Lesson video

Hello, my name is Mrs. Tipping, and I'm really looking forward to learning with you today all about me in a box, thinking about drawing and sculpture through personal representations.

We're going to do lots of thinking, talking, and exploring together in this lesson.

So, shall we get started? Let's go.

By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to create a personal art box.

Before we start, I would like to introduce you to some keywords.

We'll be using these keywords during the lesson, so it might be a good idea to write these words down.

The key words we'll be using today are art box, base coat, personal.

I'm gonna say those again and I would like you to repeat them after me.

Art box, base coat, personal.

Good job.

Now let's think in more detail about what these keywords mean by taking a look at their definitions.

An art box is an enclosed assemblage or box that combines found objects, images, and materials.

A base coat is the first layer of paint that is applied to a surface before adding any other colours, patterns, or details.

Something personal could be objects or materials that are special or meaningful to the artist.

Pause the video here to make a note of these keywords, and when you are ready to continue, press Play.

These are the learning cycles that we'll be working through together in today's lesson, investigating boxes in art and collaging with personal materials.

In this first learning cycle, we're going to investigate boxes in art.

Now, how can artists choose to show their work in different ways? Pause the video here and have a think about this question, and press Play when you're ready to continue.

What did you think? How have you maybe seen artists showing their work in different ways? Well, some choose to frame their work, so here are some examples of different frames that artists could choose to frame their work.

They're very different, aren't they? One is a bit more simple, one is more decorative.

Now, others may use plinths so the viewers can walk around the artwork.

Other artists may use art boxes.

Art boxes are small boxes filled with special and interesting objects.

Art boxes are a form of assemblage sculpture In this art box or assemblage, each object within the box has been carefully chosen and placed to make the viewer think, wonder, or imagine.

Let's take a moment to have a look at this assemblage here.

What different things can you see? What does it make you think about or imagine? Why might the artist have chosen to assemble these objects? What things can we guess about the artist's identity? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? Did you wonder if the artist is maybe a dancer, looking at these ballerinas here? Did you think about the dice? Hm, I wonder why the artist has chosen that as an object.

And then there's the bobbles.

I wonder what that means.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Artists can use to display their art.

What is missing from the gap there? Is it A, plinths, frames, and hammers, B, frames, boxes, and clips, or C, plinths, frames, and boxes.

Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that artists can use plinth, frames, and boxes to display their art, you are absolutely right.

Art boxes are an alternative to frames and plinths that an artist might choose to use to display their artwork.

Before an artist begins their own artwork, they might explore the artwork of artists who work in a similar way.

This helps them to get new ideas, to understand different techniques, and to think about how they want to express their own thoughts, feelings, or ideas.

Joseph Cornell was an artist who created art boxes.

He collected special items and put them together inside small wooden boxes, also called assemblage sculptures.

These boxes look like little rooms or stages, filled with things like old toys, pictures, maps, and natural objects like feathers or shells.

Cornell used things he found in second-hand shops or on the streets.

He arranged them carefully to tell a story or create a feeling like dreaming, remembering, or exploring far away places.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

An art box is a type of artwork where objects are carefully arranged inside a small box to tell a story or create a feeling.

Is this statement true or false? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said that's true, you are absolutely right.

But why is this statement true? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

What did you discuss? If you said something along the lines of art boxes are also referred to as assemblage sculptures, the objects and images that are chosen by the artist are often thoughtfully selected, then you are absolutely right.

Well done.

Now, these artists have all used art boxes in different ways within their artwork.

We've got Louise Nevelson, La Wilson, and Joseph Cornell.

This brings us to our first learning task.

I'd like you to discuss the way artists have used art boxes in their work.

You may wish to compare the work of two artists to think about how they are similar and how they are different.

You might want to discuss how the work would be different if it was displayed on a plinth or in a frame.

You might want to think about how artists choose the objects they use in their boxes, what stories they might tell.

Pause the video here and give yourself enough time to have this discussion about how artists use art in their work, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

How did that go? Did you compare two artists, or did you think about how the artists chose their objects? Well, maybe, like Aisha, you said that both Cornell and Wilson used everyday objects within their artwork.

Or maybe like Andeep, you saw that Joseph Cornell's work feels dreamlike, but Wilson's work is busy and energetic and colourful.

Or maybe like Jacob, you said, "I think placing the wooden pieces in large boxes helps Louise Nevelson's work seems striking and dramatic.

I don't think it would feel the same on a small plinth." Well done for having a discussion about these different artists and how they use art boxes in their work.

This now brings us to the second part of our lesson by going to collage with personal materials.

Now, you might begin your art box by painting it with a base coat.

A base coat is useful as it covers the surface evenly, it creates a smooth background, and it sets the overall colour or tone of the artwork.

You can see in this box here, we've chosen a deep blue.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Why might an artist use a base coat within their artwork? To avoid the sketching process? To create an even smooth background? Or to make the artwork dry faster? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said to create an even smooth background, you are absolutely right.

