feel.
What is racism? How does it feel to be discriminated against? Draw a picture
that represents racism. Draw another showing how the world should be.
How many different media does Joyce Scott use? How are all the different
media (beads, quilts, spoken word, singing) the same? How are they different?
Part three
Nam jun Pak
Ask the class to discuss more modern art forms, like electronic music and film. Is
this an improvement on art, or a step backwards? Can electronic media be
viewed as a tool, like a hammer, that can be used to make either good or bad
things?
If you have an old video camera, connect it to the TV so that you can see the
picture from the camera on the TV, then point the camera at the picture on the
TV. The feedback will cause swirls and patterns to form on the TV (this does not
work with digital cameras). Ask the class if this is art.
Is a film art?
Can a TV show be art?
Part four
Carl Ross
Ask the class to think about how a persons childhood affects the rest of their
lives.
Draw a picture of anger. Describe it to the class.
Post-teaching activities
Ask the students what form of art they like the most. Encourage them to make a
piece of art and bring it to class to share. Describe the piece to the class. Ask
them where they think artists get their inspiration. What risks do artists take?
Can art be political?
Why are artists sometimes put in jail?
Would you want to be an artist?
What kind of art do you NOT like? Why? Why is some art difficult to
understand?
Take the students to an art gallery. It can be a fine art museum or the university
art department, but get them to talk about the art and compare it with what they
have seen in this unit.
If the class feels that any of the artists in this program are not really artists, have
a debate over what is and isn't art.