Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you today? Hope you're feeling good.

My name's Ms. Afzal.

I will be your art teacher today.

I'm feeling pretty great about this because we've got quite an interesting lesson ahead.

Today, our lesson is called "Identifying starting points." It comes from the unit of work "First sustained project: working from a theme." So I'm really excited to find out what kind of themes you're interested in and what will be your starting point.

I hope you're feeling ready.

Let's begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is I can make choices and source inspiration to identify a starting point for a theme.

We have some keywords in our lesson today.

Let's go through them.

We have identify, starting point, inspiration, and theme.

Identify means to establish or indicate what something is.

A starting point is a place that marks the beginning of a journey.

Inspiration, someone or something that gives you ideas.

And a theme is an idea that recurs and is apparent throughout.

These are our four keywords, identify, starting point, inspiration, and theme.

Let's look out and listen out for them.

Our lesson is called "Identifying starting points." It has two learning cycles.

First of all, explore sources of inspiration, and next, identify a starting point for a theme.

Let's begin with exploring sources of inspiration.

Izzy and Andeep are discussing their GCSEs and the lesson "Exploring sources of inspiration." Izzy says, "This lesson will help me identify a starting point for my Graphic communications and Photography work." And Andeep says, "This lesson is useful across all of the endorsements, not just Fine Art.

It will help me find sources of inspiration to use in Textiles.

Alex will find it helpful with his 3D work too." How might this lesson be useful for your endorsement? I am wondering.

Pause the video and share with someone.

How do artists know what to make art about anyway? Pause the video and share with somebody.

How do artists know what to make art about? Here's Aisha, "I think artists get inspiration from other art, their own lives, surroundings, passions, and interests.

They might even consider themes as a starting point for their work." Great ideas there, Aisha.

Maybe you had some similar ones.

And Jacob, "I like to take photographs from different angles as I walk to and from school.

These photos could be a starting point.

Using your local area can be a great source of inspiration." Pause the video and let's think a little about Jacob's suggestion here.

If you were using your local area as a source of inspiration, what might be some things that come to mind that could inspire you, that could be your starting point? Thanks for sharing your ideas.

I was thinking about my local area, which is a mixture of quite a busy, built-up area, but then also some really nice large areas of green space nearby as well.

Something about those two meeting could be interesting.

What's the most unexpected place you found inspiration for starting a creative project? Pause the video and share with somebody.

Here's Aisha, "On holiday, I saw a wall covered with hundreds of initialled heart padlocks.

I was inspired by the layers, textures, and colour.

I imagine some of the stories about the people who had added the hearts.

I like the way it was a collaboration." What an amazing sight to see in the first place, Aisha, and I love how you were inspired by that and the fact that it was a collaboration.

I found shadows really interesting, and it's not something I'd expected to find interesting, and then I ended up creating a whole series of work based on different shadows that I encountered.

Inspiration might also come from an artist's work, contemporary issues, surroundings, memories and personal experiences, objects.

Pause the video and share with someone nearby if you've had an experience of being inspired by an artist's work, contemporary issues, surroundings, memories and personal experiences, or objects.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

I created some work that was a mixture of memories and objects where I photographed objects from a certain place where I lived and when I was leaving that place, all the things that I was leaving behind.

And I created a concertina book based on those images.

Artists' work might inspire because of its location, how it was made, emotions evoked, and its meaning.

Pause the video and think of a time when you were inspired by an artist's work, either because of its location, how it was made, emotions it evoked, or its meaning.

Thanks for sharing your ideas.

Contemporary issues might look like this one here where we can see an image of pollution, the impact of pollution on wildlife.

Here's Jacob, "I'm always shocked by images of pollution and how it impacts wildlife.

It inspires me to make art with a strong message when I see such pictures." Yeah, thanks for sharing, Jacob.

Pause the video.

Can you think of any other artists who have been inspired by contemporary issues? Thanks for sharing your ideas.

You may have mentioned some of these artists who have taken inspiration from contemporary issues.

Mbongeni Buthelezi, who uses found waste in his work.

He searches the streets for discarded plastic, melts it down, and creates images with it.

The Guerrilla Girls, an anonymous group of feminist female artists devoted to fighting sexism and racism within the art world.