A base coat can also help to set the overall tone of the artwork.

You can paint your base coat using ready mixed paint.

You might want to think carefully about the impact of your colour choice.

Alex says, "I have chosen a dark blue as I didn't want the base coat to be that noticeable." It's important to create an even coverage of paint.

This prevents your paint from being patchy.

And you can achieve this by using your brush in long strokes going in the same direction.

Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

What tips would you give this artist to achieve an even base coat? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said you can achieve an even base coat by using your brush in the same direction and using your brush in long strokes, you are absolutely right.

That's great advice you could give an artist to achieve an even base coat.

Your personal materials in art are objects or materials that are meaningful to the artist.

These can include photographs of family, friends, or places that are meaningful to you.

They could be letters, notes, or handwriting.

They can be clothing or fabric that belong to you or someone important to you.

And it could be magazines, books, or newspapers that represent your interests or cultural background.

Artists might use personal materials to tell a story, to share a memory, or express emotions.

Including personal materials can make art feel more real, emotional, or powerful because it is connected to the artist's own life.

Let's take a moment to pause here and check our understanding.

Including personal materials in artwork has no effect on how emotional or powerful the art feels.

Is this statement true or false? Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said this statement is false, you are absolutely right.

But why is this statement false? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

What did you discuss? If you said something like, "Artists might use personal materials to tell a story, share a memory, or express emotions," you are absolutely right.

Well done.

For your art box, you can gather personal materials.

You might choose photographs of your family or places you have been, maybe some letters, notes or your handwriting, maybe clothing or fabric that belong to you or someone important, and maybe some magazines, books, or newspapers that represent your interests or cultural background.

Laura is gathering her personal materials for her art books.

"I found an old book of lined paper that used to belong to my mum." And she said, "This writing is from my great-granddad when he went to school, and this is a photocopy of his old ration book.

This is a photocopy page from a book about my local area." Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

What story do you think Laura's personal materials tell? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? Well, Laura's personal materials tell a story about her family and her home.

When you've gathered your personal materials, you can collage your art box.

A collage is made by sticking different things like photos or paper pieces together.

You might think about ripping or cutting your personal materials, and you can photocopy first if they are special.

And then only using collage on the inside or outside of the art box.

Then using layers of materials so that some of the base coat shows through.

To collage your personal materials, you can rip or cut your materials into thumb sized pieces.

Then use a spreading tool to cover your material in an even coat of glue.

Then paste your material to your box, coating over another layer of glue.

It's important to think about how much of your art box you will collage.

You might want to cover the whole of your art box with collage so it looks really busy and full, or maybe you want to cover only a small amount, so more of the base coat is showing because the colour is your favourite colour.

How much of your box will you cover with your collage and why might you choose to show or hide certain parts? And what will this tell us about your identity? Pause the video here and have a discussion with your partner thinking about these questions, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

Well, hopefully you had a good discussion, thinking about how much of your box you'll collage and why.

Andeep says, "I chose to only cover half of my box because some parts of who I am are private.

I want people to see the things I'm proud of, like my love for music and my family." Sofia says, "I covered my whole box because all of it represents me, my outside, my inside, the things people see, and the things they don't." Let's take a moment to pause and check our understanding.

Which statement is true? An artist must share everything about themselves through their personal materials, an artist should hide parts of themselves, or it's up to the artist what they wish to share or hide through their artwork.

Pause the video here and give yourself a moment to think, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

What did you think? If you said, "It is up to the artist what they wish to share or hide through their artwork," you are absolutely right.

This brings us to our final learning task.

I'd like you to first paint your base coat to evenly coach your art box, so it might look a bit like this.

Remember to use your brush in the same direction and use your brush in long strokes.

Then, once you've painted that base coat and let it dry, use your personal materials to collage your art box in your chosen style.

You can rip or cut your materials in the thumb size pieces, use a spreading tool to cover your material in an even coat of glue, and paste your material to your box, coating it in another layer of glue.

So pause the video here and give yourself enough time to first paint your base coat and then to add your personal materials through collage to your art box, and press Play when you are ready to continue.

How did that go? Well, hopefully you've had a go at covering your art box in your base coat of paint, like this dark blue here.

Hopefully, you've gathered your personal materials to collage, and then chosen them to go on your art box in different areas.

Perhaps you've left some of the base coat to still be seen, like this example here, or maybe you've covered more of your box using the collage of your personal materials.

Well done for having a go at collage in your art box with your personal materials.

Before we finish this lesson, let's summarise what we've learned about creating an art box.

Artists might choose to display their works in frames on plinths or within art boxes.

A base coat can be used to create an even, smooth background and set an overall tone for your artwork.

Artists might use personal materials to tell a story, share a memory, or express emotions.

Thank you for joining me in this lesson today.

I hope to see you in the next one.

See you next time.