Lesson video

Hi, everyone.

I hope you're having a good day.

My name is Esther.

Some people call me Miss Esther, and I'm an artist, an art teacher, and I'm going to be working with you today on our lesson, Balance and Print: Telling Stories with Everyday Things.

It's part of our unit, Imagined Spaces and Shared Stories, and I'm really excited to get started.

We are ready to go.

Our outcome for today is that you can create a sculpture and prints using everyday objects.

I'm super excited about this lesson.

We have some keywords for our lesson.

I'll say them first.

You repeat them after me.

We have temporary, sculpture, and press print.

You might have heard some of those keywords before.

Something temporary is only meant to last for a very short period of time.

A sculpture is a three-dimensional piece of art, and a press print is a type of printing where an inked block or plate is pressed into paper.

It's a really exciting way to work.

We have three parts to our lesson today.

Firstly, we'll create a temporary sculpture.

Secondly, we're going to design an object press print.

And thirdly, we'll make a pattern to share your ideas.

Let's get started creating a temporary sculpture.

Some artworks are designed to last for a long time.

Other artworks are designed to be temporary.

This means they are only meant to exist for a short time.

Temporary artworks might be made from things like sand, ice, or paper.

Amazing sandcastle there.

And some ice cubes.

Oh, and some curls of paper.

The materials we're looking at can melt, they can blow away, or they can break easily.

Even though the temporary artworks do not last forever, they can still be important and meaningful.

We'll pause here for a check for understanding.

True or false? Sculpture has to be glued or stuck together to be finished.

Pause the video and have a think about whether that is true or it's false.

Well done for having such a good think about that.

It is false.

We'll find out a little bit more about why now.

Some sculptures are temporary.

Artists sometimes build things that can fall, that can change or can disappear.

A bit like magic.

We are going to find out about a group of artists who like to build temporary sculptures.

Arte Povera was a group of artists in Italy in the 1960s who used simple and everyday materials to make their art.

Wow, this is the list of materials that they used.

They used wood, rocks, newspapers, fabric, plants, glass and even soil to make their artwork.

They wanted to show that art can come from anything, not just fancy or expensive materials.

The artists in the Arte Povera group wanted people, wanted us, to think differently about art and about the world around them.

Some Arte Povera artists made artworks that changed over time, like a leaf drying out, a plant growing, or a rock slowly falling.

They believe that art didn't always have to stay exactly the same.

It could grow, move, or even disappear, just like things in nature do.

Here's Andeep, Jacob, and Sofia, and they're going to make a temporary sculpture.

A sculpture is kind of artwork that you can see from all sides.

It's three-dimensional, not flat like a drawing or a painting.

Then it has three dimensions.

You might start a temporary sculpture by gathering materials that you find in the environment around you.

Wow, we can see here what Andeep, Jacob, and Sofia have found.

Sofia says, "We have found five everyday objects that we can use." That's a really exciting collection of things to use to make artwork.

Pause the video for a moment and see if you could point to and name all of the five things in the photograph.

Press play when you're ready to restart.

You can then choose where your temporary sculpture could be made.

Jacob says, "We could work in a corner, on a table, or a shelf." If you're working in a group, it can be helpful to agree on where you're making your sculpture before you begin.

And of course, that might change as you go along.

You might have to make your sculpture in a different place depending on what you decide to do.

Make sure you have some space around you to do the next activity.

When you're creating your temporary sculpture, you might stack your objects, you might lean your objects against something, you might hide, or nest, your objects, or you could balance objects on top of one another.

You can add and take away objects as you go.

Here's Andeep, Jacob, and Sofia.

Sofia says, "We played around with arranging the objects to see which we like best." Andeep explains, "We photographed our work on a tablet when we had finished." What will happen if the tennis ball is added to the top of the sculpture? Let's pause here for a check.

What do you think will happen? Press play when you're ready to restart the video.

Jacob explains something for us.

"Not all objects can be balanced.

Sometimes you have to experiment with other options, such as nesting, leaning, or stacking your objects." Really great observation.

Thanks, Jacob.

And also, that can be the exciting and fun bit, seeing what you can balance and what you can't balance.

Great, we're ready to practice and do our first activity, Task A.

We're going to create a temporary sculpture.