And El Anatsui, an artist who makes aluminium metal installations from recycling bottle caps and sewing them together.

Or maybe there were some other artists you knew of who take inspiration from contemporary issues.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? Artists always take inspiration from work seen in a gallery.

Pause the video while you decide is this true or false? Well done if you selected false, and now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause the video while you do this.

Indeed, artists might take inspiration from a variety of sources.

Thanks for sharing your answers.

Surroundings as a source of inspiration might look like this beautiful sunset that we can see on the open road, or an images of some housing in an urban setting.

Pause the video and share with someone nearby.

Do you know of any artists who have taken inspiration from their surroundings? Thanks for sharing your answers.

Maybe you knew of some of these artists who have taken inspiration from their surroundings.

L.

S.

Lowry, who painted scenes of life in the industrial districts of North West England, Katerina Popova, who paints images of messy bedrooms, or Cy Gavin, who takes inspiration from landscapes and uses unusual materials in his paintings, such as tattoo ink, diamonds, and bermudiana seeds.

Inspiration can also come from memories or personal experiences.

They could look like this.

Here's Izzy, "I remember my first plane journey.

Looking down from the window at the earth below, I was fascinated by the meandering rivers, patchwork fields, and miniature buildings.

I could take inspiration from these memories to identify a starting point." Here's another example of inspiration from personal experience or memory.

Sofia, "Most weekends, I go to support my favourite football team.

I'm interested in how small the fans appear in the huge stadiums. I could take inspiration from this to identify a starting point." And here's Jun, "My box of memories includes photos, stickers, cards, letters, concert tickets, and objects that I've collected on holidays or days out.

They could be a source of inspiration to identify a starting point." It was great to hear about these personal experiences and memories.

Pause the video and share with someone nearby.

Do you know of any artists who have taken inspiration for their art from personal experiences and memories? Pause the video and share of any you know of.

Thanks for sharing.

Perhaps you knew of some of these artists who have taken inspiration from personal experiences.

Kara Walker, a silhouettist, printmaker, installation artist, and filmmaker, explores race, gender, sexuality, violence, and identity in her work.

Sam Smith, who makes sculptures based on childhood memories.

Kashif Nadim Chaudry, a textile artist who questions a sense of not belonging within his artwork.

Cornelia Parker is an artist known for her installations and sculptures that explore themes of transformation and the passage of time.

As we can see, there can be so many sources of inspiration, and especially if we're looking at personal experiences.

Let's have a check for understanding.

Which of the following statements is true? A, artists might take inspiration from an emotion they've experienced.

B, sources of inspiration taken from surroundings might include landscapes, environments, and installations.

C, artists never take inspiration from memories.

Pause the video and select which of these statements is true.

Well done if you selected statements A and B.

Indeed, artists might take inspiration from an emotion they've experienced, and sources of inspiration taken from surroundings might include landscapes, environments, and installations.

The final statement is not true because we know that artists do take inspiration from memories.

Sources of inspiration from objects might look like this.

Here's Alex, "This object evokes strong feelings and memories.

It reminds me of family holidays and stories.

I like the textures and colours too." And we can see an example of a Rajasthani Indian folk art puppet.

Lucky Alex, perhaps went on a holiday to Rajasthan in India.

I'd love to go there.

Objects which could be a source of inspiration might include personal possessions, machinery, natural and found objects.

Here we've got some items of jewellery that could be a source of inspiration, and some rusty cogs.

Pause the video and share any similarities and differences that you notice between these two sources of inspiration on the screen.

Thanks for sharing.

And pause the video.

Do you know of any artists who take inspiration from objects? Pause the video and share any that you know of.

Thanks for sharing.

I wonder if you mentioned any of these artists who take inspiration from objects.

So, Betye Saar, known for her assemblage works that combine found objects and images to explore themes of oppression.

Antony Gormley OBE, an artist and sculptor who made a king-sized bed entirely from slices of bread.

Cathy Wilkes is an artist who combines various media, including painting, sculptures, and domestic objects within her work.

She's primarily known for her large-scale installations.

Check for understanding.

True or false? Could a piece of bread be considered a source of inspiration? Pause the video and decide if this is true or false.

Yes, it's true, and now can you say a little more about your answer? Pause the video while you do this.

Artists take inspiration from a wide variety of objects, including bread! Antony Gormley is an artist who made a sculpture entirely out of bread called "Bed." And now it's time for your first task.

I would like you to choose an example of artwork that you find inspiring.

You might consider artwork in galleries, a public space, online, or within your sketchbook.

So, what inspires you about the artwork? How would you describe the artwork? How do the colours, size, and shape influence mood and emotion? What message do you think the artist wanted to convey? And record your observations.

So pause the video while you complete this part of your task, choosing an example of artwork that you find inspiring and answering these questions.

And choose whatever method you find most helpful to record your observations.

So your response might be recorded like this.

Perhaps you recorded digitally, maybe you made some written annotations, or perhaps you recorded a voice note.

Your response to artwork and how it inspires you might look like, here's Jacob, "I am fascinated by the artwork of artist Chila Kumari Burman.

The mixed media piece 'Auto-Portrait' resembles a person with photos collaged onto their skin.

The bright colours and layout reminds me of tattooed comic strips." So for the next part of your task, I would like you to observe and discuss the inspiration you could take from one of the other sources of inspiration.

So we've looked at an artist's work, so now I'd like you to consider either how you are inspired by contemporary issues, surroundings, memories and personal experiences, or objects.

Pause the video while you do this.

Thanks for sharing.

There are many possible outcomes, but you might have selected, for example, surroundings.

Here's Sofia, "I am currently in the art room and feel inspired by the amount of colour.

I have a sense of excitement and the urge to create when I'm in this environment surrounded by tubs of paint brushes, pencil crayons, and pots of paint." Thanks for sharing, Sofia.

And for the next part of your task, I would like you to present your sources of inspiration.

Possible ways to present the inspirational resources might be on card, in a sketchbook, on a notice board, digitally, in a journal, or photographed as a collection.

So pause the video while you now present your sources of inspiration.

Again, there are many possible outcomes, and you might have included annotations, sketches, colour swatches, fabric, newspaper articles, photographs, images, or objects.

Thank you for having go at this task.

And now we are onto our second learning cycle, identify a starting point for a theme.

You may be given the option to decide on your own theme or have to respond to one provided.

Key elements to generate a theme.

Refer to initial ideas, observations, and studies, select the source of inspiration that will hold your interest, select a theme which you are able to explore firsthand, and eliminate themes which are chosen often.

Check for understanding.

Which of the following best describes how to use sources of inspiration to generate an idea for a theme? A, translate sources of inspiration into visual ideas through mind mapping, sketching, and exploring, B, look at one image only for inspiration, or C, choose an idea without exploring sources of inspiration.

Pause the video while you decide which best describes how to use sources of inspiration to generate an idea for a theme.

Well done if you selected answer A, translate sources of inspiration into visual ideas through mind mapping, sketching, and exploring.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to evaluate your sources of inspiration to identify a starting point for a theme.

All of our keywords are there.

This is where it's all happening.

Here's Aisha, "I am choosing the theme 'messages.

' I'm interested in researching artists who depict this theme through collaboration after seeing the layers of hearts on holiday." And here's Jacob, "We've been given the theme 'transformation,' which I can link to my inspiration of the effects of pollution on wildlife.

I'm going to research countries that have managed to transform polluted areas into more wildlife-friendly places." So, over to you.

I would like you now to evaluate your sources of inspiration to identify a starting point for a theme.

Pause the video while you do this.

Great to be back with you.

How did you get on? There are many possible outcomes, and it might resemble this.

Perhaps you have a mind map that you've created with all of your different ideas branching off into different categories and giving you a lot to work with.

Well done for evaluating your sources of inspiration to identify a starting point for a theme.

This looks like it's going to contribute to a really interesting body of work.

In our lesson "Identifying starting points," we've covered the following.

Investigation is key to identifying possible starting points for a theme, enabling students to become more independent and make connections with their process and the world around them.

Starting points can be identified through a variety of sources, both internal and external.

Inspiration can be sourced through surroundings, personal experiences, memories, objects, artists' work, and historical or contemporary movements.

Well done, everyone, for identifying starting points.

I think you're in a really great position.

I'm looking forward to what comes next for you as you continue to explore your theme.

It was great to be with you here today, and I'll see you in another art lesson soon.

Bye for now.