You might work in a group, that would be fun, gather the materials you wish to include in your temporary sculpture, decide where to make your sculpture, experiment with stacking, leaning, nesting, or balancing your objects, photograph your artwork at the end when you're finished.

Pause the video and have fun making your temporary sculptures.

Amazing work! You've been thinking like artists and being really inventive with the materials you have.

You might have experimented by stacking your objects, leaning your objects against something, hiding, or nesting, your objects, balancing objects on top of one another.

Now it's time for our next part of the lesson, which is to design an object press print.

Oh, interesting collection of objects we've got here.

Look at the objects below.

What could each object mean in a story? I'd like you to pause the video for a minute and speak to someone nearby and have a conversation.

How would you use these objects if you were telling a story? Great sharing of your ideas.

I hope you got some interesting thoughts for stories inspired by an object.

Let's find out a little bit more about the three objects that we were looking at.

This is the first object we looked at, a magnifying glass, and it could tell a story about searching for something, looking around.

And the cup could be a story about a small child and their family.

And the cushion might tell a story of comfort and of home.

Cushions are very nice to cuddle.

We are going to find out about an artist who used selected objects to make a temporary sculpture.

An amazing artist called Romuald Hazoume made a big artwork called "La Bouche du Roi" by gathering lots of everyday objects.

He put them together in the shape of a ship used during the transatlantic trafficking of kidnapped and enslaved people.

Each object stood for a person and their story.

This artwork is a very important artwork because a long time ago, some people were treated very unfairly.

"La Bouche du Roi" is important.

It is a reminder that everyone deserves our respect and everyone should have the choice to be free.

Okay, we'll just have some top tips here.

We are going to choose objects that can tell a story.

We have some prompts here, "I chose, because.

." "I think this object could tell a story about, because.

." For me, I could say, I chose the magnifying glass, as it speaks to me of searching and finding.

Now, it's your turn to choose an object that can tell a story.

Here are our prompts again: "I chose, because.

." "I think this object could tell a story about, because.

." Oh, I really like this idea.

I chose a model car, as it reminds me of travel and adventures with my family.

What a brilliant story to tell.

You are going to make a press print now using your chosen object.

Here's a magnifying glass again, and this is the print that's been made from the magnifying glass.

Design an object press print.

Begin by drawing the outline of your object onto your polystyrene block using a felt tip pen.

You can use a blunt pencil held sideways to draw back into your design.

Drag gently so the pencil doesn't get stuck.

You could add lines, textures, or patterns that say something about your object.

Here's Andeep.

Hi, Andeep.

Andeep says, "I added patterns like light beams, and a searching eye." Wow, interesting.

"Like I was seeking something important in my story." That's really changed the look of the magnifying glass, and I like those patterns, those repeating lines.

Once the design is drawn, carefully cut around the shape.

If it breaks, don't worry.

Just fix it from the back with some masking tape.

It's time for a check for understanding.

True or false? Sharp pencil should be used on your polystyrene block.

Is it true or false? Pause the video and have a think about it.

The answer was false.

I hope you enjoyed thinking about this one.

Let's find out why.

A blunt pencil should be used on this material, as it's easy to accidentally make holes in your polystyrene block if a sharp pencil is used.

So it's just a little tip really about the best materials, the best thing to use on your polystyrene block.

Well done for all that thinking.

Fantastic.

It's time for Task B, design an object press print that could tell a story.

Choose an object which could tell a story.

Draw your object onto your polystyrene block with a felt tip pen, nice and light, and press over your lines with a blunt pencil.

And you can add other designs in that are to do with your story once you've drawn your object outline.

After you've drawn your outline, you can add pattern and texture.

And carefully cut out your object and repair any breakages if you need to.

Pause the video and have a great time drawing out your objects and thinking about your story.

Great work, everybody.

You've taken an everyday object and turned it into a design.

That's a clever way of making art tell a story.

You might have told a story through an object, used a blunt pencil to draw your design, that was a top tip, used pattern to add to your story, or made some repairs with masking tape.

Really wonderful work thinking about objects and the stories that they can tell.

Now, we're going to do our last activity, which is making a pattern to share your idea.

Now you've made your printing block, you can begin to print.

Press printing is when an artist uses a block or a plate with a design on it, covers it with ink or paint, and then presses it onto paper to make a copy or a pattern.

We'll find out more about this process.

First of all, roll out a thin layer of block printing ink in your tray.

There we have the ink, just two small lines in the tray, and it's being rolled out really nice and thin.

Use the roller to coat the top of your polystyrene shape with ink.

You can see that the thin ink is going onto that pattern design really beautifully.

We will pause here for a check for understanding.

What do you notice? Pause the video, have a chat with someone nearby, and tell them what you have noticed.

You may have noticed, like Lucas, that this artist is rolling two colors of ink in their tray, and that they are carefully rolling the ink back and forth so the two colors blend but do not mix completely.

Thank you, Lucas, for sharing your ideas with us.

Turn your polystyrene block over onto your paper.

Use a clean roller to press evenly on the back.

So you need to roll from top to bottom on the back of your press print.

Peel it off from the paper carefully.

It's a fantastic process to watch.

When you arrange your prints, arrange your patterns, you can leave a space between them or let the prints overlap.

This is going to be your choice as the artist.

How do you want your final pattern look? Why do you think this artist has added a flower pot? Find out a little bit more about why later on.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which printing style could an artist use? Is it going to be a, just one pattern, on its own, or b, we've got one, two, three, four patterns? Oh, and they all overlap each other.

Or could it be c? Again, we've got one, two, three, four patterns, and they are not touching there, further apart.

Which one could it be? Pause the video and have a think about what style an artist could use.

Shall we find out the answer together? Oh, it's a, b, and c.

Artists can make single, overlapped, or separated prints.

It's the artist's choice.

When you finish your print, you can share your work.

Here's Izzy.

Hi, Izzy.

What does your pattern remind you of? Let's hear from Izzy.

Izzy says, "My pattern reminds me of a pot of bright red and golden flowers." Gorgeous ideas, Izzy.

How did you choose where to place each print? Izzy says, "I wanted my prints to overlap, so they looked full and blooming." What story do your prints tell together, Izzy? Izzy says, "My prints tell a story of sunshine and warmth, and of growth and summer." Gorgeous.

They're certainly making me feel cheerful looking at them.

Now it's time for you to practice and do Task C, create a press print pattern.

Here are our top tips.

Place a small amount of ink in your tray.

Roll your ink.

Use the roller to coat your printing block.

And then when you put the printing ink on, you need to use a clean roller to roll over the top of your press print so you can get a nice, strong design.

Think about the patterns and the stories your prints might share.

How you arrange them is important.

The artist from earlier, Romuald Hazoume, arranged his objects in the pattern of a ship.

Have a great time printing your designs.

Pause the video, and I'll see you soon.

Great, well done all that pattern making and printing.

You could have created a single, separate, or overlapped print.

You could have used two colors of ink within your print or used another object to help your print tell a story, like the flower pot.

We will carry on now with Task C and share your ideas about your prints.

You could share ideas about what your pattern reminds you of.

One way of starting that thinking about this might be to say, "My patterns remind me of.

." And talk about how you chose where to place each print, "I placed my prints like this because.

." And what story do your prints tell together? The story might have changed after you printed them.

You could start that with, "My prints tell a story about.

." Pause the video and enjoy looking at your own work and explaining your story through your work.

You've been brilliant artists today.

Fantastic sharing.

You might have said something like this: "My patterns remind me of eyes exploring the world around," or "I placed my prints like this because they show how each element in nature is connected," and "My prints tell a story about feeling safe with nature." We have worked incredibly hard this lesson.

You've been absolutely brilliant.

We'll go over now what we have thought about and learned today.

Firstly, we learned that sculptures can be made from everyday materials and objects, as the artists from Arte Povera made clear in the 1970s.

That some artworks are temporary but still powerful, like Romuald Hazoume's work, which was in the shape of a ship to tell the history of the enslavement of certain people.

And that artists often tell stories with what they find, collect, or reuse.

I wonder if at home you can find things to use to create your own sculptures or stories.

And finally, that press prints can repeat and carry meaning from objects we know.

Fantastic work, everybody.

It's been wonderful to share this lesson with you, and I hope to see you in another art lesson very soon.

Thank you